City Electrical Factors, Huws Gray, Jewson, NMBS, Travis Perkins and Wolseley are among 13 merchants to have secured spots on a large-scale materials framework for UK housing associations and local authorities, worth up to £1.42bn over four years. Launched by Procurement for Housing (PfH), the sixth generation of this framework
As an employment trends survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) reveals three-quarters of UK businesses are experiencing difficulties filling vacancies, Kent-based drainage system company Polypipe Building Services is celebrating strong staff retention figures with several workers holding 40-years of service – or more. Among them is Keith Goodhew
Leading sustainable construction innovators, Dura Products, has announced that its pioneering recycled plastic kerbing solution Durakerb, has been installed in a range of projects by Fife Council in Scotland. The construction work, part of the Council’s sustainable energy and climate action plan, involved the installation of 4km of Durakerb on
Leeds-based ACS Stainless Steel Limited has announced eight promotions across its team – the result of a six-figure investment in its workforce this past year. The company is a leading manufacturer and designer of structural building components, providing patented innovative solutions, including masonry support and brick panel solutions – essential
THE UK’s leading concrete batching plant equipment and spare parts supplier, ConSpare, has published its first industry white paper, focusing on the need for a more sustainable concrete production process and the route to getting there. “Why Sustainability is a Concrete Matter: Reducing Carbon and Cost from Concrete Batching Plant
Using its unique RoofBloxx blue roof attenuation system, ACO Building Drainage has combined with Aquality to retrofit a blue roof on an extended building in the middle of London where it was initially thought not possible. Featuring a cobbled walkway and a grand archway and combined with its status as
Kingspan Group, the global leader in high performance insulation and building envelope solutions, has today released its third annual report for its 10-year sustainability programme, Planet Passionate. 2022 marked another milestone year for the programme, as Kingspan unveiled a 26% reduction in absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions relative
BMI Redland have recently provided the roofing materials for the redevelopment of the Miller Court apartment complex in Romford, Essex. Made up of 13 apartments across two storeys, Romford’s Miller Court, was going through a vital regeneration project including the roof. With lead work that no longer met regulations and
The Keystone Group, the UK’s largest steel lintel manufacturer has launched a new and exciting education initiative to help cement the future of brickwork students across the UK and Ireland. Serving as an enterprising response to the current building industry skills shortfall, ‘Keyskills’ showcases a wide range of construction methods
Brick is the traditional building material in the UK and although architectural styles may come and go, brick seems to be a constant. There are however limitations to the use of whole bricks, particularly as they require a lot of energy to manufacture. The increase in the cost of energy
City Electrical Factors, Huws Gray, Jewson, NMBS, Travis Perkins and Wolseley are among 13 merchants to have secured spots on a large-scale materials framework for UK housing associations and local authorities, worth up to £1.42bn over four years. Launched by Procurement for Housing (PfH), the sixth generation of this framework sees a complete restructure with sixteen different lots allowing housing providers to procure plumbing, heating and gas, electrical and building materials, aids and adaptations, through either specialist merchants, managed stores (set up for their sole use) or branch networks. The framework has a number of regional lots, enabling Scottish and Welsh housing providers to procure from suppliers local to them and it also offers self-serve options, so operatives can pick up materials even when branches are closed. An ‘on-demand’ category enables housing associations and councils to use merchant branch networks for ad hoc purchases, when needed. Social landlords can also procure a tech platform that allows direct labour organisations (DLOs) and subcontractors to manage van stock, source products locally and have oversight of all spend across the framework. The framework links with PfH’s widespread support for social landlords around asset management, which includes spend analytics reporting and a range of procurement insights delivered through its customer portal. For a significant proportion of the social housing sector, buying materials for repairs, planned maintenance and retrofit accounts for over half their total spend. More than 450 housing providers used PfH’s previous materials framework. Judy Ashcroft, materials category manager at PfH said: “Rising costs and severe shortages have made the last few years pretty turbulent for social landlords procuring materials. The cost of living crisis is compounding this with housing associations and councils seeing a spike both in demand for homes and their own costs. More than ever, certainty is needed so the sector can meet tough targets on improving stock, but social landlords also need flexible, forward-thinking ways to source materials and deliver insights so they can manage their spend effectively.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
