Lauren Arthur, Solutions Manager at Saint-Gobain off-Site Solutions discusses the workforce and efficiency dilemma. can we bridge the gap with offsite construction?

Skills shortages, planning difficulties and competition are among a raft of challenges smaller and regional housebuilders and developers currently face in the sector.

Modern methods of construction (MMC) have the power to solve some of these issues if they provide support around new regulations, supply chain and logistics, funding and training.

To achieve this, our sector must innovate new offsite housebuilding solutions that are tailored to companies’ specific needs.

Unlocking the full potential of small and regional housebuilders and developers with a lasting, long-term solution is vital to meet the UK government’s target of 1.5 million new homes and overcome the need for 50,300 additional construction workersÅ annually to meet construction output.

MMC designed around housebuilders

To deliver a targeted solution for this part of the sector that streamlines procurement and logistics and prevents delays and administrative hold-ups, Saint-Gobain has developed EnveoVent. The fully insulated and ventilated structural through-the-wall system is delivered in ‘plot packs’ containing premanufactured panels, internal and external finishes, and fixtures and fittings to optimise delivery programmes. This reduces build times, cuts costs, and brings significant commercial benefits.

Instead of procuring different materials from several sources, it delivers one purchase, one contract, and, crucially, one warranty – all through one point of contact. Following the Building Safety Act 2022, the construction sector is expected to offer complete information about the fully certified products used within a building or system. A golden thread of data has never been more important, including full details on the individual products contained within a solution, information on fire, thermal and acoustic testing, and accreditations.

At the time of writing, the announcement on the Future Homes Standard is imminent. This will call for warmer, more thermally efficient homes that slash carbon emissions by 75-80% and have a U-value of 0.18 W/mÇK. EnveoVent’s U-value of 0.16 to 0.13 W/mÇK, depending on wall thickness, delivers superior thermal performance, lower energy bills, less energy consumption and better homes.

A faster, safer build

Offsite construction offers a significant efficiency advantage. With EnveoVent, homes can reach a weatherproof shell in as little as six days – a significant reduction on 12-16 weeks for traditional masonry construction.

A shorter time to market and more stable building programmes means offsite solutions can also reduce plant costs, deliver an earlier return on spend and shorten borrowing periods.

Using an MMC category 2 panellised system such as EnveoVent also brings significant on site safety benefits, mitigating many of the risks caused by working at height for long periods. It increases the amount of work done at ground level and reduces the number of trades working in one location at the same time.

Jumping other hurdles

Alongside the Planning and Infrastructure Bill now introduced to Parliament, recent planning reform announcements from government planning reforms include a target to recruit 300-plus local planners by end-2026 and revamps to local frameworks to get new housebuilding moving.

Although this should enable more housebuilding, there remains the question of who will build the additional homes. Offsite presents a solution. With theright training and recruitment, the benefits of speed and efficiency really reach home. Saint-Gobain includes detailed training, best practice videos and instructions to support housebuilders and developers in upskilling.

Using offsite solutions, a single gang of four or five can erect the structure from the ground up, craning panels into place alongside floors and roofs. These cut the number of skilled trades on-site while building more homes.

The recent EnveoVent pilot project in Birmingham brought Saint-Gobain, TR Partnership Homes (TRP) and Midland Heart housing association together to deliver a development of 12 homes. TRP, whose workforce was primarily experienced in masonry, received targeted training to implement the offsite solution.

Steve Thompson, TR Partnership Homes director, commented: “In construction we need to change our approach to building if we are to meet future demand. We now think  completely differently about offsite having seen it in action – it’s changed the way we view projects. Quality control can be tighter and the level of waste on site has more than halved. The increased energy efficiency of the wall means it more readily meets Future Homes Standard targets and wider sustainability goals.”

Long-term partnerships are key to building delivery pipelines and skilled workforces, promoting continued on-the-job training to expand capabilities. With repeat delivery, the considerable economies of scale with offsite really start to materialise.

