Tilt-Up constructions allow the building to be more durable, but you need to know how it works, how long it has been used, and when not to use it. Tilt-Up constructions have become a ubiquitous way of building these days. It uses concrete and Design-Build methods to make the whole
HMG Paints, the UK’s Largest Independent Paint Manufacturer, have attained Made in Britain accreditation. Made in Britain brings together the British manufacturing community, the company will now carry the Made in Britain collective mark across its packaging and products along with its marketing materials and digital channels. The Manchester based
When an east London development called for market leading, quality brick on soffit systems to achieve the architects’ desired visions, IG Masonry Support was more than capable of stepping up to the challenge. Fish Island Village, Hackney Wick is a 2.85-hectare mixed-use development which comprises 588 new dwellings, and hosts
Peter Johnson, chairman of Vivalda Group, the UK’s largest independent distributor of non-combustible facade products, has welcomed additional powers granted to the safety body charged with maintaining cladding standards in the wake of Grenfell Tower. It was confirmed this month (January 2021) that the new regulator for construction products, will
Building materials supplier CEMEX is providing over 40,000 tonnes of a complicated lining spray concrete for the construction of the Thames Tideway Tunnel, the biggest infrastructure project ever undertaken by the UK water industry. The Tunnel is being built to upgrade London’s sewer system to cope with its growing population.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has called on the government and local authorities for urgent investment in housing to meet the growing demand for social housing. Homeless charity Crisis recently calculated that 90,000 homes need to be built a year in order to meet this demand. Paramount Timber
The publication of the new CIBSE/ADE CP1 (2020) Heat Networks Code of Practice is a welcome step in increasing the uptake and quality of design, installation and operation of low-carbon heat networks in the UK, says polymer pipework specialist REHAU. The long-awaited revision was developed by the Chartered Institution of
Three types of Kawneer’s curtain wall feature on the Atlas’ commercial element. Bespoke curtain walling by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer was preferred for an 11-storey office building at the heart of London’s architectural sector. Kawneer’s AA®265 unitised system was adapted by the company for the commercial element of the £200
Ibstock plc has become the first building products manufacturer in the UK to procure 100% of its electricity from renewable sources. This milestone announcement enables Ibstock to make significant steps in reaching its Sustainability Roadmap target of a 15% reduction in CO2 per tonne of production by 2025, and accelerates
The Grenfell Tower tragedy horrified Britain. Subsequent enquiries have highlighted issues with materials used, construction standards and supervisory roles, to name but a few, and enquiries are on-going. In the meantime, people are living in multi-story buildings with no clear resolution to the issue of cladding on buildings. Future plans
Tilt-Up constructions allow the building to be more durable, but you need to know how it works, how long it has been used, and when not to use it. Tilt-Up constructions have become a ubiquitous way of building these days. It uses concrete and Design-Build methods to make the whole structure more durable, sustainable, and efficient. Each year, about 650 million square feet of buildings are built by using tilt-up construction. So, if you are building a new home, it would be wise to choose the tilt-up construction method. It will put up the building quicker than any other methods you can think of. But to start the tilt-up construction, you need to know some basics like how it works, how effective it is, and what benefits you will receive. The Working Process Of Tilt-Up Construction First, a large structure is made from wood, rebar, and concrete. Later, that structure is carried to the construction site and acts as the building’s exterior wall. The concrete walls are tilted up into place by a crane or a pulley. After preparing all the walls, they are then tilted into a position and act as the foundational footings. Each of these foundations is kept in place with large wooden pillars until a roof is placed on top of it and gives the whole structure a steady form. Later, concrete is poured into the gaps and