Incoming changes to Part L of the Building Regulations are likely to intensify testing demand in the run up to the December 31 deadline for UKCA certification. The warning, from Element Materials Technology – one of the UK’s leading testing and certification service providers to the construction industry – comes
Revisions to Part L of the building regulations, which come into force in June, are the subject of a new CPD devised by insulation specialist Actis which is due to be launched to the industry in a few weeks’ time. Tomorrow’s Insulation Solutions for Future Homes Standards is currently awaiting
The Chartered Institute of Building’s first ever Safer Buildings UK event was held yesterday [Thursday 26 May]. More than 200 professionals from across the built environment sector gathered to hear from many of the senior figures behind the UK’s new building safety regulatory regime. The event was organised by the
Recent events have brought into sharp focus the issue of building regulations which some say are falling behind the scale and scope of what has been going on in the built environment. The regulatory system can be a source of frequent misunderstanding and confusion, with many across the industry having
Incoming changes to Part L of the Building Regulations are likely to intensify testing demand in the run up to the December 31 deadline for UKCA certification. The warning, from Element Materials Technology – one of the UK’s leading testing and certification service providers to the construction industry – comes in advance of scheduled changes to Part L, which take effect from 15 June. As part of a shift towards lowering domestic CO2 production through the Future Building Standard, all new doors and windows entering the market from that date must meet new mandated U-values. However, any existing products currently on the market which meet the new mandated U-values must still achieve UKCA marking in order to be sold in the UK from 1 January 2023. The requirement is likely to affect hundreds of products manufactured outside of the UK, even if they have achieved CE marking in the country of manufacture. UKCA marking can only be issued by an approved body listed on the UK government’s database. As there are only a small number of approved bodies, manufacturers who have not yet started or completed the process could find themselves under pressure to secure laboratory space with just six months left until the UKCA marking requirements come into force. Chris Bryan, Senior Test Engineer at Element Materials Technology – Wednesbury, comments: “On the surface, the changes to minimum U-values set out in the updates to Part L are straightforward. Indeed, a sizeable majority of products currently in circulation are already compliant. “The real issue is that any product that has been CE-marked in another country – even if it meets the U-value requirements set out in the changes to Part L – will need to be re-tested in the UK to achieve UKCA marking to continue being sold here from the start of next year.” Chris continues: “The realisation is really starting to take effect amongst the international fabrication community. We have already seen a surge in demand in recent weeks and only expect that to increase as we get closer to the UKCA deadline. I would strongly urge any fabricators who either manufacture overseas or are looking to meet the new requirements to book UKCA testing now to ensure a smooth transition.” To find out more about UKCA testing, please visit: https://www.element.com/product-qualification-testing-services/ukca-mark-guidance.
Revisions to Part L of the building regulations, which come into force in June, are the subject of a new CPD devised by insulation specialist Actis which is due to be launched to the industry in a few weeks’ time. Tomorrow’s Insulation Solutions for Future Homes Standards is currently awaiting certification by the Construction CPD Certification Service and will become the fourth in Actis’ series of popular professional CPD certified training programmes. Other sessions are the RIBA-approved CPD on addressing the performance gap with reflective insulation, a CPD module on building regulation compliance and a mini training course specially designed for use at LABC roadshows on the new SAP 10. The new CPD, aimed at architects, specifiers, builders and building control officers, looks at how the changes will impact the industry and how to ensure professionals meet the targets laid down in the revised building regulations. With new build homes obliged to see carbon emissions reduced by 31% over the current levels after June 15, the Actis CPD will explain the importance of focusing on ‘fabric first’ to help achieve this goal. There will be a one-year grace period for projects currently going through the planning process. Actis UK and Ireland technical director Thomas Wiedmer explained: “In order to achieve this 31 per cent uplift over current regulations we have to focus on ensuring the fabric of the building is the main driver of energy efficiency. This will need to be combined with more use of efficient building technologies. “Energy efficiency standards should always be based on reducing the need for energy first and in particular limiting the heat loss through thermal elements – that is through achieving excellent U-values, reducing thermal bridging and improving air tightness – the fabric first principle.” The CPD will look in detail at ways to improve U-values, reduce thermal bridging, address the performance gap and improve air tightness while ensuring there are no issues with overheating. Thomas added: “Ensuring insulation is continuous, with no gaps, plays a vital role in reducing thermal bridging – and this is one area in which the Actis Hybrid range excels, with its flexible nature and ease of cutting and moulding into corners, gaps and awkward junctions.” The CPD will also look at SAP 10, the latest update to the Standard Assessment Procedure, which is incorporated within the revised Part L regulations, and which is designed to ensure correct thermal modelling junctions are used. The Part L changes are a stepping stone towards the far more stringent energy efficiency requirements for new homes to be laid down under the forthcoming Future Homes Standard, which should be in place by 2025. That in turn will play a key role in enabling the UK to meet its 2050 net zero target. Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News