With viable solutions available for small and regional housebuilders and developers, increased build speed, improved safety, energy efficiency and scalability means MMC can really help the UK build the homes needed to tackle the housing crisis and meet government targets.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

For more information, visit www.rdr.link/dbc021

The post Saint-Gobain discusses the workforce and efficiency dilemma appeared first on PHPD Online.

Charles Mcalpine, climate solutions expert and Managing Director EU of HiiLIFE, a bespoke technology provider for the construction sector, explains what home heating systems property developers should install to maximise efficiency.

As energy costs and environmental concerns continue to rise, housebuilders find themselves at the forefront of increasing our energy efficiency. One of the most impactful ways housebuilders and architects can contribute to a sustainable future is by integrating advanced heat pump systems and smart control technologies into their properties.

These solutions not only reduce energy consumption, but also offer residents a more comfortable living experience. With the cost of energy showing no sign of slowing down, it is crucial for residential developments to acknowledge the importance of incorporating these systems. Charles Mcalpine, climate solutions expert and Managing Director EU of HiiLIFE explains more:

“The heat pump has been a game-changing solution for energy-efficient heating and cooling. Unlike traditional boilers, heat pumps work by transferring energy in the form of heat from one place to another. Heat pumps are more efficient than traditional heating systems because they use electricity to pump refrigerant around a circuit instead of burning fuels, such as gas, to heat water.

There are two main types of heat pumps: air-source and ground-source. An air-source heat pump transfers energy from the outside air into the home, even in colder temperatures. In contrast, groundsource heat pumps transfer energy between the ground and a building. Ground-source offer developers energy efficiency and more consistent bills due to the stable ground temperatures they transfer energy from, but installation costs can be high. I’d say air-source pumps are the most cost-effective option for many properties. While ground-source pumps offer a higher level of energy efficiency, the installation requirements are not suitable for all properties and these also come at significant expense.

Installing heat pumps in property developments offer both developers and potential buyers a variety of benefits. Compared to traditional heating systems, heat pumps produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to a more sustainable development while also helping developers meet increasingly strict environmental regulations. Energy-efficient properties are becoming increasingly attractive to buyers and renters, who are mindful of energy costs and the environment.

While heat pumps offer energy efficiency, integrating smart control systems in developments can increase these benefits even further. Smart thermostats allow for precise temperature control, ensuring that heat is only delivered when and where it is needed. Many systems are equipped with algorithms that can adapt to household behaviours, automatically adjusting heating schedules for when residents are typically home or away. For property developers, these advantages can translate to residents benefiting from the long-term value of lower energy bills. It also demonstrates to environmentally conscious buyers how the properties in question are prepared for the future.

Smart home systems also offer remote access control, allowing residents to adjust heating elements while away via mobile applications. Not only does this offer convenience, it also enhances energy efficiency by allowing users to manage their property’s energy use anywhere, anytime. Smart home systems can also provide energy usage insights, allowing people to see data relating to their energy expenditure. These insights often lead to better decision-making, encouraging more energy-conscious behaviours. For developers, providing homes with smart systems can enhance a property’s value by offering buyers the tools and data to make their home more sustainable and cost-effective.

Perhaps the most standout feature of smart heating systems is zoning capability. Zoning allows residents to heat different areas of a home independently so one can consider the usage, location, and occupancy of each space. Integrating this innovative feature into the build offers a competitive edge in the market, thanks to the attractiveness of personalisation options and increased efficiency as less energy is wasted on heating the entire home.

In summary, future-proofing home heating systems with heat pumps and smart home controls has a whole host of commercial benefits for property developers. Not only do they align with modern sustainability trends and home designs, they also reduce energy waste and lower utility costs for buyers and residents. In today’s competitive market where sustainability and long-term value is a priority for consumers, energy efficient properties are increasingly attractive investments. Housebuilders who embrace and implement these innovations will be well-positioned to meet demand and stand out to buyers and residents in the increasingly crowded property landscape.”

The post HiiLIFE explains what home heating systems maximise efficiency appeared first on PHPD Online.

