DIGITALISED BUILDINGS

Remote and flexible working, is likely to be accelerated as more people choose to work from home

#buildingmaintenance #digitaltechnology #postlockdown #homeworking #smartbuilding @SchneiderElec

 

 

 

By Graeme Rees, Digital Energy Marketing Manager at Schneider Electric UK&I

 

An invisible revolution has been taking place, further fuelled by the recent pandemic. A new generation is entering the workforce, which has coincided with a time of major change. To help businesses attract and retain the best talent, buildings and operations must be truly digitalised.

To achieve this, organisations will need insight and oversight over their assets, predictive maintenance, and real-time data immediacy. In addition to creating people-centric buildings, this will help businesses to cut costs and improve efficiency. With an integrated and comprehensive approach to building operations, businesses can keep staff and the bottom line happy.

 

The Times They Are A Changin’

The way companies work has been transformed over the past decade. The combination of new ideas, technological innovation and the influx of a new generation of workers has upended longstanding approaches to not only the way we work, but the expectations we have of the environments we work in. However, these changes stand to be amplified further as companies look to return to work, post lockdown.

As the needs and wants of staff changes, so too must the kind of buildings companies look to locate in. For most companies, buildings now need to provide much more than the traditional lease – they need to support business aims, help organisations attract the best talent, and energise and inspire their staff as well.

Companies will have to get serious about attracting and retaining millennial employees, who will comprise 75 per cent of the workforce by 2025 1. The latest game-changing technologies require skills only today’s generation of digital natives can provide on mass. Keeping them happy and productive is key to success.

The lockdown had meant that previous trends, such as remote and flexible working, are likely to be accelerated as more people choose to work from home. With collaboration remaining vital to business success, companies will need insight to be able to cope. Hot desks that have been utilised will need to be identified for aggressive cleaning in between occupants, while permanent desks arrangements may require checkerboard patterns and spacing to provide everyone with sufficient distancing.

 

Only The Best

By capitalising on the potential of the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data, building and energy managers can provide new business insights which can be used to enhance the experience of employees, and create more attractive, safe and desirable places to work. Doing so requires an overarching framework, where three layers of technology – connected hardware, software and applications – can communicate, collaborate and share precious insight with building managers. Done right however, these technologies lead to valuable results that not only to tackle our current challenges but help build a platform that can inform long term commercial retail estate decisions.

Sensors employed in a smart building can be used to record data on the location of office users within buildings, and report how they’re using space. In fact, it’s now possible to use solutions to monitor building occupancy to support the effective use of agile working environments.

This can be done using a network of connected sensors and anonymous tags inserted into the badge holders of building users. These tags can transmit information to the sensors, allowing the real-time usage of different spaces to be reported, visualised and managed. Insights gathered from these and other devices could then in time be used to measure the impact of space design on business performance.

How workplace design relates to the physical and mental wellbeing of employees is an equally important consideration. A number of studies have shown that high levels of CO2 in office buildings can induce feelings of tiredness and impact decision-making. In a smart building, however, carbon sensors can detect and measure levels of CO2, directing other building systems to adjust HVAC settings accordingly.

Companies are increasingly aware of the competitive advantages that can be secured from adopting a well-considered workplace and real estate strategy. Investments in a company’s workplace can support business aims and help attract the best people. Smart building technologies – which not only provide insights and data, but also allow companies to create an enjoyable and safe workplace – are essential for this.

 

 

A new Approach To Building Management

What’s good for employees is also good for the business. Therefore, getting people back to work safely is paramount. The systems installed to provide staff with a dynamic, enjoyable place to work also deliver crucial efficiencies and cost savings across multiple building functions. In this respect, the building power system is all important. All smart systems and apps depend on power, so a connected power infrastructure is the key to both systems reliability and efficiency.

Information exchange between different building technologies enables the building to identify and correct inefficient practices. For example, damper systems in buildings are designed to provide cool outside air, rather than relying on chillers or compressors. Yet, in many buildings, it’s common for chillers and compressors to continue to operate even on cool days when outside air could be used, despite this being highly inefficient.

