Offsite Magazine - Issue 15 (January/February) by Radar Communications

OFFSITE DEDICATED TO OFFSITE DESIGN, MANUFACTURE & DELIVERY | ISSUE 15 JAN/FEB 2019 | Â£4.95

TOP PERFORMANCE: STRUCTURAL STRENGTH AND DESIGN

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BUILDING SERVICES DEMAND Tim Hopkinson, President of BESA calls for wider adoption of innovative offsite methods

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OFFSITE AWARDS SHORTLIST 2019 Is it you? All the projects, people and products chosen by the expert judging panel

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THE EXPANDING ROLE OF DFMA Digital technology, engineering efficiencies and making the most of offsite manufacture

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Combustible materials ban doesn’t mean an end to building with CLT... In response to recent changes in legislation, we’ve developed a fully compliant off-site manufactured non-combustible external wall solution The solution incorporates a panellised hybrid approach that seamlessly integrates CLT structural frames, offering: • Compliance with the latest regulations • No impact on the cost or programme • A lower carbon footprint for the buildings • An off-site façade solution

B&K Structures Limited Peveril House I Alfreton Road I Derby I DE21 4AG 01773 853400 I e. sales@bkstructures.co.uk

www.bkstructures.co.uk

WELCOME

PUBLISHING

PLATFORM FOR CHANGE Welcome to a very full first issue of 2019. And as the UK continues to sail into uncertainty over leaving the EU and its global trading position, perhaps offsite manufacture offers a certain degree of reliability and certainty within the construction sector.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER UNDER: Twitter.com/ExploreOffsite ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT: Julie Williams // T: 01743 290001 E: julie.williams@offsitemagazine.co.uk BACK ISSUES VISIT: www.offsitemagazine.co.uk FRONT COVER FP McCann PRINTED ON:

Many of you will be picking this up for the first time at Futurebuild 2019 – hopefully at the exclusive Offsite Café hosted by Offsite Magazine. The Futurebuild Offsite Hub is set to be one of the most popular ports of call at the show and provide a platform for exhibitors to showcase the very latest in offsite innovation to the UK’s largest audience of active buyers.

PEFC 16-33-576 paper stock by Buxton Press PUBLISHER: Offsite Magazine is produced and published by Radar Communications: ©Radar Communications Ltd. Radar Communications Ltd, 5 Darwin Court, Oxon Business Park, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. SY3 5AL T: 01743 290001 www.radar-communications.co.uk For offsite enquiries please contact: E: info@offsitemagazine.co.uk DISCLAIMER: The content of Offsite Magazine does not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or publishers and are the views of its contributors and advertisers. The digital edition may include hyperlinks to third-party content, advertising, or websites, provided for the sake of convenience and interest. The publishers accept no legal responsibility for loss arising from information in this publication and do not endorse any advertising or products available from external sources. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system without the written consent of the publishers. All rights reserved.

GET STRAIGHT TO THE HEART OF THE INDUSTRY – AT THE HOME OF OFFSITE INNOVATION... WWW.OFFSITE-EXPO.CO.UK

The Hub will also contain the most comprehensive programme of high-quality, offsite-focused content available at any industry event in the UK. There will be four dedicated offsite seminar streams over three days, featuring CPD masterclasses. The seminars are backed by key trade bodies plus the newly launched Light Steel Frame Association. Each will be hosting their own seminar theatre, taking the lead on their own stream of well-balanced content and insight within their respective sectors. The Offsite Construction Awards also returns to Futurebuild – good luck to everyone shortlisted – you will be able to have a quick look at those chosen

by the judges in a special section later on in this magazine. Late last year the government published details of a proposal for a Platform Approach to Design for Manufacture and Assembly or P-DfMA. This approach hopes to see public sector schemes using a set of ‘digitally designed components wherever possible, on different types of buildings – whether a school, hospital or new prison facility.’ Over the next 12 months it will be interesting to see how this approach is pursued. Certainly DfMA itself is of growing importance. It may require higher expenditure early in the design phase but the greater quality and predictability pays off during the build phase. As a raft of different clients begin to understand this better, the long term gains of early investment and adoption of offsite methods will reap huge benefits. This edition also includes a roundtable report from discussions at the BBA, views on volumetric modular delivery from Poland, implications of changes within the National Planning Policy Framework and a super example of offsite delivery at the National Theatre. Many thanks to our contributors, advertisers and supporters. See you at Futurebuild.

Gary Ramsay

Consultant Editor Email: gary.ramsay@offsitemagazine.co.uk

FFSITE

EXP

RICOH ARENA - COVENTRY CONSTRUCTION

TECHNOLOGY

INNOVATION

Read more on page 70

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OFFSITE AND MODULAR TESTING. PROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF PRODUCTS, SYSTEMS AND BUILDINGS.

STRUCTURAL VERIFICATION OF PANELS.

FACTORY PRODUCTION CONTROL. MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION / DEVELOPMENT.

TRANSPORTABILITY, STORAGE INSTALLATION.

INTERNAL FITTINGS ASSESSMENTS. BENCHMARKING.

ASSEMBLY PROCESS.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, CARBON FOOTPRINT & DURABILITY. STRUCTURAL VERIFICATION OF SYSTEMS.

Lucideon can help you at all stages of the design and construction process for offsite and modular buildings, from materials selection and manufacturing to installation and verification. Our wide-ranging testing, process and verification capabilities cover every aspect of your products, so you can create a comprehensive, reliable solution.

we’ll give you the knowl dge

IMAGES COURTESY OF JONATHAN ENNS — WWW.JONATHANENNS.COM

Find out more at www.lucideon.com/offsite

CONTENTS

COVER STORIES P06 | TOP PERFORMANCE: STRUCTURAL STRENGTH AND DESIGN

P24 | VITAL FOR QUALITY

FP McCann is one of the UK’s leading providers of precast concrete systems for the structural and architectural markets and has become specialised in the hotel and student accommodation sectors in particular. Two recent examples showcase this key offsite approach to the highest level.

Wider adoption of offsite methods will be crucial if the building services industry is to meet increasing demand for its expertise, says Tim Hopkinson, current President of the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA).

P46 | OFFSITE AWARDS SHORTLIST 2019

P76 | FROM MANCHESTER TO MASSACHUSETTS – AND BACK AGAIN

The Offsite Awards takes place once again during Futurebuild 2019. A record number of entries saw the judging panel overwhelmed and scratching their heads to decide the shortlist and eventual winners. Here is a quick peek at those chosen across the 22 categories.

32 | Designing the Future of Offsite Residential Delivery

34 | Test for Quality

FEATURES

08 | Industry News

22 | The Future of Social Homes for Rent

News and developments from across the UK offsite industry and wider construction arena including: Peel L&P and Urban Splash bring modular homes to Wirral Waters, progress on the world’s tallest modular towers and the NHBC Standards 2019 take into account advances in offsite design.

The demand for social housing stock is sky high and the pressures to provide quality homes quickly and sustainably is a pivotal priority for local authorities across the UK. A ‘radical solution’ proposed by the Scape Group includes the accelerated use of offsite manufacture.

With a long and trusted reputation within the UK construction industry, the BBA has been providing independent, expert product approval and certification for manufacturers since 1966. BBA recently hosted a Roundtable Event to discuss issues surrounding standards and product validation in the offsite sector.

40 | Offsite Hub 2019

The Offsite Hub at Futurebuild 2019 will address all your questions surrounding offsite manufacture and will host the Explore Offsite Masterclass programme, Offsite Café and Offsite Awards.

56 | The Journey – From Factory to Site

As an offsite manufacturing expert and engineer with over 20 years’ experience, Trevor Richards, Operations Director of Cogent Consulting, discusses logistics and the crucial factors with the design and manufacture of volumetric modules.

58 | Brexit: minimising the impact

James Stephens, Managing Director of Offsite Solutions, the UK’s leading bathroom pod manufacturer, examines the impact of Brexit on the construction industry and how taking an offsite approach can mitigate some of the economic uncertainty.

62 | Modular: an industry in transition

NEWS

Although new to the UK market, DMDmodular are currently involved with the world’s tallest modular hotel in New York. Ewelina WozniakSzpakiewicz, CEO of DMDmodular, shares her views on how the offsite market is developing globally.

72 | Setting the Offsite Stage

Prefabrication offers distinct advantages in construction, but in theatre design, offsite construction can help clients deliver superb structures in less time. Simon Ricketts, architect at Haworth Tompkins explains how they found new ways to make two buildings perform better.

HOUSING Join the UK Housing Minister at Explore Offsite Housing!

QEII, London – 27 March 2019 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

COVER STORY FP MCCANN

TOP PERFORMANCE: STRUCTURAL STRENGTH AND DESIGN

1 Holiday Inn Express (HIEx) Bridgwater, Somerset The Holiday Inn Express Group specified FP McCann’s modular precast concrete frame solution on its fourth generation hotel design. HIEx, Bridgwater, Somerset, used brick faced and acid etched ‘sandwich’ cladding panels, precast concrete reinforced solid floor slabs, internal walls and stairs. FP McCann’s structural precast concrete building and architectural facades division supplied and installed the complete package of modular precast components on the brand new £10 million hotel. Working on behalf of main contractor Midas Construction, experienced sub-contracting partner to FP McCann, S4J Ltd, is undertaking the precast frame build.

The 138 room accommodation situated at Junction 24 of the M5 motorway is one of the Zeal Hotel Group’s new Gen 4 hotel schemes for HIEx developments. Once complete in spring 2019, it is ideally located to part serve the local workforce and visitors to the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. Architect on the project is Aros and the consultant structural engineer is Clegg Associates, who have also employed the design services of Practech Design Studio (PDS) for the detailing of the external façade. The four storey building is well underway with work having commenced in March 2018. In total, around 509 individual precast concrete structural and architectural units will

2 make up the precast structural frame including 394 structural products consisting of reinforced concrete solid floor slabs, internal walls and stairs all manufactured at FP McCann’s Grantham depot. The building’s architectural façade has been specifically designed to incorporate both a brick faced and acid etched finish. The decorative cladding panels are of an insulated ‘sandwich’ construction, specially cast to meet the exacting design brief. The 30 brick faced panels, each 365mm thick, are being manufactured at Grantham and 84 acid etched panels from Littleport are 410mm thick, with two different colour shades to match the architectural design requirements.

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COVER STORY FP MCCANN

The insulation layer sits between the inner and outer concrete faces on each sandwich panel and have been designed to accommodate the aluminium framed 0.18 U-value windows, supplied by Window Glass (Bristol) Ltd, all pre-installed into the precast panels prior to delivery. A single handling operation on site then ensures that the architectural panels are installed quickly and efficiently with minimal risk of damage. The precast wall and floor sections have been designed for ease of build, linking together with hidden tie rods. Joints are finished with a high-strength, non-shrink grout. As part of the contract, S4J Ltd are also installing 130 pre-formed bathroom pods supplied by Somerset-based company, Offsite Solutions (RT) Ltd. Both the structural and architectural facade teams at FP McCann have worked closely with the engineers and architects on the project to ensure all aspects of the build meet the exacting client specification. Commenting on the building progress to date, Grant Millar, Operations Manager for Midas Construction says: “This method of modular precast construction demonstrates a number of efficiencies compared with practices associated with a traditional build. The remote manufacturing of the building components offers significant advantages in terms of product quality and integrity. On site, speed of construction, minimising waste and the ability to work uninterrupted in all weather conditions are all major benefits. Additionally, the sandwich panel external facade system removes the need for scaffolding, thereby minimising the health and safety risk factors associated with people working at height.”

The Beatrice Shilling STEM Building FP McCann has also supplied a full package of precast concrete building products on a brand new science and technology facility at Coventry University. The Beatrice Shilling STEM building, uses pre-stressed hollowcore flooring, lift shafts, precast concrete stairs and precast concrete ‘L’ walls. Due to open in 2020, the building will feature a range of state-of-the-art spaces, including a gaming and virtual reality studio, a specialist area for 3D printing and rapid prototyping, a laser facility, and physics and electronics laboratories. It will be linked to an existing building via a covered bridge walkway. The four storey development includes the construction of a steel frame and precast concrete superstructure covering a total floor area of 5,366m². The main contractor on the £27 million project is West Midlands based Speller Metcalfe. Also employed on the project are structural steel fixing specialist Adstone Construction and civils groundworker S&G Groundworks Ltd. Earlier in 2018, FP McCann secured the contract to supply 1,500 tonnes of precast products, including hollowcore flooring, lift shafts, stairs and ‘L’ walls, all supplied from a number of FP McCann’s specialist precast concrete factories. The hollowcore flooring system covering 4914m² comprises 150mm and 200mm deep prestressed steel reinforced concrete planks, all delivered from FP McCann’s Uddingston depot in Scotland. The ground to third floors have been linked with two precast concrete stair flights and have been installed by Adstone Construction. Both the hollowcore flooring and stairs have been covered

with 58m3 of wet work concrete and rebar as part of the disproportionate collapse tie details undertaken by Beresford Flooring’s progressive collapse joinery team. Additionally, two of FP McCann’s sectional lift shafts each measuring 15.30m high have also been installed by FP McCann’s own specialist contracting team. Individual square shaft sections (2.20m x 2.20m) were delivered on a just-in-time basis from FP McCann’s Grantham works in Lincolnshire. Completing the supply contract, 80 precast concrete ‘L’ walls 1.75m high x 1.0m wide have been installed by S&G Groundworks to form a soil retaining wall to the boundary of the building. The ‘L’ walls have also been supplied from FP McCann’s Grantham depot. Speaking on behalf of Speller Metcalfe, Project Lead Ed McDonald says: “The precast, pre-stressed concrete hollowcore planks, stairs and lift shafts specified as part of the design and build were all supplied to the highest standard on a just-in-time delivery schedule. The simple and speedy fixing of all precast concrete products ensured that the work was undertaken in a safe and efficient manner, with installation completed to programme.” For more information visit: www.fpmccann.co.uk Images: 01-02. Holiday Inn Express - the building’s architectural façade has been specifically designed to incorporate both a brick faced and acid etched finish 03-04. The Beatrice Shilling STEM building – utilises pre-stressed hollowcore flooring, lift shafts, precast concrete stairs and precast concrete ‘L’ walls

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

UK INDUSTRY NEWS Wirral Waters Moves Ahead

Green Light for £200m Ealing Scheme

Stanhope and London housing association Network Homes have got the go-ahead to build its first scheme in Ealing, London, consisting of four high-rise blocks of between 15 and 23 storeys. Laing O’Rourke is on board to deliver the 575-home scheme regenerating a large light industrial site close to the Southall Crossrail station.

Two of the North West’s biggest and most innovative developers, Peel Land and Property (Peel L&P) and Urban Splash, have agreed a joint venture to bring modular urban living to Wirral Waters. Contracts have now been exchanged on the £55 million development, which will be the first ever collaboration between Peel L&P and Urban Splash. The waterside residential quarter at Wirral Waters will incorporate 347 modular homes. The quarter will introduce four new and exciting housing products to the Wirral including – House, Mansion House, Villa and Fab House – with each property customised by purchasers before being created offsite in the Urban Splash modular factory and then delivered to site. Richard Mawdsley, Director of Development at Peel L&P, said: “Our new joint venture with Urban Splash is fantastic news for our local community bringing the very latest in housing design and innovation to the site. This development, which follows hot on the heels of our announcement last month about a £90 million residential scheme comprising of 500 high-quality homes along Northbank, will transform the site into an internationally recognised destination with a residential quarter that will take the pressure off local greenbelts and help to tackle the current UK housing crisis.

We’re now just waiting on the final piece of the jigsaw, securing a Housing Infrastructure Fund grant from Homes England. Only then can we finally get the first wave of housing underway at Wirral Waters.” The development will bring Urban Splash’s modular concept of factory-built modular homes to Merseyside for the first time. The company has other sites in Birmingham - where homes are currently on sale Manchester, Salford and North Shields - where 10 of the homes have been designed by TV architect George Clarke. A fifth site is planned at New Islington in Manchester for 2019 with future sites also in the pipeline in Milton Keynes and Walsall. Jonathan Falkingham MBE, Founder and Creative Director at Urban Splash added: “This is another part of our ambitious plan to expand our modular housing business and follows our acquisition of the hoUSe factory earlier this year. We are keen to create welldesigned, urban family homes in more cities across the country. Merseyside, which was the birthplace of Urban Splash 25 years ago, seems the perfect place to move forward. We are delighted to be working with Peel L&P and to be involved in the creation of yet another significant, large-scale community and to continue developing and investing in Merseyside.” Source: www.urbansplash.co.uk

The 350,000 sq ft development will comprise a mix of build-to-rent, market sale and around 180 homes for shared ownership and affordable rent. Designed by Cartwright Pickard, the development will also include office space, flexible commercial floorspace within four separate buildings of between 15 and 23 storeys with a two-storey podium. 35% of all residential units by habitable rooms will be affordable, with a tenure split of 30% London Affordable Rent, 70% Shared Ownership. The development in Merrick Road will act as a gateway site, helping to trigger the regeneration of Southall over the next decade, in line with Ealing Council’s aims. James Pickard, Director at Cartwright Pickard, said: “We are thrilled with the result of this planning application. The project is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the full potential of offsite manufacturing methods to speed up the delivery and improve the quality of new homes for London. Stanhope and Network Homes are forward-thinking organisations that are pushing the boundaries in terms of innovation and design quality, and demonstrating how homes in London will be delivered in the future.” Jonathan Trout, Property Director at Stanhope plc, said: “Stanhope is delighted to have secured a resolution to grant planning consent for Merrick Place in Southall with our strategic partner Network Homes and working in partnership with Ealing Council and the GLA. We look forward to working with Network and Ealing on developing out this project and the wider the regeneration of Southall. Source: www.cartwrightpickard.com

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Innovations In Steel Designed To Perform

UltraZED™ Purlin System Our UltraZED™ purlin and side rail system – the world’s most advanced profile system – is engineered to ensure ease of use, outstanding load bearing capacity, significant weight savings (typically between 6%-13%) and impressive levels of sustainability.

Steel Framing Solutions Our steel framing solutions combine the benefits of cold roll form manufacturing with our outstanding technical, structural and design abilities. This enables us to deliver industry standard and bespoke steel framing for projects of all sizes, across every sector.

Hadley Group is a world leader in advanced cold rolled steel technology. Our technical, structural and design abilities, coupled with our unsurpassed expertise in cold rollforming have resulted in an extensive range of innovative products. This cold rollforming technology has enabled customers from different industries around the world to improve product efficiency, save weight and reduce the use of raw materials.

Come and see us exhibiting at Futurebuild, stand E40

Lighter

t +44 (0) 121 555 1300 e ask.hadley@hadleygroup.com www.hadleygroup.com

by Design

UK INDUSTRY NEWS New Acquisition for Hadley Group Global cold rolled manufacturer of steel solutions with real world applications, Hadley Group is pleased to announce the acquisition of Hadley Steel Framing Ltd (HSF). HSF will continue to operate as a stand-alone business but will have the resources of the wider Hadley Group available for support. Hadley Group originally acquired a 50% stake in Hadley Steel Framing Ltd (HSF) ten years ago, supporting the growth of the company by manufacturing and delivering its cold rolled steel framing products. This latest development in HSF’s ownership means it will be business as usual with no changes to the manufacturing or delivery aspects of the business. Hadley Group will provide HSF with the stability and security that comes with being part of a large international group. Hadley Group operates across the globe, providing a significant breadth of product solutions across a diverse market. The company’s expertise, market insight and manufacturing capabilities have positioned it as a world leader in advanced cold rolled steel technology. HSF is a future market leader in steel framing design, assembly and installation with core strengths in its

bolted system certified to 12 storeys. The company’s expert technical, structural and design ability ensures it can provide a single solution from concept to completion on building projects in all sectors, both on site and off site. Ben Towe, Group Managing Director at Hadley Group (pictured) said: “We view the acquisition of HSF as highly complementary to our other current construction product offerings and intend to support them as they continue their progression in the markets they serve.

