Archive for category: Building News

Cogent Technology has moved into a new 80,000ft² facility in Felixstowe, to serve its clients with world class manufacturing. The new facility features state of the art production lines, including two ISO 14644-1 Class 7 Rapidbloc cleanrooms for its innovative medical and healthcare products.

Rapidbloc Cleanrooms have been developed by Connect 2 Cleanrooms (C2C) to meet the urgent critical demands of some of the world’s fastest moving industries, such as healthcare and advanced manufacturing. Clean production will enable Cogent to grow its product offering and expand services to clients with consumables and accessories that complement existing PCB assembly product ranges.

The two Rapidbloc cleanrooms were designed and built in just 8 weeks, including validation to ISO 14644-1 class 7. This expedited time-scale was important to Cogent as the cleanrooms were able to be coordinated within its wider facility fit-out programme and so production was not interrupted.

A monobloc cleanroom project of this scale would usually have a lead time of up to 4 months, whereas Rapidbloc Cleanrooms generate significant productivity gains to enable a faster return on investment. Rapidbloc cleanroom layouts are fully configurable and as parts are shipped from stock from C2C’s warehouse and distribution hub, on-site assembly is fast and efficient.

Robert Stainer, Commercial Director at Cogent says, “As part of our relocation to a new 80,000ft² facility we are proud to be enhancing our Medical Device manufacturing capabilities with the commissioning of two class 7 cleanrooms validated to ISO 14644-1.

“This investment will not only enable Cogent to meet our current clients’ needs, but also position the team to facilitate the provision of associated device consumables capacity as med tech businesses rethink their supply chain strategies in light of changing attitudes to sourcing.

“The term ‘short supply chain’ is resonating throughout the business world after recent events in 2020. A more robust supply chain is needed for resilience against future events.”

Michael Wright, Managing Director at Connect 2 Cleanrooms says, “Whilst there are now a number of quick build cleanroom solutions on the market, including our own Rapid Room range, none offer the same level flexibility around configuration and specification as Rapidbloc. The choice of size, classification and optional extras is yours, in just 4 to 6 weeks.”

The ultra-clean environments are created using HEPA filtration that is 99.99% efficient at 0.3 micron, whilst the envelope uses UltraTech Versatile panels with QuadCore insulated cores to provide a level of airtightness that controls running costs through enhanced energy performance.

Michael continues, “This modular approach delivers a precision-engineered cleanroom with ISO-compliant performance, within an expedited time frame. Thanks to the use of standard parts and pre-determined design calculations, even the quotation and design stages are expedited, so clients benefit from a rapid response through the entire project.”

Connect 2 Cleanrooms also provided consumables, furniture, monitoring equipment and cleanroom training services.

To find out more about Rapidbloc Cleanrooms, visit www.connect2cleanrooms.com/rapidbloc.

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Working on a brief to deliver a first-class facility for the pupils and teachers, Thorn Lighting has supplied both internal and external illumination for the £10 million education block that has revolutionised facilities at a Samuel Ward Academy in Suffolk. The luminaires were chosen to enhance the overall appearance of the state-of-the-art facility and create flexible and adaptable 21st Century learning environment for pupils, whilst providing a low maintenance, energy efficient solution.

The three-storey building replaced the school’s single-storey blocks A and B, which sat at the front of the building and, in addition to classrooms, the block houses the library, the SEN (special educational needs) resource base, specialist music and art rooms and media suites. Funding for the work came from the Government’s Priority School Build Programme with the building providing high standards in terms of natural daylighting, acoustic performance and the internal environment.

Thorn’s Arena LED luminaires illuminate the classrooms throughout the building. Their excellent light quality and sound absorbing features minimise the sound reverberation in the classrooms. Modern concrete walls, hard flooring and large amounts of glass all reflect (rather than absorb) sound. The echo effect created in this way can make it difficult to hear the teacher speak, causing students to raise the noise level even further by chatting amongst themselves. The innovative Arena LED minimises this.

Arena is a direct/indirect luminaire that gives the Academy a modern visual appearance. The fitting is available with a wide range of control options and has been designed for flexibility, offering a choice of infills to adapt the length of the system to match all classroom layouts, Arena is fully compliant with BB93 for optimum classroom performance, utilising high-efficiency LEDs to slash energy consumption.

