Local Authority Building & Maintenance September/October 2021

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LABMONLINE.CO.UK

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

LOCAL AUTHORITY BUILDING & MAINTENANCE

HOUSING & REGENERATION HEATING & VENTILATION ROOFING, CLADDING & INSULATION

PROJECT PROFILE It’s been an incredible year for Grand Union Housing Group in terms of new developments.

Chief Executive Aileen Evans tells LABM how proud she is of everything the HA has achieved in what has been a challenging year.

THE LEADING MAGAZINE FOR LOCAL AUTHORITY AND HOUSING ASSOCIATION SPECIFIERS, INCORPORATING

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CONTENTS

September/October 2021 Vol.37 No.5

REGULARS 5 COMMENT Facing the Challenges Ahead Together 6 NEWS Broadacres Housing Association receives eight-figure funding package — Achieving Net Zero in Social Housing report — £5m public sector framework 7 PROJECT UPDATE Royal Borough of Greenwich’s council home building programme, Greenwich Builds, receives £38m grant from the Mayor of London 8 INDUSTRY COMMENT Matthew Warburton, Policy Advisor at the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) considers the best way to decarbonise council housing PROJECT PROFILE 10 Building More Affordable Homes Grand Union Housing Group Chief Executive Aileen Evans talks to LABM about the housing association’s newbuild programme 12 ACHIEVING NET ZERO HOMES Andy Sutton, Co Founder and Director of Design & Innovation at Sero, explores how we make UK housing Net Zero SPECIAL REPORTS 14 Make the Safe Choice Advice for councils on implementing Hostile Vehicle Mitigation solutions when regenerating public spaces 16 Measuring Water Consumption LABM finds out how LimpetReader technology helped Stretford leisure centre gain accurate, timely water meter readings

Low cost, temporary and non-invasive methods of accurately establishing the true energy thermal performance of a home HOUSING & REGENERATION 19 Managing Higher Risk Buildings Clarion Housing Group and Adelard talk to LABM about developing a systems safety case approach for Higher Risk Buildings 22 Smart Choice Build Test Solutions offer advice on how to take the guesswork out of building performance 25 Making the Right Specification Choice Best practice principles to help LAs and HAs achieve better outcomes when maintaining, refurbishing, or replacing windows across their housing stock 27 ROUND-UP

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HEATING & VENTILATION 28 Addressing IAQ to Prevent Virus Spread The issue of poor ventilation in social housing and how we may be failing a generation by not addressing it properly 30 Ensuring Efficiency in Heat Networks CP1 Heat Networks: Code of Practice for the UK (2020) and the importance of optimising secondary pipe insulation 32 The Drive to Decarbonise LABM finds out about the installation of air source heat pumps at Caerphilly Council Tir Y Berth Depot 34 Heat Pumps and Solar Working Together The role of renewable technollogies in helping social housing providers reduce high energy bills 36 ROUND-UP

ROOFING, CLADDING & INSULATION 37 Whole House Approach to Retrofit PAS 2035 and an insight into the deep retrofit of Renfrewshire Council’s Blackstoun Oval properties

GUHG’s new-build housing programme

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Ensuring safety in Higher Risk Buildings

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41 Airtightness Membranes A. Proctor Group’s Wraptite system specified for affordable housing 43 ROUND-UP

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

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Facing the challenges ahead together September saw the return of the annual Housing conference at Manchester Central. It was great to see a lively exhibition hall, populated by people eager to reconnect with colleagues and industry peers that they’ve perhaps only seen via video conferencing over the last 18 months.

Networking is the lifeblood of the housing sector and I’m sure over the course of the three days, a lot of catching up was done, many conversations were had and ideas/contact details exchanged.

In his opening address, CIH Chief Executive Gavin Smart reflected on the “pretty tumultuous” last 18 months and how the pandemic has “changed the way we think about hope”. Homes have become even more central to our lives, serving not just as places where we live, but where we work, schools, and even where we exercise. Gavin talked about the “unequal impact” of the pandemic and the long-standing inequalities it has exposed, and said as we emerge from the pandemic these imbalances must be addressed.

We need 340,000 new homes each year, of which 90,000 need to be new social housing. We currently have 1.1 million people on council housing waiting lists and an urgent need for more homes to house the 200,000 people classed as ‘core homeless’. These are inescapable facts the sector is all too aware of and against this backdrop, housing associations and local authorities face additional pressures, surrounding Building Safety works and the challenge of decarbonisation, which comes with a projected cost to housing associations of £2.4bn every year.

Driving up the quantities of new homes is not solely a numbers game, as Gavin pointed out: “We have to build for quality and sustainability, as well as numbers.” The last thing we want to do is create homes that turn into an ongoing maintenance headache and a fuel poverty nightmare for future generations. This is why the role of housing is so important and we are at a critical moment. “We

have to build for quality “andWesustainability, as well as numbers.

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have the chance to place housing at the heart of the UK’s recovery from the pandemic,” said Gavin.

A week on from the show there was a cabinet reshuffle, with Michael Gove replacing Robert Jenrick as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. So what does this mean for housing? Michael Gove is a former shadow minister for housing and one of the more experienced cabinet members who holds additional levelling up responsibilities, and with housing an important element of government’s ‘Building Back Better’ agenda, Nicholas Harris, Chief Executive at Stonewater, believes his appointment: “should underline the Government’s ongoing commitment to placing housing as a priority.”

Nicholas adds: “The pandemic has highlighted the vital importance of everyone having access to a safe, secure, affordable home — and the urgent need to build more high-quality affordable homes to tackle the housing crisis. Continuing investment in the sector will also support jobs in the construction industry and aid the nation’s postpandemic economic and social recovery.”

The sector faces many challenges, from planning reform, building safety and decarbonisation, to the need for long-term investment, “where a cohesive approach is central to finding effective solutions,” says Nicholas. Housing providers like Stonewater are keen to work closely with Mr Gove to “ensure the sector’s expert voice is able to support the Government in addressing the myriad of challenges” mentioned above.

LABMONLINE.CO.UK

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

LOCAL AUTHOR ITY BUILDING & MAINTENANCE

HOUSING & REGENE

RATION

HEATING & VENTILA TION

ROOFING, CLADDIN

G & INSULATION

COVER STORY: Grand Union Housing Group has had an incredible year in terms of new homes delivery. Turn to page 10 to hear from Chief Executive Aileen Evans.

SEP TEMBER/ OCTOBER

It’s been an incredible PROJECT PROFILE year for Grand Union Housing Group in terms of new developments.

Chief Executive Aileen proud she is of everythingEvans tells LABM how the HA has achieved in what has been a challenging year.

THE LEADING MAGAZINE FOR LOCAL AUTHORIT HOUSING ASSOCIATI Y AND ON SPECIFIERS, INCORPORATING

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Driving forward net zero ambitions

Fusion21 announces £750m Decarbonisation Framework

North Yorkshire-based Broadacres Housing Association has received an eight-figure funding package from NatWest to progress its green growth plans.

Fusion21 has launched its national Decarbonisation Framework worth up to £750m over a four-year period and is now inviting bids from interested SMEs and contractors.

Specifically designed to meet the needs of public sector organisations — including housing associations, local authorities, NHS trusts and education providers — the framework will support the design and delivery of energy efficiency measures, combining contracts that can deliver thermal fabric improvements, heating and renewables, power and building management systems. The framework will provide a PAS2035:2019 and PAS2038:2021 compliant route for the delivery of retrofit measures to housing stock and corporate assets.

The framework is split into two lots: Lot 1 — Whole-house Decarbonisation (worth up to £500m) Lot 2 — Decarbonisation of Public & Education Buildings (worth up to £250m) The submission deadline is 27th October 2021.

Homes England Strategic Partners Hampshire’s largest provider of affordable homes, VIVID, has been reaffirmed as one of 31 Homes England Strategic Partners, receiving its full bid grant allocation of £105.6m to build 1,550 new affordable homes.

Mark Perry, Chief Executive at VIVID, says: “We’re determined to give as many people as possible the chance to have a good quality home, that suits their needs and circumstances, and that they can afford. So, we’re delighted Homes England has reaffirmed us as one of its Strategic Partners, demonstrating confidence in our development programme to deliver more affordable housing in the south of England.”

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The £80m funding package will help the not-for-profit housing association, fulfil a range of long-term objectives across the business including the delivery of 800 new homes for those most in need across the region, as well as support plans to become a net zero carbon business by 2050.

Currently, Broadacres is working to tackle fuel poverty by replacing old storage heaters with new, more energy-efficient, heating systems such as air source heat pump technology. Other schemes across the organisation such as reducing the amount of waste it produces and switching to an electric or hybrid fleet, will ensure Broadacres reaches its net zero goal by 2050.

David Smith, Executive Director at Broadacres Housing Association, says: “Primarily, Broadacres’ aim is to help local communities and the people within it to have a better quality of life, through the provision of better homes at affordable rates. The support that NatWest has

Broadacres housing development in Malton

provided Broadacres over a number of years has allowed us to serve the local community and create genuine value within the North Yorkshire region.”

David Horne, Director of Housing Finance at Natwest adds: “NatWest has had a long-term partnership with Broadacres and this tailored funding package will help Broadacres move forward in its next phase of its strategy. We look forward to continuing to support the business with its meaningful contribution to local communities, while helping facilitate its journey towards net zero.”

Achieving net zero emissions report A new report, published ahead of the COP26, is calling on social landlords across Scotland to work together with the Scottish Government to achieve net zero carbon emissions.

Achieving Net Zero in Social Housing is published by the Zero Emissions Social Housing Taskforce (ZEST), co-chaired by Sally Thomas, CEO, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and Aubrey Fawcett, Chief Executive of Inverclyde Council and SOLACE. The group was tasked with examining and making recommendations on what is required of the social housing sector to maximise its contribution to the Scottish Government’s climate change targets. By 2045, over two million homes will need to transition from fossil fuel-based systems to low and zero-emissions systems such as heat pumps, heat networks and other

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technologies. With over a third a third of social housing tenants living in fuel poverty, it’s critical that achieving net zero emissions in social housing doesn’t exacerbate this; no tenant should be left with costs they can’t afford or heating systems that don’t work for them.

