Don’t let water be the ‘log jam’ in housing developments

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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

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Modular construction is the future – but is it missing something?

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Nick Gander, founder of Energy Carbon, explains why low-carbon far-infrared heating perfectly complements sustainable modular construction.

When it comes to housing, the UK has its work cut out.

It’s estimated the country needs to be building nearly 350,000 homes every year to meet rising demand – which is a huge step up from where we are at the moment.
We need more housing, more quickly – and that requires the construction sector to become a lot more productive.  But if that wasn’t challenging enough, we have to achieve all that while drastically reducing the built environment’s ecological impact too – both in terms of the construction process, and buildings’ carbon footprints over their lifetime.  That might sound like an impossible square to circle, especially given the rapidly shortening time we have to do it in. It’s only thirty years until 2050, by which time the UK’s committed to reaching net zero.  But it’s possible we’ve been looking the solution in the face for decades and not realised it.

Modular construction
Modular construction is nothing new. Millions of British people, in fact, grew up in prefabricated housing built after the Second World War.
But thanks to enormous advances in technology, modern modular buildings are a world away from the flimsy prefabs of the past – and offer a quicker, cheaper and much more sustainable alternative to conventional brick-built construction.
Modular construction is green because it tends to produce much less waste, and also because whole buildings can be disassembled and used again if necessary.
However, many modular buildings still aren’t as green as they could be – and that’s because very often how they’re heated gets overlooked.
How green are the green alternatives?
If you take a sustainably-constructed building, then fit it with a heating system that’s not environmentally friendly, you’ve not got a sustainable building any more.
In the decade ahead, we’re likely to see a drastic reduction in the use of worst-offending power sources like coal, oil and gas, and the old-fashioned heating systems that use them.
However, some alternatives that look very green on the surface aren’t anywhere near as sustainable as they seem once you start digging a little deeper.
Air-source heat pump technology is often presented as the future of heating, but it’s got significant downsides – they’re very expensive, require specialist technicians to install and maintain, have short lifespans, and in some cases the refrigerant they use can itself contribute to global warming.

 

 

Far-infrared
A much better solution – and one that’s very in keeping with the speed and ease of modular construction – is far-infrared.
Infrared radiation is produced by the sun. It’s measured in microns, with ‘near’ infrared sitting between 0.76 and 1.56 microns, ‘mid’ infrared measuring between 1.5 and 4 microns, and anything above 4 microns classed as far-infrared.
Between 8 and 10 microns, to be precise, is the most beneficial to the human body – and it’s exactly this sort of infra-red radiation that the products we supply at Energy Carbon provide.
Fit it … Forget it
Traditional heating systems work on a convection system. Radiators or electric storage heaters draw cold air from the floor, and heat it so that it rises to the ceiling, where it cools, falls to the floor and the process continues in a loop – which can result in poor air quality, as dust particles rise.
Convection can be slow, expensive, and, often, totally ineffective – all you have to do is open the front door, and the heat escapes, taking you right back to square one.  This mix of hot and cold air can also create moisture that causes mould and mildew, and, more importantly, health issues for occupants.
Far-infrared heating is different. Far-infrared does not create moisture as it is not heating the air. The radiant heat warms objects in the room instead of the air itself.
The objects in turn release their own heat, and the room is kept at a far more even, comfortable temperature. With no convection roll, you get a dramatic drop in the amount of dust particles and or mould, which can alleviate allergen-induced asthma.
Additionally, occupants ‘feel’ the energy themselves, much the same as they feel the warmth from the sun. This feeling of warmth allows the heating to run at around 1-2 degrees lower than conventional heating, thus saving further energy.
The far-infrared solution Energy Carbon provides was originally developed by students at the University of Stuttgart.
They had worked for six years trying to create an energy-efficient heating system which was effective, easy to install, and completely safe.
Using industry waste materials, the students engineered a far-infrared heating system which is sustainable, had great carbon-reducing credentials, and produced radiant heat which could travel up to three and a half metres.
The technology is now widely used across Germany, and over 100,000 linear metres of it have been fitted to date.

