'Sustainability' is one of the key buzzwords in the construction industry. Over the past few years it has evolved into a key driver in the specification process with many innovations being developed in response to environmentally-driven legislation. Ash & Lacy Building Systems are one such company which has adhered closely to these environmental requirements; in addition the Ashzip standing seam roofing system can play a vital role in achieving true sustainability in the roofing market.

Ray Harriman, Managing Director of Ash & Lacy Building Systems, takes a look at sustainability and why the construction industry can't get enough.

Ashzip systems can be specified in low-impact base materials which minimise waste and encourage recyclability. The majority of material used in the manufacturing of Ashzip, and other Ash & Lacy products, is steel and aluminium. All materials are sourced from suppliers that meet specification requirements whilst maintaining sound, sustainable environmental practises. Steel and aluminium are both completely recyclable at the end of the building's life and have a particularly low environmental impact.

Firstly if we look at steel, its magnetic properties make it easy to pull from domestic waste where it can be sorted in large volumes before being processed. Recycled steel has infinite uses, but most importantly in the roofing industry, it can be re-used for an identical purpose without any loss of quality, on other buildings.

Aluminium is equally as recyclable and as the earth's second most used metal and third most abundant element, nearly 60% of all aluminium used in the UK has been previously recycled. Recycling aluminium drink cans alone saves up to 95% of the energy used to produce it initially and emits only 5% of the greenhouses gases emitted in primary Aluminium production.

The benefits of recycling are more than obvious and with no loss of inherent properties; the life cycle of these metals is not the traditional 'cradle-to-grave', but a renewable and sustainable 'cradle-to-cradle' philosophy. At the end of a building's 25 year life, the amortised cost of the scrap value of aluminium Ashzip roof is the same value as when first supplied.

Much construction industry attention in recent years has focused on the reduction of carbon emissions by increased energy use efficiencies. These are outlined in the Building Regulations Part L, which have revolutionised the way the industry thinks about external envelope design. Ashzip standing seam plays an important role in meeting and exceeding the demands of these legislations.

Part L recognises the importance of eliminating significant air leakage, especially in large structures. Too much air leakage leads to heat loss, resulting in higher CO2 emissions. The nature of standing seam roofing ensures that the building is completely airtight with no penetrations on the outer sheet. Ashzip can also be site rolled, reducing packaging and repeated deliveries that are often required on larger schemes; clearly these elements will have an impact not only on the Ash & Lacy carbon footprint but also to the project itself.

As may be expected in the current sustainability-conscious construction scene, green roofs have become increasingly popular. The green roof is partially or completely covered with vegetation or soil, or a growing medium such as Sedum, over a waterproof membrane. Standing seam roofing offers the ideal support for such roofs, eliminating any leakage issues.

One such case was the opening of the Adnams Brewery Distribution Centre near Southwold, Suffolk, which employs an Ashzip standing seam roofing system as its support. The roof is amongst some of the largest environmentally sustainable warehouses in the UK, consisting of 6000m² curved Ashzip roofing covered in sedum to minimalise the building's environmental impact.

Ash & Lacy are actively seeking partners in sustainable areas, such as rainwater harvesting and solar panels to complete their green and sustainable roofing offerings. Standing seam roofing, Ashzip in particular, can play a vital role in delivering sustainable design and performance, now the aim is to expand this offering further. "One of our key company initiatives is to embrace the sustainable revolution and extend it from our roofing practises, to our in-house procedures. This will be detailed in an environmental paper that will be available later in the year and provides further commitment that will see Ash & Lacy building systems as a key driver of sustainability in our industry.”

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E-mail : sales@ashandlacy.com