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Don’t let water be the ‘log jam’ in housing developments

Modern Methods of Construction have been highlighted by Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State as the way forward to help resolve the housing crisis and urged Housing Associations and Local Councils to embrace new technology and methods of working.  However, the log jam to completion of new build projects can be connection of the water supply.  Surface mounted meters allowing ‘plug and play’ style installation can be the solution.

The recent change in lifestyle forced upon us by the COVID 19 pandemic has identified the importance of home and local community environment. In the Secretary of State’s speech to the Chartered Institute of Housing, 10th September 2020, Robert Jenrick, highlighted the impact the period of lockdown had on those with poor housing and the homeless.
The slow-down in new home build that resulted from the COVID 19 restrictions needs to be reversed and Jenrick has made MMC ‘central to the delivery of the new Affordable Homes Programme’ and set a minimum target for the use of MMC1.  His aim is for ‘…the UK to be a leader in MMC, driving new jobs, better skills, as well as faster delivery of homes, and those homes, in turn, being better quality and more energy efficient, with all of the benefits of society and social justice that comes with that.’1
Jenrick urged rapid progress on Social and Affordable Housing.  However, utility connections can often be the weakest link in the improved efficiency the MMC provides.
Water supply is perhaps the most important item within the critical path of construction and is probably the most difficult to achieve. Imagine a situation where your services can be fully installed prior to moving on site, with surface mounted meters allowing ‘plug and play’ style installation.

 

With Groundbreaker water management system, you have exactly that ‘plug and play’ option – no need to imagine.
The only system of its type, it is designed to be installed at any time during the construction period.  Fully compliant with Water Regulations, it provides an accessible, safe and secure location for the water meter and controls to a specific property.
The concept is simple.  Water services are connected to an externally mounted, pre-installed water service control.  The pre-installation and certification of plumbing can facilitate early approval of water services to a plot.  This allows flexibility in the management and scheduling of a connection to the water mains supply.
There is no need for boundary boxes or meter housings in the footpath, and this simplification of the connection allows for improved efficiency and reduces the time required for highway closures.  An added benefit of removing meter housing from the footpath is that there is no disruption to the footpath, so no reinstatement costs.
Using Technology to Future Proof Housing stock
It is good to see that Jenrick has recognised the need to embrace new technology, to future proof housing stock. Utility companies have not been slow in recognising the benefits of a ‘Smart Home’.  The ability to interrogate and manage energy usage at any given time of day or night has been recognised as an effective way for householders to reduce usage and manage costs
Gas and electricity meters located on external building walls have enabled easy upgrades and introduction of countrywide ‘Smart Meter’ programmes.  However, the traditional location of a water meter in a metal-covered hole in the public highway is not conducive to this new way of thinking. A ‘Smart Water Meter’ located in such a situation is exceedingly poor in transmitting a signal even to a local pick up. With Groundbreaker water management system, ‘Smart Water Meter’ technology can be easily installed, as it is introduced across the UK.  Recent field trials of Groundbreaker have proven that the range of such meters can be over 3Km (2 miles) allowing for remote access and the ability to mange the carbon footprint.

www.groundbreaker.co.uk

1.  www.gov.uk/government/speeches/robert-jenricks-speech-to-chartered-institute-of-housing-cih-2020

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COMBI-SC A GREAT INVESTMENT FOR MODULAR COMPANIES

The Combi-SC – a good move for Autovol

Increasing space availability, improving safety and speeding up the transportation of products onsite can be a challenge for modular construction companies, particularly in light of the extremely oversized and bulky loads that the sector typically deals with.

A new US company has solved this issue by using a Combi-SC Straddle Carrier from the Irish handling specialist Combilift. Idaho-based Autovol Inc. is breaking new ground as the first fully automated volumetric modular factory in the USA, and the most advanced of its kind across the globe.

Merrick Macomber, EA to CEO and Co-Founder of Autovol says: “For decades, our industry has traditionally used a combination of a tractor unit and a custom built lifting chassis to move modules,” said Merrick, “but we decided to take an updated approach to handling procedures. Since we started production a few months ago, the Combi-SC has proved to do everything the manufacturers promised. Out of all of the new equipment we bought for our new factory, it was by far our best investment. It has substantially cut loading times, reduced the risk of product damage and improved the deployment of the labour force.”

