SMARTPLY OSB - A SMART ANSWER FOR PARTITION WALLS

A new landmark unit for the care of people with dementia has been designed by Norwich-based architects Ingleton Wood and constructed by R G Carter. To help the build achieve its completion date of spring 2012, and its anticipated BREEAM “excellent” rating, SmartPly OSB3 is being used throughout the building, and is performing to its high standards particularly for the partition walling.

The £13.7m Dementia Intensive Care Unit (DICU) will accommodate 36 beds at the Julian Hospital in Norwich and the project will cover more than 4,350sqm. For the partition walling, a fast, effective and high performance product was needed, and SmartPly OSB 3 provided the solution. SmartPly has no knotholes or splits in the face or reverse, no core voids or risk of delamination. It is tested to BS5234 Part 2 for anchorage and pull out performance, but as well as being easy to work with and cost effective, it is the size of panels (2397mm x 1197mm) which enables SmartPly OSB to work so efficiently with partition walling and plasterboard dimensions.

On a recent tour of the site, Simon Wright, MP for Norwich South said, "The construction site has progressed to the stage that it is becoming clear just how beneficial this unit will be to patients, carers and the staff. It sets a high benchmark that other Trusts across the country should strive to meet. I'm delighted to learn of the progress that RG Carter are making towards the eagerly awaited completion of this important project."

Saul Humphrey, General Manager and Regional Director of R.G. Carter Ltd. added: "We are making such good progress on this project. Together with the professional team Ingleton Wood, Allman Woodcock and Scott Wilson, we are not only providing an excellent Dementia Care facility but also a building that is on course to achieve a BREEAM "excellent" rating for its green credentials. This really is a truly sustainable, low energy building."

SmartPly is a brand offered by Coillte Panel Products which is part of Coillte, the Irish forests and forest products company which owns 442,000 hectares of FSC certified forest. SmartPly is able to use the very trees they grow to make their products and this also guarantees that it has security of supply and investment for constant innovation. The unique properties of SmartPly OSB have led to it being been approved in the general construction sector as a sustainable alternative to plywood.

For more information, visit www.smartply.com.

19 September 2011