Thorn’s Piazza robust IP65, wall mounted luminaires have been used for the illumination of the exterior of the building. Piazza has unique photometrics with 3 metre forward light throw and 12 metre spacing that also provides a very low upward light throw with less than 2.5% ULOR. Piazza delivers excellent 116 lm/W efficiency with simple installation.

For more information on Thorn and its products, see the website www.thornlighting.co.uk

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Roofspace Solutions’ innovative off-site manufacturing (OSM) product i-House^TM – which guarantees a waterproof dwelling in five days – is being implemented in a Lovell Homes site in Norwich. The result is a 35% timesaving compared to traditional building methods.

 Leading partnerships housing expert, Lovell Homes, prides itself on transforming communities across the UK. As part of its commitment to innovative residential construction and regeneration projects, it chose to embrace i-House^TM OSM technology by Roofspace Solutions during the building of its latest development.

Crown Meadows in Norwich comprises two, three- and four-bedroom homes. Construction began in June 2020 and is planned to complete in two years – or possibly sooner as Roofspace Solutions’ i-House can create a watertight standard house shell in under a week, while combining quality, speed and safety.

In addition to speed, Lovell Homes specified i-House in 15 of the 69 Crown Meadows plots as part of its aim to reduce waste and dust, while also minimising the risk of accidents.

 A new way of working

The i-House uses a bigger and lighter variant of the aircrete block, which are lifted by crane and assembled in a similar sequence to a timber frame build. This results in a much faster construction process than a traditional build.

Intended for domestic property construction of up to three storeys, i-House consists of inner leaves of external cavity walls, separating walls, floors, lintels, cavity closures, insulation and roof trusses, with the inclusion of soffit and fascia for the internal skin of the property.

Roofspace Solutions is working alongside supplier H+H to design and produce the large-scale Celcon Elements, which are manufactured from the same material as the aircrete blocks. This gives them the same advantages, such as outstanding thermal performance and reduced heat loss at thermal bridges.

Manufactured with a width of 600mm and a thickness of 100mm, Elements are designed to be craned into place onto a bed of mortar on standard foundations. Blocks are joined using thin-joint mortar with 2mm (3mm) joints, providing an extremely airtight finish.

The fact that the solution is manufactured off-site, and larger elements are constructed prior to being delivered to the site in Norwich, means less waste and dust is created for workers. This results in a safer and cleaner working environment. Furthermore, workers on site are not exposed to chemicals.

Crucially, as the homes are watertight in under a week, it has increased Lovell Homes’ construction programme, allowing internal trades to begin their work sooner than with a traditional build.

With the additional consideration of building during the time of Covid-19, the OSM solutions enhance Lovell Homes’ stringent social distancing protocols. At the Crown Meadows site, approximately four builders will be able to build six houses in four weeks, with i-House increasing the output per person.

The i-House package also includes floor cassettes and JJI-Joists provided by Pasquill, sister company of Roofspace Solutions, due consistency of quality and supply and a nationwide delivery service. A total of 60 cassettes will be provided to the same 15 OSM plots on the Crown Meadows development, with each home’s first floor containing an average of 3-4 cassettes.

The Pasquill cassettes, which are made with chipboard and softwood, are ideal components to work alongside the i-House as they facilitate faster timescales and dramatically speed up the erection process. This increasingly popular method allows the contractors to install the floors in one day with little on-site work required.

The cassettes are also installed with Pasquill’s JJI-Joists, also known as I-beams, to create ‘quiet’ floor solutions and consistent dimensions provide extra stability. They do not need insulation to gain compliance with Building Regulation Part E (sound) when installed at 400mm centres and above. They are lightweight, stable, easy to run services through and cost effective.

Building better results

Paul Terry, Managing Director of Roofspace Solutions, said: “The construction industry is facing many challenges. The only way we will be able to ‘build back better’ and meet government and industry targets for housebuilding is by working together and embracing new technologies.

“The Crown Meadows development is coming along well, and we’re glad that Lovell Homes is already experiencing the time-saving benefits from i-House and Celcon Elements. We’re enjoying working on this project with a developer who has such high standards and look forward to seeing the site completed.”