 

Autovol’s Combi-SC is diesel powered with a lift capacity of 45 tonnes, with a 1.8m telescopic facility and .5m side shift. Compared to the tractor/chassis method the time savings are impressive: navigating a modular from the factory to trailer previously involved four to six personnel and took up to two hours. This can now be done in a maximum of 20 minutes and requires just one operative to steer the Combi-SC using the wireless remote-control facility. Various lift points on each side of the fixed frame attachment enable drop chains to be fixed in the most suitable position for each individual load, allowing easy configuration for the different sizes of modules that Autovol produce – which can be up to 30.5m long and almost 5m wide.

“Our Combi-SC has made a significant contribution to enabling our breakthroughs in construction cost, productivity, and quality”, said Merrick.

www.combilft.com

https://autovol.com

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Modular construction is the future – but is it missing something?

Nick Gander, founder of Energy Carbon, explains why low-carbon far-infrared heating perfectly complements sustainable modular construction.

When it comes to housing, the UK has its work cut out.

It’s estimated the country needs to be building nearly 350,000 homes every year to meet rising demand – which is a huge step up from where we are at the moment.
We need more housing, more quickly – and that requires the construction sector to become a lot more productive.  But if that wasn’t challenging enough, we have to achieve all that while drastically reducing the built environment’s ecological impact too – both in terms of the construction process, and buildings’ carbon footprints over their lifetime.  That might sound like an impossible square to circle, especially given the rapidly shortening time we have to do it in. It’s only thirty years until 2050, by which time the UK’s committed to reaching net zero.  But it’s possible we’ve been looking the solution in the face for decades and not realised it.

Modular construction
Modular construction is nothing new. Millions of British people, in fact, grew up in prefabricated housing built after the Second World War.
But thanks to enormous advances in technology, modern modular buildings are a world away from the flimsy prefabs of the past – and offer a quicker, cheaper and much more sustainable alternative to conventional brick-built construction.
Modular construction is green because it tends to produce much less waste, and also because whole buildings can be disassembled and used again if necessary.
However, many modular buildings still aren’t as green as they could be – and that’s because very often how they’re heated gets overlooked.
How green are the green alternatives?
If you take a sustainably-constructed building, then fit it with a heating system that’s not environmentally friendly, you’ve not got a sustainable building any more.
In the decade ahead, we’re likely to see a drastic reduction in the use of worst-offending power sources like coal, oil and gas, and the old-fashioned heating systems that use them.
However, some alternatives that look very green on the surface aren’t anywhere near as sustainable as they seem once you start digging a little deeper.
Air-source heat pump technology is often presented as the future of heating, but it’s got significant downsides – they’re very expensive, require specialist technicians to install and maintain, have short lifespans, and in some cases the refrigerant they use can itself contribute to global warming.

 

Far-infrared
A much better solution – and one that’s very in keeping with the speed and ease of modular construction – is far-infrared.
Infrared radiation is produced by the sun. It’s measured in microns, with ‘near’ infrared sitting between 0.76 and 1.56 microns, ‘mid’ infrared measuring between 1.5 and 4 microns, and anything above 4 microns classed as far-infrared.
Between 8 and 10 microns, to be precise, is the most beneficial to the human body – and it’s exactly this sort of infra-red radiation that the products we supply at Energy Carbon provide.
Fit it … Forget it
Traditional heating systems work on a convection system. Radiators or electric storage heaters draw cold air from the floor, and heat it so that it rises to the ceiling, where it cools, falls to the floor and the process continues in a loop – which can result in poor air quality, as dust particles rise.
Convection can be slow, expensive, and, often, totally ineffective – all you have to do is open the front door, and the heat escapes, taking you right back to square one.  This mix of hot and cold air can also create moisture that causes mould and mildew, and, more importantly, health issues for occupants.
Far-infrared heating is different. Far-infrared does not create moisture as it is not heating the air. The radiant heat warms objects in the room instead of the air itself.
The objects in turn release their own heat, and the room is kept at a far more even, comfortable temperature. With no convection roll, you get a dramatic drop in the amount of dust particles and or mould, which can alleviate allergen-induced asthma.
Additionally, occupants ‘feel’ the energy themselves, much the same as they feel the warmth from the sun. This feeling of warmth allows the heating to run at around 1-2 degrees lower than conventional heating, thus saving further energy.
The far-infrared solution Energy Carbon provides was originally developed by students at the University of Stuttgart.
They had worked for six years trying to create an energy-efficient heating system which was effective, easy to install, and completely safe.
Using industry waste materials, the students engineered a far-infrared heating system which is sustainable, had great carbon-reducing credentials, and produced radiant heat which could travel up to three and a half metres.
The technology is now widely used across Germany, and over 100,000 linear metres of it have been fitted to date.

