Regeneration across the whole of Leeds is resulting in a major transformation of the city. And one of the current developments is on the site of the previous headquarters of the Yorkshire Post. Around eight years ago “Yorkshire’s National Newspaper” moved from its long-standing home to new headquarters a couple of miles across the city. The previous 4.6 acre site is now a landmark four-phase development; and the immediate first phase will see the construction of an 18-storey residential tower due for completion in early 2021. The building benefits from extensive river frontage along the River Aire and will provide high-quality one, two and three bedroom apartments, a gym and an eleventh floor sky lounge. The proposal includes shops, resident’s amenity areas and an enhanced river corridor. Around 242 apartments are anticipated in this first phase and the brick-clad concrete frame building will feature a high number of spacious balconies, also of concrete construction. Avoiding thermal bridging is critical
Balconies are effectively large external thermal fins on buildings. If there is ineffective insulation in the detailng, there will be local heat loss, resulting in more energy being required to maintain the internal temperature of the building. This is one major consequence of thermal bridging, but there are other issues too. Low internal surface temperatures in the area of the thermal bridge can cause condensation, leading not only to structural integrity problems with absorbent materials such as insulation products, or plasterboard, it also encourages mould growth. This can result in serious health implications for residents in the form of asthma and allergies. So for any project involving balcony detailing, the prevention of thermal bridging is a critical issue. And one of the most effective solutions available, is the Isokorb structural thermal break from Schöck, As the leading international supplier of structural thermal breaks, Schöck has almost limitless variants available in its main Isokorb range, offering planners complete construction dependability and enormous freedom of design. On this project it is the tried and trusted Schöck load-bearing element for concrete-to-concrete cantilever balcony detailing that is being installed. The units feature an HTE compression module made of high-density microfibre reinforced concrete, with an 80mm insulation thickness. The elements transfer both negative moments and positive shear forces.
Design freedom and construction dependability
In addition to concrete-to-concrete, the comprehensive Schöck Isokorb range offers solutions for concrete-to-steel, steel-to-steel, a thermally insulating connection for reinforced concrete walls – and even a maintenance free alternative to wrapped parapets. All products meet full compliance with the relevant UK building regulations; have NHBC approval; offer LABC Registration and independent BBA Certification.
For a free copy of the Schöck Thermal Bridging Guide; the Schöck Specifiers Guide or to view the range of downloadable software, contact Schöck on 01865 290 890 or visit the website at www.schoeck.co.uk
