Steel Innovation Ready for Launch

Experts in designing, manufacturing and installing light steel frame superstructures, Fusion Steel Framing is gearing up to present Offsite Expo 2022 attendees with an opportunity to get a first-hand look at its latest through-wall solution – Xterion™.

Using their combined understanding of the market and construction knowledge achieved through delivering more light steel structures than any other European producer, Fusion Steel Framing has created Xterion™ in partnership with external façade providers, such as benx, to provide façade solutions which complement the structural external wall product. This collaborative approach has led to a system that offers exceptional performance and quality to meet ever increasing thermal and fire regulatory standards. Through each stage of the development process, the Fusion Steel Framing team approached the design of the Xterion™ system with a focus on safety, sustainability, and efficiency. Manufactured in Fusion Steel Framing’s advanced offsite facility, the innovative through-wall solution features a Fusion load-bearing external wall solution with a range of benx, external façade systems, such ‘Slip Fast’ mechanical brick slip system. Fusion Steel Framing has extensively tested the load bearing wall system to achieve fire safety standards of up to 120 minutes from both inside-to-outside and outside-to-inside. The outer facade options offer peace of mind with A1 non-combustible fire rating and independent certification. The team has designed the factory boarded, 2D panellised system to be erected onsite with the external facades installed on-site. During Offsite Expo, representatives from Fusion Steel Framing will be on hand to talk visitors through the processes and technologies behind the Xterion™ system. They will also be able to answer questions about the benefits of this and many other of its innovative systems and products. The launch will provide an opportunity to see the Xterion™ system as a specific product, as well as alongside other compatible technologies.

As part of the Fusion Steel Framing commitment to deliver products that optimise material use and energy efficiency, the Xterion™ system offers significant performance and sustainability benefits. The long-term benefits of steel usage – such as its recyclable nature and the fact that steel does not shrink or warp over time – are well-understood. The light gauge steel structure reduces the overall weight of the superstructure for lighter foundations. Building performance is further enhanced by generous acoustic values for reduced sound pollution, with ratings up to Rw + Ctr 55dB – subject to build-up. The Xterion™ system also provides a warm frame with optimum performances achievable from 0.18W/m2K down to Passivhaus standards.

Preparing for the official product launch, Fusion Steel Framing Managing Director, Mike Fairey said: “Our team has put a lot of research, time, and expert knowledge into creating the Xterion™ system and the attention to detail shows in the results. Offsite Expo presents an ideal opportunity to launch Xterion™ and engage one-to-one with other construction professionals. We are looking forward to showcasing the innovation and quality that Fusion Steel Framing has become known for over two decades. Offsite Expo highlights

the best in offsite technology, and Xterion™ is leading the way in through-wall solutions, so to have the product launch there is perfect.”

The launch of the Xterion™ system comes at an exciting time for Fusion Steel Framing, as alongside exhibiting the product and meeting event attendees, the team will also be hoping to take home one of this year’s coveted Offsite Awards. The 2022 winners will be announced on the first evening of the event on 20 September. All finalists in the 25 categories will be available to view in a finalist’s gallery during the event. Fusion Steel Framing faces fierce competition, with several top industry names amongst those shortlisted but the Fusion team hope to crown their product launch by taking home the Best Use of Steel Technology award for their work on Holburne Park. For this ambitious £26million high-end residential development, Fusion Steel Framing supplied the cold-rolled light steel framing system and was delivered in collaboration with lead construction contractor, BECT.

Engineering Manager, Michael Rowell, added: “Being shortlisted as a finalist in such a competitive category is further evidence of the innovations Fusion continues to bring to the table

The innovative new Xterion™ through-wall solution will be on display on-site throughout Offsite Expo. The latest addition to the Fusion Steel Framing product range, it is the result of extensive research, development, and testing to achieve a rapid dry envelope solution. Visit K12 to speak to the team. Fusion also offers tours of its 80,000sq ft manufacturing facility in Northampton at selected intervals throughout the year. You can register interest in this by contacting the Fusion Steel Framing team.

every year, and to be recognised alongside other major industry names is fantastic. We’ll be hoping to celebrate both our product launch and an awards victory as the event closes, but as a team we’re already celebrating several achievements made over the last few years.”

