Following extensive research and testing, the patented Thermal Windpost (TWP2), part of the Ancon range of steel construction fixings, offers up to an impressive 70% reduction in thermal transmission through the span of the windpost. This guarantees it meets the BRE level for thermal performance provided in BR 443 as a minimum and offers opportunities for more stringent thermal specifications to be met. The Thermal Windpost features integral mineral fibre insulation to ensure continuity of insulation in the cavity, and its innovative design means the windpost sits level with the outside face of partial-fill insulation so it can be taped to further reduce thermal heat loss. This provides the additional benefit of eliminating time-consuming cutting of insulation to fit behind/around the windpost, increasing the overall speed and consistency of installation.
Manufactured from stainless steel with a teardrop fold for strength and engineered to minimise weight, the Ancon Thermal Windpost is up to 35% lighter than traditional windposts, making it easier to handle and install onsite. Again, this significantly improves speed of installation by reducing the requirement for complex manual handling procedures for longer lengths.
Used largely in commercial and multi-storey residential developments, and also increasingly in housing to provide more open-plan spaces, windposts provide lateral support to long panels of brickwork without piers or supporting walls, or as hidden support within piers adjacent to large window or door openings. Usually they create small voids in the insulation layer which can be difficult to properly fill, or be easily overlooked when installing insulation. Variations arising from inconsistency in cutting or omission of insulation in these small voids can often be overlooked when undertaking thermal calculations. This new product ensures proper continuity in the insulation layer, and makes installation of the surrounding insulation more consistent and straight-forward, helping both contractors and building designers realise the thermal performance aspirations of the detail.
With UK housebuilders facing the ‘zero carbon ready’ Future Homes Standard from 2025, building design for new residential developments must change. The Ancon Thermal Windpost addresses one of the many thermal heat loss issues across a building’s fabric which contribute to the ‘performance gap’ between designed and realised thermal performance, and is part of Leviat’s continual drive towards innovation with products that improve performance to help create better buildings.
Commenting on the launch of the Ancon Thermal Windpost, Leviat’s Lisa Sherburne-Kilby, UK Commercial Operations Director (Masonry) said: “The new thermally efficient Thermal Windpost TWP2 is a game changer and a fantastic addition to our range. Windposts and other cavity intrusions have the potential to seriously downgrade the thermal performance of the wall, unless correctly specified, detailed and installed. Getting them right is important if we are to achieve the sort of levels of fabric heat loss now being considered in our race for zero-carbon construction.”
Leviat, a global leader in connecting, fixing, lifting and anchoring technology, designs and manufactures Ancon stainless steel support and restraint fixings for masonry cladding, engineered concrete connections and reinforcement continuity systems.
For more information about the Ancon Thermal Windpost (TWP2), please visit our website.
