Adept Contracts, a compliant passive fire protection specialist, is well-prepared for the Golden Thread requirement and the Building Safety Act. Their expertise in Durasteel and cavity barriers ensures enhanced building safety
The Grenfell Tower fire was a disastrous event. Its impact sent a shockwave through the country and in particular the construction industry.
The report into the disaster evoked a realisation that thousands of buildings in the UK we made up of materials (such as cladding) that are extremely flammable. Such installations were deemed illegal under existing laws that were, as such, widely ignored by the industry.
A key outcome of this investigative process was the Building Safety Act. And with it came the requirement to implement the “Golden Thread” for construction. This will come into force within the next year or so – and will dramatically change how building construction is managed.
What is the Golden Thread?
The Golden Thread was developed as a management concept from Dame Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations & Fire Safety. It maps out the principle and framework for planning and implementing construction and the recording of key information in the form of a single, transparent source that runs through the entire process. It is a mandatory aspect of new building safety regulations, putting the onus on construction firms, building managers and other responsible parties to implement systems that ensure compliance.
Bringing the industry into line is a daunting task, no doubt. Those property owners, developers and landlords that fail to take on the responsibility of the transparency, accountability and legal compliance required will find themselves in court. These regulations will be overseen by the HSE.
Organisations that ignore these regulations do so at their peril.
So, who is compliant right now?
Who can deliver on the requirements of the Golden Thread and the requirement of the Building Safety Act?
Well, one passive fire protection specialist firm certainly can: Adept Contracts Ltd.
Since its formation, some 15 years ago, Adept Contracts has been a FIRAS-accredited contractor.
The Golden Thread concept is nothing new to this company. Its core business has always been in construction in the rail sector. Providing passive fire protection service to Network Rail, TfL & LU stations, and buildings right across Greater London.
In more recent years, the company has developed into a Tier Two contractor. Working for main contractors and JV Tier Ones on major infrastructures projects: Crossrail, HS2, the Northern Line extension, DLR and the like. The rail industry prides itself on safety standards and this applies to material procurement and in particular fire-rated products.
In addition, in the sector, there has always been a requirement for design, planning, documentation and communication between contractors and clients like no other sector of the construction industry.
This pedigree has enabled Adept Contracts to develop in-house, web-based, digital management systems to plan, record and report on all aspects of its installations. The information is live, accurate, up-to-date, easily interpreted and accessible to all – Adept managers, MC project managers and clients. It is the basis of its compliance system and it has been doing this for years – well before the Grenfell catastrophe and the advent of the Building Safety Act. This company is definitely well ahead of the game in this regard.
So, complying with the Golden Thread promises to dramatically improve building safety; however, will it aid the delivery of substantial cost savings? Adept Contracts, with its experience, systems and track record, certainly set the bar high on this.
Where have these changes impacted this industry the most?
For Adept Contracts, there are two key areas that have seen a massive increase in activity, which is from answering initial enquires and ITTs to the delivery of substantial projects:
Durasteel
Durasteel is a composite panel fire protection board, comprised of a fibre-reinforced cement core mechanically bonded to punched steel sheets on both outer surfaces. It is classed as “non-combustible” to BS 476: Part 4: 1970 and to Clause 10 of EN 13501-1: 2002. It is both highly impact and moisture-resistant with tested four-hour fire resistant – integrity, stability and insulation. It is suitable for internal and external locations and has a 56dB rating of acoustic insulation for noise reduction, as well as a blast rating.
Adept Contracts has been an approved distributor and installer of Durasteel for some time now. Our in-house design and engineering capability enables us to produce Durasteel board when fixed to a steel channel or angle framework. Systems can be purpose built to meet individual requirements, as well as retrofitted. The dry installation technique means it can be fully prefabricated offsite and then effectively fitted into tight, high-risk situations, such as sub-stations.
Cavity barriers
Post-Grenfell, much has been done to improve on the testing of products for their fire-resisting properties. This move to a much greater degree of compliance and accreditation by many in the industry has led to a huge increase in this part of Adept’s business profile.
There are new requirements for concealed cavities within buildings, whether within a floor, partition wall, ceiling or external façade, such as cladding or curtain walling. The Grenfell Inquiry identified the greater risk of fire spreading unchecked by this means. It has become critical that the correct (and tested) barrier materials are installed correctly to prevent the passage of fire and toxic smoke throughout the building.
We have sourced a range of specialist cavity barrier products from several manufacturers. These are all certified by independent testing for fire performance in their specified application. All our passive fire protection systems are designed in-house to be fit-for-purpose and third-party certified. We are also able to offer architectural acoustics solutions that encompass insulation and integrity for noise control.
John Waites
Business development director
Adept Contracts
Tel: 0208 807 8179
john.whaites@adeptcontracts.co.uk
*Please note that this is a commercial profile.
