Offsite Magazine - Issue 03 - Autumn 2016 by Radar Communications

OFFSITE DEDICATED TO OFFSITE DESIGN, MANUFACTURE & DELIVERY | AUTUMN 2016 ISSUE 03 | £4.95

TOWARDS A BETTER BUILD INNOVATION IN PRACTICE

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MARK FARMER Modernising construction, securing economic growth and adopting a DFMA ethos.

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OFFSITE AWARDS 2016 The shortlist for this year’s best in class across 11 specialist categories.

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PRECAST CONCRETE The Concrete Society reveal three prime offsite examples delivering substantial benefits.

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Wood. Our way of making a mark on environmental protection. Compared to other building materials such as steel or concrete, Stora Enso CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) has the smallest CO2 footprint. It is also a sustainable raw material that can be used again and again. For more information about the most sustainable and modern building material, visit www.clt.info and www.facebook.com/StoraEnsoLivingRoom

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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.

SMARTER CONSTRUCTION Welcome to the latest issue of Offsite. Prefabrication and offsite manufacture is increasingly gaining ground on ‘traditional’ methods of construction. But with BREXIT uncertainty a looming feature of life for several years to come, skills shortages and a rebalance of UK construction could be on the horizon – so could this growth be stymied? For more on this, read what Mark Farmer, author of the Governmentsponsored Farmer Review of the ‘UK Construction Labour Model’, has to say about the position of a construction industry that could potentially be in an even more volatile state-of-flux than usual. Amongst many points made, adopting a smarter design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA) approach is essential. To prove a point, The Concrete Society offer up three examples of DFMA principles delivering a range of successful and distinctive buildings. Also, modular and volumetric construction play a major part in this issue and Kevin Jones, Director of Business Development at the Portakabin Group, describes how this method of construction is proving invaluable in the healthcare sector where building timescales and cost are critical. Cross laminated timber (CLT) is constantly grabbing headlines for it’s structural strength. Not just in the UK but internationally. Leading timber

building systems supplier Stora Enso give an overview of how CLT is being used and as a prime example of this, we report on the Essex Business School, where engineered timber has been used to stunning ‘zero-carbon effect’. Many contributors to this issue have one thing in common – they are responding to the demand for smarter construction – and nothing is as smart as BIM. Both Trimble and up and coming data specialist coBuilder, explain how offsite manufacturing and BIM can deliver enormous benefits when dealing in the complex world of digital construction and multi-platform IT working. We also have a visual run through the shortlisted entries for the Offsite Awards 2016. The second year of the Awards has seen a huge surge in entries and quality projects. The Awards will take place on the 18 October during UK Construction Week at the NEC Birmingham with a relaxed ‘drinks and nibbles’ reception. Don’t miss out. As ever, many thanks to all our contributors, advertisers and supporters. Enjoy...

Gary Ramsay

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

OPTIMISED HYBRID SOLUTIONS As the UK’s leading sustainable frame contractor, specialising in design and delivery of hybrid structures, B & K Structures offers a complete service from design to installation. Offering a complete package of material services, across a wide range of structural products including Glulam, Cross Laminated Timber, Timber Cassettes and Steel Frame as part of hybrid structural solutions - B & K Structures have an outstanding, award winning portfolio across all commercial sectors.

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SHAPING SMART SPACES Actavo | Building Solutions is a leading expert in the design, manufacture and construction of state-of-the-art modular and offsite buildings. We provide solutions to the education, health, construction, rail, defence, residential and corporate sectors and use innovative materials to optimise energy efficiency, flexibility and speed. We deliver exceptional performance every time.

Going Beyond

CONTENTS

COVER STORIES

36 | Perfect Partners Duncan Reed, Digital Construction Process Manager for Trimble, shows how offsite manufacturing and BIM are well suited to create more collaborative and efficient partnerships and produce a new generation of sustainable construction.

P06 | TOWARDS A BETTER P08 | MODERNISATION IS BUILD – INNOVATION NOT AN OPTION IN PRACTICE

46 | Building Extensions Using Light Steel Framing The construction of rooftop extensions to existing buildings is an important application of light steel framing because of its lightweight, offsite prefabrication and long spanning characteristics. Mark Lawson of the Steel Construction Institute (SCI) highlights some key examples.

52 | Foresight to Build Offsite The UK needs to produce 240,000 homes over the next 10 years to meet housing demand. Stacey Temprell, Habitat Marketing Director, at Saint Gobain, discusses the benefits of offsite construction against a backdrop of the UK’s current housing crisis.

Metsec has been at the forefront of innovative offsite manufacture for many years including being an early adopter of BIM integration into building design. In this issue we hear about the successful Metframe system and its role in the £150m Resorts World, Birmingham.

The UK construction industry could be in danger of becoming a marginalised and declining industry. Mark Farmer from Cast Real Estate & Construction, explains some of the steps required to remedy this threat to economic growth and stability.

P26 | OFFSITE AWARDS 2016

P40 | OFFSITE: BRING OUT THE BEST IN DFMA DELIVERY

With 96 entries shortlisted, the judges have made their decisions and you can now see the shortlist across 11 specialist categories. The winners will be announced on 18 October during UK Construction Week at the NEC, Birmingham.

Implementing an innovative design strategy to shorten a build programme can have substantial benefits. Richard Day of The Concrete Society outlines three recent city-based – and very distinctive – developments that demonstrate just that.

NEWS

FEATURES

10 | Offsite News News and developments from across the UK & International offsite industries and wider construction arena including: Actavo’s new manufacturing facility, MEP modules in Stockton and more tall timber from Arup.

32 | Exceeding Performance Expectations A key feature of offsite manufacturing is that the specification and performance is fixed before manufacture. John Tebbit, Chief Executive of Robust Details Ltd explains more.

1 Day Technical Seminar

Evolving

Concrete

Join us for a full programme of talks covering:

PERFORMANCE, SPECIFICATION AND PRACTICE

54 | The UK’s First Zero-Carbon Business School The Essex Business School illustrates many of the reasons why timber is one of the leading materials used in the offsite sector, combining structural glulam columns, glulam floor beams, timber wall cassettes and cross laminated timber (CLT) floor decks. 58 | Going Global with CLT Gareth Mason, Business Development Manager UK and Ireland, Stora Enso Timber UK, describes how the recognition of CLT’s role as an alternative to ‘traditional’ methods of construction is gaining ground both in the UK and internationally. 70 | Offsite Fills the Gap Kevin Jones, Director of Business Development at the Portakabin Group, describes how offsite construction is helping public sector estates managers meet the increasing pressure on services by providing highly innovative building solutions to deliver world class facilities on the most constrained hospital sites. 74 | Making the Most of Offsite Opportunity Graham Cleland, General Manager - Offsite Manufacture, NG Bailey, picks out some problems that face the UK construction industry in relation to productivity and health and safety and why offsite manufacture can reduce accidents and increase productivity. 78 | Do You Really Need A Strong Employer Brand? Skilled job applicants are in short supply so attracting the best people is now crucial to success. Jim Roach, Managing Director of specialist recruiter ARV Solutions, explains why a strong ‘Employer Brand’ is a business essential.

20th October 2016 Royal Berkshire Conference Centre Madejski Stadium, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 0FL

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Stephen Hodder Immediate Past President RIBA Alan Crossman Current President of IStructE For up-to-date details and to book your place visit:

www.evolving-concrete.org

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COVER STORY METSEC

TOWARDS A BETTER BUILD – INNOVATION IN PRACTICE Metsec has been at the forefront of innovative offsite manufacture for many years including being an early adopter of BIM integration into building design. The Metframe system has also been hugely successful and was chosen as the structural solution to enable quick and efficient construction of the top three storeys of the £150m Resorts World development in Birmingham. explains: “BIM has really changed the way we approach building design. With the capability to model and fully detail in 2D and 3D and share our design information with the construction team – it’s a crucial design tool to ensure the client receives the best performance quality and value for money. And for manufacturers like us that want to cultivate collaborative working relationships – it’s an absolute must.

Productivity, collaboration, innovation and skills are the cornerstones of the Government’s most recent construction strategy, published in March this year. A lot has happened since then – with changes in Government putting Ben Gummer MP in post to steer the future direction of the construction industry. Despite these changes, the ambition for UK construction remains constant and still reflects the 2013 joint strategy from government and industry – Construction 2025 – to construct buildings that create less emissions, are delivered quicker and cost less to build and run over their lifetime. Everyone agrees with these aims, but it is the businesses who are putting them into practice and transforming 6

ambition into reality, helping the sector to realise its full potential. One company that is the embodiment of the Construction 2025 vision is voestapline Metsec plc. Located in the heart of the industrial West Midlands, it is the first cold roll forming company to be certified BIM Level 2 for design and manufacture by the BSI – a key element of the most recent Government strategy document. As projects have become more and more complex, requiring firms to manage and share immense amounts of data across diverse and distributed teams, BIM Level 2 improves accuracy, efficiency, and productivity, resulting in time and cost savings. Ryan Simmonds, Sales Directors for Metsec Framing

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“It’s easy to talk about collaboration but it’s quite another thing to put into action. In the vast majority of cases, with buildings becoming more complex, planning drawings simply don’t provide enough information and manufacturers must always be at the table in the early stages to get the best long-term response. Manufacturers like us can provide value engineered solutions that will de-risk the design process, increase efficiency and pinpoint where savings can be made. Ultimately it’s good news for all, meaning subcontractors have a better standard of tenders, clients receive the best performance, quality and value – and the project delivery team benefit from a profitable job.” The modern construction market is not just about BIM but also methods of construction which enable cost, waste and time savings. Once again, Metsec is at the forefront of innovation when it comes to offsite construction methods – its first Metframe building was completed in Norfolk in 1984. Thirty years on, Metframe is now a well-established solution to provide the load bearing structure for low

COVER STORY METSEC

to medium-rise structures up to 11 storeys in height, with scope for flexibility in design, making it ideal for residential, hotels or student accommodation. Metframe structures can incorporate steel joisted or concrete floors, depending on the client’s requirements. Joisted floors offer a much lighter structure, but concrete floors generally provide a higher level of acoustic and fire protection. Pitched, dormer or flat roofs can be readily incorporated into the system as well as balconies, cantilevers and insets. As well as flexible design, the Metframe system scores highly on cost saving when compared against timber and volumetric construction and there is no compromise on quality. Cost savings are also achieved in many projects through the speed of build that the system allows, with Metframe structures taking less than two weeks per floor to construct. Coupled with the energy efficiency and zero waste offered by these buildings, it is not surprising to see so many high profile developments adopting the Metframe system. Genting UK turned to Metframe for the construction of its £150m Resorts World development in Birmingham. Built by main contractor Galliford Try, the unique 55,000sqm leisure and entertainment complex, boasts a hotel, spa, casino, 50 retail outlets, a wide range of restaurants and bars and a multi-screen IMAX cinema.

Metframe was chosen as the structural solution to enable quick and efficient construction of the top three storeys of the complex. The three-storey structure forms a 178-room, four-star boutique hotel and spa facility with five-star suites on the top floor, which caters for delegates and visitors to the 900 events that are held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) annually as well as leisure guests visiting the West Midlands region. As Metframe is assembled offsite to form easy-to-erect panels, the full frame could be delivered to the contractor in the required erection sequence and simply bolted together on location. This means that it provided a zero-waste solution and a low-carbon alternative to traditional concrete and steel frames.

Steve Milward, Design Manager at Galliford Try explains the benefits of using Metframe for the Resorts World project: “Due to the lightweight nature of the joisted floor solution within the Metframe system, Metsec was able to deliver a frame that fitted within the strict criteria of the supporting structure below. Also, a huge benefit for the project was the speed of installation. By using Metframe, we could easily manage the build in phases to ensure structural soundness throughout the process.”

Thomas Atkin of Atkin Trade Specialists, who installed the Metframe system, added: “Building a multistorey, steel structure on top of a pre-existing building is a complicated process and there were a lot of in-depth design considerations to prepare for. However, in total, the construction of all 178 units took just 16 weeks, which is highly impressive for a build this big. Metsec worked closely with us to produce a 3D design of the hotel structure for Galliford Try, which enabled us to plan the works and stick to the contractor’s construction programme. This, in turn, helped to reduce waste and emphasise the environmentally friendly aspects of the build – an ethos which we hold close to our own hearts.” Richard Allen, Marketing and Business Development Director at Metsec also added: “As a Black Country-based business we are incredibly proud that we were able to supply a cost-effective and highly manageable solution for incorporation into the project at the NEC. Metframe is an extremely competitive solution, which delivers a high quality building. Therefore, it was the perfect choice for the construction of the new four-star boutique hotel at the Resorts World complex.” For more information visit: www.metsec.com

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OPINION - MARK FARMER

MODERNISATION IS NOT AN OPTION The UK construction industry could be in danger of becoming a marginalised and declining industry with a shrinking workforce. Mark Farmer, CEO, Cast Real Estate & Construction Consultancy, explains some of the steps required to remedy this threat to economic growth and stability. when the UK government introduced the Code for Sustainable Homes.

1 In setting up Cast as a new consultancy business at the beginning of this year, I was always very clear that the construction industry modernisation agenda should form a central part of our business plan strategy. This was not out of some misguided or evangelical desire to be different, but out of a dawning realisation that necessity will eventually drive change. Having been a practitioner in the industry for 27 years, working in nearly all sectors during that time, I have never before seen the dysfunctional behaviour and poor performance that I have witnessed in the boom period of the last 2-3 years, particularly in residential construction. This is borne out of a lack of structural industry capacity and deeply embedded behavioural issues manifesting themselves during periods of stress. The challenge, but also the great opportunity in this country is to pursue 8

an international leadership position when it comes to modernising its construction sector. For a ÂŁ100 billion plus industry, representing 6-7% of GDP and with an economic multiplier of nearly x3, the benefits case of improving how we create built assets would seem to be a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;no brainerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; but sadly, the reality is very different. The fundamental problem we have always grappled with is change inertia and the lack of strategic level initiators for wholesale process improvement across the industry and, importantly, the clients of the industry who ultimately shape demand. Any move to a more productive, predictable and modern industry will not happen of its own accord or even through osmosis of best practice at the fringes of the industry, it needs an external intervention that all key parties then react to and drives change. It has happened before, such as in 2008

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Although not the best analogy in terms of the end outcome it sets a precedent for observed behavioural change in the real estate and construction industry. By publishing a clear, legislative backed timetable of expected carbon reduction commitments in new build residential construction, a world leading framework was set out that made clear the regulatory expectations on the industry to improve itself ahead of incremental standard improvements through Building Regulations that demanded better quality of construction in relation to energy performance and other metrics. Notwithstanding the final government U-turn performed on zero carbon, the industry did start to react. It invested in solutions and supply chain diversity and clients had no choice but to start factoring in the impacts of code compliance ahead of their scheduled embodiment in Building Regulations. As a result, we now have fabric energy efficiency standards way ahead of where we were a few years ago at less than the cost premium anticipated when first mooted 7-8 years ago due to supply chain diversity and innovation, so maintaining viability and deliverability. I would suggest that a similar approach can be taken to manufacture-led construction, but this has to be implemented without the fear of the U-turn that happened above. It needs long term thinking and cross party policy commitment to flex the demand profile from traditional to hi-tech delivery. The move to a modern industry, with a much greater implicit link to offsite

OPINION - MARK FARMER

2 construction and other manufacturing type approaches may need a similar strategic intervention to overcome the structural barriers. The benefits are compelling though for government, clients and industry itself. The ability to better predict outcomes of time, cost and quality, more margin stability, better productivity, lower cost and a chance to make the industry more attractive to a new sedentary younger generation, who do not see traditional artisan construction trades as attractive career options any more, are all critical success factors. Modernisation is not just about offsite construction it is about a much wider ‘design for manufacture and assembly’ ethos which brings lean thinking to construction and overcomes the noncollaborative failings of our industry in terms of fixation with bespoke design and construction separated from design by an inefficient transactional interface. Clients, and critically, their advisors and funders, need to lead the change in construction and then the supply chain and new entrants need to react positively. I am firmly of the opinion that industry will only respond to a changing profile of demand and is too thinly capitalised and fragmented to take the initiative in this regard. Why would the supply chain invest or take risk in doing something differently if it can’t see the end user for that innovative product? The issue is that clients need to be appropriately influenced to change their commissioning requirements. In this regard, the government’s role in creating the right environment for innovation in construction is critical. In the current political climate, it would

make sense for that intervention or ‘environmental conditioning’ to start with new housing. Well considered policy can create demand that is not just focused on bottom line housing output but more importantly on influencing how we build new homes. Through intelligent emphasis of ‘carrot and stick’ policy measures and demand analysis, we can create a more smoothed demand profile going forward that will give clients and industry the reason to invest in manufacture led approaches, collaborative, BIM enabled procurement and the journey to higher productivity and predictable outcomes. The stakes are high here. Accepting the status quo in my opinion risks banishing UK construction to being a marginalised and declining industry. The demographics alone dictate that we cannot rely on replacement recruitment to offset the huge swathe of the current workforce due to retire in the next decade or so. Brexit only reinforces our problems with any reliance assumed on future EU migrant labour flows now fundamentally undermined. If we look to Japan, which has one of the fastest aging populations in the world, it has lost 30% of its construction workforce in the last 20 years, yet it is still able to build 140,000

new homes per year just in Tokyo! It can do this because it has moved single family house building into a hi-tech manufacture led environment with modular delivery being the norm not the exception. Even then, Japanese construction is still suffering from chronic workforce shortages in traditional construction sectors which could be an uncomfortable indicator for the UK and other modern economies in the years ahead, many of whom are struggling to attract new entrants to construction and to improve productivity. We have to clearly start with building a new manufacturing led sector within UK construction as Japan did 30 years ago but also extend it to multi-family higher density design. The UK is in real danger of accelerating workforce shrinkage creating capacity pressures not seen before in any previous economic cycle. There will come a point when this will potentially threaten the basic ability to deliver economic growth and critical national infrastructure programmes. In any Brexit induced downturn that we might see ahead, a reducing concern with short term labour capacity will mask the reality that our trended structural capacity is being eroded. The false impression will be created that there is not a skills shortage any more if the industry goes into recession and many will feel it is just another Darwinian ‘self-regulation’ associated with boom and bust. This will risk pushing a change agenda to the bottom of the priority list. The reality is that dealing with these issues now is critical if anyone is interested in the long term health of UK construction and by implication, real estate and infrastructure. For more information visit: www.cast-consultancy.com Email: mark.farmer@cast-consultancy.com Images: 01. Automation is key to modern construction methods. Image courtesy Portakabin 02. Design for manufacture and assembly brings lean thinking to construction. Image courtesy Laing O’Rourke

Mark Farmer is the author of the Farmer Review of the UK Construction Labour Model (to be published later this year) jointly sponsored by Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) and Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG).

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OFFSITE NEWS MEP Module for Stockton School

FP McCann Wins UK Tekla Award

FP McCann won the Small Projects category at Trimble’s UK Tekla Awards 2016 and will now be entered into the Tekla Global BIM Awards. The Tekla Awards focuses on projects of all shapes and sizes, which have used Trimble’s Tekla software as part of the process for designing and modelling structures, or where the use of Tekla software has aided collaboration.