What’s more, where alternatives need extra skilled trades and engineers to install and maintain, our heating products are incredibly simple to install into the walls or ceilings of a room, using existing trades and requiring no ongoing yearly maintenance.
Fit it … Forget it.

In short, we think far-infrared is the future of heating in modular construction – and if you’d like to learn more, get in touch with Energy Carbon today.

Call 0203 507 1659,

or email hello@energycarbon.co.uk

www.energycarbon.co.uk

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The Combi-SC – a good move for Autovol

Increasing space availability, improving safety and speeding up the transportation of products onsite can be a challenge for modular construction companies, particularly in light of the extremely oversized and bulky loads that the sector typically deals with.

A new US company has solved this issue by using a Combi-SC Straddle Carrier from the Irish handling specialist Combilift. Idaho-based Autovol Inc. is breaking new ground as the first fully automated volumetric modular factory in the USA, and the most advanced of its kind across the globe.

Merrick Macomber, EA to CEO and Co-Founder of Autovol says: “For decades, our industry has traditionally used a combination of a tractor unit and a custom built lifting chassis to move modules,” said Merrick, “but we decided to take an updated approach to handling procedures. Since we started production a few months ago, the Combi-SC has proved to do everything the manufacturers promised. Out of all of the new equipment we bought for our new factory, it was by far our best investment. It has substantially cut loading times, reduced the risk of product damage and improved the deployment of the labour force.”

 

 

Autovol’s Combi-SC is diesel powered with a lift capacity of 45 tonnes, with a 1.8m telescopic facility and .5m side shift. Compared to the tractor/chassis method the time savings are impressive: navigating a modular from the factory to trailer previously involved four to six personnel and took up to two hours. This can now be done in a maximum of 20 minutes and requires just one operative to steer the Combi-SC using the wireless remote-control facility. Various lift points on each side of the fixed frame attachment enable drop chains to be fixed in the most suitable position for each individual load, allowing easy configuration for the different sizes of modules that Autovol produce – which can be up to 30.5m long and almost 5m wide.

“Our Combi-SC has made a significant contribution to enabling our breakthroughs in construction cost, productivity, and quality”, said Merrick.

www.combilft.com

https://autovol.com

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Digitalisation as an Enabler to Scale & Leverage Productivity

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The landscape of the UK’s offsite sector has become increasingly populated over the last few years with many new entrants – mostly concentrated on residential development – joining a host of longer-established players. These new entrants are embracing business models based on the manufacture of volumetric modular residential product, rather than other forms of offsite solution such as panellised product. The investment profile of these new entrants suggests that the success or otherwise of their business models directly relates to an ability to operate at scale and achieve high levels of productivity. A recent report1 has highlighted that investment in technology as well as facilities and equipment is key to securing such lofty ambition, particularly emphasising the importance of digitalisation of both product and process.

Building Information Modelling or Digital Engineering

Digitalisation and the power of data-centricity across the wider construction industry is somewhat misunderstood. Most often, parties tend to think that the creation of 3-D models using common software platforms in order that information can be easily shared and the likes of clash detection carried out constitutes all that is required for the building of an information model. Indeed, over the last 10-15 years, new roles such as BIM Manager and BIM Coordinator have emerged across the industry which tend to reflect this limited understanding. Yet the creation of a geometric digital twin in a virtual modelling environment does not really constitute the building of an information model that digitally captures both the product and the process needed to be executed to create the physical entity.
The newer entrants to offsite who are focused on the manufacture of volumetric modular product for the residential sector appear to lack understanding of digitalisation and the power of data-centricity. For such manufacturing-based enterprises, it is not to say that their utilisation of sophisticated software to foster collaborative working to help the efficient development of a geometric digital twin is not beneficial, rather that in itself it is not adequate for the purpose of facilitating scalability and high levels of productivity.
So, returning to the report1 referred to previously, the digitalisation (or digital engineering) of product and process implies a more wide ranging set of activities than just the collaborative development of a geometric digital twin. Whether these enterprises have implemented rigid manufacturing workflow to support the production of a limited range of standard product, or a more flexible manufacturing workflow to support production of mass-customised products, a data-centric logic which facilitates control of the value chain and supports data-driven decision making is a pre-requisite to success. Plainly, an expansive notion of digitalisation and the power of data-centricity reflects something more than the simple idea of building information modelling, and whilst not widely appreciated it really does hold the key to an enterprise realising scale and high levels of productivity.

