Asbestos: The Ongoing Danger

Young tradespeople need to know the risk

Millennials, gen Z workers and other younger people who work as plumbers, electricians, and in other trades need to take the risk of asbestos much more seriously.

That’s the message from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The workplace regulator has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of the risks associated with the dangerous substance.

The campaign, called Asbestos and You, will target all tradespeople with a focus on younger workers in trades such as plastering and joinery. HSE wants to reach construction workers who started their careers after the use of asbestos was banned in 1999.

The regulator is concerned the length of time it takes for symptoms to develop after asbestos exposure could lead to a perception among today’s younger workers that it is something that only impacts older people who were working before the ban.

Five thousand people a year still die from asbestos related illnesses and asbestos can still be found in buildings built or refurbished before the year 2000.

Asbestos containing materials were used extensively in the construction and maintenance of buildings in Great Britain from the 1950s until the ban. That means construction workers of all ages could still be exposed to asbestos fibres today.

HSE’s chief executive Sarah Albon said: “Asbestos exposure in Great Britain is still the single greatest cause of work-related deaths.  We are committed to protecting people in the workplace and reducing future work-related ill health.

“Everyone working in construction today, of any age, must take the risk from asbestos seriously.

“Asbestos is dangerous when not maintained in a safe condition or if physically disturbed without the right measures in place to avoid fibres being released into the air.”

If asbestos fibres are inhaled, they can cause serious diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestos related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural thickening. Construction tradespeople of any age are at significant risk if they disturb materials containing asbestos during repairs and refurbishment.

HSE’s head of health and work policy Mike Calcutt said: “These diseases often take a long time to develop, and it can take 20 to 30 years for symptoms to appear.

“It is crucial that all workers know how to recognise the dangers and take the right actions to protect themselves and those around them from being exposed to asbestos fibres.”

 

Find out more about the Asbestos and You campaign, and visit HSE’s website for further guidance on asbestos.

 

 

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Off-site brings Old Properties Back to Life

A Hull housing charity has joined forces with a digital manufacturing firm to explore new ways of bringing run-down properties back to life using ‘Lego-like’ blocks.

The joint pilot project between Giroscope and Blokbuild will see the construction and installation of a modular extension to two adjoining houses currently being renovated by the charity. The two properties off Hessle Road have been empty for nearly 20 years.

Under the initiative, the new kitchen extensions are being built using BlokBuild’s cutting-edge off-site construction system, where parts are created on a digital model, cut with pin-point accuracy using automated technology and then assembled at the company’s factory in Hedon Road. The BlokBuild system is manufactured entirely from timber and insulated off-site, making it a higher quality and more sustainable alternative to traditional construction.

During the project, Giroscope volunteers will receive training in the construction technology being used in the process. They will also work as a team to assemble the modules at the factory on before installing the Lego-like blocks on-site.

Following on form the pilot, both Blokbuild and Giroscope are hoping to collaborate on a much larger project to build new affordable social housing from scratch on a small site in the city of Hull.

Giroscope’s co-ordinator Martin Newman said:

 

“We are really excited for the opportunity to work with Blokbuild who are a really innovative Hull company. We hope we can develop this partnership to a point where we can begin to deliver much-needed affordable and very energy efficient housing together.”

 

He said volunteers taking part in the project would gain valuable gain work experience on their journey into employment or training. When completed, the two houses will be brought back into use as social housing for people in housing need.

Tom Sander, communications and engagement lead for BlokBuild, said:

 

“This is a unique project that combines Giroscope’s pioneering work in self-help housing with BlokBuild’s innovative approach to off-site construction. While we are still a relatively small company, our timber building system is one the most advanced in Europe.

Source: Hull Live
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How frameworks can offer shelter from recession for MMC specialists

Clive Feeney, LHC Group Director

More than 6,000 construction insolvencies are expected in 2023 and construction output is forecast to fall by 3.9%, prompting sector-wide concern around project pipelines and profit margins.

Predictions across the board paint a bleak picture, but more so in the private sector with an expected 38% drop in new housing starts over the next two years.  In the public sector there is demand for new social housing and requirement to retrofit existing ‘fuel poor’ social homes to an EPC band C by 2030. However, monetary support was not forthcoming in Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement in November last year. There was no mention of funding to improve the UK’s energy-inefficient housing stock – loft insulation and boiler replacement aside – nor reassurance for new social housing provision.

