ONGOING THREATS TO CONSTRUCTION

SUPPLY PROBLEMS AND ESCALATING PRICES CONTINUE TO THREATEN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR …

IS IT NOW TIME FOR CHANGE IN THE INDUSTRY?

Many building materials remain in short supply due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent enforced changes to working practices across the supply chain. Now, with soaring energy prices and increasing materials costs, businesses operating within the construction sector are finding themselves facing inevitable project pricing implications. Add to these ongoing transportation challenges, and specifiers, procurement teams, and contractors alike are increasingly finding themselves needing to source viable alternatives.

Even before recently announced steel price hikes, fabricated steel was reported to have shown one of the steepest price increases of all building materials over the last year, increasing by almost 65%, with the structural grades required to manufacture cable management systems and other such building services support solutions, at times, simply not available in sufficient quantities to satisfy demand.

It may seem obvious, but one course of action going forward is to reduce the volume of materials required for a project.

Using wire rope in place of traditional threaded rod for the suspension and bracing of building services, for example, results in considerable materials savings.

Cable management systems have historically been installed in the same way for decades – a system that continues to work but one which often results in an over-engineered solution with far too many brackets holding up very little cable and a lot of fresh air!

Today it is common to see 75% of cable supporting tray or ladder being left empty. These could easily be scaled down, reducing the volume of steel required significantly. Tray has also been traditionally used for carrying small power cables, data cables, etc., where cable basket could be substituted to provide a further material saving of over 50% – Tray is around 65% material content while basket is around 15%.

Whether using tray, ladder, or basket, using wire rope as a primary means of suspension affords major materials savings and is just one reason why today Zip-Clip systems are being specified globally in the construction sector for the suspension and bracing of electrical containment components, HVAC and mechanical services, lighting, signage, and more.

Zip-Clip systems have been developed to provide complete solutions that not only ensure optimum application performance but also, when compared to traditional suspension methods utilising threaded rods, considerably reduce materials usage and waste, whilst simplifying installation and ultimately reducing time on site.  Add to this reduction in the transport burden and other environmental benefits such as reduced CO2 emissions and the advantages really do start to add up.

As the construction sector actively looks for viable ways to reduce costs, remedy shortages and associated difficulties, while at the same time striving to achieve environmental targets such as net-zero construction, there has never been a more important time to be innovative and open-minded to change.

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WEIGHT AND CO₂ REDUCTION

The use of wire rope has a dramatic impact in reducing not only materials usage and weight of a suspension solution but also the volume of CO₂ produced during its manufacture.

For example, a typical retail store uses approx. 1,200 suspension drops of 2 m.

M8 threaded rod would weigh 748.80 kg and produce 1,344 kg of CO₂ to manufacture the 2,400 metres required.

A Zip-Clip wire rope system would weigh 37.86 kg and produce 96 kg of CO₂ to manufacture the 2,400 m.

Saving on weight:   710 kg
Saving on CO₂:   1,245 kg

Therefore a 92.6% reduction of CO₂ emission can be realised by utilising Zip-Clip wire rope.

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THE ISSUE OF TRANSPORTATION

1 × 40-foot container holds 1,446,000 m of 2 mm wire rope.

32 × 40-foot containers are required to transport the equivalent length of 10 mm rod!

2 mm wire performs at the same level as 10 mm threaded rod.

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Through a free-of-charge ‘Club 35’ learning programme, Zip-Clip offers a range of courses/presentations providing knowledge and know-how developed specifically to support individuals and organisations as they look to explore the options whilst adapting to the times and to current market pressures.

• Wire Support Solutions – The Alternative to Threaded Rod (CIBSE Accredited)
• Environmental Benefits of Wire Rope Suspension Solutions (CIBSE Accredited)
• Reducing Prime Costs of Services Suspension Installations
• Cable Management Systems

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For Further information contact Zip-Clip Sales or Technical Teams on +44 (0)1686 623 366 or email info@zip-clip.com

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Published 17/03/2022