In terms of flooring and natural stone it\'s one of the most innovative products ever seen. That\'s Lee O\'Connor\'s view of a new flooring system launched this month (November) by his company, stone specialists Grants of Shoreditch, in conjunction with engineers from Arups and German manufacturers Lindner. The product is called Technik Floor and Lee says it cuts the cost of flooring by at least 15% compared with traditional stone flooring using screeds.

Technik Floor was launched to an audience of specifiers and developers that included representatives of Foster & Partners, Sheppard Robson, HOK, Mace, Stanhope and Bovis Lend Lease at the prestigious 51 Lime Street development opposite Lloyds\' building in the City of London. Grants are laying Technik Floor in 51 Lime Street, designed by Foster & Partners, and the visitors were able to see both a demonstration of how easy it is to lay and to walk on floors of it in Chinese Padang grey and Shangxi black granites already laid in lift lobbies. There was also a presentation by representatives of the three companies involved in the development of Technik Floor.

The product, previewed in the previous issue of Natural Stone Specialist, comprises a 40mm board made in Germany entirely of waste products (gypsum recovered from desulpherisation units in coal-fired power stations and waste paper) that has a facing of 12-15mm of natural stone, depending on the stone and the size of the panels. The panels, calibrated to tolerences of less than 0.2mm and with a patented tongue and groove system, are glued together on top of adjustable pedestals. Spacers are used to leave 3mm joints for grouting. Some panels without tongues and grooves can be incorporated if access is required.

Test results for the product are impressive and as well as saving money, Technik Floor is being heralded as a way of reducing floor failures, which Stone Federation Great Britain says are relatively common causes of complaint to their stone hotline. A Technik Floor like the one at 51 Lime Street can support a seven-tonne cherry picker. There might be some concern that a product made of paper could suffer in damp or saturated conditions, but Bruno Miglio from Arups said at the launch that it performs as well as a screed floor when wet and recovers better by returning to its full strength when it dries. Bruno described Technik Floor as being faster, cleaner, greener and lower cost than a screed floor.

Rob Harrison, a partner at Fosters who designed 51 Lime Street, said he had no concern about being a pioneer in the use of Technik Floor. He told NSS: "We had confidence in Stanhope and Grants. The performance of the substrate was never in question. As soon as we saw it in the test rig we knew there wasn\'t going to be a problem. I just hope we can convince our other clients that the system is completely warrented."

For more information about Technik Floor contact Grants on Tel: 020 7729 3380.