the connecting parts of the walls and the roof to make the whole building sturdy and durable. Tilt-Up construction companies are experts in creating retaining walls, and the famous company Fasttilt has its own unique wall, the fast retaining wall. When Did Tilt-up Construction Become Popular Although the method may seem new and advanced to some, this method has been used since the beginning of large construction projects. There was no crane back in those days, so they depended on pulleys or lever systems. The method was popularized in the 1900s when large commercial buildings started using it and a popular magazine called “Concrete Construction” gave it the name Tilt-Up Construction. This became a modern method for building large constructions after World War Two. That is because there were fewer people to work for construction, and people needed machines and techniques to create large buildings. In the present day, with the help of computers and AI-based construction designs, Tilt-Up Construction has become more popular as it is now much safer, efficient, and less time-consuming compared to other construction methods. How Good Is It Compared To Other Construction Methods? We have talked about the popularity and the effectiveness of tilt-up construction, but how good is it? If we compare this to some other construction methods, we can get an idea of its effectiveness. Here is a list of other construction methods and how tilt-up construction is better than them. 1. Wooden Frame Construction A time-consuming method that is also labor-intensive. Although the initial building cost is low, the added cost of additional labor eliminates that benefit. On the other hand, Tilt-up construction is less time-consuming and requires less labor. 2. Steel Beam Construction This method is too costly, but sometimes, it is more durable than tilt-up constructions. The only time you should pick steel beam constructions is when you are constructing large high-rise buildings. 3. Prefabricated Steel Frame Construction This is a cheaper method than tilt-up, but there are design limitations, and not many buildings can be constructed with this method. By looking at these methods, we can see that these methods are extremely situational. On the other hand, tilt-up construction has a much better generalist use and can help with any situation. Therefore, Tilt-Up is a much better choice than these in most cases. Major Benefits Of Tilt-Up Construction Here are the significant benefits that make tilt-up construction so useful- 1. Cost-Effective This method is extremely cost-effective compared to other construction methods. It saves money in requiring less labor and can be done with cheaper materials yet yields high durable buildings. The main ingredients you need are concrete and rebar, which is very common compared to steel beams and other complex components. 2. Time Efficient This method also saves a lot of time. The concrete panels that give the building structure can be made within two or three days at best. As the concrete panels can ready the building’s structure faster, laborers can build the roof sooner, which will also be done more quickly. Last, setting up all the things can also be done in two days. This saves up a lot of time. 3. Saves Energy The tilt-up method saves money and time and saves energy, and is considered much more environmentally friendly. The walls are made of concrete and act as an excellent insulator, and it is possible to create walls with enhanced thermal properties. When Should Tilt-up Construction Be Avoided? Although Tilt-Up Construction seems like the best all-rounder method, it also has some flaws and sometimes falls behind other construction methods. For example, you might not always want concrete structures. A barn or a warehouse can be built easily with the prefabricated steel method. It is also not effective if the building is far too big such as skyscrapers. They are done better with steel beam methods because it would not lift the concrete panels that high up. Each project differs from one another, and there are specific construction methods for these projects that outshine other construction methods. So it is best to consider the building type before choosing a construction method. Final Thoughts Although there are multiple construction choices, and each serves its own purpose, Tilt-Up can be a better overall construction method used in almost all cases. Hopefully, this article has shown you the benefits of this method, and for your next building project, you should definitely try tilt-up methods if it meets all your requirements.
