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Fire protection at the junction …
By: The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP)
The use of board, coating and spray systems to protect steel in the event of a fire is generally quite straight forward and well documented. But occasionally a technical matter crops up that is a little outside the norm.
One such ambiguity concerns the approach to be adopted at the joints between two systems, when a new type of fire protection material is being installed alongside an existing alternative type on load bearing structural steel elements. The question is; exactly how do you deal with the junction, to ensure uninterrupted protection?
It is when such clarification is required that organisations such as the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP), with its wealth of technical and practical knowledge, come into its own.
The ASFP has always considered it best practice to completely protect individual structural steel, or structural elements, with the same fire protection system and that the mixing of fire protection systems should be avoided on single steel elements, since the fire testing of all possible interfaces is impractical. So, in general, the advice would be that the use of different built-in fire protection systems on individual steel or structural elements of construction should be avoided. The Association recognises, however, that on some occasions the situation is unavoidable. It has, therefore, produced new guidance on how to deal with the various scenarios.
In the first instance, the individual product manufacturers should always be contacted for relevant advice on their system being used alongside the other, but further considerations should:
4Note that off site sprayed beams are not treated at the connection point and care with interfaces will be needed. See general comments and [a] to [j] below
4The failure temperatures in fire are different for universal beams, cellular beams and universal columns. The abutting systems should be suitably selected
4The existing fire protection system, to be abutted or overlapped, must be fully cured and chemically compatible with any other system to be in contact with it
4Overlapping or abutting different systems needs careful consideration since they may behave in different ways in fire. For example, ‘shrink back’ of any system in fire, at junctions
4The specific procedure will be affected by whichever fire protection system is first applied on site and by the interval before a second system can be added.
Adding a reactive coating
Guidance for adding a reactive coating (a) next to an existing reactive coating system, (b) next to an existing sprayed system or (c) next to an existing board system is the same for each. Where a reactive coating fire protection system is to be added next to an existing fire protection system, the best guidance is to have a simple butt joint between the two different systems. If this is not possible, advice should be sought from the two fire protection system manufacturers and based on the test information available, or alternatively from independent consultants, as described in government guidance documents.
Adding a spray coating
When adding a spray coating adjacent to reactive coating [d], the spray should overlap the reactive coating by a minimum of 100mm where it meets a reactive coating.
Different spray systems may have different chemical compositions, so when adding spray adjacent to an existing spray system [e], contact the manufacturers concerned to confirm the chemical compatibility between the two systems. Once compatibility is established, a tight butt joint between the two systems should be used. If compatibility is not established, do not use the intended spray system.
When adding spray adjacent to existing board system [f], always contact the spray system manufacturer for the detailed procedure to be followed.
Adding a board system
When adding a board system adjacent to reactive coating [g], ensure the board system overlaps the reactive coating by 100mm where it meets the reactive coating, before being capped off. Note the need for chemical compatibility of any materials/adhesives used with the reactive coating system.
Where a board system meets a spray system [h], the existing spray should be cut back to provide a flat edge. The board system should be capped off at the junction and a suitable overlap may need to be incorporated, if advised by the manufacturer of the board system being added.
If adding a board system next to an existing board system [i], they may be of different thickness and the joints may be complex. It is therefore recommended that the web of both board protection systems should be capped off, using the relevant protection material, to prevent the passage of fire into the web.
Note that alternative methods may be available from manufacturers for specific products. Manufacturers may, for example, advise that cover strips with a minimum specified overlap should be used. For any situation or scheduling not covered by the guidance above, consult the manufacturer of the fire protection system to be added / abutted to the existing protection system.
Junctions between protected and unprotected steel
The potential for heat transfer from unprotected structural steel into protected structural steel must also be considered. It is normally believed good practice to protect the adjoining 500mm of ‘unprotected’ structural steel to limit unwanted heat transfer.
In the case of boxed systems, the end of the system should be capped off to prevent passage of fire into the web of a beam or column. This means filling the end of the boxed system with at least the same board thickness as used for the primary protection of the steel element, using tested fixing systems.