Architects, specifiers and contractors trust HSF to deliver industry standard and bespoke construction solutions on a world stage and we are delighted to confirm the addition of HSF into the Hadley Group.” The acquisition complements both company’s growing reach with the announcement coming soon after Hadley Group’s acquisition of EWS (Manufacturing) Ltd. Source: www.hadleygroup.com www.hadleysteelframing.com

Saint-Gobain Acquires SIG Roofspace Solutions Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland completed the acquisition of SIG Roofspace Solutions on the 14th December 2018 and are set to deliver more offsite manufactured solutions for housebuilders. The business, set-up in 2008 provides a turnkey panelised roofing and room-in-roof solution to house builders. Mike Chaldecott, Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland CEO said: “We’re delighted to welcome Roofspace to Saint-Gobain. They are a great business that provides solutions to customers that saves them time and streamlines the construction process. We know that the construction industry has to be more efficient, more productive, and more innovative and embrace offsite manufacturing. Roofspace are already offering customers these benefits and have delivered roofs for over 2,500 newbuild homes in the last year. “Roofspace manufacture their offsite solutions within factory conditions before delivering to their customer’s site. This service means that Roofspace can install multiple roof packages a day rather than one roof taking 10-12 weeks. This type of construction, manufactured offsite, ensures greater control and accuracy of the finished roof solution and ultimately enhances the performance and comfort of the home for the home owner. “Roofspace further accelerates our capability to serve the rapidly expanding offsite manufacturing

sector adding to our expertise which already includes our Pasquill business, and their timber roof-trusses, Scotframe’s timber-frame houses and Saint-Gobain steel-frame systems. I look forward to working with Roofspace to develop their business and services over the years ahead.”

Graham, Weber, Isover, Glassolutions, Saint-Gobain PAM and Ecophon. Together they offer a range of high performance energy-saving products and solutions to help create great living places and improve daily life. SIG Roofspace Solutions will now be known simply as Roofspace.

Saint-Gobain UK and Ireland includes some of the best-known and respected companies in the construction sector including: British Gypsum, Jewson,

Source: www.saint-gobain.co.uk

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Modern Methods of Construction We work with industry to help deliver long-lasting quality homes. n From component materials and design, to onsite installation and connection n System appraisal and acceptance n Inspection of the whole building to NHBC Standards n Backed by NHBC Buildmark warranty and insurance

Talk to us... Call us now on 0344 633 1000 Email techservices@nhbc.co.uk or visit www.nhbc.co.uk/mmchub NHBC is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. NHBC is registered in England & Wales under company number 00320784. NHBCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s registered address is NHBC House, Davy Avenue, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, Bucks MK5 8FP.

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UK INDUSTRY NEWS SES Completes £9.6m Student Accommodation Project

Laing O’Rourke Refreshed for 2019

Laing O’Rourke has agreed terms with its financial partners for the 2019 refinance of the UK business, which delivers new banking facilities until 2022. The UK arrangements were agreed over the Christmas period with the firm currently in the process of being taken through final credit approval protocols and documentation by each lender organisation. Founder and Group Chief Executive, Ray O’Rourke (pictured), said: “I am delighted to be able to update our stakeholders on the progress of the refinancing exercise. These agreements reflect an enormous amount of work by the banks, sureties, advisors and our people. Having achieved this important milestone as we enter the new calendar year, I want to take the opportunity to thank our clients and supply chain partners for their support and patience.

SES Engineering Services (SES), has completed a £9.6 million mechanical and electrical (M&E) contract at Godiva Place, Regents (Godiva) Ltd’s 770-bed student accommodation scheme at Coventry University. SES delivered full M&E services across the development’s five residential blocks including heating, ventilation, domestic water services, drainage, electrical systems, fire safety, security and energy-efficient lighting and heating controls. The £47.5 million project has made use of a brownfield site near Lower Ford Street, to create 76 cluster flats and 99 studio apartments across five multi-storey blocks. Offsite products were delivered via SES’ dedicated offsite manufacturing facility, Prism and also via the supply chain. These products played a vital role in maintaining programme and involved manufacturing 925 2D pipe modules and six major plant skids for the project. Steve Tovey, SES’ Business Director Midlands and South West, said: “Utilising offsite manufacturing techniques lends itself perfectly to time-sensitive builds in education, and increasing our order book with these schemes forms a key part of our business strategy. Godiva Place is a significant development – not just for the university, but for the city of Coventry – and we’re

proud to have contributed to its build. The quality of the finished scheme is a credit to the skills and expertise of our team and we look forward to the students of Coventry enjoying the benefits of this accommodation.” SES has also been appointed to support the delivery of Viridor’s landmark £252 million Avonmouth Resource Recovery Centre. Delivered in partnership with Clugston Construction, the contract, worth £8.2 million, will see SES provide all M&E works at the 34,000 sq ft site, including containment, lighting, small power, access control, ICT, CCTV, domestic water services, sanitary ware, above ground drainage, cooling, and mechanical ventilation.

“As noted in October last year, and well publicised across the sector since, financing and regulatory processes in UK construction are not simple for any business at present. The entire sector has been impacted. This remains an issue of critical national importance and concern for 2019. For its part – Laing O’Rourke will be driving new levels of productivity through innovation, offsite manufacturing, data analysis and modern procurement practices; initiatives we believe will lead the way to a more sustainable UK construction sector. “We urge Government and other bodies to support the modernisation and reform of the industry and the three million UK jobs it creates. Today’s announcement that financial heads of terms have been reached is a tribute to our loyal employees, without whom we could not have delivered the ground-breaking achievements of recent years.”

Steve Tovey added: “We have a long history of delivering complex projects like this, and increasing our profile in the energy and waste sectors is an important growth driver for our business.” Construction has already begun, with SES preparing to start onsite in January 2019 with hot commissioning scheduled to commence in October 2019 and full completion due in February 2020.

Laing O’Rourke has invested over £100 million in its Explore Industrial Park, with the aim of 70% of the projects the company directly controls to be produced through design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA). This should see a corresponding 60% reduction in onsite labour and a 30% reduction in build times for most projects. Explore Manufacturing gives Laing O’Rourke a unique self-delivery capability that leads the construction industry in driving greater levels of design standardisation and construction quality.

Source: www.ses-ltd.co.uk

Source: www.laingorourke.com

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UK INDUSTRY NEWS Climate Innovation District Bridge in Position Sustainable urban developer Citu has reached a major milestone with the installation of a 50-metre pedestrian bridge, providing a vital link across the River Aire from Leeds’ South Bank to the city centre. The £1.5 million eye-catching structure was lowered into place using a 1000-tonne crane and will link Citu’s Phases One and Two of the Climate Innovation District either side of the River Aire. Citu received a £1 million loan from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Growing Places Fund to help fund the cost of the bridge. As well as creating an integral and important link for the city, the three-metre wide bridge has been engineered to accommodate Leeds City Council’s planned £40 million district heat network. Citu Managing Director Chris Thompson said: “This is a huge milestone not just for the Climate Innovation District but Leeds South Bank as a whole. The bridge will act as a catalyst for social and economic change at Hunslet Riverside and the wider South Bank by providing a crucial physical link across the river, as well as being a real eye-catching landmark that local residents can be proud of. Citu’s whole ethos is to offer

a model of how to build zero carbon neighbourhoods that also provide healthier, smarter and betterconnected cities.”

projects which make a real difference to peoples’ lives and this is a fantastic example of how we can strive to be a cleaner, greener city region where investment benefits everyone.”

Roger Marsh OBE, Chair of Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), added: “The Climate Innovation District is one of most exciting developments in the UK and is totally transforming the South Bank area of the city. When it is completed the new bridge will connect communities on both sides of the River Aire, open up a healthier walking and cycling route into the city centre as well as paying tribute to the industrial heritage of the area. We’re committed to funding

The bridge will be officially opened later this Spring after the first residents have moved into their homes at the Climate Innovation District. Source: www.citu.co.uk www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk

Faster Marked Steelwork Connections Project: Spurn Discovery Centre, UK The Structural Hollow Section (SHS) framework of the pre-fabricated modules was quickly connected together from one side using Lindapter Hollo-Bolts. The CE Marked expansion bolts allowed a fast and convenient installation process using standard hand tools.

Modular and Off-Site Construction

Technical Innovation in Steelwork Connections

Hollo-Bolt

Call 01274 521444 to request Lindapter’s new Modular & Offsite Construction booklet.

NEW © Alan Rowley Photos

4 For SHS and structural steel sections 4 High resistance to shear and tensile loads 4 Unique high clamping force design 4 Various architectural head types and finishes 4 CE Marked, ICC-ES and TÜV approved

UK INDUSTRY NEWS 6000 Visit Bristol Five-Year Housing Festival More than 6,000 people visited Bristol Housing Festival’s launch exhibition last November that prompted visitors to re-imagine affordable housing solutions for the city. Exhibits included modular twostorey homes from ZEDPods and Totally Modular, a modular apartment from Tempo Housing, a singlestorey unit from We Can Make and shipping container home conversions from ISO Spaces and Help Bristol’s Homeless The exhibition marked the start of a five-year project. Bristol City Council pledged to make sites available across the city for the Festival to test and deliver innovative and affordable housing solutions. Cllr Paul Smith, who made the announcement to an audience of 300 at the Festival’s launch in October, also committed the council to investing in six rapid-build modular homes from ZED Pods. These will be constructed on one of the sites and offered to people in housing crisis within six months, subject to planning. Jez Sweetland, the Festival’s project lead said: “We are thrilled with the response we have had to the public launch of the Festival. It has been wonderful to see the level of interest, support and passion from the public and industry and the sheer ambition and expectation for Bristol, as a city, to get on and innovate to develop housing solutions which will facilitate community, and which can then be scaled and shared.

Dr Rehan Khodabuccus, Operations Director at ZED Pods said: “It was a big commitment to bring a whole house down to the Festival, but we support what Bristol is trying to do to solve the housing crisis. We have been delighted to show local authorities, housing associations, members of Bristol City Council and the people living in the city that prefabricated modular houses can be high quality and it has been interesting talking to so many people.”

The festival will run over five years and is supported by Bristol City Council, Bristol and Bath Regional Capital and The Shaftesbury Partnership. It will act as an incubator to road-test, in a real-world scenario, both existing concepts and innovative solutions designed to accelerate the delivery of quality, affordable housing. These will include exploring smart technology and offsite manufacturing.  Source: www.bristolhousingfestival.org.uk

Barking and Dagenham Go Offsite astudio, the award-winning architectural practice, has announced that it has been granted planning permission, following a unanimous vote, by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham for its amodular offsite housing development. The development, Sugden Way in Barking, will consist of a series of council flats and is targeted to be complete in just 60 weeks – cutting the 24-30 month time frame of traditional construction practices on this scale in half and saving the council vital resources. The project will be delivered in partnership with regeneration company Be First and offsite modular manufacturer Rollalong. Manufacturing assembly will begin early this year and be completed by summer 2019. astudio’s innovative volumetric modular construction method enables the expedited assembly of lowenergy homes: fitted out and manufactured offsite using precision methods of construction that will provide robust, high-design modular housing at less expense than traditional modular housing. The architectural practice’s homes are supplied on a

turnkey standardised production basis, where costs are minimized through bulk purchasing of materials and components, while speeding up the production process and reducing the potential for defects during build. Modular housing offers one possible answer to the UK’s housing crisis – across the UK local and national government now spend £2 million a day on temporary accommodation for the over-77,000 homeless households under local authority care.

prove that there is a better way to procure affordable homes. To get the go-ahead for a project of this scale tells us that planners are recognising the value that our approach can bring to a community. Our approach offers one potential response for policymakers to consider to help address the UK’s housing crisis.” Source: www.astudio.co.uk

Richard Hyams, Co-founder and CEO of astudio, commented: “Securing this planning permission marks a milestone in what has been a four-year journey to

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Richard Hyams will be presenting at Explore Offsite Housing on 27 March 2019.

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UK INDUSTRY NEWS Rapid Rise for External Cladding Supplier

Growth in Offsite Shapes NHBC 2019 Standards

A ‘surge’ in the use of offsite manufacturing in the housebuilding industry has helped to shape a new set of standards from NHBC. The NHBC Standards 2019, which came into force on 1 January 2019, has taken account of advances in the offsite and light steel frame (LSF) sectors. As a result, the Standards 2019 will introduce a major update to Chapter 6.10 on ‘Light Steel Framing’ – the first since it was published in 2005. NHBC said that given the increase of modular systems using LSF, its new set of standards added considerations to the stage one certification which should be considered in the manufacturer’s system manual. Meanwhile Chapter 6.2, which focuses on ‘External Timber-Framed Walls’ and Chapter 8.1 ‘Internal Services’ in relation to boiler flow rates, have also been updated, along with a number of additional minor changes on a range of issues. New additions in NHBC Standards 2019 include: Aquarian Cladding Systems are on target to hit a turnover of £8 million this year after a hugely successful 2018. Aquarian Cladding Systems have been supplying brick and terracotta cladding systems to the UK construction industry since launching just 11 years ago, making the projected turnover, which was helped by monthly sales topping £1 million for the first time in February 2018, even more impressive. Managing Director Paul Richards, puts the rapid rise down to a combination of four things – quality products, first-class technical support, a customerfocused approach and strong supply chain relationships. “We are known as a reputable supplier acknowledged for the testing and quality of our products,” said Paul, “But, as well as that, our team have a wealth of knowledge and experience and understand the issues that drive our clients’ decisions. This company culture has helped us to stand out in what is a crowded market.” Working with architects, contractors, developers and installation specialists, the Clevedon-based company’s cladding systems have been used on buildings across a wide range of sectors, from residential to commercial, in both the public and private sector.

They include new-build hi-rise student accommodation for Unite in Birmingham, Portsmouth, Leeds and Oxford; the award-winning leisure and housing scheme The Scene at Walthamstow; the ground-breaking Porter Building in Slough; and Hampshire County Council’s programme of refurbishing prefabricated school buildings. “We have been able to demonstrate that our cladding systems are cost-effective and durable throughout the lifetime of a building,” added Paul. “Whatever your method of construction is, our cladding systems typically provide insulation, weather protection and durability. Our systems are heavily tested, and we work with our supply partners to test, obtain certification and approval from BRE, BBA, Vinci (CWCT), Efectis, NHBC, LABC and Premier Guarantee warranty providers.” The company, which is also on course for ISO9001:2015 accreditation, has plans to continue growth and recently formed Aquarian Holdings Ltd to pave the way for further expansion, building on its cladding knowledge and experience. Source: www.aquariancladding.co.uk

• Changes to Chapter 6.10 ‘Light steel framing’ to support advances in the use of this technology and define our guidance for structural frames and infill walls • Chapter 6.2 ‘External timber framed walls’ – we now accept timber frame designs from manufacturers achieving Gold level status from the Structural Timber Association’s (STA) Assure Scheme without the need for further review or completing a HB2445 form. Commenting on the new guidelines, which came into force for new homes where the foundations are begun on or after January 1 2019, NHBC Standards & Technical manager Paul Cribbens said: “NHBC’s dedicated team have spent the past year developing technical content and updates to form the new Standards, working with other partners and organisations from across the industry. The increased interest in MMC has contributed to these changes and we hope that these revisions will continue to help in raising standards of new home quality for the benefit of homeowners.” For more information on NHBC Standards 2019 and changes including those related to offsite manufacture visit: https://bit.ly/2ABVKjs

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

UK INDUSTRY NEWS Cura Brings New Dimension to Willmott Dixon Launched at the IHEEM Healthcare Estates conference in Manchester late last year, Willmott Dixon have teamed up with architect Penoyre & Prasad to develop an integrated health hub called Cura. It will provide NHS Trusts and councils with pre-designed community healthcare facilities to drive cost efficiency. Cura adopts the latest construction methods by using a pre-cast concrete frame structure built offsite for added speed of delivery, with a minimal degree of fixed internal structure. It offers standard sized multi-use rooms designed as clusters that enable NHS Trusts to bespoke their hub to suit individual clinical departmental requirements, such as therapies, dental, general practices, diagnostics and mental health. Cura has been designed to give healthcare customers certainty of cost, time and quality. Willmott Dixon’s Cura lead, Anastasia Chrysafi said: “After nine months and a significant investment by Willmott Dixon to produce a product that speeds up delivery for the NHS and its partners, it was fantastic to finally launch our exciting and innovative product at the Healthcare Estates conference. I was overwhelmed by the level of support and interest generated at the event and am personally very excited about delivering Cura

with the cost, programme and quality benefits that it offers our customers and ultimately bringing services closer to people’s homes.” The modules can operate independently or with shared support, allowing the core design to be modified, with modules added, removed or swapped. This gives the option of adjusting the shape and size of the building to suit its site and the ability to select the departmental

modules that suit the needs of local communities. It can be adapted into a combination of sizes, starting from 1,500m2 and rising to 5,000m2. Construction will take approximately 40 weeks depending on the size of the chosen hub. Source: www.curahealth.co.uk

Project Etopia for London Commuter Village London’s first modular commuter village will be constructed in Corby, Northants, by modular homes provider Project Etopia. Etopia Corby will be a model of how villages of the future can be developed quicker and more affordably with its inexpensive modular homes that are equipped with energy saving technology and smart home equipment as standard. Corby is at the centre of an ambitious project to grow the population from 50,000 to 100,000 by the early 2030s. It is already popular with young workers commuting to London, which is as little as an hour and ten minutes away by train. A development of ecohomes had been planned for the site but Project Etopia stepped in to buy the land at the eleventh hour after the project stalled. Groundwork for the 47 homes, comprised of 31 houses and 16 apartments, will begin in February 2019. A four-bed house is expected to sell for between £320,000 and £350,000. New brick and mortar builds in Priors Hall Park cost from £450,000 to £575,000. The first four homes are due to be completed by the end of March and each unit should take no more than six to eight weeks to build. The

previously-planned traditional development was expected to take two years to complete but Project Etopia expects to finish the houses by the autumn. Joseph Daniels, CEO of Project Etopia, commented: “Old building techniques are exacerbating the housing crisis and it’s totally unnecessary. Corby is leading the way in showing how villages of the future should be built. Modular building is now so advanced, it is senseless to cling to bricks and mortar, which takes longer to build and is far more expensive.

“With a desperate need for more housing stock around the country, it is vital developers and investors finally let go of preconceptions of modular building. These are homes people really want to live in and they present huge environmental benefits from being energy neutral to requiring less on-site traffic during the build. However, a lack of acceptance for alternative building methods was enough to almost drive this development into the ground.” Source: www.projectetopia.com

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

UK INDUSTRY NEWS Virtual Reality to Revolutionise UK’s Construction Sector Virtual reality, digital design and offsite manufacturing technologies are the future of UK construction thanks to a new £72 million investment from the government. The new Core Innovation Hub will transform the UK’s construction industry by supporting the development and use of technologies such as digital design, advanced manufacturing, robotics, drones and augmented and virtual reality. The increased use of technology will enable the sector to design and build faster, cheaper and more sustainably. Smart sensors and digital systems will be incorporated into buildings and infrastructure, so they can manage and maintain themselves – and the data they gather will enable the government and industry to make our towns and cities better places to live, work and travel in. Business and Industry Minister Richard Harrington said: “We have the opportunity to revolutionise construction in the UK and the Core Innovation Hub will help us build smarter, greener and more efficient buildings much faster and cheaper than we do now. From the introduction of virtual reality to offsite manufacturing, our modern Industrial Strategy, is helping the UK construction sector to develop new techniques and skills – modernising the sector and delivering the homes and buildings our nation needs.

McBains Advise on World’s Tallest Modular Towers Leading consultant McBains has been appointed to oversee the development of the world’s tallest modular towers in Croydon, South London. The development at 101 George Street, Croydon will comprise two towers of 37 storeys (115m) and 44 storeys (134m), housing 546 apartments. They will comprise nearly 1,500 modules, and take just 24 months to build. On completion they will hold the title of the first and second tallest modular buildings in the world. McBains Director Richard Davies said: “We’re delighted to have been appointed on another landmark project – with our experience of both Modular and BTR projects we have been able to advise the Lending Team through a successful due diligence process and we look forward to contributing to the delivery of a ground breaking project. Breaching the £9 billion construction cost milestone is very pleasing and exemplifies the demand for our services across the industry, and the world-leading expertise our team brings to projects. With recent appointments in mainland Europe we are also looking to expand our coverage throughout the continent.”

