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Access Covers

Worry free floor access for Westgate Oxford

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Howe Green Westgate Edit FinalOver 80 of Howe Green’s 7500 Series Medium Duty Stainless Steel Floor Access Covers were specified by architect Chapman Taylor LLP for the Westgate Oxford development. The floor covers provide access to essential services concealed under the flooring.

Laing O’Rourke began construction of the 800,000 sq. ft. centre in spring 2015.  The centre will eventually have over 100 stores, 25 restaurants and cafes, a 5 screen boutique cinema and a public roof garden complete with cocktail bar.

The Howe Green 7500 Series Floor Access Covers provide safe, easy access to underfloor services and high levels of performance for what will be a heavily trafficked pedestrian area. The 7500 Series can withstand up to a 5 tonne pneumatic wheel loading and, as they are made of stainless steel, are resistant to rust and corrosion.

The covers, installed by specialist stone contractor Vetter UK, have been infilled with various types of stone to blend seamlessly with the different hard flooring finishes used across multiple locations.  The flush finish ensures the attractiveness of the flooring is not compromised and the risk of slip and trip hazards is reduced.

The 7500 Series Medium Duty Floor Access Covers are tamper resistant, meeting the requirement for a secure access solution, a necessity in such a public place.

ACCESS MADE EASY – NEW Access Covers from ACO

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ACO LAUNCHES A NEW RANGE OF ACCESS COVERS

ACO AccessACO ACCESS has launched a range of high quality floor access covers designed for use in internal and external applications in commercial, private and public sector buildings. The new range is available from ACO Building Drainage.

Designed to provide easy access to underlying building services and ducting, ACO UniFace™ recessed covers and ACO UniTop™ solid covers are available in a choice of materials including aluminium,

ACOhot-dipped galvanised steel and stainless steel grade 304 as standard. Covers can also be manufactured in stainless steel grade 316 if required. Access covers are fully certified to BS EN 1253-4 and BS EN 124 European standards and are available in a comprehensive range of standard clear opening sizes from 200mm to 1200mm. To ensure easy specification, all ACO ACCESS covers also use Fabricated Access Cover Trade Association (FACTA) classifications.

Rob King, ACO ACCESS business manager, comments: “ACO is synonymous with quality, innovation and great design, and these qualities are reflected in our new range of floor access covers. Our manufacturing expertise, design capabilities and the support of our in-house technical design team, have enabled us to produce a range of access covers which deliver both function and style to customers working in a wide range of building applications.”

ACO UniFace AL Duct make imageACO UniFace™ recessed floor covers are designed to blend with a wide range of hard and flexible floor infills of up to 15mm thickness. Suitable for use in pedestrian, light vehicle and medium duty fork-lift applications they are ideal for use in offices, shopping centres, leisure centres and schools.

ACO UniTop™ solid floor covers provide contrasting aesthetics in hard floor and pavement finishes, and, for optimum safety in use, have a raised slip-resistant surface. Designed for pedestrian and light vehicle applications, ACO UniTop™ access covers are commonly used in warehouses, manufacturing facilities and commercial kitchens.

All ACO Access floor covers are fitted with both liquid and odour-tight EPDM seals as standard, come with stainless steel locking screws for added security and can be supplied with manual lift or gas spring assisted opening options. Bespoke solutions are also available to meet individual project requirements. ACO Access covers can also be supplied as single units or for ductings and multi span applications.

For more information, visit www.aco.co.uk or contact our technical design team on 01462 810400.

Howe Green “raises the bar” at former Olympic site

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During the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympic Games the International Press and Broadcast Centre played host to the world’s media.  20,000 journalists were at the heart of the action, reporting the latest triumphs and Olympian feats to a global audience estimated to be over 4 billion people.

Fast forward to 2017 and these key buildings continue to form a central element of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The Centre is undergoing a commercial redevelopment to become Here East – the exciting digital quarter for East London.

Here East Broadcast CentreThe transformation of the International Press and Broadcast Centre has created 1.2 million square feet for business, media, tech, education and data and over 7500 jobs on the site and in the local area.  Dozens of businesses have already taken up residence in this digital heartland, including BT Sport, Infinity, Loughborough University and UCL.

Howe Green floor access covers were specified by architect Hawkins\Brown for one of the office spaces within BT Sport.   Howe Green supplied twelve Medium Duty 7500 Series Stainless Steel Access Covers for the project.

