Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

August 2022

CONSTRUCTIONMAGUK.CO.UK

Construction bosses urged to take employee mental health more seriously VOLVO CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT TO HELP DESIGN FUTURE WORLD RX CIRCUITS

LIGNACITE The Whiteley: Bespoke blockwork for a unique restoration Major milestone for Two Friargate as building tops out

GROUNDBREAKER SYSTEMS:TAKE THE LEAD ON LEAD

INFINITI CONSTRUCTION WINS MULTIMILLION POUND CONTRACT

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Contents August 2022

06

Knowsley MP Sir George Howarth launches new Skills Centre

07

Construction bosses urged to take employee mental health more seriously

08

Major milestone for Two Friargate as building tops out

16

Award-winning inland surf complex makes waves with intelligent design

18

Your New Multi-Disciplinary Survey Provider – Intersect Surveys

27

Lignacite - The Whiteley: Bespoke blockwork for a unique restoration

35

How offsite technology is transforming UK construction

36

Roof Worker Height Safety: Tips from the Experts

38

Could FE teaching play a role in tackling the skills shortage?

44

Enhancing PV System Safety through Innovation

50

Joseph Ash Galvanizing: The sustainability of galvanized steel

52

Volvo Construction Equipment to help design future World RX circuits

Front cover image by Karl Hörnfeldt

Lapthorn Media Ltd 5-7 Ozengell Place, Eurokent Business Park, Ramsgate, Kent, CT12 6PB Tel: 01843 808 106 Editor Maria Lapthorn editor@constructionmaguk.co.uk Editorial Assistant Francesca Amato editorial@constructionmaguk.co.uk Production/Design Laura Whitehead laura@constructionmaguk.co.uk

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Accounts Richard Lapthorn accounts@constructionmaguk.co.uk Sales Executive Hannah Marshall hannah@constructionmaguk.co.uk Sales Manager Adam Jeakins adam@constructionmaguk.co.uk Circulation Manager Leo Phillips subs@constructionmaguk.co.uk Website: www.constructionmaguk.co.uk Twitter: @constructionukm

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Construction UK Magazine - August 2022 03

Company News LOTUS HOMES ACHIEVES LANDMARK OF DELIVERING 1000 NEW HOMES One of Northern Ireland’s leading residential developers has reached an important milestone in its eighth year of housebuilding.

Lotus Homes handed over its 1000th home this week. Celebrations took place

at Rushfield in Ballyclare, where the 1000th home has been completed.

The Rushfield development comprises 209 family homes and joins other ongoing developments currently under construction in Carrickfergus, Newry,

Comber, Jordanstown, Antrim and Banbridge.

The houses have been completed in partnership with local contractors, E&L Construction, Carr Brothers, K&P Construction and O’Prey Developments, with longstanding relationships between all parties.

Paul O’Rourke, Managing Director at Lotus Homes, said: “When Lotus Homes was formed in 2014, housebuilding was still in recession causing business to be quite slow. From building 27 houses in our first year to handing over our 1000th home has been quite the accomplishment.

“None of this would have been possible without a team effort from the Lotus Homes’ team, our contractors, our consultants and our estate agents. We have all worked well together to get to where we are today.

The 1000th handover is an amazing achievement for us all and highlights the continuing evolvement and importance of our industry.”

Lotus Homes is continuing to work alongside its contractors to develop more houses across Northern Ireland.

CIFI AND ARBROOK LAND APPOINT RED CONSTRUCTION LONDON TO DELIVER PRIME COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN VICTORIA RED Construction London, a regional arm to the main contractor RED Construction Group, has announced its appointment on CIFI and Arbrook Land’s £9m commercial and retail scheme, 19 Dacre Street, situated close to St James’s Park.

Specialising in development and refurbishment opportunities in the prime Central London area, Arbrook Land has instructed RED Construction London to restore and extend an existing office building comprehensively. There will be a key focus on sustainability and a target for BREEAM ‘Excellent’. The first phase of the refurbishment commenced this month and is set to complete in Summer 2023.

Designed by architects Darling Associates, CIFI and

04 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

Arbrook Land’s seven-storey 19 Dacre Street project features a contemporary brick façade, with key construction elements including the erection of a two-storey roof extension and infill addition at the rear ground to fifth-floor levels, to provide 20,000 sq ft of office accommodation.

The basement and ground floor levels will also be refurbished to provide 4,250 sq ft of restaurant and retail space. Six of the seven office floors will have their own terraces and the project will include a complete façade refurbishment to all elevations.

This project appointment follows the news that RED Construction Group has hired James Bardwell MICE as Business Development Director, overseeing business opportunities across RED Construction London.

Company News

INFINITI CONSTRUCTION WINS MULTI-MILLION POUND CONTRACT FOR ‘ARCHITECTURALLY AND CULTURALLY’ SIGNIFICANT SCARBOROUGH WESTWOOD BUILDING CONVERSION Infiniti Construction is to begin work on one of the most architecturally and culturally significant buildings in the north of England after winning a multi-million pound contract to convert Scarborough’s former Westwood School - home to the old Grade 2-listed Stephen Joseph Theatre - into 28 new one- and twobedroom apartments.

TATE CONSULTING ENGINEERS BELFAST EXPANSION One of the UK’s leading building services engineering practices, Tate Consulting, has expanded into Belfast, initially creating five jobs in the city. The firm now plans to continue growing the team following a string of high-profile contract wins.

Yorkshire headquartered Tate Consulting’s recently opened new Belfast office is located close to Belfast City Airport in the Belmont Office Park on Belmont Road.

Belfast born Jim Lee, who has been a director at Tate Consulting for the past nine years, will continue to split his time between Belfast and Harrogate.

Aaron Stevenson and Kevin Gallagher have also joined the team as associate director and mechanical associate respectively, with Aaron overseeing the running of the new Belfast office.

The building is the first major work by the distinguished Scarborough architect Sir Edwin Cooper, who is said to have designed more buildings in the City of London than any architect since Sir Christopher Wren.

Six carved relief panels on the south side of the building are attributed to the well-known monumental and architectural sculptor Henry Charles Fehr.

The former Westwood School is also the location of one of the first theatres-in-the-round in the UK created in 1976 by Stephen Joseph and which premiered all of Sir Alan Ayckbourn’s plays produced for the next 20 years until the theatre moved to its current town centre location in the mid-90s.

The 12-month, full turnkey project for Liverpool-based YPG Developments Ltd., will create work for about 50 part- and fulltime trades jobs and follows other significant wins for Scarboroughbased Infiniti Construction with redevelopment and refurbishment

work on the town’s The Esplanade Hotel and The Bike & Boot Hotel.

The future of the Westwood building, which opened in 1900 as a school, will be ensured with the conversion into residential use as will the historically important theatre-in-the-round which is set to become a coworking space, with openplan work area, private meeting rooms and toilets.

Most recently the site was Yorkshire Coast College’s Westwood Campus, the grounds of which now also offers the potential to create a new four-storey building to provide an additional 22 apartments.

Alex Willgrass and Marcus Rowe, Infiniti Construction Directors, working closely alongside project manager Sharon Lester, see the contract as an emphatic confirmation of Infiniti Construction’s ability to win and deliver high quality construction projects on time and to budget.

Aaron has worked for several well-known engineering firms in Northern Ireland for the past 25 years and Kevin brings more than 10 years’ worth of experience to the role working in both Belfast and London.

Tate Consulting provides a full range of commercial engineering solutions from MEP concept design to project handover and post-occupancy evaluation, as well as fire engineering services, sustainability and building performance assessments and master planning.

Initial contract wins for the company include Belfast Waterside, a development of 500 homes

by MODA Living in collaboration with Osborne + Co and focused on the build to rent market, as well as a 450,000 sq ft logistics facility in Dublin for an international retailer.

Construction UK Magazine - August 2022 05

Latest News

KNOWSLEY MP SIR GEORGE HOWARTH LAUNCHES NEW LOCAL SKILLS CENTRE SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE INTO CONSTRUCTION CAREERS Knowsley MP Sir George Howarth joined ForHousing at the launch of a trailblazing scheme designed to open up construction career pathways for young people who are finding mainstream school difficult.

Based in Stockbridge Village, Knowsley’s new Skills Centre has been launched as part of ForHousing’s School Links project. The landlord has teamed up with local schools including Meadow Park School, Kassia Academy and Support Services and All Saints Catholic High School to offer students at key stage 4 multi-skilled qualifications in construction.

To officially open the centre, ForHousing invited Sir George Howarth and Board Members along to discover more about the practical workshops and qualifications that will be on offer.

Young people utilising the Skills Centre will have the opportunity to learn everything from bricklaying and tiling to joinery - setting them up for further education, employment and training.

Local residents will also be welcome to the centre to take up a diverse range of free practical courses which will also run.

EAST LONDON COMMUTERS ENJOYING BENEFITS OF CROSSRAIL Commuters living in East London are already enjoying a shorter journey to work thanks to the arrival of the new Crossrail service.

Residents in Beckton, where Bellway London is delivering 391 apartments at its Beckton Parkside development, have had more than 15 minutes slashed off their daily commute to and from central London.

This reduction in travel time to the centre of the capital has been delivered by May’s opening of the Elizabeth Line along 10 stations from Paddington in the west to Abbey Wood in the east.

Rail passengers can now get from Beckton station to Tottenham Court Road in just 32 minutes by taking the DLR to Custom House and then changing there for the Elizabeth Line. Previously, commuters had to change at Canning Town for the Jubilee Line and then Waterloo for the Northern Line, a total journey time of 40 minutes.

These include how to install bath panels, flooring and wall tiles and skirting boards.

Plus, removal of mould from walls, how to build DIY planters and how to repair door frames.

The Skills Centre in Salford ran more than 550 construction classes for school pupils last year throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and 27 students qualified.

The launch comes following the success of a similar School Links scheme in Salford, Greater Manchester.

ForHousing’s School Links programme is just one of a number of initiatives the landlord offers through its Bright Futures scheme to

06 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

Bellway London is delivering 281 apartments for private sale and 110 allocated as affordable housing for local people through rent or shared ownership at Beckton Parkside, which is off Viking Gardens.

Crossrail has received a mixture of funding from the Government, Transport for London (TfL), the Greater London Authority (GLA) and London businesses.

The full west to east section from Reading and Heathrow through to central London and on to Shenfield and Abbey Wood is due to open in 2023.

fuel people’s potential through employment and training opportunities.

Please visit www.forhousing.co.uk for more information.

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CONSTRUCTION BOSSES URGED TO TAKE EMPLOYEE MENTAL HEALTH MORE SERIOUSLY

admitted to having no dedicated policy for providing mental health support.

As part of its Building Minds campaign, health and safety expert Citation, is urging bosses in the construction industry to take employee mental health more seriously as the mental health crisis in the sector continues to worsen.

Whilst having trained managers can help to manage existing mental health problems in the industry, a statement that more than 80% of construction bosses agree with, Citation also believes more needs to be done to change the culture around mental health in construction.

The construction sector has some of the worst rates of mental health than any other sector in the UK, with men in the industry three times more likely to die from suicide than the average male.

In an industry notorious for its poor mental health rates, research carried out

by Citation has found that 72% of firms in the sector

Despite manager mental health training being one of the most effective ways of reducing employee mental health struggles, the research also highlighted more than 70% of managers in the sector are unsure of what support they can offer struggling staff members.

The health and safety expert’s research found that employers believe the reasons for these high rates of mental health problems are due to the perceived stigma around talking about mental health.

The research shows that 78% of construction employers believe staff are uncomfortable speaking about mental health, with 77% stating their staff avoid talking about it as they think it shows ‘weakness’.

These shocking figures show that employers need to work harder to foster a more empathetic culture and create

an environment where employees feel comfortable speaking up if they’re struggling.

As well as the perceived stigma around mental health, industry bosses agree that there are other contributing factors to the poor rates including stress from general life (64%) and from working long hours (52%).

It’s the employer’s responsibility to create an environment where staff can speak about their mental struggles, and although the majority of bosses don’t currently provide mental health training, more than 82% agree that more training and support is needed.

To support bosses looking to provide more mental health support in their workplace, Citation, alongside the NFB, has provided a free downloadable webinar. Backed by industry bodies the webinar highlights the current state of mental health in the industry, while looking at how employers can support mental health at work.

To download the webinar, visit Building Minds on the Citation website here.

Construction UK Magazine - August 2022 07

Events & Awards News

QUADRUPLE INVESTORS IN PEOPLE GOLD FOR ACS CONSTRUCTION GROUP ACS Construction Group has been awarded Investors in People Gold (IIP) for the fourth consecutive time, retaining the gold standard for a decade.

ACS achieved advanced level practices on 7/9 indicators and an overall employee score of 747/900. The employee score was 20 points higher than the average IIP benchmark and 23 points higher than the average industry benchmark.

Culture, empowerment, and collaborative working were core areas which ACS highly achieved in. Alongside this corporate social responsibility and sustainability were also demonstrated as fully integrated with a genuine desire to give something back and set sustainability targets.

effectively, they have all the information they need to do their job well and they are encouraged to use initiative in their role.

The prestigious IIP Gold accreditation is only awarded to a small percentage of business worldwide. The accreditation assesses two core areas processes and culture, with leadership being key to both aspects. The assessment comprises an employee survey and employee interviews. The assessment process is robust with a minimum percentage of employees having to complete the survey and a representative sample being taken across employee types for the interviews.

Some of ACS’ highest scores included 100% of people saying they have the right level of responsibility to do their job

PLATFORM CELEBRATES AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING DERBYSHIRE SCHEME A unique affordable housing development in the Peak District has been named Best Residential Development at a property awards ceremony in the Midlands.

Colonel Wright Close in Bakewell which is owned and managed by Platform Housing Group, picked up the

accolade against other small developments from around the region.

The site has 30 dwellings which were all built using stone from the local Dale Park Quarry, a stipulation from the Peak Park planning authority who conserve the area. Constructors Lindum Group were behind

MAJOR MILESTONE FOR TWO FRIARGATE AS BUILDING TOPS OUT Two Friargate, Coventry’s premier new office building, has marked the major milestone of reaching its highest point during construction – known as ‘topping out’.

