modern methods of construction

Could containers be the missing jigsaw piece for commercial MMC?

Modern Methods of Construction have been a hot topic for a number of years now. However, one of the areas often over-looked is the humble container; a ready-made structure that, with the right modifications, can create the ideal workshop, office, retail unit, plant room, datacentre, or classroom. Here, conversion expert

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Bellway gets green light for Tattenhoe Park development

A development of 160 new homes in Milton Keynes which is to be built using faster modern methods of construction has been given the green light. Bellway will deliver a mix of modular and timber frame houses at Tattenhoe Park as part of a pilot project being led by Homes

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Simon Dudley new chair of leading MMC project AIMCH

The Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Homes (AIMCH) project is delighted to welcome Simon Dudley, Interim Chair of Homes England, as Chair of the AIMCH Stakeholder Group. The stakeholder group provides vital two way engagement to disseminate project learnings and outcomes with industry stakeholder organisations. The project aims

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Latest Issue
Issue 323 : Dec 2024

modern methods of construction

Could containers be the missing jigsaw piece for commercial MMC?

Modern Methods of Construction have been a hot topic for a number of years now. However, one of the areas often over-looked is the humble container; a ready-made structure that, with the right modifications, can create the ideal workshop, office, retail unit, plant room, datacentre, or classroom. Here, conversion expert Andy Capella from S Jones Containers discusses the benefits of using containers, modular buildings, and some of their most popular applications. Used correctly, containers can be one of the most versatile, durable, low impact and easily transportable building materials known to man. While high-end home designs tend to hit the headlines thanks to programmes like Grand Designs, there are a number of lesser-known practical applications that can help stimulate economic growth, expand classroom sizes and drive R&D.  Offices, workshops, and retail units Self-contained, adaptable, low impact and zero maintenance are just a few of the reasons Staffordshire County Council recently specified 12 containers for a start-up development at Silverdale Enterprise Centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme. The county council operates a number of enterprise centres and workshop units across Staffordshire. Its earliest units date back to the early 1980s and have been a fundamental part of economic regeneration. With high numbers of people furloughed, facing redundancy, or simply reassessing their options due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the council encountered unprecedented demand for new start up spaces. With all of the units at Silverdale Enterprise Centre at full occupancy, the county council opted to expand their available workshop units by installing specially modified containers in an unused part of the site’s car park. Finished to a high standard complete with insulation, electrical ports, and French doors, the units were modified offsite and delivered ready for use, minimising disruption caused by construction work for the local community. Built to last as long as 25 years, the new units are set to provide a secure space for more than 1000 start-up businesses over the coming decades, with the county council able to transport the units to meet demand across its estate. It’s not just offices and workshops containers are increasingly being specified for though. Flexibility and ease of transport is also making them a popular choice for retail. One of the most recent requests we’ve received is the development of a new unit for a business hiring out electric bikes. With containers requiring little to no groundwork, the unit can be transported into central London and moved in-line with consumer demand and footfall. Containers are often being specified for start up businesses as they represent a lower investment than bricks and mortar or a long-term lease and provide the business owners or investors with an asset that can be resold or redeployed as needed. Schools, colleges, and universities Modular buildings are another flexible space solution being used increasingly for commercial purposes. Unlike containers, modular buildings are configured to spec by combining individual cabin modules that can be extended and adapted at any time to meet customers’ needs, whether temporary or permanent. For example, one of the major obstacles facing schools, colleges and universities right now is a lack of available teaching space. With major expansions costing millions of pounds and often taking months or even years to complete, the minimal on-site disruption, lower cost and rapid turnaround of modular buildings makes them an understandably popular choice for solving this problem. As the name suggests, one of the key benefits of modular buildings is how versatile and extendable they are. Depending on the customer’s needs, the individual units can be connected seamlessly via wall panels and partitions to create large open plan spaces that are ideal for classrooms, offices and countless other applications. In fact, this modular style of building has proved so popular that there is now an off the shelf option that includes high-level insulation and fire safety ratings as standard. Through modular construction we can create spaces as large as 640 square foot and up to three stories high. Industry and R&D There are, however, some applications where a regular shipping container is a more suitable foundation to work from. One such area is high-level manufacturing, engineering and R&D which often require self-contained, off-site spaces within which plant processes and equipment testing can safely and compliantly occur. For instance, there’s been a huge surge in demand for lithium-ion battery manufacture and storage sites, in line with advancements in technology. Secure, transportable and endlessly customisable, shipping containers are increasingly being used as the spaces within which ground-breaking new technologies, processes are being created, tested and refined, and where high-value labs and machinery are being housed. Using 3D CAD, we’ve helped develop high-tech units that can be shipped to wherever they’re needed most all over the world. One of the advantages for industry is that containers are often a lot more robust that conventional temporary structure building materials. They’re built to transport 20 to 50 tonnes, so to put heavy plant machinery in there is no problem at all. Also ideal for site expansions, a container can quickly and effectively be modified to become boiler or compressor housing and where needed, attached to the existing building. Ultimately, using a container ensures that the machinery is safe, secure, and protected from the elements with little to no need for maintenance. From sophisticated container conversions with complete with state-of-the-art fire suppression through to almost limitless flexibility of modular buildings, MMC are undoubtedly here to stay and are only going to grow in importance as emphasis increases on sustainability, reduced costs and low impact design. It’s perhaps ironic that an invention of the 1950s continues to act as the basis for many solutions to the issues created by our rapid rate of technological and cultural change in the 21st century, whether that be in advancements in renewable technologies and processes, increasing populations or changes to working and shopping habits. The original design principals of safety, security and durability remain the same, the only difference is that we can now apply them in many more ways than was originally intended. Andy