Data as the New Oil
In order to comprehend the power of data-centricity, enterprises must secure a deep understanding of what data it needs and how it must flow to efficiently operate, and also how data should be authored, configured, manipulated and managed. Most enterprises do not invest the time and effort to secure the necessary insight regarding data creation and flow. Without this understanding, they are unable to determine the nature of the technology platform needed to support the effective digital engineering of product and process. As a result, they typically default to a technology strategy incorporating a set of software packages which cannot be fully integrated, and so ultimately thwart the enterprise’s ability to exploit the power of data. Furthermore, these enterprises tend to recruit resource into their businesses which reflect the conventional skill sets mentioned earlier, which further limits the enterprise’s potential digital engineering and data-centricity prowess.
Of course, for those construction and offsite enterprises who have made relatively low levels of investment to help harness data, such a technology strategy might not be overly constraining because their direct competition might operate in a similar way realising similar mediocre levels of performance. However, for those newer enterprises that will be manufacturing volumetric modular product for the residential sector and who possess an appetite to operate at scale and leverage productivity, it is likely these will encounter serious challenges and such a technology strategy will ultimately prove to represent a weak link.
As was the case when oil was first discovered, the true power of data is still largely unknown. This is not necessarily a criticism, rather just a statement of reality; and if something does not appear to be a problem then resource is not usually allocated to resolving it. And yet, for a manufacturing-based enterprise that wants to operate at scale and with high levels of productivity, a data-centric focus is imperative.
Accordingly, whilst there is additional investment involved in acquiring the necessary talent into a business and affording the same the time to evolve the appropriate process logic and identify the associated technology platform to fully secure control of the value chain and facilitate data-driven decision making, the long-term benefits are enormous. This requirement for investment can be perceived as a leap of faith compared to capital expenditure on machinery, because the power of data-centricity is not readily understood, and often technology projects fail to get delivered. Nonetheless, the infographic on the left contains some examples of the sort of automated data capture / flow that are required in an enterprise that aspires to be a profitable, high-volume manufacturer of volumetric modular product for the residential sector.

The Need for Discretisation of Data
The power of data-centricity can only be realised if an enterprise has a true, granular understanding of what data is important, what format it needs to be presented in, which resource needs what portions, and what point in time it requires to be created. An enterprise must seek to understand what data it needs and how it must flow to efficiently operate, and crucially how the same should be authored, configured, manipulated and managed. It is only when an enterprise develops a profound insight that it can also start to consider how the authoring, configuring, manipulating and managing of data can be automated. Indeed, for those newer entrants to the offsite sector who want to operate at scale and achieve high levels of productivity, one option often used to compensate for not comprehending the power of data-centricity is to simply employ more resource. Given the fragmented, skills-scarce climate that such businesses might currently be operating in, this sort of compensatory mechanism ultimately remains a limiting factor to achieving scale and high levels of productivity. The rationale behind this is straightforward enough: the skill sets of many of the sorts of people operating across the construction and offsite sectors are not sufficiently broad to properly understand the full idea that lies behind digitalisation. Whilst some of these enterprises might have a fairly advanced understanding of what to build, they are characteristically lacking in terms of their understanding of how something should be built.
The true power of data-centricity can only be realised if data is discretised, that is the packets  of data that are shared between two actors (e.g., from person-to-person, or person-to-machine) only contain information that is relevant to that particular transaction. Any exchange of data which involves surplus, superfluous, imprecise or erroneous information only gives rise to inefficient working because process time is wasted stripping out the unnecessary components of the communication and validating that the remainder is adequate and accurate to facilitate processing. Furthermore, it is crucial to comprehend the importance of data purity and data integrity, so it is essential to create process logic that affords management and maintenance of data sets to avert risk of data pollution. Where data is discretised, such process logic is easier to identify and implement because the size of data packets can be configured to be easier to handle.  So, any offsite providers that can secure control of the value chain and facilitate data-driven decisions is likely to become a sector lead. To summarise, the value to any enterprise of acquiring a granular understanding of the power of data-centricity, including what data is important and how it must flow, is the essence of digitalisation and it is this knowledge that will enable scale and realisation of high levels of productivity.