Set to be the city’s most iconic office building, as well as its most sustainable, Two Friargate is the second building to be delivered as part of the wider Friargate Business District. Adjacent to Coventry Train Station, the Business District will also include bars, restaurants, and other uses.

The milestone was celebrated by representatives from Coventry City Council, the

West Midlands Combined Authority, which is contributing more than £51 million to the scheme, and contractors Bowmer + Kirkland.

The internal fit out of the building is also being completed at pace, with the building set to open in early 2023.

Paul Kelly, Bowmer + Kirkland Project Manager, said: “We are delighted to have reached this milestone after such a tremendous team effort from everyone on site.

“This is our second project in the Friargate Business District and are pleased to be an integral part of the regeneration of this area.”

the building along with Derbyshire Dales District Council and Pelham Architects. The resulting homes meant Platform could offer homes to local people on low incomes who wanted to remain in the town they call home but might have otherwise found it hard to afford somewhere of such high quality due to the volatile housing market of the area.

Group Chief Executive Elizabeth Froude collected the award and said, “It’s a fantastic achievement for the group and our partners that this scheme has been named as the winner. Building somewhere like this comes with its own challenges and this site took years of hard work to complete but seeing local families living there now makes it all worthwhile.

“Everyone has always agreed that it’s a stunning development that fits so well within the local area, which we all know is one of the most beautiful in the country. Colonel Wright Close really does demonstrate the quality of affordable housing we can provide and I’d like to congratulate everyone that worked on it from the developers and local authority to our lettings and neighbourhood teams who’ve seen families move in and enjoy their new homes.”

08 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

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People On The Move BALL & BERRY APPOINTS PRITCHARD AS NEW ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Leading approved inspector Ball & Berry has appointed a new Associate Director for the North West.

Karen Pritchard will oversee Ball & Berry’s various sector portfolios and will be tasked with driving forward the business’ growth in the region, using her extensive connections to establish new strategic partnerships to continue building the company’s reputation.

Karen’s first experience of building control came in 1999 via her father, who worked in the field for Cheshire West and Chester Council. The team required an assistant to support surveyors with internal admin, and Karen fulfilled the role. She undertook extensive training on building surveying and control and became an Assistant Building Surveyor for the council in 2002, a role which she progressed in up to 2009 when she became a Building Consultancy Surveyor working in education, hospitality, leisure and commercial sectors.

military barracks, before becoming a Project Manager in 2018. She was later promoted to Principal Managing Surveyor and Regional Manager for the North West, before joining Ball & Berry as an Associate Director.

Her extensive expertise in building control and consultancy surveying spans various industries, including local authority, education, healthcare, defence and residential, and she is always willing to take on additional responsibilities.

DAN HALLETT JOINS BIG RED INDUSTRIES BOARD Big Red Industries are thrilled to announce that Dan Hallet has accepted his position of non-executive board member.

In 2015, she moved into the private sector, working on numerous Ministry of Defence projects, including several

GILLESPIE MACANDREW APPOINTS CONSTRUCTION SPECIALIST ROSS TAYLOR TO PARTNERSHIP

Dan’s role will be to lead the strategic development and expansion of Big Red’s market share within the construction sector, and will work closely with Big Red CEO Mike Lomas and additional board member Rob Kelly.

Leading Scottish law firm, Gillespie Macandrew, announces the appointment of experienced construction lawyer Ross Taylor to their partnership with effect from 5 July 2022. Ross joins from law firm Wright Johnston & Mackenzie and brings over 20 years’ experience advising developers, contractors and other SMEs on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious construction

Dan has a wealth of experience from working with some of largest globally recognised brands for medical devices, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, beauty, and consumer healthcare. He is renowned for his reputation of driving cultural change in many organisations and delivering significant growth in business sales and gross margin improvement.

matters. Ross previously ran his own firm for several years and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an accredited mediator.

Chief Executive Officer Robert GrahamCampbell commented:

I am delighted to welcome Ross to our partnership. His considerable skills and experience in the sector bolster our existing construction offering for clients.

He joins our non-contentious construction specialist Keith Emmerson, who is based in Glasgow, and brings further depth to our growing dispute resolution team The firm has offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth and advises clients on all areas of land and rural business, private client, commercial real estate, energy, tax and disputes, combining a personal approach with industryleading expertise.

10 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

With over twenty years of industry experience working across a broad spectrum of sectors in over sixtysix countries, Dan has continuously expanded and advanced his career, and currently holds degrees in Mechanical, Manufacturing Engineering, and Technology Management.

Dan has held prestigious roles at Reckitts Benckiser, firstly as Supply Director before becoming Senior Vice President for Health and Personal Hygiene and was Divisional Vice President at Abbott Pharmaceuticals, before recently becoming Chief Operating Officer for Bayer Consumer Health.

People On The Move ECOCEM ANNOUNCE MARK TILL AS NATIONAL SALES MANAGER FOR THE UK Europe’s leading provider of low carbon solutions for the cement and construction industries, Ecocem has announced the appointment of Mark Till as National Sales Manager for the UK. Mark, an employee of Ecocem GB over the past three-years, brings over 20 years of construction industry experience to his new position. Prior to joining Ecocem in 2019, Mark had extensive experience working in the admixture industry and has an in-depth knowledge of the UK concrete and cement markets.

challenges and opportunities that lie ahead during this exciting period of growth for Ecocem.”

For more than 20 years, Ecocem has led the development of technology that reduces the carbon footprint of the traditional cement manufacturing

process by half. It’s pipeline of technology continues to be industry leading, and the company was recently backed

by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a coalition of private investors led by Bill Gates, supporting innovations that will lead the world to net-zero emissions.

The use of Ecocem’s low carbon cement products is specified on the HS2 project in the United Kingdom, with the first leg scheduled to be completed between 2029 and 2033.

As National Sales Manager, Mark’s role will include overseeing commercial operations across the company’s UK bases, strengthening existing customer relationships, driving the company’s success with specifications from Engineers and Architects, and cultivating high-quality future opportunities in new markets.

Commenting on his appointment Mark added, “I look forward to continuing to build Ecocem’s momentum in the UK over the past three years and tackling the various

GETTING THE BEST VALUE FROM YOUR FLEET INVESTMENT With costs rising across the board, getting the most from your investment is more important than ever.

As Stewart Gosling of RDD, UK importers of Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks explains: “Truck price and fuel costs are the headline items

when weighing up your options, but there’s much more to it than that. Safety, maintenance, downtime, and support are all factors that’ll affect your bottom line. Every Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks product that leaves the factory is designed for a long life of high performance and minimal downtime.”

For example, GRENDiA diesel and LPG counterbalance trucks offer exceptional fuel economy, low emissions and robust construction.

Over a typical 5-year span, electric trucks can offer savings in the thousands compared to IC engine equivalents. The EDiA electric counterbalance range — including the award-winning 5.5-tonne EDiA XL — not only matches IC engine trucks in terms of performance but adds a host of cuttingedge advanced features.

Stewart adds: “Where you acquire trucks is of huge importance. With Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks–authorised local dealers not only do you have a local point of contact who will understand your business and your specific requirements, but they also have the support of the UK Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks network.

Make sure you look at the whole picture when making your next investment in equipment as the initial outlay never tells the whole story.”

Call the Mitsubishi Greenline on 0845 3713048 or visit www.mitsubishi-forklift.co.uk

Construction UK Magazine - August 2022 11

management tasks, including: Processing, storing, sharing, reviewing and marking up all project data — including models, drawings and documents — in a secure location that was efficient to access by all project stakeholders • Quickly opening and filling out customised online forms and sharing them in real-time with those who needed the information • Conducting safety walkthroughs on site with tablets, noting and photographing issues from beginning through their rectification • Logistics of prefabricating materials in the Northern Ireland workshop, and then transporting and lifting them into position via a 3M x 3.4M opening to access the underground levels • Offsite solution usage, including virtual reality (VR) and noting anchor points to show the project team and client the methodology for safe transport and delivery of MEP systems

•

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY HELPED DELIVER THE CLARIDGE’S HOTEL PROJECT SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY - 5 FLOORS BELOW GROUND Designing and building Claridge’s Hotel Energy Centre was a feat of skill, strategy and digital communication

•

By Benedict Wallbank, BIM Strategy & Partnerships Manager, Trimble Viewpoint

To execute the massive project in a safe, efficient and profitable manner, the team ditched the paperwork and went digital with a digital project management technology solution.

Kane Group has always embraced project innovation and thrives on a good challenge. So, when the contractor faced the most logistically challenging project in its history — designing, prefabricating and installing the £12 million energy centre located five stories below Claridge’s Hotel, a luxury property developed by Maybourne Group in London’s busy Mayfair area — Kane Group relied on a strategic plan with robust digital communications to get the work done.

The project scope included combined heat and power systems, gas boilers, chillers and fan coil units. A centralised vent system formed part of the works, encompassing 24 air handling units and an emergency lighting monitoring system, backup generator, CCTV, fire protection, as well as alarm and access control system.

From a design and build standpoint, the primary challenges of this project were: • Achieving quality communications between teams working in the underground energy centre to project teams working in a Northern Ireland office and ground-level teams situated at the project site • Logistics of getting prefabricated project materials to and from the project site located five stories underground in a busy city neighborhood

Record-keeping operations for health and safety, permitting, assembly, maintenance and commissioning

Throughout this project, our team relied heavily on a project management software system — in our case, Viewpoint’s Field View — to keep accurate records of on-site quality checking, pressure testing, HSE inspections, energisation requests and work permits - Martina Hawkins, business systems manager for Kane Group.

Kane Group outfitted the project team with tablets and general software training, and then used the program for key project

Benedict Wallbank

12 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

“One of the primary drivers that led us to implement a paperless project management system was knowing we would increase safety and gain massive project efficiencies by utilizing digital communications,” said Hawkins.

Key metrics included: Labour hours. Construction teams logged 93,863 labour hours for the energy centre project, which included a basement area of 24,000M/3 and 10,000M+ of pipework installation.

• Document counts. By the end of the project, the total document count was 5,156 between Kane Group and the 17 other contractors — including 247 drawings and 430 prefabrication drawings — and a project email archive of 13,973.

• Asset inventories. Kane Group generated more than 2,000 QR codes and attached them to plant assets for recording future maintenance checks.

•

“From the very first meeting, when project stakeholders explained their vision and what they were trying to deliver for Claridge’s, we were hooked on the project,” said Cathal McMullan, managing director of Kane Group. “The end results speak for themselves.”

SONITUS DM30 NOISE AND DUST MONITOR Campbell Associates are proud to work with Sonitus Systems and we are delighted to bring to market their latest monitor for noise and dust, the DM30.

Developed with the end user in mind, the DM30 is perfect for construction sites. It will run on a 12v battery for a week or more or could be powered by solar or hydrogen generating systems. Press one button and it automatically stores uninterrupted data to the Sonitus Cloud. Alerts to any device are instant and the reporting function is simple and clear.

One unit does the job of two!

The DM30 is based on the well-established EM2030 class one sound level meter but the huge advantage of this system is its ability to record noise and dust emissions simultaneously.

This dual functionality saves considerable cost - one cabinet, one SIM card/ data subscription and one power connector! For maximum flexibility, the system can be

supplied as just a dust monitor or as a combined unit for dust and noise.

The DM30 is ahead of the game Dust monitoring of PM10 is currently the primary requirement, but it’s likely that local authorities will soon insist on PM2.5 monitoring as well. Westminster and London City Councils have recently set a precedent for this which other city councils across the UK are sure to follow. The DM30 has been future proofed for this by monitoring both PM10 & PM2.5 at the same time. It has a built-in heater to ensure air samples are accurate even in fog and high humidity conditions. Even more impressive is the MCERTS certification awarded to Sonitus Systems to confirm the credibility of this new monitor.

Typically, noise and dust monitoring are required at the same location for construction projects, and the DM30 saves you space, money, and time.

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Construction UK Magazine - August 2022 13 xx Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

TAKE THE LEAD ON LEAD Awareness of the potential health problems caused by lead in the water supply, particularly in infants and children is growing. Houses built before 1970 would have been constructed with lead water supply pipes and if still in place can be causing developmental harm to young occupants.

Although the use of lead in plumbing has been banned in the UK for more than 50 years, there are still many properties where a risk of lead contamination of water is a risk. In some areas of the UK up to a third of these older properties are still receiving

their water through these original lead pipes.

In properties with lead supply pipes, the only totally secure method to reduce lead levels in the water supply is to replace the original supply with modern plastic pipe.

These new materials can also provide the additional benefits of improving flow rates and reducing pipe noise.

Traditionally, any lead replacement program requires major excavations outside a property and causes huge disruption within. Resulting in mess and

disturbance to householders over several days. This disruption has often been the cause of users’ reluctance to have the work undertaken Replace lead water supply pipes in under 2 hours…no major excavations, minimal disruption with INSUduct® INSUduct® is an innovative solution.

Minimising disturbance, time and cost.

Unlike traditional methods, INSUduct® allows the new water service to be routed up the external face of the building and connected to the internal plumbing above ground level, whether this is the ground floor or upper storey. In multi-occupancy properties INSUduct® allows multiple supply pipes to be installed, as it is designed to provide frost protection for up to three 32mm OD water pipes installed to the exterior of the building.

INSUduct® only requires one simple core drilled hole through the wall, at an appropriate point to connect with the internal plumbing. This enables most water supply replacements to be completed within a couple of hours, without the traditional mess and disruption to the householders or occupiers.

14 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

The improvement in work efficiency and reduction on the impact to occupants is a win for both contractor and customer.

There is also little impact to the exterior appearance of the property, as the INSUduct® system provides a neat, clean finish to the job.

Groundbreaker products are designed to provide long lasting and effective thermal protection to water pipes and fittings outside the thermal envelope of a building.

They offer frost protection for 3 days or more with temperatures as low as -15°C, temperatures we rarely reach in the UK - even with today’s erratic climate!

