Archive for month: February, 2022

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Algeco becomes the new face & new future of Elliott & affiliated UK companies

Elliott Group Ltd, Carter Accommodation Ltd and Procomm Site Services Ltd, leaders in UK modular services and part of Modulaire Group, have announced plans to unite under a common brand – Algeco.

A surprise to some, not so to others – Algeco is a long established brand in the European modular services and infrastructure industry, originally formed in 1955 – making the rebrand a hugely exciting new chapter for the UK business.
The move creates a single, consistent brand across the UK and Europe, to reflect the group’s position as a leader in European modular services and infrastructure.  Customers can expect to see a stronger, combined UK organisation as well as more sharing of innovations and resources within the group, and a unified product range available throughout the UK.
It’s expected that the rebranding process will be effective from 31st March 2022.
These are exciting times for the Hire, Modular Hire and Offsite Solutions’ business and the challenge now is to take customers on this brand journey. Here we talk to John Campbell, UK Managing Director, Algeco, about the rebrand and what it means for the future.

Who is Algeco?
Algeco, part of the Modulaire Group, is a leader in European modular services and infrastructure. The brand has consistently achieved industry firsts; from creating modular site accommodation to introducing the first stackable modular accommodation in 1965. Throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s, the business developed a stream of further innovations that expanded its high quality modular accommodation from construction into education, health, commercial and manufacturing sectors.
Algeco developed the Progress modular system in 2005, which offered comfortable, stylish, modern, innovative and eco-friendly spaces. By 2015, Algeco was offering full turnkey spaces with customised services; connectivity, furniture, hygiene kits, security and modular interior design.
The business now offers a vast range of physical space solutions from temporary site accommodation and storage solutions, through to highly sophisticated design and build permanent multi-storey offsite solutions for specialist workplace, social infrastructure, health and education sectors.

Why has Elliott changed its name to Algeco?
We have been planning the rebrand for some time and it coincides with sustained growth in our UK businesses. At the same time there is unprecedented change happening in the way that physical spaces are created in a wide range of vertical markets, driven by climate change, safety and growing user expectations.
Algeco has a proud heritage of serving customers across Europe, providing a strong basis for the single identity, which will facilitate growth in brand equity in the marketplace. Adopting a single brand in the UK will create a common sense of identity and purpose for the newly combined UK business.

 

Look out for the new Algeco website, scheduled to go live at the end of March.

How will customers benefit?
UK customers will benefit from a stronger, better-integrated and structured organisation, with a renewed commitment to placing customer service excellence at the heart of the organisation.
Algeco shares the responsibility for developing sustainable futures for our customers, our business, and its products and services. Core to this is being a trusted solutions provider to the industries we support.  We enable people to work more productively, improve their quality of life, and enhance their learning. We design and deliver whatever our customers need, whenever and wherever they need it.

Where will Algeco headquarters be in the UK?
The combined UK business will be headquartered in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, with a total of 23 site locations throughout the country servicing our portable, modular building and offsite construction hire and sales activities.
Advanté will remain a separate brand but still part of the Algeco group, with its specialist offering in welfare accommodation.

What does the Algeco brand mean to customers?
The new brand represents our collaborative approach to finding solutions for customers, developing both our products and our people to deliver leading quality service and ensuring the futures of customers, their end users and our organisation are sustainable. We have an exciting future ahead of us!

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The perfect match: Euramax Solutions ensures best outcome for modular manufacturer

Thanks to a flourishing partnership with modular home manufacturer ilke Homes, Euramax Solutions has proven itself to be the ideal supplier for the modular market. Managing Director Nick Cowley explains…

With the potential to be completed up to 50% faster and 30% cheaper, while producing 90% less waste, modular methods of construction offer many benefits when compared to traditional building methods.
Firstly, the factory-controlled production environment eliminates factors that can often impede construction projects, such as disruption from weather conditions. Secondly, increased control improves quality, and with stringent quality checks in place at various stages along the production line, components are much more likely to reach their assembly site without any defects.
The ideal supplier – Working from a state-of-the-art 205,000 square foot manufacturing facility, Euramax Solutions manufactures high-quality uPVC and aluminium windows and doors that are the perfect fit for modular buildings.
With stylish, high-quality products matched with outstanding quality control and a seamless delivery process, it’s no surprise that the Barnsley-based company has been chosen as a main supplier of modular home manufacturer ilke Homes.
Based in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, ilke Homes manufactures up to 2,000 modular homes every year for local authorities, housing associations, developers and private investors, and can produce a home in just 15 days, with four modules coming off the production line each day.

