Situated seven degrees west of the Greenwich Meridian, and exposed to some of the harshest weather conditions anywhere in the British Isles, the Hebrides present a challenging location for building projects, prompting a recently-established building company to adopt offsite construction technologies which make full use of the technical and environmental
The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) is delighted to share the news that the Level 2 Fitted Interiors Installer apprenticeship, which until now has been a pathway within the Furniture Manufacturer apprenticeship standard, has been approved to have its own standard by the Institute for Apprenticeships
Twenty buildings and fourteen furniture projects have been shortlisted for this year’s Wood Awards – which celebrate excellence and innovation in timber architecture and design. From over two hundred projects entered, this shortlist of thirty-four entries celebrates the diversity and creativity of buildings and furniture made using the world’s foremost
BSW Timber has received international recognition for its commitment to health and safety after scooping a gold award at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Health and Safety Awards. The RoSPA Health and Safety Awards is the largest occupational health and safety awards programme in the UK
Where school groups are faced with budgetary constraints, decision makers can’t afford to neglect fire safety. Sue Corrick of Allegion UK explains how responsible persons can use the summer break to extend the service life of fire doors in school buildings. By the time August arrives, it’s official – school
May was the best month for timber imports in 2023, with volume growth seen across all major product categories, says TDUK. May import volumes of softwood, hardwood, plywood, particleboard, and engineered wood products were higher than in any of the preceding months of 2023. Softwood imports have proved particularly buoyant,
The collection of internal and communal doorsets comprises seven new laminate finishes in a variety of striking colours and glazing options, and will replace its existing veneer designs. Ideally suited for commercial build projects, the new range allows for a more consistent design scheme and can be easily incorporated into
Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) has today restated its commitment to members affected by the upcoming extension of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). This will commence on 29th August. The extension will significantly impact a multitude of business sectors including construction, and therefore a number of DHF members. The
Sue Corrick of Allegion UK discusses the value points of sustainable door hardware and why its use in construction projects can play an important role in the industry’s environmental evolution. Across the globe, the decarbonisation of our planet has become a focal point for construction. Between legislative requirements and market
As a result of the development of a new industry-approved Product Data Template (PDT) for doorsets, manufacturers and distributors seeking to build confidence in their products and move closer towards implementing the ‘Golden Thread in construction’ can now supply consistent performance data to specifiers, contractors and building owners, says DHF.
Situated seven degrees west of the Greenwich Meridian, and exposed to some of the harshest weather conditions anywhere in the British Isles, the Hebrides present a challenging location for building projects, prompting a recently-established building company to adopt offsite construction technologies which make full use of the technical and environmental benefits of West Fraser’s SterlingOSB Zero. 70-22′ Systems was established in 2022 by three business partners whose experience encapsulates architecture, education and manufacturing amongst other skills, and who decided to develop their own highly-insulated, modular timber building system. Growing organically by providing bespoke packages to clients of parent business, Fraser Architecture, 70-22′ has already delivered properties on the Outer Hebrides[FA1]; and has more than half a dozen schemes of different sizes in the pipeline for the coming year. The trademarked system has been designed specifically to avoid the need for craneage, due to the inaccessibility of many sites, while the cellular component modules take the form of wall blocks, lintels and beams to span larger openings. The SterlingOSB Zero is CNC machined and assembled in the workshop before being filled with Warmcel recycled paper insulation. Significantly, the 70-22′ Systems design personnel were determined from the outset to utilise the West Fraser board because of its formaldehyde free formulation and the fact the material is manufactured in the North of Scotland, using mainly locally sourced softwood from well managed forests. 