The 7500 Series is Howe Green’s flagship access cover and has evolved from the original 750 Series supplied to supermarkets when the company first started trading in 1983.

The covers specified for Here East were to be installed into a raised floor system.  They were ordered with stainless steel Z profiles to provide support to the access cover within the raised floor.

The covers were installed in corridors throughout the building to provide safe and easy access to access junctions in the drainage systems. The 7500 Series was specified to match the existing raised floor system appearance.  The access covers were initially covered with plywood and were then infilled with a vinyl flooring finish.

Whilst fitting access covers into a raised floor may at first appear counter intuitive it is no longer an unusual scenario.  Historically a raised floor system provided access to a wide variety of mechanical and electrical services, data and connectivity cabling and underfloor air distribution concealed within the void created between the raised floor and the floor slab. Making it ideal for use in renovating existing buildings or retrofitting spaces for different uses.

In a traditional raised floor environment, such as a data centre, where functionality featured ahead of aesthetics, heavy duty removable floor panels could be removed with a tile lifter to allow access to underfloor services.

Over the years the use of raised floor systems has extended to commercial offices, educational institutions and hospitals.  Aesthetics, security and flexibility are more important in these environments. The demand for different floor finishes, improved security and the ability to easily reconfigure space has led to an increase in demand for Howe Green access covers installed in raised flooring.

The 7500 Medium Duty Stainless Steel Access Covers provide safe and easy access to the drainage services located below the flooring.  Supplied with a double seal they address the need for a secure solution in an office setting with relatively high pedestrian footfall.  The vinyl infill offers a seamless floor finish which will reduce the slip or trip hazard.

The 7500 Series can be supplied as a single cover, a configuration of duct covers or multipart covers in standard sizes and loadings from stock, or can be precision made to order.

If you are looking to “raise the bar” with your raised flooring system installation get in touch to see how Howe Green can help.

 

Swedish Hospital “Takes a Chance” on Howe Green

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The New Karolinska Solna University Hospital (NKS) in Stockholm has been hitting the headlines for over a decade. The original Karolinska University Hospital was founded in 1930. Since the 1930’s the hospital campus has expanded to cover a vast area with an estate of over 40 separate buildings.

Howe green NKS Hospital StockholmIn 2005 Stockholm County Council, who are responsible for delivering healthcare in the city, ran a design competition inviting “visionary thinking, modern design and unconventional ideas to form the basis of the creation of the new hospital”. The competition was won by White Architects from Sweden with their “Forum Karolinska”.

In 2008 Stockholm County Council took the decision to go ahead with the new hospital. They were the first Swedish healthcare project to adopt the Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework to finance, build and manage a hospital. In 2010 the PPP agreement was made between the County Council and the project company – Swedish Hospital Partner AB, a consortium of Skanska and their investment partner UK based Innisfree.

Skanska employed White Architects and Tengbom Architects to execute the design and coordinate the construction of the £1.5 billion facility.

A significant aim of the project was to create a purpose built environment with a strong focus on energy efficiency and sustainability. Phase One of the building has attained LEED Gold and the Swedish system “Miljöbyggnad” Gold certification

The ethos is to put the patient first and the list of facilities is impressive. It has 730 in-patient beds, 100 rooms for day care, 36 operating theatres, 168 out-patient clinic rooms and 8 radiation treatment rooms.

Howe Green Ltd supplied a number of HSE75 Hinged Aluminium Floor Access Covers for the hospital through their Swedish distributor, Elkington AB.  From their base in  Stockholm Elkington have been distributing Howe Green access covers for projects across Sweden since 1999.

The gas assisted hinged HSE75 hatches provide easy and safe access to the underground power stations and escape routes located underneath the hospital.  They have been installed in the various areas of the hospital and infilled with both concrete and tiled flooring to provide a seamless, flush floor finish.

The hinged access hatches are ideal for environments where regular access to concealed services is required for maintenance purposes and in public places where health and safety is crucial.

The HSE75 can be infilled with ceramic tiles, marble, terrazzo, concrete, resin, wood or parquet floors and is suitable for pedestrian and vehicle traffic up to a 5 tonne pneumatic tyre wheel load.  Supplied as a single cover or a configuration of duct covers in standard sizes from stock or precision made to order.

Options include a top and underside release latch, for added security and safety, a double seal and fire rating up to 3 hours BS 476: Part 20: 1987.

