Norman Piette - Guernsey's leading builders' merchant  


Building designers preparing for tighter environmental requirements
 

New building developments may in future have to meet even tougher environmental standards aimed at reducing carbon emissions. 

Representatives of the local construction industry who attended the latest 2007 Norman Piette Best Practice Seminar learnt about new tighter requirements recently introduced under the UK building regulations. Although these have yet to be introduced in Guernsey, the new standards are expected to be adopted here in the future. 

Representatives of UK insulation manufacturer Kingspan outlined the new requirements under the ‘Part L’ regulations, which govern the thermal performance of buildings.  These came into effect in the UK last April. Currently, Guernsey has adopted the previous Part L requirements, which were introduced in the UK in 2002.  These established standards for thermal performance, aimed at reducing heat lost through a buildings’ walls, roofs, windows, and other elements.  They also give designers a range of options for calculating this. 

Under the UK 2006 regulations, which apply to both residential and commercial properties, designers have only have one method of demonstrating compliance.  As well as the fabric of the building, other elements, such as the performance of boilers and central heating systems, have to be taken into account. 

Kingspan area sales manager Chris George said that in the UK there had been a ‘significant tightening’ of the standards that applied to the various elements. ‘Previously the regulations related to the performance of a whole building, based on incremental values for each element.  Provided you came within the overall standard, you could trade off by using some materials with high thermal efficiency and others with less,’ he said. ‘Now the measurement is one of carbon emissions per square metre of floor area, with standards set for the overall building and limits for each individual element.  The requirements are about 20% higher than those introduced in 2002.’ 

Among the methods that can be used to comply with the new standard include better insulation and improvements in workmanship, said Mr George. ‘Complying with the standards is all about slowing down the heat loss through the various elements.  You can do that by using higher performance products, or equally by ensuring there are no weaknesses in the construction which would allow heat to escape,’ he said. 

The event attracted more than 100 representatives of the local construction industry, including builders, surveyors, architects and engineers. Norman Piette architectural and training consultant David Collen said it was the highest turnout ever for one of the company’s Best Practice seminars, which reflected the level of interest in this topic. ‘Energy conservation and reduced carbon emission are key issues for the building trade, and designers locally have already had to adapt to the regulations that were introduced in Guernsey last year.  In the UK now the standards are being set even higher, and it is the trend that I am sure we are going to be following,’ he said. 

For further information on Kingspan products, click on the Kingspan logo.

 

Guernsey schools share link with city
 
CONSTRUCTION materials used to create the internal structures of the award-winning Swiss Re Tower were made by the same company that is supplying more than 500 tonnes of masonry for the new schools.
It is a link that the local project also shares with many other well known buildings, including Canary Wharf and Bolton Wanderers’ Reebok Stadium.

The manufacturer, Lignacite, was in Guernsey to give a seminar for construction industry professionals outlining some of the requirements of working with these materials. The event was the first in this year’s Norman Piette best-practice seminars and was attended by more than 60 delegates from the trade, including architects, surveyors, builders and engineers.

The Lignacite material being used on the new schools is known as architectural facing masonry and is supplied in machine-made pre-formed concrete blocks, with exterior finish already applied. Company area manager Paul Hood outlined some of the physical properties of that type of block and the technical requirements designers had to consider when specifying their use.

And he said that form of construction had become increasingly widely used because the pre-finished blocks did not require additional render once the walls had been formed.

‘It is quicker to build than using standard bricks or blocks because you can miss out the entire wet-render stage and if you can save time, you can also save in labour costs,’ he said. ‘Long-term maintenance costs are also greatly reduced because you eliminate the need for a five-yearly cycle of repainting the exterior.’

The precision-made blocks to be used on the new schools are all being manufactured in a single batch to provide a consistent material. They will have a natural, weathered appearance. Mr Hood said that was just one of the finishes possible using that form of material. They can also have a polished appearance or, potentially, even glow-in-the-dark blocks are available. ‘That particular material is still in development, but we believe it has a number of applications, such as for way markers.’

For further information on these products, click on the Lignacite logo.

 

Norman Piette begin 2007 Best Practice series
 

NORMAN Piette will once again be staging a series of Best Practice seminars aimed at highlighting best practice in the design and specification of construction projects.

The seminars, which are open to all local architects, designers, surveyors and other construction industry professionals, give an insight into the latest innovations and trends within the construction and building industry by inviting specialists from outside of the island to share their expertise. 

Since they were originally launched in 1998 the seminars have proved increasingly popular with attendance figures growing for each presentation.

Seminar organiser David Collen, technical training and architectural consultant for Norman Piette, said that the seminars were a valuable knowledge-based series and that high attendance was an indication of the importance of best practice.

‘The seminars drive awareness of the changing industry and they provide an opportunity for those attending to share their expertise.  The construction industry is becoming ever more specialist and it simply isn’t possible to rest on our laurels.  Best practice affects every aspect of the industry.  It is about keeping up with new trends and measuring performance against that of others.  It is all about achieving excellence.’ he said.