Look what's been happening at Ancon

2017 was another busy year for Ancon, so in case you missed anything, our new products, approvals and company news are all summarised below.

January

Detailing modern brick-faced soffits became even easier when we launched a new 16-page Nexus technical brochure.

Developed by Ancon and Ibstock Kevington, the UK’s leading specialists in masonry support and prefabricated brick components, Nexus is an advanced lightweight system that means previously complicated brick features are fast and simple to achieve, in any brick type and colour.

Case studies include Great Eastern Quays and the Silchester Estate regeneration in London.

February

Our patented Lockable Dowel won a prestigious 2017 MIP Award (Most Innovative Product) in the USA, when it was named Editor’s Choice in the ‘Materials for Concrete Construction’ category.

Lockable Dowels accelerate the speed of construction and improve site safety by replacing the need for ‘pour strips’ in post-tensioned concrete frames. This multi-award winning product continues to gain industry recognition throughout the world.

March

Our range of insulated balcony connectors was showcased at Ecobuild 2017, alongside our other products designed to reduce cold bridging, including low thermal conductivity wall ties and brick support bracket shims. Visit Ancon on stand C62 at Ecobuild 2018, ExCeL London, 6th-8th March.

Long tenure awards were received from BSI to recognise the continual certification of our management systems to ISO 9001 (20+ years) and ISO 14001 (10+ years). Also in 2017, we successfully transitioned our quality and environmental management systems to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 respectively, well ahead of the September 2018 industry deadline.

April

The Ancon KSN Anchor reinforcement continuity system was awarded CARES TA1-B approval. Unlike pull-out rebar continuity boxes, the KSN system requires no heavy manual bar straightening on site, offering a quick and safe installation process.

May

The UK’s largest certified PassivHaus, the University of Leicester’s new Centre for Medicine, was named Building Sustainability Project of the Year at the 2017 Global Good Awards. Utilising a fabric-first approach, Ancon Teplo basalt-fibre wall ties virtually eliminate thermal bridging in the highly insulated external masonry walls. 

June

An attractive Cross Coupler was added to the Ancon tension bar system range as a streamlined alternative to an anchor disc. Cross couplers and anchor discs allow tension bars to lie in the same plane and remove the need to offset bars, with the coupler or disc providing an interesting design feature for the panel.

August

Ancon further extended its range of ST1 heavy duty wall ties. The range now includes lengths of 325mm and 350mm, suitable for high-rise masonry buildings with cavities up to 225mm wide.

September

The Queensferry Crossing was officially opened by HM The Queen. It uses over 100,000 Ancon Rebar Couplers in the concrete support towers, end piers and road deck, including Bartec Plus - a TA1-A CARES-approved coupler with enhanced Class D fatigue resistance.

October

We launched a CPD-certified training seminar entitled, ‘The Correct Use of Wall Ties and Head Restraints’. The new material addresses some of the key issues identified in the 2017 report into the construction of Edinburgh schools, which found widespread construction defects in the masonry panels.

November

Use of the Ancon 25/14 Restraint System, designed to tie masonry cladding to light steel frames, was extended to non-combustible mineral wall insulation following independent testing.

Ancon was a proud sponsor of both the Brick Awards and the Concrete Society awards, recognising excellence in these key market sectors. The top prizes were awarded to South Gardens in London and the Queensferry Crossing in Edinburgh respectively – two projects that feature Ancon products!

December

Ancon completed a significant extension to its UK head office and main manufacturing unit in the steel city of Sheffield. The extension will further improve material handling and workflows in line with our operational excellence programme, and enable future growth ambitions to be achieved.