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Bellway gets green light for Tattenhoe Park development

A development of 160 new homes in Milton Keynes which is to be built using faster modern methods of construction has been given the green light. Bellway will deliver a mix of modular and timber frame houses at Tattenhoe Park as part of a pilot project being led by Homes England. The developer has been selected to deliver the fourth phase of homes at Tattenhoe Park, a landmark extension to the town, and its plans have since approved by Milton Keynes Council in October. Bellway’s development will be located in the south-western part of the wider site, close to Priory Rise School. Construction work is due to get underway in April 2022with the first homes set to be completed byAugust 2022. Phase four at Tattenhoe Park will provide 112 properties for private ownership and 48 affordable homes for rent or shared ownership, as well as public open space and new pedestrian and cycle links. There will be a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments, one and two-bedroom maisonettes, and two to four-bedroom houses. The 40 modular homes will be built off site in a factory, while the other 120 properties will be constructed using timber frames and panels in place of traditional breeze blocks. Adopting these methods will enable the homes to be delivered at a faster pace than those built using more traditional techniques. Paul Smits, Managing Director of Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “This is a hugely significant development not only for Bellway and Milton Keynes, but also for housebuilding in this country. Phase four at Tattenhoe Park is the first Bellway development to include modular homes. It will deliver much-needed new housing for the town, and it is one of a select group of developments chosen by Homes England for its pilot scheme. “The modern methods of construction we are using at Tattenhoe Park have the potential to transform the way new homes are delivered in this country. We are pleased to be working with Homes England on this exciting project to help accelerate the supply of new homes in high-demand areas. “The off-site manufacturing process eradicates weather-related delays, which means we can speed up construction while maintaining the high quality that Bellway achieves as a five-star housebuilder. “We look forward to starting work on the site and to releasing the first homes onto the market in Spring 2022.” Outline planning permission is already in place for up to 1,310 homes at Tattenhoe Park, a new neighbourhood which is being created on the southern edge of Milton Keynes. For more information about the development, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/northern-home-counties/tattenhoe-park.

