Work is underway on the €15m redevelopment of Father Scully House in the centre of Dublin. The investment consists of two linked buildings and will result in 99 apartments providing affordable accommodation for older people.
The new Father Scully House is on the site of the original building in Gardiner Street. It is a busy area of the city and the residential apartments are planned around an internal courtyard with generous balconies opening onto a central garden.
The design is high specification, and two critical considerations at the balcony connectivity areas are the prevention of thermal bridging and improved fire resistance. With thermal bridging, there is a regulatory need for a major reduction in local heat loss and CO2 emissions. However, condensation is a likely problem too, leading to structural integrity problems and worse, mould growth. For elderly residents this could have serious medical implications in the form of respiratory problems and dermatitis.
The most sophisticated solution for preventing thermal bridging in connective situations is the market leading Schöck Isokorb® thermal break. It offers outstanding thermal efficiency and unrivalled application options. Connections can be made between concrete-to-concrete, concrete-to-steel and steel-to-steel. The range comfortably exceeds the requirements of BRE IP1/06 and Part L, Irish Building Regulations, where the temperature factor used to indicate condensation risk (fRSI), must be greater than, or equal to, 0.75 for residential buildings. All products provide BBA Certification and LABC Registration, and are supplied by the Schöck sales partner and sole distributor for the whole of Ireland, Contech Accessories, of Tullow, County Carlow.
For the new Father Scully House project it is primarily the type K Isokorb® and the type KST Isokorb® that have been incorporated. Type K provides a thermal break between external reinforced concrete components and the building, reducing thermal losses to a minimum, by virtue of innovative technology involving HTE module compression bearings. The type KST allows thermal breaks to be incorporated into steel-to-steel connections and is a modular system that can be used for connections involving all profile sizes and structural loads. On this occasion it is attached to a bespoke steel bracket and then cast-in to a concrete edge beam, ready for the external steel section (see details below).
For your free copy of the Schöck Specifiers Guide and /or full Technical Guide, contact Schöck Ltd on 01865 290 890 or visit www.schoeck.co.uk
