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BuildingNewsROOFING, CLADDING & INSULATION January 2017 View our publication online at www. mcdermottpublishing.co.uk

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The latest project located in the heartof Sheffield’s ‘The Moor’ shopping district,will become host to a brand new, 9 screenmultiplex cinema, as well as accommodatinga number of new shops and restaurants. Thefocus is to provide an opulent social hub inan area currently undergoing significant re-development.

Standing by his customer promise of‘you’ll always have the best seat in thehouse’, CEO of the Light Cinemas, KeithPullinger insists that “every seat is designedto be extra wide, with a generous amountof legroom as standard”. Customer comfort,well formulated sightlines and good disabledaccess are all a major consideration in the

company’s contemporary cinemaexperience. Naturally, on a build of thisscale, it was crucial to specify a rapid, yetrobust method of construction for theexpansion of the auditoria seating areas andStadium Seating Enterprises’ innovativeDryFit™ PREFoam™ Stadium Riser System,

installed by EOMAC Ltd and locally sourcedand manufactured by S and B EPS, provesto be the perfect solution.

Supplied in various thicknesses andweighing an average of half a kilo per cubicfoot, the modular polystyrene blocks are100% recyclable and extremely lightweight,

keeping manual handling to a minimum.Pre-engineered in the United States and

pre-fabricated locally in the UK, the EPSinsulation is supplied cut to size and eachpiece numbered, so they can be easilymanoeuvred through pedestrian doorwaysand areas still undergoing construction.

The polystyrene foam blocks aredelivered per auditorium and arecoordinated with the installation crew atEOMAC, on site for a just-in-time deliveryschedule, to minimize downtime of thetheatre and maximize efficiency of theinstallation. A full set of detailed shopdrawings are prepared and supplied to theinstalling contractor by Stadium SeatingEnterprises so they are aware of theintended location for each piece of EPSblock.

Installation couldn’t be simpler orquicker either. The pre-numbered blocksslot together like a jigsaw puzzle and areadhesively and mechanically fixed on theriser and tread of each level. EOMAC hasexperience installing these riser systems onmultiple projects throughout the UnitedStates and Canada and has now broughtthis technology to the UK alongsideStadium Seating Enterprises, manufacturedby S and B EPS out of Cramlington.

The insulation is then encapsulated intwo layers of 18mm plywood, ready toaccept the finished flooring surface.

A great plus point on these types ofschemes is that because of the geometry ofthe blocks, the weight is distributed evenlyacross the surface and no point load isachieved.

S and B’s Managing Director DarrenSmith, said: “This is a very exciting projectfor S and B EPS to be involved in andhopefully the first of many.

“Although the technology has been usedon stadia seating across the UnitedStates for a number of years, it is still aunique concept in the UK. Thecollaboration between Stadium Seating,EOMAC and S and B has evolved over aperiod of 4 years, with much collaborationhaving taken place during that time. “It’sparticularly satisfying that from a simpleintroductory Skype call, we are nowmanufacturing and witnessing the installationof their PREFoam™ EPS systems on localUK based projects and theatres.

“The flexibility and speed of installationis absolutely key to this system’s success.Since all systems are custom designed andmanufactured for each individualapplication, the fact that they’re of amodular nature means that they’re ideal foreither new construction or retrofit andrenovation situations. “Steel, concrete andEPS components can be made in virtuallyany height or depth and can easily beadapted to conform to virtually anyplatform design, shape or configuration inany cinema, theatre, lecture hall, worshipfacility or performing arts auditorium.

“The possibilities are endless and I’veno doubt that this method is set torevolutionise the design and constructionof staged seating projects in the UK in thefuture”.The Light Cinema, Sheffield, is due to

open its doors in Spring 2017.

© Ree Armstrong Photography 2016

InnovativeInsulationTechnology

Used On Luxury CinemaWork is well underway on the development of luxury cinema construction all over the UK. S and B EPS Ltd are delightedto be the manufacturing partner, alongside American company Stadium Seating Enterprises and EOMAC UK Ltd.,providing state of the art DryFit™ PREFoam™ Stadium Seating Riser System solutions for the expansion of the auditoriaseating areas.

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