EOS Facades
THE OPTIMUM OFFSITE HOUSING SOLUTION
With the UK seeing a rapid increase
in the number of offsite manufactured
buildings, light gauge steel framing
systems (LGSF) have gained traction
across many sectors including
residential, with many social housing
providers and developers now taking
advantage of the numerous benefits.
Steve Thompson, Managing Director of
EOS, considers why light gauge steel
framing systems are trending for city
living.
Aiming High
In densely populated cities, where space
is limited and land comes at a premium,
many developers and social housing
providers are looking for structural
solutions to rapidly get new homes
onstream and ready for occupation.
Light gauge steel framing systems
provide a robust yet lighter weight
structural solution, which can
have a significant positive impact
on reducing the complexity and
cost of the foundation design. In
prime urban locations reducing the
foundations saves costs on the ground
and increasing the height of the
development, mitigates the issue of
higher land prices.
Adding Value
For cities such as London, with complex
underground infrastructures, there
is an important financial equation -
lighter equals taller. Where loading
restrictions apply, the use of light gauge
steel framing systems can permit more
storeys than when building in concrete
and masonry.
42
LGSF plays a massive role in tackling
issues such as the current UK housing
crisis, by providing high volumes of
quality, energy efficient homes at a
rapid rate. Light gauge steel framing
systems are perfectly positioned to
meet construction industry demands
- the solutions are future proof and
future ready. As an advanced high
performance offsite solution - steel is
not susceptible to shrinkage, warping,
cracking, rot infestation or moisture
absorption.
Increasing a development upwards has
become popular in big cities to utilise all
available space. Due to the lightweight
nature of LGSF, developers are now
taking this a step further and installing
extra storeys on the top of existing
buildings. Lightweight, structurally
efficient steel frames make construction
on top of existing buildings viable.
Steel offers significant improvements
in design capability and as an offsite
manufactured solution, it is not
adversely affected by severe weather
- delivering both cost and programme
certainty.
Lasting Benefits
Traditional building methods can often
lead to increased disruption from noise,
litter and dust - this is a sizable problem
in urban areas. Taking the construction
process offsite, can go some way to
alleviating this issue. Increasing the
speed of construction in a densely
populated environment will also lessen
the impact of construction traffic, along
with the reduction in noise and waste
that can be achieved through the use of
offsite technologies.
After water, steel is the most recycled
product on our planet, with research
showing that 99% of structural
steelwork is reused or recycled.
EOS is committed to promoting
sustainability within construction - our
steel is highly recyclable, providing little
onsite waste. EOS constantly strive
to improve the way we work, and the
resulting benefits are passed onto our
customers.
Products and Services
EOS provide specialist services to
businesses, large and small, including
some of the most prominent companies
in residential construction.
For more information on their products
and services go to:
www.eos-facades.co.uk