What’s more, where alternatives need extra skilled trades and engineers to install and maintain, our heating products are incredibly simple to install into the walls or ceilings of a room, using existing trades and requiring no ongoing yearly maintenance.
Fit it … Forget it.

In short, we think far-infrared is the future of heating in modular construction – and if you’d like to learn more, get in touch with Energy Carbon today.

Call 0203 507 1659,

or email hello@energycarbon.co.uk

www.energycarbon.co.uk

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REDISCOVERING TIMBER

How to build a timber construction on a point-supported flat slab.

Timber, one of the oldest construction materials, in the last two centuries has been surpassed by more technologically advanced materials: it is time for it to restore its former glory.
In recent years a new sensitivity towards environmental issues has led to a rediscovery of timber material, characterized by a very low ecological footprint. In addition, a “technological revolution” of the entire timber supply chain has made it possible to make a quantum leap, with the construction of small 24-storey skyscrapers with height up to 85 m. Today a material that was once reserved to small structures only can aim to replace steel and reinforced concrete, even for buildings of considerable size and complexity.
In particular there is new exciting opportunity risen within this technological revolution: the SPIDER connector, a fixing system developed and certified by Rothoblaas in collaboration with the University of Innsbruck (Austria).
The research project
When the academic world and industry combine their skills to translate a brilliant intuition into a tangible and practical solution, it is often a sure success. This is, indeed, how the SPIDER project has started in 2016. The Arbeitsbereich für Holzbau (Department of Timber Construction) at the University of Innsbruck envisioned its innovative concept and proposed the development primacy to two companies. Rothoblaas saw the potential and therefore accepted the challenge, sharing its technical know-how and collaborating with the University to bring this visionary system to life.

 

The ambitious research project, co-financed by the Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft (Austrian Research Promotion Agency), led to the development of a metal connector for the construction of point supported flat CLT floors, for the first time in the world. After 4 intense years of work and many tests and trials the project was finally marked successful with the marketing of the notable, CE marked SPIDER connector.

The SPIDER connector
The connector consists of several steel components, fixed to the timber elements with fully threaded screws.
The SPIDER connector performs three distinct tasks:
1.   Load transmission from the upper to the lower column, without compressing the CLT floor (green arrows);
2.   Suspension of the floor: the floor is not simply resting on the column, but is “suspended” from the six steel arms of the SPIDER by means of full threaded screws, which work in traction (blue arrows);
3.  Shear reinforcement: all vertical loads applied to the floor are concentrated in a small portion of the panel around the column. This causes high shear forces in the floor, which can result in rolling shear failures. The inclined screws also act as reinforcement, “sewing” the various layers of the panel.

Now, the obvious question is: at what distance can the columns be positioned using the SPIDER connector? In principle, a 7 m x 7 m mesh can be indicated as the maximum limit that a SPIDER connector can support. It is possible to install the floors with two different configurations, to create a real flat slab floor or a cross-panelled floor.
Just to make it clear, it will be possible to construct buildings with the same structural mesh as the U.B.C. Brock Commons in BC, Canada but 50 storeys high!
Spider has been officially launched in Spring 2020 and is featured in the new plates and connectors catalogue by Rothoblaas.

 

Join the challenge!
Timber construction is still in an initial phase of rediscovery and deserves full attention and consideration. After decades where steel and reinforced concrete have ruled undisturbed, now timber construction is becoming more mature, getting some popularity for its sustainable and biophilic nature. However, to withstand a credible and competitive advantage it needs to borrow some of standard construction’s strengths.
SPIDER is a clear step forward for buildings made of wood and unlocks paths to possibilities that now also timber, over reinforced concrete, can have the luxury to dare to.
The challenge of innovation has just started, now it’s up to both designers and manufacturers to believe in it and seize this new opportunity!

www.rothoblaas.com

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TOTALLY MODULAR CREATING JOBS

Totally Modular Recruitment Needs Continue To Boom

After securing a significant pipeline of factory built homes, many of which will be delivered to housing associations across the nation, Midlands based housing manufacturer Totally Modular are leading the way in job creation enhancing the continued prominence of MMC whilst creating a new generation of skilled, volumetric housing professionals.