HMG Paints, the UK’s Largest Independent Paint Manufacturer, have attained Made in Britain accreditation. Made in Britain brings together the British manufacturing community, the company will now carry the Made in Britain collective mark across its packaging and products along with its marketing materials and digital channels. The Manchester based paint manufacturer has a vast portfolio of products and covers markets including Industrial, Commercial Vehicle, Decorative, Defence and more. The Made in Britain collective mark unites the British manufacturing sector and helps consumers, buyers and specifiers identify products that are made in Britain. As a proud family business and British Manufacturer, HMG one of the last few remaining British paint manufacturers, will be looking to work alongside other Made in Britain members. “We’re proud to be a paint manufacturer in Britain, with more and more paint manufacturers offshoring production and decision making we feel HMG can provide a unique offering to UK Manufacturers” commented John Falder, Managing Director of HMG Paints. “We have an extensive history of working closely with our customers to develop long term sustainable partnerships. HMG offer a huge variety of products, all of which are manufactured in Britain, but we are also specialists in developing innovative bespoke paint and coatings solutions for customers.” Innovation runs deep at HMG Paints; the company was the first in the UK to utilise Graphene within its coatings. With a broad spectrum of knowledge and expertise HMG boast a portfolio including wet paint, powder coatings and aerosols, covering virtually every type of surface imaginable. The company is also extremely agile, a key example of this was the ability of the company to transform a clean-room department into a Hand Sanitiser production line within 48 hours. The First Thing Sanitiser, which saw the company crowned UK Business Heroes by the Chamber of Commerce, was supplied to critical industries such as pharmaceutical packaging, health, transport, utilities and defence with the company also providing donations to Greater Manchester Police along with local care homes and other frontline workers. Its product innovation also continues with colour, with HMG producing its own systems of colourants and colour matching software. HMG’s ColourBase software boasts a library of over 200,000 different colour formulations, including RAL, BS, Pantone, NCS, OEM, commercial fleet, agricultural machinery and house colours. This colour choice, combined with colour matching services gives manufacturers a virtually unlimited colour choice for the products they manufacture. To see a full list of HMG Paints products and services visit www.hmgpaint.com via the website you can also find out more about the company’s history and partners. You can see a full profile of HMG Paints on the Made in Britain website by visiting: https://www.madeinbritain.org/members/hmg-paints If you require further information on the press release, please contact: Gracienne Ikin or Stephen Dyson HMG Paints Communications gikin@hmgpaint.com or sdyson@hmgpaint.com 0161 205 7631
When an east London development called for market leading, quality brick on soffit systems to achieve the architects’ desired visions, IG Masonry Support was more than capable of stepping up to the challenge. Fish Island Village, Hackney Wick is a 2.85-hectare mixed-use development which comprises 588 new dwellings, and hosts over 5500sqm of flexible and affordable commercial space. The development, a joint venture between the Peabody housing association and housebuilder Hill, will transform a once heavily industrial site into a community-focussed regeneration, with diversity and inclusivity at its heart. Haworth Tompkins was the lead designer on the scheme with Pitman Tozer and Lyndon Good designing individual blocks. It is a stunning site which comprises a swathe of one-four bedroom apartments across different areas. The development was delivered in three phases and completed in Autumn 2020. When it came to designing the exteriors, it was important to keep brickwork a continuing theme, in order to pay due attention and respect to the site’s traditional, industrial heritage. It is why IG Masonry Support was a perfect collaborator for this project, designing and supplying a range of products including its Welded Masonry Support (WMS), brick slip lintels and its renowned B.O.S.S. (Brick on Soffit System). The Challenge Neptune Wharf was a landmark project for IG Masonry Support. The deep brick soffits over the openings on Neptune Wharf’s facades and the flying beams on the courtyard elevation were integral elements of the architects’ visions. It was therefore important to ensure a seamless brick aesthetic featured throughout, from the main exterior right through to hidden areas. The Solution IG Masonry Support collaborated at the early stages of this development with architects’ Pitman Tozer, and Haworth Tompkins. Experts in brick slip soffit solutions, IG’s technical team designed and manufactured offsite solutions to achieve the complex brick detail on the facades of Neptune Wharf. IG was also awarded the design and manufacture of the Masonry Support System for the blocks. The development required a combination of