Innovative Devon Firm Enters Exciting Growth Phase Whilst Revolutionising the Construction Industry, One Building at a Time
Imagine working in an attractively designed, open plan, versatile office building, but with one major downside – the vibrations in the floors are so bad that they cause your computer screen to shake, to the point of making you feel queasy.
Enter Devon-based firm FSD Active Ltd, global leaders in ‘Active Mass Damping’ (AMD) technology who have developed and now manufacture a unique and innovative solution called CALM®FLOOR. With the flick of a switch, CALM®FLOOR can neutralise these vibrations, in some cases so that they become completely imperceptible.
Developed through more than two decades of multi-million-pound academic and industrial research as well as public and private investment, CALM®FLOOR has produced revolutionary results in field trials. The patent-pending technology is now set to be installed in some of the most impressive and structurally challenging buildings around the world. Equally impressive is the fact that CALM®FLOOR devices can be installed both retrospectively to facilitate improvements and change of building use post-COVID19, as well as in new developments – to replace huge quantities of structural materials normally used to control floor vibrations.
Alongside significantly improving control of floor vibrations, Active Mass Damping hugely reduces the amount of raw materials required when constructing a new building floor, in some cases by as much as 50%. If you consider that cement production in the construction sector emits four times more CO2 than CO2 emissions from the global aviation sector, for example; this represents a hugely significant environmental saving and a key driver for sustainable construction. Apart from the huge cost savings for developers, CALM®FLOOR enables additional floor levels to be built in multi-storey buildings, considerably enhancing the building’s versatility and value as an asset.
The energetic and visionary FSD Active Ltd team is spearheaded by two behemoths of the industry: Paul Reynolds (CEO and internationally recognised expert in structural vibration control) and Aleksandar Pavic (FSD Active’s Business Development Director who is also globally known for his work in the field of vibration performance in long-span floors, footbridges and stadia).
One example of this recognition is that Paul recently found out that he will soon be awarded the prestigious F.G Tatnall Award by the Society for Experimental Mechanics – an award which recognises individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Society.
With decades of academic credentials behind them and industry-wide respect for their fundamental research and consulting experience, Paul and Alex have gathered a dream team of other industry experts around them since launching FSD Active in 2020 – namely co-founders Emma Hudson (CTO) and James Brownjohn (Director).
Most recently, and to aid the exciting period of growth which FSD Active are moving into, they have hired Hayley Wallbank (Commercial Manager) and Yichao Ma (Development Engineer).
Not only are the team growing at FSD Active but the workshop that has birthed CALM®FLOOR and the manufacturing facility which will produce them right from the South West of England are also growing. A truly UK-made innovation which looks to spread to market all around the world through direct sales and strategic partnerships.
FSD Active are also partnering with other key organisations to facilitate their growth. Most notably, they are delighted to announce that they have formed a strategic partnership with the world-renowned structural engineering consultancy Thornton Tomasetti, whose Principal Michael Wesolowsky commented, “CALM®FLOOR is one of the most exciting vibration control products to emerge in the last 20 years”. This partnership will see the major US-based consultancy firm implementing the innovative CALM®FLOOR technology in numerous large-scale building projects within their project pipeline.
When asked about this exciting new period of growth, Paul Reynolds commented, “The development of this technology has been a labour of love for me for many years. Bringing CALM®FLOOR to market as a commercial product is the ultimate realisation of my dream to finally provide an effective and convenient solution to previously intractable vibration problems”.
Alex Pavic added, “CALM®FLOOR has the potential to transform the way longspan, multi-storey building floors are planned and built over the next 30-50 years bringing huge benefits to occupants, developers, architects and investors. I want CALM®FLOOR technology to replace the incredibly wasteful use of millions of tonnes of steel and concrete currently being used to control floor vibrations”.
To find out more about CALM®FLOOR and the exciting journey ahead for FSD Active Ltd please visit www.fsdactive.com.