Nonetheless, public sector construction frameworks are offering some shelter from the risks wrought by recession.

As a construction framework provider for the public sector, 2023 will be a busy year for LHC, with five new frameworks set for launch: Asset Safety and Compliance, Refurbishment and Associated Retrofit Works, Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation, Fire Safety and Supply, and Installation of Aluminium Windows and Doors. The assessment process for the £1.2bn NH3 (Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) of New Homes) framework is also underway, with appointed companies announced in spring.
This makes the prospect of public sector building a more secure prospect of work for this year into 2024.

Why social housing must continue

Our housing stock is ageing; 26 million require retrofit – 4.5 million of which are in social housing.

Building and retrofit must continue in social housing, both to move towards the static 2050 net zero target and protect vulnerable tenants from the rising cost of living.  Doing this cost-effectively will be even more important in the coming 12 months. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt placed a 7% cap on the amount social landlords can increase rents for tenants as part of the Autumn Statement. This offers a tough compromise: while providing some relief for residents at the sharp end of the cost-of-living crisis owing to a benefit cap lift and local housing allowance (LHA) freeze, it means housing associations will feel a tighter squeeze.

On the new social housing front, recent Regulator of Social Housing statistics also show just 31,000 social homes were built from March 2021 to 2022. This is almost five times short of the National Housing Federation’s (NHF)145,000 estimated annual requirement in the next decade to meet the population’s needs.

Many housing associations and local authorities LHC works with are using construction frameworks because the benefits, especially in turbulent times, are clear. By working in this way, they find they are able to build stronger, longer working relationships and contacts, have better supply chain engagement, and more pipeline security.

Framework benefits in tough times

The following factors could also be vital in helping MMC contractors – especially SMEs – weather the impending economic storm.

1. Partnering for shared benefits
The collaborative nature of frameworks allows each company to benefit from one another’s insight and expertise. This in turn develops strong contacts and increases the opportunity of appointment to future projects.
2. Pipeline of work 
The pipeline of work that can come from using a procurement framework creates greater certainty and helps protect jobs for contractors who may be worried about the future. Traditionally operating on four-year cycles, they offer a more predictable calendar of work.
3. Operational efficiency
SMEs are often too stretched to apply for individual construction projects, while larger contractor bid teams can find they are at the beck and call of new tender applications. Being appointed to a framework creates more consistent work opportunities and reduces the frequency of repeat, lengthy procurements.
4. Long-term pricing and cost aggregation
Frameworks enable all parties to explore a project in detail and more accurately consider costs to reach an agreement up front. While there may be negotiation further down the line at each individual project stage, the long-term nature of frameworks and pricing facilitates improved cost aggregation by providing full visibility from day one. This lessens the financial blow of reduced contractor margins in the case of price rises.
5. Better economies of scale
Having awareness of the client’s longer-term pipeline provides opportunities for contractors to plan work more efficiently, improving their resource planning and identifying cost efficiencies – while driving economies of scale.
6. Shared risk
Using a procurement framework also allows contractors to explore potential risks – including rising costs – and agree how the impacts might be managed between them and the client. Without involving contractors before putting out a tender, clients miss the opportunity for potential risks to be identified, scoped and properly priced into a contract, using projections into the four-year framework lifespan.

 

To speak to a local contact about our public sector construction frameworks

CLICK HERE

 

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Italian Energy Efficiency Scheme ‘Out of Control’

An Italian scheme to make homes more energy efficient has been wildly popular, but the government is seeking to rein in its “out of control” costs amid fears it could send the deficit soaring.

The “superbonus” scheme, which can be used for anything from insulation to solar panels, new boilers and windows, was introduced in May 2020 to boost the economy after the coronavirus lockdown.

Environmentalists were sceptical about its benefits but Italians rushed to take advantage of the programme, in which the state paid 110 percent of the cost of making homes greener, with the subsidy delivered via a tax credit or tax reduction.

As intended, it boosted the construction sector — but it has so far cost the state 61.2 billion euros ($64.8 billion), according to the finance ministry.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose coalition government took office in October, said last weekend the situation was “out of control”.