Brick Slip Lintels and B.O.S.S. units to achieve the soldier bond detail above the window and balcony openings. Capable of accommodating any brick type or bond pattern, IG’s B.O.S.S. (Brick on Soffit System) provided the perfect solution for achieving the deep soffits above the balcony openings, these 215mm soffits spanned over 2300mm wide. IG employed Brick Slip Lintels to achieve the brick soffits over the smaller window openings. Flying beams that resemble classical colonnades with a modern twist feature on one of the courtyard elevations in the development. This architectural detail – designed in a half lap bond pattern – which has a 440m soffit was also achieved using bespoke-designed B.O.S.S. units. As well as achieving the brick detailing specified in the architects’ designs, IG Masonry Support’s solutions offered other notable benefits. The brick slip soffit solutions reduced the need for skilled labour onsite as the bricks were cut and bonded to the B.O.S.S. units in IG’s controlled manufacturing facility. Furthermore, the offsite manufactured products reduced installation time onsite and assured quality was uncompromised. IG Masonry Support goes above and beyond on all its projects and the Neptune Wharf development was no exception. Testament to the diligence of IG’s team, IG Masonry Support worked very closely with the architects and contractor throughout the project, holding installation talks and supplying supplementary material to ensure the contracting teams could install the products safely and easily. Fish Island Village, Hackney Wick is reinventing the way modern urban developments are created and occupied. IG is proud to have designed, manufactured and supplied masonry support and brick soffit systems across various areas of the Neptune Wharf scheme, assuring all the exteriors look good and function well into their bright future
Peter Johnson, chairman of Vivalda Group, the UK’s largest independent distributor of non-combustible facade products, has welcomed additional powers granted to the safety body charged with maintaining cladding standards in the wake of Grenfell Tower. It was confirmed this month (January 2021) that the new regulator for construction products, will operate within the Office for Product Safety and Standards department. Granted an additional £10m of funding, this will give the new watchdog more responsibility to conduct its own independent product-testing when investigating cases of suspected malpractice. Cladding firms must now ensure that their products are safe before being sold – which includes testing cladding and associated products such as insulation against new, tougher safety standards. Reacting to the latest announcement from Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick, Peter Johnson said: “This is definitely a step in the right direction for the cladding industry. Damning evidence heard from the Grenfell enquiry is liable to cast a long shadow of suspicion across the entire construction sector and so any additional quality assurances must be fully supported. Without independent and transparent testing and quality checks, nobody wins. “Indeed, my own company has lost several competitive contract pitches over the years to products where the fire test performance of a cheaper material is highly questionable owing to gaps in the certification. I would like to believe that such fast and loose practice is now a thing of the past. Certainly, this measure goes some way to stamping it out for good, thus providing what the industry and wider society demands – proven safety.”
Building materials supplier CEMEX is providing over 40,000 tonnes of a complicated lining spray concrete for the construction of the Thames Tideway Tunnel, the biggest infrastructure project ever undertaken by the UK water industry. The Tunnel is being built to upgrade London’s sewer system to cope with its growing population. Currently, London relies on a 150-year-old sewer system built for a population less than half its current size. As a result, during periods of heavy rain, the current infrastructure can become overwhelmed. The new 25km tunnel will intercept, store and transfer sewage waste away from the River Thames. Starting in Acton, west London, the Thames Tideway Tunnel will travel through the heart of London at depths of between 30 and 60 metres, using gravity to transfer waste eastwards and be processed and dealt with in a modern state of the art facility. “The Tideway project is one of incredible scale which will solve serious capacity issues with London’s sewer system and have considerable benefits for the area’s wildlife and population, while also creating jobs, a rejuvenated river economy and new areas of public space. This is a serious piece of engineering, and we’re proud to be working with world-class contractors to build this key infrastructure in the most sustainable and cost-effective way possible for one of the world’s greatest cities,” said Sergio Menendez, President of CEMEX Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia. CEMEX’s primary lining spray concrete is being used for the shafts and launch tunnels in the central part of the project – a 12.5km stretch of the tunnel moving under central London which is being constructed by a joint venture between