As construction of a major new education facility in Stockton moves forward, offsite modularisation of the building’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing services is proving invaluable in keeping the £11 million scheme on schedule. The new Ingleby Manor Free School and Sixth Form (Ingleby Manor School), which is being constructed by main contractor BAM Construction, is the first project that leading national engineering specialist SES Engineering Services (SES) has fast-tracked using its offsite capability, turning a 16-month project around in just six months. Ingleby Manor School, in partnership with The Schools Partnership Trust, is currently operating out of temporary accommodation and has 210 students. Tasked with delivering a project against an unusually short time-frame whilst at the same time ensuring it will complete in time for the new academic year starting in September, SES has utilised its cutting edge offsite manufacturing facility, SES PRISM extensively, saving 1,000 man-hours onsite. As BAM’s team commenced construction, SES PRISM not only manufactured bespoke combined mechanical and electrical modular units, it also produced a plantroom skid which was fully installed in the building’s external ground floor plant room, well before the engineer’s arrival onsite. While onsite, SES is adding true social value to the project by not only using the local supply chain at every possible opportunity but also by working closely with the local authority to give work placements to the unemployed. This demonstration of the company’s attitude towards its corporate social responsibility has

led to one temporary member of staff being offered a permanent position. Speaking positively about the construction experience, Principal, David Willard said: “This is an immensely exciting time in the development of our school. Working with BAM and SES and the rest of the build team has been an extremely positive experience so far and one I am confident will continue through to completion. SES recently became the first mechanical, electrical and public health services contractor (MEP) to achieve BRE Accredited BIM Level 2 Business Certification, one month ahead of the government’s public sector project compliance deadline. Steve Joyce, Regional Director North East and Yorkshire, SES said: “When BAM appointed us to this scheme we were fully aware that there was a need for speed when it came to designing and installing the essential building services. Our extensive knowledge and understanding of the end user’s needs on projects of this type, coupled with our PRISM capability, have ensured that we have been able to implement a fast-track approach which is truly paying off, as the scheme heads towards completion. In addition to the time-saving benefits in man-hours afforded by working offsite, our ‘build before we build’ approach brings further benefits with reductions in both cost and site waste.” Source: www.wates.co.uk/news/siteinnovation-keeps-free-school-projecttrack-2801

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Any entries submitted to the Small Projects category had to be a structure not restricted by building type, one that is novel, quirky, innovative or complex. FP McCann impressed the technical panel with its Development Dock entry, demonstrating an inspiring use of Tekla Structures custom components to improve the speed of the detailing process. The model is a development model for FP McCann, which shows how the tools for the automated detailing of commercial ‘Dock Pits’ will be built. Commenting on the award win, FP McCann Senior Technician, Colin Mackenzie said: “FP McCann has had Tekla for around two years. Development in earnest however began about 10 months ago. As a result, we have grown from a two-man development team to a team with over half a dozen technicians and an additional person managing the demands from the business. “The main benefit of using Tekla for this project was the ability to allow detailers to reduce the time spent on projects from days to hours. It also allows for more accurate costing and data management. Now coming into phase two of the development for the dock tools, detailers will have greater control over the automated manufacturing process we are now beginning to employ here at FP McCann directly from the models, ensuring that the business is moving in the right direction for quality and BIM workflows. “Winning this award means a great deal and reassures us that we’re going in the right direction. It also helps to differentiate us from our competitors, showing the industry at large that we are innovative and forward thinking.” Source: http://bit.ly/2b6Y04O

If you thought you knew modular construction...think again

Things have changed. Discover the flexibility of our stunning designs from expansive atriums to standout exterior finishes. To see more, visit us at stand B39 at the Offsite Construction Show on 13th and 14th October 2016, call us on 01904 681660 or visit www.portakabin.co.uk/offsite

Porta, Portakabin and Portakabin Group are registered trademarks. ÂŠ Portakabin Limited 2016.

OFFSITE NEWS Yorkon Deliver School in 18 Weeks The Portakabin Group has expanded a PFI primary school in Leeds to provide more than 200 additional places, helping to meet the increasing demand for primary education in the city. The scheme at Asquith Primary School was delivered after just 18 weeks on site by Yorkon – reducing the programme by at least five months to the benefit of the school. Government figures have projected that by 2023 there will be a total of 8,022,000 pupils in England’s schools – an increase of 880,000 pupils. The rise in birth rates, the numbers of people moving to Leeds, and the level of new housing have significantly increased the pressure on education provision. It has been estimated that around 4,000 additional primary school places will be needed in the city. Commenting on the project, Zoe Laidlaw, Senior Operations Manager for North and West Yorkshire and Humberside at facilities managers, Carillion said: “Because this project was a PFI scheme, there was a very complex and challenging procurement process. The Portakabin team did everything possible to understand the issues and to push the project through to contract. Their engagement and performance was really exceptional from the earliest stage. The building has a great design – a very open, spacious feel and excellent areas for outdoor learning. Gillian Austerfield, Head Teacher at Asquith Primary School, added: “We would highly recommend the Portakabin Group and Yorkon to others in the

education sector and particularly for challenging PFI projects such as this. This was a fantastic contractor to work with. The whole process has been extremely quick, smooth and easy from start to finish.” Much of the two-storey building was fitted out at the Group’s production centre in York to minimise any disruption to teaching and to radically reduce the programme time. It was delivered to site with all M&E services, toilets, doors and partitions already preinstalled. The self-contained building provides eight purpose-designed classrooms, an IT hub, library and resource area, and break-out spaces to both the first and second floors.

Externally, the facility is finished in white and grey with green rendered panels to add interest to the façades, white render and brickwork to the lower levels, and a double height glazed entrance. Large picture windows allow lots of natural light into the classrooms, creating a positive learning environment. The location for the new facility was very constrained and a temporary road had to be constructed to make way for the crane and installation of the building modules. The cranage phase was carried out over a weekend to ensure no interruption to the running of the school. Source: www.yorkon.co.uk

Prefab Roofing System for Bromley Schools

A 26 module school extension was designed, manufactured and installed in just 30 weeks by contractor Module AR, using IKO Polymeric’s prefabricated single ply roofing system fitted with its premium PVC membrane Armourplan P. Parish CofE Primary School in Bromley, South-East London, needed to expand to meet growing demand. The plan to increase the number of entry forms from two to three meant building an additional 12 classrooms, a toilet block, a group room and an entrance lobby. And it all had to be done quickly, with minimal disruption to the existing school. A modular building was the answer, with bespoke single ply roofing sheets in a specific RAL grey provided by market-leading manufacturer IKO Polymeric.

The sheets were installed as a mechanically-fastened roof system in Module-AR’s factory. Prefabricating the different elements (including 30 roof lights and smoke vents) saved significant time on the overall project, allowed for fast-track installation, reduced the number of workforce needed onsite and ensured minimum disruption to the school.

The full project – which included removing the existing mobile buildings – provided London Borough of Bromley with programme benefits of 16 weeks. Working with Module-AR, IKO Polymeric won the Single Ply Roofing Association (SPRA) Innovation Award for the project in June this year. Source: www.ikopolymeric.com

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OFFSITE NEWS New Manufacturing Facility for Actavo

In a major investment in its manufacturing capability, offsite building specialist, Actavo has opened a new production facility in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire. The fastest growing modular company for the last three years (source: Plimsoll Analysis), the new factory constitutes both a significant investment for Actavo and its Building Solutions division as well as reflecting its growth. Announcing the opening of the facility, Actavo Building Solutions’ operations director, Matthew Goff, said:

“The business opportunities this offers – and our ability to meet them – is recognised by Actavo. We have demonstrated our confidence in offsite and the Building Solutions operation by making such a significant investment. With the existing facility in Kill and now the new operation in Beverley, Actavo Building Solutions has become a real force to be reckoned with, in both the UK and Ireland.”

“This investment reflects the real growth in the offsite building sector. It is estimated that modular buildings currently account for 7% of construction GDP in the UK and that will grow due to government backing shifting towards offsite construction. Government initiatives, such as the requirement for all public sector building projects to be BIM compliant are creating the environment for further acceptance of modern methods of construction such as offsite and major infrastructure projects are also driving up demand.

Heading up the operation is Stephen Reeve. “It’s an exciting time to be involved in this new operation,” he said. “Actavo already has an established position in the offsite sector but this move brings about a step change in our production capacity and ability to deliver projects of scale. We have recruited and trained a local workforce. We’re also employing state-of-the-art technology and processes which have already been proven in our production facility in Ireland. With our new, lean production facility, we are able to fast-track to full production, confident in our ability to deliver high-quality buildings first time, every time.” Units designed and manufactured at the Beverley site will be used in a variety of sectors, including education, healthcare, rail and commercial. Based on current forecasts, Actavo Building Solutions estimates that by the end of 2016, the company will have doubled its manufacturing capabilities at the Beverley site. Source: www.actavo.com/building

AWARD WINNING INNOVATIVE OFFSITE DESIGNS THAT SHATTER ALL PERCEPTIONS boxes and a Redstart habitat on the roof. The New Islington School values are Creative, Innovative & Unique. These fit well with Premier’s own values and have certainly been captured in the new school building.

Offsite construction can provide high quality, fast and disruption free buildings but can it provide eye catching innovative designs or is this still an area of compromise?

specialist subcontractor to Conlon Construction have just completed New Islington Free School in Manchester. This will be a new home for 420 children open for the September term.

New Islington, Manchester formerly The Cardroom Estate was identified as a ‘Millennium Community’ to be rejuvenated and regenerated. The aim was to create the best place to live and work in Manchester, adding inspiring and innovative architecture would be the key to creating a sense of place. Premier Modular Ltd working as a

Premier worked with their architectural partners Vaughan Architecture to create this visually stunning building with a feature entrance, oversailing roof, picture windows, a double height light well and a modern external cladding finish. The building also includes roof-top teaching space and wildlife features including bird and bat

Rachel Davis, Business Development Director at Premier Modular said “We always strive for innovation and excellence and are proud and excited to have been shortlisted for an Offsite Award for this project. This comes shortly after ‘The Foundry’ in Newcastle, a student accommodation project we worked on with Sir Robert McAlpine, winning the ‘Project of the Year Up to £10m’ at the Construction News Awards.” For more information visit: www.premiermodular.co.uk

AUTUMN 2016 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

OFFSITE NEWS CCG (Scotland) Busy in 2016

Construction and manufacturing specialist CCG (Scotland) Ltd has reported a busy first half to the year after commencing more than £92 million in building projects. The Glasgow firm is live on a range of projects across Scotland’s central belt including residential projects in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Lanarkshire amounting to over 540 units. Current sites that CCG have started work on this year include a £12m, 54-bedroom care home and day centre in the south of Paisley which is being built for veterans charity the Royal Blind and Scottish War Blinded, and a Sanctuary Housing Association residential development consisting of 206 properties as the final phase of the award winning Anderston Regeneration in Glasgow city centre. Last month, CCG also announced the completion of a new, environmentally-friendly social housing development in Kilsyth – taking the total number of new social houses built by the firm in Lanarkshire to over 100.

Commenting on the company’s performance over the past six months, Calum Murray, director of CCG (Scotland) Ltd, said: “It’s been a busy start to 2016 as CCG’s construction activity continues to go from strength to strength. During the first six months of 2015 we launched housing contracts that totalled 100 properties, and one year on we have started more than five times that number in the first six months of the year.

Osco Homes Using Prison Inmates

not only in terms of the volume of homes required, but also in having enough genuinely affordable homes to meet demand. Osco Homes uses the latest innovations in offsite construction to streamline the build process – meaning faster homes – but ensures they’re also sold at a price directly related to the build cost meaning they are much more affordable. “As well as providing a way to help tackle the housing crisis, Osco Homes was also set up to ensure that when new houses are built, there’s a more tangible benefit to the wider community and economy. One of the ways we’ll do this is through partnering with local prisons like Hindley, and providing education to prisoners.

Trafford-based social housing procurement consortium Procure Plus has launched Osco Homes, a wholly owned subsidiary which will deliver affordable houses constructed offsite at a factory based in HM Prison Hindley, Wigan. The initial target is for Osco Homes is to build two homes a week, and within three years reach output of 1,000 homes a year. Osco Homes has recruited eight prisoners to start, due to increase with production to around 24. All the prisoners are in the final year of their sentence at Hindley and will be trained to build external walls, floor and ceiling cassettes. All prisoners selected to work in the factory will have undertaken construction training in plastering, joinery, kitchen bathroom fitting, provided by NOVUS, formerly the Manchester College. The factory and prisoners will be supervised, with further training in assembly production skills, installation of windows, doors and final finishing by prison service instructional staff. Each prisoner will be paid a salary for their work by Osco – over and above what they would usually receive from the prison – that will be held in trust until after their release. The first contract between Osco Homes and Hindley will deliver eight factory-built bungalows for a Together Housing Group site in Pontefract, West Yorkshire. Mike Brogan, Chief Executive of Procure Plus, explained: “The UK is in the midst of a housing crisis,

and timber frame manufacture, our key method of construction on our housing projects. With enhanced efficiency and quality standards as well as speed of delivery, we are doing everything we can to support reaching housing supply ambitions across Scotland. We are looking forward to what the next six months will bring, and to strengthening our offering across the CCG Group.” Source: bitly - http://bit.ly/2ckv1ZC

“We are continuing our approach to innovation in the use offsite modern methods of construction

“One of the hardest things for former prisoners to do on release is find work. By training them with key construction and manufacturing skills, we’re helping prisoners to take an important step in the rehabilitation process.” Kevin Ruth, Deputy Chief Executive, Together Housing Group, added: “When we were approached with the prospect of developing homes built in-part by offenders, we saw the potential to do two things: provide high quality homes that our area desperately needs, but also give current prisoners a better chance to gaining new skills and a life following their sentence and release. For us, it was a no-brainer to make a positive difference to our community.” Procure Plus is a North West social housing regeneration consortium that generates efficiencies by leveraging the procurement of construction materials and contractors. As well as delivering effective, value for money schemes and ways of working for its

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | AUTUMN 2016

clients, Procure Plus works with housing providers to reinvest a proportion of the savings made by the consortium back into the community, helping to create local jobs and encourage regeneration. Procure Plus is part of Re:allies, a club of housing associations which represents over 900,000 homes across the Midlands and the North of England. Source: www.placenorthwest.co.uk www.oscohomes.com

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OFFSITE NEWS Morgan Sindall Adopts Precast for Welsh Water

Arup Developing HAUT Timber Tower

Morgan Sindall has used a precast solution for a combined sewer overflow chamber on a Welsh Water job in Maesteg, south Wales. The contractor chose a precast concrete option for the first time over plastic or in-situ concrete options. The 3.5-metre long, 2-metre wide and 2.1-metre deep precast concrete chamber was installed as part of Morgan Sindall’s AMP6 framework contract with Welsh Water. The works involved installation of the new precast combined sewer overflow (CSO) chamber plus mechanical screen and associate pipelines and manholes.

Arup has been selected to develop HAUT, the highest wooden residential building in the world to date at 21 storeys in Amsterdam. They will be working in partnership with Lingotto, Nicole Maarsen, TEAM V Architecture and Nederlandse Energie Maatschappij. The 73m high residential tower located in the Amstelkwartier will include 55 apartments, public plinth Hortus bicycles and an underground car park. It will have a total gross floor area of approximately 14,500 m2 and is to receive the BREEAM Outstanding label, the highest possible sustainability score. HAUT’s wood can store over three million kilograms of CO2. In addition 1.250m2 of PV (solar) panels will help the building produce renewable energy, while waste water is purified through a constructed wetland on the roof. The municipality of Amsterdam selected this team for their vision of the city of the future in which nature and architecture are balanced.

BBA Gets BIM Ready

HAUT also stands for haute couture: designed customised architecture. The design offers the first buyers unlimited freedom of choice in dwelling size, number of floors and the location of rooms, outdoor spaces and voids. Within a strong and simple façade design, with white-gray floor tapes and high windows, the balconies seem to have randomly been slid in and out. The wooden ceilings of balconies and large overhangs on the sharp corner at the Spaklerweg make HAUT’s architecture expressive and iconic. For this project we are providing multi-disciplinary engineering services, including building services engineering, fire, acoustics and building physics consulting. Amstelkwartier, the new district on the Amstel encompassses about 4,000 homes, shops and businesses. At this point approximately 1,000 homes have been completed and the first school has been opened.

The 17-tonne CSO chamber was manufactured offsite by Kijlstra and installed using a 60-tonne capacity mobile crane from King Lifting. This was followed by the two-tonne internal weir wall, grouted in place once the chamber had been positioned within its excavation. The CSO riser unit, weighing another seven tonnes, was then lifted into place on top of the base unit. Preparation works in advance of the chamber’s delivery included construction of a 5m x 4m x 3m cofferdam and a concrete blinding slab. Morgan Sindall site agent Mark Thomas said: “We basically had three options – in-situ concrete, a plastic chamber or precast. Precast was the way forward for a number of reasons.” Precast reduced risks associated with a traditional in-situ pour, including working at height, steel fixing, manual handling and concrete works. It also saved time on the overall programme, effectively reducing the 12 days required for in-situ concrete to just one day to install the factory-finished product. Source: http://bit.ly/2bCxhwt

Source: http://bit.ly/2b3MOa0

With 50 years of unrivalled expertise in building and construction certification, the British Board of Agrément (BBA) has given birth to a new BIM-related offer. The BBA is about to launch a new initiative known as ‘BBA BIM object certification for manufacturers’. This means that they can now certify that a BIM object reflects its real life counterpart, making life easier for anyone operating in construction, from manufacturers to architects and specifiers. The manufacturer will be able to provide expert reassurance to customers that their chosen BIM object is a true reflection of the original product. This confirms, in no uncertain terms, that they have made the right choice. The specifiers will have a clearer view of what objects to select, which makes life easier at their end. BIM has been around for 10 years – the BBA considerably longer having just celebrated its 50th Anniversary in September 2016. The BBA is one of the UK’s leading notified bodies offering approval, certification and test services to manufacturers of products and systems supplying the construction industry, and is leading the way in setting new standards for BIM model use, with some much-needed, positive implications within the industry as a whole. For more information email BIM@BBA.star.co.uk

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | AUTUMN 2016

SIDEY KitFix® System Unique Innovative Solution for offsite Installed Fenestration

Right to buy abolishment and Offsite Construction are key to affordable housing targets! The Scottish Government documented by ending the Right to Buy up to 15,500 social homes are protected from sale over the next ten years, safeguarding this stock for future generations. The Scottish Government has also committed to delivering an ambitious target of 50,000, affordable homes over the lifetime of this Parliament, including 35,000 social homes. How does this reshape Scotland’s Social Housing landscape and assist in achieving new housing targets on time and on budget? Steve Hardy, JMD of offsite specialists Sidey tells us that offsite construction is key to delivering cost effective, long term thermally efficient, and quick to deliver dwellings. “The abolishment of the ‘Right to buy Scheme’ in Scotland is definitely a step in the right direction, however demand is still outweighing supply. It has been well documented by the Scottish Government and the SFHA (Scottish Federation of Housing Associations) that Scotland desperately needs more affordable homes in order to solve its current housing crisis, and although there has been a commitment to delivering at least 50,000 new affordable homes, backed by more than £3 billion, over the lifetime of this parliament, there are other factors impacting on the sector’s ability to deliver increased numbers of affordable housing. The key issues are planning, availability of affordable land and access to skilled workers.

