Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
MODERN METHODS<br />
OF CONSTRUCTION<br />
Sep/Oct 2016<br />
issue <strong>M1</strong><br />
SHAPING SMART SPACES<br />
State-of-the-art modular and offsite construction - see page 22<br />
Shackerley meets<br />
conservation requirements<br />
A prestigious office block in the heart of<br />
Birmingham’s business district has<br />
been extensively refurbished.<br />
It’s not what you build,<br />
it’s how you build it<br />
By Graham Cleland, general manager,<br />
NG Bailey’s Offsite Manufacture division.<br />
Offsite construction –<br />
innovation in practice<br />
The Construction 2025 ambition focuses<br />
on buildings that create less emissions,<br />
can be delivered quickly and cost less.<br />
page<br />
10<br />
page<br />
34<br />
page<br />
44
We’ll be at Offsite Construction Exhibition<br />
12 th & 13<br />
th October 2016 – Stand E41<br />
There’ s a lot more behind<br />
Metframe than meets the eye<br />
Pre-panelised offsite construction<br />
www.metsec.com/steel-framing/metframe<br />
Offering a wealth of opportunity to developers<br />
and co ontractors, Metframe embodies the<br />
latest l egislative requirements, modern<br />
standar rds and technical support demanded<br />
from a pre-panellised structural system.<br />
It is not only BIM part II compliant, it also has<br />
European<br />
Technical Assessment (ETA) status<br />
and carri es CE Marking.<br />
ETA<br />
European Technical<br />
Assessment status as standard<br />
PEACE OF MIND<br />
Project reassurance<br />
from start to finish<br />
BIM<br />
Full suite of BIM<br />
details available<br />
FAST<br />
Efficiencies<br />
through offsite<br />
construction<br />
ZERO WA ASTE<br />
Reduced<br />
environmental<br />
impact<br />
CE MARKING<br />
Can be manufactured<br />
up to Execution Class 4<br />
QUALITY &<br />
ACCURACY<br />
Material, time and<br />
cost savings<br />
HIGH H PERFORMANCE<br />
Both<br />
thermal and acoustic<br />
perfo ormance and fire protection<br />
voestalpine Metsec plc<br />
www.metsec.com
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016<br />
issue <strong>M1</strong><br />
Here at <strong>MMC</strong> it’s been an exciting<br />
time – a change of ownership sees<br />
the title move from Waverley<br />
Communications to BuildInsite<br />
Ltd, headed up by Kevin<br />
Edgeworth and long-time <strong>MMC</strong><br />
publication manager Paul<br />
Barstow. Published quarterly, we’ll<br />
be covering all aspects of <strong>MMC</strong><br />
and off-site construction, and<br />
introducing new features that will<br />
include our readers in our content.<br />
Why not get in touch and tell us<br />
what you’re working on?<br />
And it’s a great time for a redesign<br />
and re-launch, with UK<br />
Construction Week just around the<br />
corner. The nine shows that make<br />
up this event will attract between<br />
them virtually everyone who works<br />
in the construction industry and its<br />
supporting sectors.<br />
And we’ve a packed issue to kick<br />
off our new look! Buildoffsite.com<br />
is a membership organisation that<br />
acts as the voice of the UK offsite<br />
construction industry, and they<br />
offer an overview of their activities<br />
on behalf of the sector.<br />
We look at the use of timber,<br />
where CLT flexes its muscles in a<br />
multi-storey project, and the oakframing<br />
of a single residence; truly<br />
showing the versatility of this<br />
amazing – and sustainable -<br />
material.<br />
<strong>MMC</strong>’s off-site construction and<br />
on-site speed of assembly is ideal<br />
in the education sector. The<br />
McAvoy Group show us around a<br />
school project in Salisbury, a great<br />
example of off-site construction<br />
working with on-site rapid-build.<br />
Why don’t you tell us about your<br />
projects, we’d love to hear from<br />
you.<br />
Regards,<br />
09<br />
14<br />
24<br />
28<br />
44<br />
Front cover advert<br />
Right to buy abolishment & Offsite are key to affordable<br />
housing targets!<br />
Right to buy, which allows tenants in social housing to buy their homes, ended<br />
on the 1st of August 2016. The Scottish Government documented that by ending<br />
the Right to Buy up to 15,500 social homes are protected from sale over the next<br />
ten years, safeguarding this stock for future generations.<br />
Off-site solution makes the grade<br />
Sixth form pupils in Salisbury now have a brand new building to continue their<br />
learning, offering free further education for 400 pupils aged 16 to 19, in a great<br />
example of off-site construction working with on-site rapid-build.<br />
Student A<strong>cc</strong>ommodation that gives Investors a Win-Win<br />
Solution<br />
The removal of the cap on student numbers in UK universities has seen a 3%<br />
rise in university enrolment across the country. This has meant a shortage of<br />
a<strong>cc</strong>ommodation with some students having to share bunk bed rooms in halls.<br />
Whilst others have been given reduced rate hotels with two weeks to find<br />
alternative a<strong>cc</strong>ommodation.<br />
Offsite Construction Show now Bigger<br />
The Offsite Construction Show, 12th – 13th October at Excel, London, has sold<br />
out once again despite making more stands available.<br />
Wernick Buildings Provide Low Carbon Building for High<br />
Carbon Experiment<br />
In 2014 the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) secured funding to<br />
undertake an experiment concerning one of the big issues of our time: climate<br />
change. The FACE (Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment)experiment, which<br />
aims to measure the effects of increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere on<br />
mature woodlands.<br />
SHAPING SMART SPACES<br />
Juliet.<br />
Features Editor:<br />
Juliet Davies<br />
Advertising:<br />
Paul Barstow<br />
paul@buildinsite.co.uk<br />
Press Releases:<br />
press@buildinsite.co.uk<br />
Production: Di Smith<br />
di@buildinsite.co.uk<br />
Design: Ellie Rich<br />
design@buildinsite.co.uk<br />
Circulation:<br />
circulation@buildinsite.co.uk<br />
Enquiries 0121 661 9484<br />
State-of-the-art modular and offsite construction<br />
By July 2016, all construction companies tendering for<br />
government projects must be Building Information Modelling<br />
(BIM) compliant. Jim Gowan, design manager at Actavo |<br />
Building Solutions, explains what BIM is and how offsite<br />
construction is leading the way.<br />
For more information see page 22<br />
Specifiers can subscribe free of charge to this magazine, please visit<br />
www.buildingspecifier.com/subscriptions<br />
Publisher’s Statement.<br />
Printed in England. All rights reserved. No part of <strong>MMC</strong> may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form<br />
without prior permission of the publisher. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the a<strong>cc</strong>uracy of editorial content, the editor and publishers<br />
do not a<strong>cc</strong>ept responsibility for errors or loss and damage caused by any statements,<br />
claims or observations made by contributors, authors and their agents.<br />
Waverley Communications Limited. Reg. No. 4805329<br />
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 <strong>M1</strong> 3
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
Latest News<br />
Skills, not Brexit, the main threat to construction industry<br />
Worsening skills shortages are the main threat to the UK construction industry, a<strong>cc</strong>ording to leading recruitment company for the construction<br />
industry.<br />
Paul Payne, managing director of One Way, comments “the construction industry has benefitted from being part of the EU as it has given the sector<br />
a<strong>cc</strong>ess to a lot of workers who have moved over and filled lower skilled roles, however we’ve never seen any great influx of skilled professionals who<br />
can work as design managers or quantity surveyors, for example.<br />
“These people are needed across the entire industry and currently there are far too few of them. The only solution is to focus on targeting more<br />
apprentices and youngsters at school level as well as widening the scope of people who are potentially interested in working in the industry.<br />
“Ultimately, something needs to happen quickly as we’re rapidly approaching a breaking point where productivity will be affected.”<br />
A country running on renewables<br />
Costa Rica is setting the precedent for other nations looking to utilise green energy and reduce their carbon footprint.<br />
The small Central American nation has generated 100% of its electricity from renewable sources for over 121 days, and the run isn’t over yet. The<br />
country, which draws clean energy from a variety of renewable sources, still has its sights on a full year without fossil fuels.<br />
Green ambitions<br />
A<strong>cc</strong>ording to the government they are aiming to be entirely free from fossil fuels by 2021. However, it is anticipated that this impressive target<br />
could indeed be met much sooner than originally expected.<br />
In comparison, some countries could be perceived as simply not doing enough to tackle climate change and improve our energy habits. Costa<br />
Rica achieving 99% renewable energy usage this year sends a stark message to the rest of the world of what is possible when a country unites to<br />
make a concerted effort to fight global warming using sustainable energy sources and technologies already at our disposal.<br />
Stewart Milne Timber Systems completes<br />
£3.6m school<br />
Stewart Milne Timber Systems has provided the timber solutions<br />
for a £3.6m school development in Swindon alongside architect<br />
Cullinan Studio.<br />
Holy Cross primary school is a two-form, single-storey school<br />
which was manufactured offsite, taking only three weeks to erect<br />
and 43 weeks to complete thanks to the fast build time afforded by<br />
offsite construction and timber systems.<br />
The main design principle, like many modern education buildings<br />
today, was an open-plan look to enhance creativity and<br />
collaboration between pupils and teachers. Priority was also placed<br />
on ensuring the building increased circulation and flow around the<br />
school.<br />
The project remained cost efficient with the use of offsite<br />
construction, cutting material and labour costs overall. The<br />
building was weathertight in just three weeks, meaning follow-on<br />
trades had a<strong>cc</strong>ess more quickly in comparison to a traditional build<br />
programme.<br />
How timber frame can help meet housing<br />
demand<br />
The Department for Communities and Local Government figures released<br />
this month indicating that the number of households in England is<br />
projected to increase at an average of 210,000 a year between 2014 and<br />
2039 are the latest indicator of the need to both attract more skilled<br />
tradespeople into the construction industry and focus on building homes<br />
which are quicker to construct.<br />
Encouraging more people to consider careers in housebuilding is of<br />
course key to helping us address this shortfall. But in tandem with this<br />
we need to seriously concentrate on upping the number of quicker to<br />
build – yet still good quality – homes.<br />
Timber frame homes have a typically far shorter construction period than<br />
their brick and block equivalents. Creating the panels and associated<br />
services offsite is far quicker, while the on site component requires<br />
around 20% fewer labour days than a traditional build.<br />
The Structural Timber Association expects the timber frame market in<br />
the UK to a<strong>cc</strong>ount for 27% of new housing by 2017.<br />
Government gives final confirmation on Hinkley Point C<br />
Following a comprehensive review of the Hinkley Point C project, and a revised agreement with EDF, the Government has decided to proceed with<br />
the first new nuclear power station for a generation.<br />
The agreement in principle with EDF means that the Government will be able to prevent the sale of EDF’s controlling stake prior to the<br />
completion of construction, without the prior notification and agreement of ministers. This agreement will be confirmed in an exchange of letters<br />
between the Government and EDF. Existing legal powers, and the new legal framework, will mean that the Government is able to intervene in the<br />
sale of EDF’s stake once Hinkley is operational.<br />
This news will undoubtedly come as a shock to the many people in support of the Stop Hinkley campaign. A recent public opinion poll<br />
commissioned by Greenpeace which showed that support amongst the general public for Hinkley Point C has fallen to a new low of only 25%,<br />
whilst nearly half (44%) oppose it.<br />
4 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI
Bringing stress to work can be fatal<br />
British Safety Council launches a film the British Safety Council aim to highlight how stress endangers lives.<br />
Matthew Holder, Head of Campaigns and Engagement at the British Safety Council, commented: “It is well documented that stress is a<br />
significant cause of sickness absence, undermining both productivity and profitability. What is less discussed is how stress can endanger lives.”<br />
There is a lot of statistical evidence demonstrating the consequences of stress at work:<br />
• In 2014/15, 440,000 people in the UK reported work-related stress at a level they believed was making them ill. That's 40% of all<br />
work-related illness (source: HSE).<br />
• Stress is believed to be a major cause of a<strong>cc</strong>idents in the workplace, with evidence showing that 60-80% of a<strong>cc</strong>idents are related to<br />
workplace stress.<br />
• A survey of 2,500 doctors found that job stress was a major predictor of work-related a<strong>cc</strong>idents. Fatigue, in particular, is associated<br />
with a threefold increased risk of sharps injuries in medical trainees compared with other healthcare workers.<br />
87% of UK builders missing out on business<br />
due to poor online presence<br />
Yell, one of the biggest providers of digital marketing in the UK, has<br />
discovered an overwhelming majority of builders (87%) it researched<br />
have wrong or inconsistent information online, including basic details<br />
such as a phone number or email.<br />
Feedback shows 89% of customers say they will try another company if<br />
the details listed online for a particular business are incorrect.<br />
Yell conducted research into how the 50,630 builders in its UK database<br />
appear online, also asking customers nationwide about their online<br />
habits and expectations.<br />
“If a company’s information online is wrong, it’s arguably worse than not<br />
being online at all,” said Mark Clisby, Yell’s Marketing Director. “Not<br />
only is the company effectively invisible to customers, it can also seem<br />
careless or even untrustworthy. This often happens because companies<br />
don’t always know all the listings sites where they appear, or when they<br />
move they forget to update their information. It’s easily done, but can be<br />
incredibly damaging for business.”<br />
Industry risks running out of timber if we<br />
don’t become more sustainable<br />
A new report commissioned by WWF finds that UK businesses must<br />
invest in sustainable forest management if they are to guarantee<br />
a<strong>cc</strong>ess to timber that their businesses rely on in the near future.<br />
Leading countries that supply timber to the UK are either at the<br />
point of expiry or running at a deficit as forest resources are used<br />
without adequate provision for sustainable timber supply.<br />
As the international market for timber will change in its dynamics<br />
in the next decades, without urgent action UK businesses who have<br />
failed to adequately plan for continuity of their timber resource<br />
could be left exposed with fewer commercial options.<br />
The implications are far reaching with WWF’s Living Forests report<br />
series concluding that global demand for timber is expected to<br />
triple by 2050.<br />
Julia Young, Global Forest and Trade Network Manager for WWF-<br />
UK said “Businesses need to review how their timber is sourced if<br />
they want to secure supply for the future, and keep timber prices<br />
stable.”<br />
Offsite construction can attract the next generation of construction professionals<br />
Ministers have recently announced that they want the construction industry to focus efforts on attracting, developing and retaining home<br />
grown talent into the industry and remove barriers currently preventing more young people from entering the sector.<br />
This involves looking at how companies recruit and train, but also at how adopting modern technologies and methods could help to keep our<br />
sector interesting, up-to-date and attractive to the next generation of budding construction professionals.<br />
The prime benefit of modular building and offsite construction is that it provides specifiers with programme certainty and quality through<br />
simplification of site operations and reduced weather dependencies due to the controlled factory-based assembly process. The ancillary<br />
benefit of this is that buildings delivered through offsite construction offer enhanced specification standards and build-quality which reduces<br />
o<strong>cc</strong>upancy costs related to energy use, defects and repairs.<br />
If we are to harness the true potential of the recent uptake in modular, we need to focus heavily on training an existing workforce whilst also<br />
attracting new talent into our midst.<br />
Many schools are “dangerous, dilapidated, poorly built and wasteful”, says RIBA<br />
RIBA have highlighted the urgent need for school refurbishment in a report into the state of school buildings, entitled ‘Better Spaces for Learning.’<br />
The report revealed:<br />
• 1 in 5 teachers have considered quitting because of the wretched condition of the school buildings they have to teach in<br />
• The Government’s Education Funding Agency’s new school building programme is too rigid and is leading to waste and poor value for tax<br />
payers<br />
• Over 90% of teachers believe well-built and designed schools improve educational outcomes and pupil behaviour<br />
• Over-engineered schools, with Government-specified equipment that only costly consultants know how to operate, is costing £150 million<br />
per year which could have been avoided if schools were designed better<br />
RIBA’s Better Spaces for Learning report makes the case for an urgent review of the Government’s Education Funding Agency’s current school<br />
building programme. It emphasises the importance of well-designed school buildings on young people’s wellbeing, behaviour engagement and<br />
crucially, attainment.<br />
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 <strong>M1</strong> 5
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
Product News<br />
Kingspan TEK offers outstanding<br />