Keith Waller, Programme Director for the Transforming Construction Alliance said: “I am delighted to be leading the Transforming Construction Alliance in its mission to deliver the Core Innovation Hub project, and boost productivity and performance in the construction sector. I look forward to working alongside government, industry and the talented teams at MTC, BRE and CDBB to realise the vision of a transformed sector. “The UK construction industry is facing a once-ina-generation opportunity to change and modernise. Through the Industrial Strategy and the Core Innovation Hub the UK will be able to seize this opportunity – enabling us to master precision manufacturing resulting in the delivery of better performing schools, hospitals

and homes – to the benefit of businesses, public services and people.” Following a nationwide competition as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, the government, through UK Research and Innovation, awarded the £72 million to the Transforming Construction Alliance (TCA) to deliver the national hub. It is partnership between three centres of established excellence: Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), BRE and Cambridge University’s Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB). Source: www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk www.transformingconstruction.org.uk www.the-mtc.org www.bregroup.com

Developers, Tide Construction and Vision Modular Systems, will construct the modules for the buildings in a controlled factory environment in Bedford to ensure a higher quality finish. Situated directly opposite East Croydon train station, the towers will provide an excellent base for residents, with this station averaging 600 London-bound trains on a typical weekday – with the fastest taking just 16 minutes. Croydon, with its sprawling shopping district and thriving leisure economy, has become one of the largest commercial enclaves outside central London. It has also been dubbed the “Silicon Valley of South London”, due to its growing tech and start-up scenes, and is fast-becoming an attractive area for young professionals and families. Greystar Real Estate Partners (Greystar) are funding the development in partnership with property-investors, Henderson Park. This is their second joint venture into the London residential PRS, following their £140.5 million acquisition of a 172-unit central London residential portfolio from Barratt Developments PLC. Work on the new development is due to be completed over a 24-month period – with residents moving into the towers in the early part of 2020. Source: www.mcbains.co.uk

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

UK INDUSTRY NEWS Stewart Milne and Barratt Continue Offsite Drive

Fusion Receives Premier Approval

Stewart Milne Timber Systems (SMTS) is continuing to share specialist knowledge and industry expertise through a strategic and collaborative partnership with housebuilder Barratt Developments. The two companies have partnered to help address the UK housing crisis by adopting offsite manufacturing methods to build a sustainable marketplace. A shortage of supply to meet increased demand for housing has meant that the average UK home is now eight times higher than the average salary. Combating the rising problem, and to government meet targets to provide high quality homes at speed and pace, solutions such as offsite timber frame construction are increasingly being adopted by housebuilders. With Barratt partnering with SMTS for its timber frames, both are committed to developing offsite construction projects as part of their housing portfolio. Steered by a goal to achieve 20% of its total build per annum as offsite construction by 2020, Barratt has built nearly 3,000 timber frame homes over the last two years. Oliver Novakovic, Technical and Innovation Director at Barratt Developments, said: “We recognise that the supply chain holds an immense amount of knowledge about their processes, materials and technologies and the key for us is to tap into that knowledge. We know housebuilding and understand the demands of our customer base and what they like. We also intimately understand the performance specifications that are required from new technologies.

Portakabin Opens its Doors for Inside Offsite 2019

“SMTS has been a key partner of Barratt Developments over the last four years. This partnership has facilitated a significant increase in the group’s output of timber frame construction and engagement at all levels, from group directors to site teams, which has helped improve our understanding of timber frames.” John Smith, Head of Product and Innovation at SMTS added: “With heightened interest in offsite technology across the UK and beyond, this is a hugely exciting time for the housing industry. We are proud of every single project that we deliver alongside Barratt, producing exceptional results, using timber frames. Having established a collaborative and open relationship with Barratt, both adding a great deal of expertise and knowledge, this prestigious award cements the fantastic work we are collectively delivering as part of our shared framework.” Source: www.stewartmilnetimbersystems.com

On 9 May 2019, industry specialists Portakabin are inviting architects, engineers, contractors, developers and clients to visit their factory and allow them to discover more about volumetric modular technology. Portakabin are market leaders in volumetric modular construction. Designed and manufactured at the 250,000m2 Portakabin production facility in York, Portakabin buildings fulfil the demands of an increasing range of applications from office space, childcare facilities and classrooms to health centres, hospitals, call centres and toilets and showers. Inside Offsite is a series of factory tours focusing on opening up the manufacturing facilities of some of the UK’s leading suppliers of offsite technologies including light gauge steel frame (LGSF), timber frame, SIPS, precast concrete, pods and volumetric modular solutions. These factory tours are completely free to attend and are designed for architects, contractors, developers and clients to learn about the manufacturing process, how a manufacturing business functions and to appreciate the requirements of design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA).

As offsite methods of construction become increasingly popular with volume housebuilders, PRS developers and investors, light gauge steel superstructure manufacturer Fusion Building Systems has achieved approval of its patented panelised system from Premier Guarantee. Following an established assessment process which took place over the past few months, the Fusion team was able to prove the quality of its design, engineering, manufacturing and installation processes in order to meet the high standards required for Premier Guarantee’s approval. With this endorsement in place, Fusion’s system is now approved for use by over 2,000 Premier Guarantee registered developers and builders throughout the UK. The offsite manufacturer will also be able to provide assurance to Premier’s clients and lenders that its products are approved to perform to a consistently high standard and remain durable for a minimum of 60 years. Robert Clark, Head of Business Development at Fusion, said: “Having the Premier Guarantee stamp of approval for our system provides further proof to the industry that we’re building a quality product. We’re already working with Premier Guarantee on Crest Nicholson’s flagship Gloucester Quays development – and as more housebuilders explore the potential for offsite solutions, we look forward to working with Premier to promote our system as a quality, sustainable product.” Fusion is an established offsite manufacturing business, having built more than 3,000 homes for the private residential market over the past 20 years. Its system is already approved under other industry-recognised schemes and now with the addition of Premier Guarantee’s approval, it will be able to market itself to an even wider base of potential customers. Alexis Stickley, Research & Development Manager at Premier Guarantee, added: “Fusion Building Systems is both experienced and pioneering in its approach to offsite manufacturing. Through our assessment we could see how every detail from concept and design, to onsite installation was delivered by highly-skilled personnel, using state-of-the-art technology and precision engineering techniques. Offsite manufacturing has a significant role to play in UK housebuilding. We’re delighted to have Fusion on board and look forward to working with them, moving this industry forward and building a future which has quality at its core.” Source: www.premierguarantee.com www.fusionbuild.com

For more information or to book your free place visit: www.offsitehub.co.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

ADVERTORIAL

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2 Airtightness is crucial to energy efficient modular building design An integral part of modern building design is influenced by energy efficiency. As thermal insulation requirements have increased, the proportion of energy lost through air leakage has become more evident. The ever-increasing thermal insulation required will be rendered largely ineffective unless the airtightness of the structure itself is addressed. Air leakage greatly reduces the effect of thermal insulation – therefore if energy efficiency is to be improved within modular buildings, this is the most critical area to focus on. 20

A simple self-adhesive external air barrier system Architects and contractors are increasingly turning to air barrier membranes as the most effective means of controlling and reducing air leaks. The two main ways to achieve airtightness in the building envelope are internally or externally, or in other terms, ‘inside of the services zone’ or ‘outside of the services zone’. Traditional use of internal air barriers can be more complex and costly to install, needing to accommodate building services such as electrical, lighting, heating and drainage systems. An internal air barrier is only as good as its installation. If all the service penetrations are not adequately sealed, performance will be compromised. By moving the air barrier to the external side of the structural frame, external air barrier systems such as Wraptite from A. Proctor Group allow for an almost penetration-free airtight layer, which can be installed faster and more robustly. Wraptite is a patented external air barrier membrane system, which offers manufacturers and designers of modular and

• • • • • • • •

Complies with use on buildings of high rise and over 18m under Part B amendments made in November 2018, Membranes need to be Class B,s3,d0 or better, with Wraptite at Class B,s1,d0*. Included within BS8414 testing with cladding manufacturers. Corner detailing for opening and movement joint interfaces are easily treated. Improved airtightness and may negate the use of a VCL totally from the design internally, meaning easier a quicker install of dry lining package. Hydro-Thermal Modelling (WUFI) showing the difference of not using a VCL within some constructions benefits the building further. Improving airtightness may allow you to change thickness or type of insulation used when modelled through SAP or SBEM. No need to tape sheathing boards as Wraptite is positioned across the whole board. Testing has seen results as low as 0.5 m3/(h.m2) @ 50PA carried out at Windtech on a window façade panel.

For more information visit: www.proctorgroup.com

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

OFFSITE ADVICE

OFFSITE SHOULDN’T MEAN OUT OF SIGHT Offsite construction methods can give rise to important legal issues for employers who make payment for materials before they are delivered to site. Jonathan Gaskell, construction lawyer at global legal business DWF, explains more. Building contracts normally say that the employer pays for materials supplied by a contractor once they have been incorporated into the works, or once they have been delivered to site. Materials which are onsite (and particularly that have been incorporated in the works) are in practice more secure where – for example – there is a problem such as the insolvency of the contractor.

prefabricated materials with ownership transferring to the employer, provided that certain protective measures – such as the materials being insured and separately identified as being for the employer – are in place.

To assist cash flow, contractors often want paid for materials manufactured and stored offsite. Employers then need to consider how to protect their investment if the materials are not then delivered. Building contracts such as JCT allow payment for specified

‘Vesting agreements’ (which expressly vest ownership of the materials in the employer) are also commonly used. These may provide additional protection to the employer where the contract doesn’t have detailed provisions for payment for offsite materials, or where a sub-contractor needs to be bound into the arrangement to make sure that ownership transfers.

The law is different in Scotland, and building contracts themselves can’t transfer the ownership of materials to the employer before they are delivered to site. A solution here is for the parties to enter into a separate ‘sale of goods’ contract transferring ownership of materials to the employer once they have been paid for. Employers also commonly ask the contractor to provide an ‘on demand’ bond to cover its losses should the materials not be delivered to site when intended. As ever, it’s best to speak to your lawyer for full advice on these issues. For more information visit: www.dwf.law

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offer support and training through our highly experienced technical team. We pride ourselves on the high level of testing and technical expertise that has been built up through years of experience within the industry, from site installation to multi-national distribution organisations. FSi ensure the correct solutions are specified and delivered to strict budgets and timescales ensuring technical specifications are met.

The FSi brand story is compelling, differentiated, and clearly expressed to internal and external audiences. We continue our strategy that gives FSi the freedom and flexibility to explore and develop new product lines whilst keeping us aligned with our customers and future requirements with regards to ever changing standards in the market place. For more information visit: www.fsiltd.com

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SCAPE REPORT

THE FUTURE OF SOCIAL HOMES FOR RENT

1 As has been repeated at length by all construction media and commentators over the last two to three years, to come anywhere near meeting the UK’s housing demand, we need a massive change in the approach to housebuilding and a more innovative model to deliver high-quality new homes across all types and tenures. The Future of Social Homes for Rent report saw Scape poll 50 senior managers and decision-makers within local authorities in England alongside 1,000 members of the public – the results were predictably damning – councils throughout England commented that they had an average of only 56 homes available and 64% of the public said they thought that we had reached a crisis point in the provision of homes available for social rent in England.

There are approximately 1,700 housing associations in England. In 2017/18, registered providers based in England, representing 89% of the UK housing association stock completed just 4,500 homes for social rent. “This is not simply the result of short-term factors like Brexit, the Rent Reduction Policy, or Right to Buy, says Mark Robinson, Chief Executive, Scape Group. “This is a long-term problem with the rate of construction that needs to be addressed. Councils must be empowered to build social housing themselves – as they were in the 1970s before housing associations started to occupy a key role as nongovernmental delivery agents for the provision of social rented housing. In 1977, when new social housing remained the responsibility of councils 121,000 homes were built.” The report states a clear case for change and as a society we face a huge turning point in the delivery of new affordable housing. “Finance has always acted as a key barrier to local councils’ ability to make a difference to housing output. With the correct resources and powers, they can serve as engines for housebuilding in communities across the whole of the UK. On the other hand, this will create tens of thousands of new homes, whereas the UK needs hundreds of thousands, and this is unlikely to be channelled towards sufficient homes for social rent.” The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has said that Government will be “breathing down the necks” of local authorities who fail to meet their housing targets under

the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The Government is now enforcing new rules which will remove the right for councils to decide what is built in their area if they are unable to meet their targets. Instead an appointed inspector will make the decision on their behalf to ensure housing is being delivered on time. “Rather unfairly, local authorities are being positioned as the scapegoat. It is clear that councils want to do more to ease the housing crisis. Three in every five (60%) of councillors with lead responsibility for housing in their local authority said that social housing is their main investment priority.” The solution is to look for options that can deliver quality new homes more efficiently and costeffectively, providing the dual benefit of delivering much needed social rent housing and the funding-stream for providing the value-added services.

Offsite and factory-controlled delivery aims to improve overall business efficiency, reduce client intervention and deliver a quality product, reduce snagging, whilst providing long-term environmental performance and hugely condensed delivery timescales. MMC can also help to minimise waste, which is an important environmental consideration for councils. When we asked housing leaders how important their local authority considered minimising construction waste in achieving quality and lower cost

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

SCAPE REPORT affordable homes, 22% said ‘extremely important’ with 57% saying the same in London and the south east. Fortunately, councils are open to the possibilities presented by offsite. When asked if local authorities would consider offsite as an option for housing delivery in their area: “100% of council representatives informed us that they would, 97% of councils reported that they thought a pre-designed system with offsite construction would support their delivery certainty. And 35% of local authorities said they would consider stipulating the use of increasing levels of offsite fabrication or a modular approach to housing units – if only to increase certainty of delivery of their required housing supply. While the report proposes a ‘radical solution to the social housing building problem’, delivering the number of homes we need to build to make up for years of underinvestment, requires a revolution in the delivery of social housing. Registered providers and local authorities, looking to accelerate

2 their building programmes – for social rent or otherwise – should consider the benefits of offsite. “The Government must consider ways of using the planning system to make it easier to build modular developments. For example, pre-approved modular designs could be ‘fast tracked’ through the planning system. And while there are now plenty of providers, none are currently delivering at the scale needed to bring costs down below those of traditional methods. High quality providers, capable of delivering

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at scale, should be supported by Government, with a strategy to ensure collaboration and encourage consolidation.” For more information and to download a copy of the report: www.scapegroup.co.uk/research Images: 01. The report suggests that offsite construction holds many answers to the social and affordable housing delivery 02. Sixty one and two-bedroom flats are planned for the redevelopment of Scunthorpe town centre. Courtesy Lungfish Architects

BESA

VITAL FOR QUALITY

Building engineering services will have to take a leaf out of the manufacturing industry’s book as it strives to deliver an increasingly challenging workload. Over the next two to five years, we will see modern methods of construction starting to redefine the way we work. Building engineering contractors will have to become less and less about people working onsite and more about digital procurement and design linked to offsite manufacture.

Successful offsite construction depends on collaboration, which in turn will produce to a new contract model that removes old areas of conflict such as late payment. It should also ensure that the finished product works better in the long run, so addressing many of our performance and safety problems. This – along with many of the other things that make our industry so unattractive to young people – will be transformed.

Like product manufacturers, we will have to focus on producing more complete modules offsite. This will be partly driven by our acute skills and resource shortages, but also by a need to improve quality and compliance. Born of necessity, it will also herald a new era that will bring with it many technical, social and financial benefits – and make our industry a far more appealing career prospect for a wider cross-section of our population.

Offsite construction is inherently safer, cleaner and more technologically driven and if this makes it more profitable and less adversarial, building engineering services suddenly looks like a much more appealing career. However, this is not just about medium to longterm transformation of our industry, there are also immediate problems confronting building engineering firms that must hasten the adoption of new ways of working.

Adopting more of a production line approach will allow us to develop a less disruptive supply chain management and payment model.

‘Mega projects’ like HS2, Heathrow’s controversial third runway and two new nuclear power stations will put

an increasing strain on our pool of available skilled manpower and our departure from the EU will step up the pressure still further. Heathrow is likely to need up to 15,000 site workers and the two planned nuclear power stations at Hinkley Point and Wylfa Newydd – could each pull in more than 6,000 site-based technical staff. HS2 will absorb people from all over the country and it was recently reported that Crossrail was still recruiting M&E workers despite the nine-month delay on the project being put down to purely train-related issues.

These high profile projects have the pulling power and the budgets to attract the labour they need, but often at the expense of other employers who have their own commitments to fulfil. Engineering, infrastructure and housing projects of all shapes and sizes face the prospect of not being able to meet deadlines due to staff shortages.

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

BESA

3 In the past, the knee-jerk reaction would have been to flood projects with labour from the EU. That potentially will no longer be an option post-Brexit, but on the other hand, that could well turn out to be one of the long-term benefits of Brexit. Rather than simply bringing in people with varying levels and types of qualifications, we will have to ensure that everyone has completed the right training and has appropriate skills in line with these new working approaches. We will still be short of people, but our lack of manpower will add fuel to the offsite revolution, which will also further improve quality. If you build something in a factory – rather than on a building site – you have a far better chance of ensuring it is finished to the right quality. You can manage the quality control process much more easily and provide better and safer working conditions for your people. The House of Lords has spotted the importance of a big shift to offsite and modular methods of construction. Its Science and Technology

Committee recently reported that offsite manufacture could improve productivity by as much as 70% while also delivering better and more energy efficient buildings.

However, designers, contractors and suppliers must all have early involvement in a project for offsite manufacture to be successful. This requires a change in business models among both private and public sector clients. Offsite usually requires greater upfront investment than ‘traditional’ construction techniques, but it is better placed to deliver building lifetime benefits like energy efficiency and low maintenance costs. However, to secure these long-term gains procurers will have to wean themselves off the habit of always going for the cheapest upfront price. It is not only our clients who have to change. The uncomfortable truth

for our sector is that many of the barriers to the greater uptake of offsite manufacture, such as a lack of collaboration and attitudes to risk, are cultural and can only be dealt with by the sector itself. That is our challenge and one that we should embrace. For more information visit: www.thebesa.com

BESA is the UK’s leading trade organisation for building engineering services contractors – representing the interests of firms active in the design, installation, commissioning, maintenance, control and management of engineering systems and services in buildings. Tim Hopkinson is serving his second year as BESA President and is Managing Director of E Poppleton and Son.

Images: 01. Tim Hopkinson, BESA President 02-03. Offsite can deliver mechanical and electrical (M&E) prefabrication solutions and market-changing efficiency savings. Courtesy SES Engineering Services

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

STEEL

BUILDING BETTER AND FASTER USING LIGHT GAUGE STEEL

Chris Holleron, Group Product Manager (Housing) for Hadley Group, discusses the challenges of offsite construction in housing and how light gauge steel can have significant impact on build time and project costs.

1 As the UK Government strives to achieve its target of delivering 300,000 new homes a year, housebuilders are increasingly looking to new methods to speed up construction while also maintaining quality. While there is no single method or solution to address the need for quality residential housing, it is clear that new solutions must be considered in order to meet the Government’s ambitious targets. The benefits of offsite construction are well-documented yet the UK still lags behind other countries when it comes to adopting it as standard in housebuilding. So, what is holding housebuilders back and how can the use of light gauge steel framing speed up the build process? As offsite construction is a relatively new concept, uncertainty as well as unknown costs remain major barriers. As there are currently not enough offsite housing projects completed to prove it is as a viable solution, the uptake of offsite construction remains comparatively slower within housing development, a sector known to be firmly rooted in tradition and reluctant to embrace change. Another factor hindering the uptake of offsite construction in housing is the belief

that it could be more expensive than traditional build methods. Considered the tried and tested formula, changing methods would mean introducing new systems and processes, something deemed unnecessary and too risky for many. The looming uncertainties of Brexit negotiations also play a role in the behaviour of housebuilders. Possible material inflations and labour costs, as well as the fall in sterling are reducing the value of potential earnings and proving to be key challenges for many housing developers. By working with steel manufacturers who can precision engineer light gauge steel profiles, housebuilders have the opportunity to prefabricate a house shell in the factory and later assemble onsite, cutting out much of the material waste, time and installation costs associated with traditional build methods. Typically supplied as individual components and manufactured to meet specific sizing requirements or cut to length, light gauge steel profiles are screwed together onsite with self-drilling fixings to ensure absolute precision and accommodate tolerances in the structure’s primary frame.