Despite all the gloom surrounding the current pandemic and uncertainty from Brexit, Totally Modular have bucked the trend and continue to prosper whilst increasing the number of staff employed, and continue to create opportunities for individuals who seek a career in a new vibrant technology sector.
Totally Modular, are a manufacturer of residential housing solutions who can achieve carbon zero build standards which meets the need for future proof affordable houses. The homes are manufactured on a production line and commence the process as a robust hybrid steel structure which are fully assembled and constructed within a controlled factory environment before despatch and can achieve a completion state of up to 95%.
Having established partnerships with local colleges, universities, schools and military associations, Totally Modular aim to bring a wide range of new talent to the company in a bid to create a new generation of housebuilders. These partnerships with a range of organisations will facilitate the scope to offer jobs to a range of individuals, from unskilled to skilled, veterans or apprentices, school leavers or mature individuals who are interested in participating in the innovative, future proof, modular construction industry. Familiarising themselves with the latest construction technologies, driving forward innovation, digital integration and accelerated delivery of housing. The ambition is to deliver a new generation of high quality, energy efficient housing for all tenures produced by a new generation of house builders.

 

Totally Modular have identified that they can bring in an amount of an unskilled workforce, and train individuals in the skills required to produce volumetric modular housing. For them to facilitate this, they have partnered with the National Housing Academy and Dudley College as a training provider being within 3 miles of their factory. Dudley College are sat in a unique position as they have both experience from a construction perspective from an onsite element but also have cutting edge training programmes that support offsite technology from a technical perspective, incorporating design, green technologies and innovative products.
This trail blazing apprenticeship scheme, will see Totally Modulars apprentices sent to college for a formal NVQ, BTEC apprenticeship over a period of 2-3 years, where at the end of it, they will have a formal qualification in Volumetric Modular Assembly, either as a crafts person or as a technician having transferable skills allowing individuals to be deployed throughout the UK and beyond. Totally Modular have also signed The Armed Forces Covenant, which demonstrates their commitment to support the armed forces community and individuals in their employment search. They have since been awarded the Bronze Award as part of the Employer Recognition Scheme which acknowledges that they have provided exceptional support to the armed forces by going above and beyond their covenant pledges.
Overall, Totally Modular are committed to be recognised as a leader in diversity and inclusion. By encouraging individuals from all backgrounds to join their team whilst enabling and supporting them to achieve their individual goals, this strategy will in turn help to bridge the skills gap our industry continues to face.
Being in the enviable position of hosting Prime Minister, Boris Johnson inside their prototype show home positioned in Dudley college recently, Totally Modular are leading the way in meeting the challenge set by him in building greener, faster and better homes which he stated as an aim within his recent ‘Build Back Better’ address.
Totally Modular offer a range of housing solutions; housing, apartments, airspace and temporary accommodation, whilst always aiming for A+ energy efficiency. The homes can be delivered as a full turnkey solution from design all the way to delivery. These homes can provide higher quality solutions with lower risk and greater speed, cost-effectiveness and consistency.
Totally Modular have carefully designed a variety of standard house types that cover the most popular house sizes within the market today. Using the TM volumetric build system they can offer vast customisation and adapt their standard house types to suit, or create a custom volumetric design. Totally Modular have standard layouts for Affordable Housing (NdSS compliant), Private Rented Sector, and Market Sale. As well as their standardised housing product, they are also developing an enhanced Future Homes solution.
Totally Modular have gone through an extensive certification process to ensure that all their Modular Homes are mortgageable with various comprehensive warranties available. Totally Modular have also secured a plethora of accreditations (ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, SSIP, Considerate Constructors) which shows their dedication towards assurance, providing a healthier & safer workplace, where their processes are streamlined therefore maximising productivity and minimising risk.

www.totallymodular.co.uk   

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COVID ZAPPED IN 5 MINUTES

 Safe, Sustainable Fibreboard by Sundeala

Independent tests performed by an ISO 17025 compliant laboratory show that Sundeala FR board is 100% free from viable virus within 5 minutes of infection with human coronavirus.

Sundeala fibreboard has helped Britain face its share of national emergencies. Sundeala board was used in the construction of the very first ‘Nightingale Hospital’ comprised of hundreds of Red Cross Huts behind Netley Hospital during the First World War and, in 2020, it has joined the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sundeala FR is an inherently fire-resistant fibreboard comprised of recycled paper fibres and natural metallic minerals.
Studies indicate that coronavirus remains viable on porous surfaces and in the presence of some metallic minerals for far shorter periods than hard, smooth surfaces and that the presence of some metallic minerals has a destructive effect on virus particulates.
Sundeala Ltd approached Indoor Biotechnologies – a global immunodiagnostics and biotechnology company, specialising in the development of innovative products and services in the areas of Immunological and Environmental Sciences. Indoor Biotechnologies formulated a methodology designed to robustly test both the surface and fibres of Sundeala FR to determine how long coronavirus was detectable after the point of infection.

