SINGAPORE GOES GREEN

Greenzone Termite and Insect Barrier may soon be available to pest managers in Southeast Asia as the company expands its global footprint.  

In light of strong company growth and increased demand for Greenzone in Australia, director Paul Commerford and the team recently spent time in Singapore where discussions with potential distribution partners continue to gain momentum.

Mr Commerford believes Greenzone offers the Singaporean market something new: a product with minimal environmental impact that also has a positive effect on the long-term value of buildings and developments.

“The pre-construction market for termite barriers is changing as Southeast Asian regions become aware of, and make the transition to, more environmentally friendly options. Traditionally, Singaporean developers and pest managers have used under-slab sprays, which can be very costly as well as detrimental to the environment,” Mr Commerford said. “‘Green’ products are certainly all the rage for a number of commercial architects, specifiers and developers in Singapore.”

Meeting with potential Asian distribution partners

In response to this change in landscape, together with increased pressure from the Building Construction Authority (BCA), Greenzone is in the final stages of the BCA Green Mark Certification Scheme. Launched in January 2005, it is an initiative to drive Singapore’s construction industry towards developing more environmentally friendly buildings.

Under the BCA Green Mark assessment framework for new buildings, developers and design teams are encouraged to specify, design and construct green buildings which are, along with other criteria, more resource efficient, smarter and more climatically responsive. This describes the Greenzone ethos entirely.

Greenzone Termite and Insect Barrier is a pre-construction termite barrier system designed to improve cost efficiency, waste reduction and project scheduling on site.

Combining a compressible foam substrate with bifenthin – a pyrethroid insecticide and termiticide – Greenzone is one product that acts as a termite barrier, an insect barrier and an expansion joint foam. This innovation reduces the two-step (sometimes multi-step) process required to install termite barriers around pipe penetrations and in control/expansion joints to just one step, requiring just one trade. The self-adhesive sticky backing also reduces the need for glue and nails on site. Greenzone is suitable for use on all types of buildings, whether residential, commercial or industrial.

Greenzone’s effectiveness as a termite and insect barrier is continually tested with a series of trials currently ongoing in Darwin, which is where the product was originally tested by prominent entomologist Dr Theo Evans.

In one trial, conducted before Greenzone was released in Australia in 2017, the aim was to evaluate Greenzone foam as a barrier against subterranean termites in the tropical regions of Australia, especially the species Coptotermes acinaciformis and Mastotermes darwiniensis. The trial was installed adjacent to mounds of C. acinaciformis or trees or logs infested with M. darwiniensis near Darwin, in wet-dry tropical northern Australia (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Greenzone field trial showing (A) position of trial next to known termite activity; (B) at inspection, the covering soil and corrugated steel cover are removed; (C) interior of a buried box with experimental Greenzone units intact; (D) close up of Greenzone ant cap barrier and test wood

Using test wood as bait, the trial showed that Greenzone was effective in its performance as a termite barrier. Following the results of this trial, together with the results of countless other trials, Dr Evans confirmed the expectation that Greenzone has a lifespan of 50 years.

“Greenzone that is installed in buildings away from light, heat and abrasive movements should avoid these weathering agents, and low contact with water should reduce microbial activity. I would expect Greenzone installed under these conditions should maintain structural integrity, and therefore a continuous barrier, for many decades,” Dr Evans said.

Pest managers interested in becoming a Greenzone accredited installer can visit the Greenzone website.

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