Jan/Feb 2022

GLASS PROCESSING & SEALED UNITS
MAXIMISING VIEWS
Everyone loves a room with a view, and they
don’t come much more striking than an
uninterrupted vista of a fjord.
Further concerns
That’s not the only potential problem that
concerns me. Sixty percent of the UK’s
construction imports come from the EU.
“Untangling itself from
those regulations
was always going to
be a long and painful
process”
At the moment, EU suppliers only need the one
certification, the CE mark, to trade both here and
in mainland Europe.
From January 2023, if those businesses want
to continue operating in the British market as
well as the EU, they’ll have to UKCA mark their
products too.
On this front, my main concern is this – will
European suppliers go through the long and
expensive process of getting certification that’s
only valid in the UK?
I’m certain that many will. The UK is a major
market. But I’m also sure that some will conclude
that it’s not worth the hassle – potentially
constraining supply even further.
The situation is even more complex for Northern
Irish businesses.
As things currently stand, if they want to service
the mainland UK and Irish market as well as their
home market they will be required to conform to
no less than three standards – the EU’s CE mark,
the UKCA mark, and the territory’s own UKNI
mark.
Ultimately, the biggest issue is the lack of a
Mutual Recognition Agreement between the UK
and the EU, which would allow test evidence from
Approved Bodies in one region to be accepted in
another.
Time for pragmatism
Compromising on quality and safety isn’t an
option. We need products sold in this country
to conform to the very highest standards, and a
robust system of certification is vital to ensuring
that.
But to deliver and maintain those standards
during this period of transition, I think we need
to take a pragmatic approach. Safety isn’t
something that can be rushed.
I think ministers need to be ready to extend the
deadline again if it becomes clear that thousands
of businesses are going to be unable to meet
it – and possibly even be prepared to allow a
transitional arrangement where both CE and
UKCA marks are valid in the UK for a limited time.
Rather than meeting an arbitrary deadline, I
think the most important thing is that we get
the UK’s post-Brexit accreditation regime right
– and ensure that millions of products don’t
compromise on the vital standards that keep
consumers safe.
Contact Edgetech:
02476 639931
www.edgetechig.co.uk
@EdgetechUK
So, when the owner of Summer House in
Norway was discussing designs for the
building with their architect, maximising sight
lines to make the most of its stunning setting
was top of the list of priorities.
That’s what led the designer to specify a wall
of Pilkington Planar structural glass along the
outward-facing side of the property’s main
living space.
The wedge-shaped window is more than 10
metres wide and almost five metres high at its
tallest point, creating a panoramic scene of
sea and sky.
And, to maximise the vertical aspect of the
view – as well as the amount of natural light
entering the building – the window is topped
by a 90cm-deep section of roof glazing.
These allow the toughened vertical glass to
stand up to significant wind loads while also
supporting the roof glazing, which is able to
resist large snow loads as a result.
The units that make up the roof glazing also
feature a laminated pane to lend further
strength, being made up of an outer 12mm
layer of toughened glass and an inner layer
formed of two 6mm-thick sheets sandwiching
a polyvinylbutyral (PVB) interlayer.
The whole system is bolted together with
low-profile Pilkington Planar stainless steel
fittings.
CONNECTING THE WINDOW, DOOR & ROOF FABRICATION SUPPLY CHAIN
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 T F 55