 

 

The Test
ISO 17025 compliant methodology was used to test multiple separate samples of Sundeala FR board. Tests were done on multiple days and with multiple sets of samples to ensure the testing was scientifically meaningful.
Testing was performed with Human Coronavirus 229E as the closest in behaviour to SARS CoV-2 as well as being the strain proven in previous studies to have the longest persistence on surfaces and be the most difficult to destroy. Virus samples were cultured in cells derived from human lung tissue.
Testing was performed both on the board surface and within the board itself to test the point at which it became safe to touch as well as when it became safe to cut or sand.
The Results
After tests performed at 4 hours and 1 hour showed that no viable virus remained on the board samples, further tests were carried out at 5, 15, and 30-minute time points.
The results were conclusive: within 5 minutes of infection with a large viral load, there was zero viable virus persisting either on the surface or within the Sundeala FR board itself.
The Impact
As the economy struggles for recovery amidst local lockdowns, the construction industry is being called on to navigate the waters of the ‘new normal’ with a new set of safety considerations around reducing the transmission of coronavirus.
A new study from Australia shows that coronavirus can persist on some non-porous surfaces, such as glass and stainless steel, for as long as 28 days, raising serious concern about high-touch surfaces such as metal door plates.
The efficacy of Sundeala FR against potential viral transmission is game changing for public health where Sundeala FR is being used throughout schools, universities and offices as door push-plates, social distancing screens and wall cladding in high-footfall circulation spaces. It also a welcome antidote to the ‘Plastic Pandemic’ that has seen the use of imported virgin plastic escalate on a previously unimaginable scale during Covid-19. Sundeala FR is manufactured in the UK from 100% UK sourced ‘waste’ cellulose fibres that would otherwise end up in landfill.
The need for fast, disruption free and, above all, safe construction has never been more pressing. Sundeala FR is manufactured in the UK and can be delivered on a ‘just in time’ basis to be installed during offsite fabrication, either as 2400 x 1200mm sheets or cut to size as required.
Benefits:
•  100% free from human coronavirus within 5 minutes of infection both on the surface and inside the board itself.
• Fully circular product manufactured from recycled waste materials and able to be endlessly re-manufactured into new board at the end of life.
•  Made from natural cellulose fibres and metallic minerals.
•  Wet-process fibreboard utilising hydrocarbon bonding for strength. Zero use of chemical binders or VOCs in the production process.
•  BS EN 13501-1 Class B Fire Rated: suitable for use as a wall lining in circulation spaces, corridors, and high-risk rooms such as science labs and kitchens.
• 25-year surface warranty

www.sundeala.co.uk

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PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO THE AIR AROUND US

The global pandemic has forced us all to pay more attention to the air around us, whether in our home, office or outside. Maintaining high standards of indoor air quality (IAQ) is not only important to limit the potential spread of infectious diseases but also to prevent the build-up of indoor air pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can significantly impact the health of occupants. One of the simplest and most effective ways to achieve this is by specifying materials which are recognised as low emitters of VOCs under schemes such as the Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort standard.

Understanding VOCs
VOCs can be emitted by a number of materials found in a typical indoor environment, including everything from cleaning products to carpets and paints. The compounds are described as ‘volatile’ as they have a fairly low boiling point. This causes their molecules to become more active at room temperature, allowing them to spread into the surrounding air.
The compounds have been linked with a variety of health issues. Depending on the length and concentration of exposure, these can vary from relatively minor issues – such as dizziness and shortness of breath – to serious impacts including damage to internal organs and the central nervous system.
Whilst an effective ventilation strategy can help to reduce VOC concentrations, it is generally recommended that the first step should be to use materials which are identified as low emitters. The Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort (IAC) programme helps specifiers to quickly and easily identify products which meet these requirements.
Eurofins IAC
The Eurofins IAC has been created to harmonise the criteria within the various VOC emissions standards across Europe. It is split into two levels:
Standard Certification – Identifying that the product complies with minimum mandatory VOC emissions standards within European countries including France, Germany and Italy.
Gold Certification – This recognises the product is also compliant with many of the most demanding voluntary performance standards and can be recognised as being an outstanding material according to the VOC Indoor Air Quality emissions regulations. Eurofins IAC Gold certified products meet the compliance requirements for specifying low-VOC emission solutions within BREEAM, Well Building, LEED and SKA Rating.
In order to achieve Eurofins IAC Gold certification, production facilities are first assessed by an independent inspector who has been approved by Eurofins. The assessor looks at all factors which may affect emissions from the product, such as archival changes in a product’s formulation. During the inspection, samples of products are taken for emissions testing.
Once emissions testing is completed, the results are then sent to the manufacturer along with a detailed report from the inspection, allowing corrective action to be taken where necessary. If the test results suggest compliance and no issues are raised in the inspection report, then the product is issued with certification.