 

1McKinsey & Company “The next normal In construction – How disruption is reshaping the world’s Largest ecosystem” June 2020

www.berkeleygroup.co.uk

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Coronavirus Free Wall Linings

 Safe, Sustainable Fibreboard by Sundeala

Independent tests performed by an ISO 17025 compliant laboratory show that Sundeala FR board is 100% free from viable virus within 5 minutes of infection with human coronavirus.

Sundeala fibreboard has helped Britain face its share of national emergencies. Sundeala board was used in the construction of the very first ‘Nightingale Hospital’ comprised of hundreds of Red Cross Huts behind Netley Hospital during the First World War and, in 2020, it has joined the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sundeala FR is an inherently fire-resistant fibreboard comprised of recycled paper fibres and natural metallic minerals.
Studies indicate that coronavirus remains viable on porous surfaces and in the presence of some metallic minerals for far shorter periods than hard, smooth surfaces and that the presence of some metallic minerals has a destructive effect on virus particulates.
Sundeala Ltd approached Indoor Biotechnologies – a global immunodiagnostics and biotechnology company, specialising in the development of innovative products and services in the areas of Immunological and Environmental Sciences. Indoor Biotechnologies formulated a methodology designed to robustly test both the surface and fibres of Sundeala FR to determine how long coronavirus was detectable after the point of infection.

 

The Test
ISO 17025 compliant methodology was used to test multiple separate samples of Sundeala FR board. Tests were done on multiple days and with multiple sets of samples to ensure the testing was scientifically meaningful.
Testing was performed with Human Coronavirus 229E as the closest in behaviour to SARS CoV-2 as well as being the strain proven in previous studies to have the longest persistence on surfaces and be the most difficult to destroy. Virus samples were cultured in cells derived from human lung tissue.
Testing was performed both on the board surface and within the board itself to test the point at which it became safe to touch as well as when it became safe to cut or sand.
The Results
After tests performed at 4 hours and 1 hour showed that no viable virus remained on the board samples, further tests were carried out at 5, 15, and 30-minute time points.
The results were conclusive: within 5 minutes of infection with a large viral load, there was zero viable virus persisting either on the surface or within the Sundeala FR board itself.
The Impact
As the economy struggles for recovery amidst local lockdowns, the construction industry is being called on to navigate the waters of the ‘new normal’ with a new set of safety considerations around reducing the transmission of coronavirus.
A new study from Australia shows that coronavirus can persist on some non-porous surfaces, such as glass and stainless steel, for as long as 28 days, raising serious concern about high-touch surfaces such as metal door plates.
The efficacy of Sundeala FR against potential viral transmission is game changing for public health where Sundeala FR is being used throughout schools, universities and offices as door push-plates, social distancing screens and wall cladding in high-footfall circulation spaces. It also a welcome antidote to the ‘Plastic Pandemic’ that has seen the use of imported virgin plastic escalate on a previously unimaginable scale during Covid-19. Sundeala FR is manufactured in the UK from 100% UK sourced ‘waste’ cellulose fibres that would otherwise end up in landfill.
The need for fast, disruption free and, above all, safe construction has never been more pressing. Sundeala FR is manufactured in the UK and can be delivered on a ‘just in time’ basis to be installed during offsite fabrication, either as 2400 x 1200mm sheets or cut to size as required.
Benefits:
•  100% free from human coronavirus within 5 minutes of infection both on the surface and inside the board itself.
• Fully circular product manufactured from recycled waste materials and able to be endlessly re-manufactured into new board at the end of life.
•  Made from natural cellulose fibres and metallic minerals.
•  Wet-process fibreboard utilising hydrocarbon bonding for strength. Zero use of chemical binders or VOCs in the production process.
•  BS EN 13501-1 Class B Fire Rated: suitable for use as a wall lining in circulation spaces, corridors, and high-risk rooms such as science labs and kitchens.
• 25-year surface warranty

