Watson Stonecraft in Scotland have eneterd into a partnership arrangement with Fischer Fixings to supply a natural stone cladding system for major projects in Scotland and the north of England.

The ACT (Advanced Curtain Walling Technology) system from Fischer, manufacturers of construction anchors, uses Zykon undercut anchoring technology to fix thin stone claddings in a rainscreen faÁade. The system meets German regulations and comfortably exceedings the requirements of British Standards.

Watson Stonecraft are using two of the special stone drilling machines, supplied by Fischer, to drill undercut holes in stone cladding panels prior to the installation of the anchors. Watson carry out this work at their West Calder factory near Edinburgh.

The Fischer FZP anchor used in the system provides a load-bearing performance two-to-seven times higher than dowels.

Because the positions of anchors can be optimised, the bending stresses in stone can be reduced by 50% and subsequently the thickness of the stone can be reduced by around 30% when compared with traditional dowel systems.

Lighter panels enable lighter load-bearing structures and require less stone in their manufacture.

The ACT system has \'secret fixing\', which allows an open-jointed stone faÁade with a good aesthetic appearance. The FZP offers an ideal solution for fixing cladding materials of all types in different conditions, including extremes of temperature.

Watson Stonecraft specialise in providing a technical consultancy and advice service for stone selection, costings and design. They also undertakes a wide range of new build, conservation and restoration projects. Major projects the company have in their portfolio include The New Scottish Parliament Building, Edinburgh; Glasgow Central Station; Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen; and the headquarters of the Scotsman newspaper in Edinburgh.

"We\'re delighted to sign up as a drilling centre for this new system from Fischer," says Graeme Hadden, managing director of Watson Stonecraft. "The aesthetic and functional benefits the ACT product offers architects on major projects fits in exactly with the type of customer-led design and install service we offer."

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