 

Critically, Eurofins requires manufacturers to engage in a process of continuous testing and auditing. Recently certified products are subjected to emission testing and production site inspections every year to ensure low emissions. As a result, installers and specifiers can have confidence that the performance and quality of certified products will be maintained over time.
A growing number of construction products are now certified under the Eurofins IAC Gold programme including Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation. In addition, work is also under way to consider VOC emissions within the harmonised European Standards for the CE Marking of products.
A healthier future
As we move towards a net zero carbon built environment, our buildings are set to become increasingly airtight. For this reason, the need to control VOC concentrations and to maintain high levels of IAQ is only expected to grow in the coming years. By specifying products which are low emitters, it should be possible to create healthier environments for occupants to live and work.

www.kingspantechnicalinsulation.co.uk

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Introducing our brand new 2021 Connectors for Light Gauge Steel catalogue

Simpson Strong-Tie are all set to provide the steel frame construction industry with performance tested connectors and fixings with the release of our brand new 2021 Connectors for Light Gauge Steel catalogue.

Created for suppliers, architects, engineers, erectors, and contractors alike, the new catalogue makes it easy to specify project-appropriate LGS connector solutions, with robust product pages including detailed features and benefits, technical data and installation advice, as well as associated fasteners and tools.
Light gauge steel (LGS) enables quick construction without the need for heavy tools or equipment. LGS systems offer a range of construction related benefits, with speed of construction, cost effectiveness and safety being the most notable.
Whether you are a manufacturer of LGS load-bearing structures or a manufacturer of light gauge steel facades, Simpson Strong-Tie can provide a suitable connection solution. From steel joist connectors to oversail movement connectors, bridge connectors and ties, to chemical and mechanical anchor systems, our comprehensive range of products will ensure you make the right connection, when you need it.

 

The new catalogue features the ever popular TJC Jack Truss and Rafter Connector, an on-site adjustable angle bracket for connecting angled LGS sections, and the HTT5 Tension Ties, as well as the heavy-duty Quik Drive collated fastening system. Also showcased are some brand new product innovations, including:
•  The LGSSC Splicing Clip, designed to connect the over–sail LGS studs to the primary structure in continuous walling installations.
•  The RCKW Parapet Wall Bracket, designed to resist an over-turning moment at the base of exterior knee-walls and parapets as well as interior partial height walls.
•  X1214 screws have a #3 drill point capable of drilling through 5mm steel and suitable for 450 grade hardened steel.
•  X1224 screws have #5 drill point capable of drilling through 12.5mm steel and suitable for fixing to hot rolled steel sections.
“Our range of ergonomically designed connectors can assist on-site installation and ensure projects are completed on time and to your specification. Whether you need products or design, solving your structural problems is our passion, and the 2021 LGS connectors catalogue makes it easy to find information and project solutions quickly.” Explains Sales Manager @MartinKeithLister.
“You also have the reassurance of knowing that you are specifying a tested product, whether it be a hold down, anchored to the foundation, or an adjustable angle bracket connecting to the light gauge steel, our dedicated technical support team are available daily to help you select your connector and the fixing solution.”
As the market grows for steel framing solutions and buildings built in an offsite environment, our research continues at head office into our upcoming range of Ready products that will revolutionise the future of light gauge steel.
To learn more about how Simpson Strong-Tie can help you develop your light gauge steel project call us on 01827 255 600.
The new catalogue is available now, or you can download the catalogue from the Literature Library on the website.

www.strongtie.co.uk

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ASSURED FIXING SOLUTION

ETA-approved EJOT Iso-Corner provides assured fixing solution for externally insulated walls

EJOT has secured ETA (European Technical Assessment) approval for its Iso-Corner load-bearing bracket, an engineered fastening element for medium to heavy weight building elements – planned or unplanned – in ETICS and other external wall insulation applications.

