Manor Interiors, the expert in build-to-rent furnishing solutions, has revealed which major UK cities offer the best opportunities for build to rent developers based on the highest levels of apartment living vs the rest of the rental market. Build to rent is designed for people who are looking for a
HS2 was this week celebrating a literal milestone as ‘Florence’ – the first of ten Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) on Phase One completed her first mile of tunnel for the UK’s new high speed railway The latest photos of work on the Chiltern tunnel are available here: https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/resources/f/tbms-and-tunnels-massive-machines-and-their-current-progress/chiltern-tunnel-construction A new
Consistently low temperatures and high humidity remain key challenges for UK and Irish contractors building data centres in the booming Nordics market, according to a new guide from temperature and moisture control specialists Aggreko. With the region regarded a leading location for facility construction, UK and Irish contractors continue to
Ventilation specialists Soler & Palau Ventilation UK (S&P UK) has launched an intelligent wireless carbon dioxide monitor as part of a new range of indoor air quality sensors designed to help businesses, education and healthcare settings manage poor air quality levels and lower Covid infection risks. S&P UK’s new AirSens
The growth of IM Properties’ development pipeline has prompted the appointment of Frank Fitzgerald as project director. Recruited from global construction and property consultancy, RLB, a long-term consultant of IM Properties, Frank joins the project delivery team, swapping his external role for in-house. Having worked on many of IM Properties’
Whether a power supply is being used in life-saving pieces of medical equipment, in transportation systems or even in a PC, all relevant parties need to be confident it will have a significant life cycle. This means they want a reliable piece of equipment that proves to be good value
Manor Interiors, the expert in build-to-rent furnishing solutions, has revealed which major UK cities offer the best opportunities for build to rent developers based on the highest levels of apartment living vs the rest of the rental market. Build to rent is designed for people who are looking for a modern way of life; city living with a focus on community and amenities. Therefore, UK cities where city-centre flat-living is already prevalent present the best opportunity for the BTR sector as they are already primed for a build to rent revolution. In the UK and on average, flats account for 64% of all properties currently available to rent, a national average that a good number of UK cities make look very small indeed. The city in which flats have the biggest rental market share is Edinburgh. Of 562 properties currently available for rent, 505, or 90%, are flats. This, therefore, suggests that flat-living is a key focus of demand for Edinburgh residents and presents a prime opportunity for the build to rent industry. Scotland’s second city, Glasgow, also comes second on the list as flats account for 89% of the properties currently available to rent in the city. Using Rentola Glasgow is sure way to find the best place to live. London is third with flats accounting for 88% of the 45,285 currently available rent, while in Newcastle, flats make up 79% of the market. Bournemouth currently has just 508 properties on the rental market and 385 of them, or 76% are flats, while in Manchester, flats account for 73% of the market. The rest of the UK cities in which flats have an above-average market share are Sheffield (68%), Bradford (67%), Nottingham (66%), Cardiff (65%), and Liverpool (64%). There are a number of UK cities in which flats have a below-average market share, most notably Leeds (39%), Swansea (43%), and Portsmouth (48%) – the only three cities where flats account for less than half of the rental market. CEO of Manor Interiors, Farhan Malik, commented: “Flat living is the clear choice for many city-dwellers and a high propensity for renting apartments means many of our major cities are already primed and ready for the build to rent to revolution. In some cases as many as 90% of all properties are flats and apartments, so the desire for urban living is clear and build to rent is helping to accommodate this demand with fit for purpose developments targeted towards the modern tenant. “Build to rent developments offer a step above the standards of your typical private rental flat, a step up in sophistication and quality and, perhaps most of all, a superior tenant experience. We expect the sector to continue to establish a strong foothold as it has already done in London in particular, and developers can be confident that demand will be high.” Table shows what % of the rental market flats account for in major UK cities, listed from highest % to lowest Location Total – rental properties Flats – rental properties Flat rental stock % Edinburgh 562 505 90% Glasgow 752 667 89% London 45,285 39,675 88% Newcastle 1,407 1,116 79% Bournemouth 508 385 76% Manchester 3,720 2,718 73% Sheffield 1,339 905 68% Bradford 340 227 67% Nottingham 1,985 1,304 66% Cardiff 841 549 65% Liverpool 1,805 1,148 64% Bristol 1,094 667 61% Leicester 2,162 1,269 59% Sunderland 527 292 55% Southampton 1,179 635 54% Birmingham 3,665 1,891 52% Portsmouth 1,081 524 48% Swansea 151 65 43% Leeds 3,030 1,172 39% United Kingdom 145,689 92,838 64% Source – Rightmove