She said the scheme had led to fraud worth nine billion euros, while the tradeable nature of the tax credits had “generated a sort of parallel currency, and that parallel currency risks having a devastating impact on the budget”.

Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti went further, describing it as a “wicked policy”.

Lorenzo Codogno, a former chief economist at the Treasury, told AFP that attempts now to quantify the impact of the scheme on Italy’s strained public finances could be “a wake-up moment for financial markets”.

He warned Italy’s deficit could be revised up substantially, while both the construction sector and the government “could have liquidity problems”.

Italy’s deficit was an estimated 5.6 percent of GDP last year and set to fall to 4.5 percent in 2023, but revised figures potentially incorporating the superbonus scheme are due out on March 1.

 

Source: Yahoo

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KENYA: LARGEST 3D PRINTING PROJECT SITE TO DATE

HOLCIM’S 14TREES BEATS OTHER

3D PRINTING COMPANIES IN

THE RACE TO CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING

  • From Oct. 2022 to Jan. 2023, 14Trees 3D printed 10 houses in Kilifi, Kenya, averaging one house per week
  • 6 three-bedrooms (76 m2 / 836 SF) and 4 two-bedrooms (56 m2 / 616 SF) houses have been 3D printed so far, making Mvule Gardens in Kilifi the largest 3D printed project to date
  • No other completed 3D construction printing project is currently larger than that, in the US or elsewhere
  • The fastest time to print one house in the Mvule Gardens project was 18 hours. See the video here: link
  • No other 3D construction printing project has matched 14Trees productivity, in the US or elsewhere

For a long time, 3D construction printing has been seen as a possible solution to the escalating affordable housing crisis. Proponents of the technology claim, that when 3D printing projects in construction are carried out at scale, the advantages of the technology become clear. Evidence of that claim has been lacking, but recent developments actually provide credibility to the statement.

14Trees is a joint venture company between the cement and concrete giant Holcim and British International Investment dedicated to accelerating the provision of affordable housing in Africa. The joint venture is behind the first 3D printed houses in Africa and the first 3D printed schools in the world. This week 14Trees announced some of the initial results of their efforts to 3D print up to 52 houses in Kilifi, Kenya, using a single BOD2 printer from COBOD. The BOD2 is the world’s best-selling construction 3D printer. Following the start in October 2022, 14Trees completed the 3D printing of the walls of 10 houses in January 2023 after just 10 weeks using only one printer.

In addition, the project’s sustainability profile also attained an EDGE Advanced sustainable design certification by IFC, the World Bank’s development finance institution, which recognizes resource-efficient buildings with the potential to be zero-carbon. It is the first time a 3D printed housing project has attained this certification.

Commenting on the achievements, Francois Perrot, Managing Director of 14Trees said:

 

“With 3D printing, you can solve two problems at once. You can build faster like we have shown here with our 10 houses in 10 weeks. At the same time, we can achieve better cost efficiency, which will help make affordable housing a reality for the majority. In addition, you can build with less materials, which preserves the resources of the planet for future generations.”

 

14Trees intends to get the full benefit of the large-scale project by experimenting and innovating as the project progresses. During the next phases which consist of 10-15 houses each, several innovations will be included that will allow future tenants to design their homes and move away from the standardized 3D printed approach to one which fully leverages the technology’s customization possibilities.

The cost of construction is also an area of focus. With each phase, 14Trees is aiming at lowering construction costs further such that the build cost is 20% lower than standard houses. Using Holcim’s proprietary 3D printing materials, TectorPrint, made at a local plant, has already meant a significant reduction in costs.

14Trees is not the only company busy with construction 3D printing projects of multiple housing units. Especially in the US several large-scale have been announced, including a venture-backed US-based construction 3D printing company’s 100 houses project, which attracted global media coverage when they began printing in early November 2022 (announced 2021) at a site where 5 or more identical printers were used simultaneously. As of early February, three months after the printing began, reports show that less than 9 houses had been printed so far. Commenting on the performance of 14Trees in relation to the developments in the US, Philip Lund-Nielsen, Head of COBOD Americas stated:

 

“Considering how difficult the conditions are in Africa, it is impressive, that 14Trees has printed more houses on a single site, than any other construction 3D printing company in the US or elsewhere. In addition, they have done it faster, using just a single COBOD 3D printer not by using 5 printers or more”.