www.sundeala.co.uk

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Making the most of your digital assets

~ Potential applications of digital twins ~

 

Peter Barker, managing director at BIM academy

Demand for high-quality housing and public infrastructure is continuing to rise in the UK. While the construction industry wants to deliver new buildings quickly, it must also take measures to construct new and retrofit existing buildings effectively and sustainably. Embracing digital technology is one way to make these improvements. Here Peter Barker, managing director at BIM academy and contributor to built environment event Futurebuild, explores some potential applications of digital twins in construction.

 Many design and construction companies now use digital tools to find a more accurate, cost-efficient and sustainable way of working. Building Information Modelling (BIM), for example, has played a vital role in digitising the built environment and has changed the way that the sector interacts with data. Now, project managers are exploring how digital twins can further improve the design, operation and evaluation of buildings.

Planning

Traditionally, architects have used 2D models to collaborate on designs and communicate them to stakeholders. However, it can be difficult to clearly visualise the final building in 2D format and misunderstandings and design errors may result, increasing the time and budget required to complete the project.

 

BIM is now widely used by architects to create 3D geometric models of buildings during the design phase, with embedded data on the buildings properties and performance. Architects can use this model to communicate their interpretation of a brief to a client. At a glance, clients can see the entire configuration of the space, as well as factors such as material quality, estimated performance and anticipated budget.

 

 

While BIM creates the digital information required to create the model, architects can now build digital twins to dynamically link their designs to physical assets. Using the two concepts allows architects to rapidly and reliably test designs to ensure that all parties are happy with the design and fix any errors before construction begins, reducing waste and costs. Creating a digital twin can also be useful during retrofit projects to test simulations of new ideas and find the optimal materials and processes before investing further into the renovation project.

 

Prediction

Digital construction technologies can also improve how occupants use and maintain buildings. Effective preventative maintenance in larger buildings, such as office blocks, hospitals or other public buildings, relies on early involvement of an informed and engaged building management team that knows what information they need from architects and contractors about assets and systems.

 

Instead of relying entirely on traditional information such as manuals, sharing BIM and digital twin data with the client gives operators the information they need at their fingertips so that they can be more proactive. They can collect and analyse real-time data about assets and measure their performance. So, when parts of the building are nearing the end of their intended lifespan, building management teams can plan effectively for repair or replacement work.

 

Performance

Architects will often determine target performance requirements of a building right at the beginning of a project. Before BIM and digital twins, it was difficult to measure actual performance against predictions. Evaluating asset performance and occupancy often required anecdotal information from clients, which can be subjective and less accurate.

 

Now, digital tools can help us to understand much more about buildings once they’re complete. Embedding sensors into a building and connecting them to the digital twin can help clients and the industry gather unbiased and key performance data about the building.