Fortunately, embedded sensors generate masses of data which can be analysed by smart building software to provide actionable intelligence on building performance. Building managers are then better placed to make informed decisions on the operations of a building, or schedule pre-configured outcomes based on their desired model of operation.

The continual monitoring of data produced by building systems also enables advanced detection and diagnostics of faults. It allows building managers to understand why a building is or isn’t operating efficiently so permanent solutions can be introduced, rather than temporary fixes.

For instance, with data analytics, building managers can proactively identify operational problems such as equipment that needs to be repaired or replaced. Moreover, it can do this before critical failure and before it has an impact on the building occupants. Repairs can be scheduled before an emergency arises, eliminating costly short-notice or out-of-hours replacement and avoiding failure and downtime. With this proactive approach, equipment becomes more reliable, the cost of replacement and repair is lower, and occupants are assured of optimal comfort.

All businesses face the take of making our working spaces as resilient as possible. Adaptability has always been necessary to business continuity, particularly in the age of rapid change we are set to enter. While the challenge is immense, facility managers have the tools and skills required to face it head on and revolutionise the working world.

 

Source: FMUK

 

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UPSIDE DOWN MMC

Twenty years ago one of the earliest offsite constructions went radically wrong, but it took five more years before the mistake was realised

#modular #offsiteconstruction #architects #developers #localauthorities #developers #designers

 

Not long after the world welcomed the dawn of a new millennium, a cutting-edge apartment block heralded as the pinnacle of modern living was built in Leeds.

Developed right on the edge of the Leeds Inner Ring Road in May 2000, the distinctive semi-circular building caught the eye and was advertised as stylish accommodation for young singles and couples working in the city centre.

It’s full name was City-Centre Apartments for Single People at Affordable Rents. The developers soon realised that wasn’t very catchy though, so it became known simply as CASPAR II.

The building, commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, followed the curve of the slip road onto the A64(M) from North Street, but the flats all faced inwards onto a central courtyard.

The semi-circular structure of CASPAR still stands today and is sandwiched between North Street and the Leeds Inner Ring Road.

It was the design that made it so unique though. Japanese construction firm Kajima built the flats using ‘flat-pack’ panels, with the individual units made off-site before being craned into place.

For five-and-a-half years, people lived there with no problems.

But then a report in 2005 highlighted a major safety issue.

 

 

The CASPAR development on the fringes of Leeds city centre was built using cutting-edge technology in 2000 (Image: Leodis / James William Bell)

Realising it was upside down

During construction, the bottom-floor panels were actually craned onto the top floor of the building. Similarly, the fifth-floor panels were installed on the bottom floor.

The panels designed for the bottom floor were far heavier than the others – but because they were put on in the wrong order, it risked the entire building collapsing in high winds.

The Arup report stated that there was a two per cent chance of the apartment block falling down completely and residents were hastily told to evacuate.

Speaking to the BBC in January 2006, a spokesperson for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said: “The innovative method of construction for this development is creating serious difficulties.

“This form of construction was very much at the cutting edge of new techniques and the results have been very disappointing indeed.

“The wider lesson we have learnt from this experience is that it does not pay to be too ambitious in pioneering modern methods of construction which are now becoming more fashionable.”

The residents were compensated and found new places to live in Leeds, but the embarrassing mishap is still remembered to this day.

The flats have since been fixed and were renovated as part of a 2015 project, with new tenants back in the building now known as North Crescent.

Source: Leedslive

 

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£300m MODULAR COUNCIL HOUSE PROGRAMME

London’s Royal Borough of Greenwich has chosen developer-contractor A&E Elkins to build 750 affordable rent council homes.

