The ABLE Façade System - Design Benefits

The ABLE Façade System has been designed as an alternative bomb-blast resistant walling solution to the traditional re-enforced concrete versions already available in the marketplace. One of the reasons for its conception was to combat the numerous inherent disadvantages with concrete construction.

Disadvantages of concrete:

• Wet trades which are affected by inclement weather such as rain and frost.
• Requires large number of skilled operatives on site.
• Requires large amounts of scaffolding.
• Longer erection time before building can be occupied.
• Risk of injury as many staff on-site at one time with many uncontrollable factors such as weather, wind, and lighting.
• Thick walls are required which reduces available floor space internally.

By developing an enhanced walling system made from steel rather than concrete, Alumet has been able to remove the above disadvantages as the system is constructed in factory conditions. The benefits of off-site construction are well known and appreciated within the construction industry and the AFS is no different.

Benefits of the AFS:

• 12 square metres can be installed in 25 minutes.
• The system can still be installed in rain and frost.
• Faster erection time of the building envelope, allowing following trades earlier access to their works, thus reducing the preliminary costs for the main contractor as well as the client.
• The panels are much slimmer than concrete, giving greater floor space inside any given footprint of a building.
• The panels are serviceable as a protection from blasts immediately, without the need to cure.
• Health and safety risks are significantly reduced as no manual handling is required since products are simply craned into position and the risks associated with handling double glazed units are reduced as the glass is sealed within the AFS in a controlled factory environment.
• Reduced risk of delay to the project as a result of better control of activities and less congestion due in many cases to the complete absence of standing scaffold.
• Does not require great numbers of skilled operatives on-site as the majority of the work has been prepared in the factory.
• Reduction in on-site congestion as less staff and scaffolding present.
• More efficient logistics for material handling as factory conditions allow for a greater organisation of materials required.