Offsite Construction is the Solution “The solution has to lie in the growth of offsite construction. Costs are now no more than when building through standard construction methods, but the two huge pluses are the delivery of better buildings by design, and delivery on time”. “Offsite is well and truly proven as a construction option and it is the way forward for the housing sector wanting to build better quality homes; cost effectively, and most importantly sure to be delivered on time”. Contact Sidey for more info. on KitFix®; the unique offsite solution for installing windows and doors offsite - Scan the QR code to watch KitFix® in action.

Email: kitfix@sidey.co.uk

01738 572 152

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OFFSITE NEWS YO! Home Awaits Planning Permission

YO! company founder Simon Woodroffe has teamed up with Glenn Howells Architects on the first Yo! Home project, which aims to provide compact but high-quality accommodation for city dwellers. The apartments will include moving surfaces and foldaway furniture will feature in the first residential development from the team behind Yo! Sushi and Yotel. The team submitted a planning application last month for 24 apartments in New Islington, Manchester, England, that is overseen by property developer Urban Splash. Woodroffe first unveiled the concept for Yo! Home at the London Design Festival in 2012, where he presented a space no bigger than a onebedroom apartment that contained as many rooms as a two-bedroom house. For New Islington, Glenn Howells Architects has updated the design to create one-bedroom homes that maximise a 40-squaremetre plan – the size of an average studio flat. Plans include a mechanised bed that can be lowered over a sunken seating area in the lounge, a breakfast bar that slides out from the kitchen wall and a dining table that folds up from the floor. “Homes help shape our lives. They are our refuge, and our rock. Since the invention of the city centre apartment, we’ve never really re-invented it. Yo! Home is that new invention,” said Simon Woodroffe. “Moving parts draw on the wealth of engineering technology taken from fields as diverse as yacht and automotive

design, and the mechanics of stage production, allowing the transformation of a 40-square-metre space into what feels like a much bigger home.” Each apartment is designed as a modular unit and will be stacked to create a simple rectilinear block. These units are likely to be delivered by SIG Building Systems to reduce building time and costs. With the popularity of compact city homes on the rise Yo! Home has plans to roll out the concept globally, with a focus on major cities in America, Japan, China and Argentina.

applied to other cities around the world,” said Glenn Howells. New Islington has become a hotbed for experimental construction. The area is already home to a Will Alsop-designed block modelled on ‘three fat chips’ and ShedKM’s recent modular housing scheme where residents were invited to plan the layouts of their homes. The Yo! Home team was expecting a decision on their project from the local planning department in August. Source: http://yo.co.uk

“We can see how this concept for living will be attractive in Manchester and that it can be widely

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due to the latest continuous press technology used in its production. This powerful process involves raw materials being transported via conveyor belt between precision milled, highly-accurate rollers and guides, guaranteeing the accuracy that customers demanded. The cutting-edge machinery ensures unrivalled flexibility in dimensions to enable almost instantaneous adjustment of panel lengths and widths.

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EXPLORE FUTURES NEWS

EXPLORING THE FUTURE OF OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION The latest in the Explore Offsite series of one day conference and exhibitions will concentrate on the myriad of directions this exciting and constantly expanding sector is set to take in the next decade and beyond.

unpredictable and often unknowable, the outcome of many factors, known and unknown. The future is rarely a simple extrapolation from the present but it can be influenced by what is going on at the cutting edge today. Explore Offsite Futures conference and exhibition will demonstrate how to tackle industry challenges through a range of project case studies, innovative architecture and building design, IT and software development, as well as presenting what the future of manufacturing may look like with presentations from a collection of the UK’s leading offsite manufacturers and some of the industry’s thought leaders, giving their views on where the future of offsite manufacturing and construction realistically lies.

Tickets cost just £125 + VAT and include: entry into the conference and exhibition, parking, lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

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The post-recession ‘bounce-back’ has seen a significant growth in the use of offsite construction techniques and architects, manufacturers and software developers are transforming the construction industry with the rapid uptake of BIM and the recognition that Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) is not just some ‘pie in the sky’ rhetoric or pipe-dream.

YEARBOOK

The recognition of this seismic shift in the use of offsite technology is one step on a long road to making offsite construction the norm and not the novelty. Thinking about the future is essential for almost all organisations. But what exactly is the future for offsite construction? Futures are

For more information, or to book your place visit: www.exploreoffsite.co.uk

10% EXCLUSIVE READER DISCOUNT Using discount code OSCMAG10

The NEW Offsite Yearbook – due out in March 2017 – not only brings news, feature articles, company announcements and industry awards into one document but it also focuses on the challenges the industry faces, the opportunity for growth and features new technology innovations coming into the market.

To request a copy of the yearbook or to feature your products and services, contact us today on 01743 290001 or email info@offsitemagazine.co.uk

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | AUTUMN 2016

www.metsec.com

ADVERTORIAL

OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION: THE FIRST CHOICE Why offsite construction is becoming the first choice in delivering high-quality housing. Offsite construction is an established, high-value manufacture and construction method that delivers guaranteed quality, precision engineered components to meet a variety of standards. A mainstream and intelligent way to build, it presents cost-effectiveness, speed and energyefficiency advantages from inception to construction, while removing practices that could invite error or inconsistencies. For residential surveyors, offsite construction offers significant on-site benefits, cost certainty, and outstanding durability and robustness. Based on certified products manufactured in controlled factory environments, it uses modern technologies to minimise construction risk and simplify design. The construction process at the onsite stage is vastly reduced, making installation easier, reducing the need for trades, removing opportunities for error and enhancing the longterm performance of the projects. In the UK, timber frame is the largest offsite construction sector; 70% of houses in Scotland are built by this method, which is also on the increase in England and Wales. Given its many advantages, timber-frame offsite construction can deliver home units quickly while maintaining profit margins and equity interests for constructors and investors.

Gold standard assurance With offsite construction currently used for one in ﬁve new homes, industry stakeholders know it to be low-risk, durable and exceptional value. Lending and insurance authorities can now balance both perceived and accepted risks for newer offsite construction products through a dedicated guarantee programme. The Build Offsite Property Assurance Scheme (BOPAS) is an industry-leading accreditation scheme underwritten by RICS, Buildoffsite, Lloyd’s Register and Building LifePlans. It guarantees a product’s consistent throughlife performance that it will remain saleable and insurable for a minimum of 60 years (more than three times the term of many mortgages) and provides assurance against any form of variability in the system or product warranted. Developed in consultation with the Council of Mortgage Lenders and the Building Societies Association, BOPAS presents the gold standard for novel offsite construction techniques. It comprises: • an appraisal of durability and maintenance • process accreditation • an online database of assessed building methodologies, registered sites and warranted properties.

Timber frame also enjoys an unlimited, sustainable material supply chain, giving the potential to manufacture 10,000 homes or units a year, with considerably shorter call-off periods than traditional build methods.

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | AUTUMN 2016

Additionally, it is designed to evaluate the adoption of best practice by offsite constructors in competency, configuration, risk, and procurement management and process control. Sigma II build system Stewart Milne Timber Systems’ Sigma II system is the only advanced closed-panel timber-frame/ offsite construction product to achieve BOPAS accreditation. Offering an integrated approach with guaranteed performance and cost effectiveness, this closed-panel timber-build system is the result of seven years’ collaborative research and development. It enables clients to tailor the amount of prefabrication required per project, and encompasses closed and insulated walls, prefitted windows and doors, and insulated prewrapped floor and roof cassettes. All this offers residential developers a fast build with vastly reduced trades interface and risk of error on site. Sigma II’s fully integrated and comprehensive build system requires less supervision and construction risk. Following extensive testing, third-party assessment and technical compliance, Sigma II is BBA certified and backed by NHBC’s 10-year warranty.

ADVERTORIAL

COMMITTED TO INNOVATION

Energy efficient and robust When combined with a fabricfirst approach, offsite construction adds even more value for clients and surveyors by delivering high performance housing that requires little to no ongoing maintenance in terms of ‘addon’ energy-efficiency technologies. Offsite construction reduces the building design versus as-built performance gap, through factory quality, simplified detailing and improved process controls on site. Rising energy bills for consumers and impending carbon-emissions reduction targets for builders are a serious concern. Being able to build houses that do not require additional expensive ‘eco bling’ and are guaranteed to remain energy efficient for at least 60 years is an attractive assurance to investors and owners. Stewart Milne Timber System’s technical team works with clients from the concept and design stage to advise on appropriate specification, value-engineer the project from the start, and reduce waste and risk. This contributes to increased buildability, lessens construction costs, and incorporates robust and durable solutions to any project brief.

As part of their R&D programme, a team from Stewart Milne Group visited Japan, whose highly successful offsite construction housebuilding sector is producing more homes annually than the entire UK housing market. By investing heavily in research and development, Japan is a world leader in advanced offsite construction, with large corporations and brands dominating its private housebuilding sector. The country has developed a sophisticated approach that is delivering highly customisable and durable newbuild homes. With an overarching focus on quality and system assurance, the market in Japan has beneﬁted from BOPAS-like principles to the point where offsite constructed newbuild homes are given preferential mortgage rates and insurance terms.

Stewart Milne Timber Systems is part of the Stewart Milne Group, one of the UK’s leading independent housebuilding, construction and development companies. The four divisions share one aim: to use their expertise, innovation, quality and commitment to provide the best solutions for their clients. With a background of 40 years in housebuilding, it has been delivering housing and commercial builds through offsite construction, which has been integral to its clients’ continued business success and the satisfaction of its customers.

It is hoped that introducing BOPAS to the maturing offsite construction industry in the UK will begin the same shift towards a more joined up, industrywide approach. For more information visit: www.stewartmilne.com

AUTUMN 2016 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

FUTURES NEC, Birmingham - 24 November 2016

EXPLORE THE FUTURE OF OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION The need for faster, leaner and smarter construction is becoming more and more apparent in the UK and with only 63% of site based developments completed on time and an even smaller 49% delivered on budget, it is clear that traditional build fails to meet the major challenges facing construction today. Explore Offsite Futures examines the opportunity for offsite construction technology to play a major role in addressing the issues of skills shortage, sector image and productivity through product development and innovative application.

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Exhibitors:

Banyan Wharf, B & K Structures

CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION SPEAKERS INCLUDE...

Explore Offsite Housing Event

Tom Bloxham MBE - Urban Splash Sam Stacey - Skanska Jason Whittall - One Creative Environments Ken Davie - Carillion Building Stephen Bradbury - Wates Group Chris Foad - Whitbread Tim Houghton - Heathrow Airport Andy Sneyd - Portakabin Mark Davey - Lakesmere Peter Foster - CoBuilder Ian Loughnane - Kingspan Timber Solutions Neil Magner - FP McCann Simon Underwood - Elements Europe Robert Clarke - Fusion Nick Hayes - Unite Dale Sinclair - Aecom Tom Klingholz - Chapman Taylor

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

BOOK Ticket prices for the event are listed below:

PRIVATE SECTOR DELEGATES £125 + VAT PUBLIC SECTOR DELEGATES

Grand Felda House - Vision Modular

£95 + VAT

10% EXCLUSIVE READER DISCOUNT Using discount code OSCMAG10

Industry Partners:

To book your place go to

www.exploreoffsite.co.uk/book

The Offsite Construction Awards celebrate the best in precision building design and delivery, by showcasing innovation, celebrating best practice and recognising overall expertise in offsite construction through landmark projects, influential people and material and manufacturing excellence. The Awards reward outstanding examples of offsite manufacturing, prefabrication and factory-based methods, products, systems and disciplines that deliver a better built environment. The 2016 Offsite Construction Awards generated a record number of entries with nearly 200 high-quality submissions, making it a real challenge for the judges to pick the winners. The competition has been extremely tough in many categories, reflecting the seismic shift in the development of the offsite industry and the significant growth in the uptake of offsite technology across a wide range of sectors.

To whet your appetite here is a quick look at this year’s shortlisted entries. Winners of the Offsite Construction Awards will be revealed at the awards ceremony on 18 October at the NEC – Birmingham, as part of UK Construction Week. Full details can be found at www.offsiteawards.co.uk Good luck to all of the finalists and thank you for entering!

Best Use of Concrete BEST USE OF CONCRETE

BEST USE OF STEEL

HOUSING PROJECT OF THE YEAR

COMMERCIAL/RETAIL PROJECT OF THE YEAR

BEST USE OF TIMBER

BEST HYBRID CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

BEST USE OF VOLUMETRIC TECHNOLOGY

BEST USE OF MEP PREFABRICATION

PUBLIC SECTOR PROJECT OF THE YEAR

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT OF THE YEAR

PRODUCT INNOVATION AWARD

OFFSITE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

01 Levitate 02 Atkins 03 NuSpan Flooring 04 HTA Design LLP 05 CPM Group

Best Use of Timber

Sponsored by:

USE OF STEEL

BEST USE OF TIMBER

BEST HYBRID CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

BEST USE OF VOLUMETRIC TECHNOLOGY

BEST USE OF MEP PREFABRICATION

ERCIAL/RETAIL CT OF THE YEAR

PUBLIC SECTOR PROJECT OF THE YEAR

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT OF THE YEAR

PRODUCT INNOVATION AWARD

OFFSITE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

08 07

01 Cullinan Studio 02 B&K Structures 03 Strief UK 04 Cygnum Timber Frame 05 Foster + Partners 06 Val-U-Therm 07 Carbon Dynamic 08 Innovare Systems 09 Engenuiti 10 Prater

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | AUTUMN 2016

T HYBRID CTION PROJECT

STRUCTURE OF THE YEAR

T USE OF STEEL

MERCIAL/RETAIL ECT OF THE YEAR

Best Use of Volumetric Technology BEST USE OF VOLUMETRIC TECHNOLOGY

BEST USE OF MEP PREFABRICATION

PRODUCT INNOVATION AWARD

OFFSITE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by:

Housing Project of the Year HOUSING PROJECT OF THE YEAR

COMMERCIAL/RETAIL PROJECT OF THE YEAR

PUBLIC SECTOR PROJECT OF THE YEAR

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT OF THE YEAR

PRODUCT INNOVATION AWARD

OFFSITE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

04 09

01 HTA Design LLP 02 Accord Group 03 JDA Architects 04 Kingspan Timber Solutions 05 Urban Splash HoUse 06 Scotframe 07 Modcell Straw Technology USEFacades OF BEST West HYBRID BESTModular USE OF VOLUMETRIC 08 YMCA LondonCONSTRUCTION South 09 Vision Systems MEP 10BEST EOS PREFABRICATION PROJECT TECHNOLOGY

BEST USE OF TIMBER

Public Sector Project of the Year PUBLIC SECTOR PROJECT OF THE YEAR

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT OF THE YEAR

PRODUCT INNOVATION AWARD

OFFSITE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by:

OFFSITE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

03 09

01 B&K Structures 02 Medite Smartply 10 Ian Ritchie Architects Ltd

03 EGGER UK 04 Bauman Lyons Architects 05 Recticel Insulation 06 Rothoblaas 07 Willmott Dixon 08 Siniat 09 Smartroof

Sponsored by:

Best Use of Steel BEST USE OF STEEL

BEST USE OF TIMBER

BEST HYBRID CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

BEST USE OF VOLUMETRIC TECHNOLOGY

BEST USE OF MEP PREFABRICATION

COMMERCIAL/RETAIL PROJECT OF THE YEAR

PUBLIC SECTOR PROJECT OF THE YEAR

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT OF THE YEAR

PRODUCT INNOVATION AWARD

OFFSITE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

04 09

01 EOS Facades 02 Mansell Finishes 03 voestalpine Metsec plc 04 Icarus LSF 05 AZPML 06 Atkin Trade Specialists 07 EOS Facades 10 HTA Design LLP

08 Fusion Building Systems 09 Vision Modular

Best Hybrid Construction Project BEST HYBRID CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT OF THE YEAR

BEST USE OF VOLUMETRIC TECHNOLOGY

PRODUCT INNOVATION AWARD

BEST USE OF MEP PREFABRICATION

OFFSITE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

01 Ash & Lacy Building Systems 02 B&K Structures & Engenuiti 03 Prater 04 Atkins 05 Ramboll 06 Earle Architects 07 Innovare Systems 08 Extraspace Solutions 09 Scotframe 10 Arup

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | AUTUMN 2016

A site for sore eyes

Looking at the advantages of BBA Certification As you well know, major construction work on building sites involves a huge amount of product and materials checking, not least to make sure everything meets the exacting requirements of building regulations. This can be stressful at the best of times and a helping hand is always welcome. That’s why more and more people are coming to the BBA for offsite certification of their products. For many years now, our work in the offsite construction sector has brought peace of mind to hundreds of architects and manufacturers alike. BBA Agrément Certificates are widely read and respected by industry decision-makers who want to select innovative products that have been thoroughly assessed by the BBA. Our assessors have decades of experience in evaluating offsite construction, and we are currently assessing many new systems, adding to the many already approved including insulated concrete formwork, SIPs and framed systems. Of course, our main focus is on the requirements of Building Regulations — not just in England and Wales, but also in Scotland and Northern Ireland. But we go much further than that. We want to ensure that a system is not only waterproof, warm and structurally sound; it has to be durable, too. No-one wants to buy a system with a short life expectancy, so we seek to ensure that it will last for an appropriate period of time.