As an employment trends survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) reveals three-quarters of UK businesses are experiencing difficulties filling vacancies, Kent-based drainage system company Polypipe Building Services is celebrating strong staff retention figures with several workers holding 40-years of service – or more. Among them is Keith Goodhew who began at Polypipe Building Services as an engineering apprentice 37 years ago and has worked in several parts of the business from production to technical as a CAD operator, before taking up his current post as an engineer and health and safety representative within fabrication. “I’d wanted to become an engineer since I left school in the 80s and decided to do an apprenticeship scheme, and I’ve made a lot of friends. “There are lots of people here I’ve known since I started so they’re like family to me, and we’ve always had social things going on and it’s things like that and the fact my role has kept changing which is why I really enjoy working here.” Rashmihant Desai has just taken retirement having worked at Polypipe Building Services for 47 years where he was an assembly team leader. Originally from Tanzania, he joined after family members already working at the company alerted him to a vacancy. “I came for interview, and they asked if he could start right away,” he says, “and I joined as a machine operator before going to work in mixing then in injection moulding where I worked as a cell leader overseeing seven machines. “While I was there a manager asked if I could help in assembly, and they were so impressed by my work that when that manager left, I was asked to stay and run the whole department. “I’m 67 now and I stayed because they treat people well, like if your health isn’t good the team are 100% behind you and if people are treating you well then why would you leave? I also do a lot of charity work helping supply food to children in places like Thailand and India and the company always supported me with that.” Clare Hawkes, Head of Human Resources at Polypipe Building Services, said more than 10 per cent of their workforce have been with the company for 10 years or more, and believes this high rate of retention is due to the investment in people’s continuous learning and development which allows staff to progress throughout the business, together with a workplace culture of teamwork embedded in a series of staff social events. She said: “We work very hard to make sure people here feel valued and supported in their roles, and that there is a clear structure of development and training opportunities so people can develop into new roles if they want to. “Our managers and leaders take time to develop relationships with their teams, and these elements combined with ensuring we have things like Mental Health First Aiders present in all areas of the business, charity days and family social events, all help to create a workplace where people want to work and to stay.” For more information about careers at Polypipe Building Services go to https://www.polypipe.com/careers-hub Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading sustainable construction innovators, Dura Products, has announced that its pioneering recycled plastic kerbing solution Durakerb, has been installed in a range of projects by Fife Council in Scotland. The construction work, part of the Council’s sustainable energy and climate action plan, involved the installation of 4km of Durakerb on the A909 Fife Highway, Cowdenbeath. Made from 88% recycled polymers, Durakerb offers a lightweight solution providing a safer, greener and faster method of kerbing. The use of Durakerb by Fife Council has saved over 120,000kg of embodied carbon entering the environment. Over recent years, Dura Products has been selected for a range of construction projects on a residential and regional scale by Fife Council. In 2020, 1km of Durakerb was installed in Kirkcaldy and Rosyth, as part of residential pavement upgrades, and in 2022, 4km of Durakerb was supplied to the A909 project, as well as residential upgrades on Dewar Drive, Leven. For two decades, Dura Products has supplied its green innovations to a range of projects to increase sustainability credentials and lower the impact of construction on the environment. Durakerb is designed as a sustainable alternative to traditional kerbing methods, which do not offer the same environmental benefits. Every 6kg unit of Durakerb has the potential to be reclaimed, reused or recycled at the demolition stage. Fife Council is leading the way by choosing SME’s that focus on green construction to reduce carbon emissions. The Council has implemented a Low Carbon Sustainability Checklist to facilitate sustainable construction, to reach the Scottish goal of net zero emissions by 2045. To meet environmental targets embedded within legislation, adopting low carbon solutions with high recycled content makes a significant difference to the environment. Steve Bennett, Managing Director at Dura Products, commented: “Since 2003 we have worked hard to deliver over 500,000 units of our pioneering project, Durakerb. We would like to thank Fife Council for the widespread installation of Durakerb, and for leading the way in sustainable construction on a regional scale. We hope to work with more and more local authorities looking to plan and action similar strategies regarding energy and climate change.