A Guernsey builders’ merchant has invested thousands of pounds in new machinery to speed up the manufacture of building joists.
Norman Piette has installed the state-of-the-art kit at its base in St Sampson’s so it can make open metal web joists for use in the construction of energy efficient buildings.
The new press means the company has been able to produce them for 100 homes in the islands this year, including for the Guernsey Housing Association.
NP Group CEO Paul Rogers said: “This is an investment in the fastest method of manufacturing of metal web joists in a single workstation. More and more developers have energy efficiency at the forefront of their building’s design and construction.”
“Metal web joists are popular because they make the installation of electrical, plumbing and ventilation services so much easier, and they are much better suited for future building modifications. The joists are a composite of timber and steel forming an open web design combining the lightness of timber with the strength of a steel web. They eliminate costly cutting and drilling when installing services or incorporating modern ventilation and heat recycling systems.”
The new machine has increased the production rate and Norman Piette describe it as a sound investment in the future of building in the Channel Islands.
