Light steel framing systems are being used on a number of
new affordable housing developments around Salford, some of the first to be
built to Passivhaus standards.
The schemes are being promoted by Salford City Council and,
on completion, they will provide a range of options for occupants such as
affordable homes (social and affordable rent), home ownership and private
rented accommodation. This approach will increase the affordable provision,
affordable housing sector development and delivery capacity in Salford.
Five sites across Salford are being transformed, to deliver
new homes to Passivhaus standards – the internationally recognised low energy
standard, using LSF. The five sites are Ryall Avenue, Clifton Green and Irwell
Valley, which are complete, and St Lukes and Longshaw Drive which are both
still under construction.
Bolton-based Mansell Building Solutions, specialists in
delivering LSF solutions, is leading the construction, along with Seddon
Construction.
Working with Seddon Construction, Mansell Building Solutions
is building the two and three-storey apartments on each site, using off-site
construction. The construction involves applying a specialist wrap to the
outside of the frame, to fully encase each building and achieve an air
tightness rating of below 0.
The original architecture-led design specified fitting an
air-tight lining on the inside of building shell, but Mansell Building
Solutions’ team identified that the steel-to-steel connections would have
broken the air-tight seal. To achieve the airtight finish, a different design
approach was required.
Mansell Building Solutions proposed an alternative solution
for wrapping the building; namely, applying Proctor wrap to the outside of the
frame, to fully envelop the building.
Mansell Building Solutions’ off-site approach meant it could
achieve a better-quality standard by applying the breathing membrane around the
outside of the LSF construction.
By using off-site construction, Mansell Building Solutions
delivered the highest quality build in reduced timeframes, helping streamline
the build programme. The steel frames at Ryall, Irwell Valley and St Lukes all
went up on schedule, with timeframes shortening with each project. St Lukes’
steel frame was complete in seven weeks.
These sites are some of the first Passivhaus projects to be
constructed using a LSF and off-site construction techniques.
Stay in touch:
