Refurb Projects - November 2018

UK CONSTRUCTION REVIEW
UK Construction Week Success
This year’s UK Construction Week (UKCW) was a huge success with over 34,000 visitors making the trip to
Birmingham’s NEC for the three-day industry extravaganza.
With over 650 exhibitors
across the nine shows
there was a wealth of
new technology and
techniques on display. The
innovation trail also wound its way
around the shows bringing new
ideas to the fore.
NEW INNOVATIONS
The ‘future of construction’ was the
theme for this year’s show and it
shone through via innovation and
ground-breaking new products.
There was plenty of AR and AI
available for those who wanted a
virtual experience. However, for
those with a project already mapped
out, they were encouraged to bring
the design on a USB and plug in to
Canon’s new projection technology
and watch their project come to life.
And to make life easier, especially
when working overhead, the
exoskeleton was on hand to help.
This bionic suit supports the wearer
reducing fatigue and potential
injury.
TIPS GALORE
With any restoration projects it is
always useful to know what new
options are available and UKCW’s
CPD sessions covered that. There was
a lot of conversations around health
and safety, improving daylight and
ventilation in homes, fire door safety
and working at height, all topics
which resonated with the attending
builders and renovators.
There was a wide range of
seminars covering the width and
breadth of construction too.
Asbestos as ever was on the agenda
discussing the real risk it poses and
alternative ways of working around
it rather than simply removing it.
Glass recycling from refurbishment
projects was also discussed and how
to include glass into the circular
economy.
A spot light was also shone on
retrofit and why there needs to be a
better way to work. This covered
surveying, designing and better
understanding moisture risk. It also
covered moisture movement and
how future standards can be
implemented.
NEW PRODUCTS
There were new products galore
including Velux’s curved glass
rooflight and futuristic smart
window system; IDS was on hand
with its quick to lay vinyl flooring
collection; and Fischer Fixings used
VR to carry out training on its stand.
For those wanting to brush up on
floor laying the Flooring Industry
Training Association (FITA) hosted a
demonstration zone to help hone
individuals skills.
Kärcher introduced a new range
of wet and dry safety vacuum
cleaners with live demonstrations at
the show. Recycled plastic was
moulded into a new product by
Kedel who showcased Kedeck a
wood-like decking product. And
Soudal launched a revolutionary PU
adhesive foam which makes bonding
quicker and easier. In fact, one
canister can replace a 50kg bag of
adhesive plaster with no mess or
wastage.
INTO THE FUTURE
Looking towards next year’s show,
Nathan Garnett, UKCW event
director said:
“There was a tremendous
positivity around UKCW this year,
with a real feeling that the industry
wants to adapt and embrace new
ways of building. UKCW is a great
opportunity to find something that
will help speed up your work or
simply make life easier. For those
working on a refurbishment projects
there was lots of new ideas and
products to assist you in your role.
The feedback from exhibitors has
been exceptional and we know the
visitors love the chance to try out
new products.Our exhibitor rebook
has exceeded our expectations and
is 40% higher than last year, so we
are really excited about how we can
take this all forward in 2019 at
UKCW.”
Next year’s UKCW will take place
between 8-10 October 2019 at
Birmingham’s NEC.
www.ukconstructionweek.com.
44 NOVEMBER 2018, REFURBISHMENT PROJECTS