Neither are our assessments simply desk exercises. As well as testing, we go out to the factory to check system documentation and control, making sure that the specification we approve is capable of being produced consistently. We also go out on site to see units being offloaded and installed. That’s because we know that what may seem simple when explained in a dry office or factory can turn out to be very different on a building site. Once we have gathered data from testing, factory inspections and site surveillance, we consider how we can use it to establish that the requirements of Building Regulations and other statutory or non-statutory documents have been met. BBA Agrément Certificates are regarded as quite simply the best assurances you can get for your offsite products. With BBA’s 50 years of unrivalled expertise in building and construction certification, it’s easy to see why. clientservices@bba.star.co.uk www.bbacerts.co.uk 01923 665300

Best Use of MEP Prefabrication

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EXCEEDING PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

One of the features of offsite manufacturing is that the specification and performance is fixed before manufacture and that it can be consistently achieved. Up to the early 2000’s the major complaint from new homebuyers was that they could hear their neighbours through the separating walls and floors. The regulatory standard was poor but even so only about half of new homes met it. The government of the day decided this needed to change and in 2003 set the standards to a good level and crucially required builders to sample test 10% of completed homes to prove that the walls and floors worked. This is known as PCT, or pre/post completion testing. But the housebuilders wanted something more certain and with less potential for delays so proposed an alternative with no testing. This became the robustdetails® scheme in 2004. In effect it is a pattern book of pre-tested designs that have been assessed for robustness, practicality of building and with a built in safety margin over and above the Building Regulation requirements. The builder simply chooses a pattern or patterns, registers his plots, pays a small fee and builds in accordance with the chosen pattern. He doesn’t have to worry about the PCT process any more. Robust Details still carry out sample tests and inspections on walls and floors to check that the details are capable of being built to the required standards. Since its launch, the Robust Details have registered nearly 900,000 homes and demonstrated 99% compliance through this sample testing. From the beginning the scheme has incorporated all materials (masonry, precast concrete, timber and steel) and both onsite and offsite systems –

two examples are shown. Volumetric construction is however a newer issue and one where the risks of poor sound performance are not so much different as differently distributed. For every wall and floor that Robust Details has tested and found to have less than the expected performance, it has been down to either poor workmanship or deviation from the specification. With volumetric construction being more of a manufacturing process with tighter process control, the risks of these events change. That is not to say they are not there but the profile has certainly changed. At present, new details go through a Candidate Robust Detail (CRD) process. The proposer, typically a supplier or a trade association, puts forward test and other data for eight plots where their CRD has been built and tested. This submission is then assessed by the Standards Committee for performance and robustness. If accepted, sometimes with extra robustness being added, the proposer goes away and completes a further twenty two tests. All these tests must be at least 2dB better than Building Regulations with an average of 5dB better. This is the built in safety margin to allow for the real world of building sites. If this is all satisfactory the Standards Committee agrees that the CRD can become a full Robust Detail and be available for builders to use onsite. Recognising the difference with volumetric systems, the Standards Committee looked at ways to reflect these in the CRD process. The key difference is that confidence in reliable performance can be gained earlier

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2 given a better understanding of the building system and details. Fewer tests need to be carried out before the system can be used onsite, albeit with various conditions. The use of dedicated site assembly teams is another consideration as well as end-to-end formal QA systems such as BOPAS. Robust Details is working with these other QA system providers to understand what their scope is so that as much as possible of the sound insulation inspection information is shared by the inspection bodies, thus saving duplication of effort and reducing costs. Robust Details will still need to carry out onsite sampling as there are always potential ways in which site assembly and other activities can compromise sound performance. However, for volumetric systems in the robustdetails® scheme there will be no need to carry out PCT testing on site. This is just another way of reducing risk and increasing certainty for users, which is all part of the benefits package of offsite construction. For more information visit: www.robustdetails.com

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BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING (BIM)

UNDERSTAND YOUR DATA With BIM becoming an ever-present and critical part of construction, the amount of data can be overwhelming. Nick Tune, UK CEO of coBuilder outlines a system fresh to the UK market allowing construction product manufacturers to structure their data in multiple BIM formats and languages.

All buildings consist of products, materials and components that are brought together during construction, be it onsite or offsite. The current process for product information exchange is PDFs or 3D objects with limited data. During the past year, coBuilder’s work has been focused on utilising manufacturers’ data and confirming the notion that data is at the heart of BIM. By making the various actors’ data requirements apply to all kinds of products, materials and components, we are encouraging the industry to embrace productivity and quality, through various means including BIM-oriented offsite manufacture. Our extensive research of the tendencies that govern the construction industry lead to some important conclusions. The most poignant of them is that increasingly, the industry is facing greater challenges with the level of information technology integration not only in the design stage but throughout the entire lifecycle and the implementation of higher levels of BIM. coBuilder has therefore developed software tools for the collection and exchange of product data in a building project across a number of BIM tools – Revit, ArchiCAD, 34

Navisworks, FM systems – the goal being universal interoperability that will prevent information loss and help optimise the building process. Working alongside offsite manufacturing specialists helped us confirm that construction product data is indeed the proper starting point for creating useful software solutions for the industry. Understanding and delivery of construction products and components and the data needed within them during all stages allows for example testing of parameters to meet certain specific requirements and also assists in developing clash avoidance solutions. In terms of data, offsite manufacturing is characterised with a higher level of information needed at an earlier time frame compared to traditional manufacturing. This is needed in order to minimise lead-in times that can often delay the beginning of the project in the manufacturing plan or on site. Moreover, information in the form of digital data is deemed highly beneficial for offsite manufacturing as it allows for better supply chain integration and communication, which have proven to be problematic for most suppliers. In the age of BIM clients, designers, contractors and

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other users like to be fully informed about all the facts before they make strategic decisions. Until the information on a product is freely and clearly available then the key decision makers will use another construction solution for which information is already plentiful and available. coBuilder’s innovative software solutions have the potential to open up great market opportunities for offsite construction. Offsite manufacturing businesses often sell their products internationally and this comes with interoperability risks when it comes to data. Not only national standards and requirements vary across borders, but also classifications and product and property naming conventions, which sets out the need for a unified technical languages that can be used by all. That is why part of coBuilder’s key innovation is how we make the data available in multiple formats and languages at the touch of a button: this is achieved by utilising the buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD). The data dictionary is a semantic mapping tool, i.e. you can map the meaning of words that have different names but actually mean the same thing together so that we can all understand what we are talking about. Structured data is clearly of an advantage to offsite manufacturing and construction business. However, integrating structured data and engaging the supply chain in aiding that process with their data can be quite a challenge. For more information email: tune@cobuilder.com or visit: www.cobuilder.co.uk | www.goBIM.com

Image: 01. BIM data needs to be available in multiple formats and languages

From design to reality

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TRANSFORMING THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS

BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING (BIM)

PERFECT PARTNERS Duncan Reed, Digital Construction Process Manager, Trimble, shows how offsite manufacturing and BIM are well suited to create more collaborative and efficient partnerships and produce a new generation of sustainable and impressive buildings.

1 Offsite manufacturing – by its very name – is a process that can, and does, benefit from the use of technology. Whether this is through the virtual development of products, bills of materials or the logistics associated with transportation and delivery, many parts of the day to day business of an offsite company are now being branded as integral parts of the BIM revolution: product development 3D, bills of materials – 5D and logistics – 4D. So in many ways offsite manufacturing and BIM are like two long lost siblings that have finally found each other. The technology and processes that the offsite industry has been using for years can now be leveraged in more collaborative ways across the wider project team to reduce risks and improve project outcomes. Indeed, BIM as a process can, and does, bring 36

efficiencies to companies’ existing methods and procedures so that projects can be delivered quicker, more competently and with greater reliability for customers. Thinking of BIM as a process allows what some may see as constraints in the offsite manufacturing process be turned into advantages. For the last-minute-dot-com construction industry, the need to make decisions early to allow offsite manufacture to commence, are now aligned to the positive needs for the right data being created at the right time by the right people in the team, in order to allow the offsite process to seamlessly integrate with the project. The key to successful digital workflows using BIM are very similar to the key requirements for the successful delivery of offsite manufacturing:

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• Clearly defined project requirements • Agreed project deliverables: quality, time and money • Validation of the project against the deliverables. The open nature of BIM leads to a more collaborative working relationship with all parties. The 3D model is understandable by everyone and so greater levels of stakeholder engagement can be achieved. This leads to clearly defined project goals and requirements, as well as wellmanaged customer expectations, is also managed to ensure that the project actually delivers what is required. With clearly defined project requirements it is then easier to agree the project deliverables, and in particular to assign roles and responsibilities. For the offsite manufacturer, as one member of

BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING (BIM)

2 the wider team, its scope of services will be better defined by having BIM deliverables than the previous non-digital delivery methods. Finally, and most importantly, having set the project up to work digitally the validation of the physical asset against the digital definition of the scheme is not only easier but quicker to complete. Projects using BIM are easier to bring on-stream, as the compliance processes required to validate the asset means you get what you have been expecting. Having an accurate 3D modelling solution, supported by well-defined data requirements, will deliver benefits at every stage of the design and construction process. From initially creating accurate 3D models, which are used to organise, plan, estimate and for preparation to taking the model on site, offsite manufacturers can have complete confidence at all stages. The benefits of earlier project clarity and better-defined deliverables play to the strengths of offsite manufacturing – a way not previously available to the sector. Furthermore the design and construction benefits afforded to offsite manufacturers also assist in delivering improvements in the maintenance of the asset. A product that has been considered in detail before being manufactured offsite will have included consideration for how it is to be maintained – whether this is in terms of accessible valves and switches or the ability to remove whole components. Indeed, well-considered – manufactured, not constructed onsite – units are easier to maintain. This adds further value to the customer in the operations phase of the asset. Ultimately the assembly nature of offsite manufacturing leads to the easier disassembly of the asset at the end of its life, so further increasing the sustainability credentials of the sector. A project using a well structured, data rich, constructable model shared by the team, offers major benefits to an

3 BIM REDUCES TIME AND COST AT BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET STATION With such a complex structure, in terms of both geometry and logistics, the only way SK Detailing Services could complete the South Entrance of Birmingham New Street on time, within budget and safely, was to ensure all parties collaborated efficiently. As such, they utilised Trimble’s Tekla Structures throughout the project. The South Entrance structure is one phase of the five-year Birmingham New Street station refurbishment project, transforming the busiest station in the UK outside of London from dark and dated to a bigger, brighter space – providing visitors with a fantastic first impression of the city. During the project, SK Detailing Services and NewSteel Solutions interoperated with Network Rail, the main contractor, the architect and the engineers to fully design and detail the project ‘virtually’ offsite – ensuring all interfaces between trades had been considered and any problems resolved before any materials arrived on site. BIM was critical for this project – during the fabrication, planning and installation stages it ensured that NewSteel Solutions had up-to-date models of all assemblies, to give an instant visualisation of the pieces being fabricated. The BIM models also provided the fabrication shop with the ability to determine, before starting work on a piece, what it should look like and where areas of difficult fabrication would be. Without the use of Tekla software, reference models and BIM integration, a structure of such complexity could not have been realised in such a short time frame. Tekla software provided SK Detailing Services with the ability to link easily and seamlessly with other organisations and software. It also allowed for huge time and costs savings in ensuring that the interfaces and scheduling of all trades ran exactly as planned, without delays.

offsite manufacturer and its wider supply chain to re-use this data, in order to reduce waste and improve project outcomes. The data set can be expressed in whatever form is relevant to the organisation wanting to use the data – whether that is 2D drawings, a link to programmes, creating schedules or viewing the project as a 3D model. Therefore, instead of businesses being unnerved about the future of digital construction, this is a time for the rest of the industry to gain the opportunities that the offsite sector has already realised by working digitally, through better project definition,

collaboration and validation. By doing this it will not only help offsite businesses show how they can lead in the delivery of BIM on a project but also to the wider industry; offsite has a golden opportunity to lead in the digital revolution. For more information visit: www.tekla.com/uk/solutions or for more information about SK Detailing Services please visit www.skds.co.uk

Images: 01-02. Baku National Stadium, Azerbaijan benefited from cutting edge BIM software 03. Birmingham New Street Station

AUTUMN 2016 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING (BIM)

HARNESSING BIM WITHIN OFFSITE McAvoy was the first offsite modular firm to secure BIM Level 2 certification in the UK from BRE Global, but the journey towards this milestone began as far back as 2007 as Design Manager, David Clark explains. GROSVENOR PRIMARY SCHOOL McAvoy was awarded the contract to design, build and install a stand-alone single storey modular permanent extension at Grosvenor Road Primary School in Salford, under the terms of the Crown Commercial Services Framework.

1 McAvoy has been a pioneer within the UK’s offsite modular construction industry for more than four decades and for many years it has recognised the link between process innovation and the delivery of quality improvement through cost reduction. McAvoy has been utilising BIM authoring tools for almost nine years when they first introduced ArchiCAD as the primary CAD software for the architectural design of their buildings. Although our journey started back in 2007 it has really been since 2012 that our skill and experience with BIM rapidly developed through the addition of further software solutions such as Tekla Structures (now Trimble Structures) and MiTek Woodengine. Our advances in BIM processes and design through the software suite enabled the inclusion of steelwork and timber framing elements within the overall BIM workflow and co-ordination of the design. When combined these platforms provide each project with a full BIM lifecycle or the design process from conception to construction. While acutely aware of the Government’s April 2016 deadline for the adoption of BIM level 2, for those companies wishing to bid for centrally

procured projects, the McAvoy journey has not necessarily been driven by market need but by a determination and vision to become market leaders, with the skills and expertise to deliver better and more efficient designs by embracing BIM workflows. The Government mandate was certainly a welcome move because it placed a sharp focus on BIM throughout the contracting and supplier base, however it was the McAvoy Group’s culture of innovation that was the real driver behind our business BIM implementation. For us BIM is about the process of how we deliver our projects: it is about a better way to provide efficient designs to our clients whilst collaborating through best practice methods – thus eliminating inaccuracies that would otherwise have the potential to lead to unexpected delays or costs being incurred. So far we have received very positive responses from our clients and we strongly believe they will be reassured to know that our business has the requisite knowledge and expertise to deliver a full BIM Level 2 project. For more information visit: www.mcavoygroup.com

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The new building comprised six classrooms, WC facilities, stores, circulation areas, cloakrooms and a plant room. Building information models from each discipline were uploaded to a cloud based Common Data Environment (CDE) having been converted to IFC format, which is the generally accepted format for model sharing and data exchange within a BIM workflow. So although each discipline created its model in a different authoring software: ArchiCAD for architectural; Tekla for structure and Revit MEP for M&E, the IFC versions were uploaded to the CDE which allowed the designs to be communicated in a common language. The IFC models were then federated and checked via an IFC viewer, Tekla BIMsight, to ensure the model was interrogated then checked for clashes, errors or omissions before being annotated with comments and points for review and revision by all members of the team. In addition to these, McAvoy shared the architectural IFC model with its own timber wall engineers, on which they based their off-line production drawings and schedules. BIM proved a valuable tool in helping stick to the tight construction programme, and to also allow the different disciplines to collaborate, despite being located across a range of different locations and offices. With two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities at Lisburn and Dungannon, McAvoy has the capacity to deliver large, fast-track projects throughout the UK and Ireland. It has delivered more than 3 million m2 of modular accommodation for the education, health, commercial, infrastructure and hospitality sectors using its ‘Think Smart, Build Smart.’ mindset.

Image: 01. The BIM processes enables the inclusion of steelwork and timber framing elements within the overall BIM workflow and co-ordination of the design

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CONCRETE

BRING OUT THE BEST IN DFMA DELIVERY For any construction project, time is money. Implementing an innovative design strategy to shorten a build programme can also have further substantial benefits. Richard Day of The Concrete Society outlines three recent city-based – and very distinctive – developments that demonstrate just that. Better concrete finishes, quicker installation, less onsite work and reduced risks to health and safety issues – much sought after and often elusive to project contractors. But the use of a design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) strategy can deliver exactly these benefits. Embracing ‘modern methods of construction’ is an ethos that, while bringing obvious advantages, needs to be applied at every stage of construction and by every contractor. DfMA can have particular benefit on sites with limited access, traffic density issues or working around ‘everyday’ operations.

Motel One, Manchester The 330-bed hotel for German operator Motel One faces Manchester’s Piccadilly Station. Making extensive use of offsite concrete manufacturing technologies, the clean volumes and elemental forms of the acid-etched Portland Stonecoloured precast façades provide a calm backdrop to the adjacent Grade II* listed London Road Fire Station and the surrounding Piccadilly Place development. The project is a partseven, part-14 storey hotel with bar and breakfast facilities constructed over a basement plant room.

Taking construction work offsite for delivery ‘just in time’, as part of a DfMA strategy, is something that three projects in Manchester, Bristol and London all adopted. All three schemes were distinctly different, yet the same approach raised productivity, ensured that all agreed milestones were met on time and maintained programme reliability for key elements of the concrete contract. The DfMA approach and just-in-time co-ordination of concrete units also minimises vehicle movements and disruption to traffic and site activities are drastically reduced, resulting in costs savings and safe uncluttered working conditions onsite.

The main contractor was selected at an early stage in the project to become a valuable member of the design team and to ensure that procurement of materials and construction site impacts were planned and managed from an early stage. The use of BIM and 3D modelling was essential to the co-ordination of this project. From the outset, the main contractor Russells Construction engaged with precaster FP McCann and brought a wealth of offsite concrete construction experience to the project. Above the first-floor in-situ concrete transfer structure, the whole construction (walls, floors, architectural external wall build-up and shower pods) was manufactured offsite.

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1 The offsite manufacture of acid-etched architectural composite and fully glazed load-bearing panels saved money and time by increasing the speed of construction, each floor being erected in just 1.5 weeks and reduced the need for various followon trades. The innovation was thought to save more than three months over an onsite frame, cladding and glazing installation. It also helped improve health and safety on the constricted site for workers and the public by removing the need for scaffolding and multiple trades working at height as all panels were installed by the precaster’s erection team using the single tower crane. The early collaboration between design team, main contractor and specialist contractors enabled the precaster to deliver increased efficiency by reducing the programme for the concrete frame from 35 to just 22 weeks. Ward Block, Bristol Royal Infirmary The redevelopment of the Bristol Royal Infirmary under the NHS Procure21 Framework represents an investment of £69 million in the construction of a new accommodation block linking into, and partially refurbishing, the adjacent Queen’s Building. The site is bounded on all sides by live medical department, which was kept operational for the full duration of the construction programme.

CONCRETE The structure was required to satisfy a number of functional requirements that are particularly relevant to a hospital building: economy: structural stability, robustness, vibration response appropriate to each hospital function (operating theatres, ward accommodation and offices), integration of building services, speed of build under safe conditions, future flexibility, buildability and construction adjacent to sensitive and occupied existing hospital building. A DfMA approach from main contractor Laing O’Rourke was the best way to achieve the programme, quality and health and safety requirements. The building was constructed with 54% of the project manufactured offsite in DfMA components and resulted in a 20% programme saving in comparison to traditional forms of construction. The use of BIM with DfMA resulted in a step change in the way design information was communicated. The following DfMA elements precast by Laing O’Rourke were incorporated within the design: •

Precast columns with high-strength concrete were specified to achieve the axial load capacity required for a ten-storey concrete building, while minimising their size and impact upon structural flexibility.

• For a structural bay of 10.24 × 8.25m, 400mm-deep flat slabs were designed with lattice planks optimised to suit factory carousel pallet requirements and transportation limitations. Void formers were introduced to reduce the dead load and limit deflections of the slabs. The reinforcement quantity was reduced by including the top bar of the slab lattice as part of the design and by specifying bespoke fabric throughout the panels. •

Sandwich cladding panels comprising 225/250mm structural inner and 80mm outer decorative leaves constructed with the required insulation, were delivered to site as completely finished units. These were designed with spandrel panels to suit standard factory panel heights and carefully detailed to meet robustness and buildability requirements. This approach omitted the requirement for scaffolding to these elevations, with joints between units simply sealed via the use of a mobile access platform providing additional programme savings.

