The Citu Climate Innovation District in Leeds utilised EJOT CROSSFIX to maximise façade thermal performance and streamline installation.
As performance expectations for rainscreen or rear ventilated façades increase, in line with more stringent building targets, the substructures used to construct them can no longer be regarded simply as a means to fix cladding panels. Gary Robson, Business Development Manager at EJOT UK explains why.
The contribution that the support framing, fasteners and fixings make to successful façade projects is often overlooked. However, what sits behind the façade is instrumental to overall building performance. Important commercially-driven objectives, such as buildability, installation efficiency, durability and long term sustainability, can also be met more effectively through good substructure design and by specifying the right fasteners and fixings.
Considering the substructure design and specification early pays dividends in the long term through its contribution to whole building performance.
Why EJOT’s product and system innovation drives higher standards
The shift from the substructure being a package of relatively basic construction components to a sustainable building enabler has been driven by the development of advanced products and systems that can deliver proven benefits. EJOT is at the forefront here, with a façade solutions range spanning backing structure anchors and bracket fixings for all substrates, together with fasteners and fixings for cladding panels, insulation and cavity barriers.
Choosing the correct products and applying them correctly is key to meeting façade design and performance objectives, whether it is to transfer loads safely from the cladding system back to the primary structure, reduce thermal bridging or comply with fire regulations. They must also be appropriate to accommodate the variety of substrates and façade materials encountered in projects.
Remember too that while each product’s performance credentials must be sufficient for the application and thoroughly evaluated before specification, the way each component works as part of the complete assembled system is equally important.
EJOT Vario screws can be used to accommodate movement within the rainscreen substructure, maintaining a buffer zone between the screw head and a sliding washer.
Reducing operational and embodied carbon
As EJOT’s solutions create highly insulated rear ventilated façades, they can play a key role in minimising a building’s operational carbon emissions through lower heating and cooling demands. Embodied carbon can be minimised too, with supporting data provided in EPDs and, for many products, European Technical Assessments (ETAs).
The EJOT portfolio also includes a holistic stand-alone substructure solution, EJOT CROSSFIX, offering multiple performance benefits and reduced embodied carbon, primarily due to its stainless steel Konsole brackets. That means ease of recovery and recycling at the end of its service life to support circular economy objectives, but also the potential to save resources due to the material’s higher strength and loadbearing capacity, meaning fewer brackets and anchoring points may be required to support the façade.
EJOT’s CROSSFIX substructure and its portfolio of rainscreen system components enables a wide variety of aesthetic goals to be achieved.
Streamlining façade delivery with a complete system approach
As the construction sector adapts to more robust processes for demonstrating compliance and providing whole life traceability, fully tested, independently-certified systems like CROSSFIX are becoming an increasingly attractive solution.
EJOT’s products and systems can be used to create substructures that can accommodate deeper levels of insulation to maximise thermal efficiency of the façade.
Being an ETA and Passivhaus certified system, CROSSFIX is designed and manufactured to reduce thermal bridging while providing high structural strength, load capacity and excellent fire performance. Supplied as a package including the anchors, rails, brackets and cladding fasteners, its Konsole bracket is designed to be used with both vertical and horizontal rails, optimising design and installation efficiency.
Find out more: www.ejot.co.uk