Chris Gray, Senior Construction Site Manager at Lovell Homes, said: “I believe Crown Meadows will be a much quicker build, from start to finish. Of course, it’s difficult to compare like-for-like, but recently a plot went from being a concrete pad to us laying the roof tiles within two weeks – everything fits like a Lego set!

“Based on the success so far, it’s now our ambition to bring in the development a few months ahead of schedule. For the construction industry, it’s another tool to help us get the job done well and meet the demand for housing – while reducing waste and accidents on site.

“The fact it allows us to make a property watertight so quickly has immediate benefits, such as completing the show home quicker, allowing us to drum up local homebuyer interest sooner. Overall, I think this is a flexible solution that would have really useful applications during the winter or further north, where it typically rains more.”

Roofspace Solutions has been part of the Saint-Gobain Group since 2018, as part of its Off-Site Solutions division.

For more information on i-House, click here

Modern Methods of Construction have been highlighted by Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State as the way forward to help resolve the housing crisis and urged Housing Associations and Local Councils to embrace new technology and methods of working.  However, the log jam to completion of new build projects can be connection of the water supply.  Surface mounted meters allowing ‘plug and play’ style installation can be the solution.

The recent change in lifestyle forced upon us by the COVID 19 pandemic has identified the importance of home and local community environment. In the Secretary of State’s speech to the Chartered Institute of Housing, 10th September 2020, Robert Jenrick, highlighted the impact the period of lockdown had on those with poor housing and the homeless.
The slow-down in new home build that resulted from the COVID 19 restrictions needs to be reversed and Jenrick has made MMC ‘central to the delivery of the new Affordable Homes Programme’ and set a minimum target for the use of MMC1.  His aim is for ‘…the UK to be a leader in MMC, driving new jobs, better skills, as well as faster delivery of homes, and those homes, in turn, being better quality and more energy efficient, with all of the benefits of society and social justice that comes with that.’1
Jenrick urged rapid progress on Social and Affordable Housing.  However, utility connections can often be the weakest link in the improved efficiency the MMC provides.
Water supply is perhaps the most important item within the critical path of construction and is probably the most difficult to achieve. Imagine a situation where your services can be fully installed prior to moving on site, with surface mounted meters allowing ‘plug and play’ style installation.

With Groundbreaker water management system, you have exactly that ‘plug and play’ option – no need to imagine.
The only system of its type, it is designed to be installed at any time during the construction period.  Fully compliant with Water Regulations, it provides an accessible, safe and secure location for the water meter and controls to a specific property.
The concept is simple.  Water services are connected to an externally mounted, pre-installed water service control.  The pre-installation and certification of plumbing can facilitate early approval of water services to a plot.  This allows flexibility in the management and scheduling of a connection to the water mains supply.
There is no need for boundary boxes or meter housings in the footpath, and this simplification of the connection allows for improved efficiency and reduces the time required for highway closures.  An added benefit of removing meter housing from the footpath is that there is no disruption to the footpath, so no reinstatement costs.
Using Technology to Future Proof Housing stock
It is good to see that Jenrick has recognised the need to embrace new technology, to future proof housing stock. Utility companies have not been slow in recognising the benefits of a ‘Smart Home’.  The ability to interrogate and manage energy usage at any given time of day or night has been recognised as an effective way for householders to reduce usage and manage costs
Gas and electricity meters located on external building walls have enabled easy upgrades and introduction of countrywide ‘Smart Meter’ programmes.  However, the traditional location of a water meter in a metal-covered hole in the public highway is not conducive to this new way of thinking. A ‘Smart Water Meter’ located in such a situation is exceedingly poor in transmitting a signal even to a local pick up. With Groundbreaker water management system, ‘Smart Water Meter’ technology can be easily installed, as it is introduced across the UK.  Recent field trials of Groundbreaker have proven that the range of such meters can be over 3Km (2 miles) allowing for remote access and the ability to mange the carbon footprint.

www.groundbreaker.co.uk

_{1.  www.gov.uk/government/speeches/robert-jenricks-speech-to-chartered-institute-of-housing-cih-2020}