In the case of profiled spray systems, the unprotected steel should be masked prior to application of the spray such that a clean edge is achieved for the full depth of the sprayed system. Profiled board systems will be expected to have a square edge.

Workspace Management and Relocation
by Martin Atkinson, Managing Director, PiMS Workspace
With the commercial property market currently at an all time low and budgets being tighter than ever, companies are looking to downsize office space to save on the rising costs of rent. Working out how much office space you need and organising it accordingly is an important process that needs to be thought through thoroughly. FM managers are increasingly looking to outsourced specialists to do more than just organise the logistics of a move but to manage this process from start to finish.
Until recently, the link between physical environment and employee behaviour was largely underestimated. But as the rigid boundaries of the workplace gradually break down, the opportunity to take a closer look at how office design can impact on mood and attitude has led to some dramatic findings.
According to The Work Foundation, 85% of UK office staff feel that their working environment inhibits creativity, and a further 25% have serious complaints about various office environment factors. Poor lighting, over-crowding, isolation, and a lack of privacy or storage are some of the common complaints, resulting in reduced enthusiasm and inefficient workflow.
The first step to achieving improved productivity is to understand that the modern workspace now extends far beyond the corporate real estate. There is more to workspace management than just moving into a new office space, buying new furniture and fitting some new lighting.
Taking all these factors into consideration and organising the move of an entire office and workforce can be stressful and time consuming. Getting it right is a science and there are key steps a business should take to maintain efficiency and increase employee wellbeing.
Is it practical to introduce home working?
With commercial property becoming increasingly expensive and companies budgets becoming tighter, Company Directors are beginning to look at whether it is necessary to keep all their employees on-site. With the right technology and support systems in place, moving some employees to remote working environments can reduce the need for greater space and therefore save the company money in rent. Reduced travel to work also improves the company’s carbon footprint.
Introduce flexible hours and shift working:
Allowing flexible working hours makes the company more attractive to prospective employees who can move their start and finish times to suit family arrangements and choose to avoid the normal commute times and the resulting stress. Shift working also offers a company the ability to maximise the office accommodation by using the workspace twice in the same day via a shift pattern, again allowing a company to relocate to smaller offices.
Employ flexible storage and de-clutter:
Poor storage of items, particularly consumables like stationary and document hard copies, results in the office feeling crowded and disorganised, and can take up and waste valuable space. By fully utilising storage units, companies can create a much less cluttered feel to any environment and reduce the need for so much office space. Instead of having a waste paper bin per desk, introduce one bit per every ten desks, encouraging people to interact with others.
Make more of the desk:
Keeping the work surface clear and reducing the size of desks not only decreases the need for such large offices but also makes employees feel less stressed.
Traditionally, the PC, the monitor, keyboard, mouse and an array of in-trays, box files, stationary and personal effects have all competed for space on an employee’s desk. Good design will enable much of this clutter to be removed and less space will be needed. Flat screens have replaced larger bulky screens. These can even be mounted onto moveable arms suspended from a central post at the rear of the desk. Stationery and box files can be kept in organised and compact storage units leaving a need for very little desk space.
Appoint a ‘space champion’ and use communication
It is important that your entire workforce is kept up-to-date on all changes in the workplace, particularly when a company is relocating and dramatically changing the work environment. This creates goodwill and ensures that communication is clear and ongoing. Appointing a ‘space champion’ in each department, to liaise between management and staff will guarantee the involvement of all employees. Bringing all your staff together will ensure a smooth transition and improve the chances of co-operation and understanding from the whole team.
One company who identified the importance of improving their use of space was Skandia UK
Skandia UK is based in three multi-storey buildings in Southampton City Centre. Following acquisition by Old Mutual in 2006, and as part of a larger organisational change, senior managers at Skandia recognised the need to re-assess and update the company’s property to ensure office space was better managed and to improve the working environment for staff.
Skandia’s HR team established that the cluttered, uncomfortable surroundings could be impacting on staff morale, retention and attrition.