70-22′ Systems’ co-founder and Commercial Director, Alex Durie, commented: “We use West Fraser’s SterlingOSB Zero to construct our ecological building components, that are prefabricated in our workshop utilising CNC technology to achieve 0.1mm tolerances for each beam and block. It is the ideal material to use as the shell for our components, which are then filled with recycled insulation to achieve a building system that can achieve market leading thermal performance, with a U-value of 0.1 W/m²k, and excellent air-tightness, while maintaining a breathable floor, wall and roof construction. The added bonus of being formaldehyde-free, OSB enables us to build ecologically, utilising timber grown and processed in Scotland as we aim to limit the travel miles in each of our builds. The OSB produced by West Fraser has performed very well in our structural testing, with our system proving to be 1.6 times stronger than a traditional timber frame – and as our system arrives on site as a component that is pre-fabricated, pre-insulated and designed for manual handling, it is much quicker to assemble.” Not only do all of the 70-22′ Systems structures exceed the thermal requirements of Section 6 to the Building Standards, Scotland, but can also be delivered as a Passivhaus compliant solution where the client or planning consent demand it. In the medium to long term, the business is building a pattern book of standard house types and has plans to establish a pilot plant on the mainland. The company will also be showcasing its system at the Self-Build and Renovation exhibition in Aviemore this autumn. SterlingOSB Zero is available in a range of sizes and thicknesses up to 22mm as well as a T&G version ideal for flooring and decking applications. The high performance panel product, free of added formaldehyde, has also earned BBA approval and meets the requirements of NHBC Technical. As is always the case, West Fraser’s experienced technical team is available to aid with product specification, while downloadable data sheets are available at https://uk.westfraser.com For further information, call 01786 812 921 or visit https://uk.westfraser.com/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) is delighted to share the news that the Level 2 Fitted Interiors Installer apprenticeship, which until now has been a pathway within the Furniture Manufacturer apprenticeship standard, has been approved to have its own standard by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE. This is a significant development and indicates an important juncture in the process of building a sustainable workforce – not just for the installation sector, but the whole KBB industry – as KBB installation career opportunities become instantly more visible to education leavers and those considering a career change. Even more so, having a standard specifically for KBB installation provides an opportunity for the industry to build other apprenticeship pathways within the standard to meet the needs of the sector, such as specialist pathways in kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom installation, as well as other disciplines including surveying, fabrication and even site management. The IfATE has advised that the Fitted Interiors Installer apprenticeship will be approved for delivery imminently, ahead of over 100 apprenticeship standard revisions which are currently being fast-tracked through internal processes, many of which within the construction and built environment team. Damian Walters, CEO of BiKBBI commented ‘This development is a game-changer for our industry, and we should all be very excited about the opportunities that now exist as a result of having a stand-alone apprenticeship standard for fitted interiors. It has been a long and arduous process to get the standard approved, and a huge amount of credit must be given to Lisa Williamson and her team at Achieve + Partners, who have been instrumental in driving this through. The possibilities for attracting new talent to our sector and addressing the skills shortage across the KBB industry are, quite literally, endless as a result of this achievement.’ Lisa Williamson, Director at Achieve + Partners said ‘We are delighted that we now have the standalone apprenticeship available, giving the KBB industry the recognition it rightly deserves. I would also like to thank the KBB industry for their continued support through the extended development process. We look forwards to working with the KBB industry and training provider network to offer apprenticeships and help build a skilled workforce.’ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Twenty buildings and fourteen furniture projects have been shortlisted for this year’s Wood Awards – which celebrate excellence and innovation in timber architecture and design. From over two hundred projects entered, this shortlist of thirty-four entries celebrates the diversity and creativity of buildings and furniture made using the world’s foremost sustainable and renewable material – wood. A seafront visitor centre, a concert hall, and an office complex are among the shortlisted buildings for the 2023 Wood Awards, while lathe-turned lamps, a table-cum-musical instrument and a community-built table set are among the furniture and product projects. The Awards are split into two main categories, Furniture & Product and Buildings. Buildings are split into: Commercial & Leisure, Education & Public Sector, Interior, Private Sector, Small Project, and Restoration & Reuse. Within Furniture & Product, there are three subcategories: Bespoke, Production Made and Student Designer. Spanning significant public spaces, forward-thinking offices, and unique private homes, the twenty shortlisted structures, listed below, provide a snapshot of exemplary and progressive timber architecture. Shortlisted projects for the Building Categories of the Wood Awards 2023 are: Jim Greaves, Head of the Building Judges says: “Selected from over ninety entries, this impressive shortlist reveals the best use of timber in construction today and demonstrates that wood truly is a material of continuous change and innovation. “Our panel of judges will now visit each shortlisted building to determine this year’s winners – and select a stand-out project to receive the prestigious Gold Award. “This rigorous process is one of the things that makes the Wood Awards the highest accolade in the UK timber