25th September 2015
On Friday 18th September, at the Leeds Beckett University Research Innovation Sustainability and Enterprise (RISE) Awards, ARC T-Barrier was recognised as the winning entry in the Field & Laboratory Research category.
Organised by the Leeds Sustainability Institute, the RISE Awards showcased and celebrated the most innovative and forward thinking products, projects and partnerships. They demonstrated the success achieved through the industry and academic link and celebrated a proactive attitude and approach to driving change while being committed to key sustainability principles.
ARC Building Solutions have been working closely with the Centre for the Built Environment department at Leeds Beckett University since March 2013. Initially, Leeds Beckett assisted ARC Building Solutions to carry out thermal calculations on the efficiency of the ARC T-Barrier. The thermal models show that the ARC T-Barrier can be 20% more effective than systems currently in use. Further tests undertaken by Leeds Beckett University, have shown that the T-Barrier offered a more effective seal when tested against other conventional systems.
In June 2015, Leeds Beckett carried out an air tight test on the ARC T-Barrier using a timber frame rig set up in ARC’s factory. This ground-breaking test is the only effective test currently available to assess whether products form an effective edge seal. The test also trialled the standard barrier either side of the party wall. The ARC T-Barrier was found to provide three times the pressure differential compared to the conventional cavity barrier system and nearly twice the pressure differential of the Airtightness Membrane employed by some house builders.
The judges at the RISE awards made the following comments about the ARC T-Barrier;
“ARC are to be commended on their approach to research and development. The construction of a test rig and use of a leading research team to test and analyse the data is a significant step forward in addressing the performance gap and producing energy efficient buildings”
“This is a step change for party wall edge seal. The tests suggest weaknesses in conventional systems that can be overcome by better insulants that offer a better geometric fit and function to prevent the passage of heat and smoke.”