Ferrovial Construction and Laing O’Rourke (FLO). The concrete is sprayed from bottom to top in one continuous operation until the shaft wall is complete. An extremely complicated mix is required, consisting of eight separate constituents which when combined give ultra-high strength of +60n/mm2, consistency of 600mm flow and a workability retention of two hours. “CEMEX’s primary lining spray concrete provided a good solution at Albert Embankment Foreshore for the construction of both connection tunnels and our 53m drop shaft through some challenging ground conditions. Having sprayed over 5,000 tonnes for this package of works meant we built a strong and reliable line of communication with CEMEX. Logistical planning was essential in the delivery of these works due to our central London location which CEMEX was able to coordinate and support with ease,” commented Borja Trashorras, Project Manager at FLO’s Albert Embankment site. When sprayed it has to adhere to the tunnel or shaft wall / ceiling and gain strength immediately to a very high rate of strength gain requirements. The concrete also needs to be highly pumpable, in some cases with a pipeline length of up to 400m. CEMEX manufactures the product at its dedicated Spray Concrete plant in Buxton, from where it is transported into central London at rates that peak at around 3,000 tonnes per month. Supply is likely to continue for a few months, although this may need to be extended due to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has called on the government and local authorities for urgent investment in housing to meet the growing demand for social housing. Homeless charity Crisis recently calculated that 90,000 homes need to be built a year in order to meet this demand. Paramount Timber Frame have gathered recent studies in the industry to calculate that if these houses were built using timber frame construction rather than traditional masonry methods, it could save the government over £261 million. Timber frame construction responds to the wider housing challenges. In fact, building with timber would see the government’s existing target of building 300,000 homes per annum reached far more effectively and sustainably, generating cost savings across the board and arguably moving towards bursting the current housing bubble. Timber framed homes in the UK is the most traditional building method boasted by the UK’s oldest properties, surviving since the 15th Century. However, brick became the Victorian answer to mass housing production in the 19th Century. With sustainability becoming a core value for many businesses and individuals, the other benefits to building with timber are beginning to come into focus. Building with timber is cost effective, with timber frame coming in at around a 2.8% cost saving. It is also shortening construction time as Rider Levett Bucknall found in a study between the 2 methods. The build time for an average timber frame home was only 41 weeks compared to 49 weeks for masonry. The 2 months of saved time equates to further cost savings on labour most notably, as well as improve cash flow by completing projects sooner. The cost savings and efficiency aren’t the only benefit associate with timber frame, it is also highly sustainable. Timber is part of the circular economy, which is the most effective carbon store. When used instead of the more traditional building materials, a single cubic metre of timber will save around 0.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. When extended to the 90,000 homes a year – that can make a huge difference to the environment. Timber is also a renewable material, with up to 90% of the timber used in the UK coming from certified sustainable sources such as the FSC and the PEFC. The majority of the remaining 10% comes from well managed sources in countries which do not practice certification. For every one tree that is harvested, five are planted in its place which means that it is not only a sustainable method, but one that is integral to the governments Net Zero by 2050 initiative. Richard Swayne, Director of Paramount Timber Frame says: “The time has come for the industry to switch to timber frame more aggressively. The benefits for using timber instead of traditional masonry methods are tenfold. At Paramount Timber Frame, we know there is intense need for delivering high quality, good value housing and fast. Switching to timber frame is how we start to build for tomorrow. To not only alleviate the housing crises, but to evolve the industry to becoming more sustainable, for both the environment and society. Andrew Carpenter, Chief Executive of the Structural Timber Association says: “It’s no secret that Britain’s housing construction has faced numerous challenges over the decades, from planning restrictions, cost of materials and safety issues. Timber construction provides a glaringly obvious solution to many of these challenges whilst also meeting housing needs efficiently and net zero carbon by 2050 target. With timber construction we believe we can build back Britain, Better, Greener and Faster. Our Time for Timber campaign embodies this, bringing together the science, data and industry thought-leaders, echoing that the time to change our outdated construction methods is now.”