“In order to increase our output, we needed to collaborate with like-minded suppliers, and for the past two years, Euramax has really understood our manufacturing processes,” comments ilke Homes Procurement Manager Rachel Kaye.
“In addition to supplying us with high-quality products, Euramax provides an excellent, efficient delivery service, really allowing us to streamline and get the most out of our production processes.
“Communication between everyone in the modular supply chain is vital to success, and thanks to regular monthly meetings and consistent input from Euramax’s technical team, we’ve been able to continue successfully producing modular homes.
“Apart from being a reliable, trustworthy supplier, Euramax has allowed us to achieve the best possible outcome for our products.”
Ongoing partnership – As a business, ilke Homes prides itself on creating modern homes that merge effortlessly into local communities, and so the windows and doors they install need to reflect this.

As part of an ongoing partnership, Euramax supplies them with stylish products in classic white and anthracite grey, and even sourced a specific grey frame – called Moondust.
ilke Homes’ windows and doors also need to meet stringent quality and safety measures, and as such, Euramax works to meet the safety requirements for modular homes, which includes ensuring each room has a fire escape.
They also make certain that all window sizes and apertures, whether a top hung or drop window, remain the same.
Euramax also ensures its delivery process reflects ilke Homes’ requirements for quality control and carbon reduction by delivering all its products in stillages, which protect the products during transportation, minimising the risk of damage while also eliminating unnecessary plastic waste.
Module identification numbers (MINs) are also provided for each stillage – these are specific to the windows and doors for each house and module type, ensuring products can be installed without hassle.

Future relationship – Euramax Solutions Managing Director Nick Cowley comments: “Removing the complexity from supply chains, reducing production costs and increasing productivity is what we do every day for our clients in the modular construction sector, and since partnering with ilke Homes, we’ve been delighted to supply such a big name in this market with our products.
“We’re so pleased that the company is happy with both our products and our delivery service, something we are very proud of.
“It’s a real testament to our hard work and commitment to growing the modular construction market, and we look forward to working with ilke Homes for many years to come.”

 

www.euramaxuk.com

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First €200m Raised for Clean Hydrogen

The clean hydrogen fund Hy2gen AG, founded in 2017 by a number of European companies, said yesterday it had raised its first €200m for clean energy construction projects.

The investment round was led by German hydrogen infrastructure developer Hy24, which manages Hy2gen, with backers including French companies Technip Energies, Natixis Asset Management and banking group BPCE, as well as Canadian pension fund manager CDPQ.

Hy2gen said the investment is the largest private green hydrogen-focused capital fund raised to date.

The venture already has 880MW of projects in planning and another 12GW in development. Its first plants are earmarked for sites in France, Norway, Canada, Germany and the US.

Pierre-Etienne Franc, the chief executive of Hy24, said in a press statement: “The magic combination for success in hydrogen scale-up is sizeable projects in strategic basins, strong stakeholder support from off-take to project financing and execution, and the leadership of expert teams for development and steering. This is what Hy2gen has successfully gathered around the table.”

The transaction marks the inaugural investment by Hy24’s Clean H2 Infra Fund. This was founded in October 2021 with an initial pledge of €800m and an eventual target of €1.5bn. Among the subscribers were Vinci Construction, gas suppliers Air Liquide and TotalEnergies, each of which committed €100m to the project (see further reading).

Xavier Huillard, Vinci’s chief executive, said at the time: “Vinci is taking concrete action to support the development of clean energy by mobilising all its divisions in concessions, construction and energy, with the aim of actively combating climate change and decarbonising mobility in particular.”

