Welsh-manufactured Durisol UK is supplying the primary construction materials for the first phase of a new Cambridgeshire housing development. Cityglades at Ditton Meadows, Cambridge, is a development of 14 two, three and four-bedroom homes. Each home is complete with a self-learning system that can adapt heating, lighting and security according to the owner’s routines, therefore saving time, money and the environment. “It’s a pleasure to work with an emerging and ambitious house builder that has the vision to embrace new technologies and help move the industry forward, for the benefit of all stakeholders,” said Neil Bussey, Durisol UK’s managing director. In line with embracing cutting-edge technology, Cambridge-based development company This Land is departing from traditional build methods and building eleven of the first phase homes from Durisol insulated concrete formwork (ICF), a woodcrete ICF made from recycled wood. “As a responsible developer, we must do what we can for the environment, so we are delighted to be using this modern method of construction. It means our homes will hold more heat in, and our customers will benefit from using less energy,” added Dave Gelling, managing director at This Land. The Durisol will introduce thermal efficiency and performance in the new build homes.

The built environment contributes around 40% of the UK’s total carbon footprint. Unfortunately, around half of this is from the energy used in buildings. Whilst many newly constructed dwellings are designed to be more energy-efficient, a major priority is decarbonising the existing building stock, of which 80% will still be standing when the UK is to meet its carbon-neutral status by 2050. In light of Energy Efficiency Day, Stacey Lucas from Sontay explains how the presence of building sensors optimise energy performance in both new and older buildings, driving the stock towards the all-important smartness and efficiency that is essential to the current and future health of our environment. Building sensors, installed as part of an efficient central management system, offer an ingeniously smart and effective way of remotely monitoring elements such as temperature, air quality and ventilation. In doing so, not only do they help maintain a healthy indoor climate for the occupiers’ comfort and peace of mind, sensors give property owners more agency over energy usage; a benefit that not only helps reduce heating and lighting costs, but also facilitates a significant reduction in a building’s carbon footprint. Their usage could therefore be crucial in driving environmental initiatives, such as the UK government’s pledge for carbon-neutral status by 2050. It is in no doubt, then, that sensors have found themselves at the heart of what we call smart buildings. According to the ‘Smart Building: Energy efficiency application’ document produced by the European Commission’s Digital Transformation Monitor, a smart building is defined as ‘a set of communication technologies enabling different objects, sensors and functions within a building to communicate and interact with each other and also to be managed, controlled and automated in a remote way.’ Sensors are smart devices that sense when and how a building’s energy performance can be adapted, consistently monitoring, measuring and evaluating data which feeds into a central management or control system. The rise of smart sensors A control system’s sustenance, sensors play an essential role in the energy-efficient operation of a smart building. Sontay’s smart sensors in particular offer full environmental sensing in a single device. This ingenious sensor can measure a myriad of elements including temperature, RH, CO2, light level, and occupancy or local devices independently. Typically, traditional sensors require up to seven cable inputs into a controller, making for a lengthy installation. A Sontay smart sensor, however, only needs a single cable connection to perform the same duty with greater efficiency, and can be mapped to any device or freely programmed into a building’s network. Efficiency can also be related to the health and wellbeing of occupants, as well as the climate. In terms of air quality, airborne volatile organic compounds (VOC), pollutants which are found in paints and other building materials, are known to have a detrimental effect. The same harmful chemicals are also present in hand sanitisers, aggressive cleaning products and detergents, the demand for which has been unprecedented since the onset of the coronavirus crisis. Air quality sensors are able to measure VOC levels and alert the control system or occupants of the need to take action when a potentially hazardous reading is recorded to allow for ventilation to kick in. There are also sensors available which prevent the unwelcome pervasion of CO2 in an over-inhabited space. A CO2 sensor with an LED traffic light-style display is a potential remedy for this issue. When showing green, the sensor is indicating that a room isn’t over-occupied and the risk to air quality is low. Should the sensor show amber, it’s a sign that windows require opening or fewer people need to be in the room to maintain the same healthy indoor environment. When the sensor turns red it is a call to action, as it indicates there is not enough ventilation and possible over occupancy in the room. At these last two stages, if a sensor is connected to a building management system, it will activate relevant ventilation procedure in order to ensure a space’s occupants do not feel uncomfortable. Controlling a whole host of elements including heating, cooling and lighting, smart building sensors can ensure dwellings run as energy efficiently as possible. Although small in size, sensors offer fierce capability, and will go some way to enabling both new and older buildings perform well into the future, for the benefit of our beloved environment. It only seems natural, therefore, to celebrate the humble building sensor on this Energy Efficiency Day.

SD, the UK’s leading sealant and cosmetic repair company, is looking to expand its workforce across England and Wales with 50 new employees. The company, which provides sealant application and cosmetic repairs for homeowners, housebuilders and commercial businesses, saw continuous growth prior to the covid-19 pandemic and is now looking to expand its workforce after successfully weathering the storm for the past six months. The recruitment drive aims to bring in up to 50 new recruits, from experienced/ skilled workers to those starting out in the trade, who will join the company as it begins to relaunch its full range of services, from marine and cruise repairs to providing the finish for new build developments. “This has been a really tough time for everybody in our industry, between construction projects halting and many workers being furloughed or having lost jobs over the past six months. We’ve been very lucky to have seen through the pandemic unscathed and being in such a fortunate position, we want to offer as many hard-working, skilled people as possible the chance to get back to work,” said Nick Jones, Managing Director at SD. “We pride ourselves on having the best team in the business and our door is always open for talented new recruits. I’m thrilled that we’re in a position to be able to grow our team again, especially in such difficult times, and we really look forward to welcoming some new faces this year who can help us as we start back on our trajectory of growth.” The SD team have been involved in a number of significant construction projects in the UK, including five of the emergency NHS hospitals that were erected in response to the rise in Coronavirus cases this year. They have also seen particular growth in the North of England, with recent projects including Liverpool FC’s training ground, Lincoln Cathedral and the Dewsbury and District Hospital, Yorkshire. In the financial year 2019-20, SD turned over more than £1million in what was a record-breaking 12 months for the firm. This August, the company marked its return to full steam with the launch of SD Claims, an insurance service for claims made on household and commercial damage that needs repair. Launched in 1973, SD Sealants and Cosmetic Repairs originated as a family run business in Somerset that specialised in the supply and application of sealant. Since then, the business has gone from strength to strength, becoming one of the UK’s largest sealant companies, with eight offices across England, Scotland and Wales.

