Nationwide has announced more converts to its PowerClad hydraulically-operated cladding panel placement system. The latest cladding companies to adopt the award-winning solution include Lincoln-based Lindum Group, which used the original vertical PowerClad on the new Avecia building in Billingham, Teeside, and Leeds-based G & S Sheeting, which utilised the recently introduced horizontal version on a major warehouse project in the North of England.
The 22-metre high Avecia project required around 200 horizontal panels to be fixed that ranged in length from 4.3 metres to 7.0 metres. It used one of Nationwide's PowerClad-adapted LL20X, 22.5-metre working height scissor lifts. G & S Sheeting's warehouse project utilised 130 or so Kingspan panels that varied in size between 7.5 metres high and 9.0 metres. For this, Nationwide provided one of its 17.2-metre working height, diesel powered, PowerClad-adapted 9250 scissor lifts.
The G & S project was among the first to use the new vertical version of PowerClad that was introduced around the time that the original PowerClad won the coveted Quality in Construction award. It was an application where the contractor readily acknowledges that craning the panels into position would have been impossible, due to a 1.2-metre overhanging soffit already being in position around the building's perimeter.
So, while both companies have reported significant cost savings using PowerClad, G & S Sheeting's conclusion was that the system was the only option for such a challenging installation.
Since its introduction in 2002, PowerClad has become, for many contractors, what Nationwide describes as " the cladding contractor's favourite piece of equipment". It has also won praise from the leading panel manufacturers for its contribution towards reducing panel damage during installation. Today, PowerClad is endorsed by all of the leading panel suppliers in the UK. In fact, it is claimed to be the only system that is suitable for the dozen most popular cladding panel systems currently on the market, compared with its nearest rival, which is suitable for just three of the top 12 manufacturers' systems, and then only for panels weighing up to 100kg.
Many of the benefits of PowerClad are shown on a new PowerClad CD that includes extensive video footage that demonstrates, step by step, how both the horizontal and vertical PowerClad systems operate. It also highlights the substantial cost savings that are being consistently achieved. Copies are available online from Nationwide's website at www.nationwideaccess.com, from any of the company's 50 depots, or by telephoning 0845 745 0000.
Nationwide is the UK's leading powered access rental company and is part of the publicly quoted Lavendon Group Plc. The company is headquartered in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. The Group is also the European market leader in the powered access rental business, trading under the name Zooom in Germany, France, Spain and Austria.