Hy24 is a joint venture formed by Ardian, Europe’s largest private investment house, and FiveT Hydrogen, an investment manager that specialises in clean hydrogen.

 

Source: Global Construction Review

 

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Zero Energy Homes with Zero Bills

A modular housing pioneer and a specialist alternative asset manager are set to deliver a home that promises zero energy bills, saving new owners up to £40,000 over 20 years.

ilke Homes, in partnership with Gresham House and customer facing shared ownership agent SO Resi, will install the factory-built home on a site in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex as part of a wider 153-home scheme.

The announcement comes as energy bills are set to double for at least three-quarters of UK households, as energy regulator Ofgem plans to increase the price at which bills are capped. The Resolution Foundation finds that the number of families in fuel poverty will soar by 200 percent when the energy price cap goes up in April, with 6.3 million households having to spend ten percent or more of their earnings to cover costs.

The two-storey family home, which is to be made available for shared ownership, will be precision-engineered along production lines at ilke Homes’ factory in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire. Once complete, the home will be transported to site and craned into place in a matter of hours.

By harnessing artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital design, the modular housing company is capable of creating homes that are incredibly well insulated, meaning less heat escapes and consequently reducing bills.

To reach the ZERO bills specification, as it is branded, ilke Homes on behalf of Gresham House will install low-carbon technologies to provide cheap, clean energy. Solar panels, installed on the home’s roof, will capture renewable energy by absorbing sunlight. This energy will then be used for electricity (subject to a fair use policy) and to power the home’s air source heat pump, which provides all heating and hot water.

Crucially ilke Homes will also install battery technology into the home. This matters because when solar panels generate electricity, it has to be used almost instantly meaning any excess is usually sent back to the grid. By using a battery, the home will be able to store this energy for later use.

Britain has some of the oldest and leakiest housing stock in western Europe, allowing heat to dissipate through walls, windows, and doors quickly after leaving radiators. In addition, nine in 10 households, equivalent to over 26 million homes, rely on gas boilers, resulting in domestic heating being responsible for 20 percent of the UK’s total emissions.

ilke Homes is able to achieve the ZERO bills specification by:

  • Fabric: walls, floors and roofs are highly insulated, while all windows and doors are airtight to retain heat and stops draughts. Being manufactured in a factory – as opposed to a field – results in a higher quality output
  • Efficiency: highly efficient LED lighting that uses less than a quarter of the energy of a halogen bulb is incorporated into the design, as well efficient water fittings and ventilation systems
  • Renewable energy: fossil-fuel gas boilers replaced by low-carbon air source heat pumps that use a third of the energy. In addition, solar panels, which can now cost less than traditional roof tiles, generate more electricity than a house requires, providing free energy for consumers and income from exported electricity

The ZERO bills home is being delivered at Hope Green, a 153-home shared ownership development in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex that is being funded by Gresham House Residential Secure Income LP. As part of further enhancements to the project, Gresham House and ilke Homes will also be delivering 101 operational zero-carbon homes via the company’s ilke ZERO offering.

Launched in July 2021, ilke ZERO aims to deliver 1,000 operational zero-carbon homes per year for major investors, housing associations, and councils across the UK. The homes have already been trialled in London, Newcastle, Gateshead, Newark, and Sunderland, and are now ready to be rolled out en masse.

Giles Carter, CEO at ilke Homes, said:

“The cost-of-living crisis is here and now. Since the turn of the century, UK households have become overly reliant on gas imports, leaving consumers at risk from rising wholesale gas prices. Thanks to advances in manufacturing, materials, and renewable energy, we have created homes that not only drastically reduce household bills but also give consumers greater control over their own energy usage.

“There’s a huge opportunity here to tackle fuel poverty while helping investors meet their green targets, which is why we’ve spent years investing into our manufacturing capabilities. The launch of the ZERO bills home is a great example of how the private sector can respond to politicians’ net-zero pledges and address some of society’s most prominent problems.”