The newly awarded ETA confirms the engineered value of EJOT Iso-Corner which is moulded from high density polyurethane foam and can be easily cut on site with an electric saw to sit flush with the external insulation face. This combination of structural strength and adaptability provides a dependable supporting bracket option offering a cantilever arm to length of between 80mm and 300mm.
It is ideally suited to specifiers and installers who need to attach building elements to a façade that is to be treated with an ETICS – external thermal insulation composite systems – or other external wall insulation solution. These could include elements such as railings and Juliet balconies, which require a secure attachment to the load-bearing external wall, the substrate.
Consider the make-up of an external wall insulation system. The insulation is typically attached to the wall structure, treated with coatings and mesh, and finished in the chosen render, brick-slips or other external treatment. The main depth of the system is the insulation board, and whilst this should generally be very securely fixed to the building substrate, it will not have the necessary structural strength to allow for load bearing attachments.
Any attempt to achieve a secure fix by driving through to the original building substrate could compromise the thermal insulation level. Unless a fixing is used that incorporates insulating materials as part of its design, the thermal barrier will be broken, and cold bridging will result. This is one of the criteria of PAS 2035, where it needs to be demonstrated that any cold bridging effects have been designed out of the chosen energy efficiency measure.
Iso-Corner is part of a range of ETICS mounting elements from EJOT designed to achieve safe, secure and long-term fastening solutions in refurbishment projects, including:

•  Iso-Spiral Anchor, a spiral-shaped plastic assembly anchor complete with sealing washer and integrated threaded sleeve which provides a fastening solution for lightweight elements in ETICS facades, such as house numbers and external lights.
•  Iso-Dart – a fastening system comprising of a façade anchor with plastic installation bush, complete with sealing washer, which accepts common coarse threaded screws for securely attaching light to medium loads.
•  Iso-Bloc – an easy-to-cut block moulded from high density EPS, which is particularly suitable as a backing to allow for thermal bridge-free attachments in ETICS applications.

 

As a global leader in construction fastening solutions, the EJOT UK team offers a wealth of technical support and specialist guidance to specifiers and installers to ensure they achieve the right result when mounting to ETICS facades.
For technical support and to find out more about the range of innovative EJOT fastener solutions visit the website, call 01977 687040 – or contact Mark Newell, Sales Engineer for ETICS fastening products at EJOT UK: m.newell@ejot.co.uk

www.ejot.co.uk

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Digitalisation as an Enabler to Scale & Leverage Productivity

The landscape of the UK’s offsite sector has become increasingly populated over the last few years with many new entrants – mostly concentrated on residential development – joining a host of longer-established players. These new entrants are embracing business models based on the manufacture of volumetric modular residential product, rather than other forms of offsite solution such as panellised product. The investment profile of these new entrants suggests that the success or otherwise of their business models directly relates to an ability to operate at scale and achieve high levels of productivity. A recent report1 has highlighted that investment in technology as well as facilities and equipment is key to securing such lofty ambition, particularly emphasising the importance of digitalisation of both product and process.

Building Information Modelling or Digital Engineering

Digitalisation and the power of data-centricity across the wider construction industry is somewhat misunderstood. Most often, parties tend to think that the creation of 3-D models using common software platforms in order that information can be easily shared and the likes of clash detection carried out constitutes all that is required for the building of an information model. Indeed, over the last 10-15 years, new roles such as BIM Manager and BIM Coordinator have emerged across the industry which tend to reflect this limited understanding. Yet the creation of a geometric digital twin in a virtual modelling environment does not really constitute the building of an information model that digitally captures both the product and the process needed to be executed to create the physical entity.
The newer entrants to offsite who are focused on the manufacture of volumetric modular product for the residential sector appear to lack understanding of digitalisation and the power of data-centricity. For such manufacturing-based enterprises, it is not to say that their utilisation of sophisticated software to foster collaborative working to help the efficient development of a geometric digital twin is not beneficial, rather that in itself it is not adequate for the purpose of facilitating scalability and high levels of productivity.
So, returning to the report1 referred to previously, the digitalisation (or digital engineering) of product and process implies a more wide ranging set of activities than just the collaborative development of a geometric digital twin. Whether these enterprises have implemented rigid manufacturing workflow to support the production of a limited range of standard product, or a more flexible manufacturing workflow to support production of mass-customised products, a data-centric logic which facilitates control of the value chain and supports data-driven decision making is a pre-requisite to success. Plainly, an expansive notion of digitalisation and the power of data-centricity reflects something more than the simple idea of building information modelling, and whilst not widely appreciated it really does hold the key to an enterprise realising scale and high levels of productivity.