The Howe Green range of access covers are tried and tested in a healthcare setting. They have been specified in hospitals around the world including Southmead Hospital in Bristol, Queen’s Hospital in Romford, Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Lennox Addington Hospital in Ontario, Canada.

“Specials” drive Swedish Success for Howe Green

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With Article 50 triggered the countdown to Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU) has begun in earnest.  Speculation and uncertainty appear to be the order of the day.  Deal or no deal? Who will dare to follow in our footsteps? Which European laws will we retain and which will fall by the wayside?

UK businesses could be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed and unsettled by our imminent departure from the EU. In reality many are seizing the opportunity presented by the low value of sterling to drive their export strategy.  In fact January 2017 was a record breaking month for UK exports – with reported sales of £49,404 million being the highest on record.

Howe Green PR PhotosHowe Green Ltd has been exporting floor, wall and ceiling access covers, hatches and panels for over three decades.  The company’s export success lies in the strength of relationships forged with a network of trusted distributors. With partners in Australia, North and South America, the Far and Middle East, Europe and Scandinavia Howe Green literally has the world covered!

One of the major success stories for Howe Green in the last few months has been the level of exports to Sweden.  Sweden is the UK’s biggest export market in the Nordic region.  Despite a population of just under 10 million the Swedish construction sector has a turnover of £50 billion and around half of the national wealth is spent in construction and infrastructure.

The sales have been made through Howe Green’s distributor – Elkington AB. Based in Stockholm, Elkington has been supplying a range of access and drainage products to customers in the building services sector for over 50 years.  Back in 1999 Elkington realised there was demand for a light weigh access cover that could complement the cast iron manholes covers they were already selling.  Following an introduction to Howe Green the two companies have worked closely ever since.

Elkington has built a reputation in Sweden for providing customers with exactly what they need to fulfil their requirements.  They believe that this willingness to identify a tailor made solution for an access challenge is what sets them apart from the competition.

Otto von Platen, Managing Director for Elkington explains, “Every day we are talking to consultants in the construction sector who are looking for advice and guidance on specifying products. They are rarely looking for a quick fix. They want a solution that is custom made to meet the specific requirements of their particular project.

The quality of the Howe Green access covers works very well in hospitals and airports – areas with high footfall.   A lot of our business is in the healthcare sector. Aesthetics and safety are the top priorities in such busy public environments and we know we can recommend Howe Green access covers with absolute confidence. The level of investment Howe Green has made in CAD software and CNC equipment means that our ‘Swedish specials’ are easily accommodated!”

Howe Green has recently supplied floor access covers for two high profile Swedish projects – the New Karolinska Solna University Hospital (NKS) in Stockholm and the National museum, which is a state backed restoration programme of one of the country’s premier art museums.

January 2017 was a record month for Howe Green exports to Sweden and both companies are committed to build on their continuing success regardless of what happens with Brexit.

Howe Green Makes a Splash at East Riding Leisure, Bridlington

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Bridlington Pool and FlumesHowe Green Ltd supplied access covers for a new £25 million Leisure Centre – East Riding Leisure in Bridlington.  The centre, which is located on the seafront, opened last year.  It provides residents and visitors to the town with a wide range of first class sports and leisure facilities.   Features include a 25 metre six-lane swimming pool, learner pool, Splash Zone fun pool with two interactive slides and water play, a health suite, a fully equipped gym, studio, sports hall, squash courts and coffee shop.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council awarded the contract to deliver the new Leisure Centre to BAM Construction Ltd North East Ltd.  BAM appointed tiling specialists P.Plunkett Tiling Contractors to carry out the installation of the ceramic tiling to the outside of the pools and the tiling and mosaic to the inside of the three pools.

P.Plunkett have worked with Howe Green on many projects over the last 27 years, from railway stations to shopping centres and restaurants.  They were happy to recommend Howe Green’s floor access covers when a reliable and safe solution to accessing underfloor services in the pool areas was required.

Nine of Howe Green’s Medium Duty 7500 316 Grade Series Stainless Steel Floor Access Covers were fitted into the ceramic tiled floor around the pool surround in the main pool hall area. The access covers were infilled with anti-slip porcelain floor tiles to provide a flush finish, both functional and aesthetically pleasing. The seamless fit ensures the reduced risk of slips and trips in an inclusive swimming pool environment designed for a variety of end users – older people, the visually impaired, the disabled and excited children.