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‘SHAP’ Will not fix the wider issue of Homelessness

Architects have warned that a government-funded drive to create new homes for rough sleepers, while welcome, will not solve homelessness

Around 2,400 homeless people are due to be rehoused through the government’s Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP), which launched last September.

The homes, which must be completed within three years, will be provided through a bidding process at the local level. The total funding available is £270 million.

London mayor Sadiq Khan said he would find housing for 800 homeless people in the capital by 2025 thanks to a £70 million slice of the funding announced last month (24 January).

The homes will be delivered by registered providers working in partnership with local authorities and are expected to target 18-to-24-year-olds. It remains unclear what form they will take, and whether they will be modular or retrofitted existing buildings.

HTA Design partner Mike De’Ath said that although this initiative would help ‘transform’ the lives of London’s rough sleepers, it would not fix the wider issues of homelessness.

‘The industry needs to take a holistic approach to ensure these homes are delivered to transform people’s lives both in the short and long term,’ he said.

‘Ultimately though, tackling homelessness goes beyond housing delivery, and the provision of shelter isn’t a silver bullet. Government funding also needs to address the socioeconomic conditions that lead to homelessness.’

De’Ath highlighted youth homelessness charity Centrepoint’s work providing 35 modular homes in Peckham, which will house people previously sleeping on the street, as an example of how the industry could collaborate using off site construction methods to solve homelessness.

Levitt Bernstein director Jo McCafferty echoed De’Ath’s call for a solution to the housing crisis that was in turn leading to people becoming homeless. She called the latest housing programme ‘only a sticking plaster’.

McCafferty told the AJ: ‘We are all elbow deep in housing and regeneration projects, where viability is worsening on a daily basis, where planning processes are delayed, where stretched programmes are jeopardising the funding that does exist, despite the admirable efforts of City Hall.

‘All of these factors are rapidly slowing the delivery of social housing when people need it the most, when the cost of living is making access to good housing even less attainable for so many, and daily life is such a struggle.’

Heather Macey, of the Architects Aware! think tank, told the AJ that any new housing needed to be provided alongside new support services – particularly for young rough sleepers, whose numbers rose during the pandemic.

She told the AJ: ‘Youth homelessness is a complex problem which has been further exasperated during the pandemic.

‘Our research has shown that the emergency accommodation currently on offer to young people is substandard, often in poorly converted buildings, and frequently with no privacy, security or space for social support.’

Macey, whose think tank has called for unused buildings in London to be turned into homeless shelters, added: ‘Purpose-built emergency shelters for young people at risk of or suffering from homelessness are barely in existence at all.

‘A lack of design guidance around this area of housing provision – as well as almost no discernible clear policy to implement these types of projects – makes their delivery an uphill struggle.’

Following the announcement, the mayor of London said: ‘We can’t do this alone, and to end rough sleeping in our capital, particularly amid the cost of living crisis, the government must intervene to prevent the circumstances that lead to people sleeping rough before thousands more are forced to face a winter on the streets.’

Under the mayor’s announcement, capital funding will be made available for homes starting construction from April 2023 and completing before March 2025.

COMMENT:

Jo McCafferty, director, Levitt Bernstein:

Whilst entirely endorsing the mayor’s much-needed increased funding for housing for rough sleepers, and the vital work of Crisis and St Mungo’s, the SHAP is only a sticking plaster to solve a broader housing problem across the capital. This is emergency funding for the most vulnerable, not a long-term solution. Ultimately, the basis of any broader and deeper answer to our housing problems must come down to the total quantum of state funding available for social housing and easy access to these funds.

This is only a sticking plaster

We are all elbow-deep in housing and regeneration projects, where viability is worsening on a daily basis, where planning processes are delayed, where stretched programmes are jeopardising the funding that does exist, despite the admirable efforts of City Hall. All of these factors are rapidly slowing the delivery of social housing when people need it the most, when the cost of living is making access to good housing even less attainable for so many, and daily life is such a struggle.

If I sound angry, it is because I am. Very. Invest in high-quality housing for all, as crucial, vital infrastructure, and the burden on our health, social care and education systems will dramatically reduce. It is a fact. We need a government that understands this and has the moral conscience to commit to a radical, nationwide social housing programme. It is that simple.