returns<br />
A new study from Sweett Group<br />
has demonstrated that by<br />
specifying the Kingspan TEK<br />
Cladding Panel over traditional<br />
steel frame wall systems, it is<br />
possible to reduce wall<br />
thicknesses and increase<br />
usable space within<br />
commercial properties. The<br />
report shows that this can lead<br />
to a Return on Investment (ROI) of over 1000% on the cost of the<br />
panels.<br />
The ‘Real Value of Space’ research was commissioned by Kingspan<br />
Insulation. The summary and full report are available to download<br />
for free at www.kingspantek.co.uk/realvalueofspace<br />
Sweett Group’s research considers two external wall scenarios and<br />
compares a Kingspan TEK Cladding Panel (a high performance SIP)<br />
construction with two metal stud wall constructions insulated with<br />
mineral fibre and rock mineral fibre. The resulting figures revealed<br />
that, when specifying the Kingspan TEK Cladding Panel, 88% of the<br />
buildings had a positive ROI; 31% of the database buildings had<br />
between 300% and 1000% positive ROI, with 9% in excess of 1000%<br />
ROI. .<br />
www.kingspantek.co.uk<br />
Vortice embraces BIM<br />
Building<br />
Information<br />
Modelling (BIM) is<br />
becoming more<br />
widely used as<br />
architects and<br />
specifiers see the<br />
benefit in time<br />
saving and<br />
a<strong>cc</strong>uracy that it can<br />
offer for their plans<br />
and modelling.<br />
Vortice products<br />
are now listed on the BIM Object database, and drawings and<br />
specifications are free to download.<br />
“Embracing technology is vital as part of the service we offer our<br />
customers,” explained General Manager Kevin Hippey. “Our technical<br />
team has used CAD for planning purposes for a long time and we want to<br />
make it as easy as possible for potential customers to specify our<br />
products for their projects; BIM therefore is the obvious evolution for<br />
this.”<br />
The big benefit of BIM is that all those interacting with a building can<br />
optimise their actions, with entire teams working to the same standards<br />
to produce the best possible project outcomes. BIM brings together all<br />
the components for a building, so different aspects of the design can be<br />
integrated more effectively.<br />
www.vortice.ltd.uk<br />
Challenging building project hits the<br />
screens<br />
Portakabin, the UK’s<br />
leading supplier of<br />
modular buildings,<br />
has produced a short<br />
film about how a<br />
highly complex<br />
4,200m2 ward and<br />
theatre building was<br />
constructed at Royal<br />
Stoke University<br />
Hospital in less than<br />
four months to help<br />
meet the increasing demand for orthopaedic services.<br />
The video is a fly-through the £13.5m building showing the clean air<br />
theatres for all orthopaedic procedures, recovery room, ward bays and<br />
single en-suite rooms. It features interviews with a director of University<br />
of North Midlands NHS Trust and one of the ward managers, providing a<br />
clinical perspective of the new building.<br />
Modular construction is a fast and flexible way for healthcare providers<br />
to expand or relocate services, particularly on constrained sites. The<br />
hiring of buildings also allows projects to be funded cost effectively from<br />
revenue rather than capital budget streams, giving NHS trusts much<br />
greater flexibility to meet changing local needs.<br />
www.portanews.co.uk<br />
Plaswood Group launches earth brown<br />
to lumber range<br />
BPI Recycled Products<br />
- Plaswood Group has<br />
launched a new brown<br />
blend of its ecofriendly<br />
Plaswood<br />
lumber and extended<br />
the range of sizes and<br />
shapes of all<br />
Plaswood.<br />
Plaswood high<br />
performance lumber is made from 100% recycled plastic and offers<br />
a no maintenance solution: unlike conventional wooden decking or<br />
lumber (aka timber), Plaswood doesn’t require annual maintenance,<br />
staining or painting.<br />
Mike Baxter, BPI Recycled Products Director responsible for the<br />
Plaswood Group said: “We have manufactured Plaswood for over 30<br />
years and our customers have seen the benefits of our durable,<br />
weatherproof products.”<br />
“Plaswood offers customers great value for money over a long<br />
period of time. It is just a case of fit and forget. Once it is installed,<br />
you don’t have to worry about degradation, painting or preserving<br />
the material. It is made from tough, strong, and technically superior<br />
waste agricultural plastics and offers exceptional performance<br />
properties.”<br />
www.plaswoodgroup.com<br />
6 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI
The Outstanding Joist System<br />
The Posi-Joist open web floor system makes a difficult<br />
job simple.<br />
With Posi-Joist you can install all your ventilation and heat<br />
recovery systems with ease and deliver the right amount of<br />
ventilatio on to the right rooms in the right location.<br />
The ad dvantages are simple:<br />
• Open web design pr ovides easy a<strong>cc</strong>ess for the design<br />
and installation of services<br />
• Improv<br />
ved quality of service fitting, eliminating costly<br />
remed dial work<br />
• Greate<br />
er clear spans for design flexibility<br />
• Clear profit from savings in labour, time, materials<br />
and ca all-backs<br />
• For the<br />
largest network of licensed manufacturers<br />
throug ghout the UK and Ireland visit:<br />
www.mitek.co<br />
itek.co.uk/Manufacturers/Posi-Joists/Posi-Joist-Manufacturers/<br />
k/M t /P i i t /P i J i t M f t /<br />
CPD Now<br />
available for Posi-Joist<br />
Contact MiTek today or visit<br />
www.posi-joist.co.ufor<br />
full deta ails and an on-line presentation.<br />
MiTek House, Grazebrook Industrial Park<br />
Peartree Lane, Dudley, DY2 0XW, UK<br />
Telephone: 01384 451400<br />
www.mitek.co.uk.co.uk
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
Product News<br />
Striking design realised with<br />
Kingspan TEK<br />
The Kingspan TEK Building System<br />
has helped to alleviate the<br />
pressure on an iconic build in<br />
Lewes, East Sussex, as featured on<br />
Channel 4’s Grand Designs.<br />
The plot on which to build the<br />
home, dubbed ‘The Gateway to<br />
Lewes,’ was a mere 11m wide. In<br />
order to realise this adventurous<br />
aesthetic on such a narrow plot,<br />
the Kingspan TEK Building System<br />
was specified by Peter Carter,<br />
Director of Myriad Construction.<br />
The System comprises of SIPs,<br />
which can be pre-cut to each project’s specification.<br />
Both the Kingspan TEK Cladding Panel and Kingspan TEK Building<br />
System panels are now available in a 172mm thickness, delivering<br />
U-values of 0.16 W/m2.K or better, without the need for additional<br />
insulation. The manufacturing facility where the panels are<br />
produced carries both FSC® (FSC®-C109304) and PEFC Chain of<br />
Custody certification. As standard, the OSB/3 facing of Kingspan<br />
TEK panels is PEFC certified at 70%.<br />
www.kingspantek.co.uk<br />
Zehnder’s MVHR achieves Passivhaus<br />
certification<br />
Zehnder Group UK has<br />
announced that its new ComfoAir<br />
Q range of MVHR units – the most<br />
efficient heat recovery system on<br />
the market - has been awarded<br />
Passivhaus certification. This new<br />
generation of heat recovery units<br />
offers outstanding energy and<br />
noise performance as well as<br />
smart technology that helps<br />
improve the installation process<br />
and a<strong>cc</strong>uracy on-site, and a<br />
convenient app gives customers<br />
the right operating solution<br />
whatever their needs.<br />
The range provides up to 96% heat recovery efficiency, making it the<br />
most energy-efficient unit on the market, and are also currently the<br />
quietest units on the market.<br />
Completely sealed and maximised, the high-quality filters ensure<br />
healthy, dust-free air and protect against excessive humidity, thus<br />
improving indoor air quality. Maintenance is simple; systems can be<br />
monitored easily via remoted a<strong>cc</strong>ess on the Zehnder web portal. In<br />
addition, the units have easy a<strong>cc</strong>ess for cleaning. ComfoAir Q range is<br />
available in three sizes; 350, 450 and 600 m³/h.<br />
www.zehnder.co.uk<br />
Fibre cement slates help transform<br />
historic street<br />
The team working<br />
on the £30+<br />
million<br />
transformation of<br />
Far Gosford Street<br />
in Coventry has<br />
specified Marley<br />
Eternit’s fibre<br />
cement slates to<br />
create continuity<br />
between the old<br />
and the new on<br />
this latest phase. The Far Gosford Regeneration Initiative is a ten year<br />
programme managed by Coventry City Council and Complex<br />
Development Projects (CDP) to regenerate the most intact historical<br />
street to survive the bombing and post-war reconstruction.<br />
The contractor and architect chose Marley Eternit’s Thrutone fibre<br />
cement slates in two different colours for use on both the roof and the<br />
facade of the new offices; the intersecting forms of Stone Green and<br />
Blue Black slates, which make up the facade, are obviously modern but<br />
have reference to the traditional slate cladding of the buildings.<br />
Thrutone is a cost effective lightweight fibre cement slate that can be<br />
used to create striking roofs and facades. Available in eight colours and<br />
three shapes, it offers great design flexibility.<br />
www.marleyeternit.co.uk<br />
Vortice launches Punto Evo Flexo<br />
Ventilation systems manufacturer Vortice has launched the Punto<br />
Evo Flexo, a new, extremely quiet, energy efficient axial fan. Punto<br />
Evo Flexo is the next stage on from the popular Punto Evo bathroom<br />
fan and features a stylish curved front grill which is very easy to<br />
clean.<br />
“Punto Evo Flexo combines beautiful Italian styling with practical<br />
energy efficient extraction,” described Technical and Marketing<br />
Manager Jennifer Quinn. “At 26.9(db)A it is extremely quiet, so it’s a<br />
perfect choice for a domestic bathroom.”<br />
The Punto Evo Flexo’s low power consumption makes this an ideal<br />
selection for energy efficiency. Full BIM and specification details<br />
can be found on the Vortice website.<br />
www.vortice.ltd.uk<br />
8 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI
Right to buy abolishment & Offsite are<br />
key to affordable housing targets!<br />
Right to buy, which allows tenants in social housing to buy their homes, ended on the 1st of August 2016. The Scottish Government<br />
documented that by ending the Right to Buy up to 15,500 social homes are protected from sale over the next ten years,<br />
safeguarding this stock for future generations.<br />
The Scottish Government has also<br />
committed to delivering an ambitious<br />
target of 50,000, affordable homes over<br />
the lifetime of this Parliament, including 35,000<br />
social homes.<br />
So how does this reshape Scotland’s Social<br />
Housing landscape and assist in achieving new<br />
housing targets on time and on budget? Steve<br />
Hardy, JMD of offsite specialists Sidey tells us<br />
that offsite construction is absolutely the way<br />
forward in delivering cost effective, long term<br />
thermally efficient, and quick to deliver<br />
dwellings for residents currently on waiting lists<br />
and for future generations.<br />
“ The abolishment of the ‘Right to buy Scheme’<br />
in Scotland is most definitely a step in the right<br />
direction to reducing waiting lists for affordable<br />
housing, however demand is still outweighing<br />
supply. It has been well documented by the<br />
Scottish Government and the SFHA (Scottish<br />
Federation of Housing Associations) that<br />
Scotland desperately needs more affordable<br />
homes in order to solve its current housing<br />
crisis, and although there has been a<br />
commitment to delivering at least 50,000 new<br />
affordable homes, backed by more than £3<br />
billion, over the lifetime of this parliament, there<br />
are other factors impacting on the sector’s<br />
ability to deliver increased numbers of<br />
affordable housing. The key issues are planning,<br />
availability of affordable land and a<strong>cc</strong>ess to<br />
skilled workers.<br />
Offsite Construction is the solution<br />
“The solution to these problems has to lie in the<br />
growth of offsite construction. Costs are now no<br />
more than when building through standard<br />
construction methods, but the two huge pluses<br />
are the delivery of better buildings by design,<br />
and delivery on time”.<br />
“There is a growing lobby of government<br />
agencies, procurement organisations, and<br />
individual housing associations all reviewing<br />
whether they should directly invest into, or<br />
partner with offsite manufacturing factories;<br />
they are recognising that the housing crisis<br />
which the country faces is being exacerbated by<br />
a basic failure in the construction sector – an<br />
inability to deliver on time”.<br />
“Offsite is well and truly proven as a<br />
construction option and it is the way forward for<br />
the housing sector wanting to build better<br />
quality homes; cost effectively, and most<br />
importantly sure to be delivered on time”.<br />
Offsite construction automatically brings a<br />
collaborative approach to the supply chain<br />
“One of the great benefits to a company such<br />
as Sidey, is the opportunity for us to get<br />
involved at the design team stage, to work<br />
collaboratively with the architects, the<br />
constructors, and the clients themselves; to<br />
understand exactly what they want, and to offer<br />
them bespoke solutions, and to ensure that our<br />
element of the build – enhanced specification<br />
windows and doors, air-tightness and offsite<br />
installation solutions compliments the whole of<br />
the construction process”.<br />
There is capacity in the offsite market to fill the<br />
growing demand in a controlled and health and<br />
safety conscious way, and at the same time to<br />
offer the social housing sector the best<br />
products on the market to give them a long<br />
term return on their investment and further<br />
reduce waiting lists of thousands waiting on<br />
affordable housing”.<br />
Contact Sidey for more information on the<br />
unique offsite solution for installing windows<br />
and doors offsite - KitFix® and Scan the QR<br />
code to watch KitFix® in action.<br />
kitfix@sidey.co.uk 01738 572 152<br />
www.kitfix.co.uk<br />
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 <strong>M1</strong> 9
Shackerley meets conservation area<br />
requirements with contemporary<br />
ceramic granite refurb solution<br />
A prestigious office block in the heart of Birmingham’s civic and business district has been extensively refurbished with 800m 2 of<br />
SureClad ® ceramic granite cladding from Shackerley, overcoming planning sensitivities in a renowned conservation area.<br />
Specification of ceramic granite, a contemporary high performance façade material with almost zero porosity, has helped to<br />
provide a new protective outer envelope for the building whilst maintaining its original natural travertine stone appearance.<br />
Conservation area<br />
43 Temple Row is a seven-storey commercial<br />
complex located in the Colmore Business<br />
District of Birmingham, the city’s main<br />
commercial hub, brimming with professional<br />
and business services and lively bars, cafés and<br />
restaurants. A much sought-after business<br />
address, Temple Row is also part of a<br />
conservation area with St. Philip’s Cathedral at<br />
its centre. Buildings like No. 43, with their<br />
modern architectural styling, present a sharp<br />
contrast with the 18th century Baroque church<br />
and many other well preserved listed properties<br />
that illustrate Birmingham's rich history and<br />
heritage.<br />
Weathered travertine façades<br />
43 Temple Row was constructed in 1980 with<br />
quarried travertine and granite façades. The<br />
original travertine panels had weathered<br />
significantly over time, allowing rainwater to<br />
penetrate the façade. This ingress of water had<br />
not only damaged the building’s concrete frame<br />
but had also caused panel fixings to become<br />
badly corroded.<br />
Impervious replacement required<br />
With the building partially stripped back to its<br />
frame and a new concrete substrate installed,<br />
the project now called for a cost effective<br />
replacement façade system that would protect<br />
the building from the elements for many years<br />
to come. Due to their porous nature, new<br />
quarried stone panels were ruled out. However,<br />
because of the building’s location in one of the<br />
most precious conservation areas in<br />
Birmingham, known for the quality and diversity<br />
of its architecture, the City Council’s planners<br />
were keen to ensure that any replacement<br />
solution precisely matched the original look of<br />
the travertine.<br />
Shackerley’s solution<br />
Cladding specialist Shackerley proposed<br />
ceramic granite, a fully vitrified engineered<br />
construction material made entirely of natural<br />
constituents, that can be produced in styles,<br />
colourways and textures to emulate quarried<br />
stones such as granite, limestone and marble.<br />
Because of its strong, hard and impervious<br />
characteristics, ceramic granite offers a low<br />
maintenance solution, another important<br />
consideration at any busy city centre location.<br />
Virtually indistinguishable aesthetics<br />
Drawing from its extensive collection,<br />
Shackerley was able to offer a ceramic granite<br />
façade panel in a ‘travertine’ style and<br />
colourway that was virtually indistinguishable<br />
from the original stone, and would perfectly<br />
replicate the visual contrast with the quarried<br />
granite that was being retained. The company’s<br />
Queen’s Award winning SureClad ® A<strong>cc</strong>ess<br />
system was recommended for its speed and<br />
flexibility of installation and the unique facility to<br />
install façade panels non-sequentially.<br />
SureClad ® - offsite prefabrication<br />
Task Contractors Ltd, who installed the<br />
replacement façades, had previously worked<br />
with Shackerley on several projects. Ian<br />
Blakemore, Commercial Manager commented:<br />
‘We’ve installed SureClad ® ceramic granite<br />
façades on buildings in various sectors of the<br />
market, primarily on new build developments;<br />
but as the Temple Row project demonstrates,<br />
Shackerley’s systems are ideal for retro-fit<br />
installations too. No matter how complex the<br />
façade design, everything we need is supplied to<br />
site by Shackerley, fully prefabricated, from<br />
their ISO 9001 quality controlled factory. This is a<br />
big benefit to us.’<br />
‘For the Temple Row project, in addition to the<br />
standard face panels which were supplied in the<br />
most economical 1200x600mm format, the<br />