 

Sensors can gather data such as environmental conditions, energy usage, how well products perform, how clients use the space and even the wellbeing of the occupants. For example, sensors may detect that some rooms in a large building are only used for ten per cent of the day — so building management may want to change the function of that space to use it more effectively.

 

A 2019 report from the Committee on Climate Change identified that UK buildings are not fit for the future. We must build and retrofit millions of homes and buildings to improve their quality while also reducing emissions. The more data we collect about our buildings with BIM and digital twins, the better we can evaluate their performance and make improvements.

 

Futurebuild’s Digital Impact spotlight offers a platform for existing and emerging digital technologies in the built environment. If you’ve developed a disruptive and innovative technology, we want to showcase it. Register your interest to exhibit here.

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MARBLE-MOSAICS WITH MARMOX MULTIBOARDS

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MARMOX MULTIBOARDS CARRY MARBLE-MOSAICS ACROSS CINQUE PORT SELF-BUILD

A strikingly modern residential property in one of Kent’s most famous coastal towns is making articulate use of Marmox Multiboards as part of its cladding solution, around both the inside of an elevated balcony terrace, as well as across the main entrance elevation.

The 3600 sq. ft. four-bedroom self-build on Cliff Road in Hythe – one of the country’s historic Cinque Ports – has been constructed for Gerald Glover using a high performance SIP system to create a series of rectangular elements, stepping down the steeply sloping site; with natural, Multicolour Slate Split Face slips, other cladding materials surrounding the runs of triple glazing.

Following an initial on-line search and consultations with the Marmox technical sales team, he opted to use 35 of their 12.5mm thick boards direct from the manufacturer, together with Marmox 360 adhesive, jointing tape and special metal washers which combine with the fixing screws.

Gerald commented: “We originally gained planning permission for the house in 2015 and then spent a lengthy period in consultation with our engineer, specialist piling company GeMech and Mather & Smith Steelworks in regards to the topography of the site, it’s stability and the best and most economical way to achieve a supporting above ground structure of the OSB faced SIPS panels to work off. Completion is set for early 2021.

We didn’t want the building to look ultra modern in the setting so have gone for a mix of exterior finishes, including multi-coloured stone slips from Marble Mosaics and the dark coloured Rockpanel Uni cladding panels which surround the main balcony. With the guidance of our consultant, OSG Architecture, we started searching for a cement particle or other suitable substrate board, before coming across Marmox Multiboard on the internet.”

“Given the elevated coastal position the boards had to be fully waterproof, while we also needed them to comply with fire regulations for exterior cladding use, but the lightness of Multiboard – enabling you to install large sections without difficulty – as well as the ease of cutting and fixing, were all additional attractions. We are now planning to use up the boards we have left over for fitting out the four en-suites, wherever there are areas of tiling or wet room situations. Multiboard is a very versatile product.”

Externally the Multiboards are being fixed over a breathable membrane and timber battens at 300 mm centres with the use of the special Marmox sealant, jointing tape and washers ensuring the creation of a watertight surface.

 

Marmox Multiboards are manufactured from extruded polystyrene or XPS encapsulated in reinforced polymer concrete, in a range of thicknesses up to 60mm and offer a variety of positive physical characteristics in addition to being fully waterproof. They are both light to handle and easy to cut, while still being able to sustain substantial loadings if required, such as for flooring applications. They further offer good thermal insulation performance, helping to cut condensation risk.

 

 www.marmox.co.uk

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Rapid Ramp – Modular Ramps & Steps

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Rapid Ramp, the UK’s leading modular ramp and step manufacturer continue to offer a nationwide supply and installation service.

Their modular products are off the shelf systems, available from stock with fast service and construction.

With a fully reusable and adjustable design, the products can fit various sized spaces and buildings. Plus, they can fully comply with Building Regulations.

Installations remain flexible and organised around the specific needs of each project, and existing wooden ramps can be dismantled and replaced.

An in-house designer creates 3D drawings with each quotation, and site surveys can be arranged.