industry.” The fourteen shortlisted furniture and product items, listed below, reveal an accomplished array of materially engaged designs. Incorporating endangered heritage techniques, community-led production, innovative problem solving and poetic exploration, each of the entries tells its own story about how wood can transform and enhance our surroundings. Shortlisted projects for the Furniture and Product Categories of the Wood Awards 2023 are: Corinne Julius, Head of the Furniture and Products Judges says: “Wood is a wonderful and often underrated, sustainable material. It’s a taken-for-granted material that deserves more respect. “The Wood Awards are intended to showcase to the public the beauty and versatility of wood and highlight its ability to connect us to the natural world. “They also aim to inspire the industry, designers, makers, and students to gain a better understanding of wood in its myriad forms in order to create beautiful, intelligent products for an increasingly discriminating public.” The Wood Awards shortlist will be on display from 20 – 23 September at Gallery@Oxo in partnership with the Material Matters Exhibition during the London Design Festival. The winners of the Wood Awards will be announced on 22 November during an Evening Ceremony at Carpenter’s Hall. As a not-for-profit competition, the Wood Awards can only happen with collaborative industry sponsorship. A huge thank you for continued support from Carpenters Company, American Hardwood Export Council and Timber Development UK. You can find out more information about the shortlist here. Previous winners of the Wood Awards can be found at www.woodawards.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
BSW Timber has received international recognition for its commitment to health and safety after scooping a gold award at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Health and Safety Awards. The RoSPA Health and Safety Awards is the largest occupational health and safety awards programme in the UK and the accolade acknowledges the hard work going on behind the scenes at BSW Timber to ensure employee safety. A new auditing system was developed and built by the firm’s ESH team with a view to putting more focus on legislative requirements and Approved Codes of Practice (ACoP) compliance across BSW Timber’s sawmills. The audits were able to identify procedural weaknesses which resulted in group procedures and technical references being updated or rewritten and making roles and responsibilities clearer. Additionally, improved communication, co-ordination and co-operation between the mill teams has resulted in a more focussed scrutiny of ESH KPIs for the betterment of the entire BSW Timber team. Wayne Jones, BSW Group’s ESH Manager, said: “We are delighted to have achieved this award on behalf of the company. It is testimony to the hard work and ambitions of the senior management, ESH and sawmilling teams to improve our performance in reducing risk to employees and liability to the company. We look forward to continuing to build on our initial success and generate even better standards to demonstrate our position as market leaders in our industry. “Our commitment to ensuring efficient operations is centred around the safety of our workforce. This is underpinned by our drive to reduce risk and liability, which in turn reduces accidents, employee absence and staff turnover. We believe the RoSPA award provides an improved reputation among suppliers and partners, as well as increasing productivity and profitability, but most importantly, employees are safer, healthier and better motivated.” The RoSPA programme recognises organisations’ commitment to continuous improvement in the prevention of accidents and ill health at work, looking at entrants’ overarching health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement. Julia Small, RoSPA’s Achievements Director, said: “Accidents at work and work-related ill health don’t just have huge financial implications or cause major disruption – they significantly impact an individual’s quality of life. That’s why good safety performance deserves to be recognised and rewarded. “We are thrilled that BSW Timber has won a RoSPA Award and would like to congratulate them on showing an unwavering commitment to keeping their employees, clients and customers safe from accidental harm and injury.” The RoSPA Awards scheme is the longest running of its kind in the UK, and receives entries from organisations across the globe, making it one of the most sought-after achievement awards for the health and safety industry. To find out more about BSW Timber, visit www.bsw.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Where school groups are faced with budgetary constraints, decision makers can’t afford to neglect fire safety. Sue Corrick of Allegion UK explains how responsible persons can use the summer break to extend the service life of fire doors in school buildings. By the time August arrives, it’s official – school is out for summer. For students and staff alike, the summer holiday is a precious period of recreation and recuperation, but for most education facilities, the annual break presents an opportune time to complete much needed refurbishment and remedial work. Fire safety is a core area for concern in particular, where according to the Fire Industry Association (FIA), one in 20 schools experience fire in their buildings. Fires can cause school buildings immeasurable damage, and in response – and as stated under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 – designated responsible persons must conduct ongoing risk assessments to help identify potential