cladding design incorporated intricate returns<br />
into the existing window detail. Shackerley cut<br />
all of these bespoke and quite complex window<br />
profiles at their factory, and they were precisely<br />
engineered to slot straight into the façades.<br />
Whilst the client has gained a bespoke new<br />
cladding system that fulfils all their needs, we<br />
benefitted from a quick turnaround on site.<br />
From procurement through to delivery, we’ve<br />
found Shackerley to be an excellent partner to<br />
work with.’<br />
43 Temple Row is located in the heart of one of<br />
Birmingham’s most important conservation areas<br />
For further details please contact<br />
Shackerley on 0800 783 0391<br />
or visit www.shackerley.com<br />
10 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI
The entire SureClad ® façade system was<br />
supplied to site fully prefabricated. All<br />
precision cutting, undercut drilling and<br />
anchoring of fixing brackets and straps<br />
to the ceramic granite panels was<br />
carried out in Shackerley’s ISO 9001<br />
quality controlled factory
Off-site gets organised<br />
Recognised by Government as the voice of the UK offsite construction industry, Buildoffsite is a Membership organisation<br />
unlike others.<br />
While the Government a<strong>cc</strong>olade is<br />
welcome it also imposes a significant<br />
responsibility on the organisation to<br />
work as hard as possible to support a<br />
transformation in the way in which the industry<br />
works. A transformation from an industry that<br />
constructs on site using basic components, to<br />
an industry that assembles on site from<br />
factory-made systems and assemblies.<br />
Buildoffsite has been working on this agenda for<br />
more than 12 years with a work programme that<br />
includes:<br />
• making the business case for the use of offsite<br />
solutions<br />
• facilitating knowledge sharing between clients<br />
and suppliers<br />
• showcasing exemplar projects and processes<br />
• facilitating collaboration and networking<br />
• supporting the development of new skills<br />
• challenging both the Membership and the<br />
wider industry to constantly raise their game<br />
Over that time there has been a significant<br />
increase in the use of offsite solutions. To a<br />
great extent this shift has been brought about by<br />
clued-up clients who understand only too well<br />
what to expect from traditional construction and<br />
don’t like the offering. Clients are starting to<br />
demand substantially faster build times, right<br />
first time quality, a step change improvement in<br />
environmental and health and safety practice<br />
and an insistence that the completed<br />
construction will have the performance in use<br />
that has been specified.<br />
Clients are absolutely right to be frustrated and<br />
to challenge the industry to do much better. The<br />
increase in client expectations has done more<br />
than anything else to drive up standards in our<br />
industry. Many contractors and designers now<br />
enthusiastically embrace the intelligent use of<br />
offsite solutions, it is a powerful sign that the<br />
transformation is increasingly being<br />
understood, in turn becoming well established<br />
across much of the industry.<br />
And there is still a role for traditional<br />
construction. A gifted brick layer, a plasterer or<br />
a carpenter demonstrating incredibly<br />
competent, hard won skills can be remarkable<br />
to observe. In some markets, in particular the<br />
repair, maintenance and improvement market,<br />
it is likely that these skills will be in demand for<br />
many years to come. However, part of the<br />
challenge is that there are just too few skilled<br />
tradesmen around. Because of this reality and<br />
because it is very difficult (if not impossible) to<br />
improve the productivity of a trade much<br />
further, it is inevitable that the use of traditional<br />
trades on a project is always going to get in the<br />
way of improving productivity and the adoption<br />
of more efficient delivery processes.<br />
Buildoffsite and our supporters still have a lot to<br />
do to encourage people that adopting new<br />
Richard Ogden (pictured)<br />
is Chairman of Buildoffsite<br />
and after more than 12<br />
years at the helm will<br />
stand down at the end of<br />
the year. His role will be<br />
taken by Andy Dix.<br />
thinking does not mean a dumbing down of<br />
design and construction. Indeed the reverse can<br />
be the case.<br />
As an industry we are on track for unparalleled<br />
change and the increased use of offsite<br />
solutions will be a key enabler of that change.<br />
What is also absolutely clear is that there is no<br />
magic bullet and bringing about permanent<br />
change is going to require a sustained effort by<br />
committed people drawn from all sides off the<br />
industry. To meet some of these people come<br />
along (for free) to the Offsite Construction Show<br />
at ExCel on 12 and 13 October.<br />
www.buildoffsite.com<br />
12<br />
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI
A W A R D W I N N I N G L E D L I G H T I N G S O L U T I O N S<br />
LED lighting solutions<br />
for the offsite<br />
construction industry<br />
Lighting Manufacturer of the Year, 2015<br />
projects@auroralighting.com 01793 467 200<br />
auroralighting.com
Off-site solution makes the grade<br />
Sixth form pupils in Salisbury now have a brand new building to continue their learning, offering free further education for 400<br />
pupils aged 16 to 19, in a great example of off-site construction working with on-site rapid-build.<br />
The new Salisbury Sixth Form College<br />
marks the first dedicated sixth form<br />
college in the town - as previously no<br />
such facility existed. Once the need was<br />
identified, McAvoy was awarded a contract<br />
to deliver the ambitious project within a<br />
tight timeframe.<br />
The scheme, which first involved the removal<br />
of a derelict building, was completed on<br />
schedule and within budget, and was<br />
delivered despite the most challenging<br />
weather conditions over the winter months.<br />
Set on a split-level site at Tollgate Road,<br />
Salisbury, the new construction<br />
encompassed a four-storey build; a twostorey<br />
offsite solution was installed on top of<br />
a two-storey rapid build construction.<br />
The building features Trespa cladding with<br />
coloured PPCA aluminium panels, with the<br />
overall build incorporating modular roof<br />
cassettes and a VRF mechanical system.<br />
Meeting sustainability criteria, the new<br />
school structure used air sourced heat<br />
pumps and zero maintenance cladding, with<br />
its BREEAM pre-assessment being deemed<br />
‘very good’.<br />
Internally, it was specially designed with a<br />
layout deemed optimal for sixth form college<br />
teaching.<br />
14 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI<br />
The total gross internal floor area of the<br />
college stretches across 3150m2, which<br />
subdivides into four main learning zones<br />
including STEM (science, technology<br />
(including computing), engineering and<br />
mathematics); humanities, arts and media;<br />
and performing arts and sports. The<br />
learning zones are supplemented by an<br />
achievement and progress centre, social<br />
spaces, staff and administration offices, and<br />
kitchen/dining facilities.<br />
McAvoy demolished all the existing buildings<br />
and, in order to mitigate the extent of<br />
earthworks required, the existing<br />
topography was utilised, with the new build<br />
set within the existing retaining structures.<br />
The use of the former structures minimised<br />
the new scheme's impact on the existing<br />
boundary walls and surrounding trees, both<br />
within and overhanging the site.<br />
The building environs now boast a<br />
complementary fusion of hard-surfaced and<br />
soft landscaped areas, which incorporate<br />
learning, growing and exhibition zones.<br />
These create a series of interconnected<br />
spaces with varying characteristics, which<br />
can be used to enhance teaching methods<br />
and social interaction.<br />
Extending throughout the building is a lofty,<br />
brightly-lit atrium space, creating drama<br />
and providing a visual connection between<br />
all floors.<br />
Around this the college's key social spaces<br />
are grouped; to the lower ground floor is an<br />
open-plan cafe and informal study area<br />
which is overlooked by the concourse and a<br />
first floor balcony common room. These<br />
create an active, focal hub at the building's<br />
heart which is further animated by<br />
mezzanine walkways at the upper floor<br />
levels.<br />
This atrium also provides borrowed natural<br />
light to some of the a<strong>cc</strong>ommodation located<br />
internally and on the western elevation<br />
where the installation of windows was<br />
prohibited.<br />
Prior to the build, the architects had to<br />
assess the impact of the scheme on the<br />
sight lines of the neighbouring St. Martin's<br />
Church and surrounding conservation area.<br />
Such considerations were dictated by the<br />
Millford Hill Conservation Area Appraisal,<br />
published by Wiltshire Council in 2013.<br />
However, following a visual study of the<br />
effect the new school could pose on views of<br />
St Martin's Church from St Martin's Church<br />
Street and a number of neighbouring listed<br />
buildings, the new building's roofline fell far<br />
below the church's ridgeline and would<br />
therefore have no impact on views of the<br />
church and other protected properties.<br />
“Overall the finish on the building is of a very<br />
high standard,” said Kathryn Clarkson,<br />
Business Manager at Salisbury 6th Form<br />
College. “Our view is that compared to the<br />
sort of educational establishments we have<br />
seen this is better than others, and many<br />
others in the field have agreed it’s better<br />
than they’ve experienced before too!<br />
“The educational space is really good; it’s<br />
very light and brighter and bigger than our<br />
expectations. McAvoy had to deal with a very<br />
challenging design due to the restrictions<br />
placed on it by the adjacent church. We<br />
couldn’t have windows along an entire wall<br />
of a classroom so we were afraid it might be<br />
dark, however, the way they designed it was<br />
very clever and with the borrowed light from<br />
the atrium it’s very bright.”<br />
She added that the students were very<br />
pleased with their new college and were<br />
‘voting with their feet’ by happily<br />
congregating in the social spaces due to its<br />
light and airy feel and comfortable design.<br />
Ms Clarkson said McAvoy had to deal with a<br />
number of issues of bureaucracy including<br />
the possibility of archaeological sensitive in<br />
the environs of the school and neighbouring<br />
church. Despite that, she said McAvoy’s<br />
offsite manufacturing processes allowed for<br />
the commencement of the build, regardless,<br />
preventing any excessive delays.<br />
FACT FILE:<br />
Project: Salisbury Sixth<br />
Form College, Tollgate Road,<br />
Salisbury<br />
Client: Salisbury 6th Form<br />
College<br />
Architect/Design: Blue Sky<br />
Main Contractor: The<br />
McAvoy Group
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 <strong>M1</strong> 15
Timber Based Construction<br />
The Big Squeeze<br />
Engineered timber has gained traction as a structural solution, with the UK seeing a rapid increase in the number of offsite<br />
manufactured hybrid timber buildings. Greg Cooper, Pre-Construction Manager, B&K Structures, tells us that with many<br />
developers taking advantage of its numerous benefits and areas such as the London Borough of Hackney, supporting this rapid and<br />
sustainable form of construction, the current trend is set to continue and intensify<br />
In densely populated cities such as London,<br />
where space is limited and land comes at a<br />
premium, many developers are looking for<br />
solutions to rapidly maximise their return on<br />
investment. Tall timber is becoming part of our<br />
vernacular and extra storeys equate to a better<br />
return on investment. Cross laminated timber<br />
panels and glulam beams, as robust, yet lighter<br />
weight structural solutions, reduce overall<br />
foundation requirements. Where loading<br />
restrictions apply due to the underground<br />
infrastructures, using engineered timber as the<br />
core structural solution can permit more<br />
storeys than when building in concrete and<br />
steel.<br />
Cross laminated timber is a stable solution that<br />
has little shrinkage or movement post<br />
construction. It has proven multi-storey<br />
capability - at 33 metres high, the 10 storey<br />
apartment project in Dalston Lane, Hackney, is<br />
set to become one of the world’s tallest cross<br />
laminated timber buildings.<br />
In prime urban locations, where land comes at a<br />
premium, reducing the foundations saves costs<br />
on the ground, and by increasing the height of<br />
16<br />
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI<br />
the development mitigates the issue of high<br />
land prices - offering a better return on<br />
investment.<br />
Increasing a development upwards and<br />
downwards has become popular in big cities as<br />
builders seek to utilise all available space.<br />
However, due to the light weight nature of cross<br />
laminated timber, developers are taking things<br />
a step further and installing extra storeys or<br />
penthouses on the top of existing buildings.<br />
Luxury penthouse apartments are popular in<br />
central London and are seen as a cost effective<br />
measure because they offer more value per<br />
square metre as panoramic views of the capital<br />
command a premium. Penthouse additions can<br />
also uplift the value of the individual units due to<br />
the enhanced mix of apartments within the<br />
scheme.<br />
Due to restricted ground space, offloading<br />
deliveries onto urban sites can often prove<br />
challenging. To overcome this ‘just in time<br />
deliveries’ are often implemented where stock<br />
and supplies are delivered when needed as<br />
there is no available storage space onsite.<br />
Bridge View, Dalston Lane<br />
(image Regal Homes)<br />
Building onsite can often lead to increased<br />
disruption from noise, litter and dust which can<br />
be an annoyance for those living close to the<br />
locality. This is a sizable problem in urban areas.<br />
Taking the main elements of the construction<br />
process offsite can go some way to alleviating<br />
this issue. Increasing the speed of construction<br />
in a densely populated environment, along with<br />
the reduction in noise and waste that can be<br />
achieved through the use of offsite technologies,<br />
results in far less intrusion on the local<br />
community than traditional construction<br />
methods.<br />
Cross laminated timber has many design<br />
benefits, it lends itself to offsite construction,<br />
offers a far quicker programme and has the<br />
capacity to build at height. As the population in<br />
UK cities steadily increases, engineered timber<br />
will provide a valuable housing option for city<br />
developers, as the big squeeze continues for the<br />
foreseeable future .<br />
www.bkstructures.co.uk
AN AIR TIGHT OSB SYSTEM<br />
YOU CAN<br />
DEPEND ON, ALL WRAPPED<br />
UP IN<br />
ONE PERFECT PACKAGE<br />
DEPEND ON:<br />
SMAR TPLY PROPASSIV<br />
is a fully ce rtified, zero added formaldehyde, structural, air and vapour tight<br />
OSB panel system for the constructio on of Passivhaus and Low Energy buildings.<br />
To find out more or request a produc ct sample, call 01322 424900 or visit MDFOSB.com
Timber Based Construction<br />
Heritage for the future<br />
The use of timber in <strong>MMC</strong> tends to lead to thoughts of CLT etc., and multi-storey construction, but one company is marrying<br />
traditional with contemporary thinking. Darren Hook, Director, English Heritage Buildings, explains how they are using timber to<br />
create thoroughly modern homes with historic design.<br />
What projects have you recently been involved<br />
with that included timber and timber-based<br />
construction in <strong>MMC</strong>?<br />
All of our projects are timber-based with<br />
English Heritage Buildings being the only<br />
TRADA awarded Green Oak construction<br />
company in Europe. We are currently working on<br />
completing a five-bedroom, replica farm house<br />
for which we have custom designed an internal<br />
oak frame. Using Green Oak, we are able to<br />
keep within the style of the original period<br />
farmhouse while also ensuring that the<br />
structure of the building is reinstated. Because<br />
oak twists as it dries, the frame is now a<br />
distinctive feature of the house while also being<br />
an integral aspect of the structure of the<br />
building.<br />
Which types of timber construction are you<br />
most involved with?<br />
There is fantastic potential for flexibility when<br />
working with all oak framed construction as<br />
the materials can be designed to a<strong>cc</strong>ommodate<br />
many different features.<br />
Most of our projects are bespoke because the<br />
timber is workable in any design case so we<br />
can a<strong>cc</strong>ommodate all types of timber<br />
construction; from reconstructed timber barns<br />
to custom-built swimming pool enclosures. We<br />
work directly with the customer to create plans<br />
that will complement the existing architectural<br />
features and materials of the property, finding<br />
the right extension to fit your home.<br />
What advantages do you think timber has over<br />
other materials?<br />
Timber is the only renewable building resource<br />
we have. At English Heritage Building, we<br />
ensure this remains the case with our<br />
sustainable construction process where three<br />
new oaks are planted for every one that is<br />
felled.<br />
Timber has also stood the test of time. There<br />
are still many oak framed buildings in the UK<br />
that date back to the 15th century, proving that<br />
oak is an integral, long-lasting material. The<br />
properties built with Green Oak are amazing,<br />
not only do they harden with age, which<br />
strengthens the building, they also have<br />
insulation properties.<br />
As an alternative to glass structures, oak has<br />
the ability to maintain a constant and<br />
comfortable temperature. This reduces the<br />
need for heating or ventilation, hugely reducing<br />
the building’s emissions.<br />
Do you see the use of timber in <strong>MMC</strong><br />
increasing in the future?<br />
We believe there is a growing trend with<br />
consumers in that they are choosing to build<br />
ecologically friendly houses without wanting to<br />
compromise creative and bespoke designs; oak<br />
holds all of these properties, so is a perfect<br />
choice for the conscientious home owner.<br />
www.ehbp.com<br />