As Fusion Steel Framing continues to further its reputation as a market leader at the forefront of the offsite sector, the team is eager to engage with new clients and project teams who would like to find out more about both the Xterion™ system and the overall benefits of light gauge steel usage. The team offers a wealth of knowledge in the steel sector, having advised numerous government and industry bodies, and can provide guidance from project conception through to completion.

01. The new Xterion™ system offers significant performance and sustainability benefits 02. From the 80,000ft2 manufacturing facility in

Northampton, Fusion have the capacity to turnaround more than 30,000m2 of light steel frame each year

Hewson Court on Dene Avenue is a new flagship retirement community from McCarthy Stone, designed to be located close to a number of local amenities, such as the bus station, shops and Hexham General Hospital. The properties are tailor-made for the over 60s, presenting homeowners with an opportunity to downsize and live in a community of likeminded people.

The high specification contemporary retirement homes are being created using eco-friendly modern methods of construction – a first for the developer McCarthy Stone. Selected apartments feature Juliet balconies and private patios, and the landscaped gardens will be maintained all-year round. Hewson Court will be offering apartments for purchase outright as well as a range of flexible solutions including rental and part-buy part-rent options.

McCarthy Stone worked in partnership with specialist Leeds-based company Sigmat to pilot the new housebuilding technique that uses an innovative light steel frame system.

The Construction Minister (at the time) Anne-Marie Trevelyan visited Hewson Court whilst in development. During her visit the Minister took a tour of the innovative project which

has a gross development value of £11.1million. She was able to see how modern methods of construction (MMC) is helping to fast-track the delivery of high-quality housing for the UK’s increasingly ageing population which despite the demand is currently undersupplied.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan commented: “Innovation from McCarthy Stone is paving the way for the construction industry to build back greener and safer. The development of cleaner cheaper construction methods is critical for the sector’s drive towards net zero and our ambition to deliver high-quality housing that meets the UK’s needs.”

Delivering 23 one-bedroom and 20 two-bedroom apartments by embracing advanced construction methods the team at McCarthy Stone were able to reduce the build time by two-weeks per floor.

Light steel framing systems provide a more sustainable method of construction to fast-track the delivery of much needed high-quality housing for the retirement community. One of the many benefits of light steel frame is it can be fabricated and assembled offsite in Sigmat’s Leeds manufacturing facility, improving efficiency and productivity. It has also been shown to improve energy efficiency vastly reducing in-use energy costs when compared to traditionally constructed UK homes and is also better for the environment as a high proportion of steel is recycled. “We are delighted to have completed our first project with McCarthy Stone in Hexham, and we anticipate more projects to commence within the following 12 months,” Mark Eburne, CEO of Sigmat. “The scheme has demonstrated how light steel framing offers a superior advantage in terms of speed, quality and sustainability. By partnering with McCarthy Stone, we are committed to creating sustainable communities by providing quality superstructures, manufactured offsite for the UK retirement market.

Over the 12-week build programme the Sigmat team installed 1,765 linear metres of light steel panels across three floors, 3,510sq m of decking and installed four flights of stairs. John Tonkiss, Chief Executive at McCarthy Stone, said: “Hexham is the next generation in an increasing portfolio of McCarthy Stone projects to benefit from the use of this form of construction. To have this recognised by the Minister is a really important step, and we were very proud to show off the work of the team here and our partners Sigmat and to be able to discuss with the Minister the many challenges facing the retirement housing sector today.

“At McCarthy Stone we work hard to create homes that older people can live independently and thrive in, and where location and design are key to ensuring each one of our developments are beautiful places to live. We are now committed to trial schemes in all of our divisions across the country and we have set ourselves a target for producing 25% of our new developments maximising modern methods of construction. Together we have sown the seed of a more sustainable, efficient and highquality future for McCarthy Stone’s communities.”