hazards within their premises. Yet, in 2022, research conducted by Allegion UK into the impact of fire doors in education facilities found that almost half of decision makers had encountered issues with fire doors in their buildings, with over half of respondents also revealing they were not aware of fire door maintenance procedures. As such, responsible persons are urged to make the most of their allotted time and budgets this summer, extending the service life of fire door hardware to help ensure students, staff and visitors are safe and secure when doors once again open for the new term. School Life School buildings are inherently diverse environments. While no two facilities may be the same, it is a legal requirement under British and European law for all academic settings to possess operational fire door sets. New regulation continues to draw focus on fire safety in school buildings too, with guidance from the Building Safety Act shining the light on higher-risk buildings of 18 metres in height (or at least 7 storeys tall), with certain education facilities meeting the criteria and thus required to register as high-risk by 1st October 2023. Naturally, school classrooms and corridors are often bustling with movement and during term time, in high traffic areas, fire doors can be used anywhere between 100’s to 1000’s of times each day. Over time, daily use inevitably leads to wear and tear on fittings and in some cases, fire doors may even experience levels of misuse and abuse. Take the end of each school day for example, where fire doors and their hardware are frequently put to the test as students (and staff) aim to leave the premises quickly. When doors are opened and closed with force, hardware elements can become tired, with poorer quality or incorrectly specified door hardware more prone to damage. To help prevent excessive wear and damage in busier areas, schools may benefit from electromagnetic hold-open devices, which combine wall magnets with existing door closers to aid ease of access and reduce any unnecessary roughness. Similarly, door closers with backcheck control will slow the motion of a door, preventing or minimising contact damage. In the circumstance of a fire, it’s critical that a fire door closes independently and to completion. Damaged door hardware compromises the performance of a fire door, and as such, designated responsible persons, as part of their responsibilities, must ensure escape routes are clear and fire door sets are operating as intended, making note of and replacing any damaged door hardware in the process Protection on a budget While school buildings are closed, decision makers are gifted a period of low foot traffic and a sufficient amount of time to undertake compulsory maintenance periods without interruption. Whereas maintenance is key, research from the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) has previously revealed education buildings to have the highest average maintenance spend attributed to door hardware. Furthermore, after reviewing school spending as a whole, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) estimated that school costs would increase by 6% across 2022/23. To support schools, the government continues to invest in projects for new and refurbished buildings through its School Rebuilding Programme. Retrofit projects for example, when approached professionally, can make a considerable difference to a building’s operation – improving its efficiency and fire protection and all without needing to replace the existing fire safety infrastructure. Although, when completing retrofit projects, decision makers must consider high quality, like for like alternatives as using sub-standard components may have the adverse effect – further raising replacement costs later down the line and potentially breaching fire safety regulations in the process. With many academic groups already fearing budget cuts may affect their ability to run facilities as planned, responsible persons are also urged to review their maintenance programmes. Primarily, decision makers can look to decrease their total maintenance spend by choosing more durable products at the product selection stage. The use of higher quality, correctly specified and installed door hardware products will help to lower the rate of sustained wear and damage and thus reduce the costs associated with repair and replacements. The Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) is an accredited programme designed to present clear, accurate and up-to-date product information, and can assist decision makers in education by helping them to select trusted hardware that conforms to UKCA and CE certifications. Above all, responsible persons must ensure fire doors and their hardware are routinely checked throughout the entirety of the school year, adjusting components where necessary to preserve the operation of fire doors. But while schools are closed, there’s truly no better time to get a head start on preparations and updated regulations – responsible persons must only seek professional advice where unsure. How Allegion UK can Help Allegion UK has a wealth of resources to help responsible persons undertake product selection, installation and maintenance checks on fire doors and hardware. For information on product selection and installation, please speak to our experts or head to our download centre for technical fitting instructions. For post-installation support, Allegion’s simple toolkit provides information and tips on detecting