2 VW Sales and Service Centre The Volkswagen Sales and Service Centre at Brentford, north-west London, is a 15,468m2 suspended four-storey hybrid concrete structure with a service centre at ground floor, showroom at first and second floors, offices, as well as 7300m2 of car parking over four suspended levels forming the rear of the building. The main contractor Longcross Construction (before entering administration) and design and build firm PCE teamed up during the tender process to develop a BIMbased innovative and tender-winning solution in terms of structural design, quality and speed of construction that they realised would appeal to the car manufacturer. The scheme had originally been designed as a fully in-situ concrete structure prior to PCE using its offsite expertise to convert the original design to a precast structural alternative. Over 1500 concrete components, some weighing in excess of 18 tonnes, were manufactured by six different offsite precast suppliers with just-on-time delivery being coordinated to ensure that a fast onsite construction programme could be achieved. Due to the different use requirements of parts of the structure, the PCE design process was critical in enabling flexibility in choice of a number of

3 different structural solutions to give best value to meet the operational needs. An example of this was the removal of a central row of columns included in the original design to ensure the resultant construction gave Volkswagen improved internal space layouts for the sales areas, together with architectural finishes where the frame is exposed, an example of which is the white concrete circular columns. The 18-week frame construction period gave the client a 14-week saving over the expected time for the original fully in-situ scheme. For more information visit: www.concrete.org.uk

Images: 01. Motel One Manchester 02. Bristol Infirmary 03. VW Sales and Service Centre, London

AUTUMN 2016 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

CONCRETE products complementing the sandwich panels include lintels, columns, facades, soffits and balconies.

STRENGTH IN DEPTH Late last year, FP McCann further strengthened its structural and architectural precast concrete arm with the acquisition of Buchan Concrete Products.

Buchan Concrete Products has had a number of notable owners including Amec plc and the Roger Bullivant Group and has been involved in a number of prestigious projects. These include the award-winning Premier Inn in Manchester where precast sandwich panels complete with insulation, brickwork and glazing, which saved three months on the build programme. More recently, the company was awarded the cladding panels for buildings at the North Wales Super Prison at Wrexham and the 625-room student accommodation at Birmingham University, Eastside Locks.

Architects and designers are increasingly choosing offsite manufactured modular room systems for the quality of finish, speed of construction and safe onsite installation practices they offer. City centre projects with tight timescales can benefit from using precast panels which can be delivered on a ‘just in time’ delivery schedule.

1 Operating from Byley in Cheshire, the well-established business is particularly renowned for its extensive range of precast modular architectural building solutions and components used on noted schemes, including schools, student accommodation, hotels, apartments and custodial accommodation. The addition of Buchan to the FP McCann precast portfolio of businesses comes on the heels of the Bell and Webster buy-out, previously part of the Eleco group of companies and based in Grantham, Lincolnshire. As a specialist in the design, manufacture and installation of unique precast building solutions, including the highly efficient crosswall construction system now marketed by FP McCann, the Buchan Concrete business is a natural fit, complementing and extending FP McCann’s presence in the UK.

2 The Grantham operation specialises in the manufacture of grey concrete panels, clad by the main contractor, to provide offsite precast modular building structures including internal walls, floors and ceilings, all manufactured to a high quality finish. Byley operates in the same market sectors but also produces architectural precast concrete sandwich panels clad either with a brick-facing or acid-etched to design specification. Other architectural precast concrete

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Design teams at FP McCann work closely with the client and contractor to ensure the precast modular room dimensions and build criteria match the design specifications. Window and door openings are pre-formed in the panels and service conduit channels can be added prior to construction onsite. The modular crosswall system and architectural sandwich panels both offer excellent acoustic and thermal mass properties. Further capital investment in new machinery at both Byley and Grantham, enabling greater production capabilities, is pushing FP McCann to the forefront of the architectural and structural precast building sector. Both sites are currently busy with a number of new projects that include Keele University Student Accommodation (453 beds for Seddon Construction), The Marriott Hotel, Cable Street, Manchester (172 beds for Axcel Hospitality), Lincoln University Student Accommodation (436 beds for Bowmer & Kirkland) and Southampton University (512 beds for Bowmer and Kirkland). For more information visit: www.fpmccann.co.uk Images: 01. Swansea University 02. Premier Inn, Manchester

Precast Architectural & Structural Solutions fpmccann.co.uk/architectural-structural | sales@fpmccann.co.uk At FP McCann, we believe in working with you as a partner from the start, which means offering our expertise in designing and manufacturing rooms to suit every individual project. Far from being an off-the-shelf solution, our architectural and structural solutions are made-to-measure, whilst maintaining our design philosophies and standard details. Our precast concrete crosswall construction is a fast and convenient way to produce multi-unit structures such as hotels, education, student, secure and health accommodation, private and social housing in a fraction of the time of traditionally built structures.

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Precast Concrete Off-Site Solutions

CONCRETE

FLOORS FOR THE FUTURE

Nu-span design, manufacture, supply and install ensuring quality control at all stages as well as offering a levelling compound application onsite providing a fully finished floor.

1 Liam McCaffrey, Chairman of Nu-span Flooring Ltd, the leading offsite manufacturer for pre-cast insulated suspended ground floors, discusses how the offsite concrete flooring market is winning through a combination of factors. Whilst the commercial market is expected to suffer temporarily due to Brexit, the residential market should remain buoyant largely due to the on-going housing crisis. The demand for housing has prompted many of our national housebuilders to move away from traditional building methods. They are increasingly engaging with the pre-fabrication market as they recognise the considerable programme savings and cost reductions that are to be gained by using offsite solutions. Increased health and safety standards onsite along with the need to provide immediate access for follow on trades, make prefabricated products an attractive alternative. With the amount of first-time buyers being at a 20-year high, coupled with the housing minister, Gavin Barwell’s public ambition to build a million homes, we have no doubt that we will continue at optimal production levels with our pre-cast insulated flooring range. Prefabricated construction methods allow local labour to be employed away from the construction

zone, aiding rural economies while freeing up labour on site. Another driver of the offsite concrete suspended floor market in recent years has been the decreasing supply of pulverised fuel ash, used in the production of concrete blocks. Concrete blocks are a main component in traditional beam and block suspended floors and the scarcity has been a factor in causing the industry to seek immediate offsite alternatives. Nu-Span pre-cast insulated concrete slabs are manufactured using alternative components with a more stable supply. Nu-Span use lean manufacturing principles, making to order and working under IS09001 quality management systems. Our processes allow for short lead times, onsite precision and complete build traceability. The combination of these factors makes for a cleaner and less congested safer site installation, key reasons why building, civils and property developers like Geda Construction choose our system.

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Nu-Span units can be installed up to five times faster than traditional methods as they only require a nominal levelling compound enabling the build to complete and provide homes at an earlier stage. In addition to aiding early release, we have found that our improved thermal and cold bridging performance to be very popular in the social housing market. With Nu-Span there is no need for storage of insulation boards or cutting of insulation on site. Richard Nightingale, Construction Manager for First Wessex Homes had this to say: “Apart from the initial time saving, other benefits we enjoyed were the certainty of completion which was particularly important whilst constructing in a time where blocks were not readily available and the cleanliness of the operation.” Richard explained that Nu-span floors had “allowed earlier completions and consequential preliminary savings on the project.” Furthermore, “the combination of time and cost-savings coupled with the clean operation, reduced labour and manual handling elements of the system have led to Nu-Span being the flooring product of choice for First Wessex Homes on all future projects.” This year, we will deliver a sales growth of 50% and have plans to increase our facilities to meet future demand. The overall demand for speed, accuracy and increased health and safety onsite along with waste reduction and economical build costs are key considerations for housing providers. Offsite offers a solution to these critical issues and we are fast becoming a preferred supplier of suspended floors to many large UK housebuilders. For more information visit: www.nu-span.com

Image: 01. Nu-Span installation for Geda Construction at Brant Braughton

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BUILDING EXTENSIONS USING LIGHT STEEL FRAMING Hotel Development, Brixton A recent example of a building extension on a busy urban site shows how light steel framing can be used successfully in these and other applications. Light steel framing was used in the construction of a hotel over a functioning H&M store in south London completed earlier this year. The triangular shaped building was located on the junction of Brixton Road, Coldharbour Lane and Electric Avenue. It consists of a two-storey extension to a three-storey concrete framed building that dated from the 1920s. The construction programme was an ambitious five months which required close co-ordination with the local authority and the store owner regarding deliveries and times of working.

1 The construction of rooftop extensions to existing buildings is an important application of light steel framing because of its lightweight, offsite prefabrication and long spanning characteristics. Mark Lawson of the Steel Construction Institute (SCI) highlights some key examples. Light steel framing is often the only practical solution where the loads on the existing building have to be minimised and where the new structure has to span up to 6m between existing columns or loadbearing walls. Early examples of the use of light steel framing were in the renovation of the White House (former Shell Downstream building) into apartments by a two-storey extension and in the complete renovation of Century House in Elephant and Castle. These projects showed that the additional self -weight per floor could be kept to as low as 100 kg/m2 floor area. 46

A further advantage of light steel framing is that an additional transfer structure is often required at existing roof level to transfer loads from the walls above to columns or cross- walls below. The light weight of the light steel frame means that the size of the beams can be minimised (to 300 or 400mm) and joists can be designed to span directly between the beams to save on the construction depth. The transfer structure can be delivered as part of the light steel ‘package’. Adjustments often have to be made on site to allow for the variable dimensions of the existing structure.

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The tight programme also posed additional logistical and technical difficulties because of time limits on deliveries of materials, lifting restrictions of the tower crane and control of disturbance by noise and vibration, which were all successfully achieved using light steel framing supplied by Metek. The light steel framework was supported on a steel transfer structure supported on the concrete columns of the building below. Some columns could be strengthened but the majority could not. A total of 89 hotel bedrooms was provided, which are typically 3.7m wide and 5.8m long, each with bathroom pods that were directly installed from the lorry onto the light steel floor joists. The completed two-storey rooftop extension is shown in Image 1. The new light steel framed structure was wrapped around a central atrium and the steelwork to the projecting windows to the open area was added to the light steel package. A view of the rooftop structure with its ‘pop-out’ windows during construction is shown in Image 2. Light steel infill walls were used in the restaurant area. A plant room was also built on the roof to service the hotel. The total floor area of the rooftop extension was 3400m2. The cladding to the new structure

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2 consisted of an aluminium rainscreen boarded system to minimise loads. The walls generally consisted of 100mm C-sections and the joists were 200mm deep Cs in a range of thicknesses. The loads on the existing concrete columns had to be controlled and the estimated weight of the two-storey light steel framework added only 10% to the load on the columns on the retail area below. Bathroom pods were lifted onto the light steel floor joists as the work progressed and the wall panels were clad locally with cement board for durability. Most of the corridor walls were completed later to allow the pods to be more easily manoeuvred into place. Pre-cast concrete stairs were also placed as part of the package as the work progressed and were lifted directly from the lorry into place. No space was available for storage of materials or temporary offloads except the working area of the roof. This meant that deliveries had to be timed early in the morning, so that panels and joists could be lifted from the lorry onto the area where installed before the H&M store opened. Despite the difficult site logistics, the project was completed on time. Infill Walling, Over-Roofing and Over-Cladding Light steel framing is also used in a variety of applications in renovation. By replacing the internal heavy blockwork walls in an existing five-storey building by light steel infill walls, the weight saving in the existing building can fully compensate for the additional load of a single storey extension in light steel framing. Similarly, the external walls can be designed with new fenestration using light steel infill walls that allow the architect to achieve much larger windows potentially up to 5m wide. Infill walls can be cut and fitted onsite to the variable dimensions of the existing structure and allow for subsequent differential movement over time. A variety of lightweight

3 cladding systems may be directly attached through external insulation and sheathing boards. New types of plasterboard-based sheathing boards have been developed which are easy to cut and fix. All members of SCI’s Light Steel Forum supply infill walling in section sizes of 100 to 200mm depth and spanning capabilities of 3 to 5m. Light steel framing may be used to create a pitched roof over an existing flat roof and many systems have been developed for this market. The solutions that may be used are: • Closely spaced trusses that span between the front and back façade walls • Roof joists that span between light steel walls placed over the existing spine walls or cross-walls, as shown in Image 3 • Light steel portal frames supported on perimeter columns • Widely spaced trusses with purlins running between. Rooftop extensions can also be installed in modular form to speed up the construction process. This has been a niche market for modular construction and many manufacturers produce mansard shape room modules specifically for this market. A good example of the use of modules in building renovation is shown in Image 4. ‘Over cladding’ is defined as the attachment of new cladding directly over an existing façade. It is carried out in order to: • reduce the heat losses through the façade and to meet modern thermal regulations • improve the appearance of the building • arrest the deterioration of the existing structure or façade, including water leakage • minimise disruption to the occupants during the renovation process.

4 Over cladding can use a variety of materials, including composite (or sandwich) panels or metallic cassette panels. Insulation is provided behind the new cladding and may be attached to the existing wall with suitable weather protection. Over cladding often involves use of a light steel sub frame which is attached to the existing floors or primary structure to avoid the potentially weak existing facia. Storeyhigh sub frames can be created and their attachment requires adjustment for site tolerances, and to allow for the irregularity of the existing façade.

Often over cladding is combined with over roofing as part of a comprehensive renovation strategy. Economic studies have shown that the high added value of the new saleable or rentable rooftop extension can pay for the energy saving measures and new over-cladding system in building renovation. Light steel framing is the key to the viability of the renovation scheme. For more information visit: www.steel-sci.com

Images: 01. Light steel framing and ‘pop-out windows’ supported during installation. Courtesy Metek UK Ltd 02. Completed two-storey rooftop hotel. Courtesy Metek UK Ltd 03. Rooftop extension using light steel framing. Courtesy Ayrshire Framing 04. Modules used in a rooftop extension in the renovation of a 1960s housing development Courtesy Powerwall

AUTUMN 2016 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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MORE STRENGTH – LESS WEIGHT Structural engineers and fabricators will be able to enjoy significant system weight savings thanks to the launch of a new purlin and side rail system, with improved supporting software.

The sectional properties and system capabilities for the new UltraZED™2 purlin and UltraBEAM™2 have been independently verified by the SCI and have obtained the ‘SCI Assessed’ quality mark in accordance with Eurocode BS EN 1993 1-3, (current BS version incorporated). Both profile types are also CE marked and fully compliant to all EU legislation. The integral module utilises BreVe.3 for calculating wind loadings and features an extended range of Internal Pressure coefficients as well as a bi-directional wind wizard that assesses wind speed from 12 directions in just six steps, and also allows for custom labelling of each face of the building under consideration for quick and easy identification of correct loads. All elements of the building can be incorporated in a stored project database configurable to the users output and reporting requirements in Microsoft Word or .pdf formats

1 Developed by the Hadley Group in response to customer demand, the NEW UltraZED™2 delivers average weight savings of between 6 and 13% compared to other market leading systems and offers one of the most technically advanced profiles available on the market today. The NEW UltraZED™2 purlin, UltraBEAM™2 side rails and all components in the range have been completely redesigned and tested extensively. The result is a new purlin profile that is both lighter and stronger than competitor systems. It has a generous 70mm flat fixing face,

enhancing both sheeting installation and air permeability performance Available in both single and double span systems, the section range has been expanded to fill design criteria cases where solutions were not available, and now there are 59 UltraZED™2 sections manufactured from high strength S450 steel. These range from a section depth of 145mm to 305mm enabling engineers to design for spans up to 13 metres. The revised products offer considerable improvements to the load capacities across the full range of systems which include sleeveless double span, sleeved and Heavy End Bay systems.

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Hadley’s advanced design software has also been completely redesigned to support the new purlin range, making choosing the right gauge and depth option for the job both quick and easy. With contemporary user interfaces the software is designed to be completely intuitive and easy to use with the minimum of training

Speaking about the launch of the system, Brian Cartwright, Product Development Manager of Hadley Group said: “Since we launched the original UltraZED back in 1985, technology has changed, design and build processes have changed and regulations have changed, which of course means that the needs of structural engineers and fabricators have changed. With this in mind, rather than simply evolving the existing system, we have gone back to the drawing board and engineered the purlin and side rail systems from the ground up. We firmly believe that the resulting system is ‘loads better’! It features a new purlin profile helping to ensure the whole system is both lighter and stronger, which in real world applications will deliver significant cost savings, both in terms of material costs and man hours, as well as enhanced environmental benefits.” For more information visit: www.hadleygroup.com

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STEELED FOR LEARNING A £20 million student accommodation, retail and restaurant development for Unite Students in the city centre of Coventry, shows how a steel frame helped deliver an aesthetically striking building in a challenging city centre environment. Far from being a straightforward offsite steel frame build, the project included ambitious complex shapes, a tight curved façade, pitched and flat areas of roof and curved corners. Added to this was the tight city centre location and difficult onsite logistics that required a high degree of logistical control to ensure that materials were delivered to site, on time to ensure that the project remained on course for handover to the main contractor. Once fully completed, the student accommodation will be home to 286 students and will combine studio living space with communal study, social and utility areas. With over 20,000 students enrolled at Coventry University, and part of the long-term regeneration programme in the Coventry area, this is a vital and showcase development for the city and is expected to be ready for occupancy by the 2017/18 academic year. The development has a tight curve to the frame on one elevation with stepped windows to each level, requiring an innovative approach. With many other curves and complex shapes the build was far from straightforward, requiring a high level of experience and expertise in steel frame construction techniques. Pre-panelisation of the frames was undertaken at Mansell Finishes’ production facility in Manchester then using just-in-time deliveries, delivered to site when required to a clearly defined timeline to deliver a watertight structure as soon as possible, giving the M&E teams as early a start as possible. To achieve a visually striking building all supply chain partners were prepared to challenge themselves. With pitched and flat areas of roof, the framework required to be faceted to accommodate the building’s curved corners. The curved, complex shapes and tight curved façade were dealt with by providing 50

1 short straight sections of Metframe panels that create a faceted elevation to form an effective curved solution. The frame needed to be adapted to meet the building’s design and performance requirements and this was achieved by manufacturing a number of bespoke elements. A key factor in securing the contract was that Mansell is one of only a handful of companies in the UK with the skills and capability to deliver pre-panelised steel frame and is also a Metsec-approved installer. This expertise and investment in its own offsite production facility enabled Mansell Finishes to deliver a 30% time saving compared to traditional construction methods. Waste was also reduced by 30% over the build and a decrease in building weight of over 70%, compared to traditional on-site construction, meant that Mansell significantly reduced the impact of transportation. The resultant building envelope is striking and contemporary, not always easy to achieve with student accommodation projects where repetition of units is frequently the norm and the use of prefabrication and offsite methods will see the development delivered on-time ready for the 2017/18 academic year.

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2 For more information visit: www.mansellfinishes.co.uk

Images: 01 First floor frame installation – courtesy Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson Architects 02 Steel stair core - courtesy Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson Architects

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CONSTRUCTION SECTOR SHOULD HAVE THE FORESIGHT TO BUILD OFFSITE The UK needs to produce 240,000 homes over the next 10 years to meet housing demand1. Stacey Temprell, Habitat Marketing Director, at Saint Gobain, discusses the benefits of offsite construction against a backdrop of the UK’s current housing crisis.

