Page 136 - CFA_SG25

BUYERS’ GUIDE

ALTRO
Collaboration and sustainability focus
for Altro in education
BAM Construct UK has collaborated with
Altro and Recofloor to achieve significant
sustainability gains on a number of major
school construction projects.
At Weldon Village Academy, a new
purpose-built secondary school near Corby,
BAM Construct UK built the state-of-the-art,
three-storey facility to provide education, sport
and recreation facilities for the community as
well as the school population. At the start of the
project, Dave Ellis, Regional Director – Midlands
for BAM Construct UK said: ‘Sustainability will
be central to our approach as we look to create
a school that features eco-efficient features.’
To ensure an overarching sustainable
building, the interior materials were selected
for, among other criteria, their reduced
embodied carbon properties. This included the
flooring throughout, which needed to provide Weldon Village Academy
recyclability and high slip-resistance for busy
areas, such as corridors and classrooms. BAM
Construct UK approached Altro, their supply
chain partner, for support and guidance with
specifying the correct floors.
Adhesive-free safety floor Altro XpressLay
was specified for the corridors and classrooms,
providing speed of installation and ease of
maintenance ensuring the busy areas were
returned to use quickly and completed
to project timescales. Altro XpressLay is
installed without adhesive or DPM, providing
easy access to subfloors, and avoiding any
136 unpleasant adhesive odours.
Like all Altro adhesive-free floors, it utilises
a unique formulation for a quick fit without
compromising on performance or durability.
The revolutionary technology, featuring a
studded surface on the underside of the
floor, allows it to lie flat and perform like a
traditionally adhered floor without the need
for an adhesive. Floors can be installed and
walked on the same day. outcome’ explains Carla Eslava, Recofloor David Lever, Altro’s Sustainability
Recofloor, the UK’s first waste vinyl floor Scheme Manager. ‘Every offcut matters when Manager, says: ‘There are many cost and
take back scheme, was introduced into the it comes to diverting waste vinyl from landfill.’ time advantages to using Altro adhesive-free
build, providing collection of clean vinyl offcuts The vinyl offcuts collected from the 3,000 sqm flooring, which requires no adhesive and
for recycling. ‘Shared objectives from the outset of Altro XpressLay installed at Weldon Village no damp-proof membrane, but the saving
contributed to a successful and sustainable Academy avoided 1.88 tonnes of embodied in embodied carbon achieved by avoiding
carbon emissions. these elements is the real headline grabber.
Sustainability was also high on the agenda Figures produced by the team on the Holyrood
for the new school extension at Holyrood Academy project showed that switching the
Academy, Somerset. The architect initially specification from adhered to adhesive-free
specified traditional adhered flooring, but main gave an approximate carbon-saving of 59%,
contractor BAM saw the opportunity for time preventing 3.89 tonnes of embodied carbon
and cost savings as well as huge sustainability emissions.’
benefits by switching the specification to There are also plenty of benefits when it
adhesive-free options. comes to installing Altro adhesive-free floors,
Representatives from BAM Construct UK, as John Redford from RBJ Flooring, the installer
Altro and Recofloor met to discuss options at Holyrood Academy, explains: ‘It went really
for specification, and managing and recycling smoothly, in large part due to the planning and
waste from the build. After the consultation, professionalism of the main contractor and
and with prior knowledge and experience of the products selected for use. The site was
previous successful installations, adhesive-free prepared and ready for when we arrived, and
floors options were reviewed and selected our team enjoy working with the Altro products,
based on the cost and time benefits, plus particularly adhesive-free, which we have a
embodied carbon avoided. lot of experience with. Using these takes out
‘It was imperative we delivered the build the wet trades, means we don’t have to lump
to timescales, but as sustainably as possible. around 100s of bags of screed, mix it, clean
The adhesive- free floors saved project time everything down and so on. We’re very happy
and reduced carbon output.’ said Graham Holt, laying these products.’
Construction Project Manager, BAM Construct UK. Find out more about the many benefits of
At Holyrood Academy, Altro Wood adhesive-free floors here: www.altro.com/uk/
adhesive-free safety floor was specified for the learn-and-engage/altro-guides/adhesive-free-
dining area and Altro Cantata adhesive-free floors
was specified for the corridors and communal
Holyrood Secondary School areas, providing a safe, durable and decorative
solution for the busy spaces. www.altro.com

CFA Guide to Sustainability 2025/26