The Natural History Museum (NHM) has appointed Mace as its preferred main contractor to build a new 25,000m2 Collections, Research & Digitisation Centre at Thames Valley Science Park in Reading. Mace has been appointed to deliver pre-construction services including design and procurement. Other members of the project team include CPC
Ideal Heating has received the green light to establish a new £12.5m research and development facility to support low carbon technologies including heat pumps. The company has been granted full planning permission for the UK Technology Centre its headquarters site in Hull. The R&D facility will create a testbed for
SCAPE, one of the UK’s leading public sector procurement authorities, has appointed Rachel Sudlow as its R&D Lead in a newly created role designed to increase digital innovation across public sector construction. Rachel joins SCAPE following more than 10 years at Balfour Beatty, where she started as a quantity surveyor
Construction firms spent £1.36 billion on research and development in the first part of 2018/19 – more than in the whole of 2017/18 The average construction R&D claim is now worth over £70,000 London and South-East England are home to the most innovative construction companies UK construction companies are increasing
Momentum Group launches ‘Rebound’ support service to help businesses as they face perfect storm of Brexit and Covid New statistics published by HRMC reveal that a total of £175 million was paid out to UK construction firms in research and development (R&D) Tax Credits, up a whopping 94 per cent
Cleanroom and laboratory design and construction specialist, Boulting Environmental Services (BES) has completed a £13 million project for global pharmaceutical business and world leader in the treatment of opioid addiction, Indivior. The new research and development (R&D) facility will be used to test and develop a non-addictive substitute for methadone,
The outcomes of a joint research project carried out by PCSG, Ordnance Survey and GroupBC will today be unveiled at the GeoBusiness show. The outcome of the research is a cloud-based platform called ‘GeoConnect+’ – a response to PCSG’s call to connect BIM information with geospatial data in a way
A human factors, safety and risk consultancy that provides services to safety critical industries has been awarded an R&D grant worth almost £70,000 which will see the company make a significant contribution towards improving the safety and operations of civil nuclear power plants. With the grant plus some internal funding,
An innovative modular building system which has the potential to plug the massive shortfall in low-cost housing and schools, not just in Britain but across the world, is using expanded polystyrene (now known across Europe as airpop™) at the centre of its unique patented design. In its most recent project,
Jumpstart, the UK’s leading facilitator of research and development (R&D) tax credits for businesses, is set to launch a marketing campaign to tell the UK’s construction industry about the substantial sums of R&D tax credits they are missing out on from HMRC. Jumpstart’s MD, Brian Williamson, said: “Construction businesses and
The Natural History Museum (NHM) has appointed Mace as its preferred main contractor to build a new 25,000m2 Collections, Research & Digitisation Centre at Thames Valley Science Park in Reading. Mace has been appointed to deliver pre-construction services including design and procurement. Other members of the project team include CPC Project Services as Project Managers, Arcadis as Cost Consultants, Fielden Clegg Bradley Studios as Architects, and Ramboll as Mechanical & Electrical and Civil & Structural Engineers. Subject to planning permission, which has recently been submitted to Wokingham Borough Council, in 2024 the Museum will begin constructing a sustainable new facility together with Mace at Thames Valley Science Park, the innovation campus of the University of Reading in Shinfield. It is expected that the construction of the building will be finished in 2027. The project is generously enabled through a substantial £201m investment from the UK Government as part of its priority to increase investment in science, research and development. By 2031, the centre will be operational, equipped with cutting edge laboratories, space for Museum scientists and purpose-built storage for 28 million specimens. Transporting these specimens to Shinfield will be as big as any move of natural history specimens globally. Gareth Lewis, Mace’s CEO for Construct said: “We’re very proud to have been appointed to deliver this landmark scientific facility on behalf of the Natural History Museum. Together with our supply chain we will be raising the bar on sustainability and apply the latest digital thinking to deliver the project to the highest quality and safety standards.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Ideal Heating has received the green light to establish a new £12.5m research and development facility to support low carbon technologies including heat pumps. The company has been granted full planning permission for the UK Technology Centre its headquarters site in Hull. The R&D facility will create a testbed for product development and advancements in the heating solutions to help decarbonise UK homes and business premises. The state-of-the-art facility will also see the UK market leader expand its R&D team. The facility represents a significant investment from Ideal Heating and will play key role in the company’s transition to low carbon heating solutions, including heat pumps. Pre-construction work on the site of the UK Technology Centre is expected to begin by the end of this year, with the main part of the facility due to be completed by the end of 2024. The