#modularbuildings #developers #architects #affordablehousing #localauthorities #carbonpositive #environment

 

The £300m contract is believed to be the biggest awarded for new-build council homes using modular construction to date. The form of contract is the ACA TAC-1 Term Alliance contract. A&E Elkins has formed an alliance with manufacturer Ideal Modular Homes and architect shedkm to deliver the homes across 60 sites over five years, with the possible extension of a further five years.

All the homes delivered through the Alliance will be carbon positive, meaning the operational energy of the homes will be not only better for the environment but also more affordable for the tenants helping to address the fuel poverty gap.

The modular homes can be manufactured in four days and installed on site in eight hours, minimising disruption to the surrounding residents and cutting the delivery programme time by up to 50%.

 

 

Luke Barnes, founder of Ideal Modular Homes, said: “Councils are under constant pressure to deliver affordable housing at a reduced cost, while still delivering on quality. This joint venture will see that beautifully designed high-quality homes can be  delivered in half the time that traditional methods would.”

 

Designing the homes for the project, shedkm, is a collective of pragmatic architects who believe in a responsibility to deliver value to their clients through design with integrity. Alex Flint, director of shedkm, said: “Working closely with our partners, we aspire to bring the highest quality of homes to the borough. Designed to exemplar standards with sustainability at their heart, the homes will feature exceptional space standards, large expanses of glazing and robust facing materials.”

Cllr Anthony Okereke, Royal Greenwich cabinet member for housing, added: “Employing modular techniques as part of our Greenwich Builds programme is allowing us to quickly deliver the high quality and sustainable council homes so badly needed in our borough. With plans for construction on 750 new homes to be underway by 2022, we’re excited to be at the forefront of delivering innovative zero-carbon council properties, making good on Royal Greenwich’s commitments to tackling both the housing crisis and climate change.”

The project team have been working hard through the coronavirus crisis using virtual resources. This has enabled seamless design and virtual consultation events with stakeholders and the public. The first of these homes for council tenants is expected to be on site before the end of this year.

 

Source: PlaceTech

Images by Cosmoscube

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Green Chile Status

Chile Green Building Council achieves Established GBC Status

#constructionindustry #environment #developers #greenbuilding #architects #sustainable

The Chile Green Building Council (Chile GBC) has achieved Established Green Building Council (GBC) status, the top tier of the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) membership.

Previously an Emerging GBC, the second tier of WorldGBC membership, Chile GBC has now progressed in its green building journey to become Established. This has been achieved in light of its continued efforts to demonstrate exceptional leadership within the building and construction industry, whilst growing and educating the Chilean market, and acting as the primary source of information and collective action on sustainable building in the country.

WorldGBC defines an Established GBC as a fully developed and operational organisation that is running impactful green building programmes of work—delivering change on a national level, and embracing best practice governance, accountability and transparency.

 

 

María Fernanda Aguirre, CEO of Chile GBC, said: “For Chile Green Building Council, both the staff and our partners and collaborators, this achievement inspires us and encourages us to work even more intensively than we have already been doing in these 10 years of existence, training professionals, generating public-private alliances, creating innovative projects and being local benchmarks in sustainable construction. This announcement has come at a precise moment – in our 10th anniversary – as it gives us a regional leadership position that invites us to collaborate in a multisectoral way, so that the construction industry grows within the framework of sustainable development.”

Dominika Czerwinska, Membership and Regional Networks Director, WorldGBC said: “I am delighted to welcome Chile GBC to the leaders’ league of GBCs globally. Their attainment of WorldGBC’s highest member status is due to their dedication to growing a strong, local market for sustainable buildings and a powerful members network. They send an inspiring message to all global markets who are on this journey.”

Chile Green Building Council is a non-profit organisation that aims to promote and boost sustainable construction and development, technological innovation, efficient use of energy and construction materials in order to improve the quality of life and health of people and communities.

Chile GBC rejoins WorldGBC’s Americas Regional Network of 15 Green Building Councils.

