Steel-ing a march on its rivals

contractjournal.com newsletter: 02.03.06

Steel-ing a march on its rivals

Steel in the 21st century offers an attractive and sustainable alternative. Graham Raven of the Steel Homes Group argues its case.

Delivering sustainable communities is an issue that has been catapulted to the very top of the government’s agenda. 

Despite creating more than one million new homeowners since 1997, UK buyers are continuously priced out of the buoyant market and developers are falling short of meeting today’s demand.

The Barker Report highlights a need for between 70,000 and 120,000 additional homes each year. Against a backdrop of rising construction costs, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has thrown down the gauntlet and put the spotlight on delivering both affordable and sustainable developments in the 21st Century. 

The launch of its ‘Design for Manufacture’ competition has hailed modern methods of construction (MMC) as the blueprint for meeting such a challenge, pulling steel framed house building systems out of the shadows and into the frame.

Britain faces a housing crisis. Average house prices have risen to over five times the average salary in many areas and construction costs are still rising faster than the rate of inflation.

As efficient and cost effective building solutions are being sought, the construction community saw the rapid emergence of modern construction methods.

While the market share occupied by steel framed houses is still relatively low, all signs point towards substantial growth in the coming years. Steel framed commercial buildings already account for 70% of the market, up from only 35% in the 1980’s.  Similar developments are also possible in the residential sector with predictions that steel could surpass traditional methods of construction in the next 10 years.

Forward-thinking countries such as the USA and Australia are already selecting steel-framed systems as a method to efficiently build environmentally friendly homes.

It’s now Britain’s turn to recognise that steel’s coming of age and all eyes are on the Steel Homes Group (SHG) members to meet the challenges being faced in today’s housing climate.

With 13 members, 2005 saw the launch of the SHG, an independent organisation representing 70% of the UK’s steel manufacturers and builders. The group came together to build upon more than 25 years of experience and to foster a culture of innovation that would benefit the developer and, ultimately, the end-user.

Acting as the central voice to talk to the government, the SHG has worked hard to redeem steel’s stale reputation in the residential sector and to over-come the image of pre-fabricated houses that are reminiscent of the Second World War.

Steel structures are frequently delivered as an off-site system.  With the rise of world-class factories being built across the UK, rewards can be reaped from automated manufacturing facilities that allow greater efficiency of production, reduced waste and improved reliability of building materials.

These factory-produced systems reduce the emphasis placed upon onsite construction, reducing labour requirements and simplifying the site management process. Combining such factors reduces the risk of onsite delays and help to cut build costs.

The UK is facing a massive construction skills shortage as competition from various projects such as T5, Building Schools for the Future, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the 2012 Olympics hots up.

The use of skilled labour must be managed extremely carefully and offsite construction is viewed as a primary means to reduce the amount of on-site labour required, improve efficiency and minimise delays.

Research demonstrates that getting materials to the right place and at the right time can greatly increase efficiency.  Such ‘lean processes’, involving just-in-time delivery, are a vital means of minimising on-site disturbance and eliminating the problems that are associated with leaving materials that are vulnerable to damage or theft. Offsite construction can deliver such a streamlined supply chain.

Modern factory manufacturing also fabricates components tailored to meet the specific needs of individual jobs. This serves to minimise scrap waste, helping to improve sustainability and reduce costs.

Lightweight but strong, steel frames are made of galvanised steel that is engineered to achieve the highest efficiency.  The stable properties of steel help to minimise over-engineering and its built-in durability ensures that finishes are not damaged during the pivotal drying out period.

Unlike traditional brick and block or timber materials, light steel framing requires fewer foundations and its components do not shrink or creep, minimising the need for long-term maintenance costs.

The material also offers hard-wearing corrosion protection and its sophisticated jointing techniques prevent any movement in response to temperature change. 

In terms of the benefits to the end-user, steel’s durability encourages fewer defects and curbs the need for costly follow-up work.  The multiple and resilient layers of the material also ensure excellent acoustic performance, delivering sound-dampened walls as thin as 300mm to suit space-conscious designers and contractors.

Finally and perhaps most importantly, galvanised light steel components can promote the long-term performance of a residence, effectively extending its predicted design life by more than 200 years.

Energy conservation and environmental benefits sit at the very heart of delivering sustainable communities.  Such developments, by definition, help to safeguard the environment by recognising the importance of efficiency and waste reduction.

Today, about half of all carbon dioxide emissions come from buildings and more than 30% of that from the 24 million homes in the UK. However, with the much-anticipated part L coming into force in April of this year, the SHG is already set to meet the new regulation head-on.

SHG members can simply add supplementary insulation to existing stud walls.  This means that modern homes can improve energy efficiency without compromising the thickness of cavity walls or the degree of useable floor space.

What’s more, as architects strive to specify materials that minimise harm to the environment and optimise life-cycle costing, steel is often a popular choice.

The material is not only 100% recyclable but 50% of all steel is formed from scrap.  With the construction industry identified as the greatest creator of waste in the UK, the recycling programmes go a long way to minimise landfill and optimise the conservation of natural resources. 

The figures speak for themselves since 84% of steel from demolition sites is recycled and 10% re-used.

There is no doubt that steel is challenging the dominance of more traditional materials in house building and, present factors are highlighting that residential steel construction is set for rapid growth.

The cost of building homes has increased by almost 50%, with social housing build costs going up by more than 60% in recent years. 

However, as sustainable steel systems start to command serious attention, the prospects for change are looking good. 

Contractors and construction managers, who already use steel in retail and commercial projects, are starting to migrate to the demanding housing sector and bring with them the recognition of steel’s speed of construction, cost effectiveness and unrivalled sustainable qualities.

It is therefore no surprise that more than half of the shortlisted ‘Design for Manufacture’ entries feature steel frame solutions.