R&D centre is set to be operational in 2025. Ideal Heating Engineering Director Helen Villamuera said: “Our UK Technology Centre is part of a major £60m investment we’re making in our Hull site, to support heat pump manufacturing, distribution and innovation in heating technologies. “From the outset, Hull City Council has been fully supportive of our plans, which will create highly skilled jobs and expand our existing R&D capabilities at our site in Hull. “We’re delighted to have secured full planning permission for the UK Technology Centre. We will now begin a competitive tender process to appoint a contractor to deliver this project.” The two-storey building, with an additional partial storey to accommodate plant rooms for the centre, will help to develop and refine the low carbon heating technologies, including heat pumps, needed to decarbonise UK’s 25 million homes. The Government has set ambitious targets for head pump deployment, including for 600,000 heat pumps to be installed in domestic properties annually by 2028. The UK Technology Centre will provide a purpose-designed new home for Ideal Heating’s expert R&D team, which has an increasing range of engineering roles related to design, development, electronics, simulation and product testing disciplines. Laboratory facilities within the 38,000 sq ft (3,500 sq m) building will enable Ideal Heating’s R&D team to simulate a range of scenarios and conditions to test new innovations and advancements. The centre will also house environmental chambers, a heat pump testing area, workshop spaces and a training room. In designing the building, Ideal Heating has practiced what it preaches. The R&D facility features roof-mounted solar panels to generate renewable electricity for the building, with air source heat pumps serving the mechanical heating system. LED lighting and controls will help reduce energy consumption within the building and high-performance building fabrics will reduce heat loss. The R&D facility is one of a series of major investments at Ideal Heating’s Hull site. Construction work has been completed on a heat pump production facility and expanded distribution centre, totalling £20m of investment. Ideal Heating also announced recently it had started producing its new monobloc heat pump, Logic Air, in Hull as the company supports the rollout of renewable heating products. Ideal Heating has also opened a £2.2m National Training and Technology Centre in Hessle, on the outskirts of Hull, with capacity for up to 5,000 installers every year to learn the skills needed to supply and maintain heat pumps. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
SCAPE, one of the UK’s leading public sector procurement authorities, has appointed Rachel Sudlow as its R&D Lead in a newly created role designed to increase digital innovation across public sector construction. Rachel joins SCAPE following more than 10 years at Balfour Beatty, where she started as a quantity surveyor but was most recently focused on innovation and research, working with bodies such as Innovate UK to drive improved digital standards in the construction industry. The new role will see Rachel work closely with SCAPE’s clients and delivery partners to develop, encourage and apply new technologies and building methods to create more innovative, sustainable buildings. Rachel will also collaborate with various private and public sector partners outside of the construction industry, including funding bodies, research institutions and academia, as it continues to help shape the public sector’s response to the climate emergency. This includes a significant focus on BIM modelling utilised by SCAPE projects across the UK, ensuring that data from partners and clients is collected and used effectively to enhance strategic decision-making, improve efficiency and environmental performance at every stage, from procurement through the full life cycle of the building. Her appointment follows the launches of SCAPE’s latest suite of net-zero-ready construction and consultancy frameworks – SCAPE Construction, SCAPE Scotland Construction, SCAPE Consultancy and SCAPE Scotland Consultancy – which incorporate dedicated tools to help public sector organisations procure projects in a way that meets their sustainability and climate ambitions. SCAPE’s suite of construction and consultancy frameworks is used by more than 1,200 public bodies across the UK. The framework provider currently operates with a buying power of £18bn. Rachel Sudlow, R&D Lead at SCAPE, said: “At a time of significant regeneration across the public estate, it’s critical that the next generation of public sector buildings and infrastructure sets new standards for construction. Innovation will play a critical role and ultimately be supported by continually striving for better outcomes through the application of R&D. “Working with our clients and partners, and the wealth of data their projects produce, we have an outstanding opportunity to stimulate truly impactful innovation and ensure that the UK continues to be seen as a centre of excellence for construction.” Rachel will report directly to Chris Clarke, Director of Performance and Improvement at SCAPE. He said: “There’s little doubt that a combination of ingenuity and resource is needed to help address the complex needs of the public sector, including the climate emergency that has been declared by organisations across the UK and the world. Rachel’s addition to the team signals our commitment to both and will further set our clients’ projects apart in terms of adopting market-leading R&D in addition to best-in-class procurement. Through digital innovation, we can ensure an even greater legacy for the wave of public sector regeneration that is currently driving the UK’s economic recovery.”