The construction sector is facing many challenges, from meeting the UK’s housing demand to the ongoing skills shortage. If the industry is to meet government housebuilding targets – 1 million homes by 2020 – it must adopt innovative methods of construction. Offsite construction is seen by many as the key to the housing crisis, as precision engineering reduces build time, labour costs and improves building performance. One key issue that has been dominating headlines recently is the skills shortage, with almost two-thirds of small building firms reporting that they are forced to turn away work because of labour shortages2, yet the UK’s demand for housing is more urgent than ever before. The skills shortage highlights the need for innovation across the industry in order to deliver quality housing that can be produced both quickly and cost efficiently, without compromising environmental targets. Offsite construction reduces the impact of labour shortages as ‘prefinished’ solutions can be erected in a fraction of the time compared to traditional builds. Not only must the industry escalate the speed at which housing can be delivered, but we must also recognise the need of housing to be affordable, too. At a time when the average age of first time buyers has risen to 30 (and 32 in London) 3 we should be embracing smart construction, which requires less resource than traditional builds. This will be key to regulating house prices for future generations.

1 52

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Not only should housing be affordable for the individual, but it should also be economical to supply. Housing associations are under pressure to deliver buildings with low operational and maintenance costs as well as achieving high performance standards, all too strict financial budgets. Not only can smart construction be a quicker and more cost efficient option, teamed with a fabric first approach, it can also ensure energy efficiency and environmental performance through precision engineering, as well as reducing the ‘design’ versus ‘as built’ performance gap.

STEEL It is clear that offsite manufacturing and construction will help to meet the challenges facing the construction industry, and if solutions are flexible and can be tailored to individual customer needs, the industry can provide homes that are affordable, healthy, and can be supplied quickly and efficiently. Critics of offsite construction worry about ‘flat-pack’ standardisation, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Smart construction can have tailored elements for individual requirements, and this is why Saint-Gobain has launched its first range of offsite solutions, which includes custom-built solutions. Ideal for medium-rise, multi-occupancy residential buildings, the key to SaintGobain’s offering is flexibility. Social housing developers, with sustainability, budgetary and efficiency targets, may struggle to find solutions to meet all of these requirements, yet steel frame systems offer a high level of quality through precision engineering. The system is quick to assemble, and can be done so with limited traditional trade skills, considerably reducing time on site. Saint-Gobain’s Frame System is suitable for medium rise, multioccupancy buildings up to 18 metres. The complete loadbearing external and internal wall panels of Hadley Steel Framing are combined with market leading products from SaintGobain’s portfolio to create a through wall solution that holds a structural warranty of 60 years for the steel frame and 12 years for Saint-Gobain’s product performance.

The demand for smart construction is increasing, but as a relatively new method of construction, clients and architects will need to feel assured in their adoption of smart construction. This is why Saint-Gobain has a robust warranty system in place, to reduce the risks to architects and designers, as well as reassure clients. Assessment by the Steel Construction Institute (SCI) gives additional peace of mind. The opportunity for custom build solutions to meet the needs of individual projects can also be met more easily with the Saint-Gobain Frame System, as the system offers both open panel and closed panel options. Depending on whether the

2 client needs the panels to be fixed in place and then have the final fabric skin applied onsite (open panel), or for the panels to be bolted together with insulation and external sheathing board before delivery, for a quicker installation (closed panel). In addition, clients may choose from a number of façade options with Saint-Gobain’s Frame System. The four choices of façade offered are rainscreen, masonry (blockwork or stone), direct applied and rail applied render systems. This allows buildings to fit with surrounding environments or to suit individual preference. A range of interlinking roof options are also available, offering a truly bespoke service to customers.

Although smart construction is growing in popularity as a solution to the ongoing housing crisis, it is important that offerings can be tailored to individual needs, in order to deliver high quality, high performing buildings that are also great places to live. At Saint-Gobain, our goal is to contribute to building a better, more comfortable, more sustainable future, and smart solutions will help us to achieve this. For more information visit: www.saint-gobain.co.uk

Images: 01. Rainscreen Facade Solution 02. Masonry Solution

Saint-Gobain’s ‘great places to live – multi-occupancy building solutions’ specification guide is now available. The guide shows how different approaches can be used for multi-occupancy projects. This and all support material for the Saint-Gobain Frame System can be found at www.greatplac.es

Footnotes: 1 The Telegraph, July 2015, http://bit.ly/1HGzRPs 2 Federation of Master Builders survey, August 2015 3 Homes and Property, July 2016, http://bit.ly/29Utuc8

AUTUMN 2016 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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THE UK’S FIRST ZERO-CARBON BUSINESS SCHOOL The Essex Business School illustrates many of the reasons why timber is one of the leading materials used in the offsite sector, combining structural glulam columns, glulam floor beams, timber wall cassettes and cross laminated timber (CLT) floor decks.

1 The University of Essex is situated two miles from the historic town of Colchester and is set in 200 acres of beautiful parkland. Over 10,500 students from more than 130 countries attend the University, making it a vastly culturally diverse campus. The University has a reputation for excellent teaching, ground-breaking research and outstanding business collaborations and plans to develop the new business school were approved with the aim of enriching the university’s vision for growth, excellence and sustainability. 54

The Essex Business School development consists of a three-storey educational building with a MBA Lecture Theatre. The project which was funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and Essex University, was granted a £5 million award for the build which was the highest grant available for science, technology, engineering and mathematics facilities. This award was matched funded by the University with an additional £5 million added to the budget, to build the interdisciplinary teaching facility.

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Architects BDP designed the new facilities encompassing state-of-theart educational spaces situated in a collaborative environment around a winter garden in an Eden Project style dome. Main contractor Morgan Sindall worked with specialist frame contractor B & K Structures, with Engenuiti providing structural engineering support. The main building of the business school features a range of innovative sustainable elements including structural timber for the superstructure,

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TIMBER a green sedum roof and photovoltaic cells. The curved timber frame and timber clad of the structure is shaped so that it benefits from natural day light and ventilation. The roof of the building is covered in photovoltaics, maximising the benefits of the south orientation in order to provide renewable energy for a combined heat and power installation. This allows export of energy to offset carbon emissions from the building. A geodesic roof structure covers the main lecture theatre which comprises glulam, steel nodes, CLT floor decks and wall cassettes which were assembled between the glulam columns. Larch glulam beams were double glued together to achieve the long curved members with steel and Iroko timber which were used to build an external ramp for disabled access. At the heart of the development is the winter garden which incorporates an Ethylene Tetra Fluoro Ethylene (ETFE) and a timber roof. The garden supports the passive ventilation and heating elements of the building, as well as providing a prominent arrival and meeting place which highlights all of the green elements of the business school. Wood has the lowest energy consumption of any building material across its lifetime, using structural timber as the predominant construction material on the new Business School substantially reduced its carbon footprint. The use of PEFCcertified 1,277.97m3 of glulam and CLT elements at the School will have removed approximately 1,022.37 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere (based on timber used to manufacture 1m3 of a structural timber panel removing 0.8 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere). The CO2 emitted from the transportation of the elements can be offset against the CO2 removed from the atmosphere. This shows a ‘nett gain’ for the school of 971.87 tonnes. Ultimately, the timber used on the building contained approximately 306.71 tonnes of sequestered/ stored carbon making the structure low carbon. The University has not published the findings from their LCEA or LCCA studies, however they have stated that more than one tonne of carbon is saved per day through the building’s energy efficient design and low carbon technologies. Timing was crucial for the build and as the campus was fully active throughout 56

2 the construction phase, associated health and safety issues, presented challenges. The lightweight timber solution helped to overcome this, as foundation loads were reduced and pad footings could to be used instead of piled foundations, this reduced the number of deliveries to site, as well as noise, dust and waste associated with conventional construction. The prefabricated glulam columns, glulam floor beams and CLT floor decks meant that large structural elements were delivered to site on a just-in-time schedule ready for assembly, minimising health and safety issues and reducing the crane loads required and erection programme. Structural timber panels can be installed at a rate of 600-800m2 per week, compared to 300-400m2 per week for reinforced concrete and require fewer deliveries to the site than traditional construction methods. The timber can be fitted without the need for wet trades, this makes the construction quieter, quicker, less resource intensive and reduces waste onsite. The exposed timber structure also reduces the number of finishing trades for ceilings, screeds and plasterboarding required offering savings in cost, time and materials, whilst providing a robust and striking finish. The Dean of the School, Professor Geoff Wood commented: “This beautiful new building is a centre of excellence for education and research in business. Our new home creates a collaborative environment where students, staff and business partners can work together to solve global

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | AUTUMN 2016

business challenges. The fantastic learning spaces we now have will also help our students develop the knowledge, skills and integrity to flourish in a global marketplace.” The use of timber, green sedum roofing and photovoltaic cells has significantly contributed to it becoming the UK’s first zero-carbon business school and achieving its aim of a BREEAM Excellent rating. For more information visit: www.bkstructures.co.uk www.engenuiti.com

ESSEX BUSINESS SCHOOL Project Essex Business School Main Contractor Morgan Sindall Architect BDP Structural Frame Provider B & K Structures Structural Engineer Engenuiti Products Glulam, Cross Laminated Timber, Pre-fabricated Wall Cassettes and Steel

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GOING GLOBAL WITH CLT

1 Gareth Mason, Business Development Manager UK and Ireland, Stora Enso Timber UK, describes how the recognition of CLT’s role as an alternative to ‘traditional’ methods of construction is gaining ground both in the UK and internationally, with the material being widely adopted across Central Europe and increasingly Australia and North America. Cross laminated timber (CLT) manufacturer Stora Enso opened its first Austrian CLT mill in 2008 and has already supplied more than 2,000 projects internationally, many of which are recognised for innovation and design and have broken new ground in their country of construction. Renewable materials and factorycontrolled methods such as CLT have an important role to play in creating a 58

reliable alternative to steel, concrete and other more traditional structural materials. In its July 2016 report ‘Forestry for a low-carbon future: Integrating forests and wood products in climate change strategies’, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations underlines the important role that wood-based buildings will play in the transition to a sustainable built environment while delivering economic benefits. The

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report found that: “Increasing the use of wood or wood-based materials in construction and in products such as furniture, cabinets, flooring, doors and window frames could present a significant opportunity for emission reductions, particularly when wood is used to substitute non-renewable materials such as concrete, metal, bricks and plastic. The factory-controlled manufacture of CLT is one of the material’s key benefits providing precision engineering to 1-2 mm cutting tolerance which enables an extremely high level of accuracy to be achieved at the design and engineering stages. CLT provides certainty of programme and quality due to the careful monitoring and very accurate programmes for production, assembly and delivery. Factory condition manufacture also ensures a high standard of workmanship with standard processes that reduce errors and site remedial work. The UK is one of the largest importers of CLT in European and international markets with total UK CLT consumption estimated in 2015 at approximately 30-35,000m3. This figure is steadily growing due to changing attitudes in the construction industry. The growth of knowledge and experience of key architects, engineers and main contractors combined with technical advances such as BIM technology have led to the specification of CLT for hundreds of projects in the UK.

TIMBER

3 Many of these projects have been recognised for their importance in engineering, architecture and innovation. In fact CLT has achieved the highest possible recognition for architecture in the UK this year with Lendlease’s Trafalgar Place – the first phase of the London Borough of Southwark’s £3bn Elephant and Castle regeneration – being shortlisted for the 2016 Stirling Prize. The new development provides 235 high-quality homes within seven apartment buildings, two of which are constructed from CLT by Stora Enso. Designed by multi-award winning architect De Rijke Marsh Morgan (dRMM) and installed by specialist timber engineer Eurban, Trafalgar Place is the flagship of the overall Elephant and Castle regeneration which in total will provide 5,000 new and replacement homes along with a pedestrianised town centre and market square, new public transport hub and five green open spaces. Central Europe was an early adopter of CLT and the European market is developing fast. In the past three years CLT by Stora Enso has been used on many major projects across Europe including via Cenni in Milan by Florence based architect Rossiprodi

Associati which, with its four, ninestorey towers is Europe’s largest CLT district and Finnish architect OOPEEA’s CLT modular housing Puukuokka in Jyväskylä, Finland which uses our Urban Multi-storey System. Currently onsite at the docks of Ris de Orangis in Paris is Quai de la Borde, France’s largest CLT apartment building by Paris architect Wilmotte Associés which comprises 140 apartments using approximately 1,800m3 of CLT by Stora Enso. Installation time for the CLT superstructure was five weeks with a planned total construction time of thirteen months. Other international markets are following suit after a slower start. The potential for international growth in engineered timber construction is strong. Many international markets are using CLT and global consumption is rising in Australia, USA and Canada where there is a very quickly growing market. We’re seeing large growth with high capacity and volumes this year and in the UK the requirement for affordable homes and new residential buildings could see a lot of projects turn to the speed and offsite advantages of CLT.

In Australia rapid expansion in the specification of CLT for multi-storey buildings is anticipated with the introduction of a new building code which came into force at the beginning of May 2016. The new code allows eight-storey (25m tall) timber buildings if they are designed according to the new code with no additional approvals. Several projects are underway in Australia. Due for completion in 2017 is International House Sydney, Lendlease Australia’s second project following the award winning Library at the Dock in Melbourne. Designed by Sydney based architect Tzannes, International House Sydney is set to become a recognisable icon due to its location in a key part of the city which has an anticipated daily footfall of 33,000 visitors. “The architecture of International House Sydney reflects a new form of beauty,” said Architect Alex Tzannes. “Beyond shape and surface, it is deep design renewing architecture’s role to serve the greater social purpose of lowering carbon emissions. In order to further promote the use of engineered wood products including CLT, Stora Enso launched Building Systems by Stora Enso – the first design manual for wood, during spring 2016. The launch of the manual dovetails with the Company’s investment in the state-of-the-art LVL production line at Varkaus Mill in Finland which has an annual production capacity of 100,000m3. The combination of CLT and LVL components enables Stora Enso to deliver the first complete engineered timber multistorey construction package to the market and it is anticipated that this development will significantly increase the potential market and range of applications for this method of construction. For more information visit: www.clt.info/en/

Images: 01. Trafalgar Place: courtesy Alex de Rijke 02. Trafalgar Place: courtesy dRMM 03. Cenni, Milan is Europe’s largest CLT district: courtesy Rossiprodi Associati

AUTUMN 2016 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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OFFSITE DESIGN: DELIVERING QUALITY, MEETING DEMAND

1 So much remains uncertain for the UK construction industry in the wake of the Brexit vote but one thing is for sure: there is a chronic nationwide shortage of housing that continues to grow incrementally year on year instead of diminishing. Peter Wilson, Architect and Director of Timber Design Initiatives illustrates where offsite can help.

The ambition to see one million new homes constructed by 2020 now seems like a distant dream, especially as the average number delivered per year in the period 2011-14 was less than half the 200,000+ annual requirement. Many reasons for this shortfall were apparent prior to the impact of the referendum vote – lack of available land with consequent high costs as well as difficulties for consumers in obtaining mortgages being only two such factors – but the continuing skill shortages that began in the aftermath of the 2008 economic crash together with an industry slow to introduce the new processes and technologies necessary to respond to regulatory changes and the continually increasing demand for new homes has unquestionably exacerbated the scale of the construction challenges ahead. Given this heady cocktail of problems, reliance on traditional, slow and weather-dependent building methods such as onsite brick and block construction are simply unable to deliver the numbers and quality of new homes required and alternative, offsite manufacturing (OSM) methods now need to be prioritised by developers and housebuilders. Amongst the key advantages of offsite timber manufacture is undoubtedly the ability to create greener, lowenergy buildings with minimal carbon footprints as well as its use of renewable materials obtained from certified sustainable sources. In the past these characteristics – whilst extremely positive – have often been presented in fairly ambiguous ways, but the science is now far more sophisticated, with accurate projectbased information obtainable through the use of new tools such as B&K Structures’ downloadable Carbon Calculator. Offsite has of course a well-developed pedigree in Europe where the industry is well able to adapt its manufacturing processes to different design solutions and building types and is nowadays far removed from traditional

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TIMBER

2 perceptions of standardised, repetitive production. The relevance of offsite methods of construction to situations where the prevailing environmental conditions are difficult if not extreme is demonstrated by Oslo-based Jarmund Vigsnaes Arkitekter AS whose designs for a range of modular mountain chalets has proved to be a runaway commercial success for the practice. Similarly, Blumer Lehmann’s long experience of innovation in the prefabrication of domestic structures has been brought to bear on the Chäserrug mountain-top restaurant where architects’ Herzog and de Meuron’s design was achieved by employing the existing funicular railway to transport the building’s prefabricated timber elements to the 2262m high site. But back to the challenges facing housebuilding in the UK and the innovative approaches taken to delivering new solutions. Londonbased Facit Homes has developed a quite ingenious and highly-developed onsite method of delivering offsite manufacture: simply take the factory to the construction site. With its standardised kit of parts and dimensional coordination, the company fabricates the elements onsite using CNC machines housed within a shipping container, thereby reducing transportation costs and fuel consumption since the basic materials are obtained locally. The site team are linked online to Facit’s design staff in London, thereby enabling any minor adjustments to be made almost immediately with the resulting information used to continuously refine the company’s palette of construction components. The results are unquestionably of high quality and the future looks bright for the company as it aims to extend its timber-based approach into the emerging custom build market. Quite how long it takes to get a

3 new prefabricated solution from first idea to market reality can be understood through Inverness-based HRI-Architects whose JNE Space (Ltd) – a volumetric housing system based on cross laminated timber (CLT) panels – that has, after several years gestation and the surmounting of innumerable obstacles, finally been realised in a small housing development for Highland Council. Such is the limited availability of CLTbased housing solutions that this one was discovered in an online search by a major Swedish architectural practice who were bidding to design a 140 unit development in the Faroe Islands and where climatic and delivery conditions demanded a prefabricated approach. The upshot? White Arkitekter’s submission won the competition and JNE Space Ltd. may well see its first sizeable contract as a result. The biggest step forward in the use of offsite timber manufacture in the UK has of course to be Legal & General’s decision to move into the manufacture of CLT in order to produce 3000 modular housing units per year. The company has put its money where its mouth is by establishing a 500,000 square feet plant near Leeds and aims to be fully operation within the next several months. L&G is of course a financial institution, not a housebuilder, and its approach to the challenge of delivering large numbers of affordable housing is novel, if not radical. By combining the manufacture of the system elements and the houses themselves in the same factory space and producing both in sufficient volumes and at speed to realise serious economies of scale, the company is able to anticipate a virtually guaranteed return on investment over the lifetime of the houses, with the added bonus of selling their inhabitants other financial products along the way, such as insurance.

4 Market conditions have no doubt created the space that a variety of offsite timber manufacture solutions are now stepping boldly into, but it is in its ability to be highly responsive to environmental and regulatory change that this increasingly sophisticated industry is beginning to outpace its competitors. Put simply, on current form, the only way is up for OSM.

The key advantages of offsite timber manufacture is undoubtedly the ability to create greener, lowenergy buildings with minimal carbon footprints as well as its use of renewable materials obtained from certified sustainable sources. In the past these characteristics – whilst extremely positive – have often been presented in fairly ambiguous ways, but the science is now far more sophisticated, with accurate project-based information obtainable. For more information visit: www.timberdesigninitiatives.eu

Images: 01-02. Facit Homes fabricate housing elements onsite using CNC machines housed within a shipping container 03-04. JNE Space and its volumetric housing system delivering a small housing development for Highland Council

AUTUMN 2016 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

ADVERTORIAL

INNOVATIVE FASTENING SOLUTIONS FOR OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION Aptus Fastener Systems have supplied the UK construction industry with next day delivery screws, fixings and fasteners for more than 20 years. As such we understand the working practices and demands of the market as well as appreciating the advances in materials and systems available in mainland Europe. We have developed application specific ranges of fixings appropriate to the offsite construction sector. Whether you are building with panelised methods – timber frame and structural insulated panels (SIPS), volumetric construction techniques, cross laminated timber (CLT) or glulam or hybrid applications – Aptus Fastener Systems have a solution that suits your needs.