Alistair Wardell, Investment Director at Gresham House, said:

“Our deal with ilke Homes provides an innovative and much-needed solution to the historic undersupply of shared ownership housing in the Southeast of England. Gresham House is committed to helping alleviate the shortage of affordable housing in the UK and to delivering sustainable and innovative solutions to this problem.

“This project will deliver real-world benefits to residents in Hope Green and is another step on the journey towards widespread development of net zero residential homes across the UK.”

Kush Rawal, Director of Residential Investment at SO Resi, said:

“The housing sector clearly has a big part to play in driving down carbon emissions and moving towards more sustainable methods of construction and environmentally friendly homes. However, we have always stressed that it is important to strike a balance and work with partners such as ilke Homes and Gresham House to ensure a move to green living remains affordable for the consumer, otherwise we risk creating a two-tier society where being sustainable is only for those who can afford it.

“Innovations such as those within Hope Green put sustainability at their very core and go above and beyond what is expected – particularly within the affordable homes sector. Our priority is always to ensure housing remains accessible to those who need it most, and it is an exciting milestone that the pioneering bill free house will be available through shared ownership rather than to the highest bidder.”

www.ilkhomes.co.uk

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FROM DERELICT LAND TO BRIGHT MODULAR HOMES

The new tenants of nine highly energy-efficient, sustainable modular houses in Roath have described their new council homes as ‘big and spacious’ with bathrooms like the Hilton hotel!

Residents of the two-bedroom, terraced properties, that have been developed as part of the Cardiff Living house-building partnership between Cardiff Council and Wates Residential, collected their keys last weekend and have been busy settling in and turning their new houses into their new homes.

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, visited the residents to find out what they think of the net carbon-zero properties, which are part of the Council’s ambitious development programme to build more affordable housing in the city.

Cllr Thorne said: “I’ve been eagerly awaiting the day tenants could move into these beautiful, new homes. I was here when the first units were craned into position before Christmas and it has been amazing to see this small plot of derelict land transformed into a row of nine modern houses that will help us tackle housing need in the city.”

Tenant, Krzysztof Kaniewski, who has moved to Crofts St with his partner and two daughters, said: “They are big and spacious, and just round the corner from my daughter’s school, a short walk. They have a nice garden, the bathroom is like in the Hilton hotel – we are over the moon!

“There are solar panels on the roof, everything is electric which is great because gas prices are going through the roof so we don’t know what it’s going to be like in the future. With all the technology in the house, I can adjust the temperature in every room so it doesn’t have to be the same in every room.”

Edward Rees, Wates Residential Regional Director, said: “We hope the new residents moving in will be very happy in these new state of the art homes. Being modular, they have been created offsite, which has enabled Wates to build them faster and with less disruption for people living around the site.

“They also use the latest technologies to cut carbon, like on our other sites within the Cardiff Living development programme. Along the road in Rumney, at Aspen Grove, we have just started to sell new energy efficient homes, which will help future proof them against further fuel price rises too.”

The new Crofts St homes were built offsite using modern methods of construction (MMC) and were lowered onto their final position on-site at the end of last year, with all the groundworks and external hard and soft landscaping completed.

Designed by architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, engineered by AECOM and delivered by @HOME and Wates Residential, this is the first time this method of offsite construction has been used by the Council to deliver permanent homes for families living in the city.

Ivan Harbour, Senior Design Partner, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners says: “Public housing has a rich history and I’m proud to have had the opportunity to add to that. These townhouses are of exceptional spatial quality, they are both affordable and climate positive. In the current environment their energy efficiency is particularly pertinent. This terrace of houses was very quick to build, with little disturbance to neighbours. Hopefully it can make a small change to the way we think about house building in the future.”

John Lewis, Director, AECOM, said: “It’s fantastic to see tenants move into these new high-performance townhouses following their rapid installation at Crofts Street. Their speedy offsite construction has minimised waste and site activity, including vastly reduced levels of construction traffic. Our design with RSHP demonstrates how a design for manufacture modular approach can deliver high-quality, durable, and low carbon homes both quickly and efficiently.”