Construction firms spent £1.36 billion on research and development in the first part of 2018/19 – more than in the whole of 2017/18 The average construction R&D claim is now worth over £70,000 London and South-East England are home to the most innovative construction companies UK construction companies are increasing their investment in innovation, with research and development (R&D) expenditure rising by £70 million, according to new figures released by HMRC[1]. Analysis by IronmongeryDirect, the UK’s largest supplier of specialist ironmongery, has revealed that in the first part of 2018/19, construction firms spent £1.36 billion on qualifying projects. Even though many claims have yet to be submitted for that financial year, this is already 5.4% more than the whole of 2017/18 (£1.29 billion). Using the government’s R&D Tax Credit Scheme, companies can claim back up to 33p for every pound spent on R&D activity. This includes any project that aims to advance the industry by researching or developing a new process, product or service, or improving an existing one[2]. For such work completed during 2018/19, construction companies have already claimed £235 million of Corporation Tax relief. More companies in the sector are starting to take advantage of the scheme, as the latest data shows overall number of claims is also on the rise. So far, construction businesses have made 3,340 claims for R&D funding, which is a year-on-year increase of 1.8% (60). The industry now represents 5.7% of all R&D claims in the UK. The majority of the construction-related R&D projects are classed as ‘specialised construction activities’. These account for two-thirds (66%) of the sector’s claims, way ahead of ‘construction of buildings’ in second place (21%). However, the most valuable construction R&D claims are those labelled as ‘civil engineering’. Across the whole industry, the average R&D claim in 2018/19 was worth £70,359 – almost 5% higher (£3,286) than the year before (£67,073) – but the figure is far greater for civil engineering projects. The typical amount of tax relief awarded to such work is £129,412. The totals also vary significantly across the UK. The most innovative area is London, with more claims made in the capital than any other part of the nation (455). But it is Northern Ireland where construction represents the greatest percentage of a region’s total R&D claims. More than one in ten (11%) of the country’s qualifying projects fall within the industry (180/1,605). Despite only making the fourth highest number of claims, construction firms in the North-West of England are investing the most money in innovation. Its businesses have already registered £145 million of R&D spend for 2018/19 – more than any other area. The regions which have made the most and least claims for construction R&D funding for 2018/19, so far, are: 1) London – 455 claims (£55m) 2) South East – 425 (£85m) 3) East of England – 400 (£5m) 4) North West – 375 (£145m) 5) West Midlands – 295 (£10m) 6) Yorkshire and the Humber – 255 (£85m) 7) South West – 250 (£10m) 8) East Midlands – 215 (£10m) 9) Northern Ireland – 180 (<£5m) 10) North East – 165 (£40m) 11) Scotland – 165 (£10m) 12) Wales – 155 (<£5m) Dominick Sandford, Director and Head of Merchandising & Marketing at IronmongeryDirect, said: “It’s encouraging to see that so many UK construction companies are taking advantage of the R&D Tax Credit scheme. Our businesses are world-leaders for innovation and the HMRC initiative is designed to reward them for their pioneering work. “The tax relief can provide a welcome boost for construction firms and any money saved can even be reinvested to finance further research.” For expert advice about R&D tax relief, including whether your company is eligible, visit: https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/blog/industry-innovation
Momentum Group launches ‘Rebound’ support service to help businesses as they face perfect storm of Brexit and Covid New statistics published by HRMC reveal that a total of £175 million was paid out to UK construction firms in research and development (R&D) Tax Credits, up a whopping 94 per cent from £90 million according to statistics released this time last year. The number of claims has also jumped from 1,790 to 3,055, an increase of 71 per cent, but still only represents 6% of all claims across the scheme. The figures were released as R&D Tax Credit specialists, The Momentum Group launched its ‘Rebound’ support service which aims to assist businesses by maximising their uptake of all available grants and R&D tax benefits offered by the UK government. Commenting on the latest statistics, Tom Verner, MD of The Momentum Group said; “These new figures for the construction industry are very welcome and reflect increased