Latest generation Isokorb for Skanska ModernaHus MMC development
A radical new Swedish approach to residential construction is being used for the first time in the UK on the project known as ‘fabrik on Coldharbour Lane’ in Brixton, South London. This ModernaHus system is being introduced to the UK by Skanska and is a new low energy, MMC off site construction method that dramatically reduces building times and at the same time pushes the boundaries in terms of design, quality and energy efficiency.
The £13m development for Notting Hill Housing is built to Code 4 standards and includes 108 affordable homes over two separate buildings. There are one, two, three or four bedrooms offered to tenants over a mix of shared ownership and social rented properties. All apartments will be 44 per cent more energy efficient than standard homes and will help to reduce carbon emissions throughout operation.
Most apartments will have access to either a private terrace or spacious balcony and this is where Schock Ltd plays its part in the MMC aspect of the development, with its Isokorb® thermal break modules. The units offer outstanding thermal insulation properties, dramatically reduce thermal energy loss in connective areas and enable inner surface area temperatures to remain well in excess of those likely to cause mould formation and condensation.
Schöck’s Regional Sales Manager responsible for the project, Simon Howland, picks up the story: “The project is all Tarmac precast with hollowcore floors. Working closely with the steel fabricator and balcony manufacturer, A&G Structures, Tarmac broke out certain cores and cast in reinforcement bars in their works. Then A&G fixed our type KS Isokorb® units for concrete-to-steel connectivity, to a template, so they would match the broken out hollowcore. The modules were then supplied to site, dropped into position and the broken out hollowcore filled in with insitu concrete”.
Schöck believe that this is the first time such a detail has been used, and all design parties are hopeful that it will be recognised as an accredited detail for Part L involving insulation continuity.
The Schöck Isokorb® used at Coldharbour Lane is the latest generation type KS14, for connecting cantilevered steel components to reinforced concrete. It has around 20 percent more load-bearing capacity in the bending moment. Which means that even for conventional construction, the number of components required on site can be reduced, saving on expensive structural steel and valuable installation time. In addition to the higher load-bearing capacity, the insulation performance has also been improved. The thermal conductivity of the insulation body is now 0.031 W/(mK) from 0.035 W/(mK). This is due to the insulating element being made of Neopor® (a foamable EPS polystyrene material) with added graphite from BASF.
In addition to their exceptional thermal performance ratings, the Schöck Isokorb® range of modules are the only products of their type to allow connectivity between concrete-to-concrete, concrete-to-steel and steel-to-steel – and also provide BBA Certification and LABC Registration.
Schöck Isokorb® modules offer designers and engineers complete peace of mind, as all units meet full compliance with the relevant UK building regulations. The requirement described in BRE IP1/06 – a document cited in Building Regulations Approved Documents Part L1 and L2 and Section 6 in Scotland – that the temperature factor used to indicate condensation risk (fRSI) must be greater than, or equal, to 0.75 for dwellings and residential buildings, is easily met by incorporating the Isokorb®.
There is also compliance with the Government Standard Assessment Procedure, SAP 2009, concerning CO2 emissions from buildings, and respectively heat losses through non-repeating thermal bridges. Here, the lambda values of the Schöck Isokorb® enables energy loss through balconies, canopies and other cantilever parts of buildings to be reduced by as much as 84% to 91%.
A 20 page ‘Specifiers Handbook‘ is available which provides an overview and introduction to the Schöck Isokorb®, and there is a comprehensive 236 page ‘Technical Guide’ which displays in detail the complete range of thermal break applications for all construction types – concrete-to-concrete, concrete-to-steel, steel-to-steel and concrete-to-timber.