May was the best month for timber imports in 2023, with volume growth seen across all major product categories, says TDUK. May import volumes of softwood, hardwood, plywood, particleboard, and engineered wood products were higher than in any of the preceding months of 2023. Softwood imports have proved particularly buoyant, with volumes in May 8% higher than the 2023 average. Overall volumes, however, remain below 2022 levels. Total import volume in the first five months of 2023 was 378,000m3 lower, or 8% less than over the same period in 2022. In the long term, monthly variations appear to be stabilising following three years of dramatic fluctuation. TDUK Head of Technical and Trade, Nick Boulton, said: “The overall economic picture for the UK is gloomy, with sticky inflation and high interest rates reducing confidence in the construction sector. “This is seen in the latest CPA forecast, with crucial timber demand driving sectors like private housing and RMI predicted to decline by 19% and 11% respectively, likely returning to growth in 2024. “However, in 2023, timber import patterns seem to be bucking these downward trends, with volumes witnessing growth in four of the five months so far this year. May even saw growth across all the major import categories something we certainly would not have predicted at the beginning of the year. “It also appears the dramatic peaks and troughs of 2020-2022 have subsided. Monthly variations now seem steadier and more similar to the pre-covid years. “Though the overall economic outlook is undeniably negative, these latest figures suggest there is room for some cautious positivity heading into Q3.” Members can read the full statistics report here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The collection of internal and communal doorsets comprises seven new laminate finishes in a variety of striking colours and glazing options, and will replace its existing veneer designs. Ideally suited for commercial build projects, the new range allows for a more consistent design scheme and can be easily incorporated into a variety of interiors. The laminate finish also carries significant benefits in terms of maintenance and durability, offering resistance to water, impacts and scratches, and is easy to clean and maintain with no chemical products required. In addition to ReadyFIT internal and communal doorsets, the enhanced laminate designs will also form part of JELD-WEN’s SecureFIT and SecureSET ranges, meaning they are dual tested to provide 30-minute fire, smoke and security protection as listed under the Certifire and CertiSecure schemes – offering customers a complete and fully certified interior doorset solution. Ruth Deardon, UK Product Line Manager at JELD-WEN, said: “With a highly durable and long-lasting finish, our new laminate collection is well-suited for commercial builds, helping to create a high-quality and consistent design scheme that is stylish as well as practical. All finishes are available with a FD30 fire door rating, giving customers complete assurance in the safety and certification of every doorset.” In line with JELD-WEN’s commitment to provide high-quality, reliable and easy-to-install products, laminate doorsets are delivered fully finished, with no painting or staining required on site, and feature colour-matched edge banding for a seamless finish. All doorsets are available either as a solid panel or with glazing, with 11 clear glazed designs to choose from. Ruth added: “Expert craftsmanship, premium quality and exceptional design is behind every JELD-WEN doorset, and our new laminate collection is no exception. As well as a market-leading product range, customers can also benefit from our decades of industry knowledge and technical expertise, as well as a dedicated sales team to provide support at every stage of the project.” Every JELD-WEN customer is supported by a specialist, UK-based account management team who can help streamline the sales process from start to finish, as well as a nationwide customer service team to provide solutions to any query and ensure every order is delivered on schedule and in budget. For more information about JELD-WEN’s laminate doorset range, call 0345 122 2891 or email ukdoorsets@jeldwen.com See more at www.jeld-wen.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) has today restated its commitment to members affected by the upcoming extension of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). This will commence on 29th August. The extension will significantly impact a multitude of business sectors including construction, and therefore a number of DHF members. The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 day of the year (except 25 December) and has been implemented in a bid to make the capital’s air, cleaner. The zone currently covers all areas within the North and South Circular Roads (with the exception of the A406 and A205). If a vehicle does not meet the ULEZ emissions standards, the driver will pay a £12.50 daily charge to drive within the zone. Currently, this applies to cars, motorcycles, vans, minibuses and specialist vehicles (up to and including 3.5 tonnes). Lorries, vans or specialist heavy vehicles (all over 3.5 tonnes) and buses, minibuses and coaches (all over 5 tonnes) do not need to pay the ULEZ charge. In addition, owners of non-UK registered vehicles will also need to meet the ULEZ emissions standards or pay the daily charge. Although support is currently available, for example, a £110 million scrappage scheme has been launched to help fund the purchase of new vehicles that are ULEZ-compliant, and under the new scrappage fund, sole traders and tradespeople working for a micro-business (those with 10 employees and under) have been granted extra provisions of between £5,000-£9,000 to