EJOT UK Provides Fully Tested Fastening Solution for Aberdeenshire’s Sustainable New ‘Civic Hub’

The construction of a sustainable, multi-purpose civic building in Aberdeenshire has recently reached a milestone, thanks to a collaboration involving EJOT UK, Tektum Supplies, and Fowler McKenzie.

The construction of a sustainable, multi-purpose civic building in Aberdeenshire has recently reached a milestone, thanks to a collaboration involving EJOT UK, Tektum Supplies, and Fowler McKenzie. Together, a high-performance fixing specification was created for the building envelope of the new £11.4 million development in Ellon.

‘Formartine House,’ the two-storey facility, houses a family resource centre, a public library, and council offices. To reflect its importance to the community, the building was designed to elevated sustainability standards, aiming for ‘net zero’ in operation. This is achieved through an integrated approach featuring heat recovery ventilation, heat pumps, and a substantial array of photovoltaic (PV) panels.

One of the primary technical hurdles during the construction of the building envelope was identifying a secure method for fixing the Kalzip standing seam system to the structure. The building’s skeleton consists of glulam beams supported by secondary steelwork. The envelope also features a thick layer of insulation to ensure the building will meet its high sustainability targets as designed to Passivhaus standards.

Fowler McKenzie, the project’s roofing and cladding contractor, sought an effective solution by consulting with Tektum Supplies, a leading Scottish distributor of metal roofing, cladding and façade products, whom have a strong relationship with EJOT UK. Recognising EJOT’s global reputation and its long-standing international partnership with Kalzip, Fowler McKenzie and Tektum collaborated with EJOT UK to bring that same level of technical assurance to this local project. This three-way partnership allowed the project team, which included main contractor Morrison Construction and the client, Aberdeenshire Council to tap into a wealth of fastening systems knowledge and testing experience to arrive at a definitive fixing recommendation quickly and reliably.

The process was initiated by Tektum, utilizing their unique prognosis software to generate the calculations necessary and confirm that the fasteners recommended by EJOT would satisfy Kalzip’s own technical criteria. These figures were essential to confirm that the fasteners recommended by EJOT would align with Kalzip’s specific technical requirements. This software proved to be a critical asset, providing a data-driven foundation. With these calculations in hand, the EJOT UK technical team performed exhaustive tests within the EJOT Applitec Centre, a state-of-the-art laboratory in Yorkshire.

Mike Saini, Managing Director of Tektum Supplies, highlighted: “Collaboration with the fastener manufacturer at an early stage is key to the success of projects like this and, through our work with the EJOT UK team on previous projects over many years, we knew they would have the products, resources and expertise to confirm our own calculations.”

“Combining our prognosis data with Applitec’s physical testing capabilities meant we could achieve a fastener specification that everyone in the project could depend on. In going the extra mile to analyse the material characteristics of the building substrates, Fowler McKenzie could move forward with the envelope construction with complete confidence, providing both the main contractor and client with the peace of mind that the roof will perform as specified.”

Pullout tests, conducted by EJOT UK’s Technical department, verified the suitability of two specific fasteners, while tensile testing in accordance with EN 6892-1 confirmed the mechanical characteristics of the steel. The technical team further scrutinized the building materials using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) technology to analyse the steel sections. Additionally, withdrawal testing was performed following international standards, and prior to this the glulam sections were conditioned in one of Applitec’s dedicated chambers for one week. Finally, the installation depth were carefully monitored to further ensure quality control and consistency.

Jon Knaggs, Technical Manager for Industrial Light Weight Construction at EJOT UK, explained: “When Tektum approached us for a standing seam fixing solution for this unconventional building design, we immediately recommended two types of our JT3 fastener. One of these, the FM Approved JT3-X2-6.0, is actually purpose-designed for fixing standing seams and brackets back to steel and aluminium substructures, and has been used on projects where Kalzip is specified, as well as other similar systems, for many years.”

“The data Tektum gave us from their own calculation software enabled us to assess and analyse the application in great depth. With the extensive resources and testing equipment available within Applitec’s laboratory, we could go further and support our recommendations to the project team with detailed evidence to confirm Tektum’s own calculations and their suitability for the application.”

In addition to the building performance goals designed to minimise energy consumption, the development of Formartine House also considers the ecology of the site. The site layout was carefully planned to preserve a 130-year-old walnut tree, and the landscaping incorporates specific planting schemes to support pollinating insects. Furthermore, the building includes integrated ‘swift bricks’ and ‘bat bricks,’ providing vital roosting spaces for local wildlife.