The report makes overarching recommendations, with supporting actions, about how social landlords, local authorities and the Scottish Government can work together in partnership to address the dual challenge of achieving net zero emissions in social housing while keeping energy bills affordable and reducing fuel poverty.

■ The full report, Achieving Net Zero in Social Housing, is available here www.rdr.link/lx001

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PROJECT UPDATE:

GREENWICH BUILDS

£38m for council housebuilding scheme Royal Borough of Greenwich’s council home building programme, Greenwich Builds, has been awarded a grant of £38m by the Mayor of London, as part of the first round of the new Affordable Homes Programme.

The additional funding will be used to build hundreds of new council homes across Royal Greenwich, as part of the Greenwich Builds programme. All of these homes will be let at London Affordable Rent to local residents on the council’s housing waiting lists.

Over 350 Greenwich Builds council homes are now under construction, with tenants having moved into the first 20 completed homes this year. All the homes meet stringent safety and sustainability standards in line with those specified under the terms of the Mayor of London grant. The vast majority of Greenwich Builds schemes meet zero carbon targets as part of Royal Borough of Greenwich’s draft Carbon Neutral Plan.

In total the Greater London Authority is allocating £3.46bn to local authorities,

housing associations and private providers to cover homes built over the next five years.

Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Councillor Danny Thorpe, says: “When I became the Leader of our Council three years ago, I said I wasn’t going to spend my time just talking about the housing crisis but doing something about it. The extra funding announced by the Mayor of London gives a major boost to our Greenwich Builds programme, which is already providing sustainable new council housing for people in need across our borough.

“I have never been prouder than when we’ve taken families off of the list and moved them into these incredible new homes. Our housing waiting lists are growing every day as a result of London’s

housing crisis, so we are delighted that with the Mayor of London’s support we will be able to help hundreds more people in housing need with our Greenwich Builds scheme.”

Royal Borough of Greenwich Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Anthony Okereke, adds: “We are thrilled to have secured this additional funding from the Mayor of London, which will allow us to expand on the success of Greenwich Builds.

“Royal Borough of Greenwich is leading the way in providing a new generation of high-quality, eco-friendly homes that will serve our community for generations to come. With this grant we will be able to build hundreds more homes for local people suffering as a result of the housing crisis.”

Recently completed Greenwich Builds council homes at Kyle Mews in Coldharbour

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

INDUSTRY COMMENT

Decarbonising council housing Is this the best way to decarbonise council housing? Matthew Warburton, Policy Advisor at the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH), discusses the opportunities and challenges surrounding the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. mong the manifesto commitments the Conservative government has not yet abandoned is the promise to spend £3.8bn improving the energy performance of social rented housing over the next 10 years as part of its commitment to net zero by 2050.

So far it has funded the retrofit of 2,300 homes in 19 demonstrator projects, and, in August invited bids for £160m of Social Housing Decarbonisation funding to be spent in 2022. Councils and other Registered Providers have until 15th October to put together bids; BEIS will announce the lucky winners in January.

Allocations must be spent by January 2023.

The Government, for obvious reasons, wants to make the Fund go as far as possible. In the Demonstrator projects the average cost of works per home looks to be just shy of £27,000. Nothing near as much is proposed for Wave 1 of the Fund proper. The Government is expecting a maximum cost per home of £15,000 for Band D or £18,000 for Band E homes.

As the bidding guidance explains, the Demonstrator was intended to learn lessons about ‘high complexity, deep retrofit’ and the majority of schemes involve installation of low carbon heating (in practice air source heat pumps); Wave 1 ‘will not focus on such deep retrofit’ and BEIS ‘does not expect low carbon heating to be proposed for the majority of properties’.

Prospective bidders face a number of headaches. They have just a few weeks

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to satisfy themselves they can identify homes where the cost of appropriate works meets government expectations, or that they can make up a shortfall in grant from local resources. They also need to be reasonably sure that they can successfully procure the labour and materials needed when both are currently scarce and be confident that all the work will be completed within at most a year.

And then there are tenants to be consulted. To its credit BEIS at least acknowledges that the impact on tenants is an issue and insists that bidders should “demonstrate consideration of tenants throughout the project”. But the timetable proposed makes it hard to achieve this.

The timetable for submitting bids makes it virtually impossible to schedule meaningful consultation with tenants before bids are finalised, and in any case such consultation would only lead to disappointment if a bid were unsuccessful.

Consultation after allocations are confirmed eats into the time available to spend them, and what if tenants say ‘no’?

Energy performance improvements There are also dangers in decoupling energy performance improvements — mainly insulation works — from installation of low carbon heating. Better insulation cuts tenants’ heating costs; switching to low carbon heating in many cases will not.

80% of council homes are heated by gas boilers; at current gas and electricity prices, replacing these with heat pumps

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The timetable for “submitting bids makes it virtually impossible to schedule meaningful consultation with tenants before bids are finalised.

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will have a marginal impact on fuel bills.

By removing any financial incentive, leaving low carbon heating to be done later only adds to the challenge of winning tenants’ agreement to the changes in living conditions and behaviour the switch to a low carbon world involves.

It is hard to know how prospective bidders will react to these challenges. It is quite possible that many will be deterred by the excess of restrictions and, like some other BEIS initiatives, the Fund will be undersubscribed. It is equally possible that the Fund will be oversubscribed, and BEIS will be obliged to reject perfectly viable bids. At the very least, the Government should agree that, if this happens, such bids will have first call on the next Wave of the Fund.

www.arch-housing.org.uk

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PROJECT PROFILE: GRAND UNION HOUSING GROUP

Aerial photo of GUHG’s Sorrel Garden development in Biggleswade, image ©MATTHEW POWER PHOTOGRAPHY

Building more affordable homes It’s been an incredible year for Grand Union Housing Group in terms of new developments. Chief Executive Aileen Evans tells LABM how proud she is of the housing association’s achievements in what has been a turbulent and challenging year. t Grand Union Housing Group, it’s been an incredible year for us in terms of developments. Despite the ongoing challenge of the pandemic, we’ve built more than 111 homes this financial year, 89 of which available for social rent or shared ownership.

Building more affordable homes is in absolute recognition of our corporate plan, ‘Further together’, which shapes Grand Union’s plans for 2020 to 2023. Further together is about behaving responsibly, thinking of today and tomorrow — so in solving the housing crisis we’re, imperatively, not contributing to other crises blighting the UK. These include poverty and other areas of concern such as social care and climate change.

The poverty crisis is swathing the nation; something which has only worsened during

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GUHG’s North Second Street development in Milton Keynes

Grand Union Housing Group’s Whitehouse Park development in Milton Keynes, image ©MATTHEW POWER PHOTOGRAPHY

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GUHG’s Whitehouse Park development in Milton Keynes. Image ©MATTHEW POWER PHOTOGRAPHY

A bathroom inside one of the properties on North Second Street, Milton Keynes

A kitchen inside one of the properties on the North Second Street development

We’ve delivered on our “promise, to provide affordable housing where people and communities can thrive....

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the pandemic. At Grand Union, we’ve seen this for ourselves — with more than 1,000 additional customers navigating the benefits system, many of which for the first time. So, by building more affordable homes, we’re ensuring we’re not exacerbating the issue of poverty.

Flagship development A development I’m particularly proud of is Gatehouse Mews in Bedford, where we recently completed 49 properties for shared ownership and social rent, in partnership Construction work underway at GUHG’s Sorrel Gardens development in Biggleswade, image ©MATTHEW POWER PHOTOGRAPHY

with Bedford Borough Council. This flagship development offers more than just a place to live, with a further 18 properties tailored specifically for those with learning difficulties. Each of these apartments have access to a care team, facilities on site and Life24 — our assistive alarm service.

This, alongside the completion of our biggest development ever — Sorrel Gardens, an extra care scheme in Biggleswade — and building an extension for our extra care scheme, Quince Court in Sandy, will help to solve the twin issues of housing and social care. We’re also opening our fourth domestic abuse refuge; we know that while building more homes is important, keeping our customers safe in them is paramount.

Environmental responsibility Alongside our social responsibility, we’re doing our bit to safeguard the planet;

we’re committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050. To achieve this, every new home we build is energy-efficient. We keep a close eye on the Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) of our properties, looking to develop above what is expected from an energy efficiency level going forward. We’re also using brilliant technology such as air source heat pumps, which convert energy from outside into usable heat for homes, and solar panels.

This not only minimises our environmental impact but saves our customers money too, promoting a culture of sustainability for our colleagues and customers.

Helping people to flourish Living in affordable, energy-efficient homes is a key component of a healthy and happy life, helping people to flourish.

And, for many properties, a family or an individual’s specific needs is at the forefront of our minds. We’re working closely with our Procurement & Contract Management team and local authorities to deliver bespoke homes, helping those with disabilities and chronic conditions live better lives, with independence.

I’m proud of our achievements through what has been a turbulent and challenging year. We’ve delivered on our promise, to provide affordable housing where people and communities can thrive, while reducing our environmental impact and not contributing to other crises. I’m looking forward to what the future holds for Grand Union, including the role out of our most ambitious development plan ever — building 2,160 more new homes in the coming years to play our part in ending the housing crisis.

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ACHIEVING NET ZERO HOMES in association with

Net Zero Housing – how do we do that?

As we’ve seen in the first two articles, successfully delivering homes that emit zero carbon during operation requires a proper definition of net zero, and homes that can balance the energy grid. However, we also need to think about our approach to what we build, says Andy Sutton, Co-Founder and Director of Innovation at Sero. or nearly 20 years, minimum energy performance standards for space heating have been set in Building Regulations Approved Document Part L with an internal floor area metric — the Fabric Energy Efficiency rate (FEE). Prior to this, Part L set the requirements for the performance of homes by ‘elemental’ components — walls, floors, roofs, doors and windows.