18<br />
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI
SPECIFY<br />
JJI-JOISTS<br />
AND WE’LL<br />
GIVE YOU<br />
AN I-FULL.<br />
You can rely on JJI-Joists to su<strong>cc</strong>eed–whatever the challenge, because JJI-Joists are jam packed with features to make your life<br />
easier, and the job quicker. We are the most popular I-Joist in the UK and the I-joist most specified by architects and engineers.<br />
So, whether designing or building, choose JJI-Joists with confidence. You’ll find there’s so much more to them than meets the eye.<br />
WEB: www.jamesjones.co.uk/ewp EMAIL: jji-joists@jamesjones.co.uk
Performance. Power. Productivity.<br />
As a professional in in-plant manufacturing or the<br />
construction market you want to work with the<br />
best tools available. Senco is the brand for you.<br />
As one of the best known brands in the world of<br />
fastening technology Senco produces a wide range of<br />
pneumatic, electric, gas, cordless pneumatic and<br />
battery powered tools that matches your needs<br />
Senco’s DuraSpin collated screw system and the<br />
cordless Fusion tools can offer you unique<br />
technological advantages and together with Senco<br />
pneumatic tools you can use them in an extensive<br />
range of construction and in-plant manufacturing<br />
industries such as the furniture, bedding, caravans<br />
& holiday homes, timber & steel frame buildings,<br />
pallets, packing cases and automotive.<br />
www.senco.eu<br />
You can use Senco fastening tools for every application. To make a clear difference<br />
between the performance of the tools Senco has divided them up into product lines<br />
including the following series:<br />
When you work in the toughest industrial environment you need a tool with extreme<br />
quality. Senco tools in the XtremePro series are built with the highest quality and can<br />
be used for 24/7.<br />
If you need a professional tool for lower volume applications that still provides a high<br />
level of performance and reliability the Senco ProSeries will provide the perfect<br />
solution for all your fastener application needs.<br />
When you work in the pallet or packaging industry you need tools that are reliable and<br />
have low maintenance. Senco has designed tools specifically for this industry. The<br />
tools are perfectly balanced and very powerful, which enables long-term use.<br />
When you need a stapler or nailer o<strong>cc</strong>asionally for professional use in a home or<br />
garden application, than a tool of the SemiPro serie is just the tool for you. Senco<br />
quality for the low volume user.<br />
When you have a high quality tool, you also want a high quality compressor. Senco<br />
offers a complete range of compressors for every application. The compressors fit<br />
especially well with Senco tools, but can be used everywhere.<br />
Do you want a cordless nailer, but with pneumatic power? Senco nailers with Fusion<br />
Technology use compressed air that is permanently sealed in the tool’s self-contained,<br />
built-in cylinder to unleash a shot of pure portable pneumatic power every time you<br />
pull the trigger.<br />
With the Senco DuraSpin collated screw fastening systems you can screw 50% faster<br />
than with manual screwing. The Senco DuraSpin tools are the best choice for your<br />
demanding drywall and wood fastening applications.<br />
No matter where – or what – your next job is, if it demands collated nails, staples or<br />
screws that drive easily and completely, with fewer jams – and meet the construction<br />
industry’s performance codes - demand Senco fasteners.<br />
Senco a<strong>cc</strong>essories such as air hoses, plugs and couplers etc offer you the perfect<br />
connection between tools and compressors.<br />
MARMOX THERMOBLOCK SPECIFIED FOR LOW<br />
ENERGY EXTENSION TO KENT SCHOOL<br />
The construction of a new extension to the teaching facilities at Glebe School in West<br />
Wickham, Kent, has featured the use of 140 mm wide Thermoblock units<br />
manufactured by Marmox Limited, specified to carry the main structural envelope of<br />
the two-storey building. The incorporation of Thermoblocks at the wall-floor junction<br />
results in the virtual elimination of the heat loss at this cold bridge. The new building<br />
will provide the secondary school with a number of facilities including an art-room,<br />
additional classrooms and new washrooms. Furthermore, as is common now in the<br />
education sector, the extension has been designed to achieve very good standards of<br />
energy consumption through high levels of insulation.<br />
Marmox Thermoblocks are ideally suited<br />
to this ‘Fabric First’ approach and are<br />
regularly used to address the problem<br />
of perimeter heat loss at both ground and upper<br />
floor levels in either timber frame or more<br />
traditional masonry construction.<br />
Romford based Lakehouse was the main<br />
contractor for the work and the 270 Thermoblock<br />
units – each measuring 140 x 600 x 65 mm –<br />
were supplied through Jewson Builders<br />
Merchant. In addition, the branch supplied tubes<br />
of Marmox Multibond adhesive, which were used<br />
for jointing the interlocking Thermoblocks.<br />
Thermoblock, which has a compressive strength<br />
of 9N/mm2 was specified for this demanding<br />
application of footing the supporting walls.<br />
Thermoblock then serves to greatly extend the<br />
heat flow path for the critical floor/wall junction<br />
throughout the life of the building.<br />
The 600 mm long units incorporate mini columns<br />
of high strength concrete to support the load of<br />
the wall above, while the low lambda value<br />
insulation effectively lengthens the path for coldbridging.<br />
They are laid just using ordinary<br />
bricklayer’s mortar and then by sealing the<br />
interlocking ends together with Marmox<br />
Multibond, they create a permanent waterproof<br />
seal onto which the block or brick wall is then<br />
build on.<br />
www.marmox.co.uk<br />
20 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI
Pasquill supplies glulam and i-joists<br />
for first ‘multi-comfort’ building<br />
concept project in the uk<br />
Pasquill, part of the<br />
Saint-Gobain Group, has<br />
provided Glulam and<br />
engineered timber I-<br />
joists as part of the first<br />
project in the UK to be<br />
built to ‘Multi-Comfort’<br />
standards.<br />
The Multi-Comfort<br />
building concept, launched in the UK at EcoBuild last year, takes<br />
a holistic approach to the design and construction of buildings.<br />
Together with Associated Architects and building contractor<br />
Speller Metcalfe, the Multi-Comfort approach is being adopted on<br />
a new £1.2m multi-purpose sports and drama hall for one of<br />
Worcestershire’s leading independent schools.<br />
The JJI-joists and Glulam supplied by Pasquill are being used in<br />
the form of eight curved portal frames as the main structure of<br />
the building, together with associated straight and cambered<br />
beams. The engineered timber JJI-joists are forming stud walls,<br />
and more JJI-joists are also being used in the roof. JJI-joists<br />
used in the walls in this way have created the ideal wall depth<br />
required for the insulation used, and all of the products will help<br />
the building to achieve both Passivhaus and Multi-Comfort<br />
standards.<br />
www.pasquill.co.uk<br />
www.saint-gobain.co.uk<br />
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 <strong>M1</strong> 21
BIM TOP OF THE AGENDA FOR<br />
ACTAVO | BUILDING SOLUTIONS<br />
Q&A with Jim Gowan, Design Manager at Actavo | Building Solutions<br />
By July 2016, all construction companies<br />
tendering for government projects<br />
must be Building Information<br />
Modelling (BIM) compliant. Jim Gowan, design<br />
manager at Actavo | Building Solutions,<br />
explains what BIM is and how offsite<br />
construction is leading the way.<br />
1. Actavo | Building Solutions specialises in<br />
offsite construction. How does offsite build<br />
go hand-in-hand with BIM?<br />
BIM is absolutely the way forward because it is<br />
driving the use of offsite construction. For the<br />
first time, offsite construction is equal to<br />
traditional build. Although initial costs are<br />
comparative, the whole-life cost and<br />
efficiencies weigh in favour of offsite – the<br />
speed of build and reduced time onsite delivers<br />
tangible benefits for modular over traditional<br />
build.<br />
At Actavo | Building Solutions, we are always<br />
looking for ways to innovate and make working<br />
environments safer and more sustainable.<br />
Actavo strives to help extend a building’s<br />
design life, exploit advances in materials and<br />
improve sustainability and energy efficiency.<br />
Actavo | Building Solutions works in line with<br />
PAS1192, which is the framework upon which<br />
BIM is built, to ensure we meet clients’<br />
requirements, and identify all potential pitfalls<br />
with resolutions implemented prior to<br />
construction commencing.<br />
BIM and offsite construction go hand-in-hand<br />
with government aims to reduce costs through<br />
improved resource efficiency and advanced<br />
data management.<br />
A tangible mechanism, BIM encourages the<br />
consideration of offsite solutions as early as<br />
possible in the project planning process.<br />
Through the integration of BIM, Actavo |<br />
Building Solutions can optimise manufacturing<br />
and reduce installation time, whilst providing<br />
clients with coordinated 3D designs,<br />
22 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI<br />
visualisations and spatial layouts.<br />
Modular build is making the construction<br />
industry safer, as buildings are manufactured<br />
in a more controlled environment and build<br />
times are considerably shorter – just four<br />
weeks in some cases.<br />
2. What is the impact of BIM in facilitating the<br />
offsite process?<br />
Offsite manufacturing and BIM both serve as<br />
valuable solutions in terms of improving<br />
performance of the construction industry.<br />
Modular technologies are improving the speed<br />
and quality of construction delivery. Using BIM<br />
with these technologies will mean that much<br />
larger-scale facilities can be modelled with<br />
increased a<strong>cc</strong>uracy, giving the confidence that<br />
projects will progress quickly as any potential<br />
issues are resolved within the 3D design<br />
environment.<br />
3. Is Actavo | Building Solutions working on<br />
any BIM projects at the moment?<br />
Actavo is now working to BIM Level 2<br />
standards, one of our most recent being a £1.9<br />
million classroom complex to Granard Primary<br />
School in the heart of London.<br />
Compliant with BIM Level 2 requirements, we<br />
designed and delivered the sustainable, twostorey<br />
block comprising eight classrooms, an<br />
open learning studio which acts as a breakfast<br />
and after-school care facility, cloakrooms,<br />
WCs, kitchen facilities and staffrooms.<br />
Actavo began onsite works at Granard in<br />
January 2015, with the standalone complex<br />
handed over in August 2015, meaning the<br />
project – from initial design to full completion –<br />
took just 22 weeks.<br />
4. What advantages does BIM allow your<br />
clients?<br />
Since implementing BIM Level 2 into Actavo |<br />
Building Solutions, we have enhanced our<br />
customer experience. Providing 3D<br />
visualisations and interactive walkthroughs<br />
allows clients to fully explore all aspects of<br />
their building and its interface before any<br />
fabrication or erection works commence. Using<br />
BIM technologies provides more a<strong>cc</strong>urate<br />
project pricing and allows clients to see a more<br />
precise building timeline.<br />
All our design chain feeds into a single<br />
coordinated model so that when adaptations<br />
happen, all our design team is fully aware,<br />
providing a reactive solution and ensuring that<br />
the design progresses on clients’ agreed paths.<br />
By using BIM, we can also reduce the need for<br />
regathering and reformatting information<br />
which results in an increase in speed and<br />
a<strong>cc</strong>uracy even before the building begins to<br />
take shape onsite.<br />
5. How is BIM implemented within Actavo |<br />
Building Solutions?<br />
Actavo | Building Solutions has implemented<br />
and been working to BIM Level 2 standards<br />
since July 2015.<br />
We are able to provide BIM Level 2-compliant<br />
designs, resulting in a high-quality building<br />
that has been engineered and designed to<br />
require minimal site works. With the majority<br />
of work being completed in a factory-controlled<br />
environment, the benefits of pre-construction<br />
clash detection and design interface detailing<br />
allow us to detect and resolve potential issues<br />
prior to manufacture commencing.<br />
We’re always striving to develop our BIM<br />
practices and procedures and have our sights<br />
set on attaining BIM Level 3 designs which<br />
allows all parties to collaborate through one<br />
shared project model. Level 4 is more<br />
sophisticated, as it includes time modelling.<br />
There is also talk of further levels such as ‘5D’,<br />
which includes cost management and ‘6D’ for<br />
facilities management purposes.<br />
Actavo | Building Solutions consistently<br />
undertakes internal training to ensure all staff<br />
are up-to-date with the most recent<br />
developments. We look forward to evolving our<br />
BIM procedures and will integrate into BIM<br />
Level 3 and 4D planning in the near future.<br />
6. How can the offsite construction industry<br />
benefit from BIM?<br />
Modular construction has grown in popularity<br />
over the past decade. The implementation of<br />
BIM in the construction industry will help<br />
contribute to the a<strong>cc</strong>eptance of offsite<br />
manufacturing as a modern method of<br />
construction.<br />
Using BIM to facilitate better solutions for<br />
building by reducing costs, optimising<br />
schedules, generating models and improving<br />
design will provide fundamental support for the<br />
offsite construction industry.<br />
www.actavo.com/buildings
The CONCRETE Times<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
www.offsiteconstructionshow.co.uk<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
10
Student A<strong>cc</strong>ommodation that gives<br />
Investors a Win-Win Solution<br />
The removal of the cap on student numbers in UK universities has seen a 3% rise in university enrolment across the country. This<br />
has meant a shortage of a<strong>cc</strong>ommodation with some students having to share bunk bed rooms in halls. Whilst others have been<br />
given reduced rate hotels with two weeks to find alternative a<strong>cc</strong>ommodation.<br />
In 2015 around £2.5bn was spent on<br />
additional student a<strong>cc</strong>ommodation with<br />
around a 14% yield on investment. These<br />
figures are expected to rise.<br />
To answer this gap in the market Premier<br />
Modular developed an innovative modular<br />
building system. This highly efficient light gauge<br />
steel frame based, factory engineered product is<br />
constructed by skilled assembly teams in the<br />
company’s 22 acre site in Yorkshire. The system<br />
is ideal for a full stand alone build and also<br />
perfectly designed for rooftop extensions in tight<br />
inner city locations.<br />
These engineered and factory assembled<br />
products offer significant advantages in many<br />
areas.<br />
Foremost are the time benefits, as<br />
manufacturing is done on a flow line there is no<br />
risk of late delivery from outside forces such as<br />
the weather. Business Development Director,<br />
Rachel Davis, commented ‘Rooms can be<br />
manufactured at a rate of 25 per week and<br />
complete houses at a rate of 20 per week, with<br />
minimal onsite time’<br />
This speed of construction not only reduces<br />
labour rates and prelims but gives a much<br />
faster return on investment whether clients are<br />
selling or gaining a monthly rental income<br />
This doesn’t mean compromise in other areas<br />
though, modules are constructed to exacting<br />
quality levels in the controlled factory<br />
environment and with as much as 75% of the<br />
buildings manufactured offsite, the risk of<br />
a<strong>cc</strong>idents on site is greatly reduced.<br />
Premier Modular Ltd working as a supply chain<br />
partner to Sir Robert McAlpine completed a 5<br />
storey 206 bedroom student a<strong>cc</strong>ommodation<br />
block in <strong>Sept</strong> 2015. Located in Newcastle Upon<br />
Tyne city centre it consisted of a mixture of 54<br />
studio flats, 105 en-suite bedrooms and 2<br />
a<strong>cc</strong>essible en-suite rooms with associated living<br />
spaces, kitchens and study areas.<br />
Premier was chosen as the preferred supplier<br />
due to speed of programme and the high quality<br />
finish that could be provided. The project was<br />
driven by an immovable programme<br />
requirement of the <strong>Sept</strong>ember student intake,<br />
Premier efficiently manufactured 300 modules<br />
fully fitted out and decorated in the factory - an<br />
excellent demonstration of the enormous time<br />
benefits realised by using the off-site system.<br />
Significantly the foundations and demolition<br />
commenced on site whilst the modules were<br />
being manufactured – ensuring no time was<br />
wasted in the process.<br />
Rachel Davis said ‘Completing this project using<br />
off site construction not only gave the investors<br />
a whole year of additional return, it was also a<br />
deciding factor in ‘The Foundry’ in Newcastle<br />
winning ‘Project of the Year Up to £10m’ at the<br />
Construction News Awards. The client is at the<br />
centre of everything we do and we take great<br />
pride in pushing the limits of modular design<br />
whilst balancing other key project drivers. We<br />
always strive for innovation and excellence,<br />
coupled with a customer-focussed service<br />
ethos, and are proud and excited to have been<br />
shortlisted for an Offsite Award on another<br />
recently completed project. These awards are<br />
confirmation for ourselves that we continue to<br />
be forward thinking and creative’.<br />
In a market where an increased rate of build is<br />
required, building standards are increasing,<br />
sustainability is of upmost importance and high<br />
quality lifestyle choices are an expectation –<br />
Premier Modular’s offsite construction has the<br />
answer.<br />
0800 3160888<br />
sales@premiermodular.co.uk<br />
www.premiermodular.co.uk<br />
24 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI
Are we fishing from a small<br />
pool that could be a lake?<br />
Over the last 10-20 years, there has been an explosion in offsite built student a<strong>cc</strong>ommodation, hotels and retail units, and timber<br />
frame has been the “traditional” method of housebuilding in Scotland for many years. Is the rest of the UK catching up, and is<br />
