The latest innovation for the Portakabin off-site building system is a new high performance floor option for high traffic areas and heavy, variable loads. With a point loading of 7kN and a uniformly distributed load of 9kN/m2, the factory-installed concrete floor is believed to be the highest performing floor for a modular building. It has been launched by Portakabin, following a two-year development and testing programme and offers a range of benefits for steel-framed modular buildings with areas of high footfall or heavy point loading – from offices to education and leisure facilities, healthcare buildings such as clinics, wards and hospitals and chemical and pharmaceutical applications such as laboratories.
Features of the new floor option include:
• Point loading of 7kN
• Acoustic performance which meets the most stringent Building Regulations* requirements for airborne sound and footfall (*Building Regulations 2000 Part E)
• Uniformly distributed load of 9kN/m2
• Shorter programme times
• All the advantages of off-site construction – superior quality, less material waste and less disruption
• Six-storey building capability
• Improved site safety and site cleanliness as the concrete is pre-installed in the factory
• A highly durable terrazzo flooring option, which is factory installed.
Commenting on the launch, David Shaw, Marketing Director of Portakabin, said, “This new option will allow all the benefits of off-site construction to be applied to an even wider range of building uses – for example, school or university buildings with high levels of footfall or health sector buildings such as clinics, wards and hospitals where acoustic performance and heavy loading are key factors.”
“As part of our commitment to design and innovation, we are continually looking at new product developments and manufacturing initiatives to further improve the sustainability, performance and design flexibility of our award-winning off-site building system.”
A dedicated concrete floor casting bay has now been installed at the Portakabin production centre in York, integrating the pre-installed concrete floor option into the steel-framed module manufacturing process. The development of the new floor option also involved the construction of two prototype modules for extensive testing, and detailed design calculations, and module lifting and transport trials.
The pre-installation of concrete into modules in a factory environment is easier and safer than on a building site. Concrete can be poured into individual modules which are accessible from most sides, reducing, and in some cases eliminating, the need for extended chutes and pumps. It also allows the grinding and polishing of terrazzo flooring to be carried out under factory-controlled conditions, for cleaner, safer and quieter work on site.
Portakabin are also currently offering the opportunity to visit the York manufacturing site to see first hand the benefits of modular construction, including a viewing of the new high performance floor option.
For further information about the new high performance floor or to arrange a visit to the factory,
call 0845 355 5359 or visit
www.portakabin.co.uk/high-performance-floor.html
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