Carefully fabricated to provide long lasting

and effective thermal protection to water pipes and fittings in external situations, the products exceed British Standard 5422 and all relevant Water Regulations for frost protection and is on the “approved list” of most UK water companies.

Steve Leigh, developer of the range and Managing Director of Groundbreaker, has over 40 years’ experience in the Water Industry. “We’ve been putting pipes in holes in the ground to protect them from frost for decades, he explained. “Although it works, todays new materials allow for a much better solution. Keeping pipes on the surface reduces the risk of leaks developing and allows for easy repair and maintenance. It’s just a must better method of working.” This isn’t just Steve’s opinion, as part of Severn Trent’s ‘Green Recovery’ programme, use of INSUduct® is the preferred method of lead supply pipe replacement.

Lead Water Supply replacement has become a priority for water companies across the UK. Systems such as Groundbreaker can overcome user reluctance and provide and time and cost-efficient methods of water supply pipe reluctance.

Groundbreaker Systems, 3 Fairways, Stuston, nr Diss IP21 4AB Tel: 01379 741993 www.groundbreaker.co.uk

Construction UK Magazine - August 2022 15

Drainage & Plumbing - Project © Global Shots

© Global Shots

AWARD-WINNING INLAND SURF COMPLEX MAKES WAVES WITH INTELLIGENT DESIGN The Wave is an inland surf destination situated near Bristol, offering year-round consistent waves for people of all ages, background and abilities. Like a scene from a science-fiction film, its crystal-clear lake and accompanying surf cove are set against the backdrop of the Bristolian countryside, a marvel of imagination and construction ingenuity.

Here, we take a look at how Hydrock (lead designer) and Andrew Scott (principal contractor) tackled one of the most significant challenges of the project – surface water management – with the support of ACO Water Management.

Surfing is a sport rapidly growing in popularity, highlighted by the fact it made its debut in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. However, its very nature means that there are inherent accessibility issues stemming from geographical location, weather, swell conditions, and tides.

Opened in November 2019, The Wave overcomes these issues by offering year-round perfect surf conditions. It is the first destination in the world to offer the Wavegarden Cove wave-making technology, and also contains a food and drink area, a surf shop, gardens and woodland, as well as a unique viewing area.

Crystal clear water The sheer scope of the project presented a number of challenges to the construction and design teams, which needed to be overcome in order to deliver the ambitious vision. The lake itself needed to be inviting to would-be surfers, and the nature of riding waves means a sizable proportion of visitors will inevitably fall off their board – highlighting the importance of crystal-clear water. As such, it was decided that the water quality had to be absolute, with the decision made to opt for fresh water rather than saline.

Gareth Hardwick, Senior Engineer Infrastructure at Hydrock, explains: “There’s no chlorine in there, it’s a very low chemical content – in fact to all intents and purposes its effectively drinking-quality water. This is crucial for ensuring the comfort of surfers, but it presents a challenge in terms of keeping the water completely clean.

One of the key factors in this is to prevent contaminants from entering the lake, whether that’s from rainwater or from sources surrounding the lake, such as a spilled beverage from onlookers.

This required a robust drainage solution all along the perimeter of the water, which could offer the hydraulic capacity to ensure no contaminants entered the lake.

Substance and style The decision was made to opt for ACO Qmax, a high-capacity slot drainage system that offers flexibility in design and installation owing to its wide range of different sizes. Martin Smith, Regional Specification Manager at ACO Water Management, comments: “When it comes to a project as unique as The Wave, which requires a very specific level of water attenuation, the Qmax’s versatility becomes very important. It benefits from a slimline design both above and below ground, which makes installation significantly more straightforward.”

This highlights two of the core challenges of the project: ensuring the finished product looks good, and navigating the below-ground network of pipes and services associated with the wave pool.

The sleek finish of the Qmax made it the perfect option for the desired aesthetics of

16 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

The Wave. It can be laid flat to the ground, which is particularly important in a location where visitors to the venue are likely to be walking around bare foot.

As Rhodri Williams at Andrew Scott explains, it also offered advantages for navigating the existing underground pipework: “Whichever product we used, it needed to fit within the busy underground network of services. A host of pipes and landscaping considerations meant there was very little room to install the drainage.

“Because the Qmax has a carrier pipe that lies just below the slot itself, it is less obtrusive underneath the attenuation channel. This lack of space was something that was identified as a challenge right at the start of the project, which meant we could approach the issue with the right solution to hand.”

Collaboration It was this level of planning and interdiscipline collaboration that helped to make sure The Wave project was completed efficiently and effectively. As Gareth outlines, it’s an approach that helped to navigate challenges before they came to fruition: “Right from the very beginning, we knew that a project as unique as this would require a range of expertise to ensure success. We worked closely with Wavegarden – the team behind the wave pool experience – to get to grips with how that would function. We also collaborated with the architect, the structural engineers, mechanical engineers, technical engineers, indeed anyone who was involved in the project to make sure that no stone was left unturned.”

Martin concurs: “From ACO Water Management’s perspective, we were glad to be involved from the beginning of the project.

Gareth approached us with the range of

Drainage & Plumbing - Project challenges, stressing the need for a highperformance solution that also looked the part and offered flexible design. Once we’d established the Qmax as the optimal product, it allowed design and installation to proceed seamlessly.”

Sustainability One of the defining features of The Wave is environmental sustainability. It is powered by 100% renewable energy (99% from wind and 1% from solar), and this ethos was a critical element of construction. The designs for landscaping set out to increase biodiversity, planting over 16,000 trees and 13 acres of wildflower meadowland.

Crucially, this also extended to water attenuation. SuDS (sustainable drainage systems) are an increasingly important factor in the design of any project, and with The Wave situated on a greenfield site, sustainable collection and removal of rainwater was even more vital. This necessitated an innovative approach to water management.

Gareth comments: “Perhaps the most important element of drainage is how, and to where, you remove water once it has been captured. The location of the project meant that a large attenuation basin was required, in order to collect the water before discharging it into the estuary. We also diverted existing ditches to create two open swales, forming a habitat out of the collected water. This was in keeping with the overall

ethos of the project and highlights the role that water management can play in ensuring a sustainable built environment.”

Success

Perhaps the greatest barometer of success has been the popularity of The Wave, bringing year-round surfing to those who may never have had the opportunity.

The innovative approach to the design and construction of the lake and surrounding areas has facilitated this, and the string of subsequent awards is reflective of the ingenious approach:

• • • • •

Michelmores Property Awards – Leisure & Tourism Project of the Year British Construction Industry Awards – Cultural & Leisure Project of the Year Business Green Leaders Award for the Green Building Project of the Year Institution of Civil Engineers Engineering Awards – People’s Choice Award CESW Civils Project of the Year Award

“We actually found that many of the principles associated with residential developments could be applied here, particularly with regards to how you manage surface water in an environmentally-friendly way. I think the most satisfying aspect of this has been the extent to which there was ongoing collaboration.

“Working alongside Nick and the rest of the team at The Wave, with Rhodri at Andrew Scott, and Martin at ACO Water Management in that early design stage, really helped to make the whole process as smooth as possible.”

For more information, please visit: ACO Water Management: www.aco.co.uk The Wave: www.thewave.com Hydrock: www.hydrock.com Andrew Scott: www.andrewscott.co.uk © Wavemakernick

From a water attenuation perspective, The Wave is a triumph of engineering and indicative of the sustainable approach possible through careful planning and collaboration. Gareth concludes: “It was a completely unique project, and the sheer scale and complexity made it exciting.

© Nick Hounsfield

Construction UK Magazine - August 2022 17

YOUR NEW MULTI-DISCIPLINARY SURVEY PROVIDER – INTERSECT SURVEYS Do you know exactly where underground utilities are located on your site? Are you confident your works won't impact the local community and businesses? Will your workforce be safe?

If you’re asking yourself these questions before breaking ground on a construction project, Intersect Surveys can help answer them.

Based in Greater London, but serving the nation, Intersect Surveys offers a full range of land, underground utility & engineering services.

Including utility detection and mapping, CCTV surveys, 3D laser scanning and an extensive range of other services, Intersect Surveys helps minimise the risk of striking a utility and causing costly damage to your construction project.

Local authority? Petrol forecourt? Industrial site? Whatever the project, Intersect Survey brings over 20 years of experience, continually investing in the use of the latest equipment.

Keeping your project running on time and on budget, you can break ground with confidence.

Land Surveying & Engineering Ensure your project gets off to the right start by commissioning a land survey. For quick, accurate and data-rich information.

Surveying is an essential part of any land purchase.

Utilising the latest technology to carry out geomatic surveys, it can highlight potential problems before you start building, help you produce an up-to-date deed and even settle any legal disputes that may arise.

Structural & Environmental Surveys Supplying and installing monitoring equipment across a full range of construction and engineering settings, helping projects run smoothly, efficiently and cost effectively with real-time monitoring data.

Get a real-time picture of your environment or the condition of a structure. The data provided in our monitoring surveys acts as an early indicator of potential problems during construction, or as a means to disprove any perception of changes or movement, in order to avoid costly remedial work or litigation.

Utility Detection There’s nothing worse than breaking ground and realising you’re working around underground utilities.

Using GPR allows for a comprehensive coverage of a site and, as a standalone service, a GPR Survey can be used to target these specific features.

The method for this is to scan the entire site in a grid pattern, recording the images, and then post processing the information using specialist software. A full report or an annotated site plan will then be drawn up to the client’s specification detailing the findings on the target features.

Start Your Survey Today Talk to us about your survey, underground detection, engineering and setting out requirements.

We’re always happy to answer any questions or queries you have. If you fill out the form below, rest assured you’ll have a response from us within 24 hours.

Website: intersectsurveys.co.uk Email: info@intersectsurveys.co.uk Tel: 0208 399 3851

18 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

Helping to Eliminate Thermal Bridging

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Note: We provide a thermal modelling service (y value calculations) for your junctions to show the effect of incorporating a thermal bridging block. These values can then be used by your SAP or SBEM assessors to reduce your overall emissions rate.

Editor’s Choice

FREEING MINDSETS: CLEARING THE BIGGEST OBSTACLES TO BETTER PRODUCTIVITY, EFFICIENCY AND OVERALL PERFORMANCE

don’t like asking for help. We unfortunately live in a culture that treats it as a weakness.

Marc Roberts of BBI Services argues that mindset often holds projects and construction professionals back.

In fact, bringing in organisations like BBI at the beginning of a project is one of the best things you can do to ensure the team is set up for success, and the project runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

In my experience, almost everyone I meet in construction wants to do better, and that’s fantastic.

Across our sector, there’s a widespread commitment to increasing efficiency, productivity and sustainability.

and beyond – but quite often we’ll encounter people who are resistant to the kinds of changes we encourage them to make.

But when it comes to identifying exactly what’s preventing projects and individuals from achieving their full potential, I often find that people are looking in the wrong places.

Again, it’s not that these individuals are ‘bad’ – many of them are hugely experienced, with a great deal of valuable insight to bring to the table. It’s just that, for some reason, they’re not receptive to ideas that could radically improve their performance.

If they want to improve productivity, right first time or a whole range of other performance metrics, many understandably jump straight to scrutinising procedures and processes.

So, a big part of our job is identifying exactly why these individuals think and feel this way, and helping them to see and understand where further opportunities can be grasped.

Far fewer appreciate that some of the biggest roadblocks to success are actually in our heads.

Embracing change

It’s very possible for someone to be an experienced construction professional, to have performed well on dozens of complex and challenging projects over the years, and for them still to have beliefs, mindsets or preconceptions that are holding them back.

It’s not about criticising or ‘exposing’ people – it’s about encouraging everyone to acknowledge that, despite the good work they’re already doing, there may be major opportunities they’re missing out on.

The kind of improvement strategies BBI employ have achieved amazing results in sector-leading businesses around Britain Marc Roberts

At BBI, we’re not naïve. We know that one very common reason people are sometimes cynical about businesses like ours is that they’ve had bad experiences with improvement consultants before.

There are quite a few businesses out there that claim to do what we do, but that frankly do it very badly.

I’ve come across companies who’ve spent tens of thousands of pounds on consultants whose definition of ‘business improvement’ doesn’t extend much beyond analysing how senior leaders are using their time.

You might end up with a few executives who’ve optimised their calendars, but that does nothing for the performance of a business or a project as a whole, and certainly doesn’t justify the price.

Similarly, I’ve been brought into projects where previous consultants have spent 18 months putting up visual management boards. At BBI, we would’ve had that sorted in three to four weeks – and that’s just the beginning of the process. It’s what you do with the boards that counts.

In short, a lot of people in our sector have been burned before, and it’s closed them off to the huge opportunities that proper business improvement can open up.

But another, arguably much more potent, constraint is simply fear. In general, people

Many construction professionals feel that bringing in outside expertise is an admission of failure. They view business improvement specialists as a sort of emergency service only to be brought in when things go wrong.

Identifying areas where you can improve, and bringing in people with the expertise to help you make that improvement, is a vital part of being a leader. It’s an admirable characteristic, and one we all need to embrace.

Making things happen Optimising productivity and efficiency is ultimately all about flow. But for organisational processes to flow, our mental ones have to flow too.

I see a lot of experienced construction professionals whose mental cogs have got a bit rusty, and seized up their ability to think in a certain way. At BBI, it’s our job to help lubricate those cogs, and open people up to new approaches that can supercharge their performance.

Sometimes, that might be a case of going back to basics – defining what ‘awesome’ looks like, and working backward to implement the processes that need to be in place to get there. In many cases the required processes can be in place, they simply lack the rigour needed to make them effective. Teams are often not fully mobilised to make the difference.

Other times, it might be embracing cuttingedge technology may well be the answer.

The other day I saw a post from a team I used to support, where they now have a robot dog roaming around the site scanning to ensure the project was proceeding according to plan and identifying any potential clashes.

That would’ve sounded like science fiction just a couple of years ago. But the way technology, and particularly AI, is progressing, that’s just the beginning. As times change so should our thinking.

We need to ensure the cogs continue to spin freely to grasp what’s possible. Don’t let the biggest constraints be the ones that are fixed within your mind.

