February 2022

Insulation Updates
Actis Regional Sales
Director and Women in
Construction ambassador
Jemma Harris has been inspiring young women
to reject stereotypes and follow their dreams of
a career in a male-dominated profession.
Jemma (pictured) was speaking to year 11
students at a school in Hull, and shared her own
career path working in two very traditionally
‘macho’ environments – the Royal Navy, where she
worked as a weapons engineer, and construction.
She talked about the additional obstacles she faced
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TALK INSPIRES YOUNG WOMEN
to get to the top of the career tree – with advice on
how to overcome them. She told them: “It sounds
pretty boring selling insulation, but there’s actually
a lot more to it than that. You get involved with the
whole design and build process in construction and
the eco side of things – saving the planet. However,
I have had to put the hard work in and overcome
many obstacles, particularly as a woman in the
industry that I currently work in and during my
service in the Royal Navy.”
The talk inspired the young women to rethink their
pre-conceived notions of the world of work.
Salamander Street is a mid-market rent initiative that provides high quality affordable homes in the heart of Leith,
Edinburgh. It comprises 199 flats and maisonettes across six storeys constructed over a basement car park.
Responses included: “Jemma’s talk gave us a
chance to show young women that they can do
anything that they actually want to do – that they
don’t have to do the stereotypical ‘girl jobs’, and
that girls are just as good as boys and that
everything should be equal.”
Jemma added: “Diversity and inclusion are always
something industries should strive for. I’d like to
think that, along with other women in the industry,
we are making an impact and difference in
inspiring the next female generation to get involved
in construction.” www.insulation-actis.com
ROCKSILK PROVIDES FIRE SAFETY & THERMAL BENEFITS
It was designed by 7N Architects, which specified Knauf Insulation’s 50mm Rocksilk RainScreen Slab to insulate the ventilated
façade. They chose this product because it met the brief’s two critical performance factors: thermal performance and fire safety.
It is a Rock Mineral Wool insulation slab with a thermal conductivity of 0.034W/mK, so it delivers the required U-value of 0.16 Knauf Insulation’s 50mm
Rocksilk RainScreen Slab was
W/m²K. It is non-combustible with the best possible Euroclass A1 reaction to fire classification and is BBA certified for use in a chosen for Salamander Street.
wide range of build-ups in high rise buildings. This means it complies with Building Regulations in Scotland that restrict the use of
combustible materials on most buildings over 11m. The Salamander Street development was overseen by Cruden Building East with sub-contractor Soundtex
responsible for installing the insulation. It was constructed using an Ancon Brick Restraint System. Ancon has undertaken independent third-party tests to
demonstrate that its restraint system does not require a compression sleeve when used in conjunction with Rocksilk RainScreen Slab under 180mm thick. This
provided a huge saving in labour costs for Soundtex as fasteners are usually inserted into compression sleeves by hand. Throughout the build, Knauf Insulation’s
Specification Team attended regular project meetings and conducted site visits to check the quality and progress of installation. www.knaufinsulation.co.uk
ACTIS SHARES FOR SHARED SPACE
A new community building in Aberdeenshire, to which Actis donated more than 400m² of insulation
materials, has recently opened its doors to a range of groups as part of a wider campaign to tackle
social isolation.
The 3,500ft² timber frame and blockwork Aboyne and Mid-Deeside Community Shed is part of the growing
Men’s Shed movement – although this one is non-gender-specific – and is one of more than 400 such A new community building in Aberdeenshire, to
which Actis donated more than 400m² of insulation
enterprises across the UK. Actis was one of a number of companies offering their products or services free of
materials, has recently opened its doors to a range
charge to help reduce the cost of the £450,000-plus project, as part of its policy of giving something back to of groups as part of a wider campaign to tackle
social isolation.
the communities in which it operates. The first two community groups began using the facility in autumn
2021. More than 80 people have signed up to use the workshop element of the shed, which offers pursuits such as woodwork, metalwork, welding, car
maintenance, small appliance repair, electronics projects and amateur radio. Rotary club member Stuart Robertson, one of the driving forces behind the
shed’s creation, explained: “Our photovoltaics are generating away on the roof and with the help of Actis insulation products the building should be
relatively inexpensive to run.” www.insulation-actis.com
60 TC FEBRUARY 2022