Skandia worked closely with its business unit Heads to establish existing and forecasted headcount and space and furniture requirements.
Staff interaction was encouraged with the introduction of informal seating areas. Traditional eight-person meeting rooms were replaced with a mix of smaller rooms, using glass walls to create the illusion of space and natural light.
Since making the changes, feedback from staff has been very positive. Survey results suggest a general feeling that Skandia is investing in our team by providing new workspaces, improving morale, loyalty and motivation. The individual office culture change has seen significant reduction in the need for cellular office space, with many managers now sitting with their staff in open plan areas.
Improved use of space has increased occupancy densities at Skandia’s headquarters by an average of 20%. The open nature of the revised layouts gives the perception of space although most workstations actually provide less than 100 square ft per person.

Making the best of the crunch
A look at how the commercial moving industry is surviving the slow down
by British Association of Removers
The credit crunch has done favours for few. Perhaps struggling first-time buyers might be happy if the price of entry-level housing plummets, but for virtually everyone else in the domestic and business community, it’s bad news.
In recent months domestic moving companies have been hit hard with the household removals market devastated in the same way and by a similar amount as estate agents: 50% to 70% falls in business are reported with derisory prices available for the work that is still around. Commercial movers, however, are having a happier time, though they must work harder and smarter than ever if they are to keep ahead in what is, undoubtedly, a volatile market.
It’s true that the commercial moving market relies on change for its survival. It doesn’t much matter whether companies are changing owing to growth or decline, as long as change is taking place, the commercial moving industry is happy. But that’s only true to a limited extent. During the early stages of contraction anticipated moves for expansion purposes may well be postponed or cancelled. As the crunch bites harder, companies may be forced into moving to reduce costs but will be looking at every penny spent in the process.
This focus on costs can easily and understandably lead companies to search out cheap alternatives to the legitimate commercial moving industry. Even with the high price of equipment, labour and fuel in the UK the cost of entry into the market can still be relatively low for opportunist companies hoping for a quick pay day. The challenge for the established companies, the ones that have invested heavily in the finest equipment, the best materials, the most comprehensive training and had their service assessed and approved by independent quality standards organisations, is to stay one step ahead of the game. During difficult trading times it is incumbent upon these companies to lead the market with innovation and value added service, not just be content to do the same as everyone else. If they do they will not survive.
At the annual conference of the British Association of Removers last April, Ian Studd, the chairman of the Commercial Moving Group of the BAR confirmed that this was, indeed, both a threat and an opportunity for his members. “We should continue to broaden our horizons and provide as wide a service offering as possible to our customers,” he said. “By remaining within our comfort zone of only doing moves and storage we deny ourselves additional revenue opportunities. Furthermore we can fall foul to lower barriers to entry from those who feel that commercial removals represent easy pickings. These companies have lower overheads and have made less investment in running a professional service and therefore are in a position to steal from our order books and threaten our pricing and our margins. Not something we need when the economic climate forces clients to seek out low-cost solutions to meet their demands. It is at such times of vulnerability that we must be particularly vigilant and smart about how we protect ourselves.”
There is also a trend towards less complex requirements, specifically in the area of IT, that is enhancing the risk to commercial movers from these ‘new kids on the block’. It wasn’t long ago that access to companies’ computer systems was restricted to the expert few. Now the average office worker is much more familiar with computers, the hardware is smaller, lighter, with colour-coded connectors so most people would feel confident in doing some of the transfer work themselves. In practice the work of moving computer systems might not have changed much but the perception of its difficulty has certainly moved on. Ian Studd said that the move towards vastly cheaper IT and changes in the way that businesses function and use their workspaces is making them more likely to buy new equipment when moving and dispose of or, better still, recycle the old stuff. “When that happens our removals service offering is threatened,” he said.