The floor covers provide easy access for the maintenance and upkeep of the pool sumps and pool balance tanks located beneath the tiling. In a busy community facility, such as a Leisure Centre, keeping the facilities operating properly and avoiding customer disappointment is a priority. In order to achieve this level of service delivery it is essential that underfloor services can be accessed quickly, with the minimum of disruption and without compromise to security.

All Howe Green access covers are available with a double sealed option which ensures the highest levels of security and hygiene and helps to prevent the ingress of water.

The 7500 Series floor access cover is suitable for internal and external use. The 316 grade stainless steel option is non-corrosive and will not rust, even in a swimming pool environment where it is constantly being exposed to water, chemicals, and varying humidity and pH levels. Howe Green’s floor access covers have been used in a number of leisure facilities across the UK and have proved to be a tried and tested access solution for this challenging environment.

Howe Green Medium Duty Floor Access Covers – Tried, tested and trusted

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7500Aluminium (2)The first product designed and manufactured by Howe Green when it opened for business in 1983 was an aluminium medium duty access cover, then known as the 750 Series.

Over the past 34 years that original floor access cover has been developed and refined into the product on offer today – the 7500 Series.  Used in high profile projects around the world the 7500 Series has proven it is a robust, safe and effective floor access solution. It remains the most popular product in the wide portfolio of floor, wall and ceiling access covers, hatches and panels supplied by Howe Green.

What can the 7500 Series Medium Access Cover offer you?

Performance:

A 5 tonne pneumatic tyre loading

Suitable for internal or external installations

Tamper proof for increased security

Double sealed to prevent dirt and grease ingress

Fire rating options

Available in stainless steel or aluminium

Range of standard sizes available from stock

Bespoke sizes precision manufactured to order

Durable

Aesthetics

Accepts wide range of floor finishes up to standard depth of 75mm

Available in single, duct or multipart covers

Fits flush with flooring

In good company

The 7500 Series is tried, tested and trusted – as evidenced by the high profile projects where it has been installed. These include the main concourse at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, Kings Cross Tube Station, Bluewater Shopping Centre, Copenhagen Metro, Hong Kong MTRC, Presidential Palace Abu Dhabi, Dulles International Airport, Old Trafford and the Emirates Air Line Thames London cable car.

A closer look…

Kings Cross Station

Kings Cross StationBoth single and multipart stainless steel version of the 7500 Series floor access cover were used at Kings Cross Station in the development of the Northern Ticket Hall.  An access solution was required that could cope with very high levels of footfall and offer fire resistance to prevent the passage of fire through service channels.  With a three hour fire rating to BS476 Part 20 1987 the 7500 Series was perfect for the job.

Old Trafford

When Manchester United celebrated the centenary of their famous ground they wanted to mark the occasion by burying a time capsule with memorabilia for future generations to uncover.  Howe Green was called upon to help provide a suitable access solution.  A special purpose 7500 Series was designed and manufactured. The access cover was finished with a rubberised resin flooring which was emblazoned with the Manchester United logo and takes pride of place close to the centre tunnel.

Achieving product longevity

When you consider that the average marriage in the UK is only expected to last 32 years it begs the question as to how a humble access cover can stay the course over three decades?

The answer lies in flexibility, investment and innovation!

Howe Green has adopted a “can do” attitude towards customer requirements from the very early days of the company.  New product development has been driven by customer demand – satisfying a fundamental user need.  The flexibility to rework or tweak existing products, or to even start from scratch with an access challenge that needs to be resolved, underpins the long term success of the product range.

Investment in manufacturing equipment and software to support the requirements of customer has been a further cornerstone in product development.  Performance, profitability, productivity and sustainability are all real life issues that face architects, specifiers and building contractors every single day.  Having the right design and production environment in place helps Howe Green to deliver sustainable, cost effective, high quality access solutions quickly.

When it comes to innovation it is not simply about installing the latest C.N.C manufacturing equipment or the newest C.A.D software package.  Innovation at Howe Green runs much deeper – from the approach to problem solving to the constant evaluation and refinement of systems and processes. All of which positively contributes to developing sustainable products that can endure the test of time.

