Archive for category: Construction

With pressure on the construction industry to utilise more sustainable building methods and product choices, specifying a PVC-U solution is increasingly being seen as a way to further drive the green agenda.

Eurocell is supporting sustainability options for housebuilding and commercial projects through its market-leading PVC-U recycling and manufacturing processes that are substantially reducing the amount of plastic waste heading for landfill and helping to tackle the problem of carbon reduction. The company offers an extensive range of high performing PVC-U window and door solutions that not only look good, but also help organisations satisfy their sustainability ambitions.

Momentum is building across all parts of society as consumers, businesses and politicians look for answers to the escalating climate crisis.  Consumers want to see action and as a result, companies are looking closely at how their activities and processes are impacting the world. In the UK, the government has set out bold carbon reduction targets as part of its net zero strategy.  One key area is the nation’s housing stock and policy makers looking to deliver a difference have the construction industry firmly in its sights.

The new Part L Building Regulation and the Future Homes Standard – which is seeking a 75% reduction in CO2, compared to current levels, in new builds by the middle of the decade – is tasking architects, specifiers, developers, and construction firms with uncovering the right construction methods and building fabric product choices to support a more sustainable, energy efficient and less wasteful future.

PVC-U is already playing its part in helping the construction sector meet important environmental and regulatory obligations.  Set against other potential product choices such as aluminium or timber composite, PVC-U offers long-term durability and high performance, attractive aesthetics to support design visions, cost effective value and, through Eurocell’s vision and industry leading recycling processes, a truly sustainable answer.

Recycling with a purpose
Eurocell has been committed to supporting the aims and ambitions of recycling for over twenty years.  Recognising a corporate need to do what is required to minimise plastic waste and where possible reuse materials across large scale manufacturing processes, the company has moved from externally purchasing recycled plastic to the establishment of its own nationwide waste recycling system, used to supply Eurocell’s manufacturing operation with recycled plastic raw material.

Such has been the success of Eurocell Recycle, the result of its processes now see it account for around 80 – 90% of all the material Eurocell’s manufacturing business requires to generate an extensive range of brand-new extruded plastic products.  As part of this, Eurocell now recycles around 3.5 million discarded frames per annum, with such post-consumer waste combined with virgin PVC-U to produce extruded material used for new frames and other products such as cavity closers.

Without this service, a high proportion of the PVC-U waste generated by large manufactures, fabricators and installers would simply end up in landfill and contribute further to the waste disposal challenge the UK continually faces.

‘Closed loop’
The ‘closed loop’ system is a six-stage recycling process.  Starting with a national collection service operated by Eurocell Recycle.  Old and discarded PVC-U windows, door frames and other PVC-U offcuts are collated by Eurocell Recycle’s fleet from company locations and waste management centres across the UK.  On arrival at one of the recycling processing plants, the material undergoes an extensive sorting and separation process which divides metals, white polymer, and coloured materials, as well as capturing material which is ultimately non-recyclable.
After a transformative process which creates a powder or pellet form that matches virgin PVC-U material, the recycled plastic is used by Eurocell to manufacture its extensive range of extruded PVC-U products.   The fabrication of new products such as window and door profiles then follow, leading to the installation of many new products in homes and commercial buildings ultimately fashioned from thousands of old windows and door frames that have reached the end of their working life.

And the recycling process promises much for the future.  New PVC-U windows using recycled polymer can last up to 35 years and the material can be further recycled up to ten times delivering ongoing sustainability benefit for generations to come.

PVC-U performance
When set against alternative product choices for windows and doors, PVC-U is proven to deliver an enhanced thermal performance. Combined with effective glazing solutions, buildings can be better insulated and use less energy with PVC-U’s ability to offer a lower U-value for lower cost.   For large scale housebuilding developments or commercial projects, the option to achieve excellent thermal performance results through a cost-efficient product choice without compromise, is a reason why PVC-U and popular Eurocell solutions such as MODUS and LOGIK windows that contain high levels of recycled content, are becoming the sustainable product choice for many.

Proven benefit
With carbon saving the true test of strategic sustainability plans, Eurocell is committed to working with the sector to deliver tangible results and undoubted benefit.
By transforming waste PVC-U material destined for landfill into a high performing, thermally efficient, aesthetically pleasing, and cost-effective PVC-U window and door solutions, Eurocell is the proven sustainability choice for the construction sector at a time when it is needed more than ever.
For more information about Eurocell’s extensive range of PVC-U solutions and its commitment to a sustainable future, please visit the website.

www.eurocell.co.uk

Parkside is a new 1,500m² building designed and built as a collaborative and creative space for Imperial War Museums’ staff in Southwark, London. The three-storey building provides a flexible workspace for 180 staff with formal and informal meeting areas, a café and breakout spaces.

Parkside is designed to support IWM in fulfilling its vital mission to improve public understanding of war and conflict through its exhibitions, events and programming. The new space will also support IWM’s commitment to develop smarter working practices across the whole organization.

Architects Jestico + Whiles developed IWM’s vision into a striking design and Reds10, delivered the building using the latest off-site construction techniques.

Eurobrick has over 30 years’ experience working with off-site construction companies to provide a flexible, real brick finish that allows for some creativity in the finished design. They offer brick and stone slip systems to suit any project and supplied their popular P-Clad system for the IWM project, having worked with Reds10 on a number of projects already.

