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 | | THE THERMAL MASS QUESTION –IS CAST STONE THE ANSWER? | | | Haddonstone Ltd | | 20/09/2006 | | | Specifiers need to think ahead and use materials that will withstand Britain's changing climate and last into the future.As global temperatures begin to rise, the construction industry is responding by increasing the 'thermal mass' of buildings.
This is because buildings with high thermal mass (or capacity)are slower to respond to outside temperature changes, meaning that they stay cooler in hot
weather. This often removes the need to fit air conditioning.Once high thermal mass capacity buildings have warmed up, they are able to retain heat for longer, and use less energy for heating during winter months. With rising fuel bills, the ability of buildings to stay warmer in colder weather becomes more important.
High thermal mass is most simply achieved by building thicker walls from heavyweight, dense materials, and adding smaller windows to reduce the amount of heat entering or escaping from the building. Haddonstone is a blend of crushed limestone, cement and binders and is available in a dry-cast and wetcast (TecStone) mix. The material is heavy and dense - perfect for increasing the 'thermal mass' of buildings.At the same time as the thermal mass trend gains momentum, increasingly stringent health and safety guidelines are forcing developers to look for building materials which are as thin and light as possible.
Cast stone rain screen cladding at the Seaham Hall Hotel in County Durham
TecLite -a thinner and lighter alternative to Haddonstone which is ideal for use while working at height As well as producing a heavyweight material, the company has also introduced TecLite, a thinner and lighter alternative to Haddonstone. Using GRC technology and thin wall construction, TecLite is as strong and versatile as standard Haddonstone.Haddonstone has shown itself to be at the forefront of technology, as both materials look almost identical and can therefore be used on the same project. For example,standard Haddonstone could be used at ground and first floor level on buildings, with TecLite used at parapet or roof level to reduce the dangers of working with heavy materials at height. | |
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