Our comprehensive range of products and services, from everyday fixings and specialist insulation and cladding screws to high specification structural fasteners, has been developed with modern sustainable building technologies in mind. We have recognised that as new construction solutions emerge our range of fasteners must keep pace, so we have developed a specialist range of ETA approved innovative fasteners from market leading manufacturers across Europe. All products are CE marked where appropriate and calculation software is available to national and European standards such as Eurocode 5.

Our technical support extends to installation guidelines, thread geometry, fastener surface finishes and joint design guidance. Working with our supply partners, our research and engineering capabilities encompass specific engineering disciplines, supporting both our network of distributors and customer applications. We like to work with clients on development projects, influencing specification and ensuring that the right fastener solution is found for the specific application, often making a difference to the overall assembly costs and lifespan of the finished building. Our fastener experts consider production line assembly and site assembly methods and can always find the right fastener solution, taking into account cost and performance. For more information visit: www.aptusfasteners.co.uk

EGGER ADVANCED FLOORING SYSTEM IS QUICK AND COST-EFFECTIVE With offsite and modular building methods being hailed as a quicker and more innovative way of meeting housing demand, Europe’s leading wood-based panel manufacturer EGGER UK, believes that floors which are quick and easy to install, costeffective, have a lifetime guarantee and are environmentally-friendly, should be a ‘no-brainer’ when it comes to housebuilders looking for structural flooring solutions.

on the EGGER portfolio of structural P5 grade flooring boards – EGGER P5, EGGER Peel Clean Xtra and EGGER Protect. “As a key supplier to the UK housebuilding industry we know that technology and materials are improving all the time, says Dan Soulsby. “This means modern methods of construction like offsite

According to Dan Soulsby, EGGER Category Manager for Building Products, that is exactly what it offers with its industry-leading Advanced Structural Flooring System – suitable for modern timber frame buildings and also ‘traditional’ masonry projects. The system is designed to save time, money and manpower without compromising on quality. It is based

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and modular are gaining traction. At EGGER we continually strive to give our customers innovative solutions, each product within the Advanced Structural Flooring System has been manufactured to the highest standard and for added peace of mind, the lifetime guarantee reinforces our commitment to quality and belief in the products and system. Regardless of the size of the project, no other engineered chipboard flooring provides the same outstanding protection and structural properties or offers installers so many laying and fixing benefits.” For more information visit: www.egger.co.uk/building

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Egger Advanced Structural Flooring System. Lifetime guaranteed. www.egger.com/lifetime

We are so confident in the quality and performance of our boards, adhesive and fitting method, that when all 3 are used in combination we provide a unique lifetime guarantee. For more information, terms and conditions on the EGGER Advanced Lifetime Guarantee please contact us on the Building Products Hotline t 0845 602 4444, visit www.egger.com/lifetime or email building.uk@egger.com

FACTORY TOURS FREE CPD FACTORY TOURS For architects, engineers, designers, contractors, developers and clients. Inside Offsite is a series of factory tours focusing on opening up the manufacturing facilities of some of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading suppliers of offsite technologies including LGSF, timber frame, SIPS, precast concrete, pods and volumetric modular solutions. These factory tours are completely FREE to attend and are designed for architects, engineers, designers, contractors, developers and clients to learn about manufacturing processes and how a manufacturing business functions, including; procurement, quality control, material requirements planning, resource scheduling and to appreciate the requirements of design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA).

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Kingspan Timber Solutions

FREE to attend - REGISTER NOW - www.insideoffsite.co.uk * NOTE: Attendance is moderated by the host company who reserve the right to refuse entry.

Inside Offsite factory tours are delivered on a monthly basis, with a different technology and host each time. The tours are half-day sessions which include technology presentations, as well as the physical factory tours themselves. There is plenty of time for Q&A and networking during each session. All sessions account for 5 hours CPD time and a certificate of attendance will be provided post-event*.

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The 2017 programme is currently being developed, if you would like to apply to become a host company, please email: julie.richards@insideoffsite.co.uk

SKILLS AND RECRUITMENT

NEW TRAINING AVAILABLE FOR OFFSITE METHODS

Training for electrical competence is also available and has been developed by the MPBA and endorsed by ECA leading to a JIB/ECS Card. This scheme has been in place since 2010 and many operatives have now obtained the JIB card. Once again, proving, the industry sector is continuing to improve standards and safety. Like all types of industry we are suffering an aging workforce and we are hoping to encourage younger people to join an interesting innovative industry that has been in existence prior to 1938. Today the industry is not all about providing construction site accommodation, albeit that is still very much part of what is required. Education, health and commercial markets turn more and more towards modular buildings. Reasons for this are many but the most important factures are speed, quality, versatility and cost.

1 The Modular & Portable Building Association (MPBA) provides a new training scheme that creates a route to CSCS Cards with new upskilling to NVQ Level 2. Jackie Maginnis, Chief Executive of the MPBA, explains more. The MPBA is the representative body looking after the interest of the modular industry and is delighted that working with CITB there is now a Level 2 NVQ Diploma – Innovative/Modern Methods of Construction available for the industry sector. The in-company training scheme enables employers to train their employees via ‘in-company/on-thejob’ training, where no accessible ‘off-the-job’ training exists. This scheme is designed for operatives without existing knowledge and is available for employees who are upskilling from another role as well as new employees. There are also no age restrictions for candidates.

The training follows a structured, but flexible bespoke on-the-job modular training programme developed by CITB and industry association members and is mapped against the units within the relevant occupational vocational qualification training programmes. The scheme will enable learners to put their new skills into practice as quickly as possible and improve how they do the job. For the employer, this will improve how the employee does their job, resulting in increased available skills and productivity, with less lost time from the workplace. The end result will enable candidates to obtain a new CSCS card.

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Today there are buildings that the public use daily that are constructed using modular methods, due to the clever design and quality that are difficult to identify. Like all industries in recent years, we have suffered with the global recession, but we have survived and today there is an increasing confidence in the marketplace with MPBA members having full order books and long may it continue. The lean years have made us a stronger sector working together to command a better market share.

As the representing industry trade association we work with the Department for Communities & Local Government (DCLG) and other controlling bodies on regulations and legislation. The MPBA continues to work with its members to develop guidance documents that benefit the industry to further improve the professionalism of the sector. Our aim is to rid the view that still lingers in the minds of many that we still produce ‘Prefabricated Site Huts of the 50s’. This is definitely not the case – many examples and quality products that are produced by our members can be found on the MPBA website: www.mpba.biz Image: 01 Module being craned into position at Harrogate Hospital by MPBA member Portakabin

Established in 1938, the MPBA is the leading UK Trade Association representing and promoting the use of temporary and permanent modular buildings. The Association plays a critical role in the development of the modular and portable building industry and adds value to its members and the wider construction industry by: • • •

Providing a source of information Promoting member products & services Encouraging close collaboration between members to drive innovation

If you would like to talk to someone about membership call 0870 241 7687 or email us at mpba@mpba.biz

www.mpba.biz

The voice of the modular industry

Off-site Modular Construction Modular Build Modular Hire

The McAvoy Group are the only company to have been successful in securing a place on all four Lots of the Southern Modular Building Solutions Framework. For more information, contact: WayneYeomans@mcavoygroup.com NathalieMeunier@mcavoygroup.com

THE ORIGINAL GERMAN PIONEERS OF ADVANCED CLOSED PANEL TIMBER CONSTRUCTION IN THE UK & EUROPE SPECIALISTS IN SCHOOLS, HALLS OF RESIDENCE, CARE HOMES, APARTMENTS & ARCHITECTURAL HOMES +44(0)1243 790075 info@streif.co.uk www.streif.co.uk

Dublin – Dungannon – Lisburn – Oxford – Cork +44 (0)28 8774 0372 buildsmart@mcavoygroup.com mcavoygroup.com

MODULAR MATTERS

VISION OF THE FUTURE Chapter Living in Lewisham consists of two 11-storey blocks above a podium level, delivering a 611 bedroom student accommodation project using volumetric modular construction methods. Based on the Vision Modular System, a volumetric solution was deemed the only viable means of delivering Chapter Living, Lewisham’s brief in the time available. The modules were fully fitted out in the factory and were installed using a tower crane at a rate delivering two floors per week. Module installation started late January 2016 and was complete in 14 weeks. The modules provided a fully weathered unit allowing internal and external works to proceed in parallel. This enabled project completion in a record time of nine months, critically ready for student occupation for the 2016/17 academic year in August. Modules comprised 90% of the building footprint with the lift shafts/ stair cores, communal reception/ study areas and gym completed using traditional methods. The fast track programme was only achievable with the use of modular construction where all the accommodation areas including access corridors were manufactured offsite and assembled onsite. Each module is uniquely designed structurally given its location in the structure. The Vision site team safely installed the modules which weighed from 12t to 23t due to extent of fitout and module fabric. The skilled install teams worked to exacting tolerances and quality control procedures (all connection details are inspected and recorded), that are required for multi-storey buildings where modules comprise the building structure. Key to the project’s success was the ‘front loading’ of design activity

to allow manufacture design and procurement to progress quicker than traditional construction. The design process involved iterations of the layouts once ‘modularised’ until the layouts were optimised primarily from the developer’s perspective and then from a modular delivery perspective. The structural design and modular design proceeded in parallel with progressive layers of detail added to the modules once final fitout and product selection details were agreed. This completed two months before module manufacture started. The scheme design, driven principally by the architect supported by the Structural/M&E/Fire/Sustainability teams, takes the project to a point where the high level detail can be ‘frozen’. The production design teams then develop the detail to allow product selection and component manufacture to proceed leading eventually to a suite of details for module manufacture and site install. Standardisation of the latter is critical and founded on a library of standard details that is continually refined rather than developed. This leads to improved quality control and minimisation of defects. The building has achieved a BREAM Excellent rating and post-completion acoustic testing has shown rooms with 5dB above building regulations demonstrating that modular can drive more sustainable building methods delivering great living spaces. This project has set a new UK benchmark for volumetric technology. The Vision volumetric solution offered many advantages in speed of construction

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2 and reductions in defects compared to traditional methods. The system uses hot-rolled steel frames, with a concrete floor for structural stability, good acoustic and fire performance. Chapter Living Lewisham is an exemplar for how construction in the 21st century should evolve. For more information visit: www. visionmodular.com www.chapter-living.com

Images: 01-02 Volumetric units offer many advantages in speed of construction and reductions in defects compared to traditional methods

WORLD LEADERS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MODULAR RESIDENTIAL, STUDENT ACCOMMODATION & HOTEL DEVELOPMENTS

www.visionmodular.com Woburn Road Industrial Estate, Wolseley Road, Bedford, MK42 7EF | T: 01234 845640

MODULAR MATTERS

OFFSITE FILLS THE GAP Kevin Jones, Director of Business Development at the Portakabin Group, describes how offsite construction is helping public sector estates managers meet the increasing pressure on services by providing highly innovative building solutions to deliver world class facilities on the most constrained hospital sites.

The pressure on health services and particularly on emergency care units continues to rise year on year and has been widely publicised. In response, wards, theatres and diagnostic facilities are being strategically planned by trusts anticipating their needs well ahead of the coming winter months. The buildings required to expand capacity are complex, specialist and highly serviced facilities and needed on already extremely constrained hospital sites. There is also the need to minimise disruption to the provision of existing services during any hospital construction project. These requirements are increasingly being met using innovative offsite solutions – on severely restricted sites, in up to half the time of site-based building methods, with much less disruption to patient care, greater certainty of completion on budget and on programme, and to stringent quality and NHS standards. With good design, highly efficient processes, a robust and flexible building system, and enlightened architects, contractors and estates managers, offsite construction can deliver comfortable and welcoming environments for patients and staff, with complete long-term flexibility to meet changing local needs, in compliance with NHS best practice for building design – and on some of the UK’s most challenging building sites. How to Expand an Already Highly Constrained Hospital Site Modular buildings can be sited: • In completely enclosed courtyards • On raised platforms linked to other hospital facilities • On the roofs of existing buildings – without the need for decanting during construction • Immediately adjacent to other fully occupied and fully operational facilities.

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These innovative solutions mean that areas of a hospital can now be expanded or developed which may not have access to the plant, materials and equipment required for sitebased building methods. This is a key

MODULAR MATTERS

2 benefit for hospital sites where space is severely restricted. With the range of module sizes and configurations now available, traditionally-constructed buildings can easily be extended using an offsite solution, vertically or horizontally, giving estates managers even more flexibility to expand capacity requirements and optimise efficiency in the use of space. Reducing Disruption to Patient Care during Construction Disruption to patient care during construction on a busy hospital site is a major issue. However, by using an offsite solution, the manufacture and assembly of the building structure and envelope, and a high proportion of the fitting out, such as M&E services, flooring, partitions, doors and windows, are carried out off site, significantly reducing disruption to staff and patients. Construction work can be carried out without the need for decanting and module installation can be timed for weekends, keeping any disturbance to an absolute minimum. The Latest Advancements in Offsite Technology With the latest technological advances and new innovations in offsite construction, there is no compromise on design, performance, or appearance. There are now literally thousands of configurations and permutations with advanced steelframed modular building systems. These high specification solutions offer absolutely no compromise on design, aesthetics or layout and are sufficiently flexible to meet almost any building footprint, design or site requirement. Columns are no longer visible internally for ease of space planning or externally to create seamless, flush façades. This advancement gives architects and designers

CASE STUDY EMERGENCY CARE BUILDING, FRIMLEY PARK HOSPITAL Frimley Park Hospital was the first hospital in the UK to be rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. It serves around 400,000 local people in Surrey, Hampshire and East Berkshire and has experienced significant increases in GP referrals and emergency medical admissions. Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust chose a Yorkon offsite building solution from the Portakabin Group for a new 34-bed emergency care ward to help address the increased pressure on health services particularly during the peak winter months. The two-storey ward building which provides beds for critical and elderly care was handed over after just four months on site. The use of offsite construction ensured any disruption to the hospital was kept to an absolute minimum and radically reduced the programme time to allow earlier occupation to the benefit of the local community. The new facilities have expanded capacity and were manufactured and partially fitted out off site in York which cut the programme time by around half compared to site-based building methods. The use of an offsite solution for this building helped to address the site challenges. This was a highly restricted, sloping site in close proximity to other hospital facilities which had to remain in use throughout. A retaining wall was constructed as the site sits lower than the adjacent road – and this blue light route had to have access for emergency vehicles maintained at all times. The pre-installed Yorkon concrete floor system was specified throughout the building for a robust and high performance finish. The new wards are linked to an existing ward building at both ground and first floor levels which required precision engineering of the steel-framed modules. Greg Hinde, Capital Project Manager at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust said: “Speed was the principal driver for choosing modular building for this scheme. Site-based construction just would not have enabled us to have the building up and running as quickly. The new wards have been well received by staff and patients. We think the design of the work stations within the bedbay areas works particularly well and facilitates patient contact. The overall design and layout is very open and spacious, and provides a fantastic environment for patient care and for staff to work in. We would not hesitate to recommend this off-site approach to other trusts needing to expand capacity, quickly and cost effectively.”

genuine creative freedom to create bright, welcoming patient facilities without having to specify secondary cladding. There is a much wider range of floor solutions to avoid costly over-specification. Precisionengineered solutions are available to accommodate standard loadings as well as heavy plant, sensitive equipment, increased floor stiffness and enhanced acoustics if required. Module sizes and layouts can be designed to meet individual project requirements, with larger units up to 18.75m long delivering greater cost efficiency, fewer vehicle movements to site, less cranage and fewer construction joints. There is an even

wider choice of cladding, glazing and roofing options to create landmark buildings or to complement existing hospital facilities. To attend a CPD seminar to find out more about offsite construction visit www.yorkon.co.uk/cpd

Images: 01-02 Modular units can be craned into position at the tightest of construction sites 03-04 Frimley Park Hospital

AUTUMN 2016 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

MODULAR MATTERS

GREENWICH GOES MODULAR Manufacture is now underway in a Shropshire factory to create an award-winning development of 249 homes for rent in south London that will be one of Britain’s first modular build to rent schemes.

1 Essential Living, a developer and operator of homes for rent, has announced an exclusive partnership with modular specialist Elements Europe, to deliver its Creekside Wharf scheme in Greenwich. It is one the first build to rent schemes being built this way and each module can be completed within seven days. Elements has more than a decade’s experience creating hotels, housing for sale and purpose built student housing. From the 200,000sqft factory in Telford, Elements will send 632 modules to Creekside Wharf – at a rate of 20 a week – from February 2017. The steel-framed modules will fit around the scheme’s concrete core. This gives the project lateral stability while the stacked modules carry its weight back to the ground – exactly the same as a conventional office block. Elements uses traditional construction methods in a controlled factory environment where 60 per cent of the total work is carried out. It will halve the time spent on site to 32 weeks.

Offsite construction brings a number of benefits for build to rent operators. Developments can be finished more quickly since modules can be completed while works begin onsite. This means rent can be collected earlier. Enhanced energy efficiency and the ability to refurbish buildings more easily also make off-site construction attractive. “Elements Europe is delighted to have been appointed by Essential Living to deliver Creekside Wharf, said Managing Director Simon Underwood. “We have developed an industryleading solution for Essential Living and the build to rent sector bringing together many years of experience. Modular solutions have been used for many years throughout the hotel and student accommodation sectors and our entry into the build to rent market is just a natural progression, bringing homes forward sooner, reducing capital construction costs, and improving the quality and safety of delivery.”

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | AUTUMN 2016

At 23 storeys tall, Creekside Wharf will also be one of the tallest modular buildings in the UK. The Assael Architecture project will also be the first in the country to cater for families, with buggy storage, acoustic noise insulation and an on-site nursery for parents with young children. Creekside Wharf recently won best Housing Project at the Sunday Times British Home Awards and Project Award for a Private Rented Sector Development at the Housing Design Awards. “We’re pleased to be able to appoint Elements, veterans of the modular world, on what promises to be an innovative scheme in Greenwich, added Ray Theakston, Construction Director at Essential Living. “Having the potential to collect rent six months earlier than a traditional build is appealing. This is achievable because you can commence work on the modules offsite at the same time as constructing the traditional concrete core onsite – which the steel-framed modules then plug into. “We’re creating a portfolio of 5,000 rental homes across London and the South East. Modular may well play a role in some of our future schemes, but it’s important to stress that we remain committed to working with traditional contractors who will continue to play a key role in delivering our projects.” The modules have total flexibility for external façade treatment and can also accommodate all forms of roof construction. The systems standard wall and ceiling build-ups offer a minimum 90 minute fire resistance with U-values and acoustic performance assistance. The modules also achieve a 120 minute fire rating when required. Russell Pedley, Director of Assael Architecture, also said: “It’s great to see Essential Living push forward with modular construction for what promises to be a forward-thinking project in Greenwich. Offsite methods are ideally suited to build to rent, offering faster delivery, higher energy efficiency and complementing a longer term outlook not constrained by the absorption rates of build for sale.” For more information visit: www.elements-europe.com www.assael.co.uk Image: 01. Elements will send 632 modules to Creekside Wharf – at a rate of 20 a week – from February 2017.

bathroom pod manufacturer in the UK supplying over 8,000 pod units every year to leading main-contractors and developers. We offer a comprehensive range of high-quality bathroom pods to suit all budgets, from cost effective GRP composite units, to premium 5 star steel framed pods.