Approximately 890m² of the P-Clad system was supplied, along with Wienerberger Marziale bricks which were specially ordered and cut. Marziale is a brick with bright buff tones and distressed features that give it a weathered, traditional look. Eurobrick supplied whole Marziale bricks for the construction of a boundary wall, along with specially cut brick slips, headers and corners.

The design of the brickwork was technically challenging, with a mixture of vertical and horizontal stretcher bond and bespoke brick soffits and sills, which Eurobrick also supplied. The recessed bays were laid in vertical stretcher bond with alternating thicknesses of brick slips to create a relief effect in the brick courses. The narrow brickwork columns between the windows were detailed with corner bricks returns into the reveals. The columns were laid in horizontal stretcher bond, with bespoke vertical stretcher bond window heads and soffits and bespoke vertical stretcher bond angled sills.

It was a challenging layout and one of Eurobrick’s most experienced approved installers, Façade Install, fitted all of the brick cladding. Some of the brick slip installation was completed in the factory and some in-situ, once the modular building had been delivered to site. Using P-Clad helped this complex design become a reality and assisted with successful project delivery. Eurobrick’s systems are adaptable and ideal for the demands of contemporary modular architecture.

“The IWM project used brick slips as the external finish throughout but incorporated a number of challenging details. Eurobrick helped develop and deliver solutions to enable these details to be constructed. Reds10, the architects and client are delighted with the new facility. We have worked with Eurobrick on a number of projects and found them very helpful and responsive, providing excellent service.” Reds10

The project brought together offsite and traditional construction techniques to deliver a complex modular build, with difficult site conditions in Central London. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was successfully completed in 2020. The end result is an impressive building with a level of detail that proves the versatility of P-Clad perfectly.

For more information on Eurobrick systems and products, please visit www.eurobrick.co.uk or call 0117 971 7117.

Starship to deliver first factory built Zero Carbon affordable homes at site of Wirral blast.

Property Development Group Starship has launched its first zero carbon affordable homes at the site of the 2017 gas explosion on the Wirral. The explosion ripped through New Ferry injuring over 80 people damaging or destroying nearly 70 properties and it’s the first regeneration project to launch at the site.

These first Carbon Zero homes will provide over 105 M2 of modern, affordable living space which will be installed in as little as 7 days ready for internal fit out.

Starship’s unique panelised model means that a new home can be delivered and installed anywhere where a refuse collection vehicle can fit, with no special arrangements or unnecessary disruption to the community. Their focus on driving local enterprise means that local contractors are used to provide internal fit out and finishing works meaning that maximum economic impact is delivered locally.

Starship have provisionally agreed a deal with a registered provider to acquire these homes and are working with other providers and private investors to deliver more of these innovate affordable homes.

About Starship

Starship Group was formed in 2020 following the acquisition and merger of several existing property development and construction businesses and is backed by a private investment fund. The newly branded group has previously built over £75m of residential projects across the North West, Worcestershire and Oxfordshire. The group already has over £30m of developments in progress with a further £50m in negation

In addition to its core property development activities Starship is investing in cutting edge modern construction methods to meet the UKs growing housing demand. In 2020 Starship launched its first manufacturing facility in Deeside which is the first of several planned manufacturing centres that will open across 2021/22.

Dave Dargan, Director of Starship commented:

“We are delighted to be delivering these innovative low carbon homes in a community that has seen some significant challenges over the past 5 years. To be bringing such an exciting project to the area is fantastic and creating a real buzz. These spacious homes will have the lowest running costs of any property in the immediate area and are delivering more affordable living for local people.

Our homes are hand build in our manufacturing centres and finished by local contractors so each home we deliver creates real jobs and real local opportunities for people”

“This month our Hundegger Turbo cut arrived on site. This saw is becoming widely known as the best saw of its generation for cutting truss and timber frame material. Fuelled by files from Mitek software, the speed and accuracy at which it cuts timber is second to none.  This allows Roof Profiles to produce more volume of timber, to the highest quality standard”

Company Director Johnny Fellingham.

Due to the accuracy of the cut timber the tolerances in all the timber joints, both in our finished roof trusses and timber frame panels, are zero millimetres.  The benefit of this is multi-faceted as it makes it quicker for us to assemble and press our roof trusses and frame components and nail our wall panels as there is no need to make final adjustments for components to fit together, exactly.

The Hundegger Cambium software enables Roof Profiles to have complete transparency of productivity, timber yield, waste percentage and stock profile. Never has Roof Profiles had such a facility and control on their timber usage.

Additionally, the finished product that we then send to the building site pieces together in exacting dimensions in accordance with the building plans.  Furthermore, should there be any technical issues with the saw that we are unable to resolve internally there is excellent remote back up from Hundegger’s base in Germany.

The Hundegger support staff can dial into the machine and using mobile camera technology normally resolve issues immediately or identify any parts requiring replacement, allowing us to resume production with minimal interruption.”

www.hundegger.com/en_gb

In photo Co-directors, Carol Smith centre, Kenny Smith, centre right, and Johnny Fellingham left. Operators, Craig Speirs and Lewis Corson.

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, CLICK HERE:

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