EJOT: Why fastener technology drives better quality, greener buildings

This article sees Robert Hardstaff, Managing Director of EJOT UK Ltd, discuss how fastener technology drives better quality, greener buildings.

“The role that innovative fastening systems and bespoke fixings are playing in improving the quality and sustainability of building envelopes cannot be understated. 

If we consider product innovations, there is little to be gained if a solution which is designed to advance a building’s performance ends up adding complexity to the build and excessive costs creep in as a result. That is why fastening systems are so important in offering the flexibility to enable smarter thinking about the attachment of elements that make up the building envelope. 

EJOT UK is at the forefront of industry support. We are increasingly helping customers take advantage of new fastening approaches, both through new product developments and modified versions of existing fasteners that are proven in the market.

This is enabled through EJOT UK’s fastener design, testing, manufacturing and a logistical infrastructure here in the UK. With Leeds being the location of one of the global EJOT Group’s major operations, a strong bond has been developed with UK customers who value dealing with fastener specialists locally who can provide market-leading technical advice aligned with their needs.

EJOT expansion

This support is something that EJOT is expanding too, with a major investment programme nearing completion. This will increase the scale of everything the company does in the UK through a £6.5m project to more than double the size of EJOT UK’s manufacturing capacity, logistical facilities, the Applitec Centre for R&D and office space, due for completion before the end of 2021.

The expanded EJOT operation in North Yorkshire will provide the ideal platform for the next era for the business, building on 36 years of serving the construction and manufacturing sectors.

It will be key to working even more collaboratively to ensure industry professionals can deliver on shared quality and sustainability goals.

In fact, this is exactly how EJOT already works with many of its customers as one recent project to upgrade a Victorian cottage in North Yorkshire demonstrated.

The owner of the traditional stone built cottage sought to refurbish it to a high eco-standard using Hempcrete to insulate the interior walls, which required an innovative fixing solution.

The new walls were cast on-site using a hemp shriv and lime mortar mix, formed one section at a time, each requiring a secure bond to the stone wall structure of the house. EJOT’s H1 eco anchors provided the solution.

Primarily designed for attaching insulation boards, after assessing the contractor’s proposed construction, EJOT’s technical consultants recommended the H1 eco anchors to create a series of anchor points for the compound to grip under and around as it cured.

EJOT in action

Similar flexibility and innovation were shown in a very different recent project to create a technically challenging green roof in Thailand demonstrates. EJOT UK provided a combination of innovative products to meet the complex design requirements of the 2,500 square metre green roof for the Forest Pavilion, the centrepiece building of a new 158 acre wellbeing-focused development in the Thai capital, Bangkok.

One major challenge was to achieve a secure attachment for the green roof at an angle of 16 degrees without exceeding a maximum weight of 35kg per square metre.

Any fastening system had to be 100% waterproof to prevent corrosion risks and maximise the lifespan of the building, as well as accommodating significant wind uplift given the position of the Forest Pavilion, initially stand-alone with no adjacent buildings to deflect the wind. 

EJOT UK worked closely with the project team to provide a solution. The EJOT HTK tube-washer was specified to attach the roof insulation and PVC membrane to the metal deck substrate, whilst minimising thermal transmission, and EJOT EJObar was selected to anchor the soil’s wire reinforcement securely – all without adding significant weight. 

Both these projects illustrate the power of collaboration between project engineers and the fastening systems provider, which is why EJOT UK is committed to supporting the industry in this way.

The newly expanded EJOT UK base near Leeds will allow us to expand this approach with an even sharper focus on customer support and manufacturing capacity.”

EJOT UK
Hurricane Close
Sherburn Enterprise Park
Sherburn-in-Elmet
Leeds
LS25 6PB
UK

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