 

Source: Architects Journal

 

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Modified Wood Traps Carbon Dioxide

Wood pieces at different stages of modification,

from natural (far right) to MOF-infused functional wood (far left)

(Credit: Gustavo Raskosky/ Rice University)

 

An engineered wood material that could be used in construction has been modified to capture carbon dioxide.

The reportedly energy-efficient process, which also makes the material stronger, was developed by researchers at Rice University in Texas.

Structural materials like steel or cement come at a high cost, both in money and CO2 emissions – building construction and use accounts for an estimated 40% of emissions. Developing sustainable alternatives to existing materials could help mitigate climate change and reduce emissions.

Working to address both issues at once, materials scientist Muhammad Rahman and colleagues found a way to incorporate molecules of a CO2-trapping crystalline porous material into wood.

“Wood is a sustainable, renewable structural material that we already use extensively,” Rahman said. “Our engineered wood did exhibit greater strength than normal, untreated wood.”

In the conversion process, the network of cellulose fibres that gives wood its strength is first cleared out through a process known as delignification.

“Wood is made up of three essential components: cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin,” Rahman said. “Removing the lignin is a fairly simple process that involves a two-step chemical treatment using environmentally benign substances. After removing the lignin, we use bleach or hydrogen peroxide to remove the hemicellulose.”

Next, the delignified wood is soaked in a solution containing microparticles of a metal-organic framework (MOF), known as Calgary framework 20 (CALF-20). MOFs are high-surface area sorbent materials used for their ability to adsorb CO2 molecules into their pores.

“The MOF particles easily fit into the cellulose channels and get attached to them through favourable surface interactions,” said Soumyabrata Roy, lead author on the study.

MOFs are among several nascent carbon capture technologies developed to address climate change. “Right now, there is no biodegradable, sustainable substrate for deploying carbon dioxide-sorbent materials,” Rahman said. “Our MOF-enhanced wood is an adaptable support platform for deploying sorbent in different carbon dioxide applications.”

“Many of the existing MOFs are not very stable in varying environmental conditions,” Roy added. “Some are very susceptible to moisture, and you don’t want that in a structural material.”

CALF-20, developed by University of Calgary Professor George Shimizu and colleagues, stands out in both performance and versatility under a variety of environmental conditions, Roy said.

“The manufacturing of structural materials such as metals or cement represents a significant source of industrial carbon emissions,” Rahman said. “Our process is simpler and ‘greener’, in terms of both substances used and processing byproducts.

“The next step would be to determine sequestration processes as well as a detailed economic analysis to understand the scalability and commercial viability of this material.”

 

Source: Institute of Mechanical Engineers

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Nuclear Offers Rewarding Careers

Actemium’s growth within the nuclear industry has meant additional responsibility, bringing new challenges and opportunities

The possibilities of rewarding careers within an exciting nuclear industry have never been greater, says Brian Berry, Actemium Design UK Business Unit General Manager.

Actemium is perpetually conscious of the necessity to adapt. Adaption to not only contribute to a safer, cleaner, energy-rich society but to make us the standard-bearers for such incentives and continue to promote ourselves as a rewarding organisation to join.

The developments within the nuclear industry and Actemium’s role in it are exciting. As such, we have long made conscientious efforts to attract graduates and apprentices into our industry and taken a closer look at how to progress the talent within our organisation to tap into potential — and now we’re seeing the results.

Everyone who has been welcomed into the business, whatever their role, should understand how vital a contribution they’re providing to Actemium as an important brand of VINCI Energies UK & RoI.

Exciting times for new technology and research

The recent disruption in the energy market hasn’t significantly impeded our sector of the nuclear industry. Actemium has predominantly focused on the area of decommissioning our nuclear legacy sites around the UK and assisting with the new-builds and power stations moving online. It has been, and remains, an exciting time for new technology and research in nuclear power.

There are the small and medium nuclear reactors that are being sited on former decommissioned lots and there have been ground-breaking breakthroughs on fusion technology in the UK which could make a significant contribution to energy in the future and consequently reflect very well upon the country and its standing in the energy industry. With the possibilities of developing nuclear power, hydrogen technologies and EV charging within the overall energy transition, Actemium is in the right place to capitalise on these opportunities.