innovation specifically in areas such as the reduction of firms’ carbon footprint. “However, the industry still only represents 6% of claims across the scheme and we believe there are still a great many innovative construction companies missing out on potentially tens of thousands of pounds in R&D Tax Credits. The ‘Manufacturing’, ‘Professional, Scientific and Technical’, and ‘Information and Communication’ sectors continued to have the greatest volume of claims, making up a total of 66% and 71% of the total monetary amount claimed for 2018-19.” Mr Verner added; “The launch of our Rebound support service comes in response to the dual challenge for businesses operating under the looming threat of a no-trade deal Brexit and an ongoing global pandemic. We are all in this together and at Momentum we have been offering, and will continue to offer, free claims advice to companies during these pressured times. “We believe in the ‘bouncebackability’ of businesses across the UK. That word was first coined by Crystal Palace manager, Iain Dowie when describing how his team went from the fringes of relegation to being promoted and I am confident Momentum can help businesses look to a brighter future after the unparalleled difficulties of 2020.” To further underline the commitment to research and development support, at the last budget Chancellor, Rishi Sunak pledged to increase spending on overall R&D to £22billion per year by 2024-25. Mr Verner said; “Between the £38billion spent by the Government on Bounce Back loans for businesses affected by the Covid pandemic, and the potential tax relief that can be claimed in R&D, there is so much support for businesses out there but awareness and understanding of the latter remains stubbornly poor.” “But often in uncertain times, businesses are driven to be more innovative and this work can qualify for R&D Tax Credits. 2020 has been an incredibly difficult year for business with Covid-19 generating great uncertainty and it is likely the monetary value of claims will be lower in the next period due to issues such as staff being on furlough. However, in our view, it is vital that companies thoroughly examine their R&D activities now to ensure all opportunities for support are explored.” “For example, a number of companies joined the fight against Covid-19 by switching production to make medical items, PPE and hand sanitiser. This work will have required a degree of R&D and it is right these companies receive the financial support they are entitled to. “In addition, the government has committed to processing claims within 28 days, meaning successful claims could have an immediate positive impact on balance sheets at a time when cash flow is critical. “Momentum can help, we recognise that businesses will know their own sectors inside out but often struggle when it comes to understanding what qualifies for R&D Tax Credit claims. “Our Rebound support service aims to work directly with companies to conduct strategic reviews of their business before putting strategies in place to identify wide-ranging R&D and innovation opportunities.” To learn more about R&D Tax Credits available to companies and to calculate how much you could receive visit: https://www.momentumgroupni.com/
Cleanroom and laboratory design and construction specialist, Boulting Environmental Services (BES) has completed a £13 million project for global pharmaceutical business and world leader in the treatment of opioid addiction, Indivior. The new research and development (R&D) facility will be used to test and develop a non-addictive substitute for methadone, to improve patient experience on a global scale. Boulting Environmental Services was appointed by Indivior to carry out a complete turnkey package as principal designer and principal contractor. With a scope of work encompassing full design service, shell construction, internal fit out and commissioning, the project was ideally suited to BES’ multi-disciplined design and construction teams. “Indivior selected Boulting Environmental Services following a competitive tender process, in which BES came out on top in terms of cost-effectiveness and delivery time,” commented Paul O’Reilly, facilities director at Indivior. “The design and build process was extremely collaborative, with BES listening to our primary objectives and creating a facility that was both technically fit-for-purpose and one that gave Indivior welcoming office space and recreational areas for staff.” Before the site was built, Indivior used rented laboratory space to carry out its R&D activity, which drastically impacted the time that could be dedicated to the process as the space was not always available. The new two-storey facility will provide 5,040 square metres of sophisticated accommodation, including