The Chartered Institute of Building’s first ever Safer Buildings UK event was held yesterday [Thursday 26 May]. More than 200 professionals from across the built environment sector gathered to hear from many of the senior figures behind the UK’s new building safety regulatory regime. The event was organised by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) to help drive the culture change needed to ensure buildings are constructed and managed to be safe for all those who create and occupy them. The conference brought together perspectives on the new regulatory system that will govern the design, construction and occupation of higher-risk buildings, described as the biggest change in building safety in a generation. Delegates heard from, among others, government ministers and industry experts on plans to implement the Building Safety Act and ongoing work across the industry to raise levels of competency and develop a culture of quality. Keynote speakers included Dame Judith Hackitt DBE, chair of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, and Peter Baker, Chief Inspector of Buildings at the Health & Safety Executive, who both thanked CIOB and many of the other professional bodies who are “aligned” to the need for culture change to support the implementation of the Building Safety Act. Caroline Gumble, Chief Executive of CIOB, said: “There was a clear appetite among the audience for today’s event, with the industry looking to implement the new building safety regime. We’re proud to be leading the conversation and today made it clear there’s a need for continued collaboration. It’s been heartening to hear from delegates that they are willing to come together, across the range of roles that make up the built environment sector, working towards a culture of quality in our industry.” Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News
Recent events have brought into sharp focus the issue of building regulations which some say are falling behind the scale and scope of what has been going on in the built environment. The regulatory system can be a source of frequent misunderstanding and confusion, with many across the industry having a lack of understanding around materials and building regulations. Put simply: what materials should go where and what should these materials be tested to? But what does this mean for construction product manufacturers in terms of credibility and how can specifiers compare one tested and approved product over another? With the failure to fully adopt EN standards and adherence to old BS standards, we’ve ended up creating two systems – one which is modern and following the latest thinking and regulation and another that harks back to the building regulations originally conceived in the 1960s when buildings were very different indeed. The way we design and construct buildings, the materials that are used have all changed drastically over the past decades. We only have to see the prevalence of glass and alumunium in our cities instead of concrete, all of which gives rise to greater challenges in terms of acoustics and fire. From a competitive credibility point of view, it’s perfectly feasible that a company with cutting edge test data will find itself competing with a company which has a test certificate in line with outdated building regulations. The customer will think they are equally compliant because the regulations allow them to be so, but equally the one without the latest test data has the same access to the market than the one with the testing, but without the incumbent costs. For example, SIDERISE invests a considerable sum each year on testing its acoustic, fire and thermal insulation solutions. Specifiers will adopt the tick box approach to materials in the sense they will more often than not choose a product for an application, sometimes under time pressure, and one that they recognise to be the right thing. They are easy prey for businesses, some of whom will do the minimum in terms of certification and testing, with very little evidence to back up their products. Four hour’s fire resistance for a product could have several interpretations. Regulations need to be more descriptive and prescriptive, not just because of time pressures, but also because there is a lack of training and education in matters related to fire. If you look at the way buildings are constructed there will be an architect, a fire engineer and possibly a façade engineer. There are sometimes grey areas in terms of who is responsible for what? Some in the chain may be looking to push liability down the line. In other words, who will sign this off? While most manufacturers will have product liability insurance, far fewer will have professional indemnity insurance. SIDERISE carries both, so both our physical product and where necessary, product specific design advice can be given with confidence. When we talk about professional credibility, it’s possible for companies to put products on the market, and because of the gaps in understanding on regulations, or the clever use of marketing words, these products can be completely acceptable and legal, but not fit-for-purpose. While at SIDERISE, we get asked for our test data on a daily basis; specifiers need an explanation to ensure they come to the right conclusions about what they are reading. Do they want the data for the sake of compliance only to file away, or for the purpose of learning something about what they are using? There needs to be a checklist of questions about the products they are going to specify. Has the product got this rating? Are they understood? Have they got the correct data and is it up to date? So when it comes to competitive credibility, if you want to make a fair comparison between products you need to look at whether the product has any provenance. What is the history of the product? What testing is behind the specific product? And is the testing current? Only when a specifier looks beyond a checklist will they be able to specify products which are fit-for-purpose. For further information about SIDERISE or for specific technical advice visit: www.siderise.com, or call 01656 730833 **( by Chris Hall – Commercial Development Officer, SIDERISE)