I remember working with three project directors. One who made things happen, one who let things happen, and one who stopped things from happening. Let’s all strive to be the one who makes things happen.

To find out more about how you can make a real difference to how your business and team operates visit: www.bbiservices.com

20 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

Speciality Chemicals for the Construction Industry AptiCem is a UK-based manufacturer

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Editor’s Choice

CASE STUDY: IMPROVING WASTEWATER EFFLUENT QUALITY FOR A LOCAL PRIMARY SCHOOL Vernham Dean – our end user customer for this project, had a requirement to treat wastewater that was being periodically produced throughout the operational hours of the school.

The premises were previously served by a traditional septic tank, however, due to a combination of poor treatment quality and the frequent maintenance of the tank itself, the school could not continue to support the operation.

As with any school, intermittent operation meant that the power for a new treatment plant had to be optimised. Similarly, due to the intermittent operation and the

unnecessary CO2 emissions produced, a mechanism to reduce the schools overall carbon footprint was also requested.

COVID-19 and the resulting excessive use of disinfectants (often chlorine-based) is something else we had to take into consideration, as this could risk the stable operation of a conventional treatment plant that relies on bacterial communities.

The School and the Engineering team at Hampshire County Council, through their delivery partner (Rocon Contractors Ltd) evaluated a new solution for the school. After discussing their needs with the experts at Premier Tech Water and

Environment, the installation of a Rewatec SAF was agreed.

The Rewatec SAF, with the required addons, is now installed at Vernham Dean Primary School, and is providing optimised, eco-friendly wastewater treatment to the specified discharge consent, even under challenging conditions (inconsistent flow and presence of potential inhibitors). After 3 weeks of operation the system became acclimated, achieving an effluent quality of 14.4, 10.0 and 1.48 mg/L for BOD, TSS and NH4-N respectively.

The optimised aeration is expected to reduce power requirements by up to 8760 kWh per year, not only reducing the operation of the plant but also delivering an annual reduction in CO2 - equivalent of up to 278kgCO2 eq. per PE (people equivalent).

Website: PT-WaterEnvironment.co.uk

SNICKERS WORKWEAR TROUSERS – MORE THAN FIT FOR PURPOSE Six Work Trouser families to satisfy every need on site sustainably.

Snickers Workwear’s trouser families are suited to any kind of work on site. Delivering maximum functionality, comfort, protection and mobility they’re the products of choice among discerning professional tradesmen and women. For them, sustainable, street-smart, body-mapping clothing are key parts of their product choices.

Hi-tech fabrics, functionality and fit are the hallmarks of these market-leading products. The AllroundWork trousers are ready for any kind of work in any trade. FlexiWork trousers deliver superior freedom of movement. While LiteWork trousers keep you cool, dry and ventilated.

Then there’s RuffWork trousers, reinforced and tough for the roughest work on site. ProtecWork protective wear for hazardous environments and certified High-Vis trousers when personal visibility on site is a priority.

Snickers Workwear Trousers also deliver certified protection with the patented KneeGuard System for greater flexibility, comfort and durability. It’s what makes them the optimal choice for craftsmen and women who need to get every job done comfortably and sustainably on site.

Getting information on the Snickers Workwear trouser families is easy. You can call the Snickers Helpline on 01484 854788, checkout the website at www.snickersworkwear.co.uk or email sales@hultaforsgroup.co.uk

22 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

Company News EXPANSION FOR KAM TEAM WITH THE OPENING OF NEW BRISTOL OFFICE KAM Project Consultants is celebrating the expansion of its team alongside the opening of their sixth UK office at 40 Berkeley Square, Bristol.

The construction consultancy has gone from strength to strength since forming in 2013 having built an impressive portfolio of projects across the UK and Germany.

The Bristol office will be led by new KAM director, Craig Short, and new senior associate, Adam Rohan.

Craig commented: “I am delighted to join KAM to head up the new Bristol office and contribute to the success of our expansion

across the South West. It is an incredibly exciting time for the business, with growth being experienced across all of the UK offices.

I am very much looking forward to recruiting and leading a team of exceptional individuals in Bristol.

“With almost 20 years’ experience in the Bristol property market, predominantly in the commercial, industrial, residential and mixed-use sectors, I will be looking to establish KAM as the ‘go-to’ project management and cost consultancy company in the region. Our team will be taking a huge amount of pride in working together with our clients to ensure we achieve the highest possible standards.

“Our new Bristol office at Origin provides an extremely modern, flexible workspace with the use of best-in-class amenity space. It provides the perfect location for our team to grow and collaborate with our clients and partners in and around the city.”

BARHALE SECURES KEY SILVERTOWN TUNNEL PROJECT CONTRACT A critical contract that will help to unlock works at the northern end of London’s newest river crossing has been awarded to Barhale.

RiverLinx CJV, the joint venture comprising Ferrovial, BAM Nuttall and SK E&C, has appointed the civil engineering and infrastructure specialist to divert water mains which would otherwise clash with the proposed route of the £1 billion, 1.4 km twin-bore Silvertown tunnel under the River Thames.

A six-month programme of works, scheduled to run from July 2022 to December 2022, will see Barhale re-route the two twin 1400mm rising mains to allow the cut-and-cover construction of the northern approach to the new tunnel.

The project forms a major element in London’s future transport strategy. It will ease traffic congestion and help the local infrastructure accommodate anticipated population increases in the catchment area.

When completed, the new crossing will run to the east of the 123-year-old Blackwall Tunnel, connecting the A102 at Greenwich Peninsula to the A1020 at west Silvertown, adjacent to the western end of the Royal Victoria Docks.

A key benefit is the improvement in public transport links between the two sides of the river. It is forecast that the numbers of buses making the crossing will increase to 37 buses an hour, all of them able to use dedicated traffic lanes.

© Riverlinx and Absolute Photography

24 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW TECHNOLOGY Fibrelite were contacted in the early part of 2020 by a third-party construction company. They had been requested to source a GRP covering arrangement for their client’s service duct trenches at a major UK based manufacturing and research facility.

Problem Operational difficulties posed by the previously existing concrete cover slabs led to an essential replacement programme being mandated. The end user had recently moved into the facility and established that an alternative covering solution would be needed to optimise future operations due to specialist personnel and machinery being required for removal and replacement of concrete slabs and other issues including: • Previously existing D400 concrete covers were extremely heavy and cracked in some areas (as pictured stacked, awaiting disposal) • Central and offset service access ports required in order to allow easy access to services without the need to completely remove covers

Fibrelite provided a bespoke composite trench covering arrangement for this manufacturing and research facility

A smooth finish was also required (no tread pattern).

Removing the previously installed covers: a costly and time-consuming operation

Solution Following the requested site survey, which was completed by the Fibrelite team, a solution was presented to the end user. A collaborative process between the Fibrelite team the construction company and the end user was instrumental in engineering an appropriate solution for this unique upgrade project. Fibrelite GRP covers are extremely durable yet lightweight making them ideal for easy manual handling (designed to be removed manually by two people).

Key Fibrelite engineering achievements for this project: • Fibrelite trench covers are designed to be safely removed and replaced by two people using the ergonomically designed FL7 lifting handles • The Fibrelite replacement covering solution included covers modified to include central and offset service access ports

•

•

Fibrelite covers moulded without the tread pattern per customer request to achieve a smooth finish Installation of the Fibrelite framing system into the existing precast rebate using an epoxy grouting system

• •

All Fibrelite trench covers can be safely and quickly removed by two people using the FL7 lifting handles

Custom designed and engineered trench covers Fast installation

Click here to visit Fibrelite’s website: www.fibrelite.com

Results The easy access solution provided

by Fibrelite eliminates the need for specialist personnel or machinery during maintenance or operation.

Key benefits of Fibrelite trench covers: • Easy access to trench services using the ergonomically designed Fibrelite FL7 lifting handles • Best strength to weight ratio available in the market • Retrofit installation of bespoke Fibrelite frames

Fibrelite covers eliminate the need for specialist personnel or lifting machinery for maintenance or operation

Construction UK Magazine - August 2022 25

Company News

TERRAIN PVC PIPE SYSTEMS TO BE MANUFACTURED WITH UP TO 65% RECYCLED MATERIAL Major investment by Polypipe Building Services means industry leading product delivers same exceptional performance whilst meeting higher sustainability standards.

Polypipe Building Services announces that it will now manufacture its range of Terrain PVC pipes using up to 65% recycled materials. These will be produced to British Standard EN1453 to ensure the same exacting Terrain strength and durability whilst facilitating the use of greater recycled content.

Andy Cullum, UK managing director at Polypipe Building Services explains: “We’re delighted to introduce this update to our Terrain PVC system. It strikes an ideal balance between maintaining the quality and performance our customers

expect whilst supporting a move to a circular economy that makes best use of construction waste. Contractors and specifiers already know and trust our Terrain range which has been around for nearly 60 years, and they can now benefit from its enhanced sustainability credentials too.”

The announcement follows extensive testing and an investment of over £2.4m to allow the use of recycled material from PVC windows which would typically be disposed of as waste. The upgraded line means Terrain PVC will be produced as a multilayer product in the same characteristic grey colour that has become an industry mainstay.

Andy continues: “This investment is in keeping with our aim, as part of Genuit group, to help the construction industry

to build better. Many building projects are rightly demanding higher sustainability standards throughout the supply chain, and it is vital to us that we play a full part in creating a more resilient planet, society, and business.

“More specifically, by 2025 Genuit group is targeting for 62% of total materials used in its products to come from recycled sources and achieve a 66% reduction in CO2 emissions. This evolution in Terrain PVC will play an important role in achieving both of those goals.”

The Terrain PVC range will be available to customers in the coming months.

For technical information on Terrain PVC please visit: www.polypipe.com/this-is-our-terrain

KIER TO PROVIDE UPGRADED FACILITIES AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES TO PRISONERS AT HMP RANBY IN NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Kier is set to work with inmates at HMP Ranby Prison in Retford, Nottinghamshire as part of its Making Ground scheme.

Serving prisoners will benefit from improved learning facilities, as well as training carried out by the Construction Skills Programme, leading to greater employment opportunities.

The 12-week Construction Skills Programme, which is run by employability and skills provider PeoplePlus, will be held three times a year with groups of 12 serving prisoners. Kier has worked with PeoplePlus to guide the modules and create the training schedule and has committed to at least three visits per course.

The skills gained by prisoners include a CAT and Genny health and safety course, street

works, working at height, manual handling, and abrasive wheels training. The course also includes modules to support wellbeing.

As part of its engagement with HMP Ranby, Kier has recently resurfaced the prison’s 900sqm yard, which is the size of two basketball courts, and has overhauled its training rooms in time for the Construction Skills Programme to start this month.

The Kier Highways Solutions (KHS) arm of Kier, which has in-house manufacturing and bitumen production capabilities, led on the facility upgrades over a two-day period.

The Category C men’s prison is the 11th institution to join Making Ground, Kier’s prison engagement and employment scheme in the last six months. Kier

26 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

pledges to interview every candidate that successfully completes the course, with a number of employment opportunities reserved within Kier or its supply chain for prisoners upon release. Of the 93 offenders that have already had access to the scheme, 53 have secured paid work.

By providing the men with meaningful employment opportunities, Kier will save local communities as much as £4,500 per offender.

If you would like to learn more about Kier’s Making Ground scheme, please visit https://www.kier.co.uk/corporateresponsibility/making-ground/ .

Alternatively, to learn more about the wealth of career opportunities available at Kier, visit https://www.kier.co.uk/careers/

Case Study

THE WHITELEY: BESPOKE BLOCKWORK FOR A UNIQUE RESTORATION When Lyons & Annoot was commissioned to work on the massive regeneration of The Whiteley, it turned to Lignacite to provide concrete blocks that meet the project’s strict weight requirements.

Its location in a built-up area of London also demands blockwork suppliers who are experienced in logistics and timely delivery.

The Whiteley is an ambitious redevelopment of a Grade II listed former department store, which aims to breathe new life into a well-known structure while protecting its heritage. With a blockwork requirement of around 50,000m2, it is one of the largest packages in London.

The iconic front facade, courtyard and dome of The Whiteley will be restored to their former glory, but their use will be expanded from a purely retail application.

When completed, the retail offering will be complemented by destination restaurants as well as a gym, spa and hotel, in addition to 139 highly desirable apartments and townhouses. By diversifying and restoring, the project will rejuvenate the area and give The Whiteley back its sense of self.

To sympathetically restore while also transforming the building’s purpose, the project has imposed strict size and weight requirements when it comes to blockwork.

Location: Queensway in Bayswater, London Sector: Commercial and residential Lignacite products used: Lignacite and Lignalite Architect: Foster & Partners Developers: MARK and C C Land Main Contractor: Laing O’Rourke Blockwork Contractor: Lyons & Annoot Expected completion date: 2023

With a number of different block type requirements at The Whiteley, we had to ensure that we had a supply chain that was robust and could meet the high demand. Lignacite is a key member of our supply chain, and their block types were suitable for approximately half of the block requirements on this project. With their great understanding of the logistical requirements of Central London sites and their partnering culture, we knew Lignacite would work with us to ensure consistency of product along with robustness of delivery.

We always look forward to working with Lignacite on projects.

- Lyons & Annoot

To meet the specific needs of this ambitious project, Lignacite is supplying both Lignacite and Lignalite blockwork.

Fine-textured and medium-dense Lignacite blocks are being provided as fairface. With up to four hours of fire resistance for non-load-bearing 140mm blocks and excellent sound insulation of 56dB with an acoustic wall lining, these blocks are ideal for maintaining the safety of the building while also protecting inhabitants and guests from unnecessary noise and sound disturbance.

Thanks to their specially formulated mix, Lignacite’s blocks also have reduced density, bringing each block to less than 20kg in weight – an important consideration in a project with strict weight limitations.

In addition, Lignacite is also supplying an even lighter product. Lignalite blocks are the lightest in Lignacite’s range, with the 190mm version weighing just 19.1kg.