The publication of the new CIBSE/ADE CP1 (2020) Heat Networks Code of Practice is a welcome step in increasing the uptake and quality of design, installation and operation of low-carbon heat networks in the UK, says polymer pipework specialist REHAU. The long-awaited revision was developed by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE), and takes into account the trend toward low-carbon heat networks since the previous guidance was published over five years ago. Specifically, CP1 (2020) recommends a maximum flow temperature of 70°C on new schemes, encouraging specifiers and contractors to consider fourth generation heat networks. These networks, which typically favour low-carbon heat sources like heat pumps and waste heat, are suited to polymer pipework. The guidance goes on to describe how these pipework solutions can also play a major role in the implementation of district heating schemes across the UK. With renewable heat networks increasing in popularity as a means of decarbonising buildings in line with Government net zero emissions targets, CP1 (2020)’s messaging comes at a crucial time, says Steve Richmond, Head of Marketing and Technical at REHAU Building Solutions, a leading district heating pipework supplier. He says: “We have long asserted that the implementation of district heating schemes will be vital to the decarbonisation of the country’s building stock, and are therefore pleased the latest CP1 guidance shares this view. In particular, the guide’s highlighting of the benefits associated with polymer district heating pipework, like lower installation costs and the lack of expansion loops required, clearly demonstrate the key role they will play in reducing emissions. “We also welcome the guide’s practical recommendations around fitting polymer pipework. This includes highlighting their compatibility with specialist installation methods like horizontal direction drilling, and how compression sleeve joints reduce the potential for failures during installation.” CP1 (2020) also provides a series of checklists and a toolkit for verifying compliance to ensure quality assurance and regulations within the heat network market, and more detailed guidance on diversity calculations. Taken alongside funding initiatives like the Heat Networks Investment Project and its 2022 replacement, the Green Heat Networks Scheme, Steve is confident CP1 (2020) will ensure new district heating schemes are as efficient and futureproofed as possible. He concludes: “Government support is helping increase uptake of district heating schemes, and through following guidance like CP1 (2020), heat network providers will be able to more effectively maximise carbon savings while increasing efficiency through reduced heat losses. We view these efficient, low-carbon heat network solutions as instrumental to constructing carbon-neutral new-build properties ahead of the Future Homes Standard introduction. “As ADE members, we work closely with CIBSE and are fully committed to our role in the delivery of efficient low carbon heat networks. Along with Government policies and funding, CP1 (2020) marks a fantastic turning point in favour of renewable heat networks as one answer to the low-carbon transition, and we are hugely excited to be part of this revolution.” For further information on REHAU’s pre-insulated pipework systems, and their use in renewable heat pump and district heating networks, visit: www.rehau.uk/districtheating.
Three types of Kawneer’s curtain wall feature on the Atlas’ commercial element. Bespoke curtain walling by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer was preferred for an 11-storey office building at the heart of London’s architectural sector. Kawneer’s AA®265 unitised system was adapted by the company for the commercial element of the £200 million Atlas building – at 40 storeys the tallest tower in London’s Tech City area – at 145 City Road, Clerkenwell. Concept-designed by Make architects and delivered by the Design Delivery Unit of Scott Brownrigg, the commercial building actually featured a total of three types of Kawneer’s curtain walling – the traditional stick system AA®110 (zone drained) on the ground floor, the adapted AA®265 on the floors above, and standard unitised AA®201 on the tenth floor return elevation to the existing building. The adapted AA®265 modular system incorporated GRC and aluminium rainscreen cladding and glazed vision areas in each panel. Some 3m wide, 3.85m high and one tonne in weight, each unit was delivered to site and hoisted into position by a tower crane, complete with the cladding and glazing in place. Kawneer’s Technical Proposals Engineer Dave Fletcher said: “The basic AA®265 design was revised to accommodate the building movement that had been identified by the structural engineers as it could accommodate the size of units and the GRC rainscreen units being pre-fixed to the panels. “The system developments, including new profile and accessory design such as 19 project-specific dies, were all carried out by our Technical Department at our Head Office.” Installed by specialist sub-contractor Mace Facades for main contractor Mace, the Kawneer systems also included thermally superior AA®720 entrance doors on all floors. The Atlas’ commercial element is occupied by WeWork and features a strong emphasis on nature, with three roof terraces and external green walls. WeWorks’ coworking space allows members to enjoy 11 floors of collaborative work spaces, stunning private offices, welcoming event spaces, and modern conference rooms for hosting key client meetings. In addition to being dog-friendly, this super-accommodating office space features bike storage and on-site showers. Along with the Atlas tower, the WeWork building sits above the London Underground and Thameslink lines. This discovery at planning stage changed the concept for the structural strategy, resulting in the creation of a new superstructure design to prevent the buildings from twisting and leaning. Loads imposed by the buildings are kept clear of the tube tunnels by cantilevering the structures over the subterranean Victorian engineering. The mass provided by the frame, and by increasing the thickness of the ground-floor and mezzanine first-floor slabs, helped give the structure sufficient inertia to dampen the ground-borne vibration from the underground trains. The original planning concept was for a series of white and off-white shades of terracotta cladding. However, with the stability issues raised at post-planning, the weight of the terracotta posed a challenge with the cantilevered building. Design Delivery Unit at Scott Brownrigg demonstrated options that could be achieved using anodised aluminium, and following modelling and testing of the material, proved that given the scale, repetition and shape of the facade, a unitised system would work and still achieve the original vision.