help transition to a low-polluting or EV alternative, nevertheless, paying a £12.50 daily fee for vehicles not meeting minimum requirements equates to more than £3,000 a year per vehicle. “Whilst we fully support the need to cut emissions and protect the environment, we urge the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to consider alternative ways to limit the impact that ULEZ will have on businesses in the construction industry including that he reassess this extension,” explains DHF’s Commercial Director, Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens. “ The planned extension will seriously impact the income of construction businesses, and at a time when inflation remains very high and customers are delaying or cancelling projects due to higher costs and limited budgets, this will make the commercial environment even more challenging,” she continues. “ULEZ will increase the cost of construction workers using vans to go to work, could cause construction workers to work longer hours to limit the number of times they need to travel into the centre, could cause construction companies to lose work due to the need to increase their prices to cover this additional cost on top of the cost-of-living crisis and increasing transport costs, and may potentially undermine the Mayor of London’s plea for construction workers to work in the Capital to help improve the city’s housing stock. DHF cannot stress enough the considerable impact, not just on construction businesses, but on all businesses that have a legitimate reason to travel into the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and we hope that alternative options will be considered that prioritise small-to-medium-sized businesses operating in the capital.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Sue Corrick of Allegion UK discusses the value points of sustainable door hardware and why its use in construction projects can play an important role in the industry’s environmental evolution. Across the globe, the decarbonisation of our planet has become a focal point for construction. Between legislative requirements and market demand, industry leaders remain under constant pressure to reach environmental targets and upon exploring some of the more distinct routes, it’s important to consider what more can be done with construction materials. Research has shown that approximately 55% of extracted raw materials are used to develop the built environment, with buildings further contributing to 40% of annual global carbon emissions. With that, there is an onus on decision makers to make astute choices, opting for more durable, environmentally conscious building products that reduce the need for repeat manufacturing and improve resource efficiency. Yet, the perceived value and cost of such products remains a stumbling block, where according to an NBS 2022 Sustainable Futures Report, more than a third of construction professionals cite the application of sustainable products is restricted by cost optimisation decisions. While cost will always remain an influencing factor in construction, there is a clear need to change the notion of ‘perceived value’ in sustainable construction, and for that, door hardware can play a starring role. Value added At surface level, architectural ironmongery is perhaps lesser recognised for its potential environmental benefits when compared to its significance in functionality, safety and security. Between fire safety, ease of movement and quality of life, door hardware plays an integral role in the operation of our built environment. Still, with hardware elements constructed from materials such as iron, aluminium and timber, and with many touchpoints found on each construction project, from an environmental viewpoint, there is tangible value to be found when using correctly specified, durable solutions. In high traffic buildings, the day-to-day use of doors can often lead to wear and tear on fittings, which in turn creates the need for replacement hardware. Trusted manufacturers aim to extend the lifecycle of ironmongery, providing more robust door hardware that significantly reduces the need for replacements over time due to wear and damage. The appropriate designated standard for mechanical testing for a controlled door closing devices is EN1154, which ensures closers are tested to endure use for over 500,000 cycles for example – with some manufacturers choosing to extend the testing to above and beyond. The use of these certified solutions incidentally helps building environments moderate the amount of resources being consumed at the manufacturing stage, while also minimising the waste associated with replacement products. Although sustainable construction projects may incur short-term, budget-stretching costs, the potential ROI associated with better-quality products is also much greater over the full building lifecycle. By removing the inevitability of sourcing substitute products on multiple occasions throughout a building’s lifecycle, costs can be kept to a minimum post project completion. As such, decision makers are urged to adopt the use of optimised door hardware at the initial design stages – ensuring products are correctly specified and fit to last from the moment a project’s doors open. Tracing footprints In 2022, research conducted by Allegion UK into the impact of fire doors in education and healthcare sectors revealed sustainability and product traceability to be important to 78% of decision makers in education settings and 50% of decision makers in healthcare settings respectively. Today, more than ever, higher standards are expected throughout the entirety of