Data as the New Oil
In order to comprehend the power of data-centricity, enterprises must secure a deep understanding of what data it needs and how it must flow to efficiently operate, and also how data should be authored, configured, manipulated and managed. Most enterprises do not invest the time and effort to secure the necessary insight regarding data creation and flow. Without this understanding, they are unable to determine the nature of the technology platform needed to support the effective digital engineering of product and process. As a result, they typically default to a technology strategy incorporating a set of software packages which cannot be fully integrated, and so ultimately thwart the enterprise’s ability to exploit the power of data. Furthermore, these enterprises tend to recruit resource into their businesses which reflect the conventional skill sets mentioned earlier, which further limits the enterprise’s potential digital engineering and data-centricity prowess.
Of course, for those construction and offsite enterprises who have made relatively low levels of investment to help harness data, such a technology strategy might not be overly constraining because their direct competition might operate in a similar way realising similar mediocre levels of performance. However, for those newer enterprises that will be manufacturing volumetric modular product for the residential sector and who possess an appetite to operate at scale and leverage productivity, it is likely these will encounter serious challenges and such a technology strategy will ultimately prove to represent a weak link.
As was the case when oil was first discovered, the true power of data is still largely unknown. This is not necessarily a criticism, rather just a statement of reality; and if something does not appear to be a problem then resource is not usually allocated to resolving it. And yet, for a manufacturing-based enterprise that wants to operate at scale and with high levels of productivity, a data-centric focus is imperative.
Accordingly, whilst there is additional investment involved in acquiring the necessary talent into a business and affording the same the time to evolve the appropriate process logic and identify the associated technology platform to fully secure control of the value chain and facilitate data-driven decision making, the long-term benefits are enormous. This requirement for investment can be perceived as a leap of faith compared to capital expenditure on machinery, because the power of data-centricity is not readily understood, and often technology projects fail to get delivered. Nonetheless, the infographic on the left contains some examples of the sort of automated data capture / flow that are required in an enterprise that aspires to be a profitable, high-volume manufacturer of volumetric modular product for the residential sector.

The Need for Discretisation of Data
The power of data-centricity can only be realised if an enterprise has a true, granular understanding of what data is important, what format it needs to be presented in, which resource needs what portions, and what point in time it requires to be created. An enterprise must seek to understand what data it needs and how it must flow to efficiently operate, and crucially how the same should be authored, configured, manipulated and managed. It is only when an enterprise develops a profound insight that it can also start to consider how the authoring, configuring, manipulating and managing of data can be automated. Indeed, for those newer entrants to the offsite sector who want to operate at scale and achieve high levels of productivity, one option often used to compensate for not comprehending the power of data-centricity is to simply employ more resource. Given the fragmented, skills-scarce climate that such businesses might currently be operating in, this sort of compensatory mechanism ultimately remains a limiting factor to achieving scale and high levels of productivity. The rationale behind this is straightforward enough: the skill sets of many of the sorts of people operating across the construction and offsite sectors are not sufficiently broad to properly understand the full idea that lies behind digitalisation. Whilst some of these enterprises might have a fairly advanced understanding of what to build, they are characteristically lacking in terms of their understanding of how something should be built.
The true power of data-centricity can only be realised if data is discretised, that is the packets  of data that are shared between two actors (e.g., from person-to-person, or person-to-machine) only contain information that is relevant to that particular transaction. Any exchange of data which involves surplus, superfluous, imprecise or erroneous information only gives rise to inefficient working because process time is wasted stripping out the unnecessary components of the communication and validating that the remainder is adequate and accurate to facilitate processing. Furthermore, it is crucial to comprehend the importance of data purity and data integrity, so it is essential to create process logic that affords management and maintenance of data sets to avert risk of data pollution. Where data is discretised, such process logic is easier to identify and implement because the size of data packets can be configured to be easier to handle.  So, any offsite providers that can secure control of the value chain and facilitate data-driven decisions is likely to become a sector lead. To summarise, the value to any enterprise of acquiring a granular understanding of the power of data-centricity, including what data is important and how it must flow, is the essence of digitalisation and it is this knowledge that will enable scale and realisation of high levels of productivity.

 

1McKinsey & Company “The next normal In construction – How disruption is reshaping the world’s Largest ecosystem” June 2020

www.berkeleygroup.co.uk

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