Ibstock plc has become the first building products manufacturer in the UK to procure 100% of its electricity from renewable sources. This milestone announcement enables Ibstock to make significant steps in reaching its Sustainability Roadmap target of a 15% reduction in CO2 per tonne of production by 2025, and accelerates its Net-Zero Carbon journey. Total Gas & Power, Ibstock’s energy supplier, says its Pure Green energy tariff enables Ibstock to report zero emissions for electricity under the GHG Protocol Corporate Standards, Scope 2 as the electricity can be matched to Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificates. Pure Green guarantees that the REGOs will only come from solar, wind or hydro sources. The generation mix of Total’s Pure Green power is typically hydro/wave power (0.31%); solar (24.69%); and wind (75%). Decarbonisation measures This switch to renewable electricity is the latest in a series of decarbonisation projects Ibstock has invested in, including the completion of a solar park – the first of its kind in the brick industry – at the Group’s Leicestershire head office. Supplying 20-30% of the power requirement on site. The company is also continuing to play its part in the reduction of reliance on fossil fuels through the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across several sites. Joe Hudson, Chief Executive Officer of Ibstock, said: “This is a very significant moment for our business. We take our goals and ambitions on sustainability extremely seriously and procuring all of our electrical power from renewable sources is further evidence of that. “We are a market leader in an energy intensive sector, and we believe it is vital that we demonstrate that leadership in terms of reducing carbon emissions and supporting the market for renewable energy. Many of our customers right across the construction sector have made commitments to achieving net zero emissions and our move to Pure Green shows them that we are with them on that journey. “We have many more projects and initiatives planned and under way to further reduce our carbon impacts – but, there is no doubt that this move to Pure Green really is a very big step forward in achieving our decarbonisation goals. “As the first UK building products manufacturer to make a move to 100% renewable electricity, we believe we have set an example to others in our sector; we hope our peers are quick to follow suit.” Dave Cranfield, General Manager of Total Gas & Power, said: “We are proud to have been working with Ibstock since 2013 and during that time we have seen them become an industry leader in the drive towards carbon neutrality. It’s particularly pleasing to be helping them reach their Sustainability Roadmap target of a 15% reduction in CO2 by 2025 by supplying them with Pure Green, 100% renewable electricity. As one of the largest electricity suppliers in the UK, Total shares the ambition, together with society, to become net zero by 2050 for all of our activities. We will continue to work closely with our customers, including Ibstock, as the demand for renewable electricity grows, and we will continue to evolve and invest significantly in carbon neutral initiatives over the coming years.” Ibstock’s operations commenced use of Pure Green electricity on January 1st 2021.
