A refurbishment project to upgrade inefficient homes with external wall insulation (EWI) has been completed for Chesterfield Borough Council under a new 25-year guarantee scheme.
The 79 upgraded properties will now reap the benefits of the EWI with lower energy bills
and the householders will also have the peace of mind that the insulation system will be guaranteed by the new Solid Wall Insulation Guarantee Agency (SWIGA).
The Wetherby EWI System was installed by Hamilton Building Contractors to the ‘no fines’ properties at Mastin Moor on behalf of Chesterfield Borough Council.
Mary White, local resident and chair of the Estate Tenants & Resident Association said: “The insulation has made a huge difference to my home. I now only set my thermostat to 17 and it rarely drops below that. My bills have been less this past winter despite the gas prices going up. The workers were brilliant and cleaned up regularly. I only knew they were there due to the noise. They were a good group of workers and are a credit to the company. Full marks for everything.”
Martin Gibbins, director of Hamilton Building Contractors, commented: “Achieving this recognition for the long term investment we have made in both management and installer training is very satisfying. SWIGA, in providing a 25 year guarantee, ensures that all of its approved installers are of the highest standard, have a wealth of ability and experience and can deal with all aspects of an external wall insulation project, from initial tenant contact to final handover.”
Mark Weaver, chair of SWIGA, commented: “SWIGA is extremely delighted that the first pilot project has been completed, providing these householders with an independent, uniform and dependable guarantee. In fact not only will these householders have peace of mind with our guarantee but will also reap the financial benefits too as EWI came top in a recent report by the Energy Saving Trust which quoted possible savings of £490* per year.”
SWIGA was launched this year to echo the safeguards offered by the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency that provides the 25-year guarantee available for cavity wall insulation.
BRE has been appointed tocarry out a major new research project to understand heat losses in the seven million solid wall homes in Great Britain.
The project, funded by the Department of Energy & Climate Change, will consider how these walls are performing before and after insulation. The energy use behaviour of occupants and the accuracy of techniques for measuring heat losses will also be examined.
John Riley, BRE’s director of housing stock performance, said: “Solid wall homes may be significant consumers of energy and this project will allow more accurate predictions of the energy consumption of these homes and identify the potential for energy savings from solid
wall insulation.”
The study includes a series of laboratory tests and surveys on real homes. These will aim to identify the reasons for differences between the energy savings predicted, and those actually achieved, from solid wall insulation.
The project is expected to run for around two and a quarter years.
Euroform says that there are several very good reasons why an architect might specify Versapanel. Chief amongst them is the fact that it’s manufactured to BS EN 634 Part 1 and 2, governing particle boards’ and wood-based panels’ tensile strength, mechanical properties, density, load factors and resistance to humidity, frost and hard body impact.
These standards aren’t simply a ‘nice to have’. According to the BRE Digest on cement-bonded particle boards, ‘it is now a legal requirement in the UK under the Construction Products
Regulations of 1991 and the Construction Products (Amendment) Regulations of 1994 that wood-based panels be manufactured to and specified and used against a European Technical
Specification, principally EN 13986, or a European Technical Approval (ETA). EN 13986 in turn will call up EN 634 for cementbonded particleboard, the UK version of which is BS EN 634.’
When an architect specifies Versapanel or ‘equal approved’ then the cement-bonded particle board used must also meet BS EN 634 Part 1 and 2. If a board is specified that is not ‘equal approved’ and it fails, the consequences could be very serious indeed.
Versapanel protects the people who work and live in the buildings of which it is a component, as well as protecting the reputations of the people and companies that design and construct those buildings.
An FSC chain of custody certified version of Versapanel is now available, Versapanel Eco, which can provide three credits toward sustainable construction objectives.
For more information visit www.euroform.co.uk
Modern monocouche render by Saint-Gobain Weber has been specified in the restoration project of 19th century Gosford Castle, County Armagh. Once the largest private house in Ireland, the Castle has been rescued from dereliction and is now an exclusive community of 23 individually designed homes created within the fabric of the original building.
A+ Green Guide rated weber.pral D has been spray applied to the interior walls of the three-storey Bastion Gate which has an imposing portcullis entrance, high arched ceilings and fine, intricate detail work. This through-coloured render incorporates innovative One-Coat Technology which is recognised for its contribution to minimising programme works. By reducing the drying time associated with a traditional two coat system by as much as 50 per cent, on-site labour and the cost of equipment is greatly reduced which has helped with the demanding completion schedule of the Bastion Gate.