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Simon Dudley new chair of leading MMC project AIMCH

The Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Homes (AIMCH) project is delighted to welcome Simon Dudley, Interim Chair of Homes England, as Chair of the AIMCH Stakeholder Group. The stakeholder group provides vital two way engagement to disseminate project learnings and outcomes with industry stakeholder organisations. The project aims to tackle the UK housing crisis by using cost effective MMC delivered using industrialised offsite panelised solutions. Dudley brings a wealth of experience to the role having been involved in major construction projects, including those as part of Maidenhead Borough’s regeneration during his three and a half year tenure as borough leader. Simon Dudley, new chair of the AIMCH Stakeholder Group, said: “I’m delighted to join as chair of the AIMCH project.  The stakeholder group draws together key interests and views, to share learning and concerns, providing a collective approach and wider market impact to drive the uptake of MMC systems. “AIMCH is forward thinking and committed to delivering high quality cost effective housing. The AIMCH project will have an even greater role to play as the construction sector resets from Covid-19.  The clear benefits from Modern Methods of Construction will address the challenges faced in a post-pandemic economy made more complex with Brexit and net zero carbon goals. Industrialised offsite panelised solutions will act as a catalyst for a step change in the industry. Capturing all these benefits through this project are key insights for industry going forward.” The three-year AIMCH project, which has been live since early 2019, has been trialling new digital design tools, manufacturing advancements, improved near-to-market offsite systems and lean site processes on live housing projects over the past 18 months.  The ultimate goal of the project is to support the sector by delivering the 120,000 target for the same or less cost than traditional methods, are built 30% quicker and have 50% less defects. The project has potential to impact on 35,000 homes being delivered by AIMCH partners across the UK, each year.

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UK materials manufacturer announces senior appointments in growth plans to support Modern Methods of Construction

One of the UK’s leading manufacturers of timber- and metal-faced composite insulated panels has made two senior appointments to help drive planned growth, aimed at satisfying the building industry’s need for materials used in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). Ingrid Lovatt is a particularly apt choice as Finance Director at St Helen’s-based Hemsec; her background and wide experience as a big-four-trained Chartered Accountant, combined with a Master’s Degree in Architectural Engineering gives her a well-informed viewpoint from which to help build the company. Ingrid started her career working in engineering in the 1980’s, and is heartened by how the profession has since turned itself around here in the UK. An engineering consultancy role led her into accountancy, where her background has spanned big-four mergers and acquisitions with UK and International clients, as well as strategic financial roles at both FTSE 100 PLC’s and owner-managed businesses. On her move to Hemsec, Ingrid comments, “I was looking for a business that had aspiration as well as strong foundations, where I could be part of the journey. To find one that also has a heart, made it easy for me to agree to join Hemsec.” Chris Griffin is equally well-matched with Hemsec, joining as Commercial Manager. His background in logistics, international warehousing, commodity storage and port distribution led to a move into commercial in 2015. He spent the last four years developing industrial supply chain solutions before joining Hemsec to support Managing Director Stephen Painter to realise his vision of ‘Doing business differently and better.’ Chris comments: “It feels like a real privilege to join Hemsec at this stage in its history. The commitment to ensuring Hemsec’s values influence responsible decision-making really attracted me to this company. I am excited about investing my time and effort in helping to fulfil its potential in a sustainable way. The insulated panels the company produces play a vital role in significantly reducing fuel usage in buildings, at the same time as improving living standards. It is really important that we help the construction industry to access the volume of materials it needs to stimulate MMC in the UK and Europe. Widespread usage will play a pretty significant role in fulfilling the environmental targets set in the Kyoto and Paris agreements. As a collective, we must reduce energy and any part I have in making this happen more easily and effectively, motivates me.” Hemsec is developing educational materials to facilitate SIPs usage in the construction industry, and is in talks with secondary education colleges and the CITB to provide accredited learning. For more information please contact the company through Hemsec.com.

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