Latest innovations and products in the offsite sections of the construction industry.

Innovative offsite designs that shatter all perceptions

It is now widely accepted within the industry that off-site construction can provide high quality, fast and disruption free buildings that rival more traditional construction. But can they provide design led innovative buildings or is this still an area of compromise when you decide to build off site?

When asked, Rachel Davis, Business Development Director, said ‘With Premier Modular the answer is NO, we never compromise. What we bring to the market are design solutions that push past the normal modular limitations. Sloped roofs that can create ceilings heights over 5m and incorporate north lights to bring daylight and ventilation to areas that would otherwise be inaccessible. Floor to ceiling windows and curtain walling to give a light and airy feel and roof top ball courts and play areas to make the best use of tight sites in city environments’.

Each project is solution focused, Premier Modular Ltd takes the opportunity to ‘think outside the box’ and move forwards with each building they produce, every endeavour breeds innovation.

Inner City Constraints

Premier Modular Ltd recently delivered a scheme in Westminster, London, acting as the main contractor. Premier worked with the client design team to ensure that 75% of the building could be built offsite due to the restricted inner city residential site.

The project was a four storey community scheme, incorporating a nursery, staggered to create roof top play areas with laser cut steel panel/ glass balustrades and green roof outers. The laser cut panels were also replicated as Juliet balconies and external stair cladding. Another design feature was the double height sports hall with large floor level and high level windows. The building also had many sustainability features built in to achieve London Plan and BREEAM Excellent.

There were several key areas as well as the design which contributed to this complex project, removal of asbestos during the demolition phase, piled foundations working over the London Underground system and road closures. Premier’s skilled project management team worked with the local police, client bodies and the local communities to minimise disruption to the local residents.

Unique Places to Learn

Premier Modular Ltd working as a specialist subcontractor to Conlon Construction are currently building a new Free School in Manchester, New Islington School. This will be a new home for 420 children and is due to open for the September term 2016.

Premier worked with their architectural partners Vaughan Architecture & Design to create this visually stunning building with angular external walls, a feature entrance with oversailing roof, picture windows, a lightwell running the full length of the building bringing light from roof to ground floor and an external cladding panel giving the school a very modern finish. The building also includes a roof-top teaching space to maximise the space available on site and an external play area linked to the building. Sustainable and wildlife features were also included such as PV panels, bird and bat boxes and a Redstart habitat was created on the roof.

The New Islington School values are Creative, Innovative & Unique. These fit well with Premier’s own values and have certainly been captured in the new school building.

Rachel Davis, Business Development Director at Premier Modular said ‘The client is at the centre of everything we do, we feel that having the right environment around us as we work, learn and live can inspire us, support us and motivate us therefore making our schools the best place to learn is essential’

‘Giving children and teachers a quality environment with all the spaces required to teach and learn makes them feel valued and builds confidence. An inspired, confident and motivated culture breeds; Therefore creating inspiring buildings which teachers, students and the surrounding community can be proud of will take our education forwards maintaining it as one of the best in the world’

So at a time where an increased rate of build is required, budgets have been cut and there is a squeeze on available space, Premier Modular has firmly proved that design doesn’t have to take a back seat.

For more information please visit www.premiermodular.co.uk.
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Offsite given wings

Juliet Woodcock looks at a new concept surrounding modern methods of construction.

It has long been accepted that manufacturing construction elements in the factory environment is safer, ensures higher quality end products with reduced wastage and can help meet tight deadlines, as well as getting around the problem of the skills shortage we are still experiencing post-recession.

But, as with every good idea, there is always someone who will take it one step further: on a large building contract, why not take the factory to the site? Indeed, a project funded through the Technology Strategy Board’s Low Impact Buildings Innovation Platform has undertaken a fundamental rethink of building processes, developing ‘flying factories.’

Led by Skanska, the project involves partners from Modcell, the University of Reading, The South West Manufacturing Advisory Service and the Building Research Establishment. Together they have developed the system of ‘near-site’ manufacture using modern flying factories.

To develop the technique and secure funding, Skanska’s Innovation Centre put together a research consortium of external organizations. Inspiration was taken from the offsite fabrication of May Park School in Bristol.

Combined with virtual-reality-enabled supply chain management and process improvement, the system provides a 28 per cent reduction in cost per square metre and 30 per cent shorter programmes, delivering higher quality and a more predictable build.

The concept was used to assemble wall panels for Glenfrome School in Bristol, enabling a building extension to be completed in just six weeks during the summer holiday.