offsite leading innovation in housebuilding?<br />
Since Grand Designs first graced our TV<br />
screens in 1999 (yes it really has been<br />
that long) we have seen some great uses<br />
of offsite construction, showcasing some<br />
beautiful designs. These are beyond the grasp<br />
of the majority of UK households, but thanks to<br />
some innovators in timber frame, CLT, light<br />
gauge steel and modular/volumetric, it is<br />
becoming more of a reality, and many of these<br />
will be on display at the Offsite Show at the<br />
ExCeL Centre in October..<br />
So how can we ensure we have the skills to<br />
meet this change in how we build our houses?<br />
We are well aware of the lack of trade skills in<br />
the construction industry, and whilst offsite<br />
reduces the need for large quantities of people,<br />
it has a skills shortage itself. In addition, while<br />
some manufacturing jobs may be lower skilled,<br />
and are popular with many available job seekers<br />
(permanent, steady, indoors, secure) we also<br />
need to further increase efficiencies, which can<br />
lead to new skill requirements, eg<br />
Manufacturing Managers and Engineers,<br />
Logistics/Transportation, Lifting Operations and<br />
Construction Site/Project Managers (who<br />
understand the differences between building in<br />
situ, and installing factory-built systems).<br />
We are seeing particular skills shortages in<br />
offsite for Designers, Technicians and Structural<br />
Engineers, and need to ensure there is sufficient<br />
“pull” to attract the good people to join the<br />
industry. Are we offering the right salary/benefit<br />
packages? Are there other less tangible<br />
benefits that would attract? Can we consider<br />
“satellite” offices or home-based people? Is<br />
there any potential to fund relocation for key<br />
people? Do we need to look at sponsoring work<br />
permits for overseas candidates? (This could be<br />
particularly relevant after the UK leaves the EU)<br />
Are we fishing from a small pool that could be a<br />
lake? As recruiters, we are still rarely asked to<br />
source skills from other sectors, even if they<br />
wanted to move! The default is to ask for<br />
specific sector experience, thus getting what we<br />
always had. We find some of the very best<br />
candidates and clients are the few who have<br />
su<strong>cc</strong>essfully made moves from automotive or<br />
aerospace etc, and adapted to manufacturing<br />
for construction. The level of skill in other<br />
sectors could bring great advances to offsite,<br />
but a significant number of our clients are still<br />
insisting on construction experience; this is<br />
despite constant comparisons with automotive<br />
and aerospace where we are told we need to be<br />
more like these industries. Would the benefits<br />
of bringing in a new perspective outweigh the<br />
“negatives” of spending time learning a new<br />
industry? Many of our clients’ manufacturing<br />
management have a background in other<br />
manufacturing industries, but can we look at<br />
Designers, Technicians, Engineers, Estimators,<br />
Quantity Surveyors too?<br />
Sue Eustace, Senior A<strong>cc</strong>ount Manager at ARV<br />
Solutions, the specialists in offsite construction<br />
staffing.<br />
www.arvsolutions.co.uk<br />
26 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI
Offsite Construction Show now Bigger!<br />
The Offsite Construction Show, 12th – 13th October at Excel, London, has sold out once again despite making more stands available.<br />
At last the offsite construction and<br />
modular building industry has its very<br />
own, productive and totally dedicated<br />
event, giving the industry its own platform and<br />
providing a valuable resource of knowledge and<br />
advice.<br />
The event is well supported by Buildoffsite, the<br />
Modular & Portable Building Association,<br />
Structural Timber Association and British<br />
Precast, The Offsite Construction Show includes<br />
free to attend, CPD a<strong>cc</strong>redited seminars and<br />
workshops.<br />
Paul Shelley, sales director, said “We live in an<br />
increasingly remote, digital age, so trade events<br />
are becoming increasingly important, because<br />
there is simply no substitute for meeting people<br />
in person and networking with peers, suppliers<br />
and customers”.<br />
The Show is supported by many leading,<br />
recognised companies, including: Trimble,<br />
Howick, FP McCann, Shay Murtagh Precast,<br />
Geologic Foundation, Ormandy Group,<br />
Modularize, Actavo Building Solutions,<br />
Portakabin Group, Elliott, Enterprise Ireland, JJ<br />
Smith, Caledonian Modular, Apex Wiring<br />
Solutions, Morland, to name just a few.<br />
This event is being driven by the industry it<br />
serves and we are working closely with<br />
Buildoffsite to deliver another, first class<br />
seminar and workshop program and to the right<br />
is a brief overview of the program.<br />
This important, new event will be a must-visit<br />
for anyone seriously involved in any aspect of<br />
the construction industry. All our exhibitors and<br />
partners are working with us, to bring together<br />
what is new in the market and hopefully show<br />
why offsite construction is the UK’s emerging<br />
construction method, for certain sectors.<br />
If you are involved in the offsite market or need<br />
to know more about what it has to offer in<br />
efficiency and cost savings, the Offsite<br />
Construction Show will save you weeks and<br />
months of research, legwork and money, having<br />
it all under one roof.<br />
This is the biggest event, of its kind, in Europe,<br />
at a major venue in London, supported by key<br />
industry figures.<br />
If you are involved in the offsite sector, you<br />
cannot afford to miss this show, the first ever<br />
national event at a major venue supported by<br />
major industry figures.<br />
To visit this free to attend event simply visit the<br />
Show web site offsiteconstructionshow.co.uk/<br />
and click on the registration link<br />
offsite2016.smart-reg.co.uk/Visitors<br />
DAY 1 – 12th October<br />
10.30am – 11.45am - Innovation in<br />
Offsite Housing /Residential Delivery<br />
– Plan A is to go offsite, there is no<br />
Plan B<br />
12.00– 13.00pm - Keynote: The<br />
Opportunity for Offsite Solutions to<br />
deliver a revolution in construction<br />
performance<br />
13.15 – 14.30 - Exemplar Projects<br />
14.45pm – 16.00pm - Developing<br />
Innovative offsite construction<br />
Solutions for the Water Industry<br />
DAY 2 – 13th October<br />
10.30am – 11.45am - Innovative<br />
Offsite Solutions for Quality<br />
Educational Buildings<br />
12.00 – 1.15pm - Offsite enabled (fasttrack)<br />
Refurbishment<br />
13.30 – 14.30pm - Exemplar Projects<br />
14.45pm – 15.45pm - Innovative<br />
Offsite Solutions for Rail<br />
28 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI
The flexible choice in advanced<br />
Render Systems<br />
portable<br />
foundations for<br />
portable<br />
buildings<br />
Retro-fit or<br />
New Build<br />
Proven in use<br />
throughout the<br />
UK and Europe<br />
Thermally advanced,<br />
highly decorative<br />
Insulated<br />
Render Systems<br />
GUARANTEED<br />
TO PERFORM!<br />
Designed to support single, double or triple storey<br />
modular buildings<br />
Leaves playground/car park surfaces undamaged<br />
A<strong>cc</strong>redited by Building Control and chosen as sole<br />
suppliers for temporary classroom foundations for<br />
local authorities around the UK.<br />
100% recycled materials<br />
4-0014<br />
04-0124<br />
11-0110<br />
13-0480<br />
13-0485<br />
10-4725<br />
www.parex.co.uk<br />
Tel: 01827 711755<br />
www.jackpad.co.uk or call<br />
Neil Appleby Business Development Manager<br />
07436 037 818<br />
A full member of the<br />
Construction Fixings<br />
Association<br />
EJOT manufactures problem-solving fixings - essential for critical masonry<br />
installations. Our new Concrete, Brick & Block Catalogue showcases specialist<br />
self-tapping fasteners through to approved chemical and anchor bolt systems.<br />
You won’t find better value backed by better technical support - on or off-site !<br />
Visit www.ejot.co.uk Call Customer Service: 01977 687040<br />
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 <strong>M1</strong> 29
Industry catching on to the importance<br />
of reducing return temperatures<br />
The heating and plumbing industry is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of lowering return temperatures<br />
to improve the efficiency and performance of central plant and heat network systems.<br />
For a number of years Altecnic, the UK’s<br />
leading supplier of heat interface units<br />
(HIUs) has been promoting this<br />
approach, lowering the return temperature<br />
will increase the delta-T so long as the<br />
temperature stays the same.<br />
There are two reasons why this is important, it<br />
increases the proportion of energy that can be<br />
supplied by the renewable energy source out<br />
of the total energy demand, and reduces the<br />
flow rate around the primary system. It’s<br />
therefore crucially important and it is<br />
becoming the overriding starting point in<br />
central plant and heat network design,<br />
a<strong>cc</strong>ording to Neil Parry, the company’s<br />
National Specification Manager.<br />
“Renewable heat sources, including heat<br />
pumps and solar thermal, can only really<br />
generate constant temperatures of around<br />
50oC and if the system return is above this<br />
figure then the renewables can’t support the<br />
system,” he explained.<br />
“When we look at Combined Heat and Power<br />
(CHP)-led systems, high return temperatures<br />
restrict the CHP’s ability to cool the engine. As<br />
a result the engine switches off, stopping both<br />
electricity production and heat output, leaving<br />
an expensive, non-functioning box taking up<br />
space in the plant-room.”<br />
However, lowering the primary flow rate by<br />
increasing the delta-T is even more important<br />
as it affects both capital expenditure and<br />
operating expenditure.<br />
“Meeting the building’s energy demand with a<br />
lower flow rate allows the primary pipe-work<br />
to be reduced in diameter,” Neil continued.<br />
“The lower flow rate also reduces buffer vessel<br />
size and pump size. Clearly smaller pumps,<br />
vessels and pipework save on capital spend,<br />
but the operating costs are also dramatically<br />
reduced. As a result it’s not uncommon to see<br />
pipe diameters being reduced by two sizes or<br />
more when the calculations are recalculated<br />
with the correct delta-T in combination with<br />
the installation of an Altecnic SmartSat<br />
electronic HIU which assists in providing a very<br />
wide delta-T.”<br />
to see that something that Altecnic has been<br />
promoting for many years is finally getting the<br />
focus from the industry that it so readily<br />
deserves!”<br />
Top Tips<br />
‘The Golden Rules of efficient heat<br />
networks’<br />
• Select a HIU that has been designed<br />
specifically for low return temperatures.<br />
• Select a HIU with fast acting control valves<br />
suitable for the maximum differential<br />
pressure the system will produce.<br />
• Ensure that the sizing of the system<br />
(pump, pipe-work, buffer vessel) has been<br />
done to take advantage of these low<br />
return temperatures.<br />
• Utilise the correct hot water diversity<br />
factors. Our recommendation is the<br />
Danish Standard DS439 (also preferred by<br />
CIBSE and BSRIA).<br />
• Keep the primary system free of other<br />
flow restrictions and control valves that<br />
may take the valve authority away from<br />
the HIU’s control valve.<br />
• Switch off the HIU’s preheat wherever<br />
possible.<br />
• Minimise the number and correctly<br />
control the system bypasses.<br />
• Ensure that the pump is controlled<br />
correctly, from the index(s) apartment(s).<br />
• Integrate a plant-room thermal store to<br />
cover for the peak demands on the<br />
network.<br />
• Heavily insulate the primary pipework,<br />
at least to the relevant British Standard<br />
preferably more.<br />
Neil added: “As an added bonus, this approach<br />
also reduces the risk of one of the most<br />
common complaints associated with district<br />
heating systems – overheating in corridors<br />
caused by oversized pipes, high pump flow<br />
rates and high return temperatures. It’s great<br />
For more information contact<br />
Neil Parry, National Specification Manager<br />
07800 865567 neil.parry@altecnic.co.uk<br />
www.altecnic.co.uk<br />
30 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI
LED is the Jewel in Lighting’s Crown<br />
By Stephen Hurrell, Divisional Managing Director - UK Projects, Aurora Group<br />
There are several misconceptions about<br />
LED lighting, principally that LED<br />
lighting prices will go down so it pays<br />
to wait; LEDs are so efficient that controls<br />
are unnecessary; and that LEDs don’t work<br />
well in high-temperature environments.<br />
A<strong>cc</strong>ording to the Energy Savings Trust, LED<br />
offers best value for money in lighting today;<br />
the price of fittings has come down and, at<br />
the same time, performance has improved<br />
significantly.<br />
The Carbon Trust advocates LED as its<br />
number one efficiency recommendation.<br />
Leading website<br />
www.environmentalleader.com reports that<br />
while switching to LEDs creates a one-time<br />
savings event – typically reducing lighting<br />
energy use by up to 50% – integrated sensing<br />
and controls can nearly double those energy<br />
savings, making controls essential for<br />
maximum savings and project economics.<br />
And did you know that by using LED in<br />
construction, it significantly contributes to<br />
the BREEAM rating of a building as it<br />
typically halves energy consumption of<br />
traditional light sources. Miniaturisation has<br />
also led to a significant reduction in raw<br />
materials utilised in manufacture.<br />
Artificial lighting in buildings is usually<br />
categorised in three ways. The ‘Ambient’<br />
lighting function provides light to the space<br />
to an a<strong>cc</strong>epted level. ‘A<strong>cc</strong>ent’ lighting<br />
highlights certain features and/or attributes.<br />
‘Task’ lighting illuminates specific working<br />
areas to aid visibility.<br />
Lighting Performance<br />
The four key criteria governing LED<br />
performance are thermal management,<br />
optical control, efficacy of light and reliability<br />
of power. So, what are the guiding principles<br />
of best practice in quality manufacturing?<br />
Heat has a negative impact on any LED light<br />
source’s performance. The next generation in<br />
thermal management dissipates heat away<br />
from the LED chip, providing higher quality,<br />
brighter light for longer. There’s also been<br />
continuous improvement in efficacies of LED<br />
chips so the higher the lumens per watt, the<br />
better.<br />
Look for products warranted to L70 to a<br />
stated number of hours. This means you can<br />
expect a light output of 70% of the lumen<br />
performance stated at that period of time<br />
e.g., a 1000 lumen LED luminaire will deliver<br />
at least 700 lumens after six years, based on<br />
burning 4000 hours per year.<br />
An emerging trend in construction is to<br />
insulate the ceiling void by ‘blowing in’ loose<br />
fill insulation as an alternative to loose-laid<br />
products. Loose fill completely encloses the<br />
fitting which could affect LED performance in<br />
inferior downlights.<br />
Biodynamic lighting<br />
Light controls our biological or body clock<br />
and this is known as the circadian rhythm.<br />
New to the market, biodynamic LED lighting<br />
allows people to control their environment<br />
a<strong>cc</strong>ording to need, mood and task, which can<br />
improve performance and motivation.<br />
Changing the colour temperature of the<br />
artificial lightsource (e.g. from extra warm to<br />
warm through to cool) can have a dramatic<br />
effect. Biodynamics is particularly suitable<br />
for dynamic interior projects, retail<br />
applications, and in healthcare and homes<br />
for the elderly.<br />
Enlite LED Lighting Essentials<br />
The Aurora Group has responded to<br />
increased demand for LED by engineering<br />
the Enlite range of 250+ “Lighting<br />
Essentials”. Enlite offers Offsite’s varied<br />
modular business model big performance,<br />
high quality and the best in value to meet<br />
specifications and budgets.<br />
Firm Enlite LED favourites in the <strong>MMC</strong><br />
sector are the E8 TM 8W integrated fire<br />
rated downlights with halogen like<br />
appearance, the ultra-slim E6060 TM<br />
600mm 2 flat panels for commercial<br />
applications, the UniPac TM and LinearPac TM<br />
IP65 linear anti-corrosives which replace<br />
traditional T8 TM s and the vandal resistant<br />
Orbital TM IP66 bulkhead.<br />
Regulatory compliance<br />
Lighting design is a complex issue and part<br />
of a quality manufacturer’s role is to develop<br />
bespoke schemes which will comply with<br />
regulations. A revised version of the Building<br />
Regulations, Part L (2013), came into force in<br />
April 2014. BIM LEVEL 2 was introduced as a<br />
requirement for all government construction<br />
projects this April 2016.<br />
Call: +44 (0) 1727 83 66 11 or visit<br />
enlitelighting.com<br />
Sep/Oct 2016 <strong>M1</strong><br />
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
31
energy positive, low carbon, low cost<br />
Parex System contributes to first “Energy Positive” house.<br />
AParex External Wall Insulation (EWI)<br />
System forms part of an innovative<br />
project for an energy positive, low<br />
carbon, low cost home built under the Low<br />
Carbon Institute (LCRI) programme set up to<br />
unite and promote energy research in Wales.<br />
The SOLCER House was designed and<br />
constructed by the Welsh School of<br />
Architecture at Cardiff University as part of the<br />
SOLCER (Smart Operation for a Low Carbon<br />
Energy Region) project, funded through the<br />
Wales European Regional Development Fund<br />
(ERDF) Programme and is part of the Low<br />
Carbon Research Institute (LCRI) WEFO<br />
Programme.<br />
As an “energy positive” venture with emphasis<br />
on energy efficiency and renewables,<br />
constructed, in just 16 weeks. The Solcer House<br />
has been designed to supply more energy to<br />
the national grid than it uses over an annual<br />
period, in an attempt to meet tough new<br />
targets for zero carbon housing.<br />
The demonstrator project incorporates leading<br />
edge, market available, construction<br />
technologies from leading manufacturers,<br />
embracing all aspects of construction<br />
materials and systems, from floor to roof.<br />
Among the energy-saving systems specified for<br />
the project was the Parex External Wall<br />
