Building experts at Edinburgh Napier are celebrating after two of their inventions were nominated for a prestigious industry award.

Wallcap – a membrane which reduces heat loss in buildings and improves sound insulation by sealing wall cavities – has been named in the Housebuilding Innovation Awards' product of the year category. A second product, Bridgestop, which can reduce substructure costs by up to 18%, was also nominated.

Last year researchers successfully licensed Wallcap to Icopal, one of the world's leading membrane manufacturers, following a Proof of Concept funding award from Scottish Enterprise.

Both products have now beaten off stiff competition to make a shortlist of six for November's Innovation Awards ceremony – the UK house-building industry's equivalent of the Oscars.

Professor Sean Smith of the Building Performance Centre at Edinburgh Napier led the project team behind the cutting-edge inventions.


He said: "We are absolutely thrilled to have this nomination after all the hard work by the team. There are 20,000 product manufacturers for this industry and to be shortlisted among just six finalists is superb news. This would not have been possible without the Proof of Concept support team at Scottish Enterprise and we are very grateful to them."

The Wallcap invention also comes at an important time, he added.

"In 2010 new legislation will require this specific heat loss mechanism to be addressed. Up to 20% of a building’s heat is lost through wall cavities so it was extremely important that a solution was developed.

"We are naturally very proud that it is the first product to market with a multi-function solution. This product and the team's output are typical of Edinburgh Napier’s leading edge research and knowledge transfer with industry."

Both nominated products are made by Monarfloor, a sub division of Icopal UK based in Cumbernauld and Manchester. Fife-based Cullen Building Products have also benefited from the project by manufacturing the specialist connectors which fix the membrane.

The invention was developed and tested in a unique building performance test facility in Fife called Hangar 17, the only facility of its kind in the UK. Edinburgh Napier University is the academic Research & Development partner for the facility and, alongside several companies, is currently trialling a number of new products for launch in 2010.

The Housebuilder Innovation Award winners will be announced in London on November 5.

(GK/BMcc)