 

 School Access Ramps & Steps

 

Unlike wooden ramps and steps that will burn if exposed to fire, the Rapid Ramp system is non-combustible and can fully comply with building regulations.

Installations remain flexible with fitters often working during the holidays to accommodate around the teaching timetable. Plus, fitters can dismantle and remove existing wooden ramps.

 

 

Contact details:  E: sales@rapidramp.co.uk  –  T: 01424 714646  –  W: www.rapidramp.co.uk

 

 

 

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EU Construction Workers – Guidance

The Construction Leadership Council has published guidance on the movement of people and workers into the UK in respect of the expiration of the transition period with the European Union at the end of the year.

The guidance offers an overview of the new points-based immigration system, the Common Travel Area (CTA), the skilled worker route, the shortage occupation list, how to become a licensed sponsor, the rights of EU, EEA and Swiss migrants, the mutual recognition of professional qualifications and the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) as well as useful links and resources. It is appropriate for all businesses across the industry and along the supply chain.

The guidance has been issued by the Movement of People Workstream of the CLC BREXIT Working Group and comprises the second publication in a suite of business readiness advice that the group intends to publish ahead of 31 December 2020.

You can access the guide here

 

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SUCCESS DESPITE COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a range of challenges to a range of professions. In London’s Notting Hill, the talented team at Adams+Collingwood Architects managed to work within the constantly shifting framework of COVID safety advice to deliver an outstanding renovation project on time and in budget, just in time for the owners to repatriate from Cyprus.

The Notting Hill renovation saw Adams+Collingwood work within the property’s existing footprint in order to convert it from a 1,600 sq ft residence to one of 1,800 sq ft. By carefully juggling the provisional sums, the team managed to keep the job to the contract budget, and not a penny more, despite the unique challenges that the pandemic posed.

“We’re used to working to tight deadlines and budgets, but having a nationwide lockdown thrown into the mix mid-project really tested our creativity. To delay wasn’t an option, as the owners had their move back from Cyprus planned, so we had to work resourcefully within the limits of the restrictions that were in place.”

Tamsin Bryant, Adams+Collingwood Architects

 

Adams+Collingwood redesigned the upper elements of the building to allow for a 15% increase in its useable net internal area. That meant rearranging the staircase and replacing the roof with a steeper mansard.  Doing so meant gaining full height over the majority of the second floor creating enough space for two generous double bedrooms, an en-suite and a family bathroom.

The new fold in the roof opened up the previously eaves-constrained top floor, while reconfiguring the stairs delivered enough space for an extra two metres in the living room and an en-suite for the first-floor bedroom.   COVID considerations applied to everything from materials to working patterns. All meetings with the clients were held via video call, as were site meetings to discuss project progress and developments.  To comply with social distancing requirements, the contractor introduced a rota for his team, so that they could work in shifts.

One of the main issues was the joinery, all of which was due to be made by an Italian company. When that company closed its doors for the Italian lockdown, Adams+Collingwood had to urgently tweak the design. Their changes allowed for a London-based carpenter to come on board instead, building the joinery on site in order to avoid any delays related to ordering and importing items from overseas.

“There was definitely an element of having to adjust as we went along – more so than you would usually expect from a project of this nature.  “But we didn’t let that daunt us – the focus throughout was on delivering the additional space that they needed without compromising either timescales or budget. Ultimately, it was a very efficient project, despite the COVID-related challenges.”

 Tamsin Bryant, Adams+Collingwood Architects

 

 

 

Through a combination of hard work, ingenuity and a proactive approach, Adams+Collingwood were delighted to be able to welcome the owners back to their new home on schedule in June 2020. The couple had originally bought the property in June 2019, meaning that the whole process of renovating and adding a new roof – including pre-app, planning, party wall agreements and construction – was completed in a single year.

 

For more information, visit www.adamscollingwood.com or call +44 (0)20 8735 5350.

 

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