Thanks to the light weight, highstrength profiles, loads on both foundations and supporting structures can be minimised. Reducing the foundation load means a shallower foundation is required, saving initial site preparation time and costs. What’s more the performance of light gauge steel profiles is now better than ever before, yet with less steel required, enabling homes to be built faster without compromising on quality. The benefits of light gauge steel framing outweigh the barriers as decreased construction time on site, together with increased quality, can help to meet housing supply. Innovators must lead the way in adopting offsite construction if we are to see improvements in the numbers – and quality – of residential homes built. The roll out of the new NHBC standards as of 1 January 2019 sees the first major update to Chapter 6.10 Light Steel Framing since it was first published in 2005, which is a massive step for offsite manufacturing. It is essential that the industry works together to ensure the same high standards are met across the board so the revisions in regulations to accommodate offsite procedures is a positive contribution towards achieving our shared goal of ensuring high standards. This will help to instil industry confidence and with time, we will see the increased uptake of offsite construction within the housebuilding business community. For more information visit: www.hadleygroup.com/markets/ construction/structural-products/lightgauge-steel-framing Images: 01. Steel profiles onsite ready for installation

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G N I M ON COSO

OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW HOMES (NH2) FRAMEWORK

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VOLUMETRIC MODULAR

NEW FOCUS ON HOUSING

The Modular and Portable Building Association (MPBA) represents a broad spectrum of volumetric modular technologies and have now launched a Volumetric Residential Group to reflect the huge demand for innovative offsite housing.

2 ABI, Homes England, BuildOffsite, NHF, HBF and the Housing Forum. The involvement of these various organisations will be on a noncommercial basis with a view to knowledge sharing and mutual support, with the primary focus being on ensuring that that MPBA and the Volumetric Residential Group becomes engaged at the right level to ultimately become the ‘go to’ body for all things associated with volumetric modular housing technologies.

1 There is currently a huge demand for high quality buildings and modular construction has been hailed as one of the most efficient offsite solutions – particularly for the residential sector. “There is no other representative body for volumetric modular housing solutions within the industry,” says Chief Executive of the MPBA, Jackie Maginnis. “As such, it is felt that the time is right to develop a working group as the industry expands and new entrants are established in this space.” The Volumetric Residential Group will have autonomy to set its own agenda and discussion topics. The initial focus of the Group will be manufacturers of these solutions, across all material types – provided that they are being developed for permanent applications across all aspects of the residential sectors. This Group will expand its scope and activity over time engaging with component suppliers too. 28

The Group will be chaired by the leading offsite industry experts Cogent Consulting and will initially be led by its Managing Director, Darren Richards. Meeting Dates for 2019:

• Afternoon – 21 February 2019 • Afternoon – 16 May 2019

• Morning – 10 October 2019

• Morning – 28 November 2019 To register your interest in attending one of the meetings please go to: www.mpba.biz/volumetric-residentialgroup.html Representatives from the Volumetric Residential Group will be attending various MPBA exhibitions and event activities throughout 2019 including: Explore Offsite Housing, Futurebuild, Offsite Expo and Modular Matters. Once established, it is proposed that the Group will engage with key industry stakeholders and industry bodies such as the NHBC, BLP,

Founded in 1938, the MPBA play a key role in connecting all sectors of the modular and portable building industry – regardless of size and type. “The MPBA is the single recognised voice for promoting and marketing high-quality products and services across the sector,” adds Jackie Maginnis. “Through the Association’s excellent reputation, we have acquired members who specialise in all types of modular building applications. We would welcome manufacturers of volumetric housing solutions to join our Group. Through the power of collective activity, we can take this innovative sector forward by helping to create a ‘volumetric housing community’ and by creating a real ‘central force’ for the industry.” The modular and portable industry as a whole is worth billions of pounds – for more information on the benefits of joining the MPBA go to: www.mpba.biz Images: 01. Marlborough Park Development. Courtesy ModularWise 01. Ideal Modular Homes factory

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

VOLUMETRIC MODULAR

A STARTER FOR TEN

Premier Modular delivers presentations throughout the UK for multi-academy trusts, building consultants, architects, Tier 1’s and local councils. in the UK, from a single classroom at £200,000 to the £55 million office and welfare accommodation facility at Hinkley Point C, Premier Modular has a wealth of experience in both DfMA and bespoke solutions.

Our ‘insight to offsite design’ focuses on design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) through standardisation whilst exploring the place for bespoke design solutions within offsite’s key markets such as education, healthcare, MOD, retail and residential. Having delivered over £115 million of permanent projects over three years

Within education, we have a set Schedule of Accommodation (SoA) that sets out spatial requirements for buildings – the foundation of design and linked to funding. This formula is at the core of standardisation and the key areas that don’t generally change. All these elements may be in a different location or orientation but elementally they remain the same and have been designed many times before. So why do Premier Modular still provide a bespoke solution? As construction of a building is never straightforward, each

site and each building needs to have the option of some bespoke design. Our recent success in 2018 in rolling out eight school schemes in under 12 months showed that we could utilise up to 70% of the existing design such as the classrooms, corridors, halls and stores. Then design bespoke elements to cater for the specific site constraints such as the entrance location, WC’s, reception classes, admin block and kitchen blocks. We used standard modules and materials to create bespoke individual schools but save time and money. Today we call it bespoke standard design – 10 years ago we called it a ‘starter for ten.’ For more information visit: www.premiermodular.co.uk

1938-2018

MPBA representing the industry for 80 years in the Offsite Sector. THE MODULAR & PORTABLE BUILDING ASSOCIATION The voice of the modular industry

MPBA are the representative body of the Volumetric and Modular building industry. Be part of it. Join here www.mpba.biz

SOME MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS: • High quality learning and training • Industry wide marketing promotion • Access to the NEW Learning Hub

• FREE Guidance and support

on all health and safety issues

• FREE Technical Advice • FREE Employment law services • FREE Regular industry and legislative updates

BUILDING ENVELOPE

EXPERT ENVELOPE DESIGN

When disparate elements are brought together onsite, it is down to the specifier to assess whether the selected combination of materials deliver the required levels of performance. Steve Thompson, Managing Director for EOS, discusses those challenges when specifying building envelopes.

1. Facade 2. Thermal Insulation 3. Breather Membrane

4. Carrier/Sheathing Board

5. Steel Frame System (EOS)

6. Thermal/Acoustic Insulation 1

7. Internal Board

Come and view this technology at Futurebuild, 05-07 March at ExCeL, London. EOS will be exhibiting on Stand E34.

1 For some time, there have been concerns regarding the potential gap between design and as-built performance of buildings and now there is also the new building regulations to consider for fire resistance for buildings over 18m. As ever, the devil is in the detailing, and what was intended by the designer is not always what is achieved on site. Cost is another area that can be problematic. The cost of the external envelope can be influenced by many factors including design complexity, or changes in the design and the coordination of the building envelope to accommodate structural support, glazing or louvres, for example. The overall installed costs must be considered, rather than solely the square metre rate of a material.

Until now there has been a lack of a system-based approach to the design and specification of lightweight infill walls. Instead, each component of the wall was offered by different manufacturers with each providing data relevant only to their element of the system. System solutions can however take away the uncertainty of specifying building envelopes and reduce the risk of not meeting building regulations, performance or cost requirements – helping specifiers meet the challenges of designing the external building envelope. EOS, as part of the Etex Building Performance group of companies, can call upon the expertise of three leading lightweight construction brands – Siniat, Promat and EOS. The combination of expertise in drylining,

external sheathing and steel framing systems, as well as passive fire protection, means that Etex Building Performance is uniquely positioned to bring these elements together to create a range of tested and warranty external Thruwall® systems. After having completed rigorous fire, acoustic, weathering, airtightness and mechanical testing – our all Thruwall® systems are supported by a 30-year warrantee. They combine non-combustible A1 external sheathing, engineered steel framing systems and internal wall linings – meeting building performance requirements for fire, thermal, weathering, acoustics and airtightness all in one certified solution.

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

BUILDING ENVELOPE

TESTED AND WARRANTIED EXTERNAL THRUWALL® SYSTEMS •

Fully non-combustible (Euroclass A1) so is suitable for buildings with a height more than 18 metres

• Can be left fully exposed on-site for up to 12 months •

Dimensionally stable, which means boards can be butted tightly together providing exceptional levels of airtightness

• Eliminates the need for a breather membrane • 50% faster to install than traditional cement particle board • Lightweight • Easy to cut, shape and bend offering more options for design detailing

2 Steel framing systems do not suffer from shrinkage or unpredictable differential movement, which affects other forms of construction. It is not predominately a single sector or single solution technology and can add value to a project ‘up-stream’. The adaptability of steel results in systems being used in a variety of ways and forms to meet the demands of low, medium and high-rise developments across all construction sectors. Offsite system manufacturers are operating in exciting times for the built environment and there has never been a better time to capitalise on the raft of benefits that factory-based offsite technologies can deliver.

With continued investment in advanced manufacturing facilities and product development – all underpinned by 14 years’ design and manufacturing experience in the sector, we are at the forefront of providing value-adding solutions in light gauge steel that meet real customer needs.

outcome is more predictable and repeatable, eradicating the risk of onsite variability. By combining strength, durability and precision engineering – the EOS light steel frame system portfolio offers broad parameters to explore innovative solutions and optimise value engineering.

As specialists in the manufacture of steel framing systems, using LGS sections, EOS offer solutions for all aspects of light steel framing. Manufactured to the most demanding specification, under highly controlled conditions, EOS ensure the final

For more information visit: www.eos-facades.co.uk Images: 01-02. Light gauge steel provides a wealth of benefits to many different construction sectors

NOMINATED FOR THE BEST USE OF STEEL TECHNOLOGY AND HOUSING PROJECT OF THE YEAR IN THE 2019 OFFSITE AWARDS. Transforming the former Young’s Brewery site where beer has been brewed since 1581, the Ram Quarter sensitively integrates historic Grade II buildings into a contemporary scheme which provides accommodation for boutiques, restaurants, a craft-brewery, a brewery museum and 650 new exclusive loft-style apartments. These offsite technologies include the pre-assembly of SFS window components ensuring correct and quick build of key areas, together with non-standard use of load-bearing pre-assembled panels which enabled the quick installation. One of the offsite solutions that offered maximum programme benefits was the innovative Thruwall® System.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

OFFSITE HOUSING & NPPF

DESIGNING THE FUTURE OF OFFSITE RESIDENTIAL DELIVERY

The scene is set for a great year ahead for the offsite sector, says Mike De’Ath, Partner at HTA Design, that are presently on site with over 1000 modular homes, including 101 George Street which will be the world’s tallest volumetric modular building and an even higher number of homes being delivered by panel and frame. the homes we need. I am clear that quantity must never compromise the quality of what is built, and this is reflected in the new rules.”

1 Notwithstanding the obvious concerns of Brexit and the clear signals that parts of the housing market are stalling, we should remain confident that there is plenty of steam left to see an uptick in residential activity, buoyed by council housebuilding and the booming Build to Rent (B2R) sector. These both generating broad support for greater use of modular, panelised and other techniques to increase productivity and quality. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) cleared several historical planning barriers out of the way and recent surveys are suggesting the average time awaiting consents are falling, the planning system is no longer a default barrier to delivery. With this new political and policy energy comes some very clear messages however, and ones that the modular and offsite sector should listen to carefully.

The NPPF takes as its core principle that local people should form local plans regarding the location and form of housing in their areas. Moreover, the framework encourages a more diverse number of models to deliver homes, prompting new entrants to get stuck in. Most significantly for all developers it also embraces the issue of design quality, further reinforced in the July 2018 revision requiring projects to seek and secure high-quality outcomes. The revised framework will enable councils to refuse planning permission for any development that does not prioritise design quality or adequately complement its surroundings. It will also encourage councils to adopt new visual tools to promote better design and quality. Secretary of State for Communities, James Brokenshire said: “This revised planning framework sets out our vision of a planning system that delivers

This edict was further reinforced by recent pronouncements from Kit Malthouse – the ‘most recent’ Housing Minister – that the huge demand for housing should not give licence to poor design. This is directly informing public procurement throughout the country, including the increasingly ambitious land activities of Homes England. Their recent soft market test for an eight site MMC Pilot in September 2018 will potentially inform the largest government initiative yet to promote offsite delivery, with a programme of up to 5000 homes. Moreover, as we look to increase densities, design excellence has become the planners’ default for accessing projects that seek to go beyond the norms of density comfort. We all agree that great design is important but the arbitration of what good looks like is a giant stylistic football that can become a barrier in itself. For the public, the reassuring ‘iconography’ or roofs, front doors, brick formula with streets and gardens are easy enough to recognise, but many of the projects criticised by ministers and the design community easily reach this low bar. Moreover, housebuilders are able to deliver such homes more cheaply using traditional supply chains and often fast enough for the market to absorb, with the flexibility to stop production immediately the market turns.

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

OFFSITE HOUSING & NPPF Early entrants to the offsite delivery of low-rise housing have largely sought to focus on the low end of housebuilder standard product, aiming to replicate the ‘roof, front door, brick’ combo. While this is understandable as they get to grips with the key manufacturing aspects of chassis production, transportation and installation, they will need to progress quickly to higher levels of design aspiration to avoid the dreaded ‘prefab’ tag. Missed expectations on quality will quickly be found out, as will limitations to fenestration, space standards and elevational proportions. Architects who specialise in residential design will work hard to create layouts that optimise light, view and aspect as well as creating compositions of individual home design that make great places, build communities with homes of character. Issues of privacy, security and safety are balanced with how each home is occupied and also how it might change over time as well as is cost in use and lifecycle. These homes aim to be lasting in popularity and aspirational to the occupant. For example, working with Barratt at Hanham Hall in Bristol, HTA have delivered a new community of zero carbon panelised homes and established a distinctive design approach that has been at the heart

of its success. A further example is our collaboration with Ilke Homes to design a terrace of the future for the Sunday Times ‘reader’s choice’ awards. Our design team worked closely with Ilke using our experience as residential architects together with their technical team to design beautiful homes that reflect a collaboration of manufacturing and design. We were delighted that the Sunday Times readers voted for our entry, a significant coup for the offsite industry, beating many great traditional schemes and demonstrating the potential to move well beyond public negative ‘prefab’ preconceptions. It is important to embrace the new disciplines required to create homes using emerging offsite systems. Technical excellence is not enough, the need to embrace expertise in great housing design is paramount. At HTA we use the term ‘designers in industry’, with over 80 staff involved in our modular and offsite projects. As residential design specialists, with two decades of experience on offsite delivery, we also understand that our teams need a modular and offsite mindset to get the best out of the systems we collaborate with. There is much to look forward to and some extremely good prospective projects to demonstrate to ministers

2 and public alike that the beautiful homes of lasting quality required by the NPPF has truly arrived and can be delivered from factories. For more information visit: www.hta.co.uk

Images: 01-02. Hanham Hall is a community of zero carbon offsite-designed homes

AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE “Released in September 2018, the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF 2.0) clearly has a firm focus on housing delivery. And alongside a raft of new planning practice guidance, the revisions to the NPPF finally gives proper recognition to Build to Rent (B2R) as a distinct asset class within the private rented sector. This is an important milestone for the developer industry, as B2R will undoubtedly become more commonplace with the benefit of clear policy guidance for both local planning authorities and developers alike. In accordance with the new planning practice guidance, local planning authorities (LPAs) must consider a range of housing types and tenures in their area when carrying out their local housing need assessment, which should now include provision for those who wish to rent. Where a need is identified, the guidance requires LPAs to prepare a plan policy setting out their approach to promoting and accommodating B2R schemes, including the circumstances and locations where B2R developments will be encouraged. Helpfully, the NPPF is now explicit that affordable housing on B2R schemes should normally be provided as affordable private rent – a class of affordable housing specifically designed for the sector. The policy suggests a benchmark provision of 20% (unless viability concerns dictate otherwise), with rent set at a level at least 20% below open market (inclusive of service charge). Whilst it may take some time to materialise, the Government has also intimated an intention to introduce model s106 clauses to address B2R affordable housing, which will need to cover the parameters of the lettings agreement, the rent levels, apportionment of the homes across the development, a management and service agreement and a marketing agreement setting out how their availability is to be publicised. Whilst still early days, the revised NPPF and accompanying planning practice guidance provide much needed clarity which will boost confidence in this growing sector - and with so many people now priced out of home-ownership, demand for quality homes in the rental market with longer-term security is set to soar. The policy recognition of the B2R sector has therefore come not a second too soon.” James Blackwell, Associate in Planning at Ashfords - www.ashfords.co.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

BBA ROUNDTABLE

TEST FOR QUALITY

Over the last 18 months, the booming reputation and widening public sector commitment to offsite manufacture has been matched by the array of different building systems and components entering the market alongside the differing size of businesses providing them. Awareness and adoption of offsite methods is at an all-time high, with the BBA long committed to helping businesses and organisations, by providing assurances that their products and systems can be selected by ‘architects, designers and specifiers who need to know that their chosen items are safe and fit-for-purpose.’ Although many project clients are at a different stage of the journey to understand the countless products and systems on the marketplace, early engagement is the oft-repeated construction mantra to those considering specifying offsite systems or components. These early stages

are critical as ‘more and less-informed’ clients enter the market, unsure of what they are actually getting involved with and this can be true from a designer’s perspective. “You must understand the rules that are associated with the products, obey them and design with those rules,” says Frank McLeod, UK Head of Project Technology, WSP. “You need a rigorous approach to understanding the credentials of a product and the verification and validation of the product.” For all those considering an offsite approach, the basic fundamental blueprint is to think strategically about what you are trying achieve – whether it is via a panelised, volumetric or hybrid solution – and have a broader understanding of the product or system limitations. Small-scale design refinements are fine ‘post-planning’ but wholesale changes – facilitated through a lack of clear understanding

of the product – can carry huge cost implications, cause project overruns and make the many benefits of precision factory-process close to redundant.

