Clearview National April 2020 - Issue 221 | Page 74

INSTALLERSUPPORT
Advances in Foam
Tape Technology Seal
Offsite Construction
» FOAM SEALING TAPES CAN DRIVE
faster installation and improve energy
efficiency, says Andy Swift of ISO Chemie,
sales and operations manager - UK & ROI,
ISO Chemie, who considers their use in offsite
modular construction.
Despite wider construction sector struggles
to deliver projects on time in the face of
escalating costs, falling levels of customer
satisfaction and wider economic uncertainty
around Brexit, we have seen a surge in
offsite modular construction, disrupting
the construction industry in a positive way
and shortening the time between project
conception and completion. For example,
the UK has witnessed a steady rise in off-
site construction methods*. Demand from
the market is also encouraging councils to
open-up their doors to modular. Indeed, the
market for prefabricated modular buildings
and portable accommodation is estimated to
have increased by 6% in 2017 – a significant
improvement from 2016.
While modular will shorten build times and
cut costs, it also leads to an improvement in
safety, reduces wastage and protects against
external elements such as the great British
weather. Also, in the face of skilled labour
shortages, the approach has the potential to
74 » A PR 2020 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
reduce dependence on a manual skill-base by
moving to a leaner manufacturing process.
In offsite construction, systems are delivered
to site pre-assembled and pre-tested with
guaranteed built-in quality and reduced
installation times. The approach allows
contractors to undertake smart engineering
and co-ordination at the front end of a
project, avoiding the problems often associated
with putting fitted together systems on a
construction site, leaving behind a legacy
of a quality installation that can be easily
maintained throughout its whole life cycle.
Companies like ISO Chemie, which
provides foam and other tapes solutions for
the high-performance sealing of windows,
doors, construction joint gaps and facades, are
working with other building products suppliers
to develop integrated solutions, which meet
the demands of offsite construction and deliver
supply chain added value.
FASTER INSTALLATION
One such is Smartroof, whose panelised
roof system provides advantages in terms
of faster installation times when compared
to traditional roof construction techniques,
particularly for new build town houses. The
system is factory insulated to the client’s
specification and the party wall panels
and the block work airtight, acoustic and
thermally sealed, while accommodating
potential differential movement between
the two surfaces before shipping to site and
final installation, using ISO-Chemie’s tape.
The tapes that have featured in projects are
an integral feature of Smartroof ’s offsite
construction activities, specified due their high
performance and reliable performance.
Another offsite innovator is Modcell,
whose cassette-style prefabricated system
utilises the excellent thermal insulation
qualities of straw bale and hemp
construction to form prefabricated panels.
These can allow super-insulated, low
energy ‘passive’ buildings to be constructed
using renewable, locally sourced, carbon
sequestering materials, ensuring that
buildings can be constructed to meet the
demanding PassivHaus specification, with
resultant almost zero heat requirements,
saving money and CO2 emissions.
The firm has used foam tapes in several
projects to provide airtight, acoustic and
thermal interior and exterior seals between