HS2 was this week celebrating a literal milestone as ‘Florence’ – the first of ten Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) on Phase One completed her first mile of tunnel for the UK’s new high speed railway The latest photos of work on the Chiltern tunnel are available here: https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/resources/f/tbms-and-tunnels-massive-machines-and-their-current-progress/chiltern-tunnel-construction A new video flythrough of the first mile can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZqmuTGVGZA The first enormous 2,000 tonne tunnelling machine passed the one mile mark this week during the construction of the first tunnels for HS2 – Britain’s new high speed rail link between London, Birmingham and the north. Launched in May, the 170m long Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) covered the first mile cutting through a mix of chalk and flint beneath the Chiltern hills just outside London. Named ‘Florence’ by local school children, the TBM is one of two identical machines excavating the twin ten-mile-long tunnels. A second machine, named ‘Cecilia’ is a short way behind, with both TBMs expected to break out in around three years’ time. Designed specifically for the geology of the Chilterns, each machine is a self-contained underground factory, digging the tunnel, lining it with concrete wall segments and grouting them into place as it moves forward. Welcoming the progress, HS2 Ltd Project Client Rohan Perin said: “The 10 mile Chiltern tunnel will take HS2 underneath the hills and safeguard the woodlands and wildlife habits above ground as well as significantly reducing disruption to communities during construction and operation of the new railway. “Once complete, HS2 will offer low carbon journey options linking London with the major cities of the north and releasing capacity for more freight and local trains on our existing mainlines. It’s great to see how much progress has been made over the summer and I’d like to thank the crew of Florence and all the tunnelling team for their hard work.” The first two TBMs are operated by HS2’s main works contractor, Align – a joint venture formed of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick. A crew of 17 people keep the machines running, working in shifts and supported by over 100 people on the surface, managing the logistics and maintaining the smooth progress of the tunnelling operation. Align Project Director Daniel Altier added: “I am delighted with the progress that Florence has made since its launch in May, with Cecilia not far behind. All the spoil from the TBMs is converted into slurry before being pumped back to our South Portal site, just inside the M25, where it is processed and used for landscaping on site. This is, and will continue to be, a huge logistical challenge, as Florence and Cecilia continue their journey through the Chilterns. “Florence reaching the 1 mile point is a great achievement, however we still have a long way to go.” Each of the separate northbound and southbound tunnels will require 56,000 precision engineered, fibre-reinforced concrete wall segments – which are all being made at the south portal of the tunnel, next to the M25. During her first mile, Florence and her crew have installed more than 5,500 separate segments, each weighing around 8.5 tonnes. Approximately 2.7 million cubic metres of material will be excavated during the construction of the tunnels and used for landscaping around the south portal site. Once construction is complete, this will help create around 90 hectares of wildlife-rich chalk grassland habitats. Chalk grassland used to be widespread across the hills of south east England and are considered habitat of international conservation significance with just 700ha left across the Chilterns. In total there will be ten TBMs on the HS2 project – working to create 64 miles of tunnel between London and the West Midlands including major tunnels on the approach to London and Birmingham. More than 20,000 jobs and over 650 apprenticeships are already being supported by HS2, which is set to transform transport links between Britain’s major cities, free up space on the rail network for more freight and local services and support the UK’s transition to net zero carbon emissions. The TBM is named after Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, who spent many years in Claydon, Buckinghamshire where she wrote books on nursing, with the name suggested by students at Meadow High School in Hillingdon. A new video flythrough of the first mile can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZqmuTGVGZA An animation explaining the Chiltern tunnels can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTsLL9BPHpc TBM names: Florence – named after Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, who spent many years in Claydon, Buckinghamshire where she wrote numerous books on nursing. Suggested by students at Meadow High School in Hillingdon. Cecilia – named after Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, the Astronomer and Astrophysicist born in Buckinghamshire who attended Cambridge University before becoming Chair of Astronomy at Harvard University in the United States. She was the first person to properly ‘read’ a temperature on stars. She also discovered that stars are made mainly from hydrogen and helium. Suggested by students at The Chalfonts Community College in Buckinghamshire. Around 4,500 people from across the UK then took part in the poll to select the final names, with Florence taking 40% of the vote and Cecilia a close second with 32%. Facts and figures – The Chiltern tunnel TBMs The TBMs are 170m in length – nearly 1.5 times the length of a football pitch Each one weighs roughly 2000 tonnes – the equivalent of 340 African bush elephants They were transported to the UK in 330 separate shipments containing a total of more than a thousand separate parts. They will run almost non-stop 24 hours a day for 3.5 years Once complete, trains will pass through the tunnel in around 3 minutes at speeds of up to 320km/h The tunnels will go as deep as 80m below the ground – ensuring communities and countryside above are not impacted by the railway The size of the TBM cutterhead which will bore the tunnels is 10.26m, roughly the height of two giraffes standing on top of one another Taking into account the thickness of the tunnel walls, the internal diameter of the tunnels in which the trains will pass through will be 9.1m, slightly larger than two London buses stacked on top of one another The tunnels will
