Man-made decking out-performs timber

Uniq-Supadek is an extruded decking board manufactured from recycled plastics with glass fibre reinforcement.

A man-made access board has been introduced to the building and construction industries which, it is claimed, will eventually replace timber in many access situations, thanks to a host of comparative benefits.

Uniq-Supadek is an extruded decking board manufactured from recycled plastics with glass fibre reinforcement.

The materials and production methods used give the product a number of inherent characteristics which provide advantages over timber in many different areas, including weight, ease of handling, strength, durability, security, safety and appearance.

Designed to co-ordinate with the standard board profiles common throughout the building and construction industries, Uniq-Supadek is lighter than equivalent timber scaffold boards and battens when dry and, because Uniq-Supadek does not absorb water, offers considerably greater weight savings in wet conditions.

End caps with finger grips ensure ease of handling and potential improvements in productivity are further enhanced by the fact that Uniq-Supadek does not splinter or use metal bands that can cause hand injuries.

Safety in use is assured by an integral non-slip surface, which creates a safe working platform under foot and assures firm location on scaffold tube transoms.

Lack of warping, knots and rust, together with consistent mechanical properties, add to the product's safety features.

The materials used in the manufacture of Uniq-Supadek offer high levels of resistance to potentially destructive compounds, such as salt water, oil, solvents, acids and alkalis, making the decking particularly suitable in off-shore, petrochemical and chemical industry applications.

Additional features, such as ease of cleaning, dust-free characteristics and resistance to rust, rotting, enhance the product's durability and make the decking equally applicable for other specialist uses, including food, nuclear, power, pharmaceutical and similar process industries.

From an environmental aspect, in addition to being manufactured from recycled plastics, Uniq-Supadek is completely recyclable and could potentially reduce demand on natural timber resources.

Corporate identity and customer codes can be incorporated into the product itself to provide a useful security measure and/or offer additional opportunities for corporate branding on site.

Phil Waldron of Uniq Extrusions, manufacturers of Uniq-Supadek, states, "Whilst Uniq-Supadek will initially cost more than standard timber scaffold boards, its durability means that on a whole life costing basis, the product is more cost-effective than timber".

"Enhanced performance, increased productivity and improved safety on site mean that Uniq-Supadek will appeal to a broad range of users throughout the building industry, particularly specialist scaffolding and access contractors.".

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