Andrew Partridge, Associate Partner, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) says: “It has been a great opportunity to work with Cardiff Council, with the support of the Welsh Government through their Innovative Housing programme and facilitated by Wates, in setting a new benchmark for Council housing in the UK. This project is particularly special to me as I grew up in the area.”

The construction method not only enables the units to be built and installed in record time, but also uses the latest technology and construction materials to create net-zero carbon buildings that are 90% more energy efficient than standard homes built to current Building Regulations. The homes are extremely airtight, meaning they are well insulated, and residents will see huge savings on their bills.

The homes have achieved Grade A in Predicted Energy Efficiency and Environmental Impact (CO2) ratings, have solar panels on their roofs and MEV Heat Recovery with electric heating elements, so that they will not be required to connect to the mains gas service and will emit significantly less CO2 than a standard homes.

Cllr Thorne added: “We’ve come full circle on Crofts St as back in the 1940s, there was a terrace of 9 houses on this spot before they were bombed in World War II and had to be demolished.

“All the new tenants I’ve met have told me they are very happy with their homes and are looking forward to settling in with their families here.”

Source: Wales 247

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Bespoke Housing for Homeless Charity Centrepoint

M-AR breaks new ground with brand-new and bespoke housing for homeless charity Centrepoint

 

Offsite contractor, M-AR, is working in partnership with the UK’s leading youth homelessness charity, Centrepoint, to create new, bespoke single occupancy homes for young people experiencing homelessness in the London Borough of Southwark.

The project is part of the charity’s bold new Independent Living Programme to pair over 300 young people with a job and a home across London and Manchester within the next three years. This will tackle head-on the shortage of quality affordable accommodation, free up hostel beds Centrepoint currently provides for those in dire need, and give young people a real future of independence.

Centrepoint currently provides housing and support for over 14,000 homeless young people every year in London, Manchester, Yorkshire and the North East.

This Southwark development with M-AR is the beginning of a five-year build for Centrepoint’s Independent Living Programme. It marks the first time the charity has built brand-new accommodation as it has previously relied on refurbished accommodation.

M-AR is currently manufacturing 33 homes in its factory for Centrepoint, with the whole turnkey delivered project due to complete on site by late April 2022. Each 21m2 home has a small yet functional kitchen, dining area and a bathroom as well as space to sleep and relax, making the units a comfortable home for young people to live independently. The homes will be delivered to site fully fitted with the kitchen and bathroom, with all electrics and plumbing installed as well as being fully decorated throughout, enabling Centrepoint to start using the homes much quicker than with a traditional build, as offsite construction offers greater programme efficiency.

 

Ryan Geldard, Operations Director at M-AR commented: “It’s a privilege for us to be able to do our bit to help Centrepoint in its mission to end youth homelessness by delivering these new safe and secure independent living homes. We’re working on a turnkey basis on this project so we’re taking care of every aspect of the build programme to make the whole process as smooth as possible for Centrepoint. We can’t wait to see how the units look once they’re on site and ready to become homes.”

Sally Orlopp, Director of Centrepoint’s Independent Living Programme, said: “The new homes that M-AR has delivered for are everything we could have hoped for. These comfortable, stylish, efficient and cost effective homes tackle head-on the shortage of quality affordable accommodation, free up much-needed hostel beds, and offer our young people a real step towards independence. It has been a real privilege to work with such an excellent building partner.”

 

M-AR has also named Centrepoint its Charity of the Year for 2022, meaning that the company will be supporting the charity over the course of the next 12 months through various fundraising activities, kick-started by a donation organised by the directors. M-AR will also be raising awareness of Centrepoint’s work and getting its supply chain involved in fundraising for the charity.

 

For more information call 01482 635 08, email buildingrelationships@m-ar.co.uk or visit www.m-ar.co.uk.

