Schoeck

Touting them to be cheaper and more energy-efficient, Schoeck, manufacturer and distributor of construction components, has introduced ComBAR thermal anchor sandwich walls in the Middle East. The manufacturer claims that the prefabricated walls are made of glass fibres and a Vinyl Ester resin and facilitate quick building progress and good thermal insulation to improve structural safety, and are an alternative to the stainless steel girders. It also points out that reinforced steel has a lambda value (thermal conductivity) of 60 W/mK, stainless steel has 15 W/mK, while ComBAR has 0.5 W/mK. It also claims that the use of prefabricated walls is on the increase even in high-rise structures.

The manufacturer lists the following product features and advantages:

• ComBAR can be used to build cellars and walls of freestanding single family houses, multi-storey construction and in industrial buildings.
• Better thermal insulation U-values of the exterior walls result in a better energy balance of the building.
• The connection of the outer shell to the bearing shell of prefabricated walls, with integrated thermal insulation can be realised virtually without thermal bridges.
• The tensile strength of ComBAR is more than twice as high as that of steel.
• It is more cost-effective compared to the stainless steel lattice solution.

Emphasising that the product was ideal for the region, Managing Director of Schoeck Middle East Dipl-Ing, Christoph Spitz, said, “Thermal insulation is a key consideration in any building in the UAE and the Middle East, and we believe, with the ComBAR thermal anchor we have developed another product that is not only perfect for our region due to value and quality but also more viable in this economic climate, as well.”

According to Schoeck, the ComBAR thermal anchor was developed in close cooperation with partners, such as the Technical University of Kaiserslautern and the TU Hannover, and the product is approved by the DIBt Berlin (Z-21.8-1894) for sandwich walls with internal insulation, and was supported by the DBU (German Federal Environmental Foundation). It added that the glass fibre reinforcement, ‘Schoeck ComBAR’, has also recently received the test seal from the Institute for Construction Biology in Rosenheim (IBR). This award is given to products and production processes that achieve a special level of environmental health and sustainability, the company claimed.