However, looking at the wider picture, it raises issues that we need to confront. Actemium realises that the nuclear industry has not necessarily presented itself as the most attractive sector to be a part of, particularly with the lack of investment in promoting a more positive image and bolstering its legacy. The environment is, and should be, on everyone’s mind alongside the necessity towards mediating change.

A way to reach net zero

The UK’s commitment to go carbon zero by 2050 is an excellent motive but ambitious, meaning we collectively have just under three decades to reach that goal. It is a high target, but it is needed, and it is important to remember that with this progressive push arrives opportunity with emerging technologies and solutions in the nuclear sector.

Today, there is a major initiative within the energy industry towards nuclear power generation. Nuclear generation increased by 100 TWh to reach 2653 TWh in 2021, meeting 10% of the world’s electricity demand. According to the Nuclear Industry Association, the average capacity factor of the world’s operating nuclear reactor rose to 82.4% from 80.3%. There is an immediate power demand which is inevitably going to draw on existing stations reaching end-of-life.

There are new nuclear power generation sites being built at such locations as Hinkley Point C in Somerset and Sizewell Point C in Suffolk, but these types of projects typically take twenty years to come into fruition, so Actemium is also looking at alternative development methods – pre-built, pre-tested and pre-commissioned construction – to increase efficiency.

This is but just one example of us confronting the challenges within our industry. We have recruited, and will continue to recruit, by identifying unique talent and the individual contribution our prospective employees can each provide.

We sincerely want all our employees to look back on their Actemium trajectory with pride and look forward to their Actemium future with enthusiasm.

Find out more about Actemium or careers at VINCI Energies UK & RoI

 

 

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OFF-SITE COMPONENTS HELP DELIVER ZERO-CARBON CONCEPT HOME

A concept house built with a new off-site system and additional materials supplied by Saint-Gobain Off-Site Solutions will soon enter a testing period, as part of a project designed to accelerate progress towards low carbon and net zero housing.

 The pioneering eHome2 is a three-bedroom family home built inside the world-leading Energy House 2.0 climatic chamber facility at Salford University. Over a period of nine months, the house will undergo rigorous whole-building testing – including thermal performance, energy efficiency, running costs and residential comfort, as well as its ability to cope with extreme temperatures and climatic conditions.

The house was built using a combination of off-site modern methods of construction, with Saint-Gobain Off-site Solutions brands Scotframe and Pasquill supplying advanced timber frame products and factory-installed pre-insulated walls.

eHome2, a collaborative partnership between housebuilder Barratt Developments, Saint-Gobain Off-Site Solutions, and additional brands within the Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland group, seeks to change the way we build high-quality, sustainable and future-ready new homes in the UK.

As such, the data gathered from eHome2, which in itself is operationally net zero, will help inform how the housebuilding sector will design and build zero-carbon housing at scale using sustainable building materials and off-site solutions.

 

Futureproofing with Posi-Joists

Manufactured and assembled at Pasquill’s flagship Chorley site, the floor cassettes supplied to eHome2 are a timber frame construction which add to the sustainability credentials of the build.

As the project is being built to exceed Future Home Standards requirements, it has been designed to accommodate many more heating, ventilation and renewable energy services than the houses commonly built today. Pasquill’s Posi-Joist™️ cassettes’ metal webbed design creates a larger service void, allowing for easy and free routeing of utilities such as Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery systems (MVHR) throughout the home.

These top-hung Posi-Joist floor cassettes also help speed up the process of installation and reduce the thermal bridging at wall-floor interfaces.

Pasquill has also supplied the Roof Trusses for eHome2 in order to help create a thermally efficient attic space. Combining traditional Trusses with Attic Trusses has created a space that can also house additional services and pipework required to run future smart homes. Both the Posi-Joist cassettes and the Roof Truss systems add to the pre-manufactured value of the eHome2 build.

 

Thermally efficient panellised solution

eHome2 features a new proposed MMC category 2 closed panel solution from Scotframe. The wall panel system, which is assembled with BRE A+ rated Isover mineral wool between the i-stud based timber frame, provides maintenance-free and long-lasting insulation. This cuts energy bills, while innovative connections reduce thermal bridging design and enhance airtightness.

With the inclusion of critical vapour control membranes, service zones and externally fitted battens, the system speeds up on-site build time and ensures a high-performing fabric – achieving 0.13 W/m2k.

