STYROFOAM solution for multi-million Downe Hospital
200m3 of STYROFOAM™ roofing insulation will bring environmental and efficiency benefits to the new Downe Hospital in Northern Ireland, the most modern of its kind in the Province.
Staines, 16 April 2009
Construction of the enhanced local hospital for the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust is almost complete, with the finishing touches being made to the roof by the Holywood office of roofing specialist, Grainger Building Services.
The futuristic, tiered building will house a wide range of services for Downpatrick residents, including a 24-hour consultant-led A&E department, inpatient facilities such as general medicine, elderly care, psychiatry and coronary care, as well as rehabilitation, diagnostic and outpatient departments.
"Effective insulation plays a vital part in ensuring publically-funded buildings such as hospitals keep their running costs to a minimum and meet increasingly stringent building regulations regarding environmental performance," said Paul Mullan of Tennants Building Services which sourced the STYROFOAM products for Grainger from manufacturer, Dow Building Solutions.
A combination of 120mm thick ROOFMATE™ SL-X boards and 60mm ROOFMATE LG-X made with STYROFOAM were used by Grainger for the project, with ROOFMATE SL-X secured with ballast covering the flat roof area, and ROOFMATE LG-X insulating vertical parapets.
"We have a great working relationship with Tennants and get excellent customer service from the company which is why we chose to source the insulation from them," explained Stephen Anderson of Grainger Building Services. "We've also used Dow's STYROFOAM products many times in the past and have come to rely on the benefits a closed-cell product can bring roofing projects of this nature. It's robust, easy to work with and can be installed even in wet conditions. It's also able to deliver low U-values, and was well able to achieve the thermal efficiency requirements specified on this project."
Heat loss from flat roofs can be as much as 25% of the total, and any improvements in preventing heat loss from such structures has significant benefits for energy saving. ROOFMATE products are unaffected by conditions encountered on flat roofs, such as wide fluctuations in temperature or repeated freeze/thaw cycles.
The products are welcomed on construction sites as they are lightweight and easy to cut, with low water absorption meaning they can be installed in all weathers. The boards are also easily stacked and can be delivered to site in a variety of ways.
"We find Dow easy to work with as the company allows us to collect product straight from the factory and deliver it direct to our customers' sites ourselves," explained Paul Mullan of Tennants. "The customer services team is also very accurate and efficient when we need to check stock levels, giving us confidence that we'll be able to meet our own customers' needs and deliver on time, in full."
The new Downe hospital was designed by the Belfast office of international consultancy Scott Wilson, which was also responsible for the civil and structural engineering, landscaping and planning supervision of the project. Leading Northern Ireland contractor McLaughlin & Harvey is responsible for the build.
For more details on stockists of ROOFMATE and other insulation products, contact Dow Building Solutions on 020 3139 4190 or visit www.styrofoam.co.uk.
Notes to editors:
Dow Building Solutions, a division of The Dow Chemical Company, is dedicated to supplying the construction industry with innovative and effective solutions. The product range includes STYROFOAM blue extruded foamed polystyrene insulation, GREAT-STUFF™ polyurethane foam sealant, FROTH-PAK™ polyurethane foam spray systems, INSTA-STIK™ polyurethane adhesives and a range of accessories.
For media information contact:
Kirsten@kdpr.co.uk
01295 780152
Customer contact:
Dow Building Solutions
Diamond House, Lotus Park,
Kingsbury Crescent, Staines,
Middlesex, TW18 3AG
Tel.: 020 3139 4190
Fax: 020 3139 4013
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