It was then successfully applied to the SRW engineering services project for the Battersea Power Station Development phase one, where 550 ‘utility cupboards’ have been created for residential use. Significant cost and programme savings have been recorded for both projects; for the Battersea scheme, cost and time savings of 44 per cent were achieved.

If the Government is to reach its 2025 construction targets of 33 per cent reduction in building costs and 50 per cent faster delivery, plus 50 per cent lower emissions, then near site factories could offer a significant part of the solution.

Manufacturing components offsite, but close to the location for erection or installation helps to deliver many efficiencies:

  • Faster onsite installation
  • Minimal quality defects and associated waste
  • Optimized transport solutions to reduce costs
  • Overall reduction in operational and embodied carbon
  • Safer working environments for personnel
  • More likely to meet programme deliverables and reduce commercial risk
  • Avoiding the problems of poor weather

Speaking exclusively to MMC Magazine, Sam Stacey, Head of Innovation for Skanska commented: “The concept of flying factories is that they are temporary and flexible so that they probably need to be located within 25 miles of the site where buildings will be located: so we will either be looking at rented warehouse space; or possibly temporary hire structures erected on hard-standing. Good road connections with the final site are essential.

“It will also mean taking on labour on a temporary basis which, although it has not proved a problem to date, it does require us to get people up to speed quickly in order to maximize the benefits. The approach then is to simplify the process as much as possible, possibly taking steps out of the assembly process; and as much as possible making it like assembling a piece of furniture.

“At present the design supply chain is not well established to facilitate this type of working, but we will look to use templates where we can while the advent of Building Information Modelling (BIM) also offers a good basis for progress and I believe we can benefit with 3-D modelling, as well as what we term ‘virtual rehearsals’. There is a degree to which we will have to be responsive to each type of assembly we have to work with. ”

Apparently Sam Stacey’s team includes software specialists adept at working with virtual reality and they have already been experimenting with the Oculus type gaming helmets: making it possible to walk through some of the building prototypes currently being planned. This type of advancement could soon put the technology underpinning flying factories on an even footing with the automotive and other high tech industries.

“I think this type of technology will be enormously helpful for those involved,” continued Sam Stacey, “To experience what we are proposing to build, including the construction sequence, and identifying any gaps in the design, or something we can improve in the process. It will be applicable to anything that can be produced as a pod: kitchens, bathrooms or the utility cupboards we have been producing for a residential development in Battersea – packed with the M & E equipment.

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“With flying factories you ae not tied into big overheads or high transport costs; and you are adapting the factory to exactly your needs at the time, so the concept is opening up the potential for a massive increase in the amount of offsite fabrication across the country,

“ It is also a good environment to ‘tag and track’ all the components with RFID (Radio Frequency Identity) tags which then facilitate quality checks and carry out condition monitoring to support condition based maintenance of moving and rotating machinery; particularly pumps.”

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Back in July, Skanska was additionally awarded £700,000 to develop construction robots, to be used to carry out several tasks, including cutting, drilling and fixing on site. The funding was awarded by Innovate UK and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) as part of their collaborative R&D programme; and it is expected that these robots will also be used in flying factories to further speed up the build process.

Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board, said of the flying factory notion: “The work we are funding will encourage the UK construction industry to undertake a fundamental rethink of current ways of working and enable businesses to explore potential commercial opportunities created by novel design, procurement and construction processes.”

While capital investments are greatly reduced by rented space for flying factories, the pilots did reveal that the break in continuity of production could be an issue; which automation might overcome. Other lessons learned were that there needs to be an increased control over the start-up phase regarding decision making, early decisions and involvement of expertise, as well as increased control over the design and production process.

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Value Engineering – What is it all about?

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As the construction industry strives to provide the optimum building solution, just how can companies today differentiate themselves and ensure they are offering best value?

Steve Thompson, Managing Director of light steel frame manufacturer, EOS Facades explains how they are using value engineering and Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) to meet the demands of today’s construction industry.

Value Engineering – What is it?

Today’s customers are savvier, more commercially aware and they expect more for their money. As manufacturers and service providers, we need to react and meet this demand, or risk losing out.

But before we can do this, we need to understand what value really is.

Assessing best value depends on the objectives set – speed of construction, build costs or the development of a sustainable, energy efficient building – or perhaps a combination of all.

Adopting a ‘one system fits all approach’ will not necessarily deliver best value. It is not about economies of scale but it is about an optimised approach – working with the client to select the right solution, at the right price, to deliver the right performance.