Insulation (EWI) system for the external walls.<br />
The PAREXTHERM Mineral Render system was<br />
applied to Knauf Aquapanel render board that<br />
was attached to a highly energy efficient Sips<br />
Eco structural insulated panel system to<br />
achieve a minimum U-value of 0.12 w/mk.<br />
The render board joints were meshed and<br />
jointed using Parex Maite. Parex WeatherTech<br />
Weatherseal Trowel-On was also used as a<br />
weathering membrane around all openings,<br />
before a 30mm thick layer of PlusTherm EPS<br />
was bonded to the render board using Maite<br />
and this was followed by a 3-4mm layer of<br />
Maite, incorporating Parex 355 AVU reinforcing<br />
mesh.<br />
Parex materials used<br />
Weather sealing: WeatherTech<br />
Weatherseal Trowel-On<br />
Board joints: Maite & 355 AVU mesh<br />
Insulation: EPS70E 30mm Plustherm<br />
Insulation adhesive: Maite<br />
ase coat: Maite<br />
Top coat: EHI GF - colour G00<br />
Protective coat: Paraguard<br />
Other materials used<br />
SIPS system<br />
Sips Eco<br />
Render board<br />
To create the decorative finish, applicators<br />
Joyner PA (Cymru) Ltd, of Risca, applied a top<br />
coat of Parex EHI GF mineral render that has<br />
been developed to complement the light<br />
weight construction techniques and this was<br />
finished to a neat scraped textured finish,<br />
which then received a protective coating of<br />
Paraguard to provide additional water<br />
shedding capabilities.<br />
Solcer Technical Project Manager Dr Jo<br />
Patterson, Research Fellow, Welsh School of<br />
Architecture, commented: “The EWI Parex<br />
system has contributed towards the systems<br />
based approach that the Welsh School of<br />
Architecture has taken, where renewable<br />
energy supply, energy storage and reduced<br />
energy demand have been combined to<br />
produce an energy positive house that is both<br />
affordable and replicable. The Parex EWI<br />
system reduces the heat load demand of the<br />
house, improves the U-value and reduces<br />
thermal bridging. The external finish is<br />
aesthetically pleasing and will hopefully<br />
provide a low maintenance over the long<br />
term.”<br />
The completed SOLCER House will now be<br />
monitored over the coming years to gauge the<br />
effectiveness and performance of the various<br />
installations and technologies incorporated<br />
within the building.<br />
For more information about the house see<br />
@LowCarbon_House<br />
For information on the Solcer Project visit<br />
www.lcbe.cardiff.ac.uk<br />
Applicator: Joyner PA (Cymru) Ltd, Risca<br />
Project Manager: Dr Jo Patterson<br />
Project Architect: Ester Coma-Bassas<br />
32 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI
Sep/Oct 2016 <strong>M1</strong><br />
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
33
It’s not what you build,<br />
it’s how you build it<br />
By Graham Cleland, general manager, NG Bailey’s Offsite Manufacture division<br />
The current UK automotive sector is often<br />
cited as one of the best examples that<br />
shows how offsite manufacture can<br />
positively boost productivity and overall<br />
corporate performance. Historically, the<br />
construction sector has had many parallels<br />
with the automotive industry but these major<br />
investments have transformed the automotive<br />
sector into an exemplar.<br />
The first wave of these automotive investments<br />
took place at Nissan’s Sunderland plant in 1986<br />
which saw the introduction of Japanese<br />
manufacturing approaches including offsite<br />
production. Some of the impressive results from<br />
this investment have seen car production go<br />
from 5,000 per year initially to 10,000 per day<br />
which represents over a 100 fold increase in a<br />
single generation.<br />
This and subsequent investments from other<br />
Japanese companies; changed the landscape of<br />
British car manufacturing forever by<br />
streamlining the production process and<br />
introducing more efficient ways of working<br />
including offsite manufacture and assembly.<br />
The construction sector has always had clear<br />
aspirations to use offsite manufacture to<br />
improve productivity, health and safety and<br />
resource efficiency. In 2013, the Government’s<br />
Construction 2025 report established a series of<br />
clear targets for industry to achieve including:<br />
34 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI<br />
• Lowering costs by 33%<br />
• Speeding up delivery time by 50%<br />
To achieve these ambitious targets by 2025,<br />
offsite manufacturing will need to play a key role<br />
in this.<br />
The Construction Leadership Council was set up<br />
on the back of the Construction 2025 report to<br />
focus on the delivery of the joint industry and<br />
Government commitments. Many of the UK’s<br />
leading contractors are members of the Council<br />
as it oversees the delivery of the Action Plan and<br />
the strategic priorities.<br />
Change comes from the top<br />
To achieve the ambitious targets set out in<br />
Construction 2025, there will need to be a shift<br />
in how the leadership of many of the UK’s<br />
leading contractors view offsite construction.<br />
Having a health & safety culture and<br />
incorporating sustainability into projects is now<br />
the norm – and there now needs to be a seismic<br />
shift to offsite working becoming a similar<br />
norm.<br />
As natural and physical resources become<br />
increasingly scarce, leaders who are able to<br />
understand and embrace how offsite<br />
manufacture can be factored into their day-today<br />
business models; will be the ones who are<br />
able to secure competitive advantage.<br />
Move from what to how<br />
Major contractors tend to focus on what<br />
...Early engagement<br />
between contractors and<br />
the wider supply chain<br />
should become the norm<br />
where everyone comes<br />
together to think more<br />
about the ‘how’ at the<br />
start of projects...<br />
buildings they have delivered as opposed to how<br />
they have delivered them. By making a subtle<br />
change in their mindset, to focus on the ‘how’,<br />
there is a huge opportunity to start thinking, and<br />
more importantly embedding offsite into every<br />
viable solution.<br />
Early engagement between contractors and the<br />
wider supply chain should become the norm<br />
where everyone comes together to think more<br />
about the ‘how’ at the start of projects. By<br />
committing to spend more time on the ‘how’;<br />
alternative construction methods can be<br />
explored and then incorporated into the design<br />
and build process.<br />
The change in mindset to make offsite<br />
construction really work would require more<br />
commitment from clients and developers as it
commonly requires the design to be tied down at<br />
a much earlier stage, reducing flexibility, and<br />
suppliers to be paid much earlier in the cash<br />
flow.<br />
The focus is still on what is being built and, as<br />
such, the same approach - using traditional<br />
construction methods - becomes the default<br />
position.<br />
As a general rule it matters not which annual or<br />
sustainability report you choose to read, there is<br />
plenty of narrative highlighting where major<br />
contractors have been active and what they have<br />
been building.<br />
We frequently see information about the<br />
projects completed, linking schemes to health<br />
and safety targets, financial results,<br />
environmental results and achievements, but<br />
very little information on how such projects<br />
were built, the methods of construction and how<br />
these have helped contribute to targets.<br />
If this focus were to change, then I believe we<br />
could see a considerable change in the methods<br />
of construction being used.<br />
Investing for growth<br />
Major contractors still have a fantastic<br />
opportunity to make major gains in productivity<br />
by investing for growth through the development<br />
and implementation of offsite techniques into<br />
their business and site operations. The gains<br />
made by the automotive sector are something<br />
that could be replicated by the UK’s major<br />
contractors but it will take vision, leadership and<br />
change to drive a revolution in terms of how we<br />
deliver projects.<br />
To hit the ambitious targets in construction, the<br />
pace of investment in offsite manufacture will<br />
need to significantly increase. Also, the way in<br />
which offsite is incorporated into construction<br />
methodologies on site will also need to be<br />
revisited in order to make sure that the<br />
maximum time and efficiency savings are<br />
secured.<br />
Moving from site to factory<br />
Construction sites by their very nature feature<br />
many unknowns. By shifting many elements of<br />
the build to offsite manufacture, we are able to<br />
produce many of the projects build components<br />
under strict factory conditions. As a result of<br />
this, the quality of the build improves as each<br />
stage of production is closely monitored. By<br />
moving the bulk of the work to a factory, less<br />
operatives will be required on site and their role<br />
will mainly cover installation and assembly so<br />
productivity improves. There are also major<br />
health and safety benefits from moving the bulk<br />
of the difficult work to factory conditions.<br />
ROI – proving the value<br />
At Birmingham New Street Station our modular<br />
service ‘spine’ was built offsite then installed in<br />
just 15 days, saving over 10,000 working hours<br />
and reducing carbon emissions by 57%.<br />
This is just one of many great examples where<br />
offsite manufacture has saved time, improved<br />
quality and led to better health and safety<br />
performance. As an industry, we should be<br />
sharing what we are doing and making sure that<br />
we measure and demonstrate the tangible<br />
results that can be achieved through the use of<br />
offsite manufacturing. There is a major<br />
education process needed so that the industry<br />
as a whole is aware of what can be achieved<br />
with a little forward planning and knowledge of<br />
what really is possible.<br />
The future<br />
As the UK construction market becomes<br />
increasingly global, international competitors<br />
who focus on the ‘how’ are becoming the norm.<br />
There are many new contractors entering the<br />
market that aren’t ingrained in the traditional<br />
approach to construction. Many of these new<br />
entrants are from the Far East and are bringing<br />
a wealth of new approaches to construction<br />
delivery. They are approaching the ‘how’ with a<br />
factory mentality and focusing on how to bring<br />
benefits across the entire construction process.<br />
For example, earlier this year in China, a 57-<br />
storey skyscraper was completed in three<br />
weeks by taking advantage of the reduced<br />
construction times made possible by offsite<br />
building techniques.<br />
Offsite manufacturing offers contractors a great<br />
opportunity to do more for less. Going forward,<br />
the most su<strong>cc</strong>essful contractors will be those<br />
that embrace offsite as the norm and develop a<br />
strategy that embeds offsite into all aspects of<br />
their everyday operations.<br />
There are wealth of solutions and approaches to<br />
offsite manufacture and the key for UK<br />
contractors will be to not only keep up to date<br />
with the latest innovations but more importantly<br />
to understand how these innovations can drive<br />
their business strategy and their methodologies<br />
on site to boost productivity.<br />
I am very lucky in the fact that the company I<br />
work for has invested heavily in its offsite<br />
capabilities over the last 16 years and, while we<br />
have admittedly learnt lessons along the way,<br />
that investment and focus on the role offsite<br />
plays in projects is now becoming an<br />
increasingly dominant factor in the way we<br />
approach and more importantly ‘win’ contracts.<br />
www.ngbailey.com<br />
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 <strong>M1</strong> 35
Membranes & Barriers<br />
It’s a wrap<br />
Membranes are an essential part of any construction, and choosing the correct one is crucial! From vapour barriers to waterproof<br />
membranes and even fire protection, there’s one to suit every project.<br />
Passivhaus is a low energy construction<br />
standard where the building requires<br />
very little energy for heating or cooling.<br />
To achieve this, the building must have<br />
excellent thermal performance with<br />
exceptional airtightness. The UK’s first<br />
permanent Passivhaus showhouse was built by<br />
Potton using the Kingspan TEK® Building<br />
System (www.kingspantek.co.uk), at their Self<br />
Build Show Centre (www.selfbuildlive.com) in<br />
St Neots, and utilises Wraptite-SA (Self-<br />
Adhered) air barrier membrane, supplied by<br />
the A. Proctor Group (www.proctorgroup.com).<br />
Wraptite-SA is both vapour permeable and<br />
airtight, combining two important properties in<br />
one BBA certified solution for wall and roof<br />
applications. Its unique vapour permeability<br />
allows the air barrier to be positioned<br />
externally, leading to a faster and more robust<br />
installation, with fewer penetrations for building<br />
services and structural elements.<br />
As a Passivhaus standard show house, this<br />
project required a very low level of air leakage,<br />
making Wraptite-SA the ideal choice. This<br />
membrane significantly improves the building’s<br />
thermal performance by preventing lateral air<br />
movement, while ensuring a healthy building<br />
and living environment due to its high degree of<br />
vapour permeability.<br />
When the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation<br />
Trust decided to re-clad the East Wing of St<br />
Thomas Hospital in central London, they not<br />
only wanted to create a visually stunning<br />
building, but also to look for improvements in all<br />
aspects of its performance. TBA Protective<br />
Technologies (www.tba-pt.com) helped provide<br />
maximum fire safety with their flexible fire<br />
barrier, Firefly Titan.<br />
The recladding of the 13 storey building was<br />
carried out whilst the wing remained in full<br />
operation. ISG worked with Hopkins Architects<br />
to design the new glass façade which encloses<br />
the original 1960s exterior, minimising<br />
disruption for patients and staff.<br />
TBA Protective Technologies’ Firefly Titan<br />
barrier offers a flexible solution and is suitable<br />
for a wide range of applications. The product<br />
was used to encase five existing and extended<br />
flues and one new flue within the South Atria,<br />
running from the second to the thirteenth floor<br />
(ETFE Roof Level).<br />
Firefly Titan is suitable for both horizontal and<br />
vertical applications, providing 120 minutes<br />
integrity and 60 minutes insulation in a single<br />
layer or 120 minutes integrity and 90 minutes<br />
insulation in a dual application. The 15mm thick<br />
barrier is available with white or black finishes<br />
and can be supplied with a water resistant outer<br />
on request.<br />
The product also has excellent acoustic<br />
properties, with a stand-alone acoustic rating of<br />
19db which can be increased to as much as 49db<br />
when installed in conjunction with a mineral<br />
fibre lay in grid system.<br />
Older properties bring about their own special<br />
requirements. The incredible value of<br />
preserving our heritage is fundamental to the<br />
core of our society, in understanding the past,<br />
embracing the present, and securing the future<br />
for generations to come. The cornerstone of this<br />
heritage is revealed in the very fabric and<br />
architecture of many of the buildings that<br />
surround our cities, towns, villages and<br />
countryside.<br />
The A. Proctor Group developed Roofshield 20<br />
years ago in response to problems caused by<br />
the requirements of the UK’s demand for coldpitched<br />
roof construction, and the drive towards<br />
ever-increasing thermal performance<br />
requirements.<br />
The majority of vapour and air permeable<br />
underlays use an airtight VP film layer to<br />
achieve their performance, whilst Roofshield’s<br />
patented SMS (Spunbond Meltblown Spunbond)<br />
structure allows high levels of airflow, in<br />
addition to the transport of moisture vapour,<br />
making the formation of condensation in the<br />
roof space virtually impossible.<br />
The high performance of Roofshield, backed by<br />
two BBA Certificates, means it is a key element<br />
in preserving and protecting the fabric of<br />
historic and listed buildings. The very low<br />
vapour resistance, combined with high air<br />
permeability, reduces the risk of interstitial<br />
condensation, and there is no requirement for a<br />
separate vapour control layer.<br />
Whether your project is a new-build or<br />
refurbishment, specifying the correct<br />
membrane is a vital element.<br />
The Royal<br />
Infirmary of<br />
Edinburgh<br />
(image supplied<br />
by the A.Proctor)<br />
The Passivhaus<br />
show house in St<br />
Neots (image<br />
supplied by the<br />
A.Proctor Group)<br />
36 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI
New Façadeshield UV protects<br />
building fabric<br />
The A. Proctor Group, which is<br />
renowned for providing high<br />
quality, innovative solutions<br />
for the construction industry,<br />
is launching a new membrane<br />
- Façadeshield UV - which is<br />
designed specifically to<br />
protect the building fabric<br />
behind open jointed<br />
rainscreen cladding.<br />
Architects, developers and<br />
contractors can be reassured that the application of Façadeshield<br />
UV will ensure that the building fabric maintains good water<br />
resistance and breathability behind open jointed cladding.<br />
Façadeshield UV is a non-woven breathable membrane that<br />
combines exceptional water resistance and UV resistance with the<br />
aesthetically pleasing dark colour to provide a “shadow”<br />
appearance within open jointed rainscreen façades.<br />
Façadeshield UV enhances the air tightness of the building, whilst<br />
reducing the risk of condensation due to its high vapour<br />
permeability.<br />
www.proctorgroup.com<br />
New catalogue and state-of-the-art<br />
processing plant<br />
Wykamol, market leader in the<br />
development and supply of<br />
remedial treatment products for<br />
damp, insect infestation, and dry<br />
rot has launched a brand new<br />
corporate catalogue, featuring<br />
new innovations as well as timehonoured<br />
standards.<br />
Aimed at builders, contractors,<br />
specifiers and local authority purchasing departments, the compact 100-<br />
page booklet features every product in the current Wykamol portfolio,<br />
alongside technical drawings, product guides, explanatory diagrams, and<br />
illustrations of products in application and in situ.<br />