 

www.worldgbc.org

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BRITAIN’s FUTURE WORKFORCE

Could MMC answer the skills shortage? As post Brexit we lose the migrant workers

#construction #construction industry #mmc #skills shortage #bricks #architects #local authorities #contractors #3D printing @eurobrick

In the midst of a worldwide pandemic, the construction industry is doing what it can to carry on ‘as normal’ but with the current climate as it is, along with the UK’s recent exit from the European Union, it leads us to question what the future of Britain’s workforce will hold. However, these major events are not the only influencing factor on the future workforce in our industry. With the rise in popularity of off-site and modular methods of construction, along with a continued shortage of skilled bricklayers and advances in technology and robotics, the future of our industry may be set to change in a big way.

It is easy to see why off-site modular construction has enjoyed such a boom in recent years, considering the many benefits. With increased efficiency and predictability, processes can be performed quicker and weather is no longer an influencing factor on delivery time. It is also easier to manage quality control within a factory environment and there are significant health and safety benefits within such a controlled environment too, which could be particularly beneficial while our country adapts to a new normal of social distancing. A smaller workforce is required, helping to keep costs down as semi-skilled labour is adequate for performing the roles required in a production line. Less disruption on-site can also be a big benefit to some clients, particularly for public buildings such as schools.

Our construction workforce has an aging demographic, which has been temporarily filled by EU migrants but is this changing post-Brexit and during COVID-19? Could modern methods of construction be the answer to the skills shortage? The UK’s leading brick slip cladding company Eurobrick has supplied the modular building industry for nearly 30 years, and in their experience, it could be. Richard Haines commented,

“Over the last few years we’ve seen the building industry take big strides towards more modern methods of construction and products like ours. Brick slip cladding can easily be installed on or off-site, allowing for a real brick finish combined with the associated cost savings of modular construction. Only semi-skilled labour is required for installation of most brick cladding systems which can certainly help to relieve the pressures faced in the coming years due to skills shortages.”

Building Information Management (BIM) is a collaborative approach to projects that uses digital technologies to make planning projects more efficient and give greater clarity and detail for the building as a whole. BIM allows you to embed asset data along with a 3-dimensional model into plans to help manage and maintain assets through the project lifecycle. This is now the required standard for many local authorities and is used by most major construction companies and these type of digital advances will undoubtedly have an effect on the industry, as many apps and digital solutions are developed to ease the pressures it faces, especially during times of restricted movement.

 

 

Other advances in technology such as 3D printing, virtual reality and robotics are already playing an active role in the future of the industry too. With some construction companies trialling the development of the first 3D printed homes, virtual reality as part of the project planning process to help eliminate problems before they even arise and robotics that can be applied to any automated tasks, making workers lives safer and freeing up people for problem solving issues instead.

All of these advances open the door to other types of skills and a work environment that will appeal more to younger people and women, helping to broaden the workforce of a traditionally male environment that has struggled to attract these demographics.

 

Brexit and COVID-19 will undoubtedly have an impact on the way our industry continues to operate, but technology will be the biggest game changer for us all.

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MMC can deliver on construction targets

You might be forgiven for thinking the Government target of

building 300k new houses this year won’t be met

#construction #construction industry #mmc #skills shortage  #architects #local authorities #contractors #design @jmsengineers #planning

 

For building firms who were already struggling to stay ahead of deadlines, the Coronavirus pandemic couldn’t have come at a worse time. Sudden skill shortages, site shutdowns and reduced productivity have caused serious (and costly) delays. So with all this going on, you might be forgiven for thinking the Government target of building 300k new houses this year won’t be met.

But for Andy Kenyon, JMS Midlands Director of engineering consultancy JMS, failure is not an option.  “Those targets are important,” says Andy. “Not only to avert the housing shortage crisis, but also as the foundation of the UK’s economic strategy of investment in infrastructure and housing.”

“The construction industry needs to play its part in creating the V-shaped recovery our economy needs. And thanks to our decade-plus experience in working with MMC, we believe we can enable our industry to meet those ambitious housing and infrastructure targets.”