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leeds-based ACS Stainless Steel Limited has announced eight promotions across its team – the result of a six-figure investment in its workforce this past year. The company is a leading manufacturer and designer of structural building components, providing patented innovative solutions, including masonry support and brick panel solutions – essential construction components used in construction of the largest modern-day projects in the UK. Eight of the firm’s 118 colleagues will now take on new roles to help future growth, including newly-appointed Strategic Specification Director Paul Ruding, who moves on from his incumbent position as Head of Strategic Specification; Paul is also studying for a BA in Fire Safety Engineering – something that is being funded by ACS. Colleague Andrew Spencer is also promoted from Technical Engineer to Head of Research and Development, while Jason Hedge is promoted to Specification and Design Director. ACS Commercial Director Gareth Twohey explained: “Investing in the future of this industry is a priority for ACS right now; we hope we are seen as the vanguard of new ideas, with products that will help developers, architects and contractors create safer and more sustainable structures. “We achieve this by reinvesting huge percentages of our profits back into the business – that includes investing in colleagues like Paul, Jason and Andrew – each of whom is spearheading new ideas that support and educate clients.” Other promotions include Sales Operation Manager Tony Richman who becomes Operational Sales Director, with Richard Mathers, Sarah Cox and Robert Parkinson all promoted to Regional Director. Kate Robertson Hart who joined the team as Marketing Manager in 2022, is also promoted to Head of Marketing in an expanded brief that sees her collaborating with technical colleagues to amplify the work of ACS and the resources and training it is offering to the industry. Added Gareth: “These brilliant colleagues enable our ambitious plans for the future; their collective experience and passion for the sector is helping us reach more corners of the industry and I am supremely proud to call them colleagues.” Find out more about ACS here: https://acsstainless.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
THE UK’s leading concrete batching plant equipment and spare parts supplier, ConSpare, has published its first industry white paper, focusing on the need for a more sustainable concrete production process and the route to getting there. “Why Sustainability is a Concrete Matter: Reducing Carbon and Cost from Concrete Batching Plant Operations” addresses how inefficiencies in the plant and process lead to wasted materials, unnecessary energy expenditure and increased maintenance interventions – which ultimately result in avoidable carbon and higher operating cost. Combining commentary from sustainability expert Dr Miles Watkins, client case study testimonials and industry statistics, the new white paper was first launched at the UK Concrete Show by James Bullock, managing director at ConSpare. James said: “Concrete production currently accounts for 1.5% of the UK’s carbon footprint, and with construction output expected to grow by 42% by 2030 – the challenge of reducing carbon emissions from the concrete production process poses a significant problem for the environment. “The industry has made great strides in implementing more sustainable solutions. With our expertise in concrete batch plant technology and the production process we want to play our part, complementing the good work already taking place and providing an opportunity to forge a new path. “If you view the production process through the lens of cutting carbon, targeted investment decisions can be made to ensure that concrete plant operators achieve maximum benefit. This is where our white paper aims to inform and support the industry to make small, seemingly insignificant changes to processes that compound over time into wholesale improvements.” Dr Miles Watkins, said: “Sustainability is changing society. Sea levels are rising, we have more droughts and heatwaves than in any time in human history, and Arctic ice is on course to disappear in our lifetimes. This is having a massively impactful change and businesses need to understand how society is moving and move with it, or risk getting left behind. “There has been a considerable effort by our industry to tackle this problem, but we’ve only just begun – we’re about to embark on a journey and everyone will need to throw their hat in the ring and take part. ConSpare is instrumental in providing help to organisations who are struggling to find a solution, and is playing a critical role in helping its customers achieve their goal of reducing their carbon footprint.” James concluded: “Ultimately, long-term economic growth should not come at the cost of the planet and this new white