Actis continues to offer expert technical advice during coronavirus crisis

30.03.2020

Blog Post

In the interesting times in which we find ourselves, pan-European insulation specialist Actis has, like all organisations, moved its office-based team to remote, home-working.

Meetings and technical support advice are available via the now-standard selection of online tools such as Skype, Microsoft Teams and Zoom (as well as the old-fashioned telephone). As with all companies, this involves, for many, juggling children (not literally, although that may be the latest online exercise offered by the nation’s new favourite PE teacher Joe Wicks).

Online technical advice

Access to much of the technical advice Actis offers has not changed at all, as many of its tools have been available online for years, including its U-value simulator and suite of how-to videos.

Obviously we’ve adapted our working practices, as our top priority is the safety of our staff, customers and wider network. We will continue to adapt as required to ensure we combine safety with offering a helpful technical service.

Mark Cooper, UK and Ireland Sales Director

Specific technical queries are still being answered

UK and Ireland Technical Director, architect Thomas Wiedmer, will be able to answer specific queries so that specifiers and builders planning projects will be ready to deliver them once it’s safe and appropriate to start building again.

Additionally, many systems are available from the NBS National BIM Library.

Actis producst on the NBS National BIM Library

The wall and roof systems come in HH, HB and HY variants – shorthand for all three Hybrid products or just Hybris and BoostR Hybrid, or Hybris and HControl Hybrid. They offer a complete, ready to use build-up for easy inclusion into the Revit software platform. In addition, they can be downloaded in IFC format. The library also features individual product files covering every thickness of CE marked insulation Hybris, vapour control layer HControl Hybrid and breather membrane BoostR Hybrid.

These should be invaluable to specifiers wanting to create highly insulated, airtight buildings which will meet the most onerous energy performance requirements. In addition to enabling 3D ‘real life’ representations of the finished project and its intervening stages, the integrated BIM system enables specifiers to anticipate errors, design issues and clashes long before they would have occurred using older Computer-Aided Design technology.

LABC Registered Construction Details

A recently created set of Registered Construction Details created in partnership with LABC is another powerful, online tool.

The RCD provides construction details and checklists of points to look out for during design and on-site and offers instant access to online tutorials to help specifiers reduce heat leakage through weak junctions and thus design out thermal bridging.

The RCD drawings and documents can be fed into specifications for new projects and are also accessible on the go. Builders can link to installation videos while out on-site, for example, ensuring the tool is useful at all stages of the process from specification to installation.