 

Fabricating a stronger future

 Andy is clear on the opportunities MMC presents:  “At JMS, our ethos has always been to look at difficult problems, and find the required solutions. MMC can not only cut timeframes, but deliver projects on budget, and requires less on-site labour while offering greater sustainability.”

MMC, or Modern Methods of Construction, refers to off-site construction, using factory conditions and mass production techniques. Pre-made modules are then delivered and fitted into place on site.

“Many construction firms still rely on bricks and mortar construction, but it isn’t a great fit with where the UK needs to be on housing. And even less so now that Covid-19 has reared its ugly head. In places like Scandinavia and Japan, MMC is already widely adopted, but we have been much slower to embrace this innovative approach in the UK.”

JMS are veterans of designing structures using MMC materials, and have supported industry manufacturers since 2005.  “Right from the pre-planning stage, we can dramatically reduce delivery times, and still exceed efficiency targets. It’s a scalable process too, and a solid way for firms to enhance their reputation with clients.”

 

 

“One of the concerns we hear from building contractors is that MMC relies too heavily on mass production. They worry it can limit their ability to make buildings look different. But it isn’t a one size fits all solution. Take our work with Ideal Building Systems, for example. Over many single and multi-storey projects, we’ve played a key role in creating substructures and superstructures, often for schools. And every design was adjusted to suit the ground conditions on each site.”

“One of the key advantages of our input was all the pre-design work we did before the building stages meant we could incorporate sustainable drainage. And while our pre-planning took more time than with the traditional building approach, that time was more than made back with reduced waiting times for delivery, and the reduction in on-site expertise required. Nobody had to wait for someone else to finish their job before they could get to work, as all that was done in the factory environment before delivery to the site.”

Andy believes Covid-19 may be the big event that finally breaks the UK construction industry’s reliance on bricks and mortar.  “It’s a necessity at this point. This infrastructure and housing needs to be built, and to meet those targets we have to embrace the innovation that MMC offers. Even at the structural design stage, our early input can identify and remove barriers to project completion before they cause headaches down the line.”

“At JMS we have invested heavily in the latest tech and design software, and my team are already MMC veterans, having designed everything from pre-cast foundations and SIPs to steel frames and much more beyond. I am very excited about the places MMC will take the construction industry over the next decade. Not only will we change the landscape, but we will also change the economic outlook for the country. And that can only be a good thing.”

With the introduction of Modern Methods of Construction, maybe Boris might meet his housing targets after all.

 

www.jmsengineers.co.uk

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ALL ELECTRIC AIR ‘TAXI’ PORTS BY 2025

German aerial-taxi company Lilium has unveiled its design guidelines for modular vertiports that could be placed on top of office blocks, car parks or shopping centres.

Lilium, which has developed a five-seater jet-powered electric air taxi, created the design guidelines as part of its plan to launch an all-electric air taxi service in multiple cities around the world by 2025.

The modular and prefabricated structures were designed as a blueprint for developers that want to incorporate a vertiport into upcoming projects or existing buildings.

 

 

Lilium has designed an urban vertiport that could be placed on top of a car park

“We have no plans to sell the design to developers,” explained head of architecture at Lilium Riko Sibbe.

“Instead, we see developers and partners using our design guidelines as a blueprint for developing vertiports specific to their contextual setting,”

“We intend to begin and complete construction of vertiports ahead of our commercial launch in 2025, so it won’t be too long from now!”

The vertiport would consist of a take-off area, parking spots and a terminal building

Lilium aimed to design a simple, functional vertiport that only incorporated the elements vital for running its future aerial taxi service.

 

The structure would be built from a series of prefabricated modules so that the scale of the vertiport can be adapted to its site and demand for the taxi services. Within cities, they could be built on top of office blocks or car parks.

“The lean and modular design allows us to tailor vertiports according to its specific location quickly and affordably without sacrificing design,” said Sibbe.

“Within cities, this might mean placing a vertiport at an existing transport terminal, next to a shopping centre or on top of a busy car park. In other, less built-up locations vertiports might be placed at ground level, next to a business park or housing development.”