paper aims to facilitate discussion in raising awareness of the carbon and cost reduction opportunity our industry has. “Every batch of concrete should be treated with caution and care, which includes working together to drive as much carbon as possible out of the concrete production process. By working together, we know this can be achieved and look forward to leaving a responsible legacy by making smarter choices today.” For more information and to download “Why Sustainability is a Concrete Matter: Reducing Carbon and Cost from Concrete Batching Plant Operations” visit www.conspare.com/sustainability Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Using its unique RoofBloxx blue roof attenuation system, ACO Building Drainage has combined with Aquality to retrofit a blue roof on an extended building in the middle of London where it was initially thought not possible. Featuring a cobbled walkway and a grand archway and combined with its status as part of Kensington’s ‘Queen’s Gate’ conservation area, Queen’s Gate Place Mews is one of London’s most sought-after and prestigious places to live. Tucked away off a busy high street, the mews is a collection of quaint residential and commercial properties, with many of the buildings boasting lavish, luxury interiors alongside their retained, quintessentially London façades. Part of that collection at Queen’s Gate Place Mews is The Lodge. Recently revamped and extended with a new mansard roof to allow for a second storey, one of the key challenges of the project was meeting the SuDS (sustainable urban drainage system) requirement and managing the water runoff from the roof, as set out by the planning committee from The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC). To meet the demand, principal contractors Keystone Construction worked with Aquality and ACO Building Drainage to design and install a unique blue roof attenuation system that sits separately above the roof construction, without adding any risk of water leaking onto the mansard roof itself. Doing what no others can With sustainable drainage as a vital factor of the extension being granted approval by the planning committee, Keystone consulted with a number of blue roof manufacturers and roofing contractors to look at how this could be achieved for this unique project. However, all the suppliers Keystone approached had refused the project and stated that it would be impossible, given the small roof area and the necessity of holding the water on the roof’s surface while controlling the rate at which it runs off. This is where Aquality and ACO stepped in with an approach that no other manufacturers could offer. Using ACO’s innovative patented RoofBloxx attenuation system, this was adapted into a free-standing retrofit application. Martin Durham, Managing Director and Owner of Keystone Construction said: “We were faced with a very tricky challenge set by the authorities. On one hand, to achieve planning permission, we had to comply by controlling the runoff to prevent flood risks and overwhelming the sewer. However, we couldn’t go forward with a typical blue roof, as holding water on top of a conventional roof invariably adds risk and goes against best practice of roof construction. Water will eventually seep into the roof layers and compromise the structure. “This was a key reason for choosing to work with Aquality and ACO – as their solution was unlike anybody else’s. By being a standalone system, we could install it on top of the roof build up and it works independently of the roof. Alongside the ingenuity of the system itself, we were very pleased with the design service as well as the ease of the installation too.” Designed to Last To help specify the blue roof, Neill Robinson-Welsh, consultant at ACO, worked with Aquality on the hydraulic design of the tank. With a footprint of 13m² and with two layers measuring 30mm each, ACO’s RoofBloxx cell is designed to withstand the ‘once in every 100 years’ extreme rainfall events. It is also intended to account for a 40% climate change and to control runoff at 0.07 litres per second. The system comprises a free draining edge upstand, the inside of which has a drainage layer placed directly on the gradient roof and on the inside of the upstand. A geotextile membrane was then installed on the top of this layer and the roof fall built out to create a level invert for the open tank that forms part of the ACO patented system. A geomembrane was then placed inside and detailed at the edges and around the soil pipe, and ACO RoofBloxx Cell units placed inside the liner to create the attenuation void. A further geotextile was placed over top to prevent fine sediment entering the open tank and then cobble ballast was placed on top. For any rainfall event, water discharges from the tank at the base through the system’s flow restrictor at a controlled rate. The water then runs across and down the sides of the mansard roof into the gutter and away to the sewer system. Easy Installation, Simple Maintenance Installation was completed in under a day thanks to the lightweight yet robust ACO RoofBloxx units that can be manually handled and interlocked in a bonded structure. As well as meeting the SuDS principles, ACO had to ensure the system would be easy to maintain, as with only a 10mm outlet where