Howe Green Access Covers Meet Tall Demands

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Howe Green Access Covers
Howe Green Access Covers

The British Airways i360 observation tower opened in August. At 162m (531ft) high, the needle tower features a moving circular viewing platform providing visitors with a new perspective of Brighton’s vibrant vista. It will draw 700,000 visitors a year to the West Pier, along with new jobs, new businesses and a new lease of life for the area.  Requiring a solution built to withstand heavy footfall and the unique demands of coastal conditions, Principal Contractor Mackley selected Howe Green’s 1050 Series access covers for reliable access to power networks serving lighting and seating areas around the attraction.

The 1050 Series stainless steel panels were tailor-made to order by Howe Green with clear openings of 600 x 600mm exactly as requested, a service provided without time or cost restraint for accuracy and best fit.  Set into the substrate, they sit flush with the surrounding paving so as not to present a trip hazard and raised with lifting keys provided.

Specialist marine and coastal contractors Mackley were able to create a seamless finish for a series of block paved seating areas leading to the i360 tower building as the Howe Green access panels feature a recessed lid, enabling paving and other floor finishes to be laid over.

Howe Green’s 1050 Series access covers are well suited to external usage as they have high resistance to weather exposure, an important feature given their seafront location. As well as being durable, the panels are double-sealed to prevent penetration by dirt and grease and feature stainless steel baseplates and reinforcements to prevent corrosion.

Sponsored by British Airways, the i360 tower was designed by architects Marks Barfield, who also designed the London Eye. With a project cost of £46m, every detail of the building was considered for best value, even down to the covers providing access to essential underfloor services.  With Howe Green solutions installed, access to key service points will be reliably easy whenever routine or emergency maintenance is needed.

Dan Argles of J.T. Mackley said: “The access covers supplied by Howe Green were ideal for the busy seafront setting, with double-sealed panels to prevent water ingress.  They enable quick and easy access to all the electrics serving lighting in public seating areas around the tower. The covers are very good quality and sit flush with the recessed block paving installed”.

Howe Green’s Hinged Access Cover Meets Euro Demand

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HSE75 001The HSE75 hinged access cover is one of Howe Green’s leading lines for export to Europe, and to Germany in particular, where demand for precision and quality remains high. A top quality aluminium access cover with gas springs and internal/external release latches, the HSE75 provides efficient and effortless access to under-floor building services. The high-performance product is ideally suited for settings requiring a heavier loading and anywhere health and safety are paramount.

Flexible, durable and ultimately reliable, Howe Green’s hinged access cover is part of a wider range of total access cover solutions for floors, walls and ceilings and is suitable for all hard floor finishes including ceramic tiles, marble, terrazzo, concrete, resin, wood or parquet. Made-to -order, even non-standard sizes are available without the delays and surcharges typically associated with bespoke manufacture.

HSE75 Features:

  • High-quality hinged access cover with gas springs and internal/external release latches for frequent access to under-floor building services.
  • Can be fitted quickly and unobtrusively into all types of hard floor finish including ceramic tiles, marble, terrazzo, concrete, resin, wood or parquet.
  • Unique design with cover sections tapered for easy removal, and frame sections giving a good key to bedding mortar.
  • Top seal on aluminium covers helps prevent dirt, grout or grinding waste penetrating joints between the cover and frame. Double-sealed option also available.
  • Lifting blocks anchored to the inner frame. Stainless steel securing bolts are stiletto heel proof.
  • Manufactured to order with no price premium or delivery delay and to quality standard BS EN ISO9001

Howe Green Provides Easy Access to Essential Services at Southmead Hospital

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Southmead_34B6553Over 100 of Howe Green’s Visedge access covers were installed at Bristol’s £430million state-of-the-art Southmead Hospital. With the floors of the new super-hospital facing foot traffic from millions of visitors and staff each year, a heavy duty, hygienic and tamper-resistant solution was required to provide access to under-floor drainage and services. The Visedge range provided a cost-effective and low maintenance solution and AC Flooring carried out the installation for main contractor Carillion.

Howe Green’s Visedge covers are double-sealed to meet the highest standards of hygiene and security. The range was developed specifically for use with flexible sheet flooring systems. Unlike similar products, Visedge allows sheet flooring, including PVC or linoleum, to be locked into the cover and frame by hot welding to a pvc section sealed to the surface. This creates a permanent joint and eliminates water ingress and peeling.

Howe Green manufactures a comprehensive range of access cover solutions for floors, walls and ceilings. Their 7500 Series stainless steel access covers were also supplied for the Southmead project. These were installed in ground floor areas of the hospital, where a heavier loading for service vehicles and bulky medical equipment was needed.

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