SPONSORED BY HEALTH SECTOR NEWS
Linear wood ceiling for RNOH’s striking atrium
Architectural product specialist, Hunter Douglas Architectural, has supplied its leading solid wood linear ceiling for a new £40 million hospital in London that has replaced buildings dating back to the Second World War. Some 278 m2
of the solid wood linear
ceiling are helping to create a warm welcome for staff, patients, and visitors, at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) in Stanmore, as part of the first stage in the RNOH NHS Trust’s redevelopment of the site. Architect, BDP, specified Siberian Larch timber slat panels for the ceiling in the atrium, which tops a five-storey open and fully glazed entrance to the hospital. The Class O treated larch, with a UV-resistant varnish, was pre-fitted with an acoustic fleece to the open joint. MPG Contracts installed the panels – designed with a pre-fixed clip system to ensure faster installation – onto a Hunter Douglas Architectural
metal suspension rail. The clips for the linear system allow it to be provided as 50% demountable.
Juliette Halliday, national sales manager at Hunter Douglas Architectural, said: “The solid wood ceiling is a lovely contrast to glass, the clean white stairwells, and grey metal panels, creating a sense of warmth, as well as providing acoustic comfort. The atrium and entrance is a very impressive space, and I’m delighted that Hunter Douglas Architectural has played a part in this prestigious hospital project.”
Developing ‘self-healing’ concrete
Researchers at the University of Cambridge are using microencapsulation technologies developed by Dolomite Microfluidics to develop ‘self-healing’ construction materials.
As highlighted in recent BBC News broadcasts, the Department of Engineering’s Geotechnical and
Environmental Research Group is developing microcapsules containing ‘healing’ agents – such as minerals, epoxy, or polyurethane – which can be added to building materials to allow self-repair of small cracks. Dr Livia Ribeiro de Souza (pictured), a postdoctoral researcher, explained: “Many composite building materials used in the construction industry – such as concrete – suffer fatigue over time, developing small cracks. We are hoping to overcome this by adding microcapsules filled with ‘healing’ agents to the concrete before it is used. The idea is that as cracks begin to form, they rupture the microcapsules, releasing their payload and stabilising the material.”
Isle of Man hospice adopts Cable Koala
An Isle of Man hospice has enhanced its bedside cable management by using the Cable Koala, a new magnetic cable tie from HellermannTyton.
Hospice Isle of Man had a growing need for cable management due to the increasing number of wires surrounding beds, but if not secured, these loose wires and cables were a trip hazard. There was also a risk of cables being damaged by beds’ wheels. The hospice quickly realised that solving this cable management issue also had infection control ramifications.
As part of the development of the Cable Koala, HellermannTyton investigated various options for securing bedside wires, cables and tubes, including the use of similar ‘hook and loop’ fastenings. The company said: “However, these materials’ rough texture provides a potential breeding ground for bacteria, so we designed the Cable Koala.”
The magnetic cable tie is made from a soft, flexible TPE material ‘that delivers a smooth surface, and is free from indentations, preventing the build- up of undesirable bacteria’. The result is a simple-to-use-product ‘compatible with the typical cleaning agents and chemicals used within healthcare facilities’, while the Cable Koala’s quick release design enables its re-use ‘time and time again once cleaned’.
January 2019 Health Estate Journal 17
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