Adding Value: Design for Manufacture and Assembly

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As a manufacturer of steel solutions, EOS Facades take full advantage of offsite manufacturing techniques by adhering to Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) protocols. DfMA is now recognised as the foundation for concurrent engineering processes to streamline and fully optimise the structure. The process aids the building design process and helps to identify, quantify and eliminate waste or inefficiency where possible.

At EOS Facades we pride ourselves on driving quality through precision manufacturing whilst delivering accurate results on time and on budget.

We have taken steps to ensure that DfMA is integrated throughout the design and manufacturing process. We have made considerable investment in developing technology to aide specification and design. We are totally committed to working with our clients on product and service innovations to help them gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace – delivering cost and time efficiencies.

The EOS manufacturing facility is a 40,000 sq ft operation that houses state-of-the-art machinery and technology providing offsite systems and solutions that meet the needs of our customers. Our manufacturing facility is well equipped to cater for the demands of offsite construction and precision engineering. Our sophisticated roll-forming machines have embedded framing technology that enables production of self-jigging framing components that are ready for assembly, eliminating the need to manually cut onsite.

All of our products are manufactured under strict quality management control which is fully compliant with BS EN ISO 9001:2008. Our accredited quality management systems and procedures eradicate onsite variability and ensure life time ‘in service’ performance and durability.

Adding Value: Software and Building Information Modelling

Precision built offsite products require the application of leading-edge technology and contemporary manufacturing processes. We have invested substantially in the latest software and hardware systems in steel frame production. Our systems combine the latest E-Frame technology platform with proven assembly processes, providing fully framed panels that do not require jigging.

Sophisticated software transfers building design information directly to our production plant where we are able to manufacture to accuracies that exceed construction industry norms. Once the panels have been designed using our 3D Tekla modelling software, they are directly uploaded to the roll-forming machines, using a bespoke CAD/CAM interface, where they are produced to exact dimensions using CNC technology. Each stud is identified with an inkjet printer to match the assembly drawing and every frame has an identification label attached. This identifies the project, frame number, order number and site location on the GA site drawings so they can be positioned quickly to their onsite location.

Adding Value: Product

Product quality is essential. EOS only use minimum S390Nmm2 G275gsm steel (higher grades and coatings on request). By only using steel with a protective coating and design detailing that eliminates prolonged exposure, EOS are confident in the durability of our systems. Research has shown in these conditions coated steel has a potential life of over 1,000 years.

The team at EOS support key industry standards and strive to exceed expectations on reliability and delivery. All of our products are manufactured to rigorous quality standards which are fully compliant with the Construction Products Regulations – EN 1090-1: 2009 + AL: 2011. Our quality management systems are BS EN ISO 9001: 2008 registered.

Adding Value: Cost

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We offer all-inclusive fixed price packages that are uniquely supplied with proprietary brackets and fixings required. All Double Studs/Opening Jambs/Lintels and Sills will be dispatched from our factory preassembled. This is a flexible service and should you require the product to arrive unassembled, EOS will pre-punch in the factory, ghost assemble and supply, together with all the necessary screws and special drill bits, for assembly and installation onsite.

Adding Value: People

EOS Facades are constantly striving to improve the way we work and the resulting benefits are passed onto our customers. Research & Development is a core focus of our business and it is not just down to one specific team, at EOS everybody is encouraged to put recommendations forward, whether this is a process or an alteration to a product – that way every part of our business can be enhanced.

EOS also offer a total partner solution including application consultancy, structural design support and value engineering, as well as quality manufacturing.

To meet the demands, we need people to make the change happen.

Now the construction industry is starting to recognise the shift in needs of the client, manufacturers must ask themselves, are they well equipped to meet demands or will they risk losing out?

For more information on EOS Facades’ products and services visit: www.eos-facades.co.uk

Adding Value: Knowledge Sharing

In a bid to share their extensive knowledge, EOS Facades are offering a series of CPD sessions, designed to highlight the various light gauge steel solutions available, and explain how these can be applied in real life scenarios.

The hour long seminars will cover a wide range of steel solutions and services including:

  • Cold Formed Sections
  • SFS Infill Systems
  • SFS Onsite Stud and Track
  • SFS Offsite Pre-assembled
  • Other applications – including LBS, Lattices and Cassettes
  • Design
  • Partnering
  • Examples of Best Practice

These CPD sessions could not be more convenient – an EOS Facades technical representative will come directly to you and the seminars are completely free of charge. Get involved and start talking about light gauge steel!

To request your CPD session, simply contact Thomas Elliott, EOS Facades Technical Sales Manager on: Email: thomas@eosuk.org or Telephone: 07528 364 581.