Main contractor Samuel Millar, of Randalstown, County Antrim, has undertaken the interior refurbishment of the walls and ceilings in just five months.
In the Bastion Gate, authentic colours of Chalk, Sand, Earth Red and Stone Grey have been used to replicate the original colour schemes in the principal rooms which have recaptured the
bright atmosphere of the Castle in its prime.
Horbury has installed Knauf Aquapanel Exterior to the brightly tiled, curved external toilet pods which echo the ovoid footprint of The building at Four Dwellings Primary School – a £4.5 million BSF project in Quinton, Birmingham.
The concept behind the pods is that children can access them from both inside their classrooms and outside from the playground, while the curves mean that there are no sharp edges to cause injury. The coloured external tiles are arranged so the pods provide a colour range that identifies and distinguishes each year group as well as acting as a ‘wayfinding’ device.
Aquapanel requires no special tools or processes for installation – simply score and snap – and can be curved to a tight radius. Offering the benefits of a dry panel system with the strength of brick and block, the board resists water with no swelling or loss of stability, is weatherproof and is unaffected by the freeze-thaw cycle.
Other Knauf products were used extensively in constructing the school, with classroom and corridor walls being constructed using Soundshield and Impact Panel while the ceilings were made using Wallboard.
Soundshield high performance plasterboard enables the teaching areas to meet the strict standards laid down by Building Bulletin 93: Acoustic Design of Schools using just one layer of plasterboard rather than two, while Knauf Impact Panel provides a superb, durable finish that is easily repaired should any damage occur. The walls and ceiling were then skimmed using Knauf Drywall MP Finish and Universal Board Finish to provide a smooth, quick-drying and durable coating ready for painting.
Bristol-based Hayles and Howe, a winner at the FPDC Plaisterers’ Awards in February, was awarded the Investors in People silver award for the way it has transformed business performance through the support and motivation of its team.
Jenny Harrison, company secretary at Hayles and Howe which has some 40 employees, said:
“As a company we are delighted to have obtained silver Investors in People accreditation and we are looking forward to implementing the suggestions for development outlined in our review report. Advice and clear guidance we have been given has been of great value. The review process has been excellent for the team in general to reflect, analyse, improve and develop our business over the coming years.”
The silver award has been awarded to fewer than 600 organisations in the country, which is just 2.82 per cent of all organisations awarded the Investors in People standard. The standard is a framework of best practice, awarded to well-run organisations that meet set criteria such as learning and development, leadership skills and recognition and reward of staff amongst others.
John Telfer, managing director of Inspiring Business Performance (IBP), the organisation that delivers Investors in People for London and the south, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Hayles and Howe, and clearly shows that continual improvement and development is a top priority.”
The Construction Products Association’s latest State of Trade Survey indicates that sales of construction products fell during the first three months of 2013 with poor weather exacerbating conditions for the industry. Construction Products Association economist Milja Keijonen comments on the figures.
The poor weather in January and March certainly had an adverse affect on sales in Q1. Despite
seeing a rise in light side sales in Q4, volumes were once again lower both on a quarterly basis and compared to a year ago.
It is not all doom and gloom however, as both heavy and light side manufacturers anticipate
a catch-up in sales in Q2 as improving weather conditions kick-start infrastructure and housing projects. Furthermore, a growth in sales is expected over the next 12 months. In addition, export sales continued to grow in Q1, with 15 per cent of heavy and 21 per cent of light side manufacturers reporting increased export volumes compared to Q4. Overall, 2013
is likely to be a challenging year for the industry but there are areas of optimism among the dark clouds.
The majority of manufacturers were affected by rising unit costs in the 12 months to Q1 with 78 per cent of heavy and 62 per cent of light side firms reporting higher costs on annual basis, on balance. 65 per cent of light side companies experienced annual cost inflation. Only four per cent of light side manufacturers across the board reported reduced costs year-on-year and 31 per cent of light firms stated that costs were unchanged.
Fuel and energy costs remain the key drivers of costs.Energy costs were the key driver of cost inflation in Q1. Companies indicated that energy prices had risen on an annual basis, on balance. Transport costs were the second most significant cost factor with 81 per cent of light side companies reporting higher fuel costs. 77 per cent of light side companies reported higher raw material costs year-onyear whilst the importance of exchange rate changes in influencing costs was highlighted by 30 per cent of light firms.
