FEATURE: OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION
Advances in foam tape technology seal offsite construction Foam sealing tapes can drive faster installation and improve energy efficiency, says Andy Swift, sales and operations manager (UK & ROI) at ISO Chemie, who considers their use in offsite modular construction
D
espite wider construction sector struggles to deliver projects on time in the face of escalating costs, falling levels of customer satisfaction and wider economic uncertainty around Brexit, we have seen a surge in offsite modular construction, disrupting the construction industry in a positive way and
shortening the time between project conception and completion. For example, the UK has witnessed a steady rise in off-site construction methods*. Demand from the market is also encouraging councils to open up their doors to modular. Indeed, the market for prefabricated modular buildings and portable accommodation is estimated to have increased by 6% in 2017 – a significant improvement from 2016. While modular will shorten build times and cut costs, it also leads
Andy Swift, sales and operations manager (UK & ROI), ISO Chemie
to an improvement in safety, reduces wastage and protects against external elements such as the great British weather. Also, in the face
Faster installation
of skilled labour shortages, the approach has the potential to reduce dependence on a manual skill-base by moving to a leaner manufacturing
One such is Smartroof, whose panelised roof system provides
process.
advantages in terms of faster installation times when compared
In offsite construction, systems are delivered to site pre-assembled
to traditional roof construction techniques, particularly for new-
and pre-tested with guaranteed built-in quality and reduced installation
build town houses. The system is factory insulated to the client’s
times. The approach allows contractors to undertake smart engineering
specification and the party wall panels and the block work airtight,
and co-ordination at the front end of a project, avoiding the problems
acoustic and thermally sealed, while accommodating potential
often associated with putting fitted together systems on a construction
differential movement between the two surfaces before shipping
site, leaving behind a legacy of a quality installation that can be easily
to site and final installation, using ISO-Chemie’s tape. The tapes that
maintained throughout its whole life cycle.
have featured in projects are an integral feature of Smartroof’s offsite
Companies like ISO Chemie, which provides foam and other
construction activities, specified due their high performance and
tapes solutions for the high-performance sealing of windows, doors,
reliable performance.
construction joint gaps and facades, are working with other building
Another offsite innovator is Modcell, whose cassette-style
products suppliers to develop integrated solutions, which meet the
prefabricated system utilises the excellent thermal insulation
demands of offsite construction and deliver supply chain added value.
qualities of straw bale and hemp construction to form prefabricated
* https://www.amaresearch.co.uk/uk-market-for-volumetric-modular-buildings-increased-by-6-in-2017/
Spring 2020
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