the surface water drains to, debris could end up blocking the outlet. ACO overcame this challenge by creating an access point to the attenuation tank for regular cleaning and clear out. Robinson-Welsh said: “When we were approached by Keystone and Aquality, we knew that only our ACO RoofBloxx system would meet the brief. Although the roof area is small, the project has been hugely rewarding and satisfying. This project goes to show how versatile the ACO RoofBloxx attenuation system is.” For more about ACO Building Drainage and the ACO RoofBloxx system, please visit: https://www.aco.co.uk/products/roofbloxx Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Kingspan Group, the global leader in high performance insulation and building envelope solutions, has today released its third annual report for its 10-year sustainability programme, Planet Passionate. 2022 marked another milestone year for the programme, as Kingspan unveiled a 26% reduction in absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions relative to its 2020 base year marking significant progress against its target of a 90% reduction by 2030, that it had completed over 100 Planet Passionate projects in 2022, and that, as of January 2023, it has implemented an internal carbon charge of 70€/tCO₂e.[2] In addition, the estimated emissions savings benefit from Kingspan insulation systems sold in 2022 is 173 milliontonnes of CO2e, enough to power a major airline for 15 years.[3] Other key highlights: The Group also continues to make efforts to progress towards its verified science-based target to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions by 42% by 2030, as it continues to pursue its decarbonisation strategy for its key raw materials from its upstream supply chain. By collaborating with suppliers on absolute carbon reductions across its value chain, Kingspan aims to reduce the carbon intensity of its key products and make progress towards its target of a 50% reduction in product CO₂e intensity from its primary supply partners by 2030. As Kingspan looks to put absolute carbon reductions at the centre of its Planet Passionate programme, the Group has introduced an internal carbon charge across its global business as of January 2023. The starting price will be 70€/tCO₂e (scope 1&2 GHG emissions, excluding process and biogenic emissions). The incorporation of Derbigum into the Kingspan Group, as part of the new Roofing and Waterproofing Division, is a notable highlight as the Group looks to lead the way in circularity in roofing and waterproofing. Derbigum’s “No Roof to Waste” enables the collection and recycling not only of production waste and cut-offs, but of old roofs, which are fully recycled; an exciting scheme which aligns with Kingspan’s portfolio of Planet Passionate programmes. The Group also completed the acquisition of Troldtekt in March 2022, a Danish producer of acoustic insulation containing wood fibre, marking Kingspan’s first significant step into the ‘bio-based insulation’ category. As in the two previous editions of the Planet Passionate Report, the Group has demonstrated substantial progress against the majority of the programme’s targets in carbon, energy, water and circularity. These include: Energy: An increase in the direct use of renewable energy from 19.5% to 33.4% relative to the 2020 base year as the Group aims to meet its target of 60% direct renewable energy by 2030. In 2022, the Group also implemented an increase in the percentage of wholly-owned facilities with solar PV up to 35.2% from 21.7% in the 2020 base year. Carbon: Significant investment in the reduction of embodied carbon in the Insulated Panels division following the launch of Quadcore LEC, a product which demonstrates a circa 17% reduction in embodied carbon (in life cycle modules A-C) when compared with the existing product. Quadcore LEC will be formally launched in the first-quarter of 2023. The Group has also seen an increase in the percentage of conversions to zero emissions company cars from 11% in the 2020 base year to 58% in 2022. Circularity: A reduction in company waste to landfill of 7,814 tonnes, as well as recycling 803 million PET bottles into its manufacturing processes in 2022 as the Group makes significant inroads into its target of 1 billion annually by 2025. Water: In 2022, the Group announced its third partnership project with clean tech start-up ClearbotTM, as it remains on track to complete five ocean clean-up projects by 2025. The Group also harvested 26.1 million litres of rainwater in 2022, an increase of 25.9% relative to the 2020 base year, as it remains on track to harvest 100 million litres annually by 2030, to help reduce the Group’s impact on local water supplies. Gene Murtagh, CEO of Kingspan Group, said: ‘As a Group, Kingspan remains steadfast in our commitment to help accelerate progress towards a net zero emissions future. In 2022, we again made significant progress towards most of our Planet Passionate targets. Since 2020, we have reduced our absolute scope 1 &2 GHG emissions by 26%, doubled our rainwater harvesting capacity and reduced our landfill waste by 42%. I am immensely proud to see our Planet Passionate programme evolving and maturing and I am confident that our talented and passionate teams across our business will do their utmost to help Kingspan play a key role in the transition to a net-zero emissions built environment.” Bianca Wong, Head of Sustainability of Kingspan Group, said: ‘As we conclude the third year of the programme, it’s fantastic to see the wholehearted commitment of our all across the Group to help achieve continued annual progress towards our ambitious Planet Passionate targets. It’s a testament to the enduring efforts of our colleagues that we completed over 100 projects in 2022. We will continue to build on our progress to date and aim to further accelerate our strategies in the coming years.’ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