01-02. McCarthy Stone’s new flagship retirement community Hewson Court is based on an offsite light gauge steel design. Courtesy Sigmat

Coming in the wake of the Hackitt review, and receiving Royal Assent in April 2022, the Building Safety Act covers a raft of changes for housebuilders and developers. These include a new system of accountability for safety in projects, a construction products regulator, and a refreshed regulatory framework. It is claimed to be the biggest change in building safety for over 40 years.

In her report ‘Building a Safer Future’, Dame Judith Hackitt recommends: “More effective testing regimes with clearer labelling and product traceability, in order to drive continuous improvement, higher performance and encourage innovative product and system design under better quality control.”

Disparate supply chains result in components being offered by a multitude of manufacturers, it is therefore down to the specifier to assess if the chosen materials will meet with required performance and safety standards. A lack of test evidence and performance data can make this an onerous task. This uncertainty also extends to the costs involved, the speed of build and the quality of the final outcome.

From early design and engineering advice to simplifying specification and procurement, our products, processes and whole business philosophy show that as a manufacturer, we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. At the heart of this is rigorous testing and a systems approach to our light steel frame solutions. We are committed to technical competence and as part of Etex, we have some of the best fire experts in the UK on our team.

Annually we conduct over 500 tests in Europe alone. Etex Group have

three Innovation and Technology Centres where we have our own fire, acoustic, mechanical, structural and thermal testing facilities, equipment and laboratories. We also fully support and endorse third party certification systems such as BBA, BRE Global, Certifire and EOS has also recently gained BOPAS Accreditation. We work closely with certification bodies to jointly develop and design technical solutions. Our full-scale testing regimes study the performance of products working together to see how they interact in ‘real’ circumstances, such as under fire conditions or when exposed to wind and rain.

EOS has developed an awardwinning range of unitised light steel frame systems. By working closely with developers, we are now able to provide real scalable light steel frame residential solutions – delivering precision-engineered homes that meet building safety regulations that can be produced at scale better than, faster than and more cost-efficiently than other market offerings.

The Building Safety Act makes groundbreaking reforms to give residents and homeowners more rights, powers, and protections – so homes across the country are safer. Many of the detailed provisions in the Act will be implemented over the next two years through a programme of secondary legislation.

Principal Designers and Contractors under the Act will be required to manage building safety risks, with clear lines of responsibility during the design, construction and completion of all buildings. The Building Safety Act will strengthen the construction products regulatory regime, with

new requirements to make sure all construction products on the UK market are safe for their intended use, with a National Regulator for Construction Products to monitor and enforce this.

Construction is without doubt a complex business but as we evolve more advanced offsite technologies, we can help housebuilders reduce risk and operate within the strict criteria laid down by the Building Safety Act. Through the collaborative expertise of Etex brands EOS Framing, Siniat, Promat and FSi, our light steel frame systems approach is helping our construction clients comply and compete in challenging markets.

01. The Thrubuild® system helps eliminate uncertainty surrounding design and specification decisions 02-03. Advanced offsite technologies are helping developers reduce risk and create high quality buildings

The EOS range of Pre-Assembled Frames (PAF), Thruwall® and Thrubuild® systems have been developed to eliminate uncertainty surrounding design and specification decisions. All components – light steel frame, external and internal boards, glass mineral wool insulation and fixings – have been rigorously tested together for fire, acoustic, weathering, airtightness, and mechanical performance. Fire resistance periods of 60, 90 and 120 minutes are predictably achievable.

• Thrubuild® has multiple loadbearing applications and can be used for external or internal walls together with internal and separating floors • Thruwall® is a fully engineered custom-designed non-loadbearing infill system which is supplied as a certified kit of parts that can be used with concrete and steel main frames

• Reducing construction programmes by up to 30%, our non-loadbearing PAF infill systems are prefabricated offsite and delivered to site as an assembled panelised unit

• Our steel is made from 59% recycled content and is 100% recyclable.

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