“It does feel like a major shift has been facilitated by digital platforms. Some of those historic barriers surrounding repetition are starting to be eroded. The use of digital tools is providing a lot of momentum.” Russ Edwards, Technical & Design Director, Lendlease Non-Traditional Products & Education The adoption of ‘non-traditional systems and products’ such as engineered timber systems – including the popular cross laminated timber (CLT) – are now being embraced

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BBA ROUNDTABLE out for new prison provision by the Ministry of Justice. But whatever the client, the simple truth is: they want a system that works, delivers a compliant solution that meets requirements and regulations, at the right price and is delivered when and where they need it. Digital Benefits Being prescriptive and standardising system design early in the process can minimise many risks. This is being increasingly done via the use of digital technology – in particular BIM modelling and the adoption of new virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) immersive environments. These digital tools are a huge part of the standardisation and optimisation process that rest at the heart of a successful offsite approach.

at the highest level by architects, engineers and building designers. For non-traditional product and system suppliers, it is critical to get involved in the supply chain early to convince whoever is procuring or specifying the project, that it has merit and will provide a wider project enhancement and is a means to improve the build programme. Having the correct ‘certification’ of course can provide confirmation of quality. “The big challenge is that you are not just trying to sell a product you are trying to sell a service to someone possibly not going to be the service user,” says Sam Dawe, Technical Manager, Innovaré Systems. “We see certification as a justification of a product and as a method of getting people to the table in the first place. It is about encouraging and educating people that don’t have a stake in the build programme to see the product’s benefits.” For a wider uptake and interest at all levels of offsite manufacture, there needs to be a roll-out of ‘high value schemes’ to engage people better and also provide the opportunity to benchmark and measure offsite’s benefits effectively. This is key to overcoming the lingering poor perception of offsite some clients still have in some circles. This also includes the education of funding markets, politicians and those that are in the position of specifying within the supply chain. 36

“Trade associations have a responsibility to provide information around technology as do certification companies.” Mike Ormesher, Research & Development Director, BBA “Educating clients can be tricky,” says Andy King, Managing Director, Wernick Buildings. “From within the construction world it’s easier but if you are a school head teacher things can be very different. There is a lot of incorrect information out there to overcome in order to get someone to an offsite solution and a high level of understanding required.” Some markets are more attuned to the use of volumetric modular, with education in particular faring well – other markets that have never used volumetric modular can be frustratingly sceptical. “Sometimes schemes are screaming out for modular but they would rather go down a route that they are familiar with and know works,” adds Andy. Undoubtedly procurement behaviour needs to change. There is still a struggle with clients trying to procure ‘new things in an old way’, but major public bodies are looking to change the way they procure and build – from school buildings to the commissioning of generic volumetric modular NHS ward blocks, and work being carried

For David Clark, Head of Manufacture & Innovation, McAvoy Group, these digital drivers are central to the company’s ongoing success and growing market share. “It can be seen as gimmicky but we have been using these digital tools since the early 2000s,” says David. “It’s not new to us. We use those digital tools because they make a difference. When we get to the design process and production process, these digital tools can help eliminate waste and everything that we can do to take out waste is critical to us. We can create the building for clients to view and ensure that by the time we get to manufacture we have ironed out any issues in advance.” Finding problems during the manufacturing stage is disastrous in the offsite factory-controlled world, so the more information and data that is available at an early stage before production begins is invaluable. Information is critical. Using digital technology is one clear way of helping deliver an ‘as built’ project ‘as designed’ and being a mainstay of quality control. Design Dictionary A criticism of the construction industry in general – never mind the burgeoning offsite sector – is the sometimes confusing lexicon of terminology surrounding certification, testing, credentials and validation, the differences between them all and what they all actually prove. BBA, CE Mark, BOPAS et al. This is a key peripheral obstacle for many

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

BBA ROUNDTABLE ATTENDEES Facilitator: Darren Richards – Managing Director, Cogent Consulting Claire Curtis-Thomas – CEO, BBA Mike Ormesher - R&D Director, BBA Alvaro Enguita-Gonzalez – Head of Test Services, BBA Andrew Thomson – Design & Development Director, Ultraframe Andy King – Managing Director, Wernick Buildings Frank McLeod – UK Head of Project Technology, WSP David Clark – Head of Manufacture & Innovation, McAvoy Group Russ Edwards – Technical & Design Director, Lendlease Sam Dawe – Technical Manager, Innovaré Systems Gary Ramsay – Editor, Offsite Magazine

trying to enter the market with new, innovative and potentially untried products. “Effectively we have lots of these different streams of certification, adds David Clark. “It can be blurred for those within the industry, never mind clients outside the industry. The various bodies need to come together and try and resolve that.” The levels of scrutiny that the offsite sector is subjected to can be at odds with those undertaken by the traditional build approach. The manufacturing process in a factory is constantly audited, reviewed and checked at many differing stages with quality control everything – by the time ‘the keys are being handed over onsite, the system has gone through a rigorous process – far more so than traditional.’

“If the BBA had a comprehensive database of what works from a building physics and construction point of view and where materials can be easily substituted so a specifier can make a choice on usage. That will free up the way people work rather than being constrained by one system.” Andrew Thomson, Design & Development Director, Ultraframe

When it comes to testing and certification/approvals, some margins for misunderstanding rest in the use of composite materials and interface between products. A single product can be evaluated relatively straightforwardly but questions surround how some systems are being tested and approved ‘as a whole’. A similar issue surrounds the performance of composite materials, their properties and performance ‘over time and under stress’. This can be tricky to gauge accurately. Engineers can design in timber, steel or concrete but hybrid composite systems are ‘a complex mechanism’ – within the offsite sector you have lots of different components coming together from different manufacturers that can prove a ‘demanding certification proposition.’ “Our background is about assessing how these products or systems work independently and how they come together to work as a composite system as whole,” says Mike Ormesher, Research & Development Director, BBA. “At that point you start to define the rules and controls. The certification process has not just to look at the product or system itself, but how it interacts with others and how it is maintained going forward.” With many innovator’s entering the offsite market, the feeling is that UK building regulations can only

go so far in satisfying competency and ‘adequacy of products’ – the insurance industry has generally been seen as reluctant to support the vast amount of innovation happening as the ‘innovation is so diverse they don’t know what they are supporting’. “Fundamentally we are joining a renewed clarion call for the revision of the building regulations,” says Claire Curtis-Thomas, CEO, BBA. “To address some of the concerns within the construction industry that effectively impedes the take up of new technology. We see offsite having a huge potential in the UK.” Construction Crossroads In some regards, the certification industry is at a crossroads. There are several overlaps between what a particular certificate and accreditation demonstrates compared to another type of approval or assessment – they all go some way in satisfying a ‘particular niche’ – but the repetition of data is consistently seen as a flaw and hurdle to overcome for those working to bring products to market. Ideally a ‘friction-free simplification and mutual recognition of each organisations data’ will provide clarity and also encourage more collaboration. For anyone wishing to enter the construction market there is an overlong long list of ‘badges and logos’ required for entry – many of which require the same data.

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BBA ROUNDTABLE “Developing a rules-based approach to your products allows mass-customised design. Designers can use flair and intellect to twist a product creatively and stay within the rules to be unique. That’s what serious clients are asking for.” Frank McLeod, UK Head of Project Technology, WSP “The pace of innovation that new manufacturers are creating means that to an extent the certification and testing arena is in danger of being left behind,” says Darren Richards, Managing Director, Cogent Consulting. “We have seen a maturing and rapid expansion of the offsite industry in the last five years and a massive cultural shift in the levels of collaborations and openness. If the certification industry can do something similar in recognising each other’s processes and data then this would be enormously beneficial.” Certainly with such a huge knowledge pool and panel of experts at its disposal, the BBA is in a perfect position to act as a trusted market collaborator and offer the wider construction industry a comprehensive range of independent technical opinion. This best practice advice ultimately helps minimise the risk of failure in the built environment across the UK. Markets are moving and shifting shape and the certification industry needs to reflect the pioneering amount of work going on in this space. The offsite construction industry also ripe for technology investment and this is changing the commercial model of construction. The traditional construction market is still nowhere near the detailed understanding of what offsite and factory-controlled manufacture can do, and it is not unusual to find seasoned operators from within the certification sector that have never even been inside a factory manufacturing facility environment. As offsite techniques continue to be adopted more readily by clients, architects, engineers and contractors in greater volumes, the landscape of the certification industry needs to change to encompass more non-traditional building methods – of which offsite is often tagged – so all stakeholders can align themselves in a ‘collective new direction of travel.’

LESSONS & OUTCOMES Terminology Uncertainty – confusion on certification, testing, standards, insurance, assurance, warranties, validation and verification – what does it all mean? More Accountability – designers, contractors, manufacturers moving more to a service provision model. Standardised Rules – ideally a clear set of standardised rules should be in place that all project parties can understand and work against. Onsite Challenge – can the factory quality be maintained to the same level of control through assembly, install and handover. Does the product do what you think it’s going to do? Level Playing Field - there is a disconnect between what the traditional construction industry has to prove and what the offsite sector has to demonstrate and corroborate. Impeding Innovation – the certification sector needs to speed up its processes and testing to keep pace with the huge amount of innovation taking place. Testing Availability – time taken to test products can become an inhibitor to innovation and a blockage to products reaching the marketplace. Data Lake – the use of anonymised and aggregated data from product testing could provide hugely valuable in forecasting likely outcomes. Interface Education – develop products to a highly descriptive level and give installers the rules on interfaces associated with deployment through a flexible, intuitive approach.

There is a clear market opportunity for certification bodies – such as the BBA – to support the research and development process rather than just retain a position as an arbiter or issuer of a certificate. Certification bodies also need to speak in language that everyone understands when approaching assessment methodologies. Standardisation of information for specifiers needs to be simple and transparent and the information relatable to all clients. “It is all about collaboration, says Alvaro Enguita-Gonzalez, Head of

Test Services, BBA. “The technology is there, the needs are there, the market and demand is there. It’s all about engaging better.” Many thanks to the BBA for hosting the Roundtable Event and thanks to all participants for their time and contributions to the discussion. For more information on the BBA visit: www.bbacerts.co.uk For more information on offsite related activity visit: www.offsitehub.co.uk

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

ARE YOUR PRODUCTS AND SYSTEMS APPROVED? As part of our warranty application process, developers and builders must ensure that the products and systems they use on site are approved by us in line with the requirements of our Technical Manual. Using products and systems that are not approved by Premier Guarantee may lead to lengthy delays on-site and could result in the development being rejected for structural warranty cover. Our product and system approval process has been developed to help manufacturers gain accreditation under our technical requirements, allowing them to be promoted as an approved system provider, giving customer’s confidence in using their products and systems on sites registered with Premier Guarantee.

construction, giving developers and lenders the confidence and trust in your product. As a leading provider of Structural Warranty in the UK, being approved by Premier Guarantee would: • Enable your product to be approved for use to over 2000 Premier Guarantee registered Developers and Builders throughout the UK.

BENEFITS OF BEING APPROVED

• Provide assurance to our clients and lenders that your products and systems are approved to perform to a consistently high quality standard and remain durable for a minimum of 60 years.

Our approval process is one of the most robust in the Structural Warranty market. It audits manufacturers on design, quality control, assembly, transportation and on-site

• Allows you to promote yourself as an approved system provider giving your customers the confidence to use your products and/or systems.

premierguarantee.co.uk | 0800 107 8446 2 Shore Lines Building, Shore Road, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH41 1AU @PG_Live

/ premier-guarantee

MD Insurance Services Ltd is the Scheme Administrator for the Premier Guarantee range of structural warranties. MD Insurance Services Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

FUTUREBUILD 2019 OFFSITE HUB

THE CHALLENGES FOR OFFSITE

Taking place from 5-7 March, Futurebuild 2019 will focus on tackling the biggest challenges impacting the industry and provide visitors with unrivalled insight and hands-on experience around the latest thinking, innovations and products to address these issues.

1 Futurebuild is the leading built environment event for offsite construction professionals to meet, learn, be inspired and do business. The packed three-day programme will be developed in conjunction with renowned, industry leading partners, and provide over 500 hours of learning across an inspiring conference programme and 11 seminar streams – all completely free and CPD accredited. Futurebuild will also host the 2019 Offsite Awards and showcase a gallery of the finalists – with truly ground-breaking innovations and exceptional offsite projects.

opportunities to learn about the latest best practice and network with cuttingedge innovators in the sector.

Futurebuild 2019 promises to be the premier destination for professionals both working in and keen to learn more about the offsite sector. The dedicated Offsite Hub at Futurebuild, in partnership with Explore Offsite, will be 36% larger than the 2018 offsite offering, providing even more

The Hub will host the Explore Offsite Masterclass programme, which will bring together a range of supplychain specialists and industry leaders to provide expert, CPD accredited information on the effective application of offsite technology. Aimed at delivering fast, qualitative

Looking to Offsite for a Solution With the UK in the midst of a housing crisis and the Government increasing the housing infrastructure fund to £5.5 billion to support the building of 650,000 homes, the focus on offsite as a solution has never been greater. The Offsite Hub at Futurebuild 2019 will address industry demand for comprehensive information and guidance on the latest innovations and opportunities in the sector.

improvements in working knowledge, the series of masterclasses will feature carefully chosen guest speakers. Each session will examine a specific sector, technology or related topic, with reallife case studies to bring the subject to life. An open forum will offer visitors the opportunity to ask questions and gain insight into approaches and experiences. Taking place in four dedicated seminar theatres, with a specific technology focus, the Masterclasses are free to attend and backed by key trade bodies – the Structural Timber Association (STA), the Modular and Portable Building Association (MPBA), British Precast and the Light Steel Frame Association – and each have housing sessions hosted by the NHBC. The Masterclasses will host over 100 expert speakers including James Donington, UK Commercial Manager at FP McCann, John Spittle,

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FUTUREBUILD 2019 OFFSITE HUB

2 UK Representative for Wiehag GmbH, and Nathalie Meunier, Senior Business Manager, McAvoy Group. The presentations will cover all areas of offsite including: Housing, Commercial, Education, Retail & Leisure, Policy, Housing – Custom & Self Build, Healthcare, Infrastructure, BIM/Digital, Container Technology, Student Accommodation, Steel Volumetric and Hybrid technologies. Visitors will be also able to meet market-leading offsite manufacturers – including the Hadley Group, which will be exhibiting it’s two-storey stand. Speaking about the event Chris Holleron, Group Product Manager for Housing at Hadley Group, said: “Futurebuild helps to showcase what the face of construction might look like in the future. It’s an event that’s truly interested in what the future looks like and wants to help the industry as it drives towards a number of major technological breakthroughs. Our focus at this year’s event will be on our range of high quality, light gauge galvanised steel structural framing systems and their wide range of applications across the world of construction.” Other exhibitors include Marley Modular Systems and Elite Systems who will be showcasing and demonstrating the latest offsite technologies, systems and materials. In addition, the Hub will host a variety of exclusive feature attractions including full-scale modular builds, and a collaboration between Futurebuild and community interest company, Help Bristol’s Homeless, to convert containers into self-contained studio flats for the homeless. For more tailored support in fully embracing the opportunities presented by offsite, the Hub will

also offer a dedicated Meet the Expert space, facilitated by Cogent Consulting, where visitors can have one-to-one consultations with recognised leaders in the field. Visitors will be able to drop in without the need to pre-book or pay a consultation fee and will be able to discuss anything from design efficiencies to engineering challenges and supplychain management. The Offsite Café will also provide a platform for industry leaders and innovators to network. The Offsite Awards To celebrate the outstanding examples of offsite technologies and products that contribute to developing sustainable, streamlined and costeffective ways to deliver a better built environment, the Offsite Awards will host over 500 offsite industry leaders and take place on the first evening of Futurebuild. Returning for a second year, the evening will kick off with a drinks reception ahead of the ceremony in the ecobuild conference arena, providing an unrivalled networking opportunity. The event will be hosted by the hilarious Mark Durden-Smith and will be a fun and enjoyable way to round off day one at the show. New and Exclusive Features Over 500 market-leading brands and organisations from across the globe will be showcasing their product innovations and contributing to the extensive knowledge programme. These new and exclusive features include ZEDfactory’s LivShare, The Hadley Drive, Innovation Zone and Clean Growth UK café, and the RIBA Marketplace. Helping visitors gain a truly immersive and in-depth experience across all areas of the industry, exhibitors will be hosted across six curated Hubs. In addition

3 to the Offsite Hub, focuses include buildings, energy, interiors, materials, and urban infrastructure. Exploring Materials Uniting the latest innovations, research and understanding in mainstream materials such as timber and concrete, alongside a spotlight on emerging alternatives, the Materials Hub will bring together the latest advances and expertise from across the sector. With a focus on supporting visitors in making the best possible material choices on the projects they are working on, the Hub will provide a platform for visitors to meet and learn from leading industry bodies, including TRADA, The Concrete Centre, Wood for Good and the Mineral Products Association. Hosted in partnership with leading trade organisations, the Hub will also host a CPD-accredited seminar programme to provide a wealth of knowledge for visitors. This year, TRADA and Wood for Good will be launching ‘Timber Design Pioneers’ at Futurebuild – a free to download publication that takes a close look at the impact of strong, innovative and collaborative teams on the advancement of structural timber projects. Adding to the knowledge sharing and practical demonstrations on offer will be an exhibitor list featuring top brands representing all building materials, including Nudura, Glavloc, Cemex UK, Creagh Concrete, Piveteaubois and Steico. Concrete Futures – exploring innovation and new technology. This Futurebuild feature, in partnership with The Concrete Centre and This is Concrete is exploring innovation and new technology in materials, production, logistics, construction and re-use. TRADA will also highlight timber’s design capabilities, with

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FUTUREBUILD 2019 OFFSITE HUB

4 will explore new tools, technologies and delivery approaches to improve both new and existing buildings. In an industry still feeling the effects of Grenfell, attendees will also be given the opportunity to voice their concerns on topics such as social value, overheating, high-rise, Passivhaus and build performance.

5 a gallery of shortlisted entries for the TRADA University Challenge Competition in its bookshop. In addition, the Natural Building Area will offer free educational information, expert support and showcases of natural materials and businesses within the UK natural building industry. Creating Buildings for the Future The Buildings Hub will cover all aspects of building, including new build, retrofit and refurbishment. Visitors will have the opportunity to speak to pioneering brands working across construction and maintenance – such as Internorm, Recticel, Bauder, Durisol and Smart Systems – as well as engage in conversation around the latest technology and legislation. The Buildings Hub seminar programme will give visitors insights into the latest thinking and initiatives in building quality and performance and occupier comfort. The sessions

Further key features include the Livshare project led by architect Bill Dunster OBE and the RIBA Marketplace, designed by Gundr + Ducker and sponsored by ROCKWOOL and Rockpanel. Both will create key focal points and networking opportunities for building professionals. The LivShare project will enable sixth form students to learn vital construction skills while building affordable, energy-efficient, multioccupancy homes. With space for up to eight people, they are not only affordable but also exceed building regulations, are super insulated and have the potential of no net annual energy bills. A prototype will be displayed at Futurebuild before providing much needed housing for young people. The Urban Infrastructure Hub will explore the latest solutions across blue, green, grey and social infrastructure. The Urban Infrastructure Seminar Theatre, sponsored by ACO, and the accompanying exhibition will feature

both nature-based and manufactured solutions to address challenges in active travel, air pollution, landscaping, water management and more, while the Hub’s own green space, City Walk, will allow visitors to experience the benefits of a green setting and see innovations on display. The Waste Zone will return with new and expanded features for 2019. Curated by architect, academic and author Duncan Baker-Brown, the area will showcase how waste can be a valuable resource for industry. Central to the experience will be the new Circular Economy Hub, which will take a unique beach hut format and feature a collection of hand-picked brands at the forefront of making the circular economy a reality. Meeting Challenges and Making Commitments Central to the event will be the ecobuild conference, where visitors will be inspired to take action on the most pressing challenges through insights from leading experts. With an overarching theme of ‘Time for Action’, the conference sessions will be collaborative forums where visitors can develop plans for implementing change and proposing action for a more sustainable future. A total of 13 key challenges will be tackled through the conference programme, including The Housing Challenge – more than houses by

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FUTUREBUILD 2019 OFFSITE HUB

6 Jane Briginshaw, Director of Design England. ‘The Quality Challenge – why can’t we build better buildings?’ will also be addressed by Robin Nicholson of Cullinan Studio, Ben Derbyshire of RIBA and Kath Fontana of RICS. Other topics being addressed include: the challenge to change: how to achieve a built environment fit for 2050, how to respond to the climate crisis, how to achieve a truly circular economy, how to strengthen environmental protections, how to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals, how to apply innovative technology and techniques to transform the industry, how to overcome the housing crisis, how to put health and wellbeing at the heart of design, how to reinforce the connections between education, skills and research to develop a future workforce and how to transform existing homes through behaviour change and deep retrofits. Visitors can also take a more comprehensive look into the biggest issues facing the built environment through the Knowledge Forum – new for 2019. Throughout the three days of Forum sessions, industry leading partners, academia and

professional bodies will provide useful solutions and guidance for construction professionals to take back to the office. These workshops will comprise of Building Sustainably… Building Productively… Building Responsibly... by the BRE Academy, Image of Construction delivered by CCS and sponsored by CITB, Research & Education delivered by various partners and institutions such as Bioregional, CIAT, Carbon Trust, CISL and Nottingham and Southbank Universities. Plus a CPD workshop and dedicated Mindful Materials sessions and lounge. On the first day of Futurebuild, the Youth Conference will kick off in the Knowledge Forum networking space. The conference will be hosted by Rani King MBE, taking place during National Apprenticeship week it will provide a platform for the builders of tomorrow to learn more about challenges such as the national housing crisis, lack of affordable housing, the growing problem of homelessness and the skills gap. The LivShare’ step up home will be introduced at the Youth Conference as well as taking central place in the Buildings Hub. As an official UK Government Innovation Partner, Futurebuild will

also be hosting the Innovation Zone with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Innovate UK. At the Zone, BEIS will be showcasing the work of the Energy Innovation Programme and demonstrating how it is delivering the Clean Growth Strategy. Focusing on true innovation, it will provide a platform for investment and knowledge exchange across three areas: a dedicated three-day seminar series; an exhibition featuring innovative businesses BEIS and Innovative UK have provided funding to; and a ‘Business Bar’ in collaboration with the Knowledge Transfer Network – providing 1-to-1 advice and support on accessing funding. For more information and to register for free, visit: www.futurebuild.co.uk/register

Images: 01-06. The Offsite Hub is set to be a hive of activity including the venue for the Offsite Awards 2019

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The future of Offsite @FuturebuildNow

Introducing Futurebuild 2019 Be at the heart of construction innovation in the Offsite Hub, brought to you in partnership with Explore Offsite. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offsite hub is bigger than ever before and ensures that Futurebuild 2019 remains the premier destination for professionals working across the built environment to learn about and experience first-hand the latest innovations and opportunities in offsite construction. Taking place in four dedicated seminar theatres, the Explore Offsite Masterclasses will bring together over 100 speakers, including supply-chain specialists and industry leaders, all with

/FuturebuildNow

In partnership with

HUB

a specific technology focus and backed by key Trade Bodies - the Structural Timber Association, the Modular and Portable Building Association (MPBA), British Precast and Light Steel Frame Association.