The result is a solution with a performance point that exceeds Future Home Standard requirements without the need for additional site-installed installation. It also means that the house can be erected from the slab to the finished roof in only two weeks, including cladding and windows.

Similarly, Scotframe’s system also delivers high levels of premanufactured value, with a reduced reliance on on-site labour and a reduction of on-site waste.

 

 

Next generation housing

Ross Baxter, Managing Director, Saint-Gobain Off-Site Solutions, said: “eHome2 is an investment in the future of UK housing, and has the potential to completely revolutionise how we design and build homes. The fact so many organisations are working together towards a common goal shows that collaboration undoubtedly is the best way for us to tackle the challenges facing the industry.

 

“It’s our aim to help national housebuilders and other volume housing providers find a way of delivering zero-carbon homes of the future at scale and speed. The project is a brilliant showcase of how off-site manufacturing can help achieve this, with innovative solutions driven by sustainability and performance that can help make the world a better home.”

Tom Cox, Technical and Development Director, Saint-Gobain Off-Site Solutions, said: “This project is a fantastic demonstration of how off-site can deliver a high premanufactured value to housing developers. In particular, our brands Pasquill and Scotframe have made a significant contribution, with innovative timber-engineered panels and cassettes which have sped up the build and increased its sustainability credentials.

“When working with the Barratt design team on the project, designers chose to use the Posi-Joist™️ cassette system to allow for easy rooting of utilities, which are required for future homes design. Meanwhile, the new panel system itself has also had a number of tests carried out on it so it’s looking like it’s going to be quite an exciting solution for developers moving forward.”

 

Energy House 2.0 is a £16 million testing facility that is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and harnesses the University of Salford’s expertise in climate and the built environment.

Completed in February this year, the facility is the largest of its kind in the world, with two chambers which can accommodate two detached homes. These chambers can replicate weather conditions including rain, wind, snow and solar radiation, with temperatures ranging from -20 degrees to +40 degrees centigrade.

 

eHome2 features a range of sustainable building products and materials from Saint-Gobain brands including British Gypsum, Isover, Saint-Gobain Glass and Weber.

CLICK HERE For more information on the project

 

 

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Tackling Greenwash

New course qualifies construction marketers in tackling greenwash

1st February 2023, Manchester, UK – A new ‘Net Zero Masterclass’ has been launched by content marketing agency, Hattrick, to help sales and marketing professionals in the built environment become more confident climate communicators. It is the first of its kind to be accredited by the Carbon Literacy Trust.

The training offering is part of the agency’s own commitment to tackle the climate challenge and reflects the rising demand – and scrutiny of – environmental claims across the industry.

The interactive and action-oriented course is designed to help businesses make sense of the science, jargon, acronyms and disinformation that are clouding sustainability claims. It is delivered as two half day sessions in small groups, with everyone leaving certified as Carbon Literate with a personal plan for how they are going to make a difference.

“The built environment is responsible for 39% of global energy related carbon emissions made up of operational emissions, energy needed to heat, cool and power buildings and from materials and construction. As the race to ‘net zero’ intensifies and customers are expecting ever more transparency, many sales and marketing professionals are worried about inadvertently greenwashing.” says Hattrick’s course facilitator and managing director, Malin Cunningham.

“There are so many acronyms and specialist terminology so it’s easy to get lost; what does ‘net zero’ really mean – and how is it different from ‘carbon neutral’? Why is it so important to stay as close to +1.5C degrees global warming – and how can such a small increase make such a big difference?

“According to the Chartered Institute of Marketing 40% of marketers do not have any qualifications in sustainability. I suspect that the figure is significantly higher – at a time when it’s more important than ever,” continued Malin.

Hattrick has delivered six cohorts since its launch in September 2022, training 41 individuals from 28 businesses including EarthShot Prize Finalists Low Carbon Materials, Amey, Tarkett and Cleveland Steel. Courses are running every month with the next session scheduled for Wednesday 22nd and Friday 24th February.

The Hattrick team – who are all certified Carbon Literate – also delivers the training inhouse and supports businesses with developing their own bespoke programme to deliver themselves.

For further information on Hattrick’s Carbon Literacy Course and to book your place visit https://www.wearehattrick.com/carbon-literacy-course.

 

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