Environmental Commitment | Conception
We proactively engage in initiatives to improve our environmental stewardship.
Conception
Research & Development
Armstrong continually seeks to make use of research and production technology to provide protection for the environment both
in the workplace and the wider community, reducing risk to our surroundings and natural elements.
New products
Armstrong is continually reinvesting in ongoing product innovation to reduce our environmental footprint.
Raw material
Raw materials for our ceilings are renewable and abundant in nature - Biosoluble mineral wool (the wools used in our products
meet the classification "exempt" as defined by EC directive 97/69/EC 1997), perlite, natural starch, recycled paper, recycled
tiles and clay. None of our ceiling products contain asbestos.
Space management through suspended ceilings
Suspended ceilings are designed to be demountable and provide easy access to the plenum. Suspended ceilings can be used to
cover unsightly electrical and mechanical services. Cracks, stains and damage on old plaster ceilings can also be solved with
suspended ceilings, which are faster and less costly to install. The suspended ceiling can also play a crucial role in optimising
the room space volume, allowing for effective acoustical control, and maximum light reflectance reducing overall energy use.
End user comfort with suspended ceilings
For Visual comfort: Armstrong offers a large portfolio of design options, from monolithic to discontinuous ceilings in a variety of materials
and surfaces. Highly light reflective ceilings can be used to improve the overall room lighting, conserve energy and thereby
reduce energy costs. Armstrong products typically produce light reflectance results from 70% up to 90% with Ultima and Graphis.
Once a lighting solution is identified, then the suspended ceilings allow for ease of integration with little or no waste
created.
For Acoustical comfort: Armstrong acoustical ceilings reduce noise levels in interior spaces, allowing for optimum balance of high performance sound
absorption and room to room sound attenuation to maximise / minimise speech intelligibility as appropriate. Armstrong offers
the largest range of acoustical solutions, with reflective products, absorptive products (up to 1.0 alpha w with Optima or
Nevada), and room to room sound attenuation performance (up to 44dB dncw for Ultima dB planks).
Armstrong also provides Active acoustic solutions, where specific levels of speech privacy are required. i-ceilings mask distracting background noise to create a more effective
workspace with increased comfort for users. i-ceiling speaker panels are designed to mimic the surrounding ceiling tiles making
them almost invisible in the ceiling. They can also be used for background or foreground music as well as public address (for
example, for safety) applications. Utilising NXT technology, with fewer panels, i-ceilings deliver top quality sound, with
broader and more uniform coverage than with traditional cone speakers.
Within a Safe and Healthy Environment: Armstrong's Prima products utilise fungicides within their paint systems which are proven to inhibit the growth of fungi,
moulds or mildew. Our Bioguard items have developed this technology even further to provide effective inhibition of many harmful
bacteria, and allow for cleaning with most common disinfectants.
Project accreditation
Armstrong is actively supportive of project accreditation schemes that allow architects and designers to factor in the comparative
environmental footprint of their product decisions. UK BRE BREEAM Scheme: Using the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) methodology
in accordance with ISO14041, Armstrong has developed product environmental profiles for all our products manufactured at both
our Team Valley tile and grid manufacturing plants in the UK. This work was conducted by the BRE (Building Research Establishment)
and resulted in achievement of an 'A rating' for our tile and grid systems, in accordance with the BRE methodology outlined
in the Green Guide to Specification. Software developed by the BRE (Envest 2) allows the environmentally conscious designer
to select Armstrong's ceilings to ensure minimal environmental impact on their project. France: The HQE (Haute Qualité Environnementale)
scheme in France has also increased awareness of the environmental issues relating to project development, and as a result
Armstrong is currently engaged in measuring our 'environmental footprint' at our Pontarlier plant in line with this system.