/FuturebuildNow

FuturebuildNow

OFFSITE AWARDS

OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION AWARDS 2019 FINALISTS

The award submissions are now in and the judges have completed the challenging task of narrowing down the entries, ready for the big night! With over 200 projects, products and pioneering people entering this year’s awards, places on the shortlist have been hotly contested. Submissions have flooded in from across the UK, with entrants vying to win one of the prestigious Offsite Awards. The finalists represent those who are at the forefront of the offsite construction sector, developing ground-breaking new technology, prefabrication and factory-based methods. Across the 22 categories, the shortlisted entrants have been chosen for their outstanding contributions to the sector. Now in its fifth year, the Offsite Awards have grown in stature and status, attracting over 350 delegates from the industry. The winners will be announced on the 05 March 2019 at the ExCeL in London – co-located with futurebuild 2019. Proceedings will kick off with a drinks, canape and networking reception. See below for full details of this years shortlisted entries:

BEST USE OF CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY SHORTLIST BEST USE OF CONCRETE 01 TECHNOLOGY

01 Creagh Concrete & Galliford Try

02 Dandara Group

CATEGORY SPONSOR

03 FP McCann

04 FP McCann

05 Studio Partington

OFFSITE PIONEER OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST OFFSITE PIONEER 01 OF THE YEAR

01 Kier Construction

02 Mid Group

03 Steel Frame Buildings

CATEGORY SPONSOR

04 Studio Partington

05 Urban Splash

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OFFSITE AWARDS HOUSING PROJECT OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST HOUSING PROJECT OF 01THE YEAR

CATEGORY SPONSOR

01 CCG (Scotland) 02 EOS Facades 03 Frame Technologies 04 HTA Design LLP & Vision Modular Systems 05 ilke Homes 06 shedkm 07 Studio Bark 08 Studio Partington 09 Swan Housing Association 10 Vision Modular / Pocket Living / Metropolitan Workshop

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT OF THE YEAR

01 Caledonian Modular

02 COWI

03 Kier Construction

04 Mott Macdonald

01 Accuframe

02 Blumer-Lehmann AG

03 D&S Baucon GmbH

05 The McAvoy Group

INSTALLER OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST INSTALLER OF 01THE YEAR

CATEGORY SPONSOR

04 James Johnson & Co

05 Vision Modular Systems

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

OFFSITE AWARDS PROJECT OR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST PROJECT/CONSTRUCTION MANAGER OF THE YEAR

01 Berkeley Homes

02 Gilbert Ash

CATEGORY SPONSOR

03 GSK (nominated by SES Engineering Services)

04 Mid Group

BEST USE OF TIMBER TECHNOLOGY SHORTLIST BEST USE OF TIMBER 01TECHNOLOGY

05 Tide Construction

CATEGORY SPONSOR

01 Blue Forest (UK) 02 Blumer-Lehmann AG 03 Cowley Timber and Partners 04 Eckersley Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Callaghan 05 Ruth Butler Architects 06 Scotframe 07 Stride Treglown Architects & Whitby Wood 08 Studio Bark 09 Studio Partington 10 Wiehag GmbH

COMMERCIAL PROJECT OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST COMMERCIAL PROJECT OF 01THE YEAR

01 B&K Structures

02 FP McCann

03 MICA Architects

CATEGORY SPONSOR

04 Peter Dann

05 Catfoss

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OFFSITE AWARDS BEST USE OF HYBRID TECHNOLOGY SHORTLIST BEST USE OF HYBRID TECHNOLOGY

01 B&K Structures

02 ilke Homes

CATEGORY SPONSOR

03 Innovaré Systems

04 Mid Group

05 SIP Build UK

EDUCATION PROJECT OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST EDUCATION PROJECT OF 01THE YEAR

CATEGORY SPONSOR

01 Bailey Partnership and Enviro Building Solutions 02 EOS Facades 03 Extraspace Solutions 04 Ian Ritchie Architects 05 Innovaré Systems 06 Innovaré Systems 07 ISG & Premier Modular 08 Mid Group 09 Streif UK 10 Willmott Dixon and AHR

RETAIL / LEISURE PROJECT OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST RETAIL/LEISURE PROJECT OF THE YEAR

01 B&K Structures

02 Constructional Timber

03 EOS Facades

CATEGORY SPONSOR

04 FP McCann

05 Wiehag GmbH

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

REHAU Smart Link Plumbing Manifold- the ideal partner for offsite construction. Innovative, compact, time-saving and versatile plumbing solution offering simple installation making it highly convenient and cost-effective for managing water distribution. Experience superior partnership with REHAU. www.rehau.uk/buildyourlegacy

OFFSITE AWARDS CLIENT OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST CLIENT OF 01THE YEAR

01 Barratt Homes

CATEGORY SPONSOR

02 Canary Wharf Contractors

03 Dandara Group

04 Home Group

05 The Royalton Group / Moorfield Group

BIM/DIGITAL CONSTRUCTION AWARD SHORTLIST BIM/DIGITAL CONSTRUCTION AWARD

01 ilke Homes

02 Mid Group

03 Premier Modular & ISG

CATEGORY SPONSOR

04 The McAvoy Group

05 voestalpine Metsec

ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR

01 AHR

02 Chapman Taylor Architects

03 Glancy Nicholls Architects

CATEGORY SPONSOR

04 Hodder & Partners with Dandara

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05 HTA Design LLP

OFFSITE AWARDS ENGINEER OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST ENGINEER 01THE YEAR OF

01 Buro Happold

CATEGORY SPONSOR

02 Eckersley O’Callaghan

03 MJHSE

04 Mott Macdonald

05 Peter Dann

PRODUCT INNOVATION OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST PRODUCT INNOVATION AWARD 01

CATEGORY SPONSOR

01 CABU 02 Innovaré Systems 03 John Fleming & Michael Hough 04 Offsite Solutions 06 Portakabin 07 Recticel Insulation UK 08 REHAU 09 SPSenvirowall 10 Tufeco

HEALTH & SAFETY AWARD SHORTLIST HEALTH & SAFETY AWARD

01 D&S Baucon GmbH

02 FP McCann

03 Mid Group

05 On The Level

CATEGORY SPONSOR

04 Structural Timber Association

05 Tide Construction

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

OFFSITE AWARDS BEST USE OF VOLUMETRIC TECHNOLOGY SHORTLIST BEST USE OF VOLUMETRIC TECHNOLOGY 01

01 ilke Homes

02 Peter Dann

03 Swan Housing Association

01 Gilbert Ash

02 Kier Construction

04 Mid Group

01 Kingspan Steel Building Solutions

02 EOS Facades

05 Vision Modular Systems & Donban Contracting

BEST USE OF STEEL TECHNOLOGY SHORTLIST BEST USE OF STEEL TECHNOLOGY

05 Wernick Buildings

CATEGORY SPONSOR

03 Mace

04 Vision Modular Systems & Tide Construction

CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR

CATEGORY SPONSOR

03 Hadley Group

CATEGORY SPONSOR

04 ilke Homes

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05 Sigmat

OFFSITE AWARDS BEST USE OF MEP/POD TECHNOLOGY SHORTLIST BEST USE OF MEP & POD 01TECHNOLOGY

01 Beard Construction

02 FP McCann

03 GRAHAM

CATEGORY SPONSOR

04 Offsite Solutions

05 SES Engineering Services

HEALTHCARE PROJECT OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST HEALTHCARE PROJECT OF THE YEAR

01 EOS Facades

02 Inviewing Technology & Solutions

03 Mace

CATEGORY SPONSOR

04 SES Engineering Services

A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR 2019 NON-CATEGORY SPONSORS: Headline Sponsors:

The 2019 Offsite Awards will be hosted by the inimitable Mark Durden-Smith.

Event Brochure:

Trophy Sponsor:

Drinks Reception Sponsors:

Book tickets online for one of the biggest offsite networking events of the year.

www.offsiteawards.co.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

MODULAR LOGISTICS

THE JOURNEY – FROM FACTORY TO SITE

As an offsite manufacturing expert and engineer with over 20 years’ experience developing offsite businesses, processes and products, Trevor Richards, Operations Director of Cogent Consulting, discusses logistics and the crucial factors with the design and manufacture of volumetric modules.

1 Due to its positive impact on cost, programme, quality and safety, modular construction has gained considerable momentum – the new Industrial Strategy mandating the use of offsite technology on a range of publicly financed construction initiatives – is just one of the driving forces behind innovations in this rapidly developing sector. The offsite manufacturing arena is an exciting place to be and we are seeing more inward investment than I have witnessed in decades of working within the industry. For many, volumetric modular is the ultimate expression of offsite manufacture. The more that can be achieved in the factory, the better and safer the process becomes overall, but transportation parameters must be factored into the equation. Transportation Parameters Volumetric module sizes must be determined by balancing the width, length and height with transport restrictions and the cost of haulage

and installation. The size of any load classed as ‘abnormal’ can be exceeded, however this brings in to play further regulations. This will result in either notifications to the authorities or an escort vehicle accompanying deliveries. An abnormal load is a vehicle that has any of the following characteristics – weight of more than 44,000 kilograms (43.3 ton), an axle load of more than 10,000 kilograms (9.85 ton) for a single non-driving axle and 11,500 kilograms (11.32 ton) for a single driving axle, a width of more than 2.9m and/or a rigid length of more than 18.65 metres. Loads may overhang the end of a trailer, but once this exceeds 2m, additional notifications are required. In relation to transport specification, a standard UK flat-bed trailer is 13.5m long. It is generally accepted that a load should not extend beyond 1.5m from the end of the trailer bed and an allowance needs to be made between

the load and the trailer headboard to ensure adequate manoeuvrability can be achieved. Any transportable load with a width exceeding 2.9m up to 4.3m, requires two clear days notice to the police in order to be moved. For a width exceeding 5.0m up to 6.1m, in addition to two days notice to the police, a report form needs to be sent to the Highways Agency. Depending on the load being moved and the route taken, in addition to the notifying the Police and Highways, advance warning may also need to be given to bridge and structure owners such as Network Rail. UK Legislation does not contain any requirement for an abnormal load to be escorted. However, legally enforceable standards exist for the notification of abnormal load movement to both Chief Constables and the Highway Authorities. The police are not responsible for ensuring the safe operational passage of abnormal loads on the roads – this is

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MODULAR LOGISTICS

2 the role of the operator. General rules for escort vehicles are: up to 4.3m wide, no escort vehicle, over 4.3m but not exceeding 5m, a private escort and for loads over 5m, a police escort is required. In addition, any abnormal load travelling within the Metropolitan Police area that is within the M25 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; has further time restrictions. No movement of abnormal loads are permitted within this area between peak traffic times of 07:00 to 10:00 and 16:30 to 19:00 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Monday to Friday. Saturday restrictions are 10:00 to 19:00 and on Sundays, the UK norm applies. Traffic Management and Installation Routes must be planned to take into consideration road sizes and contours together with height restrictions, including natural and man-made barriers such as trees and bridges. Due to the nature and location of some sites, there may be a requirement for a professional level of traffic management to control both vehicles and pedestrians in and around the area. The crane selection is calculated on exact structural sizes and module component make-up which will affect the overall gross weight. For some the installation process of modular units can seem complicated and expensive. However, small units can be delivered to site quite easily and offloaded into position using a truck mounted crane. The distance a truck mounted crane can lift a unit, depends very much on the weight. The heavier the unit, the

3 less reach capability of the crane. So therefore, all lifting capabilities are very site specific. Depending on site conditions, mobile cranes may be required to lift the unit into hard to reach places. As volumetric and modular buildings get taller, tower cranes are playing a greater role in the installation. The use of mobile tower cranes is prominent on city sites with tight footprints, as they are far quicker to mobilise and more cost effective for a short duration, as well as being quicker than a small telescopic boom crane. Precision-Controlled The success and appeal of module manufacture rests in the repeatability of units. Load-bearing modules can be steel or timber-based and are pre-fitted with electrics, plumbing, heating, doors and windows, together with finishes. The modules are commissioned prior to leaving

the factory, ensuring that defects are minimised, and quality control is very high. By assembling modules in a precision-controlled factory environment, the production line techniques that drive module assembly bring speed of delivery, enhance the quality of the end product and dramatically improve productivity. Yes, module selection can be significantly influenced by logistics but this ultimate expression of offsite manufacture, brings a wealth of benefits to any building sector. For more information visit: www.cogent-consulting.co.uk

Images: 01-03. Transportation and installation considerations are all part of the offsite delivery model. Courtesy Carbon Dynamic, Pocket Living and Portakabin

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

BATHROOM PODS

BREXIT: MINIMISING THE IMPACT

1 According to the RICS, UK construction could lose 8% of its workforce post-Brexit – around 200,000 EU workers. The availability of labour in urban centres is one of the biggest challenges created by Brexit and could lead to significantly higher project costs. If there are restrictions in the movement of labour, there will be pressure on wage inflation, which could be as high as 15% because of the reduced labour pool. The fall in the value of sterling also means that the UK will be a less attractive work destination and no longer the first choice for construction workers. Over the last 20 years, the ready availability of overseas labour has resulted in very low levels of apprenticeships in the UK. If these workers do return to their countries of origin, the UK simply does not have sufficient domestic labour to address the skills gap. It is estimated that at least a quarter of all materials used in UK construction are imported – underlining the susceptibility of the industry to currency fluctuations. Reports from manufacturers and construction companies predict material price increases of up to 20% because of the rising cost of materials imports and the pressure of the weaker pound. There is also the possibility of additional duties

2 if the UK loses the benefit of the single market and limits are imposed on quantities. We believe the use of offsite construction can mitigate the effects of Brexit because of the greater cost certainty it offers. The procurement of bathroom pods, for example, should be prioritised as the bathrooms will be delivered at an early stage in the project – even before the building envelope is installed. A better price can be agreed with early procurement and the risk of cost inflation can then be mitigated As a bathroom pod manufacturer, we can achieve this because we have considerable buying power for bathroom products and materials – from taps, tiles and sanitary ware to timber, steel and oil-based materials for GRP. Long-term agreements with our supply chain give us the benefit of fixed annual prices. We place the orders for products and materials for the entire project as soon as our contract with the client is signed. Offsite manufacturers also have a more stable, longer-term, multi-skilled workforce and so are in a stronger position to protect against wage inflation.

With in-situ bathroom construction, several packages are tendered separately and typically at a later stage in the build programme. This leaves the contractor or developer much more exposed to cost increases for the finishing trades. By entering into contract for factory-built bathrooms at an earlier stage, contractors and developers will secure a fixed price for one of the larger packages in a building project and at least 12 months ahead of the procurement process for in-situ bathroom construction. This provides critical certainty of cost and programme and removes the risk of wage inflation or material price increases. Whilst UK companies are having to grapple with higher costs, skills shortages and further pressure on the value of sterling, there are also some positives resulting from Brexit. Importing completed bathroom pods from Europe has become significantly more expensive. When this is combined with the longer lead times required for imports and the reduced responsiveness of manufacturers based outside the UK at the design stages, for delivery scheduling and in after sales, developers and contractors have been encouraged to focus in UK suppliers. As a result, we have seen much less competition from European bathroom pod manufacturers since the Brexit referendum which has had a very positive impact on our business and has to be good for British manufacturing and the offsite industry overall. For more information visit: www.offsitesolutions.com Images: 01-02. The use of offsite construction can mitigate the effects of Brexit because of the greater cost certainty it offers

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Delivering efficiency and competitive advantage using offsite technology We develop and improve: Business strategies Product & service portfolios Manufacturing operations Supply-chain integration Business processes Management systems Marketing strategies Sales routes to market

01743 290010

@Cogent_Offsite

info@cogent-consulting.co.uk

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CASE STUDY

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

POSITIVE PROGRESS AT THE ACTIVE OFFICE

1 The Active Office – the UK’s first energy-positive office – was opened in June last year at Swansea University. Designed by SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre to be powered entirely by solar energy, the Active Office aims to generate more energy than it consumes over the course of a year. The Active Office isn’t just meant to be a high performance modular building for its own sake, but also to demonstrate how well buildings can perform with technology available today. The building is packed full of cutting edge, commercially available technology to help generate, store and manage energy for the building. One piece of technology provides both electricity and heat to the building – the photovoltaic thermal (PV-T) system by Naked Energy. Made up of a number of photovoltaic panels contained in vacuum sealed tubes, the system has been mounted onto the front elevation of the building and could potentially provide heat energy for the entire building through spring, summer and autumn. More solar energy is collected through the roof which is covered in, or more accurately made up of, solar cells. The PV cells are bonded directly onto

pre-painted steel to create a roofing system that can be installed using conventional methods. The Active Office features the first commercial installation of BIPVco’s technology on a curved profile, which aside from adding architectural flair, will also generate power throughout the year even in low light conditions. The various systems are monitored by extensive metering installed throughout the building, enabling SPECIFIC to determine where energy is being generated and consumed. This is reflected in a real time display in the entrance foyer, allowing occupants and visitors to find out how the building is performing. However, the building can’t reach its energy positive target if all the energy it generates is wasted. “We took a fabric-first approach to reducing energy consumption,” said Joanna Clark, Building Integration Manager with SPECIFIC and Architect for the Active Office. The Active Office was designed and conceived by SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre and funded by Innovate UK with support from Swansea University and the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government. It was manufactured offsite by Wernick Buildings, in their factory in nearby Port Talbot. SPECIFIC knew that modular

3 construction could deliver the levels of performance they needed against a challenging programme and budget. Months later, the choice of modular is being borne out by data. On current performance, SPECIFIC predict an annual consumption of approximately 20MWh versus an annual generation of 24MWh. The future looks bright for this new type of solar-powered building design. In September 2018, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, announced funding for the Active Building Centre through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and UKRI. The new independent National Centre will seek to remove barriers and accelerate market adoption of new Active Buildings. It seems likely that modular construction will play an important part in progress towards a low carbon future. For more information visit: www.wernick.co.uk www.specific.eu.com Images: 01-03. The modular building is ultra energy efficient with a range of lessons being taken from the data gathered

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ADVERTORIAL

PROTECT MEMBRANES USED FOR PIONEERING OFFSITE SOCIAL HOUSING SCHEME Protect’s reflective TF200 Thermo insulating breather membrane, has been used throughout a six-property social housing project in Banbury, to provide enhanced thermal efficiency, low U-value and excellent overall environmental performance. Cherwell District Council (CDC) required a turnkey solution to provide high-quality, affordable housing and turned to offsite construction specialist F1 Modular to design and build the properties. Appointed via the LHC’s New Housing and Associated Works (NH1) procurement framework, F1 Modular’s design challenge comprised of manufacturing 26 ensuite rooms with shared facilities and two bedsit properties all contained within six shared houses. Working closely with CDC’s in-house design team, F1 Modular built a series of volumetric construction modules in strict factory controlled and weathertight conditions. Delivered on budget and requiring reduced time onsite thanks to offsite manufacture, the modules were

installed with Protect’s BM TRADAcertified, TF200 Thermo membrane fixed to the outer structure. This provided low emissivity and temporary protection against wind damage, weathering and water penetration, whilst also ensuring the passage of water vapour into the external cavity between the external masonry and the outer wall – significantly reducing the risk of condensation. Protect’s range of wall, ceiling and floor construction membranes together with its roofing underlays and accessories provides a comprehensive solution to the modular build sector. Protect construction membrane products with reflective technology help deliver thermal efficiency benefits to meet low target U-values and ensure compliance with relevant Building Regulations.

