The £11.4million Formartine House development has been designed to elevated sustainability standards with the aim of achieving net zero, not least by incorporating a highly insulated and airtight envelope to minimise energy use.
One of the challenges associated with the construction of the envelope was ensuring the Kalzip standing seam system would be securely fixed to the building’s unconventional structure.
The structure is formed of glulam beams and supporting secondary steelwork with a thick layer of insulation as part of a design to Passivhaus. To determine the most effective fixing solution, Fowler McKenzie consulted with Tektum Supplies, with whom EJOT UK has a strong working relationship.
Tektum utilised its unique prognosis software to generate the calculations necessary and confirm that the fasteners recommended by EJOT would satisfy Kalzip’s own technical criteria.
Mike Saini, Managing Director of Tektum Supplies, said: “Combining our prognosis data with EJOT’s physical testing capabilities meant we could achieve a fastener specification that everyone in the project could depend on.”
EJOT UK’s Technical Team confirmed the suitability of the recommended fasteners via a series of tests at its Applitec Centre, including pull-out tests, tensile testing and detailed analysis of the material characteristics of both the steel and glulam sections, which were conditioned in one of Applitec’s dedicated chambers for one week.