This approach can be argued to offer flexibility to the designers of homes to finetune the overall energy performance of the fabric for each scheme. But the cost is an absence of consistency and standardisation for those actually delivering on site.

Practically every scheme is striving to achieve modestly different thermal performances in floors, walls and roofs.

This means sub-contractors moving between sites can’t repeat the same practiced details (and let’s face it, often aren’t likely to check the drawings every time), site supervisors and building control won’t know what “looks right”, cost consultants struggle to estimate build rates, manufacturers can’t offer standard details that are compliant and are hampered in delivering new products that solve known issues. All of which is before we mention DfMA/MMC/Offsite manufacturers, who must dream of being able to just deliver one wall build up across all their order book.

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when seen in the context of a decarbonising energy grid, assuming we have the right tools to recognise that ongoing success story. The approach fails to recognise the lifecycle of home elements: for example, insulation below the slab is generally there for the life of the homes, whereas doors and windows perhaps just 25 years (with little control on their replacement).

When you factor in the services as well with typically even shorter lives, it becomes increasingly clear that the intended flexibility actually drives wrong outcomes. This is admirably illustrated by the English ‘Future Homes Standard’, which sacrifices almost all fabric improvements by presuming enhancement to services efficiencies. The result is homes that do not minimise their fundamental energy demand but satisfy their higher demand in a more efficient manner. These are not the same outcome.

Remove the complexity For me, the solution is to remove the complexity we’ve created, and relocate the

Components and services Perhaps the biggest issue with the FEE approach is the failure to recognise that buildings are made from components with different lifespans, as Richard Roger’s Centre Pompidou in Paris famously illustrated nearly 50 years ago.

This becomes even more important

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flexibility we might want. Our homes should all be required to be built to basic elemental thermal performance standards — U-Values prescribed for walls, floors, roofs, doors and windows. Indeed, Sero has just published our view on what the performance of these should be in our ‘New Build Specification’ that’s freely available.

With perhaps an alternative complex route for the particularly unusual design, the vast majority of homes built to these standards will deliver very low space heating energy demands. They won’t all be exactly the same FEE metric, but frankly as an arbitrary calculation number does that really matter.

Even without an exactly equal FEE, all these homes will be low enough in their heating energy demands that, in conjunction with the right tools and ongoing grid decarbonisation, they will be able to become zero carbon homes over time.

What’s more, we hand those building on site a fighting chance of getting consistency to help drive quality, manufacturers a chance to innovate solutions and supply standard details, and maybe even open the door a bit wider to support DfMA/Offsite.

As an architect, I value design flexibility. But knowing where to flex, and when to impose constraints, is the art of true problem solving.

Slight variations between very low Fabric Energy Efficiency ratings amongst our homes won’t cost the earth, indeed will probably help save it.

■ You can download a copy of Sero’s New Build Specification here www.rdr.link/lx002

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SPECIAL REPORT: LANDSCAPE PROTECTION SOLUTIONS FOR PUBLIC SPACES

In the face of enhanced risk, local authorities are increasingly required to consider Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) solutions when regenerating public spaces. In this article, Roger Knight, Head of Engineering and NPD at Marshalls Landscape Protection, explains the benefits of implementing these important safety measures, which can help to protect against possible attacks.

An example of protective street furniture

Make the safe choice here is a complex hierarchy of requirements when planning the safety of public spaces. For one, urban planners have a duty of care to protect citizens from potential attacks. The global community has witnessed a number of tragic vehicular attacks in the last decade and now better understands the risk posed by such threats. At the same time, local authorities should also consider the implications of overly fortifying public spaces to the point where they become intimidating. By making spaces feel welcoming, citizens are likely to feel more at ease and urban centres can attract higher levels of footfall.

These considerations may soon become even more pressing, following a government consultation on a proposed new Protect Duty Law, which would require local authorities and venue operators to heighten their planning for the risk of attacks. In practice, the bill would require organisations to provide proportionate and reasonable measures to protect citizens in all publicly accessible places. If passed, many local authorities will be required to enhance existing security measures.

However, it’s important to strike the right balance between protecting spaces, while also preserving environmental

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aesthetics and creating a welcoming feel.

Installing lots of heavy-duty bollards or concrete barriers might do the trick in terms of physical protection but from a psychological perspective it can actually have the opposite effect, increasing citizens’ sense of unease by making the space feel oppressively fortified.

always recommend that local authorities consider HVM within the earliest stages of a development, as partnering with a protection specialist right from the start can deliver both cost and time savings when it comes to creating an effective and proportionate design.

Vehicle Dynamics Assessment Hostile Vehicle Mitigation Well-designed HVM solutions are an attractive alternative and developments within the market mean this type of protection is no longer limited to simply bollards and barriers. Increasingly, there is a wide range of aesthetic HVM solutions to complement any urban design — including fully crash tested street furniture, such as seating, litter bins and cycle rails. Allowing security measures to be hidden in plain sight, these products can help to make spaces safe without having a negative effect on the aesthetic qualities of the existing landscape.

When specifying HVM solutions, there are a number of factors that should be taken into consideration to ensure that the most appropriate product selections are made — both in terms of achieving the necessary levels of protection and delivering best value for budgets. We

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Establishing the protection requirements at the beginning is absolutely essential and we recommend undertaking a Vehicle Dynamics Assessment (VDA) as the most important first step. By profiling all possible access routes, the VDA will determine maximum speeds and angles of attack achievable by a hostile vehicle. The assessment also takes into account any existing traffic management measures, such as chicanes or speed bumps, as this will affect the maximum speed potential.

Using this information, we can then calculate the worst-case scenario — i.e. the largest vehicle in terms of both size and weight that can gain access and the maximum speed it could achieve at impact.

This then enables us to determine the required levels of protection for each location and select products that have been crash-tested to achieve this. Solutions are available at all levels, including some that

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can protect against a 7.5 tonne vehicle travelling at 50 miles per hour.

Equally important, is conducting a thorough utilities survey, as this will tell you what depth is available to root the HVM solutions underground. Relying on drawings is risky as these can be out of date, so we recommend an exploration with test holes to ensure the chosen products will fit. Available solutions vary in depth of installation, protective performance and aesthetics. Only when you know the required performance and the available depth for installation, is it possible to shortlist products according to the desired aesthetic.

What’s more, by working with a supplier that can provide a wide range of both HVM and non-protective street furniture solutions, local authorities are able to make cost savings by avoiding over specification in areas where the risk assessment has determined there is a lower protection requirement. For example, the wide number of solutions available in our protective RhinoGuard range can help local authorities

to create multi-layered perimeter protection schemes — while our inhouse design and engineering teams are able to support in all aspects of the process, from topographical assessment, to scheme design and installation.

When designing HVM schemes to protect public spaces, local authorities must make an effort to combine functionality and style. Fortunately, by partnering with an expert like Marshalls Landscape Protection, local authorities can easily meet all of those needs. Our team is always on hand to help local authorities work through requirements and to suggest suitable solutions from our comprehensive range of protective products.

■ To find out more about Marshalls Landscape Protection visit www.rdr.link/lx003

Marshalls’ RhinoGuard Igneo Protective Seat can successfully withstand impact from a 7.5 tonne vehicle travelling at 40mph

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SPECIAL REPORT: ACHIEVING ACCURATE WATER METER READINGS

All water consumption at the Stretford Chester Centre is measured using a meter that is located down a manhole

Measuring water consumption Deer Technology tells LABM how the retrofit installation of its LimpetReader technology helped a Stretford leisure centre gain accurate, timely water meter readings. ocated in Stretford, Manchester, the Stretford Chester Centre has a multifunctional gym and studio, a ladies’ gym, a 25-metre swimming pool, a small swimming pool and a sports hall. The leisure complex, together with others in the borough, is operated by Trafford Leisure Community Interest Company Ltd (Trafford Leisure) on behalf of the local authority. In order to keep membership fees and prices as low as possible, expenditure has to be very tightly controlled. One area where Trafford Leisure felt it could improve matters was the cost of a critical utility at the Stretford Chester Centre: water.

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Unlike other automated meter reading systems, the LimpetReader does not suffer from drift

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All water consumption at the Stretford Chester Centre is currently measured using a meter that is located down a manhole on another business’ property — and the manhole is frequently flooded.

The meter is therefore difficult to read manually, so Trafford Leisure was unable to obtain reliable consumption data from either the water retailer or wholesaler. In any case, to gain a meaningful understanding of consumption patterns and costs, Trafford Leisure wanted meter readings taken more frequently than would be possible manually.

Consumption can vary enormously: so estimated water bills will be invariably inaccurate. Furthermore, on the rare occasions when bills were based on visual reads, they could be unexpectedly high.

Such an arrangement is very frustrating for a company wishing to maintain tight control over expenditure.

The water meter does not have a reliable pulse output, so a conventional AMR (automatic meter reading) system cannot be retrofitted. Although it would have been possible to replace the meter with one suitable for use with AMR, this has major

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downsides. First, it would be disruptive and expensive to interrupt the supply and replace the meter. Second, this type of AMR system would result in Trafford Leisure incurring considerable ongoing charges for access to the water consumption data.

Accessing water consumption data Fortunately, there is another option that is quick and easy to install without interrupting the supply, and with minimal ongoing costs.

Developed by Deer Technology Ltd, the patented LimpetReader attaches to the meter’s faceplate using optically clear adhesive or tape, leaving the register visible in case a manual read is required. The solution incorporates a row of three miniature cameras that capture images of the register at time intervals agreed with the customer. These images are then sent to an AutoReader device located nearby.

Depending on the circumstances, the LimpetReader can be connected to the AutoReader wirelessly or, as in the Stretford Chester Centre case, it can be hard-wired. If more than one meter is being monitored, multiple meters can be connected to a single AutoReader.