Arron Ross, specification executive at Keystone Lintels provides insight into the Future Homes Standard (FHS) and the fabric first approach to design, and why a one piece thermally-efficient lintel can significantly improve SAP ratings and eliminate the need for costly renewable technologies. 

Whilst some net zero policies have been watered down by government in recent months, the FHS will become mandatory in 2025 and remains an excellent opportunity to deliver the energy efficient housing the UK so desperately needs if we are to remain on track with our climate ambitions.

A critical first step is ensuring the fabric of our homes is well designed and by paying careful attention to detailing and thermal bridging, we can get thermal efficiency right first time and eliminate some of the issues that create poorly performing homes.

The updates to Part L requirements of the Building Regulations mark noticeable progress towards the FHS coming in 2025. However realising the goals requires an upfront focus on the design of a building’s envelope without the need for further retrofitting work. The June 2022 interim Part L uplift to energy efficiency requirements demands 31% lower carbon emissions from all new homes through a combination of fabric improvements, low carbon heating technologies and PV panels. But 2025 will bring an even bigger transformation for new housing, with emissions reductions of 75-80% mandated. To achieve such dramatic cuts will require the housebuilding sector to prioritise thermally efficient building fabrics from day one.

Fabric first
To meet these elevated benchmarks for new homes, a fabric-first mentality is essential. Optimising the thermal performance of the building envelope through intelligent design must come first. Constructing an airtight, well-insulated building fabric that minimises heat loss will be key to hitting energy and emissions targets and will go a long way towards achieving compliance, whether for large developments or individual houses.

But the benefits extend beyond reducing carbon emissions. Enhancing the building’s envelope efficiency also provides occupants with superior thermal comfort and air quality.

Building as designed
A critical element of the fabric first approach will be addressing the issue of thermal bridging, which can be responsible for up to 30% of a home’s heat loss. Eliminating thermal bridging through smart design and correct product specification will be essential if we are to ensure we meet these ambitious new regulations.

While there are some design, measurement and calculation issues, the other concern in terms of thermal bridging is that we are not building consistently what we design, or we are not detailing the right products in the right places. There are also issues with site skills and workmanship; when you fail to build correctly it undermines the good work carried out in the first place.

This can lead to a performance gap between as- designed and as-built building performance. It’s why these weak spots can have a significant impact on a building’s heat loss and have a detrimental effect on the overall fabric efficiency of the dwelling.

All materials specified in the Building Regulations Part L report (BREL) must be installed with no substitutions allowed unless the report is recreated or amended by an energy assessor. Building control can use this report as a checklist and may ask for thermal elements to be recalculated if you swap brands or material types of different thermal values.

Part L now also states that we use the actual thermal transmittance values for building products within the envelope of a dwelling; whereas in the past, generic ACD (accredited construction detail) values were accepted within the SAP assessment. These values could vary rather substantially from the actual value of a specific product. By making this change, the Y value obtained is now accurately represented within the BREL report.

Photographic evidence
One of the stand out changes from Part L to help bridge the performance gap is the requirement of photographic evidencing of key junctions at the relevant construction stage for every new dwelling. This will need to have geo-location technology activated, and the report will be provided to building control and the building owner. Essentially, there will need to be proof that the dwelling has been constructed from the same materials that it was designed from; ensuring the property runs as efficiently as it should.

High performance lintel
Traditional steel lintels can create a significant thermal bridge in homes due to the high thermal conductivity of steel and because they span over long lengths in a typical build. However, solutions, such as Hi-therm+, can address this, setting a new standard for thermal efficiency in steel lintels. By incorporating a thermal break, it is up to five times more thermally efficient than a standard lintel.

Such lintels have made a significant impact on the thermal efficiency of homes and are specified on many housebuilder projects around the UK due to its low cost and improved performance in lowering carbon emissions within the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP).

When you consider the BRE has found that thermal bridging can account for up to 30% of heat loss from buildings, then paying close attention to the details and structural elements such as lintels can have a huge impact on the overall thermal performance of a building.

Want to know more?

For further information, please contact David Ing at Fabrick

The post Right first time appeared first on PHPD Online.