So the professional commercial moving industry understands that a slow down in business confidence, even a recession should one arrive, has its opportunities but you’ve got to be smart to take advantage of them. By providing additional, more complex services to clients, movers are able to set the bar high for new entrants into the market and provide what their customers want. Professional procurement people are looking for a narrower supply chain: they want to buy more from fewer suppliers. They recognise that the overall value is far greater – and project costs cheaper – if they can put multiple services with one provider. So the challenge for moving companies is to provide a more integrated, intelligent service offering that includes, for example, records management, furniture and interior design, space planning, asset management, engineering services and equipment recycling. “When we do this we provide a more comprehensive service to our clients and see off all but the most well resourced and determined competitors,” said Ian.
In fact that’s exactly what the professional commercial moving industry in the UK is doing. More companies than ever are offering these services that are seen as ‘additional’ to the traditional moving service right now but, in years to come, will undoubtedly become the norm. Recycling services in particular, especially for IT equipment and office furniture, are rapidly becoming an essential part of any commercial moving company’s standard offering.
This trend was borne out by the Moving Trends survey conducted by P&FM magazine. This year there was a huge leap in reported excellence on the more complex areas of the business including: pre-move planning, move management, communications and, most significantly, innovations and ideas. It’s clear from the survey that facilities managers and third-party move management companies and property consultants are recognising that these things matter.
It appears also that these same purchasers of commercial moving services are becoming increasingly aware of the enhanced service offered by members of official bodies: the awareness of BAR, for example, was up from 51% to 58% from 2007 to 2008 and CMG from 30% to 38%. This is likely to increase further in 2009 as the British Standards Institute (BSI) has just introduced the commercial moving standard PAS126 that has been made mandatory for all CMG members and the BAR itself continues to promote its compulsory Code of Practice, approved by the Office of Fair Trading, for domestic moving.
Despite all this there is still a risk to the commercial moving industry during a recession that the members will start fighting amongst themselves for the slim pickings that remain. There’s no sign of that as yet (apart from health competition) but the possibility exists. It’s important for all stakeholders to do their bit to avoid this. Moving companies must be allowed to make reasonable margins otherwise training and investment will inevitably suffer with a knock-on effect on the quality of service provided. “We need to retain a healthy competitiveness, but we also need to recognise that sacrificing our margins to protect turnover is counter productive, threatening the capital we need to reinvest in the growth of our businesses,” said Ian Studd.
The professional commercial moving industry in the UK enjoys a justified reputation for excellence. The slow down in business currently being experienced will, to a point, provide opportunities to reinforce its position and marginalise those who are not able to keep up. As long as it is allowed to maintain its margins, the industry will probably emerge stronger than ever when the crunch finally lifts.

Expansion needn’t be a disruption
Modular Expertise Accommodates Increase in Travellers at London City Airport
by Britspace
A recent surge in passenger traffic led to London City Airport expanding their facilities to cope with the in-flux of passengers. A partnership with Britspace, meant a solution to increase the capacity of passenger gate lounges was met, whilst the disruption to the airport’s schedules and services was kept to an absolute minimum.
The project was handled from the procurement stage through to manufacture and installation. Due to the location of the airport in the midst of the Thames Docks and working alongside operational airport runways meant stringent health and safety measures were applied. The modular construction company proposed a five stage building schedule, working primarily during the night to avoid any unnecessary disruption for passengers or airport staff
The experienced construction site team prepared the airport site whilst the passenger lounges were constructed off-site in the East Yorkshire factory. Then, upon factory completion, the new passenger gate lounges and walkways were transported from the Yorkshire-based factory site to London. The bespoke design consisted of 50 modules designed specifically to match the structural grid of the existing concrete apron, so that there was fluidity in the aesthetics of the building. The 50 modules were installed via the five stage process utilising a unique and sophisticated build process and the latest modular design and technology. This involved the lounges being connected by a two storey walkway which linked to the existing terminal by a modular bridge. The problem of the construction being situated next to a waterside location, was overcome by involving specialist build activities carried out from floating pontoons, with trained divers who were strategically positioned in the water to provide additional safety support.