BMI Redland have recently provided the roofing materials for the redevelopment of the Miller Court apartment complex in Romford, Essex. Made up of 13 apartments across two storeys, Romford’s Miller Court, was going through a vital regeneration project including the roof. With lead work that no longer met regulations and evidence of falling tiles on most elevations, the roof was nearing the end of its natural life. To protect the future of the cobblestone building, and the safety of the residents a total reroof was recommended. The building, which is owned by a private trust, had many historic repairs, evidence of falling tiles, little ventilation, and the lead work was no longer meeting industry regulations. In fact, considering the amount of work that needed to be completed, including replacing the eaves, ridges, and valleys and working around the red-brick chimneys, a repair would not have been enough for the roof that protects Miller Court’s residents. Russell Roofing were contracted to manage the new roofing project which had a budget of £150,000. This included managing the complexities of multiple elevations and drop-downs across four storeys, and low-level roof work including porches and bays. As with many projects, planning permission was needed for the reroof. When deciding what products were to be used, the local council had certain requirements that needed to be met so the team opted to use BMI Redland’s Rosemary Clay Classic tiles in Red, with Redland’s Dry Vent Ridge System, a new eaves ventilation system and vent tiles. THE CHALLENGE A 600 square metre challenge presents some complexities. The 600 square metre roof of Miller Court was made up of existing clay plain tiles that had been repaired multiple times over the years. The scope of the work involved renewing all the existing roof coverings, including the field area, eaves, ridges, verges, and valleys, as well as incorporating low-level work like porches and bays. Plus, with a variety of different building storeys (between one and four), there needed to be extra care taken throughout the planning and installation of the roof. Alongside, tenants were in residence throughout the replacement of the roof. Therefore, to avoid as much disruption as possible, the work would have to be done in phases. THE SOLUTION Minimal disruption through expert craftsmanship. The shape of the roof, and the details involved with the ridges, verge, and valleys, meant that there needed to be extra care and attention taken throughout the installation. For example, as a London based site, there needed to be a rigid delivery route set up. To reduce the disruption to the tenants living at Miller Court, the Russell Roofing team worked in small sections – completing each one before moving onto the next. To start, they needed to remove the existing covering and dispose of it, then moved onto the installation of the Rosemary Clay Classic tiles in Red to match the existing look of the building and the surrounding area. A Dry-Fix system was used to add ventilation to the project, while not impacting the overall finish of the roof. Contractor Quote: “Redland’s Rosemary tiles are market-leading products. Whenever we get the option of open spec for pitched roofs, we opt for Redland. Combination of good customer service, their quality products, and, more often than not, they are commercially viable as well. They tick all the boxes really.” – Frazer Simpson, Russell Roofing THE IMPACT Providing a full solution. As part of Russell Roofing’s commitment to developing young roofing talent, they had a variety of different teams working on site. These teams were made up of two to three individuals, one who was a full-time roofer with experience, and the other a labourer that was newer to the industry, looking to develop skills throughout the project, while ensuring a high-quality finish was maintained. Before Photograph of the old roof of Miller Court Details of the newly refurbished roof of Miller Court Details of the newly refurbished roof of Miller Court The Redland Rosemary Clay Classic tile made the perfect choice for the roof, in keeping with the local roofscape and satisfying planning permission requirements. The previous roof hadn’t been installed with any ventilation, so Russell Roofing have made sure the roof will be warm and dry for years to come. In focus: Rosemary Clay The Redland Rosemary Clay Classic plain tile has natural strength from the finest Etruria Marl clay. Rosemary is offered in a range of weathered, brindled, and single colours to achieve any look. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Keystone Group, the UK’s largest steel lintel manufacturer has launched a new and exciting education initiative to help cement the future of brickwork students across the UK and Ireland. Serving as an enterprising response to the current building industry skills shortfall, ‘Keyskills’ showcases a wide range of construction methods through free training support and materials. The initiative, involving Keystone Group’s IG Masonry Support, IG Lintels, Keyfix and Keystone Lintels brands, focuses on relieving financial pressures on education establishments to allow extra funding for the development and recruitment of bricklaying training courses. Owen Coyle, Divisional CEO within the Keystone Group, said collaboration with colleges and training facilities will be crucial to Keyskills’ success. “This is a fantastic opportunity for places of education to offer first-class training programmes and ‘skill-up’ a new generation of bricklayers,” Owen Coyle said. “The shortage of skilled tradespeople throughout the building sector as a whole is a well-known, long-standing issue. With this shortage, we want to collaborate with education establishments to relieve financial pressure and enable funds to be reallocated back into the development and recruitment of these training programmes.” Keyskills has a range of gratis benefits to support the recruitment and training process including training rigs and free product to support installation education, tours of Keystone’s manufacturing facilities, training presentations from Keystone’s technical experts, awards and event sponsorship, free merchandise and equipment and more. According to the Construction Skills Network, the UK needs to recruit 1,450 more bricklayers per year over the next five years to keep pace with building demands. But building to the requisite standard is more than a numbers game, particularly as poor brickwork has been the foremost issue on new-build inspection reports for the past decade. Therefore, instilling the right skillset in youngsters aiming to take-up this most traditional and vital of trades will be essential to delivering properties that perform as-designed. Owen Coyle continued: “In the months and years to come, we hope Keyskills will have played a meaningful part in supporting the recruitment and training of the bricklayers we need to meet our future building needs. We look forward to hearing from education partners who are keen to join us on this exciting journey.” Don’t miss out on this unique training opportunity, click here to find out how you can take part in the Keyskills initiative. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Brick is the traditional building material in the UK and although architectural styles may come and go, brick seems to be a constant. There are however limitations to the use of whole bricks, particularly as they require a lot of energy to manufacture. The increase in the cost of energy as a result of the war in Ukraine has had a dramatic impact on brick manufacturers and led to some significant price increases. In addition, the need to improve sustainability in construction means alternatives to whole bricks are being sought to reduce the embedded energy of projects. One such alternative to whole bricks is extruded brick slips. Made from natural clay and fired like traditional bricks, extruded brick slips are manufactured as thin slips or tiles requiring only 30-40% of the energy used to manufacture whole bricks, which is quite a substantial reduction in energy consumption. Furthermore, manufactured brick slips are usually around 15mm thick and are packed up to 3000 slips to a pallet as opposed to up to 600 whole bricks to a pallet. This means fewer pallets of brick slips will be required to cover a given area compared with traditional bricks, reducing associated transport costs. Eurobrick Systems have been supplying brick slip cladding systems for over 30 years and have witnessed first-hand the growth in the market for brick slips. Their Britannia range is a selection of kiln fired natural clay brick slips that provide excellent quality and great value, offering a wide range of colours and textures to choose from. Suitable for both exterior and interior projects, the smooth finish and clean edges of some brick slips in this range complement contemporary designs while others offer the more traditional aesthetic that is always in demand. With this wide-ranging collection, there is something to suit all projects. Manufactured in standard UK metric sizes, the nominal size of the Britannia range brick slip is 215mm in length by 65mm height with a thickness of just 14-15mm. Corner pieces are also available and nominally measure 215 x 65 x 100 x 14-15mm. Eurobrick also have a specially formulated pointing mortar called Europoint which is designed for bag or gun injection into the joints of its brick slip cladding systems. Europoint is available in 8 colours to contrast with or complement the brick choice. Eurobrick’s systems and brick slips provide a low maintenance, durable finish that is virtually indistinguishable from traditional brickwork. If you would like to discuss your project or brick slip requirements in more detail, please call them on 0117 971 7117 or you can find out more about Eurobrick’s systems and products at www.eurobrick.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals