Archive for category: Building News

The Construction Leadership Council was created with a remit to drive improvement within the construction sector. Since its creation, it has worked to encourage collaboration to build a better industry, and to act as a bridge between the public and private sectors in pursuit of this objective. The challenge of responding to the Covid19 pandemic has emphasised the importance of this, and the necessity of creating a more robust and sustainable industry which can build back better as the UK enters the period of recovery. This is why the CLC, through its own members and also through its wider links with the industry, has collaborated and supported the combined efforts of the Cabinet Office and Infrastructure & Projects Authority, with input from across the public sector, to develop and publish the Construction Playbook, and to endorse its aim of creating a more strategic relationship between Government and the construction sector.

Government Departments, other public bodies and the wider public sector represent key construction clients, investing in nationally significant infrastructure projects, capital programmes such as those in education and healthcare, projects that improve our cities and towns, and supporting the delivery of new homes. This spectrum of activity across the sector means the public sector has the potential to drive industry transformation, and how it approaches the development and delivery of construction can provide a powerful impetus for changes in industry practice and culture that extends beyond the projects it funds directly.

That is why the publication of the Construction Playbook is significant. It aims to embed a new approach to the procurement and delivery of construction projects and programmes, which is more collaborative, engages the whole supply chain, encourages investment in innovation and skills, and supports a more sustainable, resilient and profitable industry, capable of delivering higher-quality, safer and better performing built assets for its clients. It will create the foundation for a new approach to construction, where we can utilise digital and offsite manufacturing technologies to increase the capability of the industry, and accelerate the delivery of built assets.

It will also aim to deliver a better and fairer industry, with stronger and more open relationships between the industry and its clients, fewer disputes, and more equitable contractual terms, that ensure prompt and fair payment and a balanced allocation of risk, where these are managed by the organisation best placed to do so. Finally, it will help ensure that investment in construction projects creates the greatest economic, social and environmental value possible, and contributes to the delivery of strategic policy objectives such as our legal obligation to achieve net zero carbon by 2050 and levelling up across the UK.

These goals are our goals at the CLC. We share the Government’s desire to improve performance through new ways of working. But publishing the Playbook is just the first step in the process. For real change to happen, it is important that both Government and the industry embed the principles of the new approach, and invest in their capability to deliver this. The Government will be working to implement this across all central government Departments and public bodies, and mandating the adoption of this approach whilst recognising there is no-one-size-fits all approach to delivery. The CLC will work with organisations across the industry to ensure that this effort is matched, and that the public and private sectors can support each other in this shared endeavour.

Andy Mitchell, Co-Chair of the Construction Leadership Council

The Construction Playbook captures commercial best practices and specific sector reforms outlining the government’s expectations of how contracting authorities and suppliers, including the supply chain, should engage with each other.

These are set out in 14 key policies for how the government should assess, procure and deliver public works projects and programmes which all central government departments and their arms length bodies are expected to follow on a ‘comply or explain’ basis.

Download the CONSTRUCTION PLAYBOOK here

New whitepaper explores how to improve fire performance in the fifth façade

With roofs maintaining their prominent role in contemporary building design, ROCKWOOL has released a new whitepaper exploring how roofing contractors and specifiers can manage fire risk when planning and installing flat roofs.

The ‘Flat Roofs: Managing fire risk in the fifth façade’ report addresses misconceptions around testing protocols and material fire classification ratings, plus examines the worrying rise in roof fires and the resulting social and economic impact. The whitepaper, which is available to download at www.rockwool.co.uk/fifthfacade then outlines specification best practice for flat roof insulation and how to futureproof the complete building envelope in line with expected changes to Building Regulations.

“The role of the roof is an expanding one,” explains Paul Barrett, Head of Product Management at ROCKWOOL. “While previously their primary function was practical, now we’re seeing roof spaces used as an additional communal or leisure space, as well as to house solar PV, plant equipment and rainwater management systems. Yet as the function of the roof has expanded, the focus on fire protection measures hasn’t increased at the same pace.

“This report explores the risks of exposed flat roofs, delves into the effects of recent prominent fires, and then advises roofing contractors and specifiers on how to select materials that will help protect lives and the remaining building structure in case of fire. It’s an essential read for anyone involved in roofing specification.”

To complement its new whitepaper, ROCKWOOL has also developed an accompanying CPD module that expands subjects detailed in the report and delivers a greater depth of education. The module also outlines its range of non-combustible stone wool insulation products that are compatible with a variety of modern flat roof systems.

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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