For more information please visit www.eos-facades.co.uk.

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New unitised curtain walling launched by Kawneer

Glazing systems specialist Kawneer expands its curtain wall portfolio.

Today’s safety-conscious and fast-paced construction schedules demand high performance, fast installation, simplified fabrication, superior performance and design flexibility.

The DTI document “Manufacturing for the future” has long pressured the industry to increase awareness of off-site construction and build on the knowledge available across Europe and America.

It clearly highlights that off-site construction should be considered for hotels, hospitals, schools and supermarkets. But in reality, because systems such as unitised curtain walling do not require scaffolding, they are suitable for any site where access is difficult or restricted – in itself a growing phenomenon, with 70% of new-build now on brownfield sites.

With curtain walling being one of the most eye-catching elements of a façade, its evolution from the traditional stick system to a unitised one is perhaps one of the most obvious signs that the Government’s drive off-site is being embraced.

The factory production of unitised curtain walling from leading UK architectural aluminium systems supplier Kawneer gives predictability of time and cost, guarantees quality that reduces problems, delays and snagging on site, and avoids delays caused by adverse weather conditions.

On-site time can also be reduced substantially, saving labour costs and minimising local affects such as noise, dust and traffic congestion. Where there is a shortage of skilled site labour, off-site manufacture ensures high build quality is maintained.

Now Kawneer, which has 50 years of unitised curtain walling expertise, has enhanced its extensive curtain wall portfolio with the launch of a new fast-track dry-glazed unitised system.

The AA®265 incorporates a three-chamber system and overlapping gasket design for optimum weather tightness. Its dry-glazed assembly combined with the use of the same extrusion to all four sides provides both ease of fabrication and the opportunity for effective bar optimisation.

In addition, if access during installation is limited, the AA®265 system can be installed under restrictive working conditions, with the building remaining occupied.

The optimum weathering is achieved by zone-drained pressure equalisation, with the glazing providing a positive weather seal for high performance. The system also features an exclusive high-performance thermal break.

Its slim 65mm sightlines, picture-frame style capping, integral vent option and dual-finish gives specifiers a wide choice of options to create individual and exciting building facades as the AA®265 can accommodate spandrel infill panels of glass, stone and metal up to 50mm.

Adaptable to any new construction project from two storeys upwards, the AA®265 system has been exclusively designed and developed by Kawneer, with installation contracts undertaken in collaboration with its network of authorised dealers.

Kawneer’s unitised range of curtain walling also includes the AA®201 unitised system which suites with the company’s AA®130 Brise Soleil, has 63.5mm sightlines and can accommodate infill panels up to 32mm.

As well as many of the features of its sister AA®265 system, the AA®201 is available with fully-capped and SSG (Structurally Silicone Glazed) options in addition to a horizontal cap with vertical silicone joint, vertical cap with horizontal silicone joint and a range of mullion, transoms and face cap options with 63.5mm sightlines.

Both the AA®265 and AA®201 systems have been tested and certified to the stringent CWCT (Centre for Window and Cladding Technology) Curtain Wall testing standards.

A more detailed guide to the benefits of unitised curtain walling for off-site construction are contained within Kawneer’s RIBA-approved CPD which advises architects and specifiers about the manufacturing process and testing regimes for such systems, how they are different to traditional, “stick” curtain walling and how they are installed.

Kawneer is also able to offer a range of stick curtain walling systems including the AA®100 and AA®110 systems with 50mm and 65mm sightlines respectively. The AA®100 system is also available in a fire-rated version.

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Range of products changing approach to modern methods of residential drainage

A range of products is now proving popular with construction companies looking for innovative and modern methods following its launch earlier this year.

Skeletank is now set to take the UK house construction market by storm, offering a solution to addressing the issues faced by residential builders when designing and installing surface water drainage systems.

Providing innovative sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) designed specifically for residential properties, Skeletank is only available from Hydro Water Management Solutions (Hydro WMS) and is the first modular systems of its type in the UK.

Adhering to the management train laid out in CIRIA C697, Skeletank systems bring with them a host of benefits for residential developers, social housing companies, local authorities and construction companies.

Potential benefits include releasing more land for development; substantial reduction in upfront costs of adoptable networks; improved cash-flow for developers; CDM and Health & Safety benefits and most importantly, the reduction of flood risk.

Director of Hydro WMS Brian Byrne explains further: “Skeletank systems offer ground breaking design benefits to residential drainage schemes, gathering rainwater at source and allowing its controlled release, either naturally back into the environment, or into the sewer network at a manageable rate.