For more information visit www.protectmembranes.com www.f1modular.co.uk email info@protectmembranes.com or call 0161 905 5700, quoting Cherwell Social Housing Images: 01. A module built by F1 Modular is craned into position featuring Protect TF200 Thermo as the external breather membrane.

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MODULAR MATTERS

MODULAR: AN INDUSTRY IN TRANSITION

Although new to the UK market, DMDmodular are currently involved with the world’s tallest modular hotel in New York. Ewelina Wozniak-Szpakiewicz, CEO of DMDmodular, shares her views on how the offsite market is developing globally.

1 Last year we saw dynamic growth of the worldwide modular construction industry market. One of the fastest growing markets is the UK along with the USA and China. The UK market for modular buildings is estimated to have increased to around 8% of total construction output in 2018. By 2020 in China, it will have reached more than 15% and in some popular market segments, be as high as 35%. As for the USA market, modular broadly is estimated to make up 3-5% of the total construction industry but is consistently growing. So is it a revolution or an evolution in the construction market? This progress illustrates a world modernising the way it builds and thinks about the built environment. When looking at the hospitality and housebuilding sector, we can see how the markets are changing, driven by modular construction technology.

Market Drivers The construction industry has long revolved around three key attributes – schedule, quality and price – are the key drivers in any project. But tradition says you can only choose two. Modular has always excelled at project schedules, leaving clients choosing between price and quality. Before we choose, let’s look at some other drivers in the economy and the world. Most of Europe, the USA and Japan are not replacing their populations. Technical occupations have replaced trade occupations in most of these countries. Where are the bricklayers of the future coming from?

One can make the argument that modular production hasn’t changed at all, the world we live in has changed and now modular construction has a new role.

The constant change in our economic cycles has also chased a once steady workforce in construction to other market sectors, hoping for less volatility. We hear from all parts of the world that the labour to meet the demand simply does not exist.

If you own rental apartments, hotels, restaurants or student accommodation, the sooner you are in business, the sooner your income stream begins. In some cases, your expedited arrival may capture a market demand ahead of a competitor.

It is impossible to characterise every separate market driver but we can point out some key differences. Most residential markets will continue to be cost-sensitive. Time is less a value than quality and price. Until the lack of traditional capacity becomes critical, modular will compete with one of its key attributes nullified. Markets which are subject to revenue opportunity will look at modular differently.

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Early Engagement Open conversation to scope the why, the how and the where-for to deliver a smart offsite proposal to meet budget and timing considerations.

01. Planning Submission Working through the project methodology, logistics and compliance requirement to achieve the necessary approvals and cost affordability.

02. Constructors Proposals Understanding the finer detail of your requirements and enabling you to contract test your proposal with the use of virtual reality.

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MODULAR MATTERS the automotive industry. The Polish window industry has the leading position in the EU as a manufacturer. Another economic backbone is the furniture industry, developing extremely fast – fourth position in the world as the exporter, and sixth as the world’s largest producer.

Great Manufacturing Environment + Growing Modular Market = DMDmodular There is a connection between our modular business and the furniture industry which applies high levels of automation in its production process and is important to efficiency and quality control. DMDmodular is lucky that its parent organisation, Black Red White S.A., is one of the largest and most innovative manufacturing furniture companies in Europe – established in 1991, with around 8,000 employees and 17 production plants across Europe. DMD is an ambitious and fastgrowing company with a global export approach. The core business is focused on hospitality and residential sector, which requires high-quality standards, time reduction, flexibility and innovation. Our aim is to provide volumetric modular solutions where technology, quality and aesthetics integrate together.

3 Let’s take the quality issue of the table. It is reasonable to state that modular construction can offer equal quality to any ‘traditionally’ delivered project. It would not be unreasonable to see the value of a controlled environment and automation providing superior quality in a modular factory. The market tension then is clearly the value of time versus cost. If one uses the same materials as traditional build, one would expect the costs to be the same. With the required redundancy in structures and the shipping costs, we often see premiums in some sectors with modular. If significant revenue or a market is at stake, the decision for modular is easy. If no traditional construction capacity is available, modular construction may be the only

4 viable solution. These cost variables are fluid, however, based on the market location. It is clear that major urban hubs, let alone cities like London and New York, have premium costs and equally premium general conditions. Here, modular can deliver significant values. Poland – The EU’s Biggest Success Story Okay, while I may be biased, the country has become one of the hottest manufacturing environments in Europe. Poland’s economy continues to perform strongly. It is set to be among the three fastest-growing economies in the European Union this year (GDP growth of 4.8%). Production and export data reveals Poland is a major producer and supplier to

The company was responsible for the implementation of the first four-star categorised modular hotel in Poland near Warsaw. The company was also selected to build the AC Hotel by Marriott, the world tallest modular hotel which will be located in New York and we currently have housing projects in Holland and Germany in the development stage. DMDmodular is new to the UK, but is an ideal collaborator for the modular delivery market and headquartered in an ideal location. For more information visit: www.dmdmodular.com Images: 01. DMD’s production facility covering 10.80 acres 02. AC Hotel by Marriott. Currently in production, the world’s tallest modular hotel will feature a total of 25 floors on 6th Avenue in Manhattan, New York. 03. Modular 4 Hotel Extension. A turnkey solution of modular construction with no heavy work required onsite and the existing hotel continued to work with almost no interruption 04. DMD’s proposed student unit including separate bedroom space, kitchenette and bathroom

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STRIKINGLY VERSATILE

With the Gebrik cladding system, you are assured of a simpler, faster brick façade that performs precisely as it should. Tried, tested and simple to install, our solutions provide you with the freedom to create strikingly versatile buildings.

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CASE STUDY

CONCRETE

VULCAN MILL

1 Specialist offsite design and build contractor PCE Ltd has been engaged to deliver a newbuild seven-storey apartment block with basement as part of the final phase of development at the Vulcan Mill site in Ancoats, in central Manchester.

slab is a composite slab formed from a long span pre-stressed hollowcore plank spanning between Deltabeams and a structural topping. This arrangement of blade columns creates a flexible layout which has allowed the creation of 42 car parking spaces at basement level.

Main contractor Russells Construction appointed PCE after an initial design development phase where PCE worked alongside MPSL Architects and Healey Consulting to develop a DfMA delivery strategy for the scheme. The new block will house a mixture of one and two bed apartments creating 101 new homes with both off-street and basement car parking facilities. The site, which is surrounded by residential properties, is sandwiched between the original Victorian Vulcan Mill, previously converted into residential units in 2007, and the Albion Works building thus making the site logistics particularly challenging.

At the front of the building, the blade column arrangement extends through to the first floor level and allows the creation of undercroft parking and plantrooms. The rear of the building has apartments commencing from ground floor with the complete floor from Level 1 to roof being the apartment layout. The Deltabeams have been designed to carry the line loads from the apartment superstructure above with the ground floor slab transferring lateral loads back into the basement wall via diaphragm action.

The DfMA solution is a combination of hybrid concrete construction and conventional precast construction with the ground floor slab also being constructed in precast. Beneath the ground floor slab is a 4.0m deep basement box formed by a contiguous piled wall with an insitu capping beam. The structure internally within the basement is a series of precast concrete blade columns supporting shallow composite Deltabeams which align with the party walls between apartments above. The ground floor

The superstructure is being delivered as a precast cross wall solution with main party walls between apartments being 180mm thick precast concrete shear walls which carry long span 260mm thick pre-stressed hollowcore floor units. The inner leaf of the external wall is also precast concrete, formed from a series 150mm thick panels with preformed openings for windows and balcony doors. This approach creates a flexible and efficient cellular, structural arrangement of rooms which range from 7.5 x 6.5m to 10.2m x 6.5m. The ‘concrete box’ which forms each apartment creates a fire compartment

2 with 90 minutes resistance which will then have conventional stud partitions constructed on site to form the internal rooms within the apartment. The precast walls are being supplied with a high-quality, smooth finish and integrated electrical containment, external precast walls are being manufactured with integrated brick work support channels and balcony connections to allow ease of façade and fenestration connections onsite. Key to the delivery of the scheme was the craneage and logistics strategy with PCE utilising a Crawler Crane to one long elevation with offloading of delivery vehicles being from the opposite long elevation. The crane has had to be positioned between the existing Mill building and the new structure and will be derigged on the road outside site once complete. This approach has negated the need for using tower cranes which would have created a number of oversailing issues with neighbouring properties. The complete structure includes in excess of 1800 pre-engineered structural components, manufactured offsite and delivered on a just-in-time basis. For more information visit: www.pceltd.co.uk Images: 01-02. The DfMA solution is a combination of hybrid concrete construction and conventional precast construction

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www.concretecentre.com @concretecentre

SKILLS AND TRAINING

A NEW DIRECTION

The construction industry must embrace the shift to new technology to secure its future, says Geoffrey Makstutis, Subject Lead in Construction for Pearson Higher Education Qualifications. such as #ThisIsEngineering, has worked hard to change public perceptions of the industry. This included the launch of a season of films featuring young engineers working in a range of industries, from blockbuster films to disaster relief. By all accounts the results have been very encouraging.

1 The construction industry is changing around us – modular construction and other modern methods are transforming how buildings are constructed. In the near future, those working in the construction industry are as likely to be controlling drones, programming construction robots, or creating digital building models as part high-tech manufacturing process, as they are to be laying bricks on a traditional building site. Yet ask a young person what they think of a career in construction, and they will likely conjure images of builders in high-visibility vests wearing hard hats and of scaffolding and construction sites – not of a high-tech workplace of the future. There is no doubt that this perception gap is having a huge impact on the ability to attract talent and ultimately meet the future skills needs of the industry. The scale of the challenge we face is huge. The sector needs to hire 44,000 skilled individuals, every year, just to keep pace with demand over the next two decades. Of these, more than 5,000 per year will need to be highly skilled, proficient in IT and building information modelling, digital engineering and other highly-skilled non-site related activities. Despite this demand, and the continued strategic importance of the industry to the economy, studies show that construction-related careers are not 68

a top choice for school leavers. The truth is that we aren’t currently doing enough to meet this challenge in terms of the raw numbers of people entering construction. In November 2018 the government announced their intention to invest £600 billion (over the next decade) to improve infrastructure. From roads to hospitals to schools the ambition is to see the use of modern methods of construction utilising “the latest digital technology before being sent for assembly on construction sites.” For those companies that are willing and able to embrace modular and offsite construction, integrate building information modelling and automation, this is hugely promising. If the sector is to scale offsite construction provision to meet potential demand we will need a new type of person working in the industry to enable the growth that is required to meet this potential. It’s therefore vital that we see the technological and production shift in the sector as an opportunity to end enduring misconceptions about the industry and firmly establish it as an exciting, innovative, high-tech sector to build a fulfilling career. How might we achieve this? It may be worth taking a page out of the book of other industries that have successfully shifted perceptions. The engineering sector for instance, through campaigns

I would advocate for the relevant construction industry stakeholders – professional bodies, major employers, schools, colleges and policymakers – to similarly come together in a co-ordinated campaign to powerfully articulate a new vision for the construction sector. This needs to focus young people’s minds more on construction as a new tech industry. It also needs to bring the many highly-skilled potential career paths into focus, from surveying and site management to architectural technology and digital engineering. There is no ‘one-size fits all’ route to success in construction – there are Higher National Diplomas, apprenticeships, higher apprenticeships, and traditional degrees on offer – but there is a serious question mark about how well young people understand the options available to them. Taken together, shifting narrow perceptions and communicating the opportunities available to young people has the potential to revitalise the industry. If we succeed, we may finally get a generation of young people clamouring to make up the next wave of construction professionals. For more information visit: www.pearson.com/uk

Images: 01. The modern construction industry needs more people highly-skilled in non-site related activities such as digital engineering. Courtesy Icarus LSF

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Innovative thinking for cost effective construction. INNOVATION IN CONCRETE

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OFFSITE EXPO 2019

SHOWCASING INTERNATIONAL OFFSITE BEST PRACTICE AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING Taking place at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on 24 and 25 September 2019, Offsite Expo is the brainchild of leading industry experts who understand the urgent need for a dedicated event which showcases international offsite best practice, maximises knowledge sharing and opens up collaboration opportunities in order to move the offsite industry forward at a faster pace. Expo has a range of exhibitions and sponsorship packages available which have been designed to be flexible and offer a wide range of promotional opportunities to suit any marketing aims, resources and budget. The campaign will engage at a high level during the lead up to the event, during the event and post-event, by helping to create and cement an ‘offsite community’ and by creating real ‘centre of gravity’ for the industry. The construction sector is at a critical crossroads with offsite technology now recognised as providing the most important solutions to many of the problems facing the industry today. The case is unequivocal – offsite technology challenges outmoded ideas and is a progressive step that is set to revolutionise the way buildings are designed and assembled. Every major review of the construction industry has in some way recommended a move towards advanced factory-based construction methods. Explore The event will play host to over 100 leading UK and international offsite manufacturers and component suppliers showcasing a broad spectrum of panelised, volumetric modular systems, pod and prefabricated MEP solutions. Manufacturers, software developers, engineers and architects are changing the face of construction, transforming the way buildings are designed and assembled. Offsite Expo presents a compelling proposition - visitors will be able to explore an extensive range of advanced offsite solutions and smart digital technologies in a dynamic immersive environment.

Exposure Offsite Expo is set to become the pivotal event in this rapidly expanding and fast-moving sector. The event which will attract circa 3,000 delegates over two days of activity, is geared towards creating a dynamic forum for businesses to showcase offsite solutions and the latest smart digital construction technologies. Offsite Expo is the place for people to engage with key industry contacts and leading exponents, meet face-to-face with suppliers, acquire new knowledge and network in vibrant surroundings. Align your products and services with this increasingly important sector and gain the exposure you need through a range of options - exhibitors and sponsors can cost-effectively access this rapidly growing, lucrative market through its focused industry engagement campaign. Offsite

Offsite Buyers & Specifiers Forum Exhibiting companies will also have the exclusive opportunity to participate in the unique Offsite Buyers and Specifiers Forum – a lively environment facilitating meetings with leading architects, contractors, specifiers and purchasing managers seeking the latest offsite innovations for live projects. The Offsite Buyers & Specifiers Forum offers a structured, highly effective way for buyers to meet with new and existing offsite industry suppliers. This focused approach allows participants to get the most out of their time at Offsite Expo and achieve maximum return from exhibiting. All programme activities are managed by a dedicated team and meetings are matched to participant requirements, organised on their behalf and completely free or charge for buyers and exhibiting companies.

GET INVOLVED - BOOK YOUR EXHIBITION SPACE NOW! To maximise your business development potential at the UK’s biggest showcase of offsite manufactured construction technology and digital solutions contact: chris.ruff@radar-communications.co.uk or call 01743 290 001

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OFFSITE EXPO 2019

Experience The latest information is crucial to success - get to grips with the most advanced offsite solutions and applications from the leading influential global organisations, individuals and commentators who are driving change in the construction sector. Offsite Summit A focal point of the event, the Offsite Summit will provide a dynamic and interactive experience for those looking to learn direct from eminent offsite industry experts. The Offsite Summit will host speakers from around the globe and showcase international best practice in offsite construction and manufacturing technology. Case study focused, the presentations at the Offsite Summit will bring to life some of the most inspirational and ground-breaking offsite projects from around the world, and profile some of the largest offsite manufacturing facility investments. Over 30 international speakers, will share best practice from around the world, meaning the range and scale of projects being presented

at the Offsite Summit will be truly inspirational. Delegates will have the opportunity to interact with speakers during panel Q&A sessions, structured networking meetings and the evening drinks reception. International knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer is a prime objective for the Offsite Summit, with the potential to identify collaboration opportunities. Offsite Masterclasses The Offsite Expo Masterclasses will focus on key industry innovations and will provide a comprehensive and balanced perspective on this rapidly emerging sector from a host of offsite technology pioneers, engineers and architects. Several offsite solutions will be showcased across two Masterclass seminar theatres with 80 presenters covering: framing solutions in concrete, timber and steel, modular volumetric systems, bathroom and kitchen pods, offsite roofing technology, pre-engineered building services and a range of prefabricated building components. Developed and curated by leading offsite conference organisers Explore Offsite – a range of

free CPD accredited masterclasses will be presented by the industry pioneers who are making the headlines. Ask the Expert Exhibitors and visitors will be able to meet one-to-one with leading industry experts to discuss live projects and explore design efficiencies, engineering challenges and supplychain development. Leading offsite industry experts and engineers from Cogent Consulting will be on hand to discuss project objectives and to make recommendations on design, value engineering, comparable case studies and supply-chain opportunities, or just provide endorsement of current strategies. Cogent Consulting offers independent advice on exploiting innovative construction techniques - their multi-disciplinary approach delivers more efficient construction systems and processes, with new ways of tackling construction challenges. Offsite Expo is a brought to you by:

specialists in building technology communications

BE PART OF THE MOST DYNAMIC OFFSITE EVENT OF THE YEAR With the shift away from ‘traditional construction thinking’ to the adoption of assembly principles – Offsite Expo presents an opportunity to align your products and services with this increasingly important and lucrative sector – for more information go to: www.offsite-expo.co.uk In partnership with the leading offsite industry bodies and associations

HOUSING

Structural Timber Magazine.co.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

TIMBER

SETTING THE OFFSITE STAGE

1 Two different theatre projects by Haworth Tompkins show how prefabrication can be used to revitalise public spaces: a rooftop pavilion for the National Theatre and a new 900seat theatre for the London Theatre Company. Both projects illustrate offsite constructionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to minimise site noise, disruption and snagging time and enable spaces to be used sooner. Having extensively refurbished the foyers and the former Cottesloe theatre of the National Theatre and designed a largely offsite-built temporary timber theatre on the

riverfront, we were asked to design a new events space on the roof (The Deck) which was proposed as a timber structured, naturally-ventilated prefabricated pavilion. Haworth Tompkins worked closely with Stage One as a specialist design and build contractor. The Deck is a lightweight structure sitting on the existing roof of the 1976 Lasdun building and conceived as a geometric response to the original structure. The Deck is a legibly new object, with slim timber columns and a timber diagrid roof. Like the concrete foyers below, the diagrid offsets the orientation

of the facades, albeit built of timber components, forming a deep soffit with acoustic absorption and services secreted in each square coffer. The roof structure is doubled-up layers of birch ply connected with steel flitches. These were shaped to provide the falls to the roof, with holes cut through the upper areas of the ply beams for services and air flow up above the ceiling, screened ceiling panels that infill each square. The glulam columns are then faced with birch ply to get the same finish as the roof, stained white and lacquered for surface and fire protection. It was built as a series of rigid sections, which were then bolted

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

TIMBER

3 together on the ground and the whole structure craned onto the roof, with the legs pin-jointed so they swung in as the grid was raised. Once it was up and the legs vertical, more bolts were added onto pre-installed steel shoes.

The Bridge Theatre was the first theatre for the London Theatre Company and the first theatre of scale in the centre of London for several decades. As a start-up company, founded by Nicholas Hytner and Nick Starr, the need to complete and open the theatre as quickly as possible was a priority. The auditorium was built inside a completed Berkeley Homes development in London Bridge, and was installed through a get-in door â&#x20AC;&#x201C; like a ship in a bottle. The challenge was that the theatre had to be erected inside the space with no cranage and minimal manoeuvring space.

finished and equipped with all parts of the auditorium in place except floor finishes and seating. Each element was mocked up offsite to check buildability and for client review. Due to the improved tolerances, structural rigidity and advanced engineering, the galleries were made much more vertically compressed than a standard theatre construction enabling one more storey of theatre to fit in the existing volume.