ISO7 and ISO8 product development cleanrooms and specialist cGMP laboratories. Supporting areas include highly specified offices, meeting rooms and a restaurant. The site is also equipped with a 100-space car park, service yards, and over 450 cubic metres of attenuation storage tanks to aid surface water drainage. BES’ early involvement in this crucial development phase ensured that the fundamental accommodation requirements were fully translated into the detailed design and the construction. A key element of this process was consultation with the regulatory authorities, including the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Home Office. Both were consulted early in this phase, ensuring that a fully compliant scheme formed the basis for the ongoing detailed design. “Due to poor ground conditions, BES’ designers developed a solution that incorporated a ventilated, suspended, pre-cast plank and beam ground floor construction supported by pile foundations,” explained Dale Owen, architectural technologist at BES. “Our design for the sub-structure is based on a braced portal frame solution. The multi-disciplined design team also carried out all necessary Building Energy Model calculations to certify that the building envelope and associated services met the required emission rates to comply with Part L2 of the Building Regulations.” “There were extremely strict insurance guidelines that BES had to adhere to. Only approved products could be used in the construction of the building, which meant a lot of planning in partnership with the client’s insurance company. BES had regular teleconferences with both the client and the insurance provider to help guarantee that the final build met all regulations and specifications. “BES sees each project that it works on as a collaborative one,” continued Owen. “We operated using a brief set by the client, but had regular progress meetings to discuss any changes or suggestions for the final design. We also engaged with the building’s end-users, by holding a series of workshops, to guarantee that the result was suitable for purpose.” Revit modelling software was used in all elements of the design, from the superstructure to the internal fit out, including coordination of all mechanical and electrical services. The visualisations are used in addition to technical drawings, to help ensure that the designer and the client understand all aspects of the final build. The software package also allows all parties to collaboratively and easily make changes at any stage of the design process. Additionally, 3D images and walk-throughs aided the space planning process, providing users with realistic representations of the facility. These were used to determine space requirements in process areas, as well as maintenance access to the plant and services. Using Revit also helped BES’ construction team when working on the substructure. Following on from the successful completion of this, work started on erecting the 180 tonnes of steel portal frame and the column casings. With a total area of 5,040 metres squared over two floors, the ground floor slab design used suspended cast concrete planks with a structural screed top. The first floor comprised of a traditional hollow rib deck with a pumped concrete slab and screed top. While the cladding works were under way, the installation of 4,200 metres squared of curtain walling had begun alongside a profile roof panel, with all new structure conforming to Indivior’s insurance company’s standards. Due to the nature of the facility, a full inspection from the Home Office was required after construction. The auditor not only gave the building approval, but referred to it as state-of-the-art — a testament to the quality of work that Boulting Environmental Services carried out on the site. “BES completed the project three months ahead of schedule, within budget and to the highest quality,” commented Giles Singleton, project manager at Boulting Environmental Services. “This was the result of our lean programming framework and our ability to overlap different phases of the project to eliminate wasted time. At no point were our engineers waiting for one task to be completed before they could move on to the next. The entire process was efficient and streamlined with the customer’s requirements in mind at all times. “Since the new facility opened, Indivior has appointed around 20 new members of staff, including health and safety personnel, new additions to the facilities management team, maintenance and catering. The prestigious facility will act as Indivior’s UK centre for research and development, allowing the company to continue pioneering life-transforming treatments, while maintaining its position as world leader in its field,” finished Singleton.