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The Weird and Wonderful of Future Construction

It is without question that technology is transforming almost every facet of modern life. Our industry is of no exception to this rule. Construction methods are constantly being updated, modified and built upon, pushed into brave new terrain by the latest technological innovations. While the shifting future of the industry remains ultimately unclear, there are some trends that can be tracked, paving the way for futuristic advancements in specific fields. MMC Editor Joe Bradbury takes a look at 5 futuristic technologies that could revolutionise the way we build:

Construction technology trends whilst elusive, will always follow a predictable pattern: how to build faster and smarter, how to be more environmentally friendly and how to deliver a rich and diverse built environment that works for us in a variety of ways. Construction materials and inventions continue to advance; who knows what the future holds? With that in mind, here are some intriguing examples of futuristic materials that we may see more of as time progresses ever forward:

Transparent aluminium

The term “transparent aluminium” refers to a type of aluminium that is see-through.

When people talk about translucent aluminium, they usually mean AION (aluminium oxynitride), a ceramic alloy. However, aluminum can exist in an elemental, metallic form made transparent by bombarding with a soft x-ray laser.

Back in the 1980s, transparent aluminium was famously mentioned in Star Trek. Scotty sought to swap sheets of plexiglass for the formula for transparent metal in a classic scene from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

Science fiction is now a reality, bringing many potential benefits for other future products. Perhaps it won’t be too long until this innovative material is available to and capitalised upon by the construction industry, bringing with it a whole host of new product opportunities.

Smart bricks

Smart bricks are comparable to ‘Lego’ in that they are modular connecting bricks. Smart bricks, which are made of high-strength concrete and developed by ‘Kite Bricks,’ are adaptable and offer significant thermal energy control as well as a decrease in construction expenses. They are straightforward to join and offer space for insulation, power, and plumbing because they are modularly designed.

Aerogel insulation

Have you considered using gel to insulate your construction project? We know that seems insane, but hang in there with us. Perhaps you should.

Although “gel” is commonly thought of as a wet substance, “aerogel” is an entirely different beast! Aerogels are low-density synthetic materials made by draining the liquid from a gel and drying it under specific conditions, avoiding the shrinkage and cracking that occurs during ambient evaporation. This results in a solid three-dimensional nanoporous structure that is virtually entirely made up of air – hence the name!

Aerogel is a flexible blanket insulation that can help reduce energy loss while also saving space in residential and commercial buildings. To achieve optimal energy efficiency, it’s often used for total coverage in walls, floors, and roofs, as well as in framing and windows.

Self-healing concrete

Self-healing concrete is a form of concrete that can fix cracks on its own. Concrete cracks are a regular occurrence due to the material’s poor tensile strength. These fissures reduce the durability of concrete by providing a convenient conduit for the passage of liquids and gases that may contain dangerous compounds. If microcracks become large enough to reach the reinforcement, not only will the concrete itself be harmed, but the steel reinforcement bars will corrode as well. As a result, it’s critical to keep the crack width under control and to cure the cracks as quickly as feasible.

Self-healing concrete imitates the automatic healing of body wounds. Some specific elements (such as fibres or capsules) containing adhesive solutions are poured into the concrete mix to make self-healing concrete. When cracks appear, the fibres or capsules break, and the liquid within them immediately heals the crack.

Robotic swarm construction

Robotic swarm creation was developed by Harvard academics and is based on how termites function. Termites work as a’swarm,’ and construction robots are taught to do the same.

Four-wheeled robots are designed to develop a specific design in each case and are equipped with sensors that detect the presence of other robots, allowing them to collaborate.

In summary

We’ve seen a sequence of building material advances throughout history in the construction industry. These materials, considered radical at the time, affected the way we construct today and influenced some of the greatest architectural accomplishments of humanity. This ever-evolving sense of progress is in itself nothing new, it is the great motivational force that guides us forward into the unknown. There are always fresh, cutting-edge materials, just on the horizon, waiting to propel us forward into a new age of construction!

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Adopting New Sustainable Ways of Working

 

 

By Stewart Dalgarno, project director at the Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Homes (AIMCH) project

THE end of the UN’s climate change conference COP26 marked the beginning of the hard work required to prevent global warming rising above 1.5C. For the UK to play its part in lowering emissions, the construction sector, which accounts for 47% of the country’s total carbon emissions, must accelerate the adoption of new sustainable ways of working across the built environment sector.

The Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Homes (AIMCH) project is one I believe offers the housebuilding industry a way to continue to  improve the sector’s environmental performance.

The challenges faced by AIMCH are not insurmountable, but we must acknowledge that it is concluding at a time when demand for high quality, energy efficient and affordable housing continues to grow. What excites me most about it though, is that the project could offer solutions to skills shortages, the ageing workforce and poor productivity – challenges not limited to the housing sector, while also responding to requirements to use sustainable materials and panellised MMC systems.

AIMCH’s ambition is to use industrialisation to transform how we build our homes in the UK, leading to more homes that can be built quickly, viable and sustainably. If we get it right, I believe the AIMCH project will accelerate the delivery of the 120,000 new homes the UK needs each year, for an acceptable cost, compared to masonry built homes and with at least 30% reduction in build times.

An integral part of the project has been the completion of a Whole Life Carbon Assessment of current building regulations over a 60 year design life, assessing four typical homes across masonry, open and closed panel timber MMC build methods. The report’s findings indicate five tonnes of embodied carbon saving, per four bed home, when using timber construction compared to masonry, equivalent to 16,500 road mile emissions. The report also finds that aerated masonry blocks have half a tonne less carbon emissions at end of life than timber frame construction methods. The carbon sequestration benefits of timber have been used in the research, benefiting all construction methods, where elements of the build use timber, such as internal non load bearing walls, floors and roofs.

Many of our partners are working on exciting developments, using proven, reliable and viable panellised timber based MMC systems, which will soon transform how the house building sector operates. As part of AIMCH, Barratt Developments PLC has created a Z House – a zero carbon concept house that applied 50 different solutions to understand how we will deliver the “sustainable home of the future”. It is located on the University of Salford’s campus with their scientists tasked with measuring its energy efficiency to provide hard data on the home’s design versus actual performance.

The home’s clever design feature’s high performing energy efficient building fabric, using Barratt Developments’ internal timber framer Oregon’s advanced panellised timber MMC systems at its core. The home incorporates PV solar panels and battery storage to generate and store power, electric car charging points and an air source heat pump that transfers heat from the outside to water for home heating and hot water use. Inside, underfloor heating, innovative infrared panels and skirting heating systems provide instant zero carbon heat, a fridge controls humidity levels to reduce food wastage by 60% and atomising showers  that could cut water usage by 80%.

As research continues into sustainable housebuilding, developers and housebuilders can use AIMCH findings as a starter for assessing how they can lower embodied carbon emissions of materials used in construction and their impact on lower whole life carbon emissions.

Such is the environmental benefits of building houses with timber components or build methods, the UK Climate Change Committee reports that the UK can triple the amount of carbon captured in homes by building 270,000 timber frame homes each year.

Where houses are built is changing too. Increasingly more homes today are manufactured off site and assembled at the development. New MMC factories developed by AIMCH, are being designed to include PV electric power generation to run machinery, electric forklift fleets and EV car charging for employees, such that they produce more power than they use, with any surplus recycled back into the national grid, making the transition to net zero carbon manufacturing a supply chain reality.

In the long term, battery storage systems could be used in these factories to store power 24/7 for continuous manufacturing needs. In addition, zero factory waste goes to landfill and 100% of waste is either repurposed, reused or converted to energy through large-scale waste to energy plants.

The UK needs more homes. At the same time, we must play our part in limiting the dangerous impacts of the climate crisis and transition to net zero carbon homes and businesses.

Continuing with the status quo in the housing sector will likely see the UK fail on both fronts. However, I am confident that projects like AIMCH will catalyse industry to accelerate near to market, reliable, viable and sustainable MMC solutions that transform how homes are built. Additionally, this will increase housing output, while helping the UK meet its environmental obligations to limit climate change to 1.5C.

 

Source: Project Scotland

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Coventry’s Mini Skyport for Flying Taxis

Work starts on world’s first skyport for flying taxis and delivery drones

Construction of the world’s first air hub for flying electric cars, police and delivery drones is under way, with a demonstration event planned later this year.