Recycled aggregate is a simple concept that involves breaking, removing, and crushing existing concrete to use it again in a new building project. The recycled aggregate suppliers mostly use cement concrete and asphalt concrete which can be collected from roads, bridges, and sidewalks. Then it can be used in road construction, as a base for drainage structures, curbs, and gutters, bicycle paths, noise barriers, pavement shoulders, building revetments, generation of many by-products, median barriers, the base for building foundations, and other structures. No matter the source, it has to be examined to determine if it has the right strength, composition, and durability to be a proper source. After that, the existing concrete always has to go through an exhaustive process of removal of contaminants through screening, air separation, and selective demolition. A conveyor belt with a magnet to remove the metal contamination may be used as well Then it will go to a crusher for a size reduction process and it is ready to go. Characteristic of Recycled Aggregates The grains of recycled aggregate tend to be irregular, rough with an angular shape, porous, and with a cracked surface but this will vary according to the type of crusher use and other processing procedures applied. It may also contain hydrated cement paste which can reduce the gravity and increase the porosity which leads to increased water absorption. Recycled aggregates typically show similar properties to conventional concrete and can meet the requirements of concrete performance, it can have a higher, identical, or lower strength in comparison to traditional aggregates. In some cases, recycled aggregates may be combined with virgin aggregates to create new concrete. Benefits of Recycled Aggregates The high demand for construction projects and urbanization at a fast rate represents a challenge for companies such as DTM Skips and Concrete that are looking for sustainable ways to meet the demands. Here are some of the advantages of using recycled aggregates. Using recycled aggregates is more cost-effective for construction companies than sending materials to landfill and having to pay landfill tax. It is also less expensive than virgin aggregates because it is cheaper to produce. If the sources are available locally that also reduces the cost of transporting the aggregates. It is environmentally friendly. When the concrete particles are crushed into small particles they absorb a huge amount of carbon dioxide which reduces the amount of CO2 in the air. It reduces the creation of virgin aggregate and therefore there is less use of natural resources. It also conserves energy and reduces the need for new landfills. It can address the issue of shortage of natural aggregates. Flexible to work with. Recycled aggregates can be used for different functions including roads, home renovation projects, landscaping projects, and general construction. Recycled aggregates have a long life span and are sturdy. The construction will be just as reliable as the traditional ones. Disadvantages of Recycled Aggregates Increased water absorption capacity. Less workability of concrete in comparison to traditional aggregates. Lack of enough specifications and guidelines.

Building materials supplier CEMEX is proud to announce that its Vertua® concrete range has been used to achieve a completely CarbonNeutral product, in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol, as part of the construction of the new Cryfield residences project for the University of Warwick. Kier chose to use Vertua Classic Zero for the foundations of a new student accommodation block at the University, following the release of the University’s 2020 Carbon Management Implementation Plan. Vertua Classic is a low carbon concrete that has a 30 – 50 per cent CO2 reduction versus a standard concrete mix. Easy to use and place, it is perfect for a range of applications including structural elements, foundations including piling, light to heavy industry floors and suspended slabs. Vertua® is part of CEMEX’s ambition to deliver net-zero CO2 concrete globally to all of our customers by 2050. Alongside the reduction in CO2 afforded by the product, Kier decided to offset the residual carbon, which makes the concrete CarbonNeutral from cradle-to-customer. CEMEX works with Natural Capital Partners, experts in carbon offset solutions, to assure the quality of the emissions reductions, and invest in projects which physically remove CO2 from the atmosphere where possible and deliver added benefits such as increasing biodiversity and reducing poverty. A CarbonNeutral certificate has been issued to Kier. Matthew Doran, Sales Executive for CEMEX Materials, commented: “This was the first time Kier has chosen to use the Vertua range and it was an exciting opportunity for CEMEX to demonstrate the value of this product as both a high performance and sustainable choice. “Kier, working with its supply chain partners RO Donaghey, understood the importance of using a concrete that improves the climate impacts of construction and we are delighted that we were able to successfully meet the requirements of the job despite the challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic, all while adhering to government guidelines.” Richard Charman, operations director at Kier Regional Building Central, said: “Being sustainable is more important than it’s ever been, and to have a sustainable business is to have a resilient business. Kier is committed to preventing environmental and social harm, as well as replenishing our natural systems and renewable resources and having a positive impact on the communities and environments in which we operate.” Padraic Crehan, Operations Manager at R.O.Donaghey, added: “It is great to be at the forefront of concrete innovation in the industry, everybody needs to play their part and we are glad to be involved.” CEMEX R&D, Innovation and Business Development projects are part of the global R&D collaboration network, headed by CEMEX Research Centers, based in Switzerland.