Insecticides, fungicides and all manner of timber and surface treatments<br />
remain a major part of Wykamol's business, and its comprehensive<br />
range is presented in its entirety in the new catalogue. It is, however,<br />
basement conversion, damp proofing and structural waterproofing with<br />
which the Wykamol name is now broadly tied.<br />
Wykamol has invested £850k in 2016, extending its Burnley HQ to house<br />
a new powder processing and bagging plant, where they can also<br />
prepare bespoke powder formulations to customer's exact<br />
specifications, such as cement waterproofing powders, thermal renders,<br />
and specialist structural grouts.<br />
www.wykamol.com<br />
Wraptite-SA conquers airtightness<br />
at 1066 Zero carbon homes<br />
Wraptite-SA airtight membrane has been specified to achieve a highly efficient<br />
building fabric as part of a concept to create a terrace of 5 Zero Carbon<br />
homes in a site close to the historic Hastings Castle. The design, by award<br />
winning eco-architects ZED factory, and their partner the Zero Bills Home Company,<br />
has transformed a derelict site into a modern development combining high quality<br />
with highly efficient homes, during the year, which coincides with the 950th<br />
anniversary of the famous 1066 battle.<br />
The homes are built from pre-fabricated heavy weight timber frame panels, with<br />
Wraptite-SA, self-adhering vapour permeable air barrier being applied on site. The use<br />
of Wraptite-SA makes a significant contribution to a building’s thermal performance by<br />
preventing lateral air movement. It also provides high vapour permeability in a<br />
continuously sealed, self-adhered, airtight membrane.<br />
Another key factor in the selection of materials was the requirement to meet the<br />
durability of being located in a marine environment. Wraptite- SA’s high vapour permeability<br />
allows damp sheathing to dry quickly and moisture vapour to escape. This ensures good<br />
indoor air quality and reduces the likelihood of mould, mildew, condensation, timber distortion<br />
and metal corrosion.<br />
Wraptite-SA was applied externally, quickly and easily to the timber panels in continuous<br />
pieces, unlike internal air barriers, which can be more complex and costly to install due to the<br />
need to a<strong>cc</strong>ommodate building services such as electrical, lighting, heating and drainage<br />
systems.<br />
In the battle for airtightness Wraptite continues to reassure, in both performance, and in ease<br />
of application. The only self-adhering vapour permeable air barrier certifi ed by the BBA, in<br />
both wall and pitched roof applications, Wraptite-SA continues to be the preferred choice in<br />
the drive towards Zero Carbon homes.<br />
www.proctorgroup.com/air-barriers<br />
Sep/Oct 2016 <strong>M1</strong><br />
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
37
MAKING A PASSIVHAUS A HOME<br />
A stylish Passivhaus home in South Manchester has achieved exceptional levels of airtightness through a combination of careful<br />
detailing and a high performance structure, provided by the Kingspan TEK Building System.<br />
The Kingspan TEK Building<br />
System has formed the structure<br />
of a new Passivhaus home in<br />
South Manchester.<br />
Steve and Mel Howarth hired certified<br />
Passivhaus designers, PHI Architects, to<br />
create their dream home. After<br />
considerable research, PHI selected the<br />
Kingspan TEK Building System to form the<br />
walls and roof of the structure. The firm<br />
worked closely with highly experienced<br />
Kingspan TEK Delivery Partners, Point1<br />
Building Systems, to achieve an<br />
extraordinarily energy efficient design.<br />
Architect, Sara Darwin, discussed the project:<br />
“Steve and Mel specified a structural insulated<br />
panel construction in their initial brief as they<br />
were keen to utilise the benefits of off-site<br />
fabrication. The Kingspan TEK Building System<br />
scored highly on thermal efficiency as the core<br />
insulation material has a lower thermal<br />
conductivity than other products. As a result,<br />
wall thicknesses could be minimised which<br />
was critical given the relatively tight plot.<br />
38 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI<br />
Minimising air leakage was also essential as it<br />
allowed us to incorporate design elements,<br />
such as an L- shaped living space, which added<br />
extra external surface area to the home. A<br />
good airtightness result can reduce energy<br />
consumption by 1 kwh/m2/a which can make<br />
all the difference between a pass and fail.<br />
Point1 Building Systems were responsible for<br />
achieving the interface detailing I designed.<br />
They were very confident that we would meet<br />
the air-leakage requirement as the panels are<br />
inherently airtight. With the added membranes<br />
and tapes they installed, we were able to<br />
achieve an outstanding test result of 0.45 air<br />
change per hour @ 50 pa.”<br />
Kingspan TEK Building System panels<br />
comprise an OSB/3 facing either side of a<br />
highly insulated core and can deliver U-values<br />
of 0.20 W/m2.K or better. Point1 Building<br />
Systems worked alongside Kingspan<br />
Insulation’s technical services to develop a<br />
detailed specification which was virtually<br />
thermal bridge free.<br />
“In addition to the high performance fabric,<br />
the Kingspan TEK Building System also<br />
allowed us to design the first floor rooms with<br />
open ‘vaulted’ ceilings,” Sara Darwin added.<br />
“The tall ceilings create a feeling of space<br />
and light and the overall daylight qualities in<br />
the house are excellent.”<br />
Both Kingspan TEK Cladding Panels and<br />
Kingspan TEK Building System panels are<br />
now available in a 172 mm thickness,<br />
achieving even lower U-values of 0.16 W/m2.K<br />
or better. The manufacturing facility where<br />
the panels are produced carries both FSC®<br />
(FSC®-C109304) and PEFC Chain of Custody<br />
certification.<br />
www.kingspantek.co.uk
FLAT ROOF MANUFACTURER BAUDER<br />
EXTENDS BIM LIBRARY<br />
Following the arrival of the UK government’s BIM mandate back in April, which<br />
requires all centrally procured public sector building projects to be BIM Level 2<br />
compliant, flat roof manufacturer Bauder has extended its BIM offering with the<br />
creation of 19 new waterproofing system objects that are available now for free<br />
download on its website<br />
The launch of Bauder’s new generic BIM models means its comprehensive library now<br />
includes objects for its bituminous, single ply, cold liquid applied, hot melt and green<br />
roof system options, which can easily be dropped into 3D models and plans. This allows<br />
architects, designers, specifiers and contractors to easily a<strong>cc</strong>ess and share all of the<br />
object information needed at the concept and design stage of a project. All of these BIM<br />
objects are available in Revit format, which a<strong>cc</strong>ording to NBS’ 2016 National BIM Report<br />
is by far the most popular tool used for producing drawings. In order to ensure that<br />
your BIM object meets the exact requirements of your building you will need to register<br />
your project with Bauder, who can in turn provide you with all the necessary technical<br />
support and resources.<br />
Bauder’s Technical Director Nigel Blacklock commented: “A lot of the ideals that BIM is<br />
based upon, such as promoting the use of quality, long-lasting materials that deliver<br />
life-time value and getting things done properly first time on a project, align with our<br />
own principals as a market-leading manufacturer of flat roofing products. As a result,<br />
we will continue to invest our time and resources into BIM in order to extend our<br />
offering, as we see it as an integral part of the future of the built environment both in<br />
the public and private sector.”<br />
For more information on BIM and to download your free objects now<br />
visit: www.bauder.co.uk<br />
Sep/Oct 2016 <strong>M1</strong><br />
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
39
Education<br />
Wernick Buildings Provide Low Carbon<br />
Building for High Carbon Experiment<br />
In 2014 the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) secured funding to undertake an experiment concerning one of the big<br />
issues of our time: climate change. The FACE (Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment)experiment, which aims to measure the effects<br />
of increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere on mature woodlands.<br />
The experiment is conducted using a<br />
series of ‘arrays’, made up of 25m tall<br />
pylons arranged in roughly 30m diameter<br />
circles. Each pylon can be individually<br />
controlled to pump CO2 into the air, and the<br />
height at which it is pumped in can also be<br />
controlled. By carefully monitoring windspeed<br />
and direction, researchers at the site can create<br />
an area of elevated CO2 within each array. “The<br />
area we’re working in is very typical of mature<br />
Northern European forests,” Dr Kris Hart, FACE<br />
Operations Manager, commented, “which<br />
makes it ideal for this type of experiment.”.<br />
If handled incorrectly, this ideal setting could<br />
have been ruined by the very experiment<br />
established to study it, so the entire project had<br />
to be designed from the ground up to have as<br />
little impact on the forest as possible. One of the<br />
ways this was achieved was, quite literally,<br />
working from the ground up.<br />
“There are absolutely no concrete foundations<br />
used anywhere on the site,” explained Kris.<br />
Instead, the pylons are secured using helical<br />
piles, or in layman’s terms, large corkscrews<br />
screwed into the ground. The pipes providing the<br />
arrays with CO2 have also not been buried<br />
unless necessary for a<strong>cc</strong>ess, to further reduce<br />
disruption to the area.<br />
Construction of the pylons took place offsite,<br />
and they were installed by helicopter. For the<br />
research station, Wernick Buildings were on<br />
hand to provide an offsite, modular solution. The<br />
building, designed by Glancy Nicholls architects,<br />
consists of three connected rooms in a<br />
staggered asymmetric layout. To blend with the<br />
wooded environment, it is clad in cedar shingles<br />
which when combined with a pitched roof<br />
removed the need for downpipes or guttering.<br />
The building also features canopies over both<br />
entrances. The building rests on a metal frame<br />
which, like the pylons, uses helical pile<br />
foundations.<br />
The inside of the building is mainly o<strong>cc</strong>upied<br />
with a large open plan area featuring an office<br />
and kitchen space. It also features male, female<br />
and disabled toilet facilities; storage and a<br />
workshop. Kris is keen to point out a particularly<br />
important factor of the internal finish “It’s really<br />
easy to keep clean. With four people spending<br />
all day coming in and out of the woods, the<br />
hardwearing finish makes maintaining the<br />
facility much easier.”<br />
The project is set to run until 2024, though the<br />
university hopes it will be able to secure funding<br />
to continue after this. Manned ten hours a day<br />
by a team of four researchers, it was important<br />
the building felt comfortable. “We all enjoy<br />
working here,” commented Kris, “and it isn’t<br />
just the staff here that like the building. Literally<br />
every visitor, without exception, has commented<br />
on how nice it is; from scientists and arborists to<br />
construction professionals, estate managers<br />
and even the locals.” The greatest compliment<br />
of the building, though, has come from the<br />
landowners. Because of the special foundations,<br />
the building is easily relocatable: “My<br />
understanding is that the landowners feel the<br />
building is so nice that they want to keep it after<br />
the experiment has finished.” Kris told us.<br />
www.wernick.co.uk<br />
40 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI
Fermacell set to debut at Education<br />
Estates<br />
Modular quick to fit canopies<br />
Specialist building board<br />
manufacturer Fermacell will<br />
debut its schools offer for newbuild<br />
and refurbishment<br />
projects at this year’s<br />
Education Estates event<br />
(October 18-19, Manchester<br />
Central). Its stand (E17) will<br />
demonstrate the many ways in<br />
which German-engineered<br />
Fermacell partitions are especially ideal for the education<br />
environment, being particularly robust and damage resistant. Even<br />
if they are damaged, they are exceptionally easy to repair.<br />
With this in mind, Fermacell is using the Education Estates<br />
exhibition, conference and award dinner event to launch its new<br />
lifetime ‘Impact Warranty’ which guarantees Fermacell will supply<br />
repair materials or replacement boards in the extremely unlikely<br />
event of damage.<br />
The multiple acoustic and fire requirements as specified in BB100<br />
and BB93 can be met with just six Fermacell partition types, and<br />
due to their density, partitions made from Fermacell generally do<br />
not require pattressing when attaching fixtures and fittings such as<br />
wipe boards and TV screens.<br />
www.fermacell.co.uk<br />
Whatever your needs for covered outdoor school spaces Twinfix can<br />
design a bespoke aluminium structure to suit both your site and your<br />
budget. Glazed with tough polycarbonate roof glazing panels that<br />
conform to the non-fragile requirements of the drop test outlined in<br />
ACR[M]001:2014 these versatile canopies create great multi-functional<br />
learning and play spaces for children of all ages. The Twinfix team<br />
provide seamless design, manufacture and installation, helping to<br />
ensure each project runs smoothly and due to the modular nature of<br />
these quick to fit structures, installation is not limited to school holiday<br />
times. Please get in touch for your free quote..<br />
www.twinfix.co.uk<br />
Offsite manufacture speeds up school<br />
extension<br />
A 26 module school extension was designed, manufactured and installed in just<br />
30 weeks by contractor Module AR, using IKO Polymeric’s prefabricated<br />
Amourplan single ply roofing sheets, custom-made for the project.<br />
Parish CofE Primary School in Bromley, South-East London, needed to expand to<br />
meet growing demand. The plan to increase the number of entry forms from two<br />
to three meant building an additional 12 classrooms, a toilet block, a group room<br />
and an entrance lobby. And it all had to be done quickly, with minimal disruption<br />
to the existing school. A modular building was the answer, with bespoke single<br />
ply roofing sheets in a specific RAL grey provided by market-leading<br />
manufacturer IKO Polymeric.<br />
The sheets were installed as a mechanically-fastened roof system in Module-<br />
AR’s factory. Prefabricating the different elements (including 30 roof lights and<br />
smoke vents) saved significant time on the overall project, allowed for fast-track<br />
installation, reduced the number of workforce needed on site and ensured<br />
minimum disruption to the school.<br />
The full project – which included removing the existing mobile buildings –<br />
provided London Borough of Bromley with programme benefits of 16 weeks.<br />
Working with Module-AR, IKO Polymeric won the SPRA Innovation Award for the<br />
project in June this year.<br />
For more information on IKO Polymeric products and services contact<br />
IKO Polymeric on 01257 488000 or visit www.ikopolymeric.com.<br />
Sep/Oct 2016 <strong>M1</strong><br />
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
41
Education<br />
Emergency response team provides<br />
new school<br />
Portakabin, the UK’s<br />
leading modular<br />
building specialist,<br />
has provided 650<br />
children with a<br />
2,100m2 interim<br />
school after<br />
Newman Catholic<br />
School in Carlisle<br />
was devastated by<br />
floods, and there was an immediate need for emergency teaching<br />
a<strong>cc</strong>ommodation to allow the school to re-open in time for the start<br />
of the new spring term.<br />
Twelve single modular buildings were provided by Portakabin<br />
during the Christmas break. These classrooms were located on the<br />
site of a former primary school and supplied with furniture, data<br />
communications and alarm systems as a first response to get the<br />
school up and running again.<br />
The buildings were then replaced with 24 general classrooms and<br />
highly fitted out specialist rooms including for ICT, design and<br />
technology, food technology and science, delivered in just 12 weeks.<br />
The interim school, which is designed and built to permanent<br />
standards, will be in use until a long-term solution is developed.<br />
Six-cess for off-site school project<br />
The Portakabin Group has completed its sixth project for the London<br />
Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council (LBBD) – a £5.3m school<br />
building constructed using a Yorkon off-site solution. The contract for<br />
LBBD via delivery partner Thames Partnership for Learning was the<br />
second phase of a primary school facility built by the Portakabin Group in<br />
2013.<br />
The Portakabin Group’s seventh project for the London Borough of<br />
Barking and Dagenham is now under construction – a pioneering £44m<br />
three-school campus which is the largest ever off-site contract in the<br />
education sector.<br />
The Portakabin Group’s design and build contract included a full turnkey<br />
service, comprising design, planning, off-site building manufacture,<br />
ground works, and fitting out. A pre-installed Yorkon concrete floor<br />
minimised work on site and is providing enhanced acoustics and a high<br />
quality, robust finish for a demanding school environment. Externally,<br />
the scheme is<br />
finished in an<br />
abstract<br />
arrangement of<br />
colours giving it a<br />
strong identity and<br />
complementing<br />
the first phase.<br />
www.portakabin.co.uk<br />
www.yorkon.co.uk<br />
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE OF 21ST CENTURY LEARNING<br />
Pupils of all abilities are being given every opportunity to be equipped for life, even to personal care, as a result of strategic<br />
planning at a new flagship £20m+ ‘super school’.<br />
Ysgol Bro Dinfewr replaces two former secondary schools in<br />
Carmarthenshire, and is part of the Welsh Government’s Schools<br />
Challenge Cymru. The new campus is providing bi-lingual<br />
education for up to 1200 pupils, and features a dedicated specialist<br />
resource for some 50 students with special educational needs.<br />
Whitehead Building Services has fitted out two rooms in the SEN unit and<br />
one in the main campus building with fixtures supplied by Clos-o-Mat to<br />
enable all pupils, regardless of their needs, to have a<strong>cc</strong>ess to appropriate<br />