Thanks to their close texture, these blocks combine a relatively low weight with strength, providing a solid background with which to secure fittings. As a result, they can be employed in both load-bearing and non-load-bearing roles.

The good all-round technical performance of the Lignalite blocks is supported by high levels of fire resistance (four hours for 190mm blocks) and sound insulation of 51dB when painted.

The precise requirements of the development led to the need for these blocks in 100mm, 140mm and 190mm sizes. Typically, Lignalite is produced

by Lignacite as 190mm blocks, but the company’s flexible and proactive approach to manufacturing means that it is able to provide 100mm and 140mm versions to special order.

To investigate which Lignacite block would be best suited for your development, try our online Product Selector.

Construction UK Magazine - August 2022 27

Project News

WORK IS UNDERWAY FOR A NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN WORCESTER Work has started this month on a 120-home affordable homes development in Worcester for leading housing provider Stonewater – which is being built by Vistry Partnerships West Midlands.

Supported by Homes England funding, Stonewater is working with Worcester City Council to deliver the much-needed development off Bromyard Road. Each home will benefit from the installation of air source heat pumps, making the homes more cost-effective to run whilst also lowering carbon emissions.

High-quality site-based construction techniques will be used to improve efficiency during the building work, with Stonewater seeking to create local employment, training and supply chain opportunities.

The completed development will provide a mixture of two, three and four-bedroom houses to support local people struggling to rent or buy their own home. It will include 26 homes for affordable rent, 38 for social rent and 48 for shared ownership.

Another eight will be available for Rent to Buy, aimed at easing the transition from renting to buying a home.

As the primary landowner, Stonewater will maintain and manage the surrounding public spaces – including protecting and enhancing the green spaces and biodiversity across the University Park area.

Each home will have its own garden and parking, with residents having access to communal outside space that will feature a fruit and vegetable garden and a play park. This is in addition to a ‘green corridor’ linking to nearby natural spaces and cycle paths.

There will also be a piece of public artwork created for the scheme, reflecting the local area and its history, as an eye-catching focal point for members of the new community.

130-YEAR-OLD CORBRIDGE RETIREMENT LIVING SCHEME TO UNDERGO £2.3M RENOVATION A £2.3 million scheme which will refurbish and remodel an existing retirement living scheme in Corbridge is set to commence shortly as Esh Construction is named as contractor.

Located on Newcastle Road, the Howden Dene retirement scheme was originally built in 1890 and currently houses 12 apartments in the building and various communal living spaces on the property.

The development has been brought forward by Anchor and will see the building upgraded and reconfigured to provide 14 retirement living apartments, all for affordable rent to local people.

Esh Construction has been appointed as design and build contractor and will work in partnership with Anchor to deliver the scheme.

28 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

Chris Hale, pre-construction director at Esh, said: “This development marks the first contract we have secured via Anchor’s four-year framework for retirement living.

“We have extensive experience in the renovation of both heritage and listed buildings – retaining key features which are in keeping with the character and history of the building will be of utmost importance throughout this scheme. We look forward to getting work underway.”

Work will include full strip out and asbestos removal, kitchen and bathroom replacement, mechanical and electrical upgrades, including a new lift, and the installation of timber sash windows. Existing partition walls will be altered, and new walls constructed which will create additional apartments and a guest suite.

Project News NATIONAL HOMEBUILDER KEEPMOAT HOMES ANNOUNCES PLANNING APPROVAL IN KINGSWINFORD Reserved matters planning approval for 157 new homes has been granted to redevelop a brownfield site in Kingswinford into a new housing development.

redeveloped into a residential community featuring new open space, a play area and public art feature for the residents and wider public to enjoy.

The Stallings Place housing development, which received reserved matters approval from Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council in June will be transformed into a brand-new housing community, consisting of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes, 82 of which will be made available for affordable housing.

Building with the environment in mind, plots across the development will feature electric vehicle charging stations, and a selection of bird and bat boxes across the site.

The site, which is based on Stallings Lane, was the former location of the Himley Ibstock Brickworks, and will be

Created for first time buyers, growing families and those looking to downsize, the development has an impressive location and is within easy access of urban and countryside locations, including Birmingham and the Black Country, Shropshire and the Severn Valley.

HOUSEBUILDER UNVEILS LATEST PHASE OF NEW HOMES IN STANFORD IN THE VALE David Wilson Homes is set to deliver a range of new properties to Oxfordshire with the latest phase of its popular River Meadow development in Stanford in the Vale.

The second phase of the Ware Road community offers a variety of one, two, three and five bedroom homes. It will deliver a total of 100 additional properties, including 65 private and 35 affordable homes, designed to cater for buyers on all stages of the property ladder.

Faringdon and Wantage can also be reached within five miles of the development, and for those venturing further afield, the vibrant centres of Oxford and Swindon are just an easy commute away via the nearby A34 and M4.

David Wilson Homes has recently retained its five star housebuilder status through the Home Builders Federation, after more than 90% of its customers said that they would recommend David Wilson Homes to a friend.

Those who live at the development can benefit the essentials on their doorstep, including a local pre-school, primary school, pub, village shop, post office, village hall and a hairdresser.

River Meadow is set in the charming village of Stanford in the Vale amongst the scenic, picturesque Vale of the White Horse.

Those who live at the development can benefit the essentials on their doorstep, including a local pre-school, primary school, pub, village shop, post office, village hall and a hairdresser.

Construction UK Magazine - August 2022 29

Plant & Hire Equipment

KELLY TANKS Increasing environmental responsibilities and sustainability targets are driving the construction industries ongoing needs for cost effective, easy to use solutions for dealing with wastewater onsite. Sites need quick replies, concise information, simple transactions and deliveries without hassle. For the past 9 years Kelly Tanks has enjoyed providing all of these whilst building a large customer base, expanding their team and facilities, and responding to customer demand with innovative new products year on year.

Mark, Kelly and team KT provide a selection of Water Treatment and Concrete Washout Solutions for hire or purchase. Their popularity and proven track record is a result of providing the kit you need, in the manner you want, at a price you’re happy with. Match this with their eager to please attitudes and above and beyond aftercare and its easy to see why their customers keep returning.

CONCRETE WASHOUT Various concrete washout solutions, to allow concrete trucks and equipment to be washed off safely onsite, including closed loop washwater recycling, washwater filtration sacks, pH correction, robust washout trays and skip washouts.

WATER TREATMENT Self contained units or full systems to separate and treat wastewater and Water Quality Monitoring Systems including Settlement & lamella Tanks, flocculation and pH adjustment dosing, pH/TSS/ Turbidity remote monitoring, auto desludging.

HYDRODEMOLITION Water Treatment Solutions for high alkaline hydrodemolition waste, used to retain solids and automatically correct pH. DRUMBLASTER Automated daily prevention for concrete drum build-up. Using recycled or fresh water the highly efficient electric driven pump combined with the water jets at the tip of the boom remove the days build up before it hardens. DrumBlaster Build-up Control Technology incorporates

an extendable boom with a rotating head allowing the mixer drum to remain stationary.

BESPOKE SYSTEMS Tailor made solutions to suit all applications.

Whether an idea or a full plan, we can accommodate. We can also tweak our existing products and/or have them sprayed in your corporate colours.

WATER MANAGEMENT Complete onsite Water Management.

Consultancy, Testing, Supply, Install and Maintenance.

KEY BENEFITS YOU CAN EXPECT FROM KELLY TANKS EQUIPMENT:

• • • • • • • •

Designed to meet the rigours of the construction industry Fast and Simple to Set up Small Footprint equipment available Units can be linked to handle range of flows, pumps sizes & particle characteristics Easy to Maintain and Monitor equipment Reduce off-site disposal costs Reduce risk of pollution Easy to use equipment Kelly Tanks take pride in the quality of their products and have a classy approach to customer service making them a real pleasure to deal with. If you weren’t able to experience their hospitality for yourself at Hillhead this year, you can catch them again at the Contamination Expo, Birmingham NEC in September.

If you need anything in the meantime give them a call on 01889 508944, email info@kellytanks.co.uk or check out their website www.kellytanks.co.uk.

30 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

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Plant & Hire Equipment

KIER TO TRIAL HYDROGEN POWER GENERATOR IN BID TO CUT CARBON EMISSIONS Kier has partnered with AFC Energy, a leading provider of hydrogen power generation technologies, to conduct an eight-week trial of a clean hydrogen power generator unit on a site in the South West.

The Power Tower generator utilises AFC Energy’s new Hybrid Fuel Cell technology and will be used to power the site cabins.

It is the first hydrogen fuel cell deployment undertaken by Kier and will demonstrate the viability of using this solution rather than diesel generators, with the aim of reducing the overall carbon footprint on the Kier site.

Chris Lilley, health, safety, wellbeing and sustainability director at Kier Group, said: “This upcoming trial further demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and finding innovative solutions that will reduce our carbon footprint and help our clients and customers deliver against their targets too.

To meet our net zero carbon targets outlined in our Building for a Sustainable World framework, it’s crucial that we continue to work with credible supply chain partners and trial new innovations. Following on from the trial in the South West, we will assess other sites that we can use the Power Tower on.

Adam Bond, Chief Executive Officer at AFC Energy, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Kier in support of their decarbonisation initiatives here in the UK through deployment of our hydrogen fuel cell technology. Contractors and plant hire businesses are under increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse emissions and improve air quality; we are confident that our hydrogen fuel cells will play an important role in delivering a Net Zero UK construction industry.”

HINOWA THE “OBVIOUS CHOICE” SAYS PLANT AND ACCESS HIRE SPECIALIST A fast-growing plant hire specialist has invested in its first Hinowa spider cherry picker, saying it is an obvious addition to its machine fleet.

NPH Group has bought a Hinowa Lightlift 20.10 Performance IIIS from Access Platform Sales, with eager customers enquiring about its availability even before it arrived.

Ashley Tarrant, Managing Director at NPH Group, said: “Bringing spider boom lifts into our fleet had been on our radar for some time. We did our research and found Hinowa was the platform our customers were keen to use. It ticks all our boxes in terms of performance, quality and ease of use, and I know APS will provide excellent technical and support service as we go forward.”

The Hinowa Lightlift 20.10 has a maximum working height of 20.15m and a maximum outreach of 9.7m. Its unrestricted platform capacity of 230kg means it can carry up to two people across its entire working envelope.

APS has supplied the spider cherry picker with a bespoke compact 3.5t trailer that allows the platform to be towed behind a 4x4 vehicle or van using a standard car driving licence.

NPH Group, founded 35 years ago as Newmarket Plant Hire, is one of the leading plant hire specialists in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Bedfordshire. The company has a head office and depot in Newmarket, with other depots in Cambridge, Kings Lynn, Ipswich, Harlow, and Basildon.

Its hire fleet has a large range of machines, including excavators, dumpers, hydraulic breakers, mini diggers, electrical

32 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

tools, generators and lifting equipment, and it also sells consumable products.

Investing in the Hinowa Lightlift 20.10 is its first foray into spider boom hire.

The Hinowa Lightlift 20.10 has a host of smart features that make it the go-to spider MEWP in many sectors, such as tree management, building surveying, roof maintenance, and high level cleaning.

They include two-speed tracking and one button self-levelling for fast and safe platform set-up, a stowed width of just 790mm so the platform can track through narrow doors and gates, and proportional controls for easy and precise basket placement.

NPH Group has selected the popular diesel and electric bi-energy version, allowing the crawler platform to be operated using a powerful Kubota diesel engine outdoors and 110v mains electric power for indoor working.

The Hinowa Lightlift 20.10 can also be supplied with lithium batteries for zeroemissions electric-powered operation.

Hinowa produces spider platforms with working heights from 13m to 33m. They include the new Hinowa TeleCrawler22, a telescopic 22m spider platform shortlisted for product of the year in the European Rental Awards 2022.

Plant & Hire Equipment

INTEGRITY – EXCELLENCE – INNOVATION heightec is a leading authority within the professional height safety and rescue industry, designing and manufacturing innovative equipment and delivering specialist training.

or evacuation. It also has an integral load indicator pin at the attachment point which shows if the device has been loaded, extremely useful when undertaking periodic safety checks.

heightec was founded in 1997 by people with extensive practical experience of rope access, caving and mountain rescue. It was clear existing equipment for work at height was not sufficiently adapted for more technical or industrial applications.

For heightec, innovation is not merely a route to new products but a core competence at the heart of everything we do. This is a continuous challenge for our design team.

The first significant innovation was the Phoenix advanced rescue harness designed for UK Fire & Rescue Services and industrial rescue teams. The Phoenix earned a UK Design Council Millennium Award for innovation and remains the most widely used harness by UK fire services.

The Rotor descender has a number of safety features and significant advantages over other similar devices. It automatically controls descent speed and allows a greater number of people to evacuate rapidly by making repeated two person descents (250kg).

heightec has since developed the most advanced combination of height safety rescue systems available anywhere. The Rotor automatic rescue and evacuation descender was developed for demanding environments and is a core product in their Rotor Tower Crane rescue system. The Rotor is designed for self-evacuation or recovery of a casualty from a tower crane cab, jib or ladder.

The Rotor has both lifting and lowering capabilities and has been shown to be up to five times faster at lifting compared to competitor manual models. Changeover between modes is simple and more importantly can be done under load with no risk of accidental release. Unlike other devices, the Rotor has no external moving parts that could be snagged, preventing risk of injury or entanglement during descent

Their mission - to be the most sophisticated supplier for specialist work at height, by joining values of elegant, innovative products and expertise in methods of use.

Keith Jones, Managing Director, stated “Our approach is to work very closely with customers to ensure designs achieve exactly what they need to in terms of functional performance. For heightec, innovation is not merely a route to new products but a core competence at the heart of everything we do. This is a continuous challenge for our design team. Our strength as a manufacturer lies in our ability to respond rapidly to users’ needs and changes in industry. We continue to pursue excellence at every opportunity, ensuring our products go above and beyond the norm where performance and safety are concerned”. heightec is also the largest provider of height safety and rescue training delivered via their UK national network of centres based in Aberdeen, Kendal, Leeds, Birmingham, London. They launched their specialist Tower Crane Rescue course over a decade ago, it is their most popular course for the construction industry and remains in high demand for delivery on client sites.