The Grenfell Tower tragedy horrified Britain. Subsequent enquiries have highlighted issues with materials used, construction standards and supervisory roles, to name but a few, and enquiries are on-going. In the meantime, people are living in multi-story buildings with no clear resolution to the issue of cladding on buildings. Future plans are on hold for some who are effectively locked into the ownership of their flat until a resolution is found and suitable funds are available to undertake suggested remedies. Replacement seems to be the preferred action plan but other potential measures such as communal fire alarm systems and sprinkler systems are being ignored. An intolerable situation is developing which has the potential to create a whole new set of victims – this time financial ones. The cost of building insurance for affected buildings is spiralling and may reach the point of being unaffordable, but building insurance is one of the foundation requirements for a mortgage. I think you can see where this is going! The Housing Ministry provides advice covering the fire safety of external wall systems in which the seller is obliged to confirm whether or not the building has potentially flammable cladding and whether there is an active management plan in place. This creates a dilemma for Chartered Surveyors who are neither skilled nor equipped to rule on these matters simply by carrying out a visual inspection. If clarity on the subject is unavailable, they have no choice in England and Wales but to apply a nil value to the property. In Scotland, the now tried and tested regime of Home Reports means that surveyors can propose a value with the caveat in the report that the matter of cladding is Category 3, meaning that it must be addressed immediately. The effect in both cases however is the same – surveyors cannot value comprehensively until the paperwork covering the technical specification for the cladding is provided. If it cannot be provided, the property is blighted, with the knock-on effect of people not being able to sell. What does the Government suggest property owners should do in these circumstances? Well, in its advice-note it provides a list of Chartered Professionals from whom property owners can seek a statement that the cladding meets all current legislative requirements and is fire safe. It is a long list, ranging from architects, inspectors and building engineers, through to clerks of works, fire engineers, building control, town planners and façade engineers. There is only one problem. There are very few people actually providing an EWS 1 report, or probably more accurately adequately insured to provide an EWS 1 report. We have spoken to many – though by no means all – of the bodies on the list and the unanimous response has been, to paraphrase: “We’re not doing the testing.” Sellers are being pushed into a Catch-22 situation where they need a qualified professional to confirm compliance before they can sell but, post-Grenfell, the listed professionals have little incentive to approve cladding – or insulation and fixings – without knowing what the future may hold. Zero valuations and consequent blight are causing increasing concern among brokers, particularly in London. To complicate matters the on-going availability and affordability of insurance to provide EWS 1 reports is open to question. The RICS presently has a consultation paper out on the valuation of multi-storey, multi-occupancy buildings with cladding and inevitably this includes the use of EWS 1 reports. Consistency from surveyors is one of the aims of the consultancy and any subsequent guidance that will be provided to RICS members involved in property valuation. Lenders are not consistent in their approach to buildings with cladding and this complicates any search for funding to purchase. Risk, and more accurately the adoption of risk, is high on all of the stake holders’ decision making when it comes to buildings with cladding. When the music stops no-one wants to be holding the monetary risk that cladding presently presents. Until solutions are found to minimise the risk that cladding is perceived to cause, safety, saleability, mortgageability, insurability and market value, owners will continue to be the new victims of the Grenfell Towers. Chartered Surveyors, at the coal face in this complex situation, find themselves in the uncomfortable position of reporting cladding issues using different criteria. The different approach to cladding by stake holders serves no-one well and the lack of government led solutions and funding means that the present situation continues. Dare I ask if public liability sits in the background and influences government intervention? PI insurers have been running for the hills since Grenfell, adding onerous exclusion clauses to developers and constructors. Exclusion clauses are also now entering the PI cover for surveyors undertaking property valuation. The valuation of properties with cladding may well grind to a halt unless decisive action is taken. As surveyors we await the RICS guidance from the consultation paper that closes on the 25th of Jan. 2021. Eric Curran is a partner of DM Hall Chartered Surveyors, based in the firm’s Glasgow office. For further information, contact DM Hall Chartered Surveyors, 220 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5SG. eric.curran@dmhall.co.uk. For further information about DM Hall’s Scotland-wide network, please contact Caroline Wayte, Marketing Manager, DM Hall, 220 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5SG. M: 07786 362517. E: caroline.wayte@dmhall.co.uk W: www.dmhall.co.uk Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmhallllp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dm-hall?trk=biz-companies-cym Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DM-Hall-Chartered-Surveyors-LLP-168316039915372/