The modular design could be adapted to different sites and for varying levels of demand

Each vertiport will include three major elements: a take-off area, which will be based on current heliport regulations; parking bays where passengers will embark the taxis and the vehicles will be charged; and the terminal building.

The number of parking bays and take areas would be determined by demand and availability of space.

“A small town might just have a single parking bay next to the landing pad, while a city-centre location might have 10 bays and two landing pads,” said Sibbe.

“Vertiports can be scaled up or down based on a number of factors, including passenger demand and available space.”

While the buildings will be similar to current airports, without the runways, Lilium has removed much of the retail and restaurants from the terminal building to streamline the process.

“Lilium vertiports will be optimised for regulatory compliance and safe and reliable operation, just like any airport,” said Sibbe.

“But unlike airports which are also home to retail hospitality and duty-free shops, our terminals are focused on reducing processing and waiting to a minimum in order to deliver a seamless and frictionless experience for passengers,” he continued.

“Whilst airports give passengers the feeling of losing time, Lilium vertiports are designed to give customers time back.”

Lilium is not the only company aiming to develop a network of sky taxis. Last year ride-sharing company Uber revealed eight design concepts for its “skyports” ahead of the commercial launch of Uber Air – its app-based flying taxi service – in 2023.

 

SOURCE: Deezeen

 

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3D – A Two-Storey House in Two Days

Kamp C, a centre for construction sustainability and innovation in Westerlo, Belgium, has produced on its premises what it says is the world’s first house to be 3-D printed in one piece.

The 90-m2 model dwelling was created using a modular Construction of Buildings on Demand (COBOD) 3-D printer, the largest of its kind in Europe. The 8-m tall, two-storey house is the average size of a terraced house in the municipality (which is in the province of Antwerp and the region of Flanders).

 

       THE BOD

The goal of this project was to demonstrate how 3D printing technology could be applied in the traditional construction industry in Europe.The idea for the project came from our participation in the Danish government-funded project “3D Construction Printing”, during which we visited more than 35 3D construction printing projects worldwide. We realized that Europe was falling behind, and we took on the challenge to be the first in Europe to 3D print a building fulfilling the strict building codes of Europe.

COBOD

 

“What makes this house unique is we printed it with a fixed 3-D concrete printer,” explains Emiel Ascione, project manager. “Other 3-D printed houses around the world only have one floor and, in many cases, their components were printed in a factory and then assembled on-site. We printed the entire building envelope in one piece on-site.”

The house was built as part of the European ‘co-creation 3-D printing with companies’ (C3PO) project, with financing from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), in the hope of raising interest within the construction industry about the use of 3-D concrete printing techniques.

 

 

 

“Several possibilities, including the printing of provisional housing and even complete apartments, are already being implemented, but this technology is still very novel in Flanders,” says Kathleen Helsen, president of Kamp C and provincial deputy for housing. “That is why we created this unique location on our site, where construction companies can experiment, together with research and education institutions.”

The printed house’s material provides compressive strength that is reportedly three times sturdier than a house constructed conventionally with quick-build bricks, so the amount of wire-mesh reinforcement is minimal and formwork is redundant. Researchers will check whether this solidity is retained over time.

“We also eliminated cold thermal bridges altogether,” says Ascione. “We developed a low-energy house with all the modern conveniences, including floor and ceiling heating, solar panels and a heat pump. We will also be adding a green roof.”

It took three weeks to print the house, which will be open to visitors by appointment starting in September. In the future, Kamp C predicts, an entire house could be printed in less than two days.

 

Source: Canadian Consulting Engineer

 

 

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Greenwich Councils Zero Target

Visitors to Greenwich can now catch a glimpse into the future of social housing, with the unveiling this week of four zero-carbon council homes in the South London borough.

The homes are fitted with individual air source heat pumps and solar panels and have been designed to exceed net-zero carbon standards, meaning they are capable of delivering energy back to the grid.

