Fife Council Building Services has completed an innovative pilot project using a ground-breaking pollution-reducing tile on seven semi detached houses in Kinglassie, Scotland. Almost 1,000m2 Marley EcoLogic tiles were provided for the project through builders merchant Jewson, who helped advise the council on the best sustainable roof tile to meet their requirements.
The EcoLogic tile can absorb and neutralise harmful nitrous oxides (NOx) in the atmosphere and during its lifetime an average sized roof using EcoLogic tiles could remove an amount of NOx equivalent to that emitted by a modern car driving 100,000 miles. In addition the tile contains around 50% recycled content.
Steve Anderson, Contracts Manager for Fife Council Building Services, comments: “One of our strategic priorities is to become the best green council in Scotland so the environmental rating of building materials we use on our housing projects is very important. The high percentage of recycled material present in the tile was particularly appealing for us. It was also an attractive product because as well as the sustainability and pollution reduction benefits, as a maintenance free solution it also supports the council’s value for money objectives.”
Drew Fleming, general manager at Jewson in Kirkcaldy, adds: “Fife Council indicated that they wanted a sustainable roof tile that was A+ rated in the BRE Green Guide to Specification. So we immediately identified the EcoLogic tile as the best one for the project and worked with Marley to demonstrate the tile to Fife Council, showing them how the tile could achieve the high environmental standards they required while at the same time reducing pollution.”
The pilot project in Kinglassie is the first step in Fife Council’s investment programme to bring all of its housing stock up to the Scottish Quality Housing Standard (SQHS), which is similar to the Decent Homes scheme in England. The ambitious programme, which will refurbish thousands of homes, is due to be completed by 2015.
Andrew McCaul, regional sales manager for Marley, concludes: “In addition to all of the other benefits, EcoLogic was perfect for this project because the properties already had the same profile tile, Ludlow Major, so it was a straightforward replacement. We’re pleased to have been involved with such a successful pilot project where we were able to work with Jewson to demonstrate the benefits of the EcoLogic tile to Fife Council directly.”
Ecologic is an innovative tiling product due to a special external coating which contains grades of titanium dioxide (TiO2). This surface coating triggers a reaction under the influence of UV radiation in sunlight which converts harmful asthma-causing pollutant nitrogen oxides (NOx) into nitric acid ions. These are then neutralised by the lime and calcium carbonate in the concrete, so removing the potentially harmful pollutants from the atmosphere. Such airborne pollutants are thought to contribute to asthmatic and bronchial problems in the general population.
For more information about EcoLogic go to www.marley.co.uk