Additional design challenges were also presented such as addressing the increase in the number of passengers that would use the new building at any time, which could result in an increase of loading on the floors and possible damage to the internal decorations. The solution to this was to manufacture the internal fittings and decorations of the buildings to the corporate specifications, but with a more robust design.
David Harris, Managing Director at Britspace, commented: “This project perfectly demonstrates our core strength which is to provide a bespoke solution for potentially complex projects, whilst avoiding major disruption to daily business operations. As we have shown with this particular build, all modules and components were built in our factory in East Yorkshire, significantly reducing the construction programme compared with traditional build techniques.
“With the project delivered on time and to budget, we had already been tasked with the next phase of the development within the same pier. This is particularly needed as a result of the Olympic Games around the corner and to accommodate the increasing population of the nation’s capital.”
Richard Gooding OBE, Chief Executive of London City Airport says: “We’re delighted that we were provided with an efficient solution to ensure we can cater for our increased business – and with minor interruption to our staff and passengers.”
Commencing in early April so as to avoid peak air times, two passenger lounges were constructed in just eight weeks. To complement the existing terminal building and to sustain the appearance, the new extension is a striking combination of Rainscreen Cladding and powder coated aluminum windows. The introduction of these new buildings will allow thousands of additional passengers to pass through the airport in a more safe and comfortable manner.

Triumph in WorldSkills UK Landscape Gardening competition
by the British Association of Landscape Industries
Chichester and Otley Colleges are celebrating their joint Gold positions in the final of the 2008 WorldSkills UK Landscape Gardening competition.
Organised by the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) on behalf of UK Skills, the final took place at the Institute of Groundsmanship’s exhibition, SALTEX, held at Windsor Racecourse from 2nd-4th September. Four teams of two from Chichester College, Craven College, Moulton College and Otley College battled it out to create identical 7m x 7m gardens, demonstrating the range of skills required of today’s landscapers.
15,000 plus visitors attend this major annual event for the grounds care, sports amenities, landscaping and estate management sectors, and many took time to watch the competition and cheer on the teams. Lord Michael Heseltine CH, who visited IOG SALTEX on the middle day of the competition at BALI’s invitation to launch the new National Highways Sector Scheme 18 for Landscaping and the Environment, including Ecology, took time to visit the competition and talk to the Competition’s Technical Director, Peter Killen, and Project Manager Angela Radley. A keen horticulturist himself, Lord Heseltine was extremely interested to see the young landscapers working well under pressure and producing very creditable work; Horticulture Week, part of the Haymarket Publishing Group of which he is Chairman, is one of the competition’s sponsors.
The young people involved, aged between 17 and 25, had all competed with their teams in qualifying heats, which began in May this year. The teams in the IOG SALTEX final battled hard over four days to each build a technically challenging garden, designed by multi Chelsea Gold Medal winning designer Andy Sturgeon of Andy Sturgeon Garden Design. Andy’s design for the advanced competition final had a North American/Canadian feel with a small decked area constructed around a planted tree and partially over a formal pool. In addition to turfing and soft planting, competitors had to construct bespoke fencing and an unusual seat faced with cobbles.
The biennial WorldSkills Competition takes place next year in Canada and the two winning teams from this year’s UK competition may have the opportunity to begin training to represent the United Kingdom. The UK has been awarded the WorldSkills competition in 2011.
Industry sponsors are crucial to the success of the competition and this year the following companies and organisations provided financial support and materials: Ford Motor Company, B & Q, Buildbase, City & Guilds NPTC, Crowders Nurseries, Everedge, GeoSynthetics, Green-tech, Hirebase, Hoppings Q-Deck, Horticulture Week, Ifor Williams Trailers, John O’Conner (Grounds Maintenance) Ltd, Lantra Awards, Marshalls plc, Melcourt Industries, Nationwide 4x4, Olympic Supply Company – FastenMaster, Q Lawns, The Landscaper Magazine, Yellow Pages.