“The systems have been specifically designed to provide flexible solutions to problems that face those building residential property every day. They meet the best-practice requirements of all current SuDS guidance and legislation.”

Providing a more natural approach to managing rainfall, Skeletank is a Surface water drainage system (SuDS) that can deliver provide both infiltration and attenuation. Skeletank solutions are suitable for pervious, impervious and soft-landscaped surfaces making them incredibility flexible in use.

Designed to manage surface water run-off within the grounds of each individual property, the system can return the water to the ground and/or store the water before releasing it in a controlled manner to the mains sewer network, or adjacent watercourses.

This modern method of managing surface water run-off at source can reduce the up-front cost of adoptable networks and provide major cash-flow benefits to developers. It may also be possible to reduce the size of open water features on site, such as ponds, thus allowing more room for more properties on the same sized site.

The main components of Skeletank systems are designed to be installed at a shallow level beneath hardened surfaces with minimal cover. This also proves extremely cost-effective, especially where there are ground issues such as contamination, high water tables or underlying rock layers. This reduced excavation means that the CDM benefits are huge, and staff safety is looked after, which is important in the world of construction.

Brian concluded: “It is an exciting time for Skeletank as more and more home builders are having to look for innovative ways to deal with water and there are now stringent SuDS guidelines to be followed. We not only make life easy, but we offer so many other benefits, that Skeletank is poised to be a market leader used by large and small private and public developers.”

More information about the Skeletank range is available at www.skeletank.co.uk

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Cembrit: across the board coverage

Technical Editor, Bruce Meechan hears from Ged Ferris of Cembrit about the wide selection of board products the manufacturer can offer for internal and external construction applications.

The term one-stop-shop may be over used in the UK building products supply chain, but the range of boards offered by long-established manufacturer, Cembrit can provide specifiers with solutions to every sort of challenge from interior refurbishment and the creation of wet rooms within social housing units, to some of the most daunting logistical demands faced by burgeoning offsite or MMC sector.

The majority of the board options offer not just excellent physical characteristics, but a strong lineage and a long track record of service, both here and on the Continent.
As UK Marketing Manager, Ged Ferris, commented during our interview: “We have the product range to facilitate the needs of everyone from offsite system fabricators to refurbishment specialists and the growing self-build market.

Not just a Five-star range, but a range with five main stars and many product variations: Cembrit’s flat boards encompass all the key performance parameters including moisture resistance, fire resistance and structural strength, as well as providing a versatile substrate for commonly used finishes.

THE RANGE General purpose and specialist requirements solved by Cembrit’s boards

The product within the range which has shown the most rapid growth across the market is PB: a versatile tile backer or render backer board, mainly being used for the refurbishment of bathrooms, it is popular due to its low weight and ease of cutting which facilitates installation, and the robust long term performance. Cembrit has developed a version called Flex which can be fixed down to radii of just 150 mm. Both conventional PB and Flex features polystyrene spherules and an edge reinforcement detail that uses a special fabric allowing butt jointing and fixings close to edges for maximum rigidity. Flex installations might then form a column casing that would be rendered over or covered with a small format mosaic.

Where social housing providers are seeking to fit out full wet rooms for those who might need assistance with personal care, then there is also a Special Performance board which was originally developed for use in places like swimming pools.

The biggest seller still, though in terms of volume is Cempanel which is primarily specified for dry-lining and sheathing: the internal skin to a rainscreen cladding build up. Depending on dimensions, Cempanel can also take racking loads: being produced in thicknesses of 8, 10, 12 and 16 mm. It is also often used as a render carrier in exterior applications.

The FR board can provide up to 120 minutes of fire resistance and is widely specified for soffits in corridors, lift lobbies and other communal areas to buildings where the consideration of escape routes and combating the surface spread of flame are essential.

Ged Ferris added: “We see our board range as being of particular value to manufacturers of modules, pods, timber frame panel systems and other prefabricated solutions. They could even form the face to SIPs (Structural Insulated Panel) systems.

“As well as the merchant stockist, clients can also purchase through ‘optimizers’ – board cutting specialists who supply the exact sizes they need to make our standard product coordinate with elevation widths, window openings and things like flues or other service penetrations. It will also be a real advantage to customers that such a comprehensive selection is available from a single source.”

Responding to market demand, Cembrit is also making its cladding boards available as BIM objects in partnership with its Scandinavian parent company. These can be viewed via the company’s website at www.cembrit.co.uk or by contacting the company’s technical advisory service via email.

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