Production capacity among product manufacturers has fallen since the recession and in the past year capacity remained significantly underutilised. 52 per cent of heavy side firms stated that 70 per cent or less of the existing capacity was in use in the year to Q1, up from 43 per cent in Q4. Similarly, 39 per cent of light side manufacturers reported underused capacity, up from 29 per cent in Q4. Six per cent of heavy and nine per cent of light side firms indicated that over 90 per cent of existing capacity was in use in the past year with only three per cent of heavy and 13 per cent of light side firms anticipating to produce above 90 per cent capacity in 12 months’ time.
Product improvement remained the key investment priority for both heavy and light side product manufacturers. 65 per cent of light side companies reported increased investment over the last 12 months and 40 per cent of light side firms directed more finance towards R&D. Capital investment in e-business increased according to a third of heavy and over half of light side companies. In contrast, investment in plant or equipment fell.
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has today announced that its chief executive, Mark Farrar, is to leave after seven years with the organisation.
CITB Chairman, James Wates said, “Mark has led the organisation through challenging times in the industry, securing on-going levy and other funding. He leaves CITB with our thanks and wholehearted best wishes.
“The leadership organisation for the UK construction industry’s skills and training needs is now looking forward to facing new challenges in a new chapter of meeting industry’s future needs.”
The search for a new CEO is underway. Mr Farrar will remain in post until an interim CEO has been appointed.
Construction output is set to fall by more than two per cent this year following an eight per cent contraction in 2012, according to forecasts published by the Construction Products Association (CPA). A recovery is anticipated in the medium-term with growth of 1.9 per cent in 2014 and 3.8 per cent in 2015.
Noble Francis, CPA’s economics director, commented: “The industry lost £9billion of activity last year and these latest forecasts anticipate a further £2 billionloss in 2013. This fall is primarily due to the lack of private sector investment andthe continuing bite of public sector spending cuts. Conditions were exacerbated by poor weather during the first quarter.
“Of most concern is the fall in output in private commercial, the largest construction sector, which fell 10 per cent last year and is estimated to fall a further seven per cent in 2013.
“Despite this, we are already encouraged by signs of improved market activity, primarily driven by private housing and infrastructure. We anticipate that government policies such as Help to Buy will boost private housing, which is expected to rise 19 per cent in just two years. Infrastructure activity is set for seven per cent growth in 2013, boosted primarily by rail construction such as Crossrail, Europe’s largest project, and station refurbishments around the country.
“Overall, 2013 is anticipated to be extremely challenging. From 2014 prospects are brighter for the industry, but the key risk is the extent to which government announcements feed through to activity on the ground.”
The internationally acclaimed NEC3 suite of contracts, documents and guides were re-launched last month with updates and improvements as part of a new NEC3 April 2013 edition.
The contracts, which cover the lifespan of a project from initial concept and design through to build and post-build management, are endorsed by the construction client board of the UK Cabinet Office for use on all public sector construction projects.
The key objective of all NEC3 contracts is to encourage parties to work together to allocate risks and create a working relationship that will ultimately provide value for money for the purchaser and a reasonable return for the supplier.
Rekha Thawrani, general manager from NEC, said: “For NEC3 to be endorsed by the UK government, for the collaborative approach the contracts encourage and the contributing factor they played in the timely and cost-effective delivery of the Olympic Park last year, is testament to NEC3’s value across all sectors of the industry.”
The NEC3 April 2013 suite of contracts includes an updated version of all the contracts, guidance notes and flowcharts with improvements and additions across most documents.
The inclusion of project bank accounts provisions and guidance is provided across the suite of NEC3 contracts. This is a direct response to the UK’s government’s initiative on fair payment, designed to improve payment practices across the construction industry and eliminate retentions throughout the supply chain.
The additions and updates of the Construction Act 2011 have been incorporated across all of the NEC3 suite of contracts.
The implementation of NEC3 contracts has resulted in major benefits for projects both in the UK and overseas in terms of time, cost savings and improved quality – all major benefits of NEC3, which aims to promote a collaborative approach between all parties involved in a project.
The NEC contract dates back to 1985 when the Institution of Civil Engineers led a fundamental review of alternative contract strategies. The review resulted in the publication in 1991 of a consultative edition, and in 1993 of the first edition of the New Engineering Contract (NEC). Since then further standard forms of contract have been produced, using the same principles as were used in the NEC first edition.
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