Consistently low temperatures and high humidity remain key challenges for UK and Irish contractors building data centres in the booming Nordics market, according to a new guide from temperature and moisture control specialists Aggreko. With the region regarded a leading location for facility construction, UK and Irish contractors continue to be called upon to support the build of the new data centres. However, according to Aggreko’s new report – Prepare For The Chill – many contractors are unprepared for issues arising from the region’s colder and humid climate, and many do not adopt an equipment strategy fitting the conditions. According to Aggreko, there are three key challenges regularly facing contractors working in the Nordics – insufficient heating both inside and outside, humidity levels and effective risk management. All three are detailed in the guide, as well as advice on how contractors can ensure they are prepared for the foreign climate. “The data centre boom in the Nordics is here to stay, so UK and Ireland-based contractors need to be prepared to be continually called upon for their expertise in this highly in-demand region,” says Greger Ruud, Sector Development Manager – Nordics Datacenters. “The region’s harsh climate underlines the need for contractors to maintain a controlled environment in the construction phase, and the challenge of maintaining these conditions throughout. Doing so will allow data centre owners and operators to avoid issues during the build and keep to schedule – a vital priority in a sector where ready infrastructure is needed to meet growing market demand.” In addition to exploring common on-site concerns raised by the Nordics’ colder climate, the guide also sets out logistical considerations, including the need for contingency planning, loadbank testing and sustainable practices. Commentary is also provided from the chairman of the Swedish Datacenter Industry Association (SDIA), Pär Åberg. Greger concludes: “Data centre projects rest on the contractors’ ability to carry out work safely, to budget, and preserving key IT equipment they may be responsible for during the build phase. The Nordics’ logistical and climate considerations, as identified in this report, make it abundantly clear that a reactive strategy around equipment and expertise is ill-suited to this unique region. “As such, we would advise stakeholders working on these facilities to take steps to ensure concerns around power, moisture and temperature control are addressed well in advance of breaking ground on new facilities. By doing so, contractors can reap the benefits of increased demand while knowing small on-site issues encountered during projects will not snowball into full-blown concerns.” For more information about how to control moisture on your data centre site, please visit https://www.aggreko.com/en-gb/data-centre-construction-in-the-nordics.
Ventilation specialists Soler & Palau Ventilation UK (S&P UK) has launched an intelligent wireless carbon dioxide monitor as part of a new range of indoor air quality sensors designed to help businesses, education and healthcare settings manage poor air quality levels and lower Covid infection risks. S&P UK’s new AirSens range monitors ambient indoor air quality and sends a signal to ventilation systems to increase airflow rates if a spike is detected in one of three parameters: carbon dioxide (CO2), volatile organic compound (VOC) or relative humidity (RH). AirSens comes in three versions: AirSens CO2, AirSens VOC and AirSens RH. A traffic light LED system indicates the air quality level: green (good), orange (medium) and red (poor). The Government said in new Covid guidance this month that CO2 monitors should be used in a range of sectors and settings to help identify poorly ventilated indoor areas, take action to maximise fresh air, and reduce the risk of airborne transmission of diseases. Lee Page, Sales Director at S&P UK, said: “We have released our AirSens range of indoor air quality (IAQ) sensors to help businesses, schools and colleges, as well as homeowners, to easily identify and take action over inadequate levels of IAQ – which is no longer just a buzzword. This will also lower the risk of spreading airborne diseases like Covid.” The AirSens CO2 monitor can be adapted to fit any space due to its wireless technology and is designed for indoor areas where occupancy rates can change frequently. The Health and Safety Executive has stated CO2 values in indoor areas should be at least 800ppm (parts per million) and not exceed 1500ppm. The AirSens CO2 monitor has a range of 450-2000ppm and has an in-built demand-controlled ventilation. Lee added: “Usually CO2 monitors need to be wired back to the main air handling unit or fan – requiring additional wiring, time and effort, and costs. “However, the AirSens CO2 monitor has the rare intelligent ability to connect to a main sensor in the hub and wirelessly access the display within the desired space. This provides a simple, reassuring and cost-effective solution for many businesses and people. “The entire AirSens range reduces components, simplifies installation and increases savings while providing a minimalist design which can be easily integrated in different ambientes. “They all have a wireless version, meaning they can be retrofitted very easily and quickly. They also come with a low speed and high speed as standard as well as a Building Management System (BMS) capability, making it easy to control ventilation.” The AirSens VOC is designed for places with sporadic changes to the accumulation of substances derived from odours such as alcohols, ketones and organic acids. The AirSens RH is most efficient in highly humid areas such as bathrooms. S&P UK Ventilation Systems is the UK subsidiary of leading global manufacturer Soler and Palau, and is the sole UK distributor of commercial, industrial and residential fans and ventilation systems. Operating nationally, S&P UK is a leading fan, air movement and ventilation systems provider offering over 10,000 products along with technical sales support and consultancy. It is a subsidiary of Spanish owned S&P Group, whose global operations span over 90 countries and includes major R&D centres in Europe, Singapore, USA and Brazil. For more information, visit S&P UK’s new website: www.solerpalau.co.uk