toilet facilities, in compliance with current a<strong>cc</strong>essibility regulations.<br />
Thus, each of the hygiene suites features a wall-mounted, heightadjustable<br />
changing bench, height-adjustable washbasin, privacy screen<br />
and WC.<br />
“We are developing a vibrant learning community and providing the<br />
highest quality of education to our pupils. High standards are very<br />
important to us, not just in terms of examination performance, but in<br />
everything that we do. The hygiene facilities help ensure that pupils’<br />
pastoral needs are addressed properly, and that our students are happy,<br />
and well cared for and supported,” observed head teacher Julie Griffiths.<br />
Clos-o-Mat is Britain’s biggest manufacturer and supplier of toilet<br />
solutions for disabled and elderly people. The privately, family-owned<br />
company has over 50 years’ experience in delivering personal care<br />
equipment that delivers optimum dignity, hygiene and independence at<br />
home and away. The company has developed a range of equipment and<br />
support services that today meets every need, including height adjustable<br />
basins, and changing tables.<br />
Uniquely, the products are backed up by in-house support, from<br />
assessment of requirements, design of an a<strong>cc</strong>essible bathroom or<br />
washroom to legislative and budgetary requirements, installation and<br />
commissioning of equipment, and lifetime maintenance.<br />
Full details of equipment are available on the<br />
company’s website,<br />
www.clos-o-mat.com.<br />
42 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI
Building a better<br />
future for over<br />
80 years<br />
Manufactured buildings are the<br />
simple solution to a<strong>cc</strong>ommodating a<br />
rise in pupil numbers. Modular buildings<br />
from Wernick provide a modern, spacious,<br />
energy efficient environment for pupils and staff to work in.<br />
Available space to site new buildings is also becoming an issue but<br />
with a Wernick building you can go up a storey or two giving you<br />
two or three times the space for the same footprint.<br />
What’s more, while the building is being manufactured, the<br />
foundation is being prepared on-site. This makes it possible for us<br />
to deliver a building of exceptional quality very quickly and with a<br />
saving of up to 50% when compared to a traditional building.<br />
With 80 years of modular building construction behind us we work<br />
hard to manufacture sustainable educational buildings to high<br />
quality standards for a better future.<br />
Why Wernick Modular Buildings?<br />
✔<br />
✔<br />
✔<br />
✔<br />
✔<br />
✔<br />
✔<br />
✔<br />
✔<br />
Speedy completion<br />
Lower cost than traditional build<br />
More dependable build programme<br />
25 year structural Warranty<br />
Planning and building regulation service<br />
Full project management<br />
Sustainable form of building<br />
Choice of traditional or contemporary<br />
finishes<br />
HIRE and LEASE options available<br />
Come<br />
see us<br />
at:<br />
OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION SHOW<br />
ExCel, London<br />
12 - 13th October 2016<br />
EDUCATION ESTATES<br />
Manchester Central, Exchange Hall<br />
18 - 19th October 2016<br />
Sustainable construction without compromise<br />
For additional information visit www.wernick.co.uk/education<br />
0800 18 18 22
PORTAKABIN BRINGS OFF-SITE SOLUTIONS<br />
TO THE OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION SHOW 2016<br />
Portakabin will be showcasing its off-site solutions at the Offsite Construction Show 2016 at Excel in London on 12th and 13th<br />
October. Its team of off-site specialists will be on hand to advise construction clients, architects, contractors and consultants about<br />
how to deliver new buildings more efficiently – with shorter programme times, less disruption and greater certainty of completion<br />
on time and on budget.<br />
The Portakabin stand at the Offsite Show<br />
will demonstrate the latest<br />
advancements in off-site technology and<br />
some of the ground-breaking projects which<br />
have changed the face of the construction<br />
industry.<br />
Off-site solutions from Portakabin offer the<br />
unrivalled flexibility to meet almost any design<br />
brief, site and building footprint with greater<br />
efficiency. The approach reduces programme<br />
times by up to 50 per cent, and delivers<br />
buildings with improved thermal efficiency for<br />
lower running costs and the assurance of<br />
completion on time and on budget.<br />
With its permanent and highly skilled workforce,<br />
and a robust, long-established supply chain,<br />
moving construction off site using a Portakabin<br />
building solution mitigates the impact of an<br />
increasingly volatile labour market and the<br />
severe skills shortages that continue to hit the<br />
construction industry.<br />
Buildings from Portakabin include facilities for<br />
long or short-term hire; award-winning and<br />
architecturally innovative Yorkon off-site<br />
building solutions; washroom facilities; site<br />
a<strong>cc</strong>ommodation, and highly sustainable recycled<br />
Portakabin buildings.<br />
Modular buildings can be rapidly installed in<br />
enclosed courtyards, on the roofs of existing<br />
buildings and on steel platforms to help public<br />
and private sector clients increase capacity and<br />
optimise their use of space.<br />
Facilities constructed off site by Portakabin can<br />
have 12m clear internal spans up to six storeys<br />
high and the architectural variety to<br />
complement existing buildings or to create<br />
landmark developments for prominent sites.<br />
These award-winning off-site solutions use<br />
engineering, rather than construction<br />
tolerances, delivering greater a<strong>cc</strong>uracy and<br />
build quality. An innovative factory-fitted<br />
concrete floor system also provides the<br />
response factors required – from operating<br />
theatres to office applications, to avoid overspecification.<br />
Portakabin off-site solutions are<br />
used extensively in sectors as diverse as<br />
commercial, manufacturing, utilities, nuclear,<br />
rail, health and education. Buildings can be<br />
standalone or seamless extensions to existing<br />
facilities.<br />
Services from Portakabin include design,<br />
planning, groundworks, module manufacture<br />
and installation, fitting out, landscaping, testing<br />
and commissioning – a full and efficient turnkey<br />
service for both public and private sector<br />
clients and contractors.<br />
www.portakabin.co.uk<br />
www.yorkon.co.uk<br />
Sch0ck offers an effective alternative<br />
to wrapped para-pets<br />
Minimises thermal bridges with no maintenance required<br />
It is well documented that parapets allow<br />
conductive materials to transfer energy<br />
through the thermal barrier and are<br />
therefore just as prone to the problems of<br />
thermal bridging as balconies. In the majority<br />
of cases, the conventional method of insulating<br />
parapets is to wrap the perimeter of the wall<br />
with an insulation barrier. This is costly and<br />
has associated long term risks. However, the<br />
new Schöck Isokorb type AXT offers a costeffective<br />
and more thermally efficient<br />
alternative. Its 120mm insulation thickness<br />
results in low psi-values and therefore<br />
significantly reduces heat loss – and there is no<br />
wrapping required. It permits a more<br />
sophisticated construction opportunity for<br />
greater freedom of design and allows flexible<br />
distance between elements a<strong>cc</strong>ording to load<br />
requirements. An added benefit being that<br />
there is no risk of any additional thermal<br />
bridging through balustrade fixings.<br />
Other key factors in the selection criteria for<br />
suitable solutions are durability and water<br />
impermeability. The Isokorb type AXT solution<br />
does not require maintenance and there is no<br />
risk of expensive restoration due to<br />
waterproofing problems. Wrapped components<br />
are similar in principle to an insulated flat roof,<br />
with many of the associated problems. They<br />
are prone to damage and almost inevitable<br />
repair and maintenance outlay; particularly<br />
where railings or<br />
covers pierce the<br />
insulating layer.<br />
With thermally<br />
separated<br />
parapets, railings<br />
and covers can be<br />
attached directly<br />
into the concrete. The Isokorb type AXT is<br />
assessed as a ‘Certified Passive House<br />
Component’; provides BBA Certification, LABC<br />
Registration and NHBC approval and meets full<br />
compliance with the relevant UK building<br />
regulations. The temperature factor used to<br />
indicate condensation risk for o<strong>cc</strong>upants in<br />
residential or commercial buildings – the (fRsi)<br />
value – must be equal to or greater than 0.75 or<br />
0.50 respectively, and is comfortably met by<br />
incorporating the Isokorb.<br />
For a free copy of the Schöck Thermal<br />
Bridging Guide and / or the Thermal Bridging<br />
Solutions brochure – contact the company on<br />
01865 290 890 or visit www.schoeck.co.uk<br />
44 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI
See us at The Offsite<br />
Construction Show 2016<br />
Stand E31<br />
Sep/Oct 2016 <strong>M1</strong><br />
<strong>MMC</strong><br />
45
OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION –<br />
INNOVATION IN PRACTICE<br />
Productivity, collaboration, innovation and skills are the cornerstones of the government’s most recent construction strategy,<br />
published in March this year, and still reflects the 2013 joint approach from government and industry. The Construction 2025<br />
ambition focuses on erecting buildings that create less emissions, can be delivered quickly and cost less to build and run over their<br />
lifetime.<br />
One company that shares the Construction<br />
2025 vision is voestalpine Metsec plc.<br />
Located in the heart of the industrial<br />
West Midlands, it is the first cold roll forming<br />
company to be certified BIM Level 2 for design<br />
and manufacture by the BSI – a key element of<br />
the national strategy.<br />
BIM Level 2 improves a<strong>cc</strong>uracy, efficiency, and<br />
productivity, resulting in time and cost savings.<br />
Ryan Simmonds, Sales Director for Metsec<br />
Framing explains:<br />
“BIM has really changed the way we approach<br />
building design - it’s a crucial design tool to<br />
ensure the client receives the best performance<br />
quality and value for money. With buildings<br />
becoming more complex, planning drawings<br />
simply don’t provide enough information and<br />
manufacturers must always be at the table in<br />
the early stages to get the best long-term<br />
response.”<br />
The modern construction market is not just<br />
about BIM but also methods of construction<br />
which enable cost, waste and time savings.<br />
Once again, Metsec is at the forefront of<br />
innovation when it comes to offsite construction<br />
methods – its first Metframe building was<br />
completed in Norfolk in 1984.<br />
Thirty years on, Metframe is now a wellestablished<br />
solution to provide the load bearing<br />
structure for low to medium rise structures<br />
certified for up to 15 storeys in height, with<br />
scope for flexibility in design, making it ideal for<br />
residential, hotels, social housing or student<br />
a<strong>cc</strong>ommodation.<br />
Metframe structures can incorporate steel<br />
joisted or concrete floors, depending on the<br />
46 <strong>MMC</strong><br />
Sep/Oct 2016 MI<br />
client’s requirements. Joisted floors offer a<br />
much lighter structure, but concrete floors<br />
generally provide a higher level of acoustic and<br />
fire protection. Pitched, dormer or flat roofs can<br />
be readily incorporated into the system as well<br />
as balconies, cantilevers and insets.<br />
As well as flexible design, the Metframe system<br />
scores highly on cost saving when compared<br />
against timber and volumetric construction and<br />
there is no compromise on quality. Cost savings<br />
are also achieved through the speed of build<br />
that the system allows, with Metframe<br />
structures regularly taking less than two weeks<br />
per floor to construct. Coupled with the energy<br />
efficiency and zero waste offered by these<br />
buildings, it is not surprising to see so many<br />
high profile developments adopting the<br />
Metframe system.<br />
Genting UK turned to Metframe for the<br />
construction of its £150m Resorts World<br />
development in Birmingham. Built by main<br />
contractor Galliford Try, the unique 55,000sqm<br />
leisure and entertainment complex boasts a<br />
hotel, spa, casino, 50 retail outlets, a wide range<br />
of restaurants and bars and a multi-screen<br />
IMAX cinema.<br />
Metframe was chosen as the structural solution<br />
to enable quick and efficient construction of the<br />
top three storeys of the complex. The threestorey<br />
structure forms a 178-room, four-star<br />
boutique hotel and spa facility with five-star<br />
suites on the top floor, which caters for<br />
delegates and visitors to the 900 events that are<br />
held at the National Exhibition Centre annually<br />
as well as leisure guests visiting the West<br />
Midlands region.<br />
As Metframe is assembled offsite to form easyto-erect<br />
panels, the full frame could be<br />
delivered to the contractor in the required<br />
erection sequence and simply bolted together<br />
on-site.<br />
Steve Milward, Design Manager at Galliford Try<br />
explains the benefits of using Metframe for the<br />
Resorts World project: “Due to the lightweight<br />
nature of the joisted floor solution within the<br />
Metframe system, Metsec was able to deliver a<br />
frame that fitted within the strict criteria of the<br />
supporting structure below. Also, a huge benefit<br />
for the project was the speed of installation. By<br />
using Metframe, we could easily manage the<br />
build in phases to ensure structural soundness<br />
throughout the process.”<br />
Thomas Atkin of Atkin Trade Specialists, who<br />
installed the Metframe system, comments: “In<br />
total, the construction of all 178 units took just<br />
16 weeks, which is highly impressive for a build<br />
this big. Metsec worked closely with us to<br />
produce a 3D design of the hotel structure for<br />
Galliford Try, which enabled us to plan the<br />
works and stick to the contractor’s construction<br />
programme.”<br />
Richard Allen, Marketing and Business<br />
Development Director at Metsec added: “As a<br />
Black Country-based business, we are<br />
incredibly proud that we were able to supply a<br />
cost-effective and highly manageable solution<br />
for the landmark project at the NEC. Metframe<br />
is an extremely competitive solution, which<br />
delivers a high quality building. Therefore, it was<br />
the perfect choice for the construction of the<br />
new 4-star boutique hotel at the Resorts World<br />
complex.”<br />
www.metsec.com
INNOVATION FOR CONSTRUCTION<br />
Modern construction<br />
Sometimes innovation is achieved by building sections of a building in a factory and then assembling them on<br />
site to a<strong>cc</strong>elerate the construction process. Building this way, you can achieve huge benefits over traditional<br />
construction using proven modern construction methods to deliver new buildings faster, cheaper, with less<br />
a<strong>cc</strong>idents and with less impact on the environment. Modern construction also looks to the wider areas of<br />
information technology, such as cloud collaboration, big data, loT (Internet of Things), Virtual Reality, and<br />
Augmented Reality. It also keeps an eye on emerging technologies and materials such as 3D concrete printing<br />
and Graphene. Answering the question of how we incorporate all of these technologies and materials into a<br />
rapidly evolving construction sector for the benefit of our clients is the task we set ourselves every day!<br />
How we can help<br />
The way we build is changing<br />
Modern technology in design and manufacture is<br />
being applied to today's construction projects and<br />
yielding incredible results.<br />
We have worked tirelessly to research every corner<br />
of the modern construction sector and we've primed<br />
our team to help you capitalise on every aspect of preassembly<br />
for construction. From door-sets to highrise<br />
modular buildings, from 2D CAD to 5D BIM, from<br />
Virtual Reality to remote drone site scanning, we are<br />
here to help you to understand the market and realise<br />
better ways to build.<br />
Building System Development whether you'd like to develop an innovative, ground-breaking building system or<br />
blend together an awesome solution from the products already on the market, look no further. The team at<br />
Modularize has experience in development of modular, volumetric and panellised building systems, all over<br />
the world. Our experience in product development for pre-assembly in construction is simply unmatched.<br />
Manufacturing Systems Knowing what type of machinery you need and how much the whole thing is going to<br />
cost are key questions you're probably asking yourself if you're setting up a factory or even expanding your<br />
existing capacity. We have the answers. Design Automation - Your designs might currently take a number of<br />
weeks to go from concept through to detail but by working with us we promise a huge reduction in your drawing<br />
production lead time! Our design automation service is simple:<br />
It’s not just the ever expanding range of innovative building systems on the market that’s whetting our appetite<br />
for ultra-efficient construction of the zero carbon buildings of the future. There is a new breed of building design<br />
consultants emerging.<br />
Liverpool Science Park<br />
0151 482 9050<br />
info@modularize.co.uk<br />
www.modularize.co.uk
DOOR CANOPIES<br />
GET THE TEMPEST LOOK<br />
The Tempest range is a new oering from the<br />
leading manufacturer of GRP building components,<br />
Stormking Plas cs.<br />
APEX<br />
FLAT<br />
MONO PITCH<br />
The Tempest range of canopies has been designed to<br />
cater to the needs of local authori es and housing<br />
associa ons, for both new build and refurbishment<br />
projects. These canopies allow architectural<br />
self expression and can totally transform the front<br />
eleva on of one building or an en re street scene.<br />
Why use Tempest and Tempest door canopies:<br />
Made in the United Kingdom<br />
ISO 14001 Environmental<br />
ISO 9001 Management Systems<br />
Includes all xings and instruc ons<br />
0.71 Eco points per ton<br />
Lightweight, easy to install and virtually maintenance free<br />
Sustainability:<br />
We only purchase responsibly sourced mber from<br />
suppliers registered to a recognised FSC/PEFC scheme<br />
ARCHED<br />
For a brochure, please visit our website www.tempestgrp.co.uk<br />
email sales@tempestgrp.co.uk or call 01827 311 100