Clearview National April 2020 - Issue 221 | Page 75

INSTALLERSUPPORT
prefabricated panels, which are then used in
offsite construction.
Sustainability was a key driver for the
project: ModCell panels were used to build
the super-insulated structure to the highest
ecological standards using thermally efficient,
48cm thick, prefabricated straw bale wall
panels, with tapes filling the 10mm expansion
joints between panels and around windows
and doors. This helped to achieve an excellent
target of <2.0 m³/hour/m² measured at 50
Pascals air tight seal for the complete building
– a good standard for the construction
industry is anything between 3 – 5 m³/hour/
m².
Another beneficiary of tape technology
is the Spinelock Group, which specialises
in manufacturing extruded aluminium
framed housing sections that are constructed
off-site and feature insulation, rainwater
harvesting, and renewable energy systems
already incorporated into the design. The
Mansfield-based firm has used the ISO
BLOCO One to provide an airtight sealing
solution for its advanced structural floor, walls
and roofing system, used in the construction
of zero carbon emissions homes (A+ Energy
Performance) - specifically sealing the gap
between pre-engineered openings for doors
and window systems to be compliant with full
air tests.
Tapes such as ISO-BLOCO One and
others offer a single product ‘fit and forget’
solution for fast and effective sealing based
around the European RAL principles of
three level sealing - the inside seal area is
more airtight than the external one, allowing
any trapped moisture inside the joint, or
within the wall, to escape outwards rather
than into the building.
The external seal area provides weather
resistance and breathability with a minimum
resistance of 1000 Pascals (hurricane forces),
while the intermediate seal area provides
extra thermal and acoustic properties, with
a U-value between 0.55 and 0.8 subject
to tape size, and the internal one air
tightness and humidity regulation, the tape
installation itself gives less than 0.01 m³ air
loss when tested at 1,000 Pascals air pressure
difference. All three levels are designed
to accommodate movement between the
adjacent materials.
SIGNIFICANT STRIDES
Significant strides have also been made in
reducing on-site window and door system
installation times through the introduction
of offsite construction techniques. Here, one
company at the forefront is Sidey with its
KitFix System, which adds value to timber
frames and structural insulated panel systems
(SIPS) while delivering significant benefits
to contractors and, ultimately, customers
looking for supply chain savings.
This system enables fully glazed windows
and doors to be installed into timber
frame and SIPS panels as part of the offsite
production cycle, while having little impact
on stacking, transportation and erection of
the finished panels. ISO-CHEMIE’s ISO-
CONNECT Vario SD humidity regulating
foil, which offers ‘intelligent’ humidity
control and complies with UK Building
Regulations for air when used as an internal
seal, offers Sidey’s system effective weather
and air tightness sealing of the window and
door frame connecting joints, facilitating
faster onsite build.
Foam sealants provide superior moisture
resistance together with air tightness and
thermal insulation for timber-framed
buildings, undoubtedly aiding product
suppliers in the drive towards more
sustainable, faster offsite construction.
But equally important, with the careful
management of all manufacturing logistics
and sequencing, they contribute effectively
to eliminating potential waste, risk and cost
in the supply chain without compromising
offsite construction quality.
www.iso-chemie.eu
C L E A RV I E W-U K . C O M » A P R 2020 » 75
*https://www.amaresearch.co.uk/uk-market-for-volumetric-modular-buildings-increased-by-6-in-201A7/
‘Foam sealants provide superior
moisture resistance together with air
tightness and thermal insulation for
timber-framed buildings, undoubtedly
aiding product suppliers in the
drive towards more sustainable,
faster offsite construction’