The aircrete offsite solution sped up the successful completion of this small Dorset development.
Developer Karm Homes chose to use the Roofspace i-House system to build five homes on a small in-fill development in Stanpit, Dorset. Keen to explore using modern methods of construction, they were comfortable with a method that still used aircrete as its primary material. The modular solution uses H+H Vertical Wall Panels which are manufactured offsite, craned into place and fixed together using a fast-setting mortar specially designed to be used with the storey-high aircrete panels.
For Karm Homes, the main attraction of this solution was the speed of construction as they planned to build five homes on the site of a previously detached property with a large garden.
A standard i-House design can go from foundations to finished, watertight structure in just one week. Despite this being the first time, the developer encountered a system using Vertical Wall Panels and facing the challenges of building on a very narrow site, they managed to erect each watertight structure in just 10 days.
The development was completed in August and Martin Keenes, Director of Karm Homes, was pleased with the result commenting: "Using H+H Vertical Wall Panels as part of the Roofspace i-House system in our Tuttons Rise Development at Christchurch meant our site production time was impressively sped up without compromising on quality and retaining the benefits of a traditional masonry build.”
Using this method has been a successful introduction to MMC for the developer, with Martin adding: “It is a system we will be using again where possible, as this Modern Method of Construction is one we feel both comfortable with and confident in."
H+H Vertical Wall Panels form the basis of the structure for the homes, being used for the inner leaves of all the load-bearing external walls. They are lightly reinforced to facilitate handling and transportation without damaging the product.
Vertical Wall Panels are manufactured to the storey height of a standard house, having a width of 600mm and a thickness of 100mm. Where the required width of the modules is less than 600mm or in cases where the panels are used under windows, they can be cut to size on site. This means less product waste on site and a cleaner work environment.
You can watch a timelapse of the Stanpit construction here.