The outcomes of a joint research project carried out by PCSG, Ordnance Survey and GroupBC will today be unveiled at the GeoBusiness show. The outcome of the research is a cloud-based platform called ‘GeoConnect+’ – a response to PCSG’s call to connect BIM information with geospatial data in a way that helps large asset owners and operators manage large, disparate estates better. GeoConnect+ hosts and connects asset information with countless geospatial datasets including OS open data, OS mapping data, land and property data, flood, river, road network data and much more. One of the main objectives is to deliver a platform where you can not only discover information about what you are managing, but importantly, where it is located. A major revelation that presents a significant quick win is the platform’s ability to surface home grown geospatial data that is usually locked away in systems only available to GIS professionals. This ensures all users can benefit from such valuable data instantly through a browser. A 2D and 3D browser-based viewer has been developed which allows the federation, navigation and interaction of point clouds, models and geo-spatial data in context with the asset’s surroundings, combining the outside world with data about the inside. In 2015 PCSG’s Technical Director, Adrian Burgess, raised a challenge to connect BIM data with geospatial data. Two years later, Ordnance Survey and GroupBC, for the most part have met this challenge. The starting point for the research for the three organisations to work together was PCSG’s call to: -geo-locate BIM information so, not only can you find out what assets, spaces, systems and components you have in your estate, but where they are; -connect asset data to countless geospatial datasets via a common geo reference so you can understand ground conditions, surrounding natural and built environment constraints, boundaries and social-economic data about the local communities and more; and -securely share the BIM and geospatial data with many supply chain organisations. Over the past fifteen years, Ordnance Survey has embarked on a transformation to become geospatial data and analytics specialists in the UK. This research project was a good test of their new data infrastructure which is set up to allow controlled access to digital mapping information via new Application Programme Interfaces (APIs). GroupBC has, over a similar timescale, developed a business which has enjoyed a high level of success in supporting large portfolio asset owners in the management of asset data. This research project made use of their semantic BIM server to connect asset data with external third party data. PCSG continues to use the research project to test the value of connecting BIM and geospatial data to see if it genuinely resolves the problems faced by asset owner operators. Paul Griffiths from Ordnance Survey explains: “The theory being tested is that connecting data about thousands of geographically dispersed assets with geospatial, environmental and socio-economic data will be a key enabler and lead to significant savings through being better informed and the ability to make more cost-effective decisions.” While understanding the true value of connecting BIM and geospatial data sets together needs a lot more testing, the GeoConnect+ platform is already proving beneficial to some early adopters. Trevor Mossop, Technical Services Manager, J T Mackley & Co Ltd, states: “GeoConnect+ offers that ability to both simplify document access and ensure that all of the available documents, pertinent to a geotagged location, are bound together and returned from any device without reliance on understanding the search criteria. This is critical to our staff and clients and is a massive step forward in the usability of the Common Data Environment, where accessibility and ease of use dictate buy-in by staff on any project.” Our GeoConnect+ tool is directly linked from our Common Data Environment Paul Meredith, Information Manager, Thames Water says: “Our GeoConnect+ tool is directly linked from our Common Data Environment and this gives staff quick and very easy access to verified data and information about the environment. This not only speeds up project delivery, particularly during the options stage, but also means a significant reduction in project risk. We are excited about the possibility of using Geo Connect+ to produce address lists and as a possible interface for site-based and mobile staff to load and access site documentation.” Sanjeev Shah, CEO at GroupBC believes there will be significant demand to connect a vast array of data in the future, and connecting geospatial data is just the start. PCSG is asked all the time about how to connect data from in-house finance and resource systems, building management systems and IoT sensors. This information is extremely valuable in their respective systems but will be even more so if they are connected to assets, helping asset owners to get a better handle on space usage, costs, revenues and maintenance activities, reduce running costs and optimise comfort levels for occupants. The GeoConnect+ project marks the latest initiative by PCSG to drive improved performance across the built environment sector.
