For over 62 years Farrat have been serving the international construction industry as a specialist solution provider to engineering challenges. Controlling vibration and thermal energy in buildings and industrial machinery. Farrat’s HQ is based in Manchester and boasts a dedicated R&D Facility that has an impressive track record for developing market changing engineering innovations for a range of applications used in the world of construction.
Farrat’s breakthrough 15 years ago changed the way UK designers and steel fabricators approached connection design, introducing a certified thermal break plate that gave engineers and architects the freedom to design. Now their STRUKTRA® portfolio of thermal break plates mean designers no longer need to design connections to suit thermal separation; instead, the thermal separation fits the connections, as from a practical point of view the STRUKTRA® range can be treated as a simple packer plate, without the need for special design tools.
Alongside the simplicity in use a 25mm STRUKTRA® plate reduces overall materials required for the build project whilst delivering equivalent or better thermal transfer performance when compared to traditional, thicker inflexible solutions. Commercial Manager Chris Lister explains.
There is an assumption in the market that 80mm or 120mm thick mechanical connections are the only way for solving thermal transfer problems. We have proven continuously in thousands of projects over the years that we can reduce the thermal break thickness from 80mm to 25mm and with STRUKTRA® materials perform structurally and thermally better.
The most recent proof of this is an independent study completed by the renowned Fraunhofer Institute concluding that at connection with a 25mm thick STRUKTRA® plate not only achieves high levels of thermal performance but reduces dramatically the required steel endplate thickness as well as ultimately enabling high rotational stiffness for cantilever elements, further providing the opportunity to reduce the number of potential thermal bridge connections in a building.
Mr. Lister continues.
This level of independent validation and certification helps reassure designers when specifying and in addition, our solutions reduce the cost and complexity of construction whilst improving thermal and structural performance of connections, creating energy efficient, compliant buildings.
Manufactured under Farrat’s ISO 9001:2015 Quality Systems and ISO 14001:2015 certification STRUKTRA® products are externally audited and hold ETA 22/0333 & Passivhaus accreditation, along with their Steel Construction Institute SCI assessment and British Board of Agrément (BBA) certification.
Farrat are exhibiting at the forthcoming BAU Trade Show held in Munich between the 17th and 22nd April, the “World’s Leading Trade Fair for Architecture, Materials and Systems” Farrat representatives will be located on the DSTV stand for the duration of the event. CEO Oliver Farrell commented on Farrat’s entrance into the German and wider DACH markets.
Our commitment to push the boundaries of engineering is embedded in our culture. For over six decades we have built our reputation for our ability to control vibration and thermal energy in buildings and industrial machinery.
But it’s the way in which we achieve this year in year out that makes me most proud. Our people not only know their subject but also support a range of professional clients including designers, architects, developers, structural engineers and steel fabricators throughout the entire design process. Delivered under our banner engineers on a mission they deliver our solutions with a passion, humility and integrity that sets us apart from the rest.
On Farrat’s growth plan Mr. Farrell concludes.
We are very serious about growing our presence and service into the DACH region and see our attendance at BAU as a great opportunity to start the journey of building relationships. We look forward to meeting new people and showcasing our Fraunhofer validated and ETA certified STRUKTRA® Thermal Break Plates for both internal and external steel-to-steel connections.
Farrat’s STRUKTRA® range includes TBK and TBF materials which can be used in common connection details for cantilever and supported steel balconies, parapets, balustrades, facades and columns. With their Fire resistant TBF material being the first Tragende Thermische Trennung with A2, s1-d0 rating.