construction projects as stakeholders continue to place personal value on sustainability, product traceability and transparency. In recognition of this, manufacturers can choose to enrol in programmes that focus on sustainability and product credentials, further assisting decision makers throughout the product selection process by offering transparent and independently verified information. The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) programme for example, is a complete mapping of a product’s environmental footprint and has become a standardised way for manufacturers to communicate the environmental impact associated with a product. For an EPD to be reported, products are subject to a full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and must meet Product Category Rules (PCR) in the process, where upon completion, they are declared as acceptable in building rating schemes such as BREEAM. As such, EPD’s have become a signal of intent from manufacturers, highlighting their commitment to measuring and reducing the environmental impact of a door hardware product, and alongside environmental management standards such as ISO 14001, EPD’s are becoming an expected standard for hardware products. A combined effort is needed if the industry is to meet its full environmental responsibilities. Sustainable door hardware is only one piece of the puzzle. Yet, with several value points to offer, decision makers must be willing to look past cost barriers where possible and choose to adopt environmentally responsible door hardware products as a long-term investment for construction and our planet. How Allegion UK is Driving Change Allegion UK is committed to supporting sustainability in construction. We are proud to be helping create a more transparent and sustainable global industry by proactively participating in the EPD programme, with full EPD documentation available for download on Briton products, based on ISO 14025 and EN 15804 environmental declarations, from the Allegion and Briton websites. We continue to focus on making regular improvements in sustainability management systems, enhancing product life cycles through increased hardware durability, reducing natural resource usage and improving the recycling and reuse of materials, all in a bid to help minimise our environmental impact as a manufacturer.
As a result of the development of a new industry-approved Product Data Template (PDT) for doorsets, manufacturers and distributors seeking to build confidence in their products and move closer towards implementing the ‘Golden Thread in construction’ can now supply consistent performance data to specifiers, contractors and building owners, says DHF. The PDT is timely, following the recent publication of the landmark Morrell Review into the regulation, testing and verification of the performance of construction products. “A Product Data Template is a common way of describing essential product characteristics that can be traced to a credible source such as a product standard,” explains Michael Skelding, General Manager & Secretary at DHF. “Once a manufacturer completes a PDT, the output is a Product Data Sheet summarising the performance and other technical characteristics of a construction product. Structuring product information in this way enables more consistent, audience-specific information, and identifies all the performance information required to make informed choices about construction products.” The doorset PDT has been published by the shadow Fenestration Relevant Authority, a group of 14 organisations and trade associations that have come together to provide PDTs for the sector, which DHF is represented. This means that the industry will now be able to create a coordinated set of Product Data Sheets for any doorsets involved in their projects. Hanna Clarke, digital and policy manager at the Construction Products Association (CPA) said: “Structured product information is absolutely vital to a joined-up construction and built environment sector. But the key to arriving at this information is consensus, and the CPA is pleased to see that the trade associations in the fenestration area have come together to form a shadow Relevant Authority as per the processes identified in the LEXiCON project. “It is these consensus processes and due diligence that will allow all those using the template and resulting product data sheets to trust that the information has been appropriately considered and will have longevity in application.” “This PDT is part of an ongoing programme of works in this field undertaken by the Fenestration Relevant Authority, with window hardware as the next project. DHF is thrilled to contribute to this and future PDTs to ensure that the Golden Thread is embedded into the construction industry”, concludes Michael. The following organisations are represented on the shadow Fenestration Relevant Authority: Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI), British Woodworking Federation (BWF), Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF), British Standards Institution (BSI), Council for Aluminium in Building (CAB), Construction Products Association (CPA), Door and Hardware Federation (DHF), Association of Composite Door Manufacturers (ACDM), British Blind and Shutters Association (BBSA), National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers (NARM), British Plastics Federation (BPF), Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA) Centre for Windows and Cladding Technology (CWCT) and Steel Window Association (SWA). The PDT is available to download here: https://bit.ly/DHF-GenInfo Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