Moreover, the homes boast have an EPC rating well above the highest category of A. Currently, just one per cent of UK new builds are A rated, while the average rating is D.

 

 

 

The homes were manufactured by modular housing firm ilke Homes at their factory in Yorkshire. ilke Homes draws on the latest digital technologies – such as Building Information Modelling, which creates a digital copy of homes so that their energy performance can be modelled – to improve the airtightness and quality of home design.

The four council eco-homes were then craned into place and installed in Robert Street, Woolwich, following enabling works carried out by engineering giant ENGIE, which included the demolition of the existing site, substructure work, and utility connections.

“Rather than using carbon offsetting schemes, which is a common occurrence when the industry talks about net-zero, all the carbon savings are achieved by the technologies of the homes themselves,” said Matthew Bench, executive director of partnerships at ilke Homes.

The new homes are part of Greenwich Council’s drive to meet its twin pledges to deliver 750 new council homes and reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. The council declared a climate emergency earlier this year, while acknowledging the scale of the challenge it faces it if to match the Mayor’s aspiration to make London carbon neutral by 2030 – two decades ahead of the UK’s national target. The council estimates that its homes are responsible for 20 per cent of emissions in the borough – with the cost of retrofitting them all around the £1bn mark.

“These high-quality and sustainable council homes are the first of 750 we’ll be delivering across the borough as part of our Greenwich Builds programme,” said Royal Borough of Greenwich Cabinet Member for Housing Cllr Anthony Okereke.

“Addressing the shortage of social housing is a top priority for the Council and we’re delighted that Robert Street, our pilot Greenwich Builds development, is now ready for local families to move in.”

His comments were echoed by Simon Lacey, regional managing director for ENGIE’s places and communities south division, who said the new homes were “a step change for Greenwich and will provide more affordable housing in their borough”.

“As the world leader in carbon reduction and renewable energy, ENGIE is poised to continue working with our partners to deliver similar schemes over the coming years and play an integral part in making zero carbon happen,” he added.

 

Source: Business Green

 

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MMC SYSTEMS TO BE FAST-TRACKED FOR NHBC WARRANTY

NHBC, the leading warranty and insurance provider for new homes in the UK, has launched a new service dedicated to the rapidly growing area of Modern Methods of Construction.

NHBC Accepts is an all-inclusive, end-to-end service that will help to build confidence in innovative construction and enable MMC systems to be fast-tracked for NHBC warranty.

 

 

As part of the new service, detailed and robust technical reviews at key stages will result in provision of a certificate (and acceptance for NHBC warranty), usage licence for a bespoke NHBC Accepts logo and website listing.

NHBC has been a long-standing supporter of innovation within construction and their experienced MMC team will be offering a personalised approach via various channels and dedicated touchpoints, providing added value and confidence.

NHBC’s Innovation Manager, Richard Lankshear said: “The case for innovative forms of construction has strengthened and, as housebuilding resumes, the drive to transform construction is accelerated.

“We expect to see more innovative construction solutions emerge over coming years and NHBC’s thorough and rigorous approach to new MMC systems will help bring benefits to manufacturers, developers and builders.

“All new homes across the UK that are covered by NHBC’s Buildmark warranty are inspected at key stages during construction by our directly employed and highly skilled team of more than 350 inspectors. An NHBC Accepts certificate is a way of demonstrating that innovative products or systems have already been reviewed thus reducing the risk of delays on site.

“NHBC Accepts will play a critical role in ensuring developers, manufacturers, lenders and consumers have faith and confidence in MMC quality as the industry delivers more innovative new homes for the country.

Chief Executive of Cast Consultancy and author of the Farmer Review of the construction industry, Mark Farmer, added: “I welcome the launch of NHBC Accepts. It’s a step forward that sees the UK market leader in warranty and insurance for new homes making its commitment to high quality modern methods of construction clear.”

 

For more information, please visit www.nhbc.co.uk/accepts

 

 

 

 

 

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