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The AutoReader date- and time-stamps the images and uploads them to Deer Technology’s secure server, where they are stitched together into a high-resolution image of the meter register and translated into a data value. For the Stretford Chester Centre, the customer is the end user (Trafford Leisure) but Deer Technology also installs systems for water retailers and wholesalers. Data can be provided in a variety of ways, ranging from raw data to an API (application programming interface).

Various factors influence the costs for the service, such as the way in which data is provided and whether Deer Technology undertakes any analysis.

Accurate information For Trafford Leisure, the main priorities were to obtain accurate, timely data and minimise costs, hence raw data is provided via Deer Technology’s secure portal. Trafford Leisure can then import the data into their other systems for further analysis. The reading time frequency can be set remotely and

after an initial benchmarking period of hourly reads, it is envisaged that daily/twice daily reads will be taken. Trends can be identified and inaccurate estimated bills from the retailer can be disputed.

Furthermore, should a leak develop, this can be spotted through a general increase in consumption and, in particular, consumption during the night or when the leisure centre is closed, when there should be none. A leak can soon become very costly, so being able to rectify a leak quickly will more than pay for the LimpetReader system.

Under the terms of the contract with Deer Technology, Trafford Leisure has paid for the hardware and installation, and the annual fee for data access relates to the number of meter reads. The water retailer has also expressed an interest in obtaining monthly meter reads and is currently in discussion with Deer Technology. Unlike other automated meter reading systems, the LimpetReader does not suffer from drift and the readings are classified as ‘visual’, so

the retailer would never need to take confirmatory manual readings.

Trafford Leisure is delighted with the new system, benefitting from better data visibility than has ever been possible before. Indeed, such has been the success of the Stretford Chester Centre project that LimpetReader technology is now being rolled out to other facilities managed by Trafford Leisure. In this multi-facility arrangement, usage can readily be compared and action taken if something appears wrong.

■ Find out more about Deer Technology’s LimpetReader by visiting www.rdr.link/lx004

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HOUSING & REGENERATION Ian Morrison, Director of Property Services at Clarion Housing Group and Luke Emmet and Timothy Burd from the Housing Safety Case Team at Adelard, talk to LABM about developing a systems safety case approach for Higher Risk Buildings. programme to develop our capability to produce and maintain safety cases for our HRBs, working with Adelard LLP, a London-based consultancy specialising in the assessment and assurance of complex systems using safety cases. Adelard’s Assurance and Safety Case Environment (ASCE) tool is the most widely adopted commercial software for the creation and management of safety cases. The overall aim of the collaboration is for Adelard to provide support, training and consultancy to help us increase our capability to develop, manage and maintain safety cases for our HRB stock.

Working together with Adelard

One of Clarion Housing Group’s high-rise properties

Managing Higher Risk Buildings ollowing the tragic events at Grenfell Tower, the housing sector is embracing new thinking about the management of Higher Risk Buildings (HRBs), based on a systems-view of building safety and a safety case to demonstrate how risks are understood, controlled and managed. Safety cases present a structured and systematic argument for safety, supported by evidence, for a specific system and are widely

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adopted across a number of regulated sectors including rail, civil aviation, nuclear energy, and defence. The approach is still relatively new to the housing sector and the accompanying shift in mindset presents a number of organisational and cultural challenges as the sector moves from a compliance-based perspective towards a systems safety approach.

At Clarion Housing Group, the UK’s largest social landlord, we have initiated a

Adelard has provided training and support on the safety case approach and use of the ASCE tool, whilst our wealth of experience in delivering safe housing for our residents has informed the content of the case. To demonstrate the approach, we have developed a draft safety case for one of Clarion’s HRBs, which presents the safety argument supporting the primary claim that the building is acceptably safe for residents to occupy and use.

This is broken down into sub-claims, including that the system is understood, risks are acceptably controlled, and that safety management of the system is effective.

These claims are supported by further narrative explanation and evidence; this could be based on existing evidence (for example building inspections and existing policies) or require Clarion to develop new approaches based on a systems view of safety. Some key themes that have emerged from this work include system modelling, risk analysis and developing an effective safety management system.

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We are using Bow-Tie diagrams in ASCE to model “accident sequences for fire spread and structural collapse, and to identify specific controls in place to prevent a hazardous event occurring and to mitigate its potential impact.

A 3D model scan of one of Clarion Housing Group’s buildings

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activities, and emergencies. This approach requires a systems safety viewpoint that explicitly and consciously considers the interactions between elements of the system and what hazards may arise from these. Since the systems approach to safety has been highlighted within the Hackitt report, these models form a key element of the safety case.

System modelling and analysis System models are simplified representations of a system, covering the key constituent elements. These models can help define the scope of the safety case, and provide focus on interactions between system elements where they concern safety. Considering the building safety system as intrinsically sociotechnical, the model must consider both the physical building itself and the various individual and stakeholders.

We have developed a group of models used to capture a building system at different levels of detail, and in different operational states, for example day-today activities, major improvement

Risk analysis techniques Risk analysis techniques help us answer the key questions — “what can go wrong?” and “how bad could it be?” at the heart of every safety case. We are using Bow-Tie diagrams in ASCE to model accident sequences for fire spread and structural collapse, and to identify specific controls in place to prevent a hazardous event occurring and to mitigate its potential impact. These controls can be challenged and assessed for applicability to each specific building. The analysis results, including other risk types beyond fire and structural collapse, are summarised in a detailed Hazard and Effect Register.

Adelard has provided training and support on the safety case approach and use of the ASCE tool

Strengthening safety at a management level An effective safety management system (SMS) needs to be in place, providing the right leadership, policies, processes and competencies within the safety programme. Clarion is elaborating its SMS and providing guidance to individual teams on their application for each HRB. A key role is the new Building Safety Manager (BSM), which will act as a safety advocate for each HRB and provide safety oversight as well as maintaining the safety case through the life of the building.

More work to do At Clarion, we have a target of independently developing and managing safety cases for all of our higher risk buildings. Key to achieving this aim will be to develop a safety case template, which provides a high-level, generic structure that can be rolled out and specialised for each building. Moreover, since the Building Safety Bill itself is still only available in its draft form, continued work is needed to ensure we remain up-to-date and compliant with legislation.

Clarion and Adelard have found this collaboration to be an informative and fruitful process, and many opportunities for improvement have come out of a systematic approach to building the safety case. The new regulations provide a great opportunity for housing associations and landlords to reassess their buildings and safety processes, and adopt an innovative and robust approach to enhance the safety of their residents.

■ For more information on Adelard’s Assurance and Safety Case Environment (ASCE) tool visit www.rdr.link/lx005

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HOUSING & REGENERATION

Aerial view of the Lancaster West Estate in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

SmartHTC sensor

Smart choice John Sparrow, Commercial Manager at Build Test Solutions, discusses how to take the guesswork out of building performance. nyone involved in the management of housing stock will almost certainly have heard of the performance gap. A building is designed with an expected level of thermal performance but the performance gap is the difference between this predicted thermal performance and the actual results. It can, and usually does, vary considerably and not always in a positive way.

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Back in May 2020 the Building Performance Network published their State of the Nation Review on the performance gap of residential buildings.

The report concluded the average gap to be in the region of 18% with significant degrees of variations in thermal performance ranging from 30% better than expected to 100% worse than predicted.

In spite of such proven variations the regulation and management of the energy

efficiency of dwellings is almost exclusively based on estimated levels rather than accurately measured performance. Any such prediction is typically based on visual surveys, which do not always tell the full story and fail to divulge such anomalies as missing insulation, incorrect installations, thermal bridging nor intricate variables such as small cracks and gaps in the fabric of the building.

It’s not difficult to understand why the tendency is still to work off predictions and why as-built measurement of thermal performance is generally so rare. Up until now any technical assessment of the thermal performance of a home (known as the Heat Transfer Coefficient – HTC for short) comes at a significant cost. Accurate assessment requires highly invasive testing over a period of several weeks.

Residents have to move out whilst the property is wired up to sensors which check measured heat loss through floors, windows, walls, roofs and other elements.

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technology allows us “toThis keep on learning and to approach a huge refurbishment project of 795 homes in a targeted and agile way.

Because of the cost and disruption social landlords understandably tend to rely on visual energy assessments and SAP predictions. These are based on very broad assumptions and cannot tell them with any accuracy which homes to prioritise for refurbishment.

You can’t manage what you don’t measure With unexpected performance comes unintended consequences … and we’re not just talking about energy consumption but also emissions, ventilation issues, thermal comfort, mould risk and of course heating costs. Build Test Solutions strongly believe that you cannot manage what you do not measure and hence aims to take the guesswork out of building performance measurement through the introduction of SmartHTC. SmartHTC is a low cost, temporary and non-invasive way of accurately establishing the true energy thermal performance of a home. It can also be used to measure mould risk and over-heating. There’s no disruption to residents whatsoever meaning it can be scaled like nothing before across a social landlords entire housing stock.

SmartHTC uses a number of small temperature sensors, which are discretely placed in a property for just three weeks during the winter period. The sensors consistently collect data and measurements across this period — focussing on internal SmartHTC is a non-invasive way of accurately establishing the true energy thermal performance of a home

temperature and energy use whilst taking into account variations in external temperature, weather conditions and actions of residents who continue to use their home as normal.

Data is then uploaded to a web-based user interface, which calculates the Heat Transfer Coefficient and provides an accurate measurement of the property’s true energy performance. All this for as little as £10 per property.

Validation report Whilst only recently launched, SmartHTC has been developed over the last 10 years from the results of a research project at Loughborough University. Before launch BTS also carried out a major validation of SmartHTC in partnership with the University of Salford which included testing in the unique Energy House facility and a field trial in more than 200 homes.