The facility, known as Air One, is being built in Coventry through a partnership involving South Korean car maker Hyundai.

 

Backers of the mini airport, known as a skyport, have said sites like it will host electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, such as air taxis and autonomous delivery drones, transporting people and cargo across cities over coming years.

West Midlands Police have also been in discussions with the company behind the Government-backed project, Urban-Air Port (UAP), about how such hubs could in future provide drone bases for “policing the sky”.

UAP has said the build will be finished ready for an industry launch event running from April 25-27, with public demonstrations planned immediately afterwards.

Originally planned to be built next to the Coventry Building Society Arena, the skyport is now being located on a disused car park near the Central Six Retail Park and the city’s railway station.

Councillor Jim O’Boyle, Coventry City Council cabinet member, said the start of building work showed the city was “leading the way” on transport innovation.

“We are right at the front of the green industrial revolution and this is a brilliant world first,” he added.

Mr O’Boyle said the “breakthrough system” could lend a productivity boost to UK towns and cities, and aid efforts to tackle climate change by taking vehicles off the roads.

The completed site will include a 46-metre diameter dome-shaped steel frame, with tensile fabric cladding.

The centre of the dome will house a platform lift, allowing cargo drones to take off and land – initially for demonstration purposes.

UAP founder and executive chairman Ricky Sandhu, who grew up in Birmingham, said he was “thrilled” building work was starting and said it was “a unique and transformative moment”, which placed the UK “as the world’s leading player in advanced air mobility”.

“Our technology will enable Coventry and other cities around the country and the world to decarbonise by enabling safe adoption of cleaner mobility solutions,” he added.

Mr Sandhu said it was a privilege to be working with West Midlands Police, who would be showcasing the site as a “disaster emergency management and security hub for their demonstrations”.

He added: “It is a model we hope to replicate across the country as we enter a net zero age.”

Assistant Chief Constable Mike O’Hara, of West Midlands Police, said: “Urban-Air Port will allow us to explore, showcase and implement what the future holds for policing the sky.”

Developers are planning up to 200 such hubs in cities across the world, within five years of proof of concept.

Last year, the project was awarded a £1.2 million Government grant by UK Research and Innovation’s Future Flight Challenge.

Source: Central Fife Times

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Decarbonising Cement

AN innovative project led by Heriot-Watt University of Dubai is accelerating efforts to decarbonise the energy-intensive cement industry.

In a collaboration with industry and government, the university will share technological solutions to support the decarbonisation of cement – the source of around 8% of global carbon emissions.

Dr Gillian Murray, deputy principal of business and enterprise at Heriot-Watt, said the university’s research in sustainable construction was already changing the landscape.

“Our spin-out company has launched a revolutionary brick made of 90% recycled construction and demolition waste,” she said. “By re-using valuable recycled materials from construction and demolition waste, Kenoteq has achieved a circular economy exemplar, and we are confident it will lead to a circular economy revolution for the construction sector.”

Construction and the wider built environment accounts for around 40% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and the global construction market is expected to grow by $4.5 trillion US dollars up to 2030 – to reach $15.2trn – with China, India, US, and Indonesia expected to account for 60% of this growth.

“During the global transition to net zero, the construction sector needs to dramatically reduce the amount of carbon embedded in new infrastructure and buildings, ultimately reducing its wider impact on the environment,” said Dr Anas Bataw, director of Heriot-Watt’s Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC).

The university’s research on decarbonising the cement industry is being led by CESC, which is based at its Dubai campus.

“As we develop advanced material, technological solutions and educational initiatives that will support the cement decarbonisation journey for the UAE, we’ll be sharing these insights on a global scale to support worldwide decarbonisation efforts,” said Dr Bataw.

“As a university with a global footprint, collaborating with global industry partners, we are perfectly placed to share this research.”

The university is hosting a 48-hour global student Hackathon event during Expo 2020 Dubai [October 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022] as part of its support to the UK Pavilion. The Sustainability in Construction Hackathon on February 23 and 24 will bring together students and experts to tackle climate change issues and will include keynote speeches and workshops.

Source: The National
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