A human factors, safety and risk consultancy that provides services to safety critical industries has been awarded an R&D grant worth almost £70,000 which will see the company make a significant contribution towards improving the safety and operations of civil nuclear power plants. With the grant plus some internal funding, UK based Corporate Risk Associates (CRA) will be conducting a comprehensive research project which will significantly enhance the industry’s understanding of potential system failures in nuclear power plants, aiding both plant safety and the uninterrupted supply of electricity. Awarded by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency which works with people, companies and partner organisations to find and drive the science and technology innovations that will grow the UK economy, the research will be completed throughout the course of this year. Speaking about the grant, Jasbir Sidhu, CEO and Founder of CRA said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this grant which will see CRA develop a process to generate realistic reliability estimates of SMART Control and Instrumentation (SC&I) to increase the safety within nuclear power plants.” SC&I are intelligent control devices that employ programmable electronic components to collect and process data to enhance performance. According to Jasbir, the industry uses assessments of the reliability of engineered systems to understand safety margins. The reliability of SC&I technology is difficult to substantiate due to the inclusion of software, and this leads to an assumption that it performs much worse than indicated by operational experience. “Current methods adopted in the industry involve using high confidence values based on Safety Integrity Levels (SILs), as stipulated in standards such as IEC 61508/IEC 61513. We firmly believe this current method does not give a good indication of the ‘true’ reliability, as SIL figures are considered to be highly conservative. “As such, we are extremely passionate about this project and developing a process that can ensure future decisions are based on realistic reliability estimates. “It is great that we have received this grant from Innovate UK in recognition of the significant impact this project will have on the nuclear, process, transportation, and other high hazard industries where safety is, of course, of paramount importance. Looking ahead this research will have a major impact on the understanding of risks from emerging and growing fields e.g. Data Centres.” The project will be led by experts at CRA, including the company’s Principal Consultant Ashraf El-Shanawany and Consultants Francesca Brandford-Adams and Garth Rowlands who will be researching the approach of Structured Expert Judgement (SEJ). Established in 2000, CRA boasts a team of 40 technical consultants. The company prides itself on managing safety, reliability and risk across the nuclear, rail, defence and process industries, where delivering a robust risk analysis is part of the licensing processes.. The company has recently been awarded work with major organisations, including the Office of Nuclear Regulation, EDF Energy and Babcock International.
An innovative modular building system which has the potential to plug the massive shortfall in low-cost housing and schools, not just in Britain but across the world, is using expanded polystyrene (now known across Europe as airpop™) at the centre of its unique patented design. In its most recent project, the Acermetric building system has just slashed costs and build-time at a London primary school where a two-storey multi-purpose 466m2 “Centre of Excellence” was assembled in around 13 weeks on site by just four builders lifting panels by hand and installing the elements with a single tool! Coppice Primary School in Chigwell, which provided independent funding for the project, said “the new Centre of Excellence is a unique and bespoke provision that houses two additional classrooms, a computing suite, art studio and science laboratory to accommodate our subject specialisms. This has been a huge success with our pupils, being able to educate them in a purpose built provision. The wider community also benefits from using the art studio in our Centre of Excellence”. The Acermetric system is patent-protected in twenty countries worldwide with another forty countries recognising patent conformance. It comprises a range of interlocking panels each of which is effectively a sandwich of grey eps with the option of the outer board material specified according to the building needs. Together with window and door cassettes, the full range of elements extends to around forty shape options which, when locked together and linked to patented roof support beams and columns, allow more than a million combinations of high-strength, three-dimensionally stable structures – a ‘lego-like’ system capable of creating a building of virtually any shape, size or design. According to the company’s calculations, the system could easily accommodate buildings up to ten storeys high, is suited to areas prone to ground movement and even to earthquake risk, and has undergone stringent UKAS testing covering strength, fire resistance, acoustic protection, thermal insulation and longevity. The whole idea was the brainchild of UK engineering design and R&D veteran David Appleford who cut his teeth in the deep sea oil exploration sector. According to David, his system owes a great deal to the eps foam which forms the core of the panels. “The grey eps at the heart of our Acermetric panels gives us many advantages – light weight, rigidity, excellent insulation, high acoustic performance and good fire protection. In fact thermal insulation is so effective that in the