The validation report clears the way for local authorities, housing associations and social landlords to now use SmartHTC to transform their approach to fuel poverty and the decarbonisation of their entire housing stock, and to guide retrofit decision making by targeting those properties most in need and to check intended retrofit outcomes.

Dr Richard Jack, SmartHTC Product Manager, says: “The performance gap is a well-known problem — homes which, when tested, usually turn out to be much less energy-efficient than they were designed to be. Until now, social landlords have had no means to understand how big the performance gap is in their housing stock, nor how to solve it.

“So this validation report is great news and confirms that we have achieved the goal of a decade — a game-changing means of measuring, understanding and validating the performance of buildings in a way that is extremely low cost, accurate, repeatable, quick to deploy and with

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minimum hardware requirements. These are all the things that every social landlord wants to hear.”

Success pilot Early adopters of SmartHTC include the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea where the system has been successfully piloted at the Lancaster West Estate in North Kensington. The entire estate is in the process of a major refurbishment programme aimed at making it ‘a model 21st Century housing estate’ that is carbonneutral by 2030.

Hannah Smith, Sustainability Project Manager for the RBKC Lancaster West Neighbourhood Team, says: “Our plan is to make the Grenfell recovery a green recovery. This goes well beyond just being a housing refurbishment project by engaging with residents to prioritise our work to match residents’ needs more accurately, and creating sustainability training and local employment opportunities too.

“SmartHTC has helped us with all these objectives. We use the technology to measure homes at the start, batch up refurbishment work, re-measure afterwards and adjust our designs for the next set of homes, so we achieve exactly what we are aiming for. This technology allows us to keep on learning and to approach a huge refurbishment project of 795 homes in a targeted and agile way.

“We are also training our internal operatives team, which includes many local residents, on how to implement domestic retrofit and how to use SmartHTC themselves.”

■ Further information on the Lancaster West project and SmartHTC is available here www.rdr.link/lx006

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HOUSING & REGENERATION

Fordham House owned by Orbit Homes

Making the right specification choice Gordon Heron, Business Development Manager at Eurocell, believes following some best practice principles will help local authorities and housing associations achieve better outcomes as they look to maintain, refurbish, or replace windows across their housing stock. They can also help to drive sustainability objectives as responsible product specification becomes more important. ike all sectors, local authorities and housing associations charged with delivering good quality and longlasting housing stock, are increasingly mindful of the importance of sustainability when it comes to the many product specification choices they must make.

Balancing both the need to deliver value for money for the public purse, alongside growing public and legislative demand for organisations to make sustainable product selection a higher priority, is placing pressure on public sector decision makers looking to maintain, refurbish or renew essential housing stock components such as windows. The requirement to satisfy local government targets around recycling and the use of recycled products in specification, are only set to grow in

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importance as the climate crisis intensifies and solutions are sought.

Whilst cost remains the chief determining factor for many window-based public tenders, the split between price and quality — which includes facets such as material origin, performance, and sustainability — is closing. This direction of travel is expected to continue in the years ahead. A focus on sustainable solutions will need to be at the heart of current and future housing stock strategies.

For public sector managers looking to get the most effective outcomes from either one-off refurbishment, new-build projects or longer-term building maintenance programmes that cater for a large volume of properties, considering four key areas of specification best practice

When making product specification choices, it’s important to consider the raw material content

will help establish a strong and sustainable framework by which to manage and implement public sector tenders that can tie up significant public funds.

Don’t restrict your choice A common issue seen across the sector is the impact of out-of-date window specifications. Legacy management often creates situations where specifications are issued to a closed shop encompassing a

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HOUSING & REGENERATION small list of historical suppliers. The specification frequently cites products that are no longer available or targets manufacturing companies no longer in business. Sticking to this approach limits the opportunity to see what the wider window specification marketplace can offer, and with it the prospect of achieving best value and optimal sustainability product performance from the specification.

Extending choice, not restricting options will deliver improved outcomes.

Look to partner with experts A successful specification process on a major citywide window refurbishment project can be drawn out and often complex. But by partnering with expert window manufacturing suppliers from the outset, assistance can be provided to ensure the result achieves the original objectives.

A partnership approach can help assess the current housing stock and agree on future needs; helping to provide an expertbased recommendation for a product specification that meets cost, performance, and sustainability targets. Eurocell already does this with many organisations, assisting local authorities and housing associations to shape their specification appropriately and interrogating views so the ultimate aims and objectives of the project can be met.

Eurocell also provides access to a range of national and regional manufacturing and installation businesses so the final like for like tender can be circulated widely to proven solution providers and the best allround response for cost, performance and sustainability selected.

This partnership philosophy can lead to tangible benefits that also support sustainability agendas. For example, Eurocell’s service that removes and recycles end of life windows directly impacts project cost positively. The old windows collected and recycled by Eurocell are subsequently used to manufacture new profiles with 50-60% recycled content. They go on to be used as new replacement windows and are an example of a true circular economy in action.

Think longer term Whilst the day-to-day pressures of maintaining housing stock to the standards demanded by stakeholders can

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Eurocell’s Pew Warehouse in Sutton in Ashfield

Instigating, with the help of expert suppliers, a 25-year “maintenance plan for windows, will, over the lifetime of the project, deliver defined cost efficiencies more difficult to achieve when adopting an ad-hoc, piecemeal strategy.

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mean short-term objective setting and annual budgets dominate, taking a longerterm view can also deliver positive outcomes. Instigating, with the help of expert suppliers, a 25-year maintenance plan for windows, will, over the lifetime of the project, deliver defined cost efficiencies more difficult to achieve when adopting an ad-hoc, piecemeal strategy.

Whole lifetime cost savings can be reinvested back into the scheme in the form of higher specification window solutions that will enhance the day-to-day experience of tenants through better insulated, warmer, and drier homes.

Consider all aspects Finally, when making product specification choices, it is important to take a rounded view of all aspects, especially to ensure a focus remains on good sustainability outcomes. From a product perspective, look at the raw material content. What is the level of recycled content in the window profiles? Examine the manufacturing process, so you are clear where the windows are created and how they are distributed. Are they made here in the UK or are they manufactured and

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then transported from overseas? What are the sustainability credentials of the company behind the window profiles?

What are they doing to ensure they operate sustainably and responsibly?

Look at the thermal performance of the specified window. Does it meet the minimum requirements as set out in Building Regulations or are you looking to future proof housing stock so it can satisfy more stringent legislation in the years to come? Will the window perform in a way to help tenants tackle rising energy costs through better insulation and ventilation?

Do the windows provide an acceptable level of security so people feel safe in their homes?

By examining the product specification from a holistic standpoint, decision-makers will be able to make informed choices and select an appropriate window solution that delivers value for money, performs effectively for years, and underpins important sustainability targets.

■ For more information on Eurocell’s windows and doors visit www.rdr.link/lx007

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HOUSING & REGENERATION ROUND-UP Six new fire door Revit models available

Bowater Doors has released six new FireShield composite fire door Revit models for use in Building Information Modelling and to underpin the Golden Thread of Information.

Representing the next generation of composite fire doors, FireShield has been thoroughly tested to BS EN 1634, the latest standard for fire resistance and smoke control. The range delivers additional benefits beyond fire protection and is available in three styles and five colours, with the option to specify a top light glazing feature above the door. It’s also supplied with a specialist low maintenance fire frame and an environmentally friendly Agrifiber core, a strong, durable and stable, material in comparison to phenolic foam alternatives.

FireShield is tested to PAS 24 and also holds the Secured by Design accreditation. The range features an AV2 slam shut lock to ensure that when the door was closed it is secure and ready to perform in the event of a fire.

■ To download the models or to find out more about the FireShield range visit www.rdr.link/lx008 New digital home decorating pack ordering portal Crown Paints brought home the benefits of supply chain collaboration at the Procurement for Housing (PfH) Live conference at Housing 2021 by showcasing its new digital ordering portal for registered social landlords, which is designed to save time and improve efficiencies. Crown’s Home Decorating Scheme is available for delivery via the nationwide network of Crown Decorating Centres. There is a choice of Home Decorating Packs available, and each is tailored to provide flexible, cost-effective schemes for various property types.

The company also showcased its range of interior and exterior paints and specialist coatings, which include Timonox, a flame retardant paint system that inhibits the spread of fire and can help housing providers comply with the relevant fire and safety standards. The company is the first paint manufacturer in the UK to launch paint containers made from 100% recycled post-consumer waste (PCW) plastic.

■ For more information about Crown Paints’ specification services visit www.rdr.link/lx009

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HEATING & VENTILATION EnviroVent’s Atmos Whole house PIV system

Poor indoor air quality can exacerbate health complaints, such as asthma

Addressing IAQ to prevent virus spread John Moss, Sales Director – Home at EnviroVent, looks at the issue of poor ventilation in social housing and how we may be failing a generation by not addressing it properly.

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ack in the 1800s there was a public outcry about poor sanitation and contaminated water in Britain’s cities giving rise to epidemics, disease and death. Surveys into sanitation proved that a relationship existed between disease and filth in the environment and it was widely accepted that safeguarding public health was ‘the province of the engineer rather than of the physician’. As a result, The Public Health Act of 1848 established a General Board of Health to aid local authorities in improving sanitation. Over the next few decades, introducing good sanitation became a priority and as a result, disease and death from associated illnesses, such as dysentery, were reduced and eventually eliminated.

Fast track to 2021 and experts say that current rules on ventilation are failing to stop infections, including COVID-19, being spread amongst the population through shared use of buildings. Evidence shows that COVID-19 is often transmitted through infectious air particles in crowded indoor spaces.

In the journal ‘Science’, scientists and engineers point out that while governments have regulations on the safety of food, sanitation and drinking water, there is much less regulation when it comes to pathogens in the air. Prof Cath Noakes, an Environmental Engineer at the University of Leeds, said: "Air quality is invisible to us so we ignore it, yet it affects us day in, day out, carrying respiratory diseases which affect

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the probability of people getting infections…spread of infection has not usually been a priority in building design.”