Subsequently heightec supported the CPA’s (Construction Plan-hire Association) Tower Crane Interest Group by contributing to the development of the Technical Information Note on “Rescue of Personnel from Height on Tower Cranes”. This document provides guidance on the planning for rescuing persons from height on tower cranes.

Website: www.heightec.com

Construction UK Magazine - August 2022 33

Modular Buildings - Project

thinking into the sector via younger generations who we are extremely proud of.

COREHAUS COMPLETES FIRST MODULAR HOMES MANUFACTURED IN NORTH EAST FACTORY The first steel-framed modular homes manufactured at the CoreHaus factory were recently delivered, assembled and completed on a new homes site in the North East.

The County Durham-based company has handed over four three-bedroom semidetached homes to regional housebuilder Homes by Carlton at its almost complete Thorpe Paddocks site at Thorpe Thewles, Tees Valley.

This is the latest milestone for CoreHaus, a social enterprise company, which operates from a 20,000 sq ft manufacturing unit on Jade Business Park, Murton, near Seaham.

CoreHaus managing director Scott Bibby explained: “Early last year our team walked through the factory doors in Seaham for the first time. What has been achieved since then has been nothing short of amazing. From factory fit-out and completion of the first factory built home through to the completion of homes on site at Thorpe Thewles. This project has allowed us to demonstrate the flexibility of our product by matching traditional aesthetics and finishes on these four homes while still offering a high level of pre manufactured value.

“We are experiencing a skills shortage across the construction and housebuilding sector.

Modern methods of construction will be part of the mix in the future. We look forward to working with CoreHaus on further projects, delivering affordable housing on our sites.”

A five-year plan will see CoreHaus producing around 1,000 modular homes a year, which will result in more than 300 people working across the business. These homes will be built using modern methods of construction (MMC) which will result in high quality homes, built faster, with engineered precision and expected lower energy bills.

Scott Bibby said: “We have already generated sustainable, high-quality jobs at CoreHaus that brings best practice from other sectors into construction. It has allowed us to employ two apprentices who recently won rising star of the year award, again bringing new ways of

“It has been a genuine learning exercise where have been able to refine the product, improve skills and knowledge while also bringing efficiencies to the manufacturing process. We will be able to speed up the entire process on future projects from design, manufacture, delivery, assembly, and final build.”

Simon Walker, MD of Homes by Carlton, said: “We are delighted with the final CoreHaus product. They represent the affordable homes on our site and have been pre-sold to Believe Housing as rent-to-buy properties.

34 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

“The housing market remains buoyant with demand continuing to outstrip supply. There’s some extremely positive collaboration going on in the industry which will increase market share and strengthen the reputation of MMC. We know the housing sector wants something that’s both affordable and incorporates highquality design within a modular frame. We are already in discussions with several regional and national housing associations interested in working with our product.”

CoreHaus is a joint-venture company between Carlton & Co Group, the parent company behind North East based Homes

by Carlton, and national social enterprise Fusion21, specialists in public procurement for the built environment.

National housing agency Homes England is accelerating the delivery of local authority housing schemes, encouraging greater use of modern methods of construction (MMC).

Housing associations looking to sign significant ‘strategic partnership’ deals with Homes England to build large numbers of affordable homes will have to commit to using MMC to build out at least 25% of their pipeline.

Scott added: “Our production and designs draw on modern, technical skills and innovation.

We have a real opportunity to break the current mould in housebuilding and construction and achieve our vision which is to transform new build housing delivery.”

Modular Buildings HOW OFFSITE TECHNOLOGY IS TRANSFORMING UK CONSTRUCTION In this article, David Harris, Managing Director of Premier Modular, looks at the drivers for the increase in demand for offsite building solutions and how the approach is addressing some of the key challenges in UK construction.

Offsite technology has improved significantly over the last 5-10 years as has the sector’s ability to manage the delivery of these projects with the least disruption possible.

The modular sector is now much more mature, and the technical and project management capabilities among the leading offsite specialists have advanced hugely – to the benefit of clients and contractors needing high quality, fasttrack and sustainable solutions.

There is now much greater confidence in the ability of offsite manufacturers to deliver high quality construction solutions rapidly – whether buildings for rent or permanent schemes – and in every sector, from education and healthcare to residential, commercial and infrastructure.

Why Take a Manufacturing Approach to Construction?

The benefits of taking a manufacturing approach to construction are clear and have been well documented – but are now more relevant than ever before:

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More sustainable construction – zero waste to landfill in building manufacture, fewer vehicle movements, and enhanced thermal efficiency

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Programme times reduced by up to 60 per cent

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Greater cost efficiency – cost certainty, higher productivity, fewer defects, faster return on investment and earlier occupation

Building Offsite Drives Productivity As offsite specialists have embraced lean manufacturing techniques, productivity has increased. The sector is simply doing things better. This means even shorter lead times for both temporary modular facilities, and bespoke buildings and extensions.

or refurbished – which radically reduces environmental impact.

Manufacturers have widened their skillsets and improved project management and BIM capabilities, giving construction clients much greater assurance of delivery on time, to reduced programmes, stringent quality standards and with the least disruption possible.

Helping to Address the Challenges Facing UK Construction The shortage of skilled labour is now even more severe following Brexit and the pandemic which means more clients and contractors need to turn to offsite solutions to achieve greater certainty of delivery on time and on budget.

Reducing the local impact of construction by moving more work offsite and into a factory, is particularly critical on hospital and school sites and is another significant driver.

The Future of Offsite There are still lessons to be learned from the pandemic, which highlighted the need to make facilities more interchangeable and futureproof.

Offices can become wards or buildings may need to be relocated to different sites to meet changing local needs. This means assets will be considered differently whilst still needing to meet the same standards for build quality and comfort. Buildings will need to be more flexible and adaptable to change, presenting tremendous opportunities for modular construction.

We believe more buildings will be leased to reduce capital expenditure and after the leasing period, modular facilities can easily be removed, relocated, reconfigured,

The drive to net zero presents enormous opportunities for offsite. Modular solutions are a simpler route to achieving low or zero carbon construction and manufacturers need to be leading the way in this area.

Rapid and Sustainable Construction at Canada Water Premier has delivered the first phase of an innovative new modular campus for research and development developed

by British Land – a bespoke, sustainable higher education facility at Canada Water in London.

Occupied by The Engineering and Design Institute London (TEDI-London), the building was designed and built in just nine months in time for the first cohort of students and minimising disruption to the local area.

Designed by Hawkins\Brown, the building will be in use for the next seven years to allow British Land to work with TEDILondon to develop a permanent home for its students within the Canada Water masterplan. Minimising impact on the environment was therefore a key part of the project brief.

David Walters, Programme Director at British Land, said, “We are using modular construction in a really different way on this campus. It is enabling our tenants to grow with us, only taking the space they need at any one time, with the knowledge that we can respond rapidly to expand the building when they need to add more space. This is achieved with the least possible disruption, and an architectural quality that enhances the surroundings enormously.”

“This project successfully demonstrates excellent design, a highly efficient building system, and outstanding collaboration at every stage, which has definitely added value to the project. We can utilise all the benefits of offsite – speed, less impact on the environment, ease of expansion, and less disruption – whilst creating a high-quality education facility which looks fantastic. The first cohort of students was able to occupy the building after just nine months, which is an impressive achievement.”

Website: www.premiermodular.co.uk

Construction UK Magazine - August 2022 35

Roofing & Cladding

ROOF WORKER HEIGHT SAFETY: TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS Without the correct safety measures in place, working at height can be hugely dangerous. In fact, accidents from height are one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities and injuries.

Critical safety experts Reece Safety, who have recently introduced a new typical inclined roof structure into their critical training centre, have provided some top safety tips for those working at height.

Plan Effectively It’s vital that correct plans have been put in place for any at-height work, including roof work.

Before work is completed, thorough risk assessments should take place, identifying potential area and personnel risks. Always consider measures that protect everyone who is at risk (collective protection) along with measures that protect only the individual (personal protection).

Current laws state that the following should also be taken into consideration by employers before allowing any work at height:

•

Take account of weather conditions that could compromise worker safety, and check the location every time before work takes place.

•

Take suitable and sufficient measures to make sure no one can be injured, for example using exclusion zones to

keep people away or mesh on scaffold to stop materials such as bricks falling

•

Store materials and objects safely so they won’t cause injury

•

Plan for emergencies and rescue, including setting a procedure for evacuation. Ensure employees know the emergency procedures thoroughly before undertaking work.

It’s vital that those working at height get the relevant experience and training before undertaking real world work, to ensure safety of themselves, and those around them.

Correct Training Employers should always ensure that those with sufficient skills, experience and knowledge are employed to perform any task at height. Where necessary the correct training should be provided and revisited at required times to ensure continued knowledge and adherence to safety regulations.

“It’s vital that those working at height get the relevant experience and training before undertaking real world work, to ensure safety of themselves, and those around

36 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

them.” Andy Graham, Managing Director at Reece Safety had to say.

“At Reece Safety we have recently launched a new roof working training rig which is a great solution to those needing a practical training course and will meet the needs of people needing to work safely at height on similar clad roof areas found on industrial and retail units, domestic structures, schools and hospitals.”

Correct and Well-Maintained Equipment Employers are required to provide the correct equipment appropriate for the task at hand, along with training of correct implementation and use.

Equipment, such as scaffolding, should be assembled or installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions and in keeping with industry guidelines. It should also not be used until it has been inspected by a qualified and competent person who has the necessary skills, experience and knowledge to manage health and safety.

Any equipment exposed to conditions that may cause it to deteriorate and result in a dangerous situation should be inspected at suitable intervals appropriate to the environment and use.

Supervision Working at height can be an evolving situation, so it’s vital that the equipment and workers are monitored as the work is carried out. This will help reduce the chances of accidents occurring from distractions or equipment deterioration.

Any changes in the surroundings should be reported and acted on immediately.

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Benefits include: - 30 year warranty against fungal decay and insect attack.

- Green Guard Gold Certification for use in sensitive areas.

- Raw material readily available.

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- Low maintenance as it is a preservative treatment, not a coating.

- Full chain of custody certication from sustainable sources. fi - Every stage of production carried out in house with BrookClad.

- Produced in accordance with EN14915.

- All stages of production ISO9001 certified.

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I’m currently working full time but there are part time and flexible opportunities available in FE teaching too if you want to teach alongside your current job in industry. The flexibility the role provides means I can also pursue my other passions outside of teaching and feed this experience back into the classroom.

COULD FE TEACHING PLAY A ROLE IN TACKLING THE SKILLS SHORTAGE? Dean Carpenter spent 32 years working in the construction industry including time in the Royal Engineers, before deciding to turn his hand to teaching in Further Education (FE). Here Dean explains why he believes teaching in FE can support a pipeline of talent into the construction industry – helping to tackle the sector’s skills gap.

result of the skills shortage. A recent report by the Construction Skills Network revealed there will be an extra 215,800 construction jobs to fill in the UK by 2025.

It’s never been more important to secure a strong pipeline of talent into our industry.

The good news is I believe it’s within our power to help support this.

I have been passionate about the construction industry all my life – I started as a bricklayer and now I teach construction skills and bricklaying at Andover College - sharing my skills through teaching in FE.

Three and a half years ago I started working as a FE teacher as I wanted to share my skills with the next generation of workers. Now, I get the same kick out of teaching as I did in the early days of working on site.

I have always enjoyed being on site.

Throughout my 26 years in the Army, I worked and trained across trades from bricklaying through to painting and glass installation. I love working within a team and experiencing the practical joy of building something with your own hands.

It’s one of the reasons I’m so passionate about protecting our industry and preparing the workforce of the future.

Everyone who works in the industry will be aware of the challenges faced as a

38 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

There’s a number of reasons why industry professionals are well placed to help address the skills shortage through teaching in FE. Our real life experience from industry allows us to better share our experiences and knowledge with the next generation. When I teach the construction skills to students, it contains much more than just bricklaying – we cover plastering, tiling, wallpapering and more. I want my students to be prepared for the real world of work, so I take them outside to understand how the weather, topography and foundations can effect building. I’ve also introduced students to site managers who I have worked in the industry with, so they can discover what employers look for in a good employee and how to practically build on their skills outside the course.

Having these experiences and connections with industry really helps bring the course to life for the students and it’s invaluable in prepping them for work.

If you’re interested in exploring full time, part time or flexible FE teaching roles, why not reach out to your local provider? Most FE teaching roles don’t require a degree or any previous teaching experience because you can undertake teacher training on the job whilst you start earning straight away.

The transition process is really simple, and you will be inspiring the next generation of workers in your profession, ensuring our industry continues to have qualified people it desperately needs.

If you’re interested in sharing your skills through FE teaching, visit: www.teach-in-further-education. campaign.gov.uk

Roofing & Cladding

SIKA LAUNCH GROUNDBREAKING PLASTICISER FREE SARNAFIL ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY ROOFING MEMBRANE IN THE UK Sarnafil Advanced Technology is the first and only UK roofing membrane to be Silver Certified in Cradle to Cradle. After receiving a fantastic reception in Europe, where the roofing membrane has been launched to great success, market-leading roofing manufacturer Sika have launched Sarnafil® Advanced Technology, a game-changing sustainable roofing solution, in the UK. Sarnafil® AT is the first single-ply roofing membrane to meet the strict requirements of a Cradle to Cradle® Silver Certification.

Achieving an impressive Gold rating in the sustainability categories of Material Reutilisation and Social Fairness, and a Silver rating overall, the Sarnafil® AT membrane is the solution for responsible roof specification.

Sika have made a revolutionary move in the roofing industry by putting sustainability at the forefront of their innovative product development. Producing a single

ply membrane without plasticisers, oils, chlorine or heavy metals was a challenge worth undertaking for the Sika team, as they pushed to make a truly sustainable product that doesn’t compromise on quality. The Sarnafil® AT membrane is an environmentally-friendly alternative that adheres to Sika’s values of sustainability while forging ahead of the market on features and ease of use.

