Hadley Group - Framing the Offsite Conversation
The construction industry must find solutions to the escalating housing crisis that is reaching unsustainable levels. Fortunately offsite construction presents an opportunity for change. Steve Chesters, Southern Framing Sales Manager at Hadley Group, outlines the benefits and role light-gauge steel frames can play in its growth.
According to the National Housing Federation, an estimated 8.4 million people in England currently live in unaffordable or unsuitable housing. It’s an issue that affects all aspects of society, from record numbers of young people unable to get on the housing ladder, to the millions of families stuck on council homes waiting lists. The startling figures highlight that we’re a nation that needs to start building, however uptake remains low. In 2017-18, only 6,463 social housing units were built in England, far below necessary levels. Likewise, UK homebuilders only completed 184,000 homes during the last recorded year of figures, which was way down on the government’s target of 300,000.
A lack of available housing doesn’t just force people into uncomfortable accommodation. The issue has broad societal implications, which extend across demographics. Most notably, the link between sub-standard housing and poor health has been well-established. Whether it be the physical effects of cold, damp properties, or the mental exacerbation brought upon by living in crowded spaces, sub-standard homes are a risk to those inside them. Furthermore, the issue disproportionately affects the most vulnerable in society. The elderly and economically disadvantaged are most likely to face the harsh effects of the shortage, which means its consequences are more likely to cause serious problems.
For many years, the construction industry has looked for solutions to the ongoing problem. The effort has taken many forms and has yielded several promising solutions. The most appealing new approach is offsite construction. The method is quickly being prioritised by the industry and government due to its exciting potential.
Many in the industry first became aware of offsite construction after Mark Farmer’s pivotal ‘Farmer Review’ in 2017. The influential report, which called on the construction industry to ‘modernise or die’ extolled the benefits of offsite construction and advocated for its further adoption by major construction companies. For Farmer, the benefits of the approach were clear – offsite construction methods reduced the likelihood of delays, required less skilled labour and allowed projects to be completed between 30% and 50% faster than by using traditional methods.
Since the report, there has been a noticeable uptake of offsite manufacturing techniques across the British housebuilding sector. Multiple developers and housebuilders have already committed to embrace MMC to address the issue. The push for offsite adoption was further bolstered by the Government’s Autumn 2017 budget, which called on the Departments of Defence, Education, Health, Justice and Transport to favour offsite methods from 2019 onwards. Offsite methods are also being used on major construction projects like Battersea Power Station and the Leadenhall Building.
As we begin to see more use of offsite methods, it’s important to understand what underpins them. More than any form of building, the quality of offsite construction depends on its individual structural components. There are a number of available options, but light-gauge steel frames are the premier choice. Constructed from lightweight cold-rolled steel, the solution offers a lighter, easier to erect alternative to timber and concrete primary frames. As such, the building envelope component can be fabricated to specific project requirements and pre-assembled in a controlled factory environment. What’s more, the robust engineered structure has the ability to incorporate joisted or concrete floors and the flexibility to support most external cladding systems.
At Hadley Steel Framing, we are proud to offer an industry-leading light-gauge steel frame fabrication service. We provide a full turnkey solution, employing a dedicated offsite project design team to assist with all projects that we are involved in. As a company, we’re proficient in supplying structural external and internal wall panels that deliver high strength and low weight. Working with light-gauge steel allows customers to do more with less and can provide relative savings on foundation loads and sizes, as the overall building weight is greatly reduced. Furthermore, thanks to the ease of installation opting for a light-gauge steel frame system can generate a 25% reduction in build programme.
As mentioned, the benefits of offsite construction methods are not only reserved for housebuilders. Increasingly, commercial developments are utilising the approach to quicken build times and reduce waste. To this end, Hadley Steel Framing products have been used in a number of large-scale commercial projects across the world. At Heathrow Airport, more than 500 tonnes of structural steel was supplied to assist the renovation of terminals 5 and 2B. Likewise, within the ‘Shoe District’ of the Dubai Mall, 56 shops worked with Hadley Steel Framing to incorporate light-gauge steel into engineered shop fronts. Additionally, a selection of Hadley Steel Framing’s profiles has been selected by the development team for use in the worlds’ first zero carbon city enterprise, Masdar City in Abu Dhabi.
What’s more, Hadley Steel Framing products have been widely used on high-rise buildings, some of which have reached up to nine storeys tall. Light-gauge steel framing is particularly suitable for use on tall buildings. The lightweight material enables more rapid construction and can help significantly cut build times. According to consultancy firm, Mace, offsite use on high-rise buildings can make construction six times more productive. We were recently involved in a major offsite project at the Depot in Exeter, which reached nine storeys. The £40 million accommodation will soon house 500 students and used Hadley Steel Framing from conceptual design through to installation. As we move into 2020, we’re excited to see our pre-panelised offsite bolted solutions used on more high-rise developments.
As we move into 2020, demand for new housing is at an all-time high. For building companies, it’s time to abandon old, tired practices and adopt new, exciting building techniques. One method stands out above all – offsite construction. The practice has the potential to revolutionise the sector but must be understood. As such, it’s important those in the trade pay attention to the individual building components of systems and choose light-gauge steel frames where possible. Using a trusted, high-quality supplier, like Hadley Steel Framing will ensure this is the case and help construction firms to complete homes and commercial projects more efficiently.
On the 3-5 March, Hadley Group is looking forward to returning to futurebuild 2020 as an Innovation Partner of the show, with a stand (E50) on the new Innovation Trail and a Hadley Group Bar. Visitors to its stand will be able to learn more about the range of high-quality light-gauge galvanised steel structural framing systems and how its benefits can be felt in a variety of applications across the world of construction, including offsite and modular construction methods.
Original Source: Offsite Magazine
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