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

MAKING THE MOST OF OFFSITE OPPORTUNITY Graham Cleland, General Manager - Offsite Manufacture, NG Bailey, picks out some problems that face the UK construction industry in relation to productivity and health and safety and why offsite manufacture can reduce accidents and increase productivity. remained stifled and the step change required remains somewhat elusive.

1 The UK Government has provided some insight into the transformation they would like to witness in the next decade with its Construction 2025 aspirations. And in response the sector has started to interrogate how such improvement can be delivered. This response has included contributions from the likes of the Construction Leadership Council in terms of action on skills, business models, innovation, trade and sustainability and Constructing Excellence in terms of action on innovation, benchmarking and knowledge transfer. For my part, I think there are a couple of points that need to be made here regarding the contribution from leaders of the major contractors: first, it should be these people who recognise the step change required, and second it should be those same people who translate this and front

the action within their respective organisations. As a general rule it matters not which of the major contractors annual reports you choose to read, there is plenty of narrative in these documents regarding where any of these businesses has been active and what they have been building, but very little (if any) narrative in the same regarding how such projects were built. In addition, these same documents do not appear to deal well with connecting individual threads of business strategy to provide future direction as how they might respectively address the productivity challenge, and which parties they might need to engage with in order to drive higher levels of productive working. The upshot of this lack of messaging appears to be that, year-onyear, these businesses tend to deliver more of the same, and accordingly the construction sector at large has

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This state of affairs warrants some scrutiny, so it might be worth starting with what appears to be the most blatant of facts: productivity in construction can be positively influenced by removing operative hours from site, and transferring the work to more easily controlled manufacturing environments. Whilst this sounds straightforward enough, unless the leaders of major contractors fully embrace the notion and reflect this appetite at the heart of their strategic intent then the messaging within their organisations can get misinterpreted. And when I refer to the importance of placing the notion at the heart of their strategic intent, I also mean that it is critical to ensure there is better connectivity between the individual threads of business strategy so that any risk of conflict in this messaging is eliminated. Consider, for example, the typical strategic imperative adopted by major contractors regarding health and safety. They all have some form of headline, a banner of sorts under which they can hang a lot of related themes. But whether these banners be entitled ‘Zero Harm’ (Balfour Beatty), ‘Safety First, Second Nature’ (Mace), or ‘Don’t Walk By’ (Carillion), they all conform to the same sort of overarching aspiration for the business not to cause harm to people who come into contact with the activities of the same. What these banners do not necessarily do is translate aspiration into explicit action that works to positively eliminate risk by stating a preference for an offsite solution to be selected ahead of traditional

HEALTH AND SAFETY forms of construction. In the same way that PPE is now intentionally regarded as providing the protection against harm to a person of last resort, a conscientious major contractor who aspires to drive productivity should perhaps direct its workforce to utilise offsite options as a default. It is not particularly contentious to suggest that improved health and safety performance can be achieved by reducing the requirement for operatives on a construction site. In my view it is important to capture the linkage between strategic aspiration and tactical action in published documents such as annual reports. This is because it allows industry leaders to reinforce some key messaging to audiences that sit within and outside of the organisation and then make connections between individual threads of business strategy. By way of example, many major contractors monitor their Health & Safety performance, not just because there is a legal duty but also in order that they can report and promote positive trends. However, much of this performance reporting is retrospective in the sense it reflects what has passed as opposed to what is to come. Indeed, the content of these annual reports frequently reveals references to fully investigating any/all accidents so that lessons can be learned. But what is often missing from these documents is any sort of expression of intent to drive health and safety performance to an altogether different level, and where this links with other strategic threads. By way of example, say the leaders of any of the major contractors set an explicit goal in their annual report to reduce their Accident Incident Rate by 25%, there would have to be agreement within the organisation as to how this could be achieved. And interrogation of the basic nature of the calculation for Accident Incident Rate would reveal that the options might be somewhat limited to reducing the number of operatives employed at site, or in other words making greater use of offsite solutions to deliver an equivalent level of output. The real relevance of previous performance would be limited to merely providing a baseline for the 25% improvement. It is important that offsite solutions add value, but the second point being made here is to ensure that if it is possible to reduce the risk of harm then it is incumbent upon the

2 leaders of major contractors to set that agenda. In other words, if it is the case that what gets measured gets managed, there is justified reason for such leaders to force a different agenda by establishing fresh, stretch targets for health and safety performance. Putting this governance perspective in a slightly different context, imagine if the obligations under the Corporate Manslaughter Act were interpreted in such a way that in the event of a fatality associated with a particular trade at a construction site, an option had existed to have the same work carried out away from the site, then the same leaders would need to know why this option had not been exercised. The Act is clear in the sense that leaders are not only required to keep their management systems under review, but also to monitor the way in which actual activities are managed and organised by their senior management. Putting this in the context of NG Bailey’s ‘Safety First And Foremost’ banner, it is the case that there is direct link between health and safety and procurement strategies, hence reflecting how we will build in addition to what we will build so as to mitigate the risk of harm. The importance of the interrelationship between individual threads of business strategy cannot be over-emphasised. Indeed, from an investor perspective, it is worth re-iterating the point that the annual reports of major contractors should provide an insight into the positive actions that leaders are taking to influence how they will build as opposed to what they have built and ensure the viability of their business long into the future. However, from an internal organisation perspective, it is really critical because the various

threads of business strategy need to be aligned, and the collective effort of employees needs to pull in a singular direction to deliver the desired results of the business’ leaders. Too often, there is excessive divergence between individual threads and whilst this might not cause intrinsic damage to a company’s results, it can certainly limit the potential that could otherwise be realised. Regarding some of the problems that face the UK construction industry today, it appears that the issues associated with sector productivity, competitiveness, through-life build quality, health and safety performance are resolvable provided leaders are prepared to think a little differently about how their respective organisations should go about their business. These leaders could actually be assisted by the UK Government who could help enforce betterment via bodies such as the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) through a tougher legislative regime on themes such as CDM by placing a greater emphasis for clients and major contractors to focus on principles of prevention. For more information visit: www.ngbailey.com/capabilities/offsite_ manufacture Images: 01-02. Taking construction tasks inside the factory can boost productivity and reduce accidents

AUTUMN 2016 | WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

OFFSITE MANAGEMENT SCHOOL

ZERO WASTE – AN ACHIEVABLE GOAL? Shaun McCarthy OBE, Chair of the Supply Chain School, highlights the ways that construction waste can be vastly reduced through adopting lean manufacturing techniques and an offsite mindset.

Approximately half of the UK’s commercial and industrial waste comes from construction. Every year we dispose of just under 50 million tonnes of waste, excluding excavation waste. Although the industry has been very successful in diverting waste from landfill, with typical figures in excess of 80%, we have failed to address waste at source in recent years. This makes very little sense. The price of sending non-demolition waste away from site is huge. The price of the skip is the tip of the iceberg: the material was probably purchased in the first place and now we are paying to take it away and somebody needs to move it around the site from the place it was delivered to the skip that will take it away. All this is a drain on productivity, which has remained flat since the 1990’s in the construction sector but has trebled in the manufacturing sector in the same time. Much of this derives from traditional construction practices. Poor design can be a factor, where lack of design detail or accuracy leads surveyors to create bills of materials with contingency quantities, then our practices on site often lead to materials being lost, broken or damaged so we add another contingency on top of the contingency. Some designs require materials to be cut onsite rather than

1 delivered in precise dimensions, leading to more waste. Ultimately we can end up with an awful lot of material being delivered to site and taken away again. The Latham report in 1994 and the Egan report in 1998 estimated 20% of materials purchased for construction are wasted. Industrialisation of our projects and lean manufacturing techniques can significantly reduce waste. This can take place at all stages for the process. Most good projects start with good design. By applying Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) techniques, designs can be based on standard components that can be made into sub-assemblies offsite. This enables collaborative working techniques to be used to plan the project and materials can be ordered in precise quantities to the place they are needed at the time they are needed, mimicking the ‘just in time’ techniques employed by the automotive and manufacturing sectors. By minimising work onsite and applying best practice design and manufacturing techniques we can eliminate waste at source, reducing cost and improving productivity. We also need to address packaging. Packaging waste is also a drain on our productivity. Somebody has to remove the materials from their packaging and take the packaging to the skip, then we pay to have the waste we probably did not need in the first place to be taken away. This is all a contribution to the pitiful productivity record of our industry, where nearly half the work we do is not productive. In the major refurbishment of St Bart’s Hospital in London, Skanska insisted the thousands of luminaires they bought were delivered in plastic, folding returnable crates rather than the traditional cardboard boxes. This not only reduced packaging waste to zero they found that the number of broken lights delivered reduced from around 10% to virtually none.

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | AUTUMN 2016

Waste is the enemy of productivity, it should be eliminated at source. For more information visit: www.offsiteschool.com

NEW RIBA PLAN OF WORK DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURE AND ASSEMBLY Buildings need to suit specific uses, users and locations. This presents a barrier to harnessing the benefits of offsite manufacture and massproduction. Adopting a Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) approach changes this. DfMA presents an opportunity for the transformation of the ‘construction’ process. Substitute the term Construction for Assembly in Stage 5 of the RIBA Plan of Work and you will see how the use of offsite manufacturing techniques can help to transform the way buildings are designed. Embracing and embedding DfMA into Stage 2 Concept Designs will drive productivity gains at the ‘coal face’ as well as operational and in-use outcomes. Championed by the Offsite Management School, the new DfMA Plan of Work Overlay document explains clearly how the design team can contribute to this process and help to drive the radical improvements in productivity that the construction industry desperately requires. You can learn more at a series of free CPD-accredited workshops providing a new level of DfMA understanding via the Offsite Management School.

Image: 01. Laing O’Rourke’s Explore DfMA facility

www.offsiteschool.com

What can DfMA do for you? Design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) is an approach that facilitates greater offsite construction. It allows buildings to be constructed more quickly and safely, and more resource efficiently and cost-effectively. But it requires us to think differently throughout the design process. RIBA and the Offsite Management School have worked together to produce a DfMA Overlay to the Plan of Work, which sets out what you need to be doing from Stage 0 right through to Stage 7. To launch this update to the Plan of Work we have a range of FREE, CPD accredited workshops across the UK. Attending will enable you to: • • • •

Learn from Dfma case studies, how they can reduce costs, save time, improve safety and increase quality Build your understanding of DfMA Recognise why DfMA is an essential current topic for designers Understand some of the typical processes of DfMA

In addition you will be able to hear from developers, clients and contractors such as Carillion, Costain, Laing O’Rourke, Skanska and United Utilities on why they believe adopting smarter construction techniques is essential for the sector. Forthcoming events: 14th October 21st November 28th November 27th January 2017

10:00 – 12:00, Swansea 14:00 – 16:00, Warrington 10:00 – 12:00, Birmingham 10:00 – 16:00, Hamilton, Scotland

All these events are free of charge as is the Offsite Management School to find out more email ursula@supplychainschool.co.uk, call the team on 020 7697 1977 or go to www.offsiteschool.com

SKILLS AND RECRUITMENT

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO HAVE A STRONG EMPLOYER BRAND? Skilled job applicants are in short supply so attracting the best people is now crucial to success. Jim Roach, Managing Director of specialist recruiter ARV Solutions, explains why a strong ‘Employer Brand’ is a business essential.

Understanding and getting your Employer Brand right is the biggest factor in winning the battle for scarce talent today. Candidates can pick and choose and as a norm, have a selection of interviews and offers to consider. Becoming the chosen employer means being a choice employer. Is skills shortage still relevant post BREXIT? Did you really think I wouldn’t mention BREXIT? We have a stronger economy than in many years with the highest ever employment in the UK, and lowest numbers out of work since 1974.

In this post-BREXIT world there will be uncertainty, and some think growth will be restricted, but we are starting from a very positive place. I firmly believe we won’t see pressure on skills reducing, indeed the potential is for increase with restricted supply. BREXIT is inevitably going to have an effect on immigration, whether less numbers is arguable though it is likely to be less straight forward at the very least. British businesses still need to be able to attract skills internationally without too much red tape, and we need skilled people to wish to move and be welcomed in our wonderful “green and damp” country. We are unlikely

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | AUTUMN 2016

to see an increase in skills from abroad, so the supply can only reduce. Attracting the best people is still going to be a hot topic with restricted supply. Even in tougher times employers looking to succeed need the very best people, and attracting and retaining the best skills for business continuity will be key. So what is Employer Brand? A company’s employer brand is all about how the business is perceived externally by prospective employees, and what staff see internally. People stay in jobs, or leave, based on five motivations: Money, Status, Responsibility, Lifestyle and Security

SKILLS AND RECRUITMENT

www.offsitehub.co.uk/jobs

– and despite huge pressure for wage growth it’s never just the money. The employer brand needs to respond to these factors, and we need to understand which ones are key to different individuals to attract them. Differentiate How do you different your organisation from competitors? Why would a candidate want to work for you rather than your competitor? What makes you distinctive? What will appeal to people and let them believe they will thrive within your culture? Are you welcoming, inclusive, diverse, investing in training and development, offering flexibility, social aspects, treats and great benefits? Have you won awards, been recognised as leaders in the field? It’s time you started telling people. Testimonials are a key differentiator to any business and the opportunity for these is growing with sites such as Glassdoor letting employees post anonymous reviews. Take a look and see what people are saying about your company. Set up a profile and post your positive news. When to Act Don’t wait to start thinking about this when you need to recruit. This has to be real and ongoing. A sticking plaster won’t work! As well as needing to attract new staff surely you want your current staff to love their workplace, and be ambassadors for the business?

Putting great but often inexpensive things in place now will help staff retention and attraction (and could save you the occasional agency fee!) Web and Social Media You expect candidates to research your company, to be prepared and show an interest. They will also be checking you out. They are likely to go to your website, and LinkedIn plus Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and more – as well as Googling your business. It is important that they see a positive image. What do your team web pages look like? Could you post employee testimonials and real case studies of staff who have progressed? Adding video is also now really valuable: those millennials love it! Do your blogs comment on social events, fun things your staff do, charity work, flexibility of working? A positive image will gain buy-in before they have even met you. A negative view could lead to no shows! Reputation and Perceptions What is your reputation in the market? Not just with clients, but with competitors, staff and ex-employees? Is it accurate? Reality and perception are hardly ever the same, however the perception is the only reality seen. Hopefully you can put straight misconceptions at interview, though better to get the message out prior. A recruitment agency with a good

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | AUTUMN 2016

knowledge of their sector will know about the issues of perceptions versus reality and can address these upfront from good knowledge of your business and the marketplace. We have challenges recruiting too! The broad perception that recruitment is all about cold calling, puts many off. Our particular business model is far more focused on drawing people to us, and gaining repeat and referral business – and this is the message we need to push. Interviewers In interviews we are trying to assess the candidate’s suitability for our roles. We need to delve and get in depth answers of course. At the same time it is critical to sell the brand of your business and gain buy in from your interviewee – even if you don’t offer them a job. Interviewers must be ready to discuss and actively sell the employer brand (Please don’t keep up the bad cop persona!). How to proceed? Talk to your people and ask what they think of the Employer Brand, and what they’d like to improve on. You may be surprised at how straightforward it is, or at least be better placed to understand the current position to work from. For more information visit: www.arvsolutions.co.uk

Delivering growth and competitive advantage for offsite manufacturing businesses We develop and improve: • Business strategies

• Manufacturing operations

• Products & services

• Business processes

• Marketing strategies

• Management systems

• Sales routes to market

• Product certification

Call us on 01743 290001, email us at info@cogent-consulting.co.uk or visit our website at www.cogent-consulting.co.uk

Adding Real Value in Recruitment Specialist recruitment in offsite manufacturing, construction and supply chain

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0117 9592008 ARV Solutions are the UK’s leading recruitment consultancy for the offsite construction sector, and it’s supply chain. We are your trusted recruitment partner for permanent, contract and interim staffing needs in all forms of structural timber, timber supply, modular build and wider offsite manufacturing and construction sectors, throughout the UK and internationally.

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UK CONSTRUCTION WEEK

UK CONSTRUCTION WEEK RETURNS UK Construction Week, the most important event in the construction industry calendar is back for 2016 and is taking place on 18-20 October at the Birmingham NEC. We all know the construction industry is in a major skills crisis, and we hear about it on the news every day, maybe even more now we consider the impacts of Brexit on the workforce. Major housebuilders are increasingly turning to offsite construction as a means to solve this challenge, but they are not adopting it fast enough. Smaller outfits are more willing to adopt the technology, but we do not seem to be nurturing our SME house builders enough, something even the larger housebuilders have recognised. By working closer together, house builders large and small, the timber frame manufacturers, steel fabricators, and everyone else in the supply chain have proven they can reduce build costs and decrease building time. New methods in construction are revolutionising the speed in which we build. Offsite construction can relieve the housing shortage and reduce the costs of building by reducing the time projects take. Consumer demand will reflect how we build in future and shows like Grand Designs (and the live event, also part of UKCW) are helping educate consumers how technology can now allow us to build quicker and smarter.

So given these facts, offsite should be wholeheartedly supported by Government with a long term commitment to delivering all the homes we know that we desperately need. At the moment there seem to be too many incentives for house builders to build in the traditional way, so a change of mind set is needed. It seems this is happening, just not fast enough. We hope UK Construction Week can speed up the process by pushing it up the agenda, and placing pressure on governmental departments to look to the future and encourage the

WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | AUTUMN 2016

innovation into offsite construction. The whole industry will come together for UK Construction Week, and offsite will be a very important theme within the event. We look forward to celebrating excellence through the Offsite Awards on 18 October engaging industry leaders in debate and showcasing the latest technology via our exhibitors. Innovation is what the UK is renowned for after all. Registering to attend is quick, easy and free â&#x20AC;&#x201C; visit www.ukconstructionweek.com

PART OF

2016 18–20 OCTOBER

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THE UK’S LARGEST CONSTRUCTION TRADE SHOW WHY ATTEND? ➔ DEDICATED OFFSITE ZONE

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ukconstructionweek.com INCLUDES FREE ACCESS TO 9 SHOWS

➔ DISCOVER 10,000+ PRODUCTS AND SERVICES ➔ SEE NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND FIND NEW IDEAS ➔ ENJOY 165+ HOURS OF DEBATE AND THOUGHT-LEADERSHIP

What does a chocolate bar have to do with offsite construction? Space saving innovation, that’s what.

Find out how. Join us a the Offsite Construction show, 12/13th October, Excel, London.

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