Sarah Peake, Sustainability Manager at Sika UK, commented “Sustainability is a core value at Sika, and this initiative aligns with our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals; to be precise, the UNSustainable Development Goal (UN-SDG) 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production) and UN-SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities & Communities).”

We have designed Sarnafil® AT as a product that can help architects hit sustainable development targets.

“The Cradle to Cradle® Silver Certification proves without a doubt that the membrane is exceptionally eco-friendly, and will withstand any scrutiny drawn from recent legislation like the Government's Green Claims Code.”

Beyond its incredible sustainability benefits it is simply a fantastic product. Utilising the best properties of both elastomer and FPO membranes, this hybrid technology

combines flexibility and durability with ease of use, ensuring application is quick, straightforward and effective. The membrane is hot air weldable, and features self-adhesive upstands that eliminate the need for solvent based primers or indeed any primers at all.

Sarnafil® AT’s ease of use will improve turnaround times for contractors, while the general quality and durability has not been sacrificed at all; in fact, this is Sika’s thickest ever single ply membrane, available in 2.5mm. Dynamic indentation testing proves that Sarnafil AT (2.5mm) features a highlevel resistance to impact punctures, making it a perfect solution for today’s fast-paced construction industry.

The introduction of Sarnafil® AT is an exciting development for contractors, specifiers, and indeed, the whole UK roofing sector. Its versatility makes it a fantastic option for a variety of roofing applications, while the ease of installation ensures a rapid turnaround for Sika’s Certified Roofing Contractors. The sustainability credentials of the product, which are substantiated by the Cradle to Cradle® Silver Certification, only add to what is a very complete package backed up by Sika’s market-leading roofing guarantee of up to 25 years.

If you’d like to find out more, visit our website www.sika.co.uk/roofing, call 01707 394444 or email enquiries@uk.sika.com, or watch our webinar featuring AT, ‘The Future of Single Ply Membranes’ at https:// gbr.knowledge.sika.com/sarnafil-atsingle-ply-roofing-launch.

The first ever Cradle to Cradle Silver Certified® roofing membrane, Sarnafil® Advanced Technology, underwent a rigorous testing process

One of the first locations to use the new Sarnafil® Advanced Technology membrane

Construction UK Magazine - August 2022 39

CONSTRUCTION MEETS SPORT AS ENGLAND INTERNATIONAL RUGBY STAR RYAN HALL INVESTS IN QDECK SAFETY DECKING SYSTEM It’s not often sports, and construction collide, but Ryan Hall decided to invest in the industry as a long-term plan for his retirement from the sports world.

Ryan Hall England International, Ex Rhino and current Hull KR player.

Strong Enough to hold a Rhino, latest marketing ad with Brad Dwyer and Liam Sutcliffe.

Along with 3 other directors Ryan set up Qdeck 5 years ago and due to growth of the business they decided to take plans to the next level and have their very own safety decking system made. Ryan said: ‘We have come a long way and it was only a natural progression that we decided to have our own system made, we are really proud of the product and believe we have created a great working platform.’

Qdecks safety decking system is a costeffective, lightweight system which provides an exceptionally safe platform for operatives working at height. The technology behind the system means that the injection moulded panels allow a standard scaffold to be constructed through it while still in place, thereby reducing costs and increasing productivity.

In an industry that sees over 50 percent of injuries due to falls from heights the system

Qdeck Installers on Miller Homes site installing the new system.

plays a key role in keeping construction workers safe. Director and Owner of K&K Brickwork Billy Kershaw said: ‘I’ve worked on the tools myself and have over 25 years’ experience, its important the lads are safe and are able to work at ease, I’ve always made that a priority on the jobs I put my lads on, and we have considered that when making our own system.’

After the pandemic hit companies saw huge loss in profits as build projects came to a standstill and we now see the after math unfolding with material shortages delaying jobs and staff shortages, so is it a wise time to invest in a system like Qdeck?

Scott Hopkins, Director, and owner of Shadwell Developments said: ‘Yes absolutely, companies can save a significant amount of money in rental fees. By owing their own gear and moving it from job to job meaning no need for storage. That is why we have the finance

Sea of blue boards on Miller Homes site at Bramhope, Leeds.

option there to help support if needed and as we see times of hardship like we are right now, it’s vital companies are cutting back short-term costs and investing in the long-term plan.’

Qdeck recently underwent a company rebrand and changed the company colours from red to blue. Ryan said: ‘I think we needed a fresh look and one thing I have learnt from playing in sport is the key role the media and internet play, so we invested into our marketing team and let them do what they do best and we are really happy with the new look’.

Even though it is a career change for Ryan he feels that more rugby players should invest in the construction industry ‘it’s a growing industry and always evolving and the directors I work alongside know the industry inside out so that’s why I decided to invest’.

He even got a helping hand from two of his past teammates at Leeds Rhinos who came to see his new venture and took part in their marketing campaign ‘Strong Enough to Hold a Rhino’ featuring Brad Dwyer and Liam Sutcliffe. Brad said: “I think it’s great what Ryan’s doing and were happy to support him and wish QDeck all the best for the future”.

Website: www.qdecksystems.com

Showcasing the effective pinning system.

40 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

Safety, Security & Fire Protection

ADVANCED WELCOMES FIRE SAFETY GUIDANCE FOR NEW HIGHRISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS Fire protection solutions manufacturer, Advanced, has welcomed the amended Approved Document B of the Building Regulations as a “positive step in the right direction to improve fire safety in new highrise residential buildings”.

only covers new build high-rise residential buildings. However, since the Grenfell Tower Inquiry also recommends evacuation alert systems for high-rise residential buildings “already in existence”1, further regulation may follow.

Published on 1 June 2022, Part B (Fire Safety) offers new improvements to fire safety guidance to ensure tall buildings are made safer in England, as part of a wider package of reforms. A ‘significant’ addition to the document is the mandatory requirement for new residential developments over 18m to incorporate an evacuation alert system, offering new clarity for those involved in the design or construction of residential developments.

Ken Bullock, Business Development Manager for Evacuation Alert Systems at Advanced, said: “We welcome the amended Part B of the Building Regulations and the clarity it gives when it comes to fire safety. An evacuation alert system gives fire and rescue services a valuable tool which allows them to evacuate residents at risk in a safer, managed way. At Advanced our EvacGo Evacuation Alert System is designed as an easy way to meet BS 8629:19 and so can it offer peace of mind to those responsible for a building that by choosing this system they are complying with Building Regulations.

An evacuation alert system is vital to help fire and rescue services inform residents of a change in evacuation strategy during an incident. This gives fire and rescue services an additional tool to use on the ground, alongside existing methods of evacuation, improving safety for residents.

To comply with the amended Part B, an evacuation alert system should be provided in accordance with BS 8629 Code of Practice for the design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of evacuation alert systems for use by fire and rescue services in England.

Amended Part B is designed to meet recommendations from Phase One of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Currently the Part B requirement for an evacuation alert system

“We appreciate that new regulation can be confusing, so not only have we carefully designed the EvacGo to take away the hard work for building owners, end-users and importantly frontline fire and rescue services, we also offer a CPD presentation on evacuation planning and BS 8629 Code of Practice.

The CPD is suitable for consultants, fire risk assessors and anyone else who needs a better understanding of the requirements of the British Standards Institution code of practice BS 8629.”

The amended Part B forms a portion of a wider update to tighten Building Regulations and provide clearer fire safety

rules for the design and construction of residential developments. The Building Safety Act names HSE as the new Building Safety Regulator in England and as such will enforce compliance of the Building Regulations. The Building Safety Act will place formal responsibilities on those involved in the design, construction of any buildings to ensure compliance with building regulations, and will give the regulator greater powers to prosecute for noncompliance.

It will be the duty of the people responsible for a building to put in place and maintain a golden thread of information, with their responsibility continuing for the life of the building.

Other key changes within Part B include the requirement for all new residential buildings over 11m to include a Secure Information Box that will give fire and rescue services access to important details about a building in the event of a fire. In addition, the government has introduced tougher standards for external wall materials on new medium-rise blocks of flats.

As a world leader in the development and manufacture of intelligent fire systems, Advanced is committed to creating a safer future. A reputation for performance, quality and ease of use see Advanced products specified in locations around the world, from single-panel installations to large, multi-site networks. The Advanced product portfolio includes complete fire detection systems, multiprotocol fire panels, extinguishing control, fire paging, false alarm management and reduction solutions as well as emergency lighting.

Advanced is owned by FTSE 100 company Halma PLC – a global group of life-saving technology companies with a clear purpose to grow a safer, cleaner, healthier future for everyone, every day.

To reserve a place on Advanced’s CPD on evacuation planning and BS 8629 Code of Practice please sign up here. For further information on the EvacGo Evacuation Alert System: Tel: 0345 894 7000 Email: EvacGo@advancedco.com or visit: https://uk.advancedco.com/

42 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

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Safety, Security & Fire Protection

ENHANCING PV SYSTEM SAFETY THROUGH INNOVATION

By Christelle Barnes, UK Country Manager, SolarEdge Technologies Installing PV systems has become increasingly more attractive to homeowners and businesses due to their improved economics. With the proliferation of solar energy, it is important to keep in mind that they are mini power stations. While PV systems are safe, certain safety measures should be considered during design and installation.

Advanced global standards and regulations are leading the solar industry towards improved system safety. While PV safety requirements are the responsibility of each individual country and may vary according to the region, regulations are having a collective impact on driving industry safety standards forward. For instance, the United States is one of the leaders in PV system safety regulations. In its provision of the National Electrical Code (NEC), which reduces the shock hazard in PV arrays, there is a rapid shutdown functionality requirement in rooftop systems. The requirement states that controlled conductors beyond one foot (30.5cm) of the array need to be reduced to 30 volts or less within 30 seconds, allowing installers, maintenance workers and firefighters to quickly handle the system after shutdown. Another example is the German VDE-AR-E 2100-712 standard, which calls for, among other requirements, that after switching off the AC power supply, first responders are not exposed to the risk of electrocution

from direct contact with high-voltage DC cables.

Additional safety regulations focus on other important areas such as arc detection. These advanced safety regulations require the implementation of arc detection functionality designed to mitigate the effects of arcing faults that under certain conditions, potentially pose as fire risks. The United States has one of the strictest arc detection standards, UL 1699B, which calls for detection of specific arcs as they occur. The United Kingdom has yet to implement arc detection requirements; however, insurance companies may request it.

When safety technology is embedded into module-level electronics that also provide modulelevel monitoring, then an additional benefit for maintenance personnel is that they can perform remote troubleshooting to limit the amount of work with high voltages on the roof.

As important as safety regulations are to enhancing PV system safety, so too are the technology advancements setting new benchmarks for higher levels of

44 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

safety. While traditional inverters may offer limited safety solutions, new technology advancements precede and sometimes surpass safety standards, and even offer cost- and time-effective benefits. Traditional inverters have limited safety functionality. This is because even when the inverter is shutdown, current flow in the DC cables is not necessarily de-energised, meaning the roof is still unsafe for first responders.

For these traditional inverters to meet safety standards, additional, safetyspecific hardware typically needs to be purchased and installed. However, with more advanced technology, such as DC optimised inverters, safety functionality, which meets regulations to reduce DC voltage when the inverter or AC energy is shut down, is already embedded within the solution itself.

These types of safety advancements offer benefits to all stakeholders.

Firefighters are able to approach the roof without the risk of electrocution.

Maintenance personnel are able to perform physical inspections on the PV system. When safety technology is embedded into module-level electronics that also provide module-level monitoring, then an additional benefit for maintenance personnel is that they can perform remote troubleshooting to limit the amount of work with high voltages on the roof. Lastly, system owners receive peace of mind and improved ROI as a result of the safety technology being

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DC voltage for safety assurance, and an emergency stop button for the entire PV system.

Although uncommon, a fire outbreak on a building with a PV system can occur, this is when enhanced safety solutions can prove even more crucial. When a fire broke out at a Tasmanian complex that had a PV system, DMS Energy’s Adrian Luke was able to reassure the fire crew that despite the system having been damaged by the fire, exposing copper wires, all the cables had automatically de-energised and were touch-safe. This was due to SolarEdge’s built-in SafeDC™ safety feature, which automatically reduces DC voltage to a safe level as soon as the grid power or inverter is turned off.

While fires that include PV systems are infrequent and even less frequent are fires caused by PV systems, the further advancement of safety functionality within the industry is important for the continued proliferation of PV.

As industry bodies are focused on writing new standards, suppliers such as SolarEdge remains committed to leading the industry by developing advanced safety solutions, as it did with its SafeDC™ and arc detection technology.

The combination of evolving regulations and technological innovation, as well as consumer awareness, continues to drive safety forward. © Gadi Sierra

This confidence in SolarEdge’s SafeDC technology extends to firefighters installing SolarEdge on the roofs of their own fire stations. In the UK, a fire and rescue service selected SolarEdge for 700kW of PV systems on 12 different fire stations and three headquarter buildings.

This was due to SolarEdge’s advanced safety features, such as its firefighter gateway, which enables central safety management for the PV systems, including automatic and manual system DC shutdown, real time indication of system

Construction UK Magazine - August 2022 45

Safety, Security & Fire Protection

MODULAR BUILDING / FIRE AND SAFETY PROTECTION Modular construction is not a new concept, but it is growing in popularity as its full potential and benefits become clearer with the advancement of technology. In particular, modular technology has proven itself to be an extremely efficient and safe option, with some products offering enhanced fire protection when compared to traditional materials.

The UK’s construction sector is a major part of the national economy, representing approximately 8% of GDP, almost 10% of employment and £150bn of annual investment according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

The sector provides direct economic benefits from construction as well as enabling the growth of the wider economy by providing the homes, offices, other buildings and warehouses that are the foundation of our lives and businesses.

However, one of the biggest problems faced by the sector and the economy at large is the need for scale and the rapid development of new buildings. The current market-led solutions have not been able to meet demand, and so it has become vital to research and develop new, modern methods of construction (MMC) and the products, which enable them.

construction industry can adapt successfully to the climate emergency and become a positive factor in that fight rather than a negative one.