Some experts believe that a revolution is needed in how governments regulate indoor air quality and how the issue is taught to the next generation of ventilation and air conditioning apprentices.

Ventilation study Latest government guidance to local authorities and landlords on restricting the spread of the virus is that indoor environments, especially communal areas in flats and halls of residence, should be ventilated as much as possible to reduce the risk of transmission by diluting internal air with fresh outside air.

The guidance states that extractor fans with outside vents should be used, or windows should be opened to allow natural ventilation. However, mechanical ventilation has been found to be much more effective than natural ventilation in a recent study by our parent company S&P UK, entitled ‘The importance of good ventilation (before, during and after a global pandemic): Analysis model of the airborne transmission risk’.

The study set out to answer the question of whether natural ventilation — opening windows — is enough to mitigate infection risk from COVID-19, or is a mechanical ventilation system required?

The study looked at three different cases: a classroom, a bar and an office. It

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revealed that the COVID transmission risk is reduced by half when using mechanical ventilation compared with opening windows to create natural ventilation. In addition, the study points out that opening windows as a means of ventilation is not realistic in many cases, as it can cause issues with security, as well as with introducing into the home unfiltered, potentially polluted air from outdoors.

The report highlights that natural ventilation may vary hugely from 0 to more than 10 ACH (air changes per hour) under specific conditions. Therefore, mechanical ventilation allows a building owner to set the ventilation rates accurately according to the requirements of British Standards. It has shown that the ventilation requirements set

by British Standards can reduce by half the infection risk when compared to relying on opening windows. If a lower infection risk is desired, the installation must then deliver higher ventilation rates than those defined by the standard. The issue is that the standards were not devised in the context of a global pandemic with the associated risk of airborne transmission.

Importance of ventilation Interestingly, in the classroom study, it showed that mechanical ventilation delivering ventilation rates according to the standards managed to eliminate most of the viral concentration during a playground break (30min) and completely removes the infectious particles during the

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The study set out to answer the question of “whether natural ventilation is enough to mitigate infection risk from COVID-19, or is a mechanical ventilation system required?

Air quality is invisible to us, yet it affects us every day

two hour-long lunch break. In comparison, in a natural ventilation scenario, open windows are not capable of completely removing the concentration of virus during any of the breaks.

The results show the importance of adequate ventilation and reinforce the advantages of mechanical ventilation systems. In particular, mechanical ventilation allows for higher ventilation rates than natural ventilation (in most cases), which leads to a lower infection risk.

Although the study was on classrooms and commercial locations, it just goes to show the benefits of mechanical ventilation in reducing and eliminating transmission risks in any situation, compared to natural ventilation. As an industry we are gearing up to meet the current and future needs of local authorities who will be tasked with ensuring that public housing is sufficiently

ventilated to protect occupants from disease and ill health.

Health benefits In fact, some local authorities have recognised the health benefits of integrating mechanical ventilation within their housing stock for many years now.

They recognise how it helps to reduce the burden on their maintenance departments in the winter months with issues of condensation and mould growth in homes, as a result of poor ventilation, leading to exacerbation of health complaints, such as asthma.

Whole house Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) systems, such as ATMOS, can easily be retrofitted into houses or apartments. They supply fresh filtered air into the home to ventilate the whole property. This method delivers air into the home which dilutes,

rdr.link Introducing rdr.link A new digital service for our readers With a wide array of online resources supporting the latest solutions – from videos to technical guides, PDFs to Podcasts – it can be a challenge to locate what you need.

To ensure you don’t miss out on these valuable resources, we are introducing rdr.link – a new, rapid service to transport you immediately to the online resources mentioned in our stories.

So, in articles you may now see things like: “To view an exclusive time-lapse video of the process use rdr.link/AA101” Simply enter rdr.link/ with the unique 5 digit code into a browser and it will take you directly to the mentioned resource – in this case the video.

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displaces and replaces high humidity levels, which not only controls condensation but also improves indoor air quality. PIV is most commonly fitted into renovated and retrofitted properties and good quality, compliant installation is essential.

It is possible to foresee a time in the future when air quality will be as important as ensuring good water quality in a building. In the meantime, it is good practice for local authorities to focus their efforts on improving indoor air quality in buildings, to meet the current and future health needs of tenants.

■ For more information on improving the air quality in housing stock visit www.rdr.link/lx010 To find out more about EnviroVent’s Condensation and Mould Workshops call 0345 27 27 810.

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HEATING & VENTILATION

Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation is one of the most thermally efficient products commonly available for the insulation of pipework — providing an effective barrier against heat loss

Ensuring efficiency in heat networks Kingspan Technical Insulation discusses the requirements of CP1 Heat networks: Code of Practice for the UK (2020) and the importance of optimising secondary pipe insulation to improve performance and prevent heat loss.

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t’s expected that the number of UK homes connected to heat networks will need to rise from around half a million to 5.5 million by 2050 if we’re to reach our net zero targets1. These schemes can provide clear advantages for both housing providers and occupants, allowing a smoother transition to low carbon heating sources whilst avoiding the ongoing cost of maintaining or replacing boilers in each home. At the same time, some existing schemes have come under criticism as issues such as gaps in the insulation lagging on services have led to significant bills for occupants — potentially pushing them into fuel poverty.

To support improved practice on these projects, CIBSE has now published a revised version of CP1 Heat networks: Code of Practice for the UK (2020). This document is designed to cover all stages in the development, installation and operation of a network, setting clear checklists for the project team along with 540 minimum requirements. It also actively encourages project teams to look beyond these basic requirements and consider how improvements to areas such as pipe insulation can help to deliver effective

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operation and the best possible experience for end users.

Why heat networks?

Heat networks are far from a new concept. They essentially comprise an energy centre or centres, which can serve either an individual multi-unit property (communal heating) or multiple properties (district heating).

There are several reasons why they’re now being positioned as a key option for low carbon heating supply. By removing the need for individual heat sources such as boilers or heat pumps to be fitted on each home, they not only reduce the maintenance burden but also help to maximise internal space. This makes them especially well suited for urban areas, particularly as the population density means it is possible to serve a greater number of customers with a smaller pipework network.

Additionally, these networks are ‘fuel agnostic’. This means they can use a range of heat sources. For example, a network may begin using gas before switching to a low carbon technology such as a heat pump. They can also take advantage of local sources such as geothermal energy

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or, in the case of Islington Council’s Bunhill Heat and Power Network, heat from the London Underground.

Whilst this centralised approach offers clear advantages, there is also considerable scope for inefficiencies to creep in, particularly in the network of socalled secondary systems, which comprise all the pipework and associated services within a building. In addition to potentially increasing the carbon footprint and energy bills for owners, heat loss from these services can also increase overheating risk in the summer months. For this reason, CIBSE CP1 (2020) specifically addresses how to plan and insulate these services.

Insulating secondary pipework The minimum thicknesses of insulation for different secondary pipe diameters are provided in Objective 3.9.7 of CP1 (2020). In almost all cases, a 50mm thickness of either phenolic or mineral fibre pipe insulation is suggested. It’s worth emphasising that these values should be treated as minimums and not targets, with the required thicknesses to be calculated as per Objective 3.9.8 of CP1 (2020) based on project specific parameters. In practice, many ESCo’s

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the system, including all components such as valves and flanges, and recommends fitting ‘rigid low-conductivity inserts’ on pipe supports.

Assured performance Available for both standard and non-standard pipe diameters, the product provides an energy saving and thermally efficient solution for secondary pipework

(Energy Services Companies) heat network schemes already require greater thicknesses of insulation to be used.

Additionally, heat loss from pipework insulated to the minimum requirements in the two materials can vary considerably as phenolic insulation is a notably better insulator than mineral fibre. Modelling has shown that heat losses increase by between 30 and 39% when the CP1 (2020) minimum mineral fibre specification is used in place of its minimum phenolic specification. For this reason, CP1 (2020) requires calculations for heat losses from pipework to be carried out at the Feasibility Stage (Stage 2) and a detailed

insulation specification at the Design Stage (Stage 3). This approach should allow the pipework insulation specification to be carefully tailored to the performance targets for the overall network.

It is also essential that this careful planning is carried through to installation.

Even small gaps in the insulation layer on services can lead to considerable heat loss. For example, calculations show that annual heat loss from an effectively insulated 4” valve on a system operating at 75˚C is around 153kWh. If the valve is left uninsulated, that jumps to 2,240kWh. To prevent this, CP1 (2020) emphasises the need for continuous insulation across

Heat networks offer significant potential to reduce carbon emissions, cut maintenance costs and provide a cheap and efficient source of heating for tenants. By ensuring your installation meets all the minimum requirements of CP1 and taking steps to carefully consider how areas such as secondary pipe insulation can be further optimised, it should be possible to ensure the system delivers on these promises. ________________________________ 1. Committee on Climate Change, 6th Carbon Budget (https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/sixthcarbon-budget/)

■ For more information on Kingspan Technical Insulation visit www.rdr.link/lx011

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HEATING & VENTILATION

Local authorities are turning to heat pumps to heat not just their housing stock but their offices too, explains Anna Wakefield, Head of Marketing for Grant UK.

The drive to decarbonise ombining exceptional performance, reliability and value, heat pumps can significantly lessen a building’s carbon footprint, reduce heating bills and are an important part of the net zero future. Local authorities are decarbonising their housing stock by installing more sustainable heating solutions and some are now moving to install heat pumps into their offices and depots too.

For instance, four Grant Aerona³ air source heat pumps have been installed at Caerphilly Council Tir Y Berth Depot, providing renewable heating to a number of offices. The installation of heat pumps was part of a wider redevelopment programme by the Council, which has transformed the space to maximise its potential while also reducing carbon emissions.

This project involved three building units that have been refurbished. The first of the properties was an existing office block, which was previously heated by an LPG gas fired central heating system. The other two buildings, which have been transformed into new office spaces, were previously storage units with no heating system. All the units required the installation of new heating systems which the Council stipulated had to be renewable, with air source heat pumps selected as the most suitable solution.