primary school project – the combination of the heat generated by the occupants and high solar gain meant we had to install additional cooling measures.” Appleford is convinced the Acermetric system could bring major benefits across the globe, “Our success so far allows us to be confident that if we could move to large-scale precision mass production of the panels we would have no problem in plugging the gap of 150,000 low-cost homes desperately needed across the UK. Then when we look at the potential in developing countries – this could represent a massive solution to a global problem in which eps could play a significant part.” The thermal performance for grey EPS/Airpop is 0.03 W/mK and, according to David Appleford, this helps his Acermetric buildings to achieve 0.1 u-values or better. The British Plastics Federation also points out that Airpop™ is non-toxic, chemically inert, non-irritant and rot-proof. Fungi and bacteria cannot grow on Airpop™, it is insoluble and non-hygroscopic – and moisture contact will not lead to product or performance deterioration. Other advantages of the Acermetric system include the fact that no expansion joints are needed as the entire construction is post-tensioned through the locking mechanism. All internal walls are pre-finished – avoiding the need for plasterboard – and external walls can be finished to any specification including architectural cladding, weatherboard, slate, tile or brick slips. Chairman of the BPF EPS Group David Emes said: “There are many building systems which take advantage of airpop™ but this is one of the most innovative we have come across. It’s an ideal building material for modular or elemental systems because it can easily be cut or moulded to shape during the manufacturing of the elements and has built-in BBA Approval, BRE Certification, BRE Green Guide A+ rating and many wider industry accreditations. It also comes closest of any modern building material to fulfilling the 60-year performance life target set by the UK Building Regulations”. A new residential build project for Acermetric is in the pipeline and will further prove the system’s integrity. The next step for Acermetric will then be to commission a state-of-the-art factory for the mass production of the panels and to license the innovative yet extremely simple technology to manufacturers, builders and construction companies in the UK and beyond.
Jumpstart, the UK’s leading facilitator of research and development (R&D) tax credits for businesses, is set to launch a marketing campaign to tell the UK’s construction industry about the substantial sums of R&D tax credits they are missing out on from HMRC. Jumpstart’s MD, Brian Williamson, said: “Construction businesses and their suppliers are often unsure about their eligibility for R&D tax credits and, historically, have shied away from pursuing them. “This is a pity. Very substantial sums in R&D tax credits are available to the huge range of innovative engineering and materials companies which support the construction industry in the UK, including manufacturers of concrete, damp proof coursing, tanking, steelwork, render systems, insulation systems, cladding panels, glazing, fixings, glues and paints and more. “All of these products have to meet specific technical performance requirements and also comply with constantly changing legislation. Other areas of possible eligibility are in the construction and trialling of prototype homes that are more energy efficient and produce less CO2, especially to meet ever-stricter standards. “Other activities that make companies eligible for R&D tax credits include increasing the durability and/or the lifespan of materials that protect the exterior of a building, enhancing the stability of products, for example, to reduce sun bleaching,improving the energy efficiency of systems used within a building, and developing alternative production or construction techniques to reduce the environmental impact of construction projects. “Developing more effective techniques for removing contaminants from land, or finding ways to remove new combinations of waste chemicals, as well as new construction techniques to create buildings that are more resistant to earthquakes, storms, and other acts of nature, are all activities which meet the eligibility criteria for R&D tax credits.” Jumpstart was founded in 2008 to engage with UK businesses by informing and guiding them through HMRC’s R&D tax relief claim process. In its relatively short history, the business has grown its client base to more than 500 companies across all regions of the UK and has an annual business pipeline in excess of £10m. The total amount of money recovered to date by Jumpstart for its clients is over £55 million; the average claim size is £29k. Unlike most financial services firms, Jumpstart’s technical analysts, comprising scientists, technologists, chemists, biologists, engineers, physicists and software engineers, are qualified to drill down into the most complex business and scientific systems and present information in a uniquely compliant form. Working with a range of companies it has won them significant tax advantages by highlighting to HMRC the innovative aspects of their business practices. Mr Williamson said: “More than 13,010 SMEs and 2,920 large companies across the UK are already claiming £1.4 billion in tax relief from HMRC. Each year it is estimated that a potential £2 billion can be claimed by UK companies but some £600 million of that went unclaimed in the last financial year.” Within the construction sector Jumpstart has so far recovered some £940k for clients, though its most successful construction sector application for R&D tax credits resulted in a refund of £434k over four claim years.
