Sustainable procurement is becoming an increasingly important driver politically and within the Construction Industry in the ever intensifying push towards net zero carbon.

 

This will mean that alongside the normal development procurement bench marking considerations of quality, cost and service a new heading  of “sustainability” will be added. Sustainability is and will become an increasingly weighted factor in determining whether developments are feasible.

 

This will also result in sustainability in construction becoming more embedded in key legislation such as Building Regulations with the consequential effect that procurement strategies will look for more and more innovative ways to reduce embodied carbon in a development’s life cycle from “cradle to grave”.

 

The Construction Industry Worldwide has been working towards Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) for some time with varying degrees of success. It is worth noting that the traditional masonry construction method has been in use for over nine thousand years.

 

Advanced Modern Construction (ACM) methods are slowly adapting due to pressures described above, and are becoming more advanced as a result, with construction programmes being completed significantly faster than would have previously been expected. We now have access to ground breaking technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and offsite factory production. Combining these with modern approaches to construction methodology such as fast track construction techniques leads to a reduction in labour intensive trades and an increase in quality. These methods have proved incredibly successful in reducing construction projects’ associated carbon output; a welcome step in the right direction for our environment.

 

At Novus Construction Management, for mid-rise apartment blocks, we are blending a number of modern methods of construction including:

1. Cold rolled steel framing manufactured in panels offsite in factory conditions. External wall panels pre-finished with sheathing boards for weather protection. Windows pre-fitted.
2. Preformed permanent concrete floor deck support in standardised panels allowing for factory production and reduction in site time.
3. Flat roof panels in large sections partially waterproofed.
4. Bathroom pods. Manufactured entirely off site in factory conditions and then preplaced during frame construction.
5. Premanufactured drylining items such as deflection heads and precutting in factory of plasterboards.
6. Door sets; manufactured off site.

 

One major innovation that Novus Construction Management is employing is the use of a zero carbon “brick slip” in place of traditional masonry or brickslip systems.

The brickslip system is manufactured by cold pouring requiring no energy input to create so is zero carbon. This is unlike traditional brick production which requires large amounts of energy, typically creating 36kg of carbon per m2 of brickwork (in production only).

 

Further benefits of this innovative brickslip system are:

1. When used in conjunction with external insulation it increases the U value and negates the need for cavity barriers as the system is tested to A1.
2. The system has minimal waste production with subsequent saving on waste management costs.

• When used with an SFS system the lightweight nature of it (35kg/m2 with Rockwool EWI DD at 140mm thick whereas traditional brickwork skin is over 200kg/m2) means that the SFS does not need additional support that traditional Masonry Methods would require, leading to reduced frame loadings and foundations with subsequent carbon reduction. Each m3 of concrete foundation saved is equal to 3,500kg of carbon not embodied in the construction process.

1. Reduction in site storage space and clearing up after completion of the build which traditional masonry and brickslip systems require (such methods also require more waste management costs).
2. A reduced volume of delivery and waste leading to significantly fewer vehicle movements on and off site.
3. The system is manufactured in a way that the installation does not require bricklayers. Bricklayers, as a trade, reduce in numbers each year (the average age of bricklayer as at the date of writing is approximately 40 years old and rising) with subsequent programming and cost implications.

• The brickslip system can be fitted on site without the need for expensive, time consuming, scaffolding.

 

Overall Novus Construction Management have noted the following additional MMC benefits:

1. The development delivery period is typically reduced by over 20% on mid-rise city centre apartment blocks.
2. Site security is enhanced by fast track frame erection.
3. Site safety is enhanced due to reduced material movements on site, reduced storage requirements and reduced trade manhours on site.
4. Reduced vehicle movements caused by site operations.
5. Reduced site storage requirements.
6. Enhanced quality control on site by use of off-site manufacturing processes.
7. Enhanced Building Safety Act 2022 management of “golden thread” obligations by use of factory based manufacturing linked to “digital cloud” and on site recording.

In conclusion, whilst the benefits of shifting to more environmentally friendly build methods are obviously linked to less carbon output and a more sustainable way of delivering schemes, they are also cutting build time and making site management easier, safer and more effective. These changes are therefore not only beneficial to the climate, but also the developer, the contractor, the end-user and communities in which AMC methods are deployed.

May 2023 by Novus