As the UK construction industry continues to face regulatory pressure to increase safety standards, architects must select products and systems that offer high performance whilst maintaining a ‘golden thread’ of information.
One of the UK’s leading manufacturers of drylining solutions, British Gypsum, part of Saint-Gobain Interior Solutions (SGIS), has recently joined NBS Source to help architects access robust product and system information backed by an innovative data integrity process.
As established by Dame Judith Hackitt in her review of Building Regulations and fire safety guidance, architects and manufacturers alike must maintain a ‘golden thread’ of truth to help ensure that safety standards are met across every aspect of a project. British Gypsum has long used testing and robust data to evidence its product claims, giving architects confidence when specifying its products or systems.
British Gypsum’s product and system information can be accessed via a sector-leading White Book that provides guidance backed by data gathered from over 13,000 substantiated tests – but the manufacturer now also offers this expert technical information directly through NBS Source.
Dr Stephen Hamil, Innovation Director at NBS, stressed the importance of providing the highest standards of technical information when he welcomed British Gypsum’s decision to join NBS Source:
"With the industry now demanding quality technical information to build and maintain “golden threads” of design decisions, for structural and fire safety, the timing of British Gypsum joining NBS could not be better."
Utilising testing and data to drive standards forward
British Gypsum adopts a multipronged approach that includes system integrity, product integrity, data integrity and the technical competence of its people. Each of these pillars allows the manufacturer to back up its product claims and share expert knowledge with specifiers.
System and product integrity
It is important to know that the different elements of a system will perform as designed on site, and so system integrity confirms performance capability. System integrity is key to British Gypsum’s commitment to testing, and to how it shares knowledge and supports customers."All our systems have been tested according to strict performance, quality and safety criteria, in accordance with all the appropriate standards, providing specifiers with the reassurance that they’re getting reliable information to support project decision-making. Testing is at the core of what we do and we undertake a thorough cycle to ensure every one of our specifications is supported by technical expertise backed up by our SpecSure® warranty." - Richard Haworth, Head of Commercial Sector Development at SGIS
As safety standards move forward, anyone working on a project must be more conscious than ever about changes to specification. System integrity relies on following the information provided in the spec – which means that any specifiers who substitute products are risking the integrity of the entire system.
"If any one of our components is substituted, it risks invalidating the performance claims of that system, plus the warranty that backs it up," Richard said.
"For example, a large number of British Gypsum systems include Isover products, and it would therefore affect the system integrity if these were swapped out. It means the system is no longer underpinned by our knowledge, testing and history. Maintaining the integrity of a substantiated system means it will continue to perform as specified for the lifetime of the building. Our own specification selector, the White Book, is the only place to find all of our specifications and provides a reference point to successfully navigate the details linked to each specific system we provide."
Data integrity
The UK construction industry must strive to adopt a ‘golden thread’ of information throughout all projects – which means that creating data traceability from production to testing is essential to provide trustworthy data.
British Gypsum’s test data is gathered via independent UKAS-accredited testing laboratories and maintained via a centralised Product Information Management (PIM) system. This allows architects to access a ‘single source of truth’ for any part of British Gypsum’s specification data, regardless of whether you find the information on its website, in the White Book or via NBS Source.
In the new era of the ‘golden thread’, British Gypsum’s PIM library gives you confidence that all information is kept as up to date and accurate as possible.
"If something is changed in our PIM, it is mirrored over to the NBS platform so that everything is up to date and aligned, ensuring data integrity. This system is supported by our Digital Asset Management (DAM) platform, which houses assets such as detailed drawings."
Technical competence
Extensive testing and a single point of truth for data governance help architects guarantee system safety when specifying British Gypsum products. However, if you require support, you need a team that has the right level of expertise to help you.
British Gypsum uses Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to create an expert team that has a deep understanding of technical data. Evolving Building Regulations mean that there will be changes and new processes coming in, which further increases the importance of having team members familiar with system and data integrity.
Embracing CCPI
British Gypsum’s commitment to integrity across systems, products and data is reflected by the manufacturer meeting all British and international standards, as well as the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) mark.
The CCPI was initiated by the Construction Product Association (CPA) as a direct response to Hackitt’s findings to assure product users that the product information is clear, accurate, accessible, up to date and unambiguous.
British Gypsum’s non-loadbearing metal stud plasterboard partition systems, including GypWall Shaft, were some of the first products on the UK market to carry the CCPI mark.
"Complete transparency is crucial to ensuring that we build better and so we are dedicated supporters of CCPI as it is playing a major role in improving the quality and standard of product information within the construction industry. We want to play our part in helping our construction partners build better." - Dave Robinson, Head of Technical Support for SGIS.
Choose a manufacturer committed to safer futures
British Gypsum’s data integrity is a clear sign of the brand’s commitment to improving safety and performance standards across the industry – but the journey is far from over. British Gypsum has also become a Registered Signatory of the Building a Safer Future (BSF) Charter.
As architects face greater demands related to safety and data integrity, choosing to work with forward-thinking manufacturers like British Gypsum will help you improve overall system performance whilst maintaining the ‘golden thread’.
'By building our system integrity, product integrity, data integrity and the technical know-how of our people, we can ensure that our specifications and standards are trustworthy, dependable and transparent. It means the information we share on such platforms as NBS Source is accessible, reliable, up to date, and fuelled by our “single source of truth”. This helps to underpin our overall mission of caring about building better for people and the planet’.
Specify British Gypsum with NBS Source
Architects looking for drylining solutions can now find British Gypsum’s range via NBS Source. Inspect products, delve into data and get help on specifications if needed – all from the UK’s most complete specification platform.
