AIM ADDS ACOUSTIC AND FIRE STOP ELEMENTS TO GROUND-BREAKING BUILDING

The Seismic demonstrator, which can be visited at BRE Watford until the end of 2022, has been designed in line with the Government’s Construction 2025 targets, exceeding them by delivering a building that is 75 per cent faster to complete, 70 per cent lower in carbon impact and 47 per cent better value than traditional construction.

The aim of Seismic is to set a template for a platform-based approach to construction for a range of sectors including education, healthcare, workplace, leisure and residential. The Seismic demonstrator building has a standardised, lightweight steel frame with core components that work with the frame system, including wall, floor, ceiling and roof cassettes. It was developed to drive a shift towards Modern Methods of Construction.

Enhancing acoustic performance

AIM provided Aimcoustic Floor Slab and Fire Stop Blocks manufactured at its Crawley facility. The Aimcoustic Floor Slab has been used to enhance levels of acoustic performance between floors. Forming a separating layer, it reduces noise transmission through the structure of the Seismic building. A sheet material product, it is simple to install.

Profiled fire stop blocks

AIM’s Fire Stop Blocks were inserted into floor cassettes at the junction with the flutes of profiled metal sheeting used for the wall construction to prevent the passage of smoke and fire, ensuring the fire remains within a fire compartment for a set period of time. The Fire Stop Blocks are CNC cut sections of stone wool fire barrier produced to an accuracy that cannot be replicated on site with hand tools. AIM is the only business using CNC wire saw technology to produce the blocks, so ensuring the curves and radii of the profiled metal decks are accurately followed to provide a perfect fit.

Both the Aimcoustic Floor Slab and Fire Stop Blocks are fully recyclable at the end of their life.

  The National Composites Centre was appointed to analyse and recommend the best materials to be used for the Seismic platform. Specific, part of Swansea University, assessed the carbon impacts of Seismic.

Extensive testing

Materials and components used within Seismic underwent extensive testing and analysis with over half a million pounds spent on analysing fire, thermal, acoustic and structural performance.

The Seismic demonstrator is the culmination of a four-year project developed by a consortium comprising consultancy blacc, offsite manufacturers Elliott Group and the McAvoy, Tata Steel, the Manufacturing Technology Centre, the National Composite Centre and Specific. Seismic was part funded by the Transforming Construction Challenge, part of UK Research and Innovation.

UK-based A I M Acoustic & Insulation Manufacturing has over 30 years-experience in the design, testing and manufacturing of high-quality fire, thermal and acoustic barriers primarily for the construction industry.

The company produces a wide variety of bespoke insulation products to customer specification and a range of standard fire, thermal and acoustic insulation products. A I M’s Technical & Development team is available to provide customers with expert support covering specification, development, manufacture and installation.

Fire barrier products include open state cavity barriers, cavity fire closers, fire stop blocks & strips, cavity barriers, partition head fire barriers, party wall fire closers and wall cavity fire barriers. A I M insulation products have been used in developments including The Courthouse SW1 apartment building and The 02 Arena.

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