Modern methods of construction are proving themselves able to provide all of the above benefits as well as increased safety. For example, the UK Green Building Council notes that,

67% less energy is required to produce a modular building and up to 50% less time is spent onsite when compared to traditional methods, resulting in up to 90% fewer vehicle movements, which is less disruptive for the local community and reduces carbon emissions.

For these reasons and others, we can see that modular approaches to construction are transforming the sector and making it fit for the 21st century. While we should be careful to note that MMC will not fix every issue the construction industry has, there is no doubt

Using modular technology can vastly increase the efficiency of construction in the UK at all stages. Products are built offsite in mass-produced, factory-assembly conditions that speed up the process and increase the quality of the final product. This helps to eliminate mistakes and wastage as much as possible, all while delivering the product faster.

Another critical factor is the need to achieve this in a sustainable manner so that the

that the techniques and products in the sector can make huge, positive changes on a short timescale if the investment and will to do so are present.

One area where MMC can have an immediate impact is walling systems.

Advanced wall systems in construction are one of the most important parts of any development. Modern methods of construction – most notably off-site manufacturing – are rapidly changing the landscape and providing superior alternatives to traditional wall systems.

A great example of this is Specwall, which offers major advantages over traditional wall systems like blockwork, plasterboard, and SFS. Off-site manufacturing means that Specwall panels are delivered to site and then installed as single pieces with all acoustic, insulation and fire ratings inherent to them – in the case of the latter, Specwall is A1-rated and cannot contribute to a fire at any stage, making it an ideal fire-safe option for all types of buildings.

This means that only a single-visit construction process is required, cutting down on build time, cost and more when using Specwall, giving you all the advantages of modern methods of construction for your development.

Further to the above, Specwall is also resistant to damage from water and mould, which cuts down on waste during construction, and means the panels can be installed or stored in wet conditions before the building is watertight – providing further benefits when it comes to programme time.

Specwall is also a more sustainable wall system than traditional wall systems as it is 100% recyclable, including any dust generated during construction. Even the off-cuts can be used on site as construction continues, and panels can be reused in situ at a later date if required.

As the world of construction continues to rebuild itself to suit 21st century needs, Modern Methods of Construction and modular developments will continue to come to the fore. They are faster, more cost efficient, more environmentally sustainable and often safer, as is the case with Specwall.

To learn more about MMC and how Specwall can help you, get in touch with our team today on 0161 511 4790 or visit www.specwall.com

46 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

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Steel - Project

BRITISH STEEL FORGES PARTNERSHIP WITH DRAX TO SUPPORT WORLD-LEADING CARBON CAPTURE PROJECT British Steel has signed an agreement with renewable energy company Drax to explore opportunities for its steel to be used to build the world’s largest multibillion-pound carbon capture project at Drax’s power station in the UK. The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) brings together two major British industries to support the development of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), a technology, which could kick-start a whole new sector of the economy and create opportunities for the UK to lead the world in a vital technology required to address global warming.

Through the partnership, Drax and British Steel aim to support efforts to meet the UK’s climate targets and level up the North, whilst supporting skills within the steel sector.

Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO, said: “We are excited to be partnering with British Steel as we continue to progress our worldleading UK BECCS project. This country has a once in a lifetime opportunity to lead the world in vital new green technologies like BECCS, which will not only support thousands of UK jobs, but could also create new export opportunities, whilst helping to tackle the climate crisis.

“We aim to invest billions of pounds, create tens of thousands of jobs and have BECCS operational in the UK by 2030, provided that the UK Government has in place policies to support the feasibility and delivery of negative emissions technologies. BECCS will permanently remove millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year from as soon as 2027, whilst continuing to generate the reliable, renewable power this country needs.”

Around 13,000 tonnes of steel will be required for the major infrastructure project, including beams produced at British Steel’s Scunthorpe and Teesside steel works.

This country has a once in a lifetime opportunity to lead the world in vital new green technologies like BECCS, which will not only support thousands of UK jobs, but could also create new export opportunities, whilst helping to tackle the climate crisis.

Allan Bell, British Steel’s Chief Commercial and Procurement Officer, said: “We are proud to be working with Drax to explore the opportunities this major infrastructure project creates both in terms of the use of our steel products but also in developing skills in the steel supply chain required to support the development of CCUS expertise

within the UK. We’re already making progress in our own decarbonisation journey, with our plans to use green hydrogen and our commitment to be net zero by 2050.

There are real synergies between what we’re trying to achieve and Drax’s ambitions with BECCS, which we hope to build on through this partnership, putting the UK and the North of England on the world map.”

Holly Mumby-Croft MP, Member of Parliament for Scunthorpe, said: “I was delighted to hear that Drax and British Steel had reached this agreement, it’s some really positive news for Scunthorpe. I’ve long said that we should be using British steel in British infrastructure projects not only because we should be supporting our local businesses, but because it’s also the best. I look forward to seeing the outcome of this partnership and the benefits it will bring to Scunthorpe, protecting jobs and supporting energy security.”

Drax’s BECCS project could capture 8 million tonnes of CO2 a year from 2030, making it the largest carbon capture and storage project in the world. It will also act as an anchor project for the East Coast Cluster, a consortium of Zero Carbon Humber and Net Zero Teesside, which combined account for more than half of the UK’s industrial emissions.

The UK steel industry has played a pivotal role in the northern communities in which it operates, supporting thousands of jobs in both Scunthorpe and Teesside. Large infrastructure projects like Drax’s BECCS plans will support and help protect jobs in the steel sector.

Last month, British Steel announced it is conducting a major study into the use of green hydrogen in the company’s drive to decarbonise its operations and manufacture net-zero steel.

BECCS is a critical technology needed to combat global warming because it permanently removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere whilst also generating reliable, renewable electricity.

Drax is ready to invest around £2bn in its plans to build BECCS in the UK. Work could get underway as soon as 2024, with the energy company planning to source up to 80% of the materials and services it needs for the project from British businesses.

Construction UK Magazine - August 2022 49

Steel We count ourselves fortunate to be involved with such a sustainable product, playing, as it does, a critical role in extending the life of steel structures by decades.

THE SUSTAINABILITY OF GALVANIZED STEEL Galvanized steel is an integral part of everyday life, and it’s all around us. But how does its prevalence today affect the environment of the future? How sustainable is it? What role does it play in the circular economy? And is the galvanizing process itself environmentally friendly?

Steel is essential for housing, infrastructure, transport, manufacturing, and agriculture.

It’s used as frames for our buildings, safety on our roads, and support for the bridges we cross. Hence, we must never waste it or waste the resources used to produce it by

throwing it away when its original function is no longer valid. Instead, we must repurpose steel, especially if the world wants to move away from traditional business models of use-throw-away-remake to a more environmentally friendly, sustainable circular economy that aims to eliminate waste and repurpose resources.

What is a circular economy, and how can galvanizing play a part?

A circular economy encourages materials to be made, used, reused, remade and recycled.

Hot dip galvanizing fits perfectly into a circular economy because it optimises the durability of steel (enabling it to be used again), facilitates the ease of reuse, and if there’s no immediate need to repurpose, it can be recycled. Here’s how:

•

Optimising durability

When steel is galvanized, it is immersed into a bath of molten zinc, where it alloys with the iron in the steel to form zinc/iron alloy layers. These layers form the basis of the coating, which is then overlain with free zinc as the steel is lifted from the galvanizing bath. The result is a robust, durable and corrosion protective finish that will last for many years.

Without a galvanized coating, steel would corrode, and its lifespan would be short.

However, with a galvanized coating, steel can last between 34 and 170 years before the base steel is exposed. This means that steel can be used for the original purpose for which it was fabricated, and – once the project is dismantled – the steel is still good enough to be used elsewhere.

•

Facilitating ease of reuse

Once a structure – such as a house or fencing – reaches its end of life, the steel can easily be repurposed if it has been hot dip galvanized. This is because the galvanized coating protects the steel from impact and abrasion when disassembled and reassembled.

•

Recycling

Finally, galvanized steel fits nicely into a circular economy because it can be melted and used repeatedly with no loss of quality if there is no immediate need for repurposing.

The zinc coating can also be reused. Zinc and steel are recycled in well-established steel recycling processes.

50 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

Steel The zinc particulates are returned, without loss of properties, to zinc production plants, where they are incorporated into zinc ingots and reused in the galvanizing process.

How else does the galvanizing process enhance sustainability?

A hot dip galvanized finish gives steel a long life and durability. In addition, it creates a maintenance-free finish, which lessens the carbon emissions usually associated with the upkeep of non-galvanized steel.

Mick Jackson from Joseph Ash Galvanizing says: “Imagine a bridge made from nongalvanized steel. It would need maintenance every year to protect it from rust and corrosion.

It would also need repainting at regular intervals. This requires paint, a workforce, transport for the workers and a means to protect the land or water below from paint contamination. If the same bridge is made from galvanized steel, this maintenance is not required, and carbon emissions are greatly lessened.”

Is the galvanizing process environmentally friendly?

Galvanizing plants are self-contained, with steel going in at one end and the final product coming out at the other.

Modern galvanizing plants also use zinc very efficiently throughout the galvanizing process. For example, excess metal from the dipping process deposits back into the galvanizing bath. Zinc that oxidises on the surface is removed as ash and recycled, and dross from the bottom of the bath is routinely removed and has a high recycling value.

Other process consumables such as hydrochloric acid and flux solutions also have important recycling or regeneration routes.

Spent hydrochloric acid solutions are used to produce iron chloride for treating municipal wastewater, for example. Closed-loop flux recycling is also used in many plants and improved monitoring and maintenance of

flux tanks reduce the volume of solids for disposal. When compared to other coating technologies galvanizing uses low volumes of water, with plants rarely discharging wastewater. Any wastewater generated can be treated and reused, with only small volumes of stable solids requiring external disposal.

While not considered a particularly energyintensive sector, the galvanizing industry also has set targets for energy efficiency and improved energy management. New technology has seen improvements in burner efficiency, bath lid efficiency, and reuse of waste heat to warm pretreatment tanks. Plant emissions are also carefully controlled to ensure neighbouring communities are not adversely affected.

investment in fume capture and recycling of bi-products.”

“We firmly believe in a circular economy, where the needs of present-day society are met, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”

To find out more about galvanized steel, or the sustainability processes at Joseph Ash, please get in touch.

A solid commitment to the circular economy Steven Hopkins, Managing Director at Joseph Ash Galvanizing said: “We count ourselves fortunate to be involved with such a sustainable product, playing, as it does, a critical role in extending the life of steel structures by decades. In addition, reducing our environmental impact has been close to our hearts for many years, hence our heavy

Proud to Galvanize the UK Joseph Ash Galvanizing provides hot dip galvanizing, spin galvanizing, shot blasting, powder coating and duplex coatings. As a UK leader of steel finishing services, with a long heritage dating back to 1857, the company is proud to galvanize the UK. With eight plants across the country – serving many types of customers from large construction companies and fabricators, to housebuilders, architects and developers – we’re pleased to provide the highest standards of corrosion protection available.

We also offer a one-stop-shop service from our Joseph Ash Medway plant, supplying all metal finishing treatments from a single location.

www.josephash.co.uk #galvanizingtheuk Tel: 0121 504 2573 Email: sales@josephash.co.uk

Construction UK Magazine - August 2022 51

international motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, to trial myriad circuit elements aimed at enhancing the action.

Following a series of workshops on what constitutes the ‘ideal’ rallycross track, World RX drivers Timmy Hansen, Klara Andersson and Niclas Grönholm paid a visit to Volvo CE’s specially-developed ‘Rallycross Test Lab’ in Sweden to put through their paces a selection of dynamic features including steeply-banked turns, chicanes and jumps.

BREAKING NEW GROUND: VOLVO CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT TO HELP DESIGN FUTURE WORLD RX CIRCUITS Already unveiled as the FIA World Rallycross Championship’s Official Construction Equipment Supplier, Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) will additionally play a leading role in the design and development of future World RX circuits as the series’ Official Track Building Partner.

The unique sports business partnership between World RX and Volvo CE continues to break new ground – both physically and

metaphorically – as both sides bring their specialist skillsets to the table to make motorsport’s most exciting discipline even more electrifying.

A new generation of rallycross cars calls for a new generation of rallycross tracks, and when asked to support the construction of fresh features to tackle for the 500kW (680bhp) all-electric beasts that will do battle for glory this season and beyond – the fastest field World RX has ever seen – Volvo CE needed no persuasion.

Utilising its cutting-edge machinery and off-road expertise, the Swedish company has spent recent weeks working closely with Rallycross Promoter and

During this test, each track element was carefully evaluated with the objective of producing an even more captivating show for racegoers. Features including 100km/h jumps were described by Andersson – the first permanent female competitor in World RX history – as ‘awesome’ and ‘epic’, while series front-runner Niclas Grönholm predicted ‘multiple racing lines’, ‘full-throttle’ cornering and ‘more overtaking’.

Volvo CE’s machines tweaked and honed each element until it was considered perfect, with no room for compromise, and once signed off by the FIA, the build data was captured in 3D on Volvo CE’s Dig Assist in-cab machine control application.

This data can then be programmed into Volvo machines and recreated at new and existing circuits all around the world, reducing the build time of each track considerably while leaving minimal carbon footprint.

This first stage of the journey is proof that World RX and Volvo CE’s partnership is not only about building the future, it is about sustaining the spectacle and continually refining it to ensure both parties remain at the forefront of ground-breaking innovation and sporting entertainment for generations to come.

Arvid Rinaldo, Brand Communication and Partnerships, Volvo CE, said: “Our aim is to create the next generation of thrilling rallycross circuits in the most effective and sustainable way.

Our ultimate ambition is to support the build and upgrade of tracks with a zerocarbon footprint, but thanks to the use of our electric equipment and latest low-emission engines running on biofuels, even at the outset we hope to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of each track build.

“This is the perfect platform for us to demonstrate how we can help to transform the construction equipment industry and motorsport to be more sustainable.”

52 Construction UK Magazine - August 2022

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