The success of the WorldSkills UK Landscape Gardening competition final each year is the result of stringent judging by a panel of acknowledged experts in their field. Finalists listened intently to the judges’ feedback after the award ceremony and will now take their advice and comments with them into their future careers. This year the judging panel comprised multi award-winning garden designer and landscape contractor, and recent TV personality, Mark Gregory, Managing Director of Landform Consultants Ltd; Mitch Westwood of Westwood Solutions, landscaping expert for the BBC Rogue Traders programme; and Nigel Ellis, industry expert and lecturer at Plumpton College who has been involved with the WorldSkills competition for five years. WorldSkills judge Bjorn Gudmundson came across from Sweden to assist with the judging.
Commenting on the winning teams’ performances, Competition Technical Director Peter Killen said: “Andy Sturgeon’s design was very challenging, especially for the younger members of the teams. It was a privilege to witness the grit, determination and level of competence of these young landscapers. With two gold winning teams this year, we have an even bigger pool of talent from which to select the team for next year’s WorldSkills competition in Canada.”
The winning teams were presented with their awards by Jonathan Swift, Chairman of main sponsors Lantra Awards, and BALI National Chairman, John Gillan.
The full results are as follows:
Joint 1st Place (Gold) – Chichester College (David Kelly and Matthew Smith – Tutor Mark Howard), and Otley College (Simon and William Gadd – Tutor Ken Higginbotham)
3rd Place (Bronze) – Craven College (Luke Denby and Andrew Brier – Tutor Michael Myers)
Runners Up – Moulton College (Joe Postlethwaite and Tom Moore – Tutor Tim Walker)

Don’t scrimp on Safety
“When it comes to the crunch, don’t cut back on safety,” cautions Jonathan Edwin, business manager for on-site safety specialist, Scafftag.
Scafftag says that ignoring these warnings will lead to additional costs for construction industry members through increased accidents, downtime, fines and compensation payouts. It will also make it harder to bid for lucrative public projects.
The last thing you want during already financially tough times is to incur unpredictable costs due to accidents or equipment failure. Firms need to maintain their existing safety and maintenance systems and even up their game to win some of the upcoming public sector projects.
The firm warns that the risks of fines and other punitive measures is becoming more pronounced as legislative and regulatory bodies seek to address the industry’s safety record.
Scafftag’s warning comes after an influencing group of MPs – the Business and Enterprise Committee – called for more HSE site inspections and “radical steps to improve the sector’s health and safety record”.
Coupled with this, the national trade association for scaffolding and access – NASC – has expelled two of its members for failing to meet its standards and has instructed all of its membership to complete biennial audits to ensure continued compliance.
“The construction industry is feeling the effects of a double whammy in terms of price pressure on raw materials and a reduced order book. At times such as this, with the recent spate of redundancies, it’s tempting to clamp down on certain operational costs, but many do so at the expense of their long term business performance.”
However, Scafftag says that health and safety is one area where it’s impossible to overinvest. The firm says that by focusing on business performance, rather than cost reduction, contractors will be in better shape to pick up more work, especially in the public sector.
Edwin says: “A common trend arising from an economic downturn is the way in which governments try to buoy the wider economy by boosting investment in the public sector. Large public projects like the Olympics are standard bearers for showcasing industry expertise with only the highest quality, reputable and innovative contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers brought on board.
“Those businesses which are quickest to adapt and demonstrate best practice are ideally positioned to pick up their fair share of successful tenders. As part of that, we have been working closely with many firms to help them meet the Olympic Delivery Authority’s health and safety prequalifying criteria.”
Scafftag says that with the right approach to managing, monitoring and maintaining onsite equipment, contractors can reduce downtime and make cost savings, while meeting the future needs of the industry.
It’s a message reinforced by the Business and Enterprise Committee of MPs which has called on the Government to ensure that bidders for public sector contracts are stringently assessed on health and safety. They urge Ministers to “enforce a change of approach in public sector construction procurement, and to drive a culture of change across the sector.”
Edwin concludes: “It’s clear the building and construction industry is facing severe economic and legislative uncertainty, but some of the risks can be mitigated by investing in those things which protect your organisation’s reputation and key assets. After all, they are often the hardest things to replace.”