| 73 T T Hugh de Lacy Wind-tunnel testing gives real-life results Insol NZ designs, engineers and produces louvres and façade screens from a variety of materials. CONTRACTING Insol NZ Covering the country from its factories in Invercargill and Auckland, Insol NZ specialises in the design, wind-testing, manufacture and installation of complex architectural louvres, screens and canopies for commercial buildings. Founded in 2002, and owned by brothers Greg and Tom Simmons, whose family roots in the construction sector go back more than 60 years, Insol NZ designs, engineers and produces louvres and façade screens from a variety of materials, for everything from sun-screening to privacy to aesthetics. The company’s point of difference is its wind-tunnel testing of designs supplied by clients or architects, to ensure the completed project doesn’t hold nasty surprises, like wind noise. “Our wind tunnel evaluations involve building a one-to-one mock-up of the feature of the planned building that’s most likely to create problems like wind noise or gusting,” Insol NZ’s client relations manager Shane Hart says. “We’ll put the mock-up through the wind tunnel, which throws more than 500 cubic metres of wind at it at the rate of 50m/second, or around 180kph. “The mock-up comprises just a small part of the building design – typically around three metres high by three metres wide – and we use computer analysis to pick the part most likely to be affected by wind.” Two recently completed landmark Auckland projects demonstrate the tunnel’s ability to predict and prevent potentially expensive and embarrassing problems after the building’s completion, and which otherwise could cost considerable amounts to fix. The first is a parking building for Auckland International Airport’s transport hub, believed to be the largest parking structure in New Zealand, and the second is for a similar building for Fisher & Paykel Healthcare in East Tamaki. One of the biggest risks with the construction of façades is of something falling off in the wind. “For people who live and work nearby, it’s also essential that the facade doesn’t generate unwanted noise in the wind. The wind tunnel helps us understand how the wind will actually interact with the object in real life with real wind speeds,” Shane says. “It’s essentially a process of risk mitigation that supports projects demanding architectural detail and complex construction methodology.” While most of the factories’ output is aluminium products, Insol NZ works with a variety of materials, including timber, and clients wanting a timber-style aluminium louvre or screen can have it powder coated by the Metwood system, delivering a product that is both fire-proof and long-lasting without maintenance. Shane says the market for Insol NZ’s products remains strong, as designers and architects are pushing the boundaries with modern building design and performance, and the company is not sitting on its hands expansion-wise. The wind tunnel has been busy on projects from the United States and Australian markets, with the success it’s having there minimising the impact of New Zealand’s recent slump into recession. While screens for shade, wind and privacy are a relatively modern development in commercial architecture, the production of louvres goes back to the Middle Ages, where they controlled steam and smoke from cooking inside over an open fire. POWDER COATING GROUP PCG METWOOD® WOODGRAIN & SPECIAL FINISHES We provide a one-stop-shop for all your coating requirements • POWDER COATING • METWOOD WOODGRAIN & SPECIAL FINISHES • PACKAGING & DELIVERY - DIRECT TO YOUR CUSTOMER 09 573 0707 | sales@powdercoating.co.nz | powdercoating.co.nz AUCKLAND'S FOREMOST BUSINESS TO BUSINESS POWDER COATING SERVICES
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