The growth of IM Properties’ development pipeline has prompted the appointment of Frank Fitzgerald as project director. Recruited from global construction and property consultancy, RLB, a long-term consultant of IM Properties, Frank joins the project delivery team, swapping his external role for in-house. Having worked on many of IM Properties’ large-scale strategic sites including Birch Coppice, Blythe Valley, Mercia Park and Peddimore, Frank’s in-depth understanding of the company and its projects makes him a perfect fit for the position. Jason Jasper, UK project director for IM Properties said: “We currently have a development pipeline of 15 million sq ft and are delivering some of the region’s most significant new manufacturing and logistic schemes. “To add capacity and the most impact to the team, we needed an individual who could hit the ground running and instantly understood us as a company, and Frank just ticked every box.” Jasper continued: “We’ve got some exciting plans coming forward and a range of sustainability targets we want to achieve over the next ten years, which adds significantly to both the planning and delivery of our schemes. “They’ll certainly be no shortage of challenges for Frank to get stuck into over the coming months and years.” Frank, who worked with Arcadis for seven years, now known as AYD, before his 10 years at RLB, added: “It’s a fantastic opportunity and natural transition for me from consultant to in-house project director. “IM Properties is such a fast-paced, innovative, industry leader, and that means that life is never dull when working for them, and you are guaranteed to always be pushing the boundaries and working on projects that inevitably turn into real career highlights.” Located in the Midlands, IM Properties is one of the UK’s largest privately-owned property companies owned by the IM Group, focused on a sustainable future in the sectors it invests and develops in including offices, logistics, manufacturing and new homes.
Whether a power supply is being used in life-saving pieces of medical equipment, in transportation systems or even in a PC, all relevant parties need to be confident it will have a significant life cycle. This means they want a reliable piece of equipment that proves to be good value for money. As such, when creating a power supply, designers must make numerous decisions that will impact how long it is likely to last. Here are just three examples of things to be considered. 1. The electrolytic capacitor The electrolytic capacitor is ultimately what determines how long a power supply lasts as it has a finite lifespan — in other words, it is the only part that wears out. As XP Power’s technical director Gary Bocock explains: “Electrolytic capacitors are an essential component of AC-DC power supplies. They provide high Capacitance x Voltage (CV) and low Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR) in low-volume packages. There’s no alternative part that can do the job cost-effectively.” Choosing the correct one is crucial when designing a long-lasting power supply. Electrolytic capacitors manufacturers will specify the design lifetime at the maximum rated ambient temperature (typically 105°C), which can be anything from 1,000 hours to 10,000+ hours. Applied ripple currents also cause power dissipation within the electrolytic capacitor, and according to Bocock: “The maximum ripple current that may be applied to the capacitor is usually specified at maximum ambient temperature and 100/120 Hz.” Manufacturers must assess probable durability in order to help designers select the most appropriate electrolytic capacitor for the power supply they are creating. 2. Thermal management All power supplies generate heat as a by-product to some degree, but it is critical to manage the temperature in order to prevent damage that could decrease the life cycle of certain components within the power supply. As noted by O’Reilly Media, overloading, fan failure, inadequate air flow inside and outside of the system, and dirt and dust are just a few potential causes of overheating that can contribute to a reduced lifespan. Designers should consider incorporating cooling systems in order to dissipate heat and reduce potential damages. For example, installing a fan will be far more effective than natural air convection. However, as important as cooling is, designers also need to consider how a particular cooling system could impact other aspects of the power supply. In this case, a fan will consume power and therefore reduce the efficiency of the power supply, and may also be noisy. This won’t necessarily be an issue for all power supplies, but depending on the context, other cooling systems could be more appropriate, such as a heat transfer plate or maybe even a liquid cooling mechanism. 3. Insulation materials Choosing the correct insulation materials is vital in terms of both safety and efficiency. According to Bright Hub Engineering, examples of suitable options include “PVC, glass, asbestos, rigid laminate, varnish, resin, paper, Teflon, and rubber”. While designers may decide to use a variety depending on the particular power supply they are creating, they should avoid mismatched or incompatible insulation materials. Although combining different types may seem like a thoughtful way to ensure adequate voltage withstand capability, mixing insulators with varying degrees of permittivity means there will be uneven electric field intensity across the insulator, as per Kirchhoff’s Law. This could cause it to break down, which is why designers must keep this in mind when selecting insulation materials.
