Sureclad - a sustainable way to enhance the outer envelope

“Sureclad ceramic granite ventilated cladding doesn’t just transform a building aesthetically”, says Shackerley Chief Executive Brian Newell, “It’s also a highly sustainable way to protect and enhance a building and has contributed towards BREEAM ratings of Excellent and Very Good in architectural projects across the UK.”

Ventilated façade systems

The environmental benefits of ventilated façade systems are well understood. They protect buildings from the elements and enable highly effective thermal and acoustic insulation to be fitted between the building shell and the façade, significantly improving energy efficiency. The all important ‘ventilated’ cavity helps to eliminate thermal and acoustic bridging and the air flow minimises condensation risks and allows the building to ‘breathe ’, serving to maintain a healthy indoor climate.

Why ceramic granite?

An engineered material made entirely from natural constituents, ceramic granite is exceptionally hard, durable and strong, offering a proven façade solution with known performance. Slabs of just 12mm thick offer outstanding building protection, so loadings on the substructure and building exterior compare very favourably with traditional cladding materials. Supplied in a myriad of colourways, styles and finishes to reproduce natural stone such as granite and marble, this innovative material offers an almost limitless array of design options.

Sustainability

Not only is ceramic granite an attractive, durable and versatile façade option, it is also a sustainable solution.

The manufacturing process recreates the forces of nature. A blend of carefully selected refined clays, quartz, feldspars and metal oxides are dry pressed at up to 12500 tonnes and fired at 1260°C to form ceramic granite slabs. No bonding agents or resins are needed. No waterproofing chemicals or coatings are used in the finishing stages.

Shackerley’s ceramic granite is sourced and manufactured in compliance with the European Ecolabel Certification scheme and many ranges also have L.E.E.D (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) credits. To an increasing degree recycled material is being incorporated into the ranges we offer: in some cases the material has 40% recycled pre-consumer waste content.

Fully vitrified with virtually zero porosity, ceramic granite is unaffected by climatic extremes and conforms to all international standards for water absorption and freeze and thaw resistance. Façades will not absorb airborne contamination or dust, nor will they support algae growth. They are impervious to acids and alkalis and resistant to graffiti damage. Completely inert, they do not release radon or any other radioactive gases and remain unaffected by UV light. These characteristics assure the client of long lasting performance and minimal maintenance requirements.

Aluminium substructure

The Sureclad substructure is constructed from high grade (6063/T6) aluminium, selected for its corrosion resistance, formability and exceptional strength to weight ratio. It also contributes to a more sustainable system as this versatile building material is one of the most globally abundant metals and it can be easily recycled at the end of its useful life. (In the global construction industry up to 90% of aluminium is recycled, re-smelted again and again without loss of performance in a process using only 5% of the energy required for primary extraction).

At Shackerley we are committed to continuous research and the development of our environmental credentials. To see how UK architects are successfully employing the Sureclad system in sustainable building projects, please request a copy of the latest brochure.