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Heatforce (Wales) Ltd, a G1 Installer based in Cardiff, carried out the installation. The G1 Scheme is designed to provide installers with the essential tools they need to successfully fit Grant products — from training through to marketing support. Paul Maddocks, CEO of Heatforce, explains what products were installed to fulfil the requirements of this commercial space.

“In the B9 unit we installed two Aerona³ 17kW air source heat pumps complete with 31 radiators. We also renewed all the pipework and removed the existing LPG heating system. In the other two units, B10 and B11, we fitted another pair of Grant heat pumps, this time 13kW models, as well as 26 radiators complete with new pipework and new plumbing throughout.”

More sustainable alternatives This project showcases how air source heat pumps are helping commercial environments swap from fossil fuel heating systems to greener, more sustainable alternatives. The combined refurbished office space totals 145m² and Grant’s larger heat pump models are efficiently meeting the heating demand of all the buildings.

Both the 13kW and 17kW Aerona³ air source heat pumps, certified Quiet Mark products, are twin fan units and boast excellent SCOP efficiencies. These models

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are also compact in size with a small footprint and have been designed for straightforward installation, easy operation and simple maintenance.

“Our client wanted air source heat pumps to keep these refurbished buildings warm and wanted to upgrade the buildings themselves so that their energy efficiencies were significantly improved,” concludes Paul.

“The installation of the Grant heat pumps fulfilled the client’s brief and they are very happy with their new heating systems. In particular, they are very pleased that they chose a renewable heating system, one that will sustainably meet the heating and hot water demand of the offices while also helping them to minimise their impact on the wider environment.”

The installation of heat “pumps was part of a wider redevelopment programme by the Council, which has transformed the space to maximise its potential while also reducing carbon emissions.

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■ For more information on the Grant Aerona³ air source heat pumps and to find a G1 installer visit www.rdr.link/lx012

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HEATING & VENTILATION

Heat pumps and solar working together

Following the announcement that Welsh housing associations and councils will be banned from using fossil fuel boilers in newly built homes from October, Stuart Nicholson, Roof Systems Director at Marley, discusses the role of renewables in helping social housing providers reduce high energy bills. round 14% of UK greenhouse gas emissions come from heating the UK’s housing stock, with gas boilers responsible for a large proportion of this. Reducing the high emissions from domestic heating is critical in helping the Government to meet its 2050 zero carbon targets. As such, the Future Homes Standard will introduce a ban on natural gas boilers and other forms of fossil fuel heating in new homes in the UK from 2025 and, at the time of writing, we are also waiting for the Government’s new heat and building strategy to be announced.

However, in the meantime, the Welsh Government has taken the bold move to bring this deadline forwards for social housing providers. This means that, from 1st October this year, Welsh housing

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associations and councils will be banned from using fossil fuel boilers in newly built social homes. The announcement was made as part of the Development quality requirements for housing associations and local authorities: 2021, which sets out the Welsh Government’s housing priorities.

Whilst the Welsh Government does not specify an alternative to standard boilers in the document, heat pumps are the likely solution and are already part of a large retrofit programme in the country. Moving from a gas boiler to a heat pump is one of the biggest carbon savings for a home but this also needs to be affordable for local authorities and result in reduced energy bills, as well as lower emissions.

Although heat pumps are far more efficient than other traditional forms of electric heating, such as storage heaters,

they still require electricity to run. On average, electricity is roughly four times more expensive than gas and the UK Government’s figures show that annual energy bills for a heat pump in a home with high energy efficiency standards would still be £369 a year (compared to £379 for a home built to Part L 2013 standards, without a heat pump). This cost is set to be even higher as millions of homes across the UK face steep increases in energy bills this winter, as a result of price caps being adjusted in October.

So, by just installing a heat pump, the cost to run the heating and hot water could be almost as high as with an efficient gas boiler and significantly higher than a gas boiler and solar PV combined (which costs just £168 per year according to government figures). As it’s powered by

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Installing solar PV could be one of the best ways for social housing providers to reduce the ongoing costs of a heat pump

electricity, the amount of CO₂ emitted by a heat pump also depends on how that electricity is generated.

a heat pump and solar PV brings the benefits of both systems, with a dramatic difference on fuel bills and emissions.

Onsite electricity generation

Integrated solar PV systems

With higher demand for electricity from the use of heat pumps, together with the increasing requirement to charge electric vehicles, it seems clear that onsite electricity generation is the best way for social housing providers to keep energy costs under control and cut carbon emissions. Indeed, the Welsh development quality requirements also recommends that new homes should use onsite renewables, where appropriate.

The good news is that many social housing providers, both in Wales and across the rest of the UK, are already installing solar PV on their new and refurbishment projects and this could be one of the best ways for them to reduce the ongoing costs of a heat pump. Heat pumps require electricity to run and the right array of solar PV could produce this for free. In fact, a well-sized solar PV system can provide 65-75% of a household’s total electricity usage and cut carbon emissions by around 15%. Combining

While energy bills have seen huge increases over recent years, the cost of solar PV has decreased by around 80% over the last decade, significantly reducing payback periods. New integrated systems, like our Marley SolarTile, also make it much easier for local authorities and housing associations to install PV on any of their developments.

Rather than the bulky look of a traditional ‘on-roof’ solar panel, integrated solar PV systems simply replace a section of the roof tiles, so they lie flat and act as a seamless part of the roof design. Our Marley SolarTiles are compatible with any of our roof tiles and slates, so local authorities can subtly incorporate them into any new or retrofit project. As well as looking more appealing, an integrated PV system makes it easier to pass planning requirements, particularly in conservation areas. Another big advantage with this type of system is that it can easily be installed by a roofing contractor, so

a heat pump “andCombining solar PV brings the benefits of both systems, with a dramatic difference on fuel bills and emissions.

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housing providers do not need to pay for a PV specialist, and it can also be purchased as part of a full pitched roof system, backed up with a free 15-year warranty.

How we heat our homes over the coming years will be pivotal in reaching the UK’s net zero goals, but any solution must be affordable for local authorities, housing associations and tenants. Social housing providers need to have access to the right grants and funding support to enable them to specify both heat pumps and solar PV, to reduce carbon emissions from heating, while cutting energy bills and preventing fuel poverty.

■ For more information visit www.rdr.link/lx013

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HEATING & VENTILATION ROUND-UP

New Heat Interface Unit launched

Dedicated online Heat Networks hub

Ideal Heating’s new Heat Interface Unit (HIU) is designed to support the growth of energyefficient heat networks in the UK. POD is a heat interface unit designed for use in centralised heat networks, which are forecast meet around 20% of the demand for heating and hot water in buildings by 2050. The POD HIU provides a flexible solution for new-build homes, social housing and retrofitting legacy housing stock, because there is no need for flue routes or gas connections to individual properties and the building fabric can usually remain largely unchanged. The HIU transfers the thermal energy from the heat network to the heating and hot water systems in dwellings and has a compact, space saving design. It is available in two models: POD Indirect is a twin plate appliance to provide complete separation from the heat network for both heating and hot water, whilst POD Direct is a single plate appliance, enabling heat from the network directly into the heating system of a dwelling.

Heating, hot water and steam solutions provider Bosch Commercial & Industrial has launched a new educational online resource to help support the implementation of heat networks across the country. The ‘Heat Networks Hub’ is intended to inform project developers, consultants and contractors about the cost- and climate-saving benefits of district heating technology. It includes an animation ‘Hello to Heat Networks’, which provides details about what heat networks offer, how they work and their wider benefits. The Hub also includes a Knowledge section where visitors can discover the latest changes and trends in this sector and how it may affect ongoing or future projects. Visitors can delve into information about Bosch Commercial & Industrial’s portfolio, including its BESA-registered Heat Interface Units, energy centre and plant room technologies. Training courses and CPDs are also available through the Hub.

■ To find out more about POD, please visit: www.rdr.link/lx014

■ To find out more about heat networks and to watch the video, please visit www.rdr.link/lx015

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ROOFING, CLADDING & INSULATION

Whole house approach to retrofit The deep retrofit of Renfrewshire Council’s Blackstoun Oval properties, which are almost 100 years old, involved a holistic approach to energy efficiency. Structherm discusses the project and the benefits of taking a PAS 2035 whole house approach to refurbishment. ith PAS 2035 becoming mandatory earlier this year, the refurbishment of social housing is changing. This new approach means designers need to consider the medium-term improvement plan for the thermal upgrade of the building, taking into account the multiple energy efficiency measures that are available.

Renfrewshire Council has been working with John Gilbert Architects to examine how their existing housing stock can be refurbished to meet this new standard.

For example, Structherm designed and supplied a BBA approved external wall insulation system for 36 sets of maisonettes for Renfrewshire Council in Paisley, Glasgow. The project was designed to the new PAS 2035 standards, and was installed in accordance with PAS 2030:2019 standards.

These solid wall brick properties were over 90 years old, and as a result were heavily stained from decades of weathering, pollution, and algae growth.

The existing thermal efficiency of the buildings was very poor, with a U-Value of circa 1.86W/m²K. It was clear from the

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Renfrewshire Council’s Blackstoun Oval properties before being refurbished

condition of the buildings that refurbishment was required as there was visible damp and the render had substantial cracking.

These issues often cause difficult winters for residents, with cold ingress, condensation and damp issues, as well as high heating bills. To resolve such extensive issues, multiple energy efficiency measures were designed to meet the needs of the project, including the external wall insulation, new windows/doors, loft insulation, and solar PV panels.

PAS 2035 requirements In order to fully encapsulate the buildings in insulation and prevent condensation and heat loss, high-density moisture resistant EPS insulation was applied below DPC level to meet PAS 2035 requirements. As is the requirement of PAS 2035, the existing ventilation provision within the houses was carefully examined including verifying that the door undercuts were adequate to provide internal passage of air, and upgrades made where necessary.

