Nearly six months since the beginning of lockdown, workplaces are still not entirely back to normal as fears persist about the spread of Covid-19. Facilities managers have a huge role to play in making sure buildings are ready to be occupied once again, while keeping workers socially distanced according to Government guidelines.
This article was first published in the September 1st 2020 issue of Warehouse & Logistics News, subscribe to the magazine by clicking here.
With many businesses still unsure of their long-term plan for bringing staff back in to work – or how many people they are able to accommodate under social distancing measures. Jason Lynock, Sales Director of Smart-Space, said: “The watchword right now is flexibility. Being able to adapt to new situations and take cues from everyone around us. Never has it been more usual to be unusual, think outside the box and reinvent the way we do things. Some businesses are more successful at this than others but we consciously work to make sure that being nimble is an inherent part of our culture.”
For fast-expanding firms that need space quickly at a viable cost, tensile fabric structures – effectively a steel frame wrapped with a durable membrane – come into their own. Growing willingness to adopt such modern methods of construction has led to growth for Collinson Construction, a UK-based contractor that specialises in tensile structures. Collinson has completed tensile projects such as warehouses, port and harbour buildings, aviation hangars, and waste and recycling facilities around the UK. Solid steel bracing is used to hold the membrane in place, so there’s no need to re-tension the structure or fabric during the lifetime of the building. The powder-coated steel work also provides superior protection against corrosion.
EGGER’s OSB HDX structural flooring boards were chosen for the redevelopment of the Victorian railway viaducts at Borough Yards, central London into retail and leisure spaces. Choosing EGGER’s OSB HDX boards for the mezzanine flooring has provided the contractor with a highly robust structural flooring to work with. This OSB is able to withstand heavy loads, whilst being around 20% lighter than standard 38mm P6 chipboard.
Rubb has supplied industrial door specialist Hart Door Systems Ltd. with a rented storage facility. Rubb was able to offer a 36-month rental contract for a 10m span x 16m long BVR type storage building, featuring a sidewall height of 6m. A 4m x 4m roller shutter door provides access and egress to the storage facility. Rubb fabric buildings feature structural steelwork that has been hot dip galvanized to protect against corrosion. The cladding membrane is made using high tenacity PVC polyester fabric, which is flame retardant.
Johnson Controls, the global leader for smart and sustainable buildings, is launching OpenBlue – a complete suite of connected solutions and services. This open digital platform will make shared spaces safer, more agile and more sustainable.
We wish facilities managers all the best as they seek to build safer workplaces and help the nation return to work.
George Simpson
Features Editor
Comments are closed.