The solution was to prefabricate steel panels forming the outer walls of the auditorium, off which modular steel sections of gallery could be hung, sitting on a sprung concrete slab completely isolated from the surrounding residential structure. Working with theatre specialist manufacturers Tait Stage Technologies, and to a concept already in development in the office, the client was able to see realised a new kind of theatre, enabling a much greater density of audience and improved flexibility. Each section of outer wall and gallery arrived onsite wired,

Tait used Catia â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a modelling programme developed by Dassault for designing aircraft â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which enabled seat positions, weld strengths, smoke modelling, assembly drawings and design co-ordination to be reviewed on the model with much greater levels of accuracy. The eight-tonne panels for the walls contained acoustic insulation, grilles and voids for ventilation, and stiffening members to form a deep diaphragm wall. All the components, designed to fit on a standard articulated lorry and move along a monorail installed in the soffit of the theatre get-in, were lifted into

position with a telehandler inside the auditorium before the seating rostra were added. In a separate contract, the front-ofhouse areas and back-of-house areas were built at the same time as the auditorium was installed, including the ventilation ducts which plugged into the outside of the auditorium envelope. The auditorium was designed and manufactured on a separate accelerated programme to the rest of the theatre, preventing the lead-in time for the auditorium components from slowing down the overall contract. For more information visit: www.haworthtompkins.com Images: 01-03. The Deck construction and installation at the National Theatre. Courtesy Philip Vile/Lucas Facer 04. The Bridge Theatre steel panels formed the outer walls of the auditorium, off which modular steel sections of gallery could be hung. Courtesy Philip Vile

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

RECRUITMENT

OFFSITE IS THE ANSWER In today’s less than certain world, there are plenty of questions over our economy, and seemingly endless indecisiveness and debate from those that govern. Jim Roach, Managing Director of ARV Solutions explains. Whatever the outcome of the Brexit debacle we need to consider the impact on how the industry progresses. I firmly believe offsite construction will still be ideally placed to continue its growth as it has the best chance of addressing the skills shortages and productivity issues which will still need resolving. We have the highest levels of people in work, and lowest levels of unemployment for decades. According to CITB research almost half of employers are concerned recruitment will become harder over the next two years. Now actively promoted by Government, many see that offsite is the answer to many issues surrounding the construction industry. At the

end of last year, they announced provision of £72 million to set up ‘The Core Innovation Hub’ which aims to transform the traditional construction industry and support development and use of technologies and advanced manufacturing methods. All highly encouraging news for the industry. If you are feeling the influence of Brexit uncertainty, one thing you can be certain of is, that to grow your business you need the right skills and talent – whether that is permanent employees, or contract and interims. To invest in the right people, you need the best advice from a company that truly understands your industry, and who can target where to attract new people in.

Adding Real Value in Recruitment Passionate about offsite construction

This year ARV Solutions, in addition to our recruitment services, we will be rolling out a host of value added employee related services to further increase our value to clients through more support, focus and certainty. For more information visit: www.arvsolutions.co.uk

0117 959 2008 www.arvsolutions.co.uk info@arvsolutions.co.uk

With a passion for the construction industry, we are the UK’s leading recruitment consultancy for the offsite sector and its supply chain. • Over 80% of our business is repeat or referral • Many of our vacancies are exclusive - you will not find them elsewhere • We have dedicated divisions for Sales, Design, Construction and Manufacturing • Our staff are experts in their field and will understand exactly what you are looking for Follow us: @arvsolutions

DFMA AND TIMBER

FROM MANCHESTER TO MASSACHUSETTS – AND BACK AGAIN

Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) is critical to the future success of offsite technology and a new breed of construction thinking – but is it really that new? Sarah Newine Moore, Project Manager at Eurban, illustrates a tale of two design methodologies. allowing for further efficiencies on the production line. Accompanying the development of the DFM and DFA software came the publication – Product Design for Manufacture and Assembly – and so the term Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) was born.

1 In 1948 the industrial engineer and educator Geoffrey Boothroyd started his career as an apprentice in the Mather and Platt factory in Manchester. He would have worked with some of the figures immortalised in LS Lowry’s paintings. This factory, a major employer in Manchester, produced mainly large centrifugal pumps. It was there that Boothroyd gained his insight into industrial production lines. By the 1970s, such production lines were radically changing and Boothroyd was teaching in the University of Massachusetts. His team’s research aimed to provide designers with tools to drive efficiencies in automatic and manual assembly of products in factories. This research

built upon other contemporary studies in European Universities and industry. Boothroyd and his team’s work resulted in a piece of software: Design for (Automatic and Manual) Assembly (DFA) for the Apple II Plus. Two of the world’s biggest companies, Ford and General Motors, claimed to have saved billions by adopting DFA, and interest in this design methodology grew exponentially. Boothroyd Dewhurst Inc. was established in 1983 and the team developed their next tool for designers: Design for Manufacture (DFM). This additional module of the software enabled a series of design options that could be accurately costed prior to manufacture,

DfMA is the combination of the two design methodologies: DFM (the design of individual parts of an assembly) and DFA (how to assemble all the parts to make the final product.) The core principles of DFM are to simplify the design of a product by reducing the number of constituent parts, and by selecting the most cost effective materials and processes in their manufacture. While DFA aims to minimise the number of operations and therefore reduce assembly time and cost of a product. The success of the DfMA design methodology has led to its adoption across a wide range of professions including the construction industry in the UK. In the construction industry, DfMA relates to the prefabrication of building elements offsite in controlled factory environments for onsite assembly, enabling efficiencies in time, labour and cost. DfMA in UK Today RIBA published the DfMA overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work in 2016. One of the key recommendations is to front-load the design process by bringing specialist subcontractors and consultants on board as early as stage 2 in order to discuss buildability from the outset. This requires a significant

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

DFMA AND TIMBER

2 shift away from more traditional forms of design and procurement. The industry still has a long way to go in this regard as the Farmer Review of the Construction Labour Model made clear – declaring in its title that the industry needs to ‘Modernise or Die’. Among the recommendations outlined in the Farmer Review are ‘premanufactured approaches’ – such as CLT/solid timber structures. DfMA methodology is integral to the design, manufacture and assembly of solid timber buildings and to how we work at Eurban. Ten years ago Eurban completed the installation of Waingels College, designed by Sheppard Robson. The term DfMA with reference to construction was not yet fully in use, however the adoption of earlier versions of the CAD/CAM software still used by Eurban today, enabled structural design options to be explored, agreed and integrated into the project. The architects coordinated and signed off the drawings produced, and these were then manufactured by the factory offsite. Fast forward eight years to 2017. Eurban now adopts far more sophisticated software and more rigorous QA processes to deliver projects. Two recently completed buildings, Highpoint Terrace, a large eight-storey residential block in central London, and Frilford Golf club in Oxfordshire both employed advanced 3D BIM to develop the most efficient designs in terms of manufacture in the factory and assembly onsite. During the design phase of Highpoint Terrace, Eurban’s specialist timber engineers designed the most efficient structural solution, significantly reducing the number of elements by designing large 16m floor panels. A reduced number of operations onsite

should lead to increased safety. 25% less labour was required to assemble this building, only eight site operatives as opposed to 35 if it had been a concrete structure. DfMA hand-inhand with BIM enables much better risk management. 4DBIM gives design teams the opportunity to develop the DfMA methodology one step further. Both projects introduced the fourth dimension to the BIM models – time. The entire solid timber superstructure assembly can be modelled before work begins onsite. Crane locations and lifts, material set down areas, deliveries, and labour requirements can all be mapped out and communicated to the design team. This brings real advantages: sequencing issues and risks can be identified and addressed earlier, giving stakeholders and clients a high degree of insight and control over the process. The Future of DfMA The continued use and improvement of DfMA design methodologies should enable projects to become more efficient and enable government targets in the sector for greater productivity and lower emissions to be met. The solid timber industry continues to grow in this country, in Europe and globally. New production plants are opening for business all over the world while existing plants are increasing their capacity by extending and opening new sites. DfMA may require higher expenditure earlier in the design phase due to fees for specialists, but this early expenditure leads to greater predictability and therefore pays off during the build phase. When client bodies understand the longer term gain of early investment their projects should reap the benefits.

3 For more information visit: www.eurban.co.uk Images: 01. Factory precision is everything to DfMA. Courtesy Binderholz 02. CLT panels are delivered and craned into position 03. CLT production. Courtesy Stora Enso

ADVANTAGES OF DFMA & SOLID TIMBER STRUCTURES Reduced Site Programmes – prefabrication of elements offsite helps reduce the time onsite along with standardised assembly practices, high degrees of accuracy and just-in-time delivery. Reduced Labour and Assembly Costs – Highpoint Terrace required under a quarter of the labour that would have been needed for a concrete building, eight rather than 35 erected the building. Less Traffic – fewer traffic movements to and from site reduces neighbourhood congestion, pollution and disturbance. Reduced Emissions – solid timber is a carbon store, it is one of the most effective ways to reduce carbon emissions in construction. Sustainability – solid timber construction stores carbon rather than producing it – therefore contributing to the combat against climate change. Lighter Structures – solid timber building structures are typically 40% lighter than reinforced concrete structures, therefore requiring reduced foundations.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

EXPLORE OFFSITE HOUSING

REVOLUTIONISING HOUSING DELIVERY

Following on from a hugely successful 2018 programme of events and conferences, the first 2019 Explore Offsite event will tackle housing. Explore Offsite Housing will create a platform for construction clients and their professional advisers to explore the latest offsite construction solutions across a range of materials and factory-based technologies.

1 Explore Offsite Housing will take place at QEII, London on 27 March 2019 – and will bring together offsite sector leaders, housing authorities and industry bodies to discuss the latest innovations in offsite technologies and the growing opportunities that the housing shortage presents. The outstanding speak line-up will focus on a variety of approaches and initiatives together with in-depth analysis and discussions. The issues surrounding Brexit may have knocked the housing crisis off the top of the political and media agenda, but the problems are still there and far from being resolved. The shortfall in housing stock is an emotive subject which calls for a bold and radical approach to fundamentally change

the way that projects are delivered. The recent ‘Building for Change’ report by the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee, acknowledges that offsite construction techniques are now recognised as some of the most important solutions to many of the problems facing the UK construction industry today – particularly across the housing sector. The political landscape is shifting, and offsite industry pioneers have welcomed the Government’s commitment to changing its procurement models so that the public sector can procure for wholelife value rather than upfront cost. This, along with the Government’s ‘presumption in favour of offsite’ technologies across five departments,

will provide an important signal to the construction sector that there will be a consistent pipeline of projects, allowing companies to invest in offsite manufacturing facilities with confidence. To gain insight from those who are shaping the future of the offsite housing sector, the Explore Offsite Housing conference and exhibition will demonstrate how migrating construction from the building site to a quality-controlled factory environment will accelerate the building process, increase productivity and create a new generation of high-quality housing stock. The alignment of market need and political will is clear and compelling – signaling a real opportunity for a step-change in the adoption of offsite construction methods. There is now a real impetus and need for change in the housebuilding industry. For those in the sector with fresh ideas and innovative technologies, the nationwide housing crisis has the potential to change the norm which governs the ways new homes are

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

PP STO OR CK TE ED DI & NT HE

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Power Clamp – lifting device for transportation of solid panels and beams. HECO-Topix Countersunk & Flange Head – German innovated CE compliant structural screws through ETA. Pitzl Connectors – certified wood connection systems manufactured according to the highest quality “Made in Germany”

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EXPLORE OFFSITE HOUSING

3 built. With the resurgence of offsite construction, the industry is moving towards factory-based manufacturing methods and the integration of digital technology to create a culture of continuous improvement and revolutionising the way that houses are being delivered. Explore Offsite Housing brings together industry leaders and pioneers to discuss the latest innovations in offsite technologies and the growing opportunities that the housing shortage presents. Speakers include:

• Kit Malthouse, Housing Minister

4 Taking place at QEII, London on 27 March 2019 – the conference and exhibition will provide a fantastic opportunity for members of the construction industry, who want to tap into the huge opportunities on offer across the offsite construction sector. The event format provides a dynamic and interactive learning experience for all visitors through presentations and a wide array of exhibitors.

• Simon Williams, Senior Development Manager - Home Group

Tickets cost just £125+VAT, which includes entry into the conference and exhibition, free parking, lunch and refreshments.

• Jaimie Johnston, Director, Head of Global Systems - Bryden Wood

Explore Offsite is a series of conferences and exhibitions creating a platform for construction clients and their professional advisers to explore the latest offsite construction solutions. This event will consist of an exhibition of circa 25-30 companies from a

• Peter Andrew, Deputy Chairman HBF

• Francesca Lewis, Housing Policy Manager - GLA

• Jeff Maxted, Director of Technical Consultancy - BLP Insurance • Neil Jefferson, Chief Operating Officer - NHBC

• Alun Macey, Head of Construction Pocket Living • Richard Hyams, CEO - astudio

• Phil Collings, Senior Land Manager - Homes England

range of offsite technology providers including: timber frame, light steel frame, precast concrete, bathroom pods, and volumetric buildings, building services plus CLT, glulam and a range of hybrid technologies. This event s is aimed at attracting construction clients; construction professionals: architects, architectural technologists, designers, surveyors, engineers; facilities managers; building product manufacturers and suppliers.

Images: 01. Offsite construction is not as disruptive as traditional methods and is suited to constrained sites. Courtesy Osco Homes 02. Kit Malthouse MP 03. Modular construction is changing the housing construction delivery model. Courtesy Levitt Bernstein 04. Multi-storey residential options are growing the offsite market

For the full speaker programme or to enquire about exhibitor opportunities at forthcoming events, visit the Explore Offsite website: www.exploreoffsite.co.uk or contact the team on 01743 290001 or email: julie.williams@radar-communications.co.uk

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

HOUSING CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION QEII Centre, London 27 March 2019 The combined conference and exhibition will include exhibitors and speakers from pioneering companies in the offsite construction industry talking about the latest housing innovations.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? The event is aimed at attracting construction clients; construction professionals: architects, surveyors, engineers; facilities managers; building product manufacturers and suppliers.

SPEAKERS INCLUDE Kit Malthouse - UK Housing Minister Simon Williams - Home Group Peter Andrew, MBE – Home Builders Federation Jaimie Johnston - Bryden Wood Francesca Lewis - GLA Jeff Maxted - BLP Insurance Neil Jefferson - NHBC Alun Macey - Pocket Living Richard Hyams - astudio Phil Collings - Homes England

…& many more!

To book your place go to

www.exploreoffsite.co.uk/book

BOOK DELEGATE PLACES: One day ticket - £125 + VAT Limited places remaining

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY If you are interested in learning more about offsite construction and the associated manufacturing processes then the following industry events may be of interest:

DATE 5-7 March 19

EVENT

VENUE

WEBSITE

Futurebuild

ExCeL, London

www.futurebuild.co.uk

A fresh format that’s nothing like an ordinary trade show bringing together the most innovative, exciting and inspiring brands, companies, speakers and experiences. The centrepiece will be the comprehensive conference programme curated by top industry figures surrounded by eight unique ‘futurebuild hubs’ that will each explore a different aspect of the built environment. 5 March 19

Offsite Construction Awards

ExCeL, London

www.offsiteawards.co.uk

Celebrate the best in precision building design and delivery at the Offsite Construction Awards. The Awards will reward outstanding examples of prefabrication and factory-based methods, products, systems and disciplines that increasingly strive to develop a sustainable, streamlined and costeffective way to deliver a better built environment. Book your tickets now! 27 Mar 19

HOUSING 30 April 19

Explore Offsite Housing

QEII Centre, London

www.exploreoffsite.co.uk

Experts have hailed offsite construction as the only way to respond to the demand for new housing. Moving the construction of houses into factories enables the build to take place both efficiently and economically, making the national shortage of labour less of a concern. This conference brings together technology leaders to discuss the growing opportunities that the housing shortage presents for offsite construction solutions. Tall Buildings Conference

London

www.tallbuildingsconference.co.uk

Tall buildings present unique challenges in terms of both design and construction. Their sheer scale demands that particular attention is paid simultaneously to strategic and detailed issues. This event is intended to assist architects, designers and engineers in understanding the common challenges associated with transferring standard building principles and knowledge from low-rise structures to tall buildings. 9 May 19

Inside Offsite Factory Tour: Portakabin

Huntington, York

www.insideoffsite.co.uk

Portakabin are opening their factory doors to architects, engineers, contractors, developers and clients to allow them to discover more about volumetric modular technology. Designed and manufactured at the 250,000sqft Portakabin production facility in York, Portakabin buildings fulfil the demands of an increasing range of applications, from office space, childcare facilities and classrooms to health centres, hospitals, call centres and toilets and showers. 21 May 19

Solid Wood Solutions

Inmarsat, London

www.solidwoodsolutions.co.uk

Solid Wood Solutions will feature case studies on some of the major solid wood projects which have been delivered recently throughout the UK and Europe and this is supported by an exhibition of CLT and Glulam suppliers as well as complementary component manufacturers. 24-25 Sept 19

FFSITE

EXP

Offsite Expo

Ricoh Arena, Coventry

www.offsite-expo.co.uk

NEW FOR 2019 - OFFSITE EXPO brings together those who are driving change – the event will play host to the leading UK and international suppliers showcasing a broad spectrum of panelised, pod and modular solutions. Exhibiting companies will also have the exclusive opportunity to participate in the Offsite Buyers Forum - a dynamic environment facilitating meetings with leading architects, contractors, specifiers and purchasing managers.

RICOH ARENA - COVENTRY CONSTRUCTION

TECHNOLOGY

INNOVATION

9 Oct 19

Structural Timber Awards

Birmingham

www.structuraltimberawards.co.uk

The Structural Timber Awards are back for 2019, celebrating it’s fifth year rewarding the very best in structural timber construction. Over 550 construction professionals will gather at the prestigious ceremony to celebrate the great, the good and the simply outstanding. There are 17 categories available to enter, all free of charge - Entry deadline 31st May 2019. 22 Oct 19

Modular Matters

NCC, Birmingham

www.modularmatters.co.uk

Modular Matters conference and exhibition will focus on the latest developments, innovations and investments in the volumetric modular offsite sector and aims to engage with industry pioneers from within the offsite supply-chain, leading designers, specifiers, engineers and ground-breaking clients. Limited tickets available – book now to avoid disappointment!

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Extraspace Solutions

Specialists in: • • • •

Education Residential Healthcare Commercial

Tel: +44 207 228 5282

www.extraspacesolutions.com

STEEL – THE OPTIMUM OFFSITE SOLUTION ADAPTABLE I RIGID I ROBUST I NON-COMBUSTIBLE

DESIGN SUPPORT Offering unparalleled levels of support – our highly qualified technical design team establish the m ost effective and cost-efficient solution. All drawings are passed through the client’s approval p rocesses before work can begin onsite.

OFFSITE MANUFACTURING The expansion of the EOS advanced manufacturing facility together with the development of a new fabrication plant supports our market leading all-inclusive p ricing initiative.

COST CERTAINTY With a dedicated in-house e stimating team, EOS guarantee a competitive pricing structure, w ith no hidden costs. We can provide a lump sum total price package which will not alter, providing the specification remains unchanged.

CONTINUOUS COLLABORATION EOS operatives offer technical a dvice and installation training. Installer teams can benefit from o ur ‘Tool Box Talks’ and phased site visits to offer independent q uality checks.

With expertise in panelised, volumetric modular and pod technology - EOS specialise in the design, manufacture and supply of a wide range of light gauge steel framing systems (LGSF) for the offsite markets.

Embracing a world-class manufacturing ethos and optimising design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) principles - EOS invest in research and development to bring new and innovative products to market.

Volumetric Modular Pod Technology

Stud & Track

Facade Panels

www.eos-facades.co.uk

Roofing & Flooring Systems

SFS Infill

Load-bearing Systems

FFSITE

EXP

RICOH ARENA - COVENTRY CONSTRUCTION

TECHNOLOGY

INNOVATION

BE PART OF THE MOST DYNAMIC OFFSITE EVENT OF THE YEAR! With the shift away from ‘traditional construction thinking’ to the adoption of assembly principles – offsite construction techniques and technologies are shaping the future of the built environment.

NEW FOR 2019 - OFFSITE EXPO brings together those who are driving change in the construction sector – the event will play host to the leading UK and international offsite manufacturers and component suppliers showcasing a broad spectrum of panelised and volumetric modular systems, plus pod and prefabricated MEP solutions. BOOK YOUR EXHIBITION SPACE NOW!

For more information contact chris.ruff@radar-communications.co.uk

WWW.OFFSITE-EXPO.CO.UK

IN PARTERSHIP WITH: HOUSING

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