Procast Building Contractors carried out the installation and enabling works to

the PAS 2030:2019 standards. This involved extension of the roof and modifications to the services on the face of the wall, such as pipes, and energy meter boxes. By bringing these things out and away from the wall, gaps in the insulation are avoided, and the chance of cold-bridging is reduced.

Barry Chisholm from Procast says: “This project presented a number of challenges and difficulties, all exacerbated by COVID19 and trying to adapt our working practices to PAS 2035. Structherm's unparalleled technical and commercial support from building warrant stage through to completion ensured that Procast were able to deliver Renfrewshire Council's vision of an exceptionally deep retrofit on these 1930s houses turning them into houses for the future.”

Overcoming challenges The buildings were maisonettes, so the external steps posed an access issue — the specified insulation thickness would make the steps too narrow. To ensure that the width of the steps would meet Building Regulations, our design team

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ROOFING, CLADDING & INSULATION The work to the Blackstoun Oval properties included the installation of external wall insulation, new windows and solar PV panels

specified a 60mm phenolic system to match the thermal efficiency of the 90mm EPS system.

Duncan Smith from Renfrewshire Council says: “These houses are almost 100 years old. This project shows that retrofit, and a holistic approach to energy efficiency and asset management, can produce a really positive outcome and look almost as good as new. The project, as delivered by our project management colleagues, is a great product and one that we are incredibly proud of, both from an asset and energy perspective.”

The pipe vent meter details on a property

Structherm and Procast, rose to the challenges of the project and produced an architecturally pleasing effect that realised the client’s vision. The homes include precise lines on the contrast grey panels, matching with the slate roof and solar panels. Even the DPC was matched to the contrasting colour bands of the project. This joint insulation of EWI and solar panels help reduce residents’ energy bills and provides a source of clean energy for years to come.

All in all, these homes are a statement of how work can come together under PAS 2035 standards, providing a long lasting

refurbishment designed to benefit the lives of residents for decades to come.

Blackstoun Oval showcases exemplary work towards a greener future where clean energy and energy efficiency measures can be installed in a single project using the PAS 2035 Whole House Approach.

■ For more information on external wall insulation and Structherm’s solutions visit www.rdr.link/lx016 ■ To download a copy of Structherm’s external wall insulations brochure visit www.rdr.link/lx017

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ROOFING, CLADDING & INSULATION PRODUCT FOCUS: A. PROCTOR GROUP

An old Ford manufacturing plant in Dagenham is being converted into energy-efficient affordable homes. A. Proctor Group’s Wraptite airtightness membrane has been specified for the project. LABM has all the details.

Airtightness membranes four-acre site, originally part of the Ford Dagenham car plant, will provide new homes for 325 residential units in a series of five to 10-storey apartment buildings. The Merrielands Crescent project is part of the London Riverside Opportunity Area, a 3,000-hectare regeneration zone designated in the London Plan for up to 26,500 homes across the borough of Barking & Dagenham.

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The construction of the Merrielands development is managed by Inland Partnerships, on behalf of Clarion Housing Group, the UK’s largest housing association, and 15,000m2 of the Wraptite airtightness membrane from the A. Proctor Group features in the design. The membrane is the only self-adhering vapour permeable air barrier certified by the BBA and combines the critical properties of vapour permeability and airtightness in one self-adhering membrane.

Unmanaged or uncontrolled airflow can act as a carrier for moist air, drawing it from outside or pulling it from inside into walls, ceilings and roofs. As a result, unmanaged airflow will almost certainly influence the energy efficiency of the building, and uncontrolled moist air movement will have a long-term detrimental effect on the durability and life of the building.

Product performance

The high vapour permeability of the Wraptite airtightness membrane allows the substrate beneath to dry quickly and moisture vapour to escape

Including the Wraptite system within the façade design helps ensure “asdesigned” performance, narrowing the gap between as-designed and actual energy performance and reducing the likelihood of potential failures to meet required airtightness levels.

Wraptite provides an effective alternative to using a traditional internal

air barrier. As a self-adhesive breather membrane it can be applied externally, quickly and efficiently as part of the rainscreen system.

Traditional internal air barriers will need to accommodate building services such as electrical, lighting, heating and drainage systems, increasing the gap between as designed and built. However, the Wraptite membrane fully bonds to virtually any substrate, requiring no mechanical attachment and minimal amount of seals or tapes to suppress air leakage around junctions or penetrations.

Another key benefit of the system is the high level of protection afforded to the building fabric beneath the cladding.

The high vapour permeability of the membrane allows the substrate beneath to dry quickly and moisture vapour to escape, and reduces the likelihood of mould, mildew, condensation, timber distortion and metal corrosion.

Wraptite is compliant with Part B regulation changes and also has BBA approval for unrestricted use in buildings over 18m in England and 11m in Scotland.

■ For more information on Wraptite visit www.rdr.link/lx018

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ROOFING, CLADDING & INSULATION ROUND-UP Roof system provides sound performance at TECA The striking roof design of the Event Complex Aberdeen (TECA) features Kalzip stranding seam profiles.

The extensive structure was designed by Keppie Architects and built by Robertson Construction. Acoustic performance was hugely important on the project due to the need to prevent noise disturbance from live music events, also, the facility’s proximity to Aberdeen Airport, with its numerous commercial flights and helicopters ferrying workers out to the North Sea oil and gas platforms, further raised the bar on acoustic performance for the 15,000 capacity arena, and led to the involvement of Edinburgh based specialist consultancy, Sandy Brown. Kalzip worked with the architects and acoustician on evolving the ideal roof build-up to control both the noise of performances and the sort of low Hertz reverberation generated by helicopter rotors. To achieve an outstanding 55 dB sound reduction figure, the roof features a bespoke Kalzip system comprising 14 separate components, including rock mineral wool slabs for acoustic attenuation; while the 1mm gauge, 65/400 profile version of the manufacturer’s aluminium roofing system, with a stucco embossed finish, weathers the system.

■ More information on Kalzip here www.rdr.link/lx019 First class façades for NTU development Nottingham Trent University's £9m Dryden Enterprise Centre features contemporary mirror finish and mesh cladding from Proteus Facades.

Bespoke Proteus SC Aluminium 3mm Aluminium PPC Carina expanded mesh and Proteus HR 0.8mm Rimex Super Mirror 316 Stainless Steel rainscreen soffit panels were selected for the refurbished and new structures respectively. Proteus SC is an engineered panel system that is offered in either solid, perforated or mesh panel formats. The panels were specified with a PPC Pearl Beige (RAL 1035) finish and feature on the external façade of the 1970s cube-like structure.

Compartmentalising the brick-work at eye-level, the mesh cladding features in vertical sections reaching from the ground to the upper floors and then wraps around the entirety of the top level. The panels were chosen to soften the block-like appearance of the refurbished structure and complement the elegant pearl, brick and glazed sections. Proteus HR soffit panels in Rimex Super mirror finish feature on the underside of four of the first and third floor cantilevers, reaching over the main entrance and upper terraces.

■ More information on the rainscreen cladding systems here www.rdr.link/lx020

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ROOFING, CLADDING & INSULATION ROUND-UP

Advertisement index

New cavity fire barrier range

A. Proctor Group Ltd .......................................(page 13)

The UK’s leading subframe provider, SFS, has made available a quick, simple, and secure cavity fire barrier named NVELOPE NV CFB. Designed to protect cavity walls against the spread of fire, SFS’ new range offers three levels of high-performance protection for horizontal applications, and an added option for non-ventilated vertical applications. Created with specialist cladding contractors and designers in mind, the solution provides an appropriate barrier to meet most subframe projects’ specific fire safety requirements. Building cavities offer a ready route for the spread of fire and smoke at any given point. SFS’ cavity fire barrier solutions prevent this by creating an intumescent seal in a fire situation. The active ingredients in the barrier react quickly in fire emergencies and provide fire protection ranging from up to 60 minutes to up to 120 minutes. As a result, this mitigates the issue with alternative rubber-based fire barriers, which can give off smoke and fumes in application.

■ To find out more about the NVELOPE NV CFB range, please visit www.rdr.link/lx021 On-demand virtual product experience

Aico Ltd ...................................................(page 44/OBC) Akzo Nobel .......................................................(page 21) Consort ..............................................................(page 29) Eurocell Building ...............................................(page 4) Glidevale ............................................................(page 18) Hambleside Danelaw ....................................(page 38) Hamworthy .......................................................(page 33) Harrison Thompson ........................................(page 15) Horne Engineering Ltd ...................................(page 17) Icynene ..............................................................(page 42) Intratone UK Ltd ..............................................(page 24) Kingspan Insulation ..........................................(page 9)

New from ROCKWOOL is the next generation in virtual product experiences, which allows specifiers to explore its non-combustible insulation solutions on their terms. Available on its website, ROCKWOOL 360 allows users to learn more about the benefits of stone wool, watch immersive product demonstrations and access an on-demand CPD library.

Users can also explore a sound pod testing acoustic performance across a range of decibels and a 3D demo room enables visitors to discover solutions in-situ and access product information without leaving the space.

In a significant development for construction professionals, ROCKWOOL 360 features an on-demand CPD library, allowing visitors to learn about topics including fire performance in tall buildings, compartmentation and the building envelope at a time to suit. On completion, users will be issued with a certificate to add to their CPD portfolio.

There is also a virtual Knowledge Hub packed with case study videos and informative films of products in action.

■ Specifiers can explore ROCKWOOL 360 here www.rdr.link/lx022

Marley Ltd .........................................................(page 39) Nuaire Ltd ....................................................(page 2/IFC) Pretium Frameworks ......................................(page 24) Samuel Heath & Sons ...................................(page 27) Siderise Insulation ..........................................(page 40) Stuart Turner Ltd ..............................................(page 31) Vent-Axia Ltd ...................................................(page 36)

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