H+H’s innovative all-in-one building method, Rå Build, has been used in the construction of a pair of semi-detached bungalows on a restricted site in Kessingland, Suffolk. The bungalows were built for Orwell Housing Association by Wellington Construction.
This pair of semi bungalows reached roof plate height in only four and a half days from the damp proof course to the final block being laid.
Wellington Construction, whose bricklayers were all trained in the Rå Build method in 2006, is well accustomed to utilising H+H blocks in projects of this nature. The quality of the blocks and their ease of use is what leads the company back to them again and again. With this project, time was of the essence and with the Contractor’s prior knowledge it was a straight forward decision to implement the Rå Build method.
Paul Ollington, Construction Director at Wellington Construction, said: “When Rå Build was first developed, it was easy to see the benefits, in comparison to traditional building methods: the combination of Celcon Blocks and Celfix mortar isn’t just easy to use on site, but also has real tangible benefits for those living in the properties as well. The system is as innovative and modern today as it was when we first used it.”
Rå Build is an inclusive package which comprises aircrete block work and quick setting Thin-Joint Celfix mortar. It creates the ground floors, exterior walls and upper floors and partitions creating a weather tight masonry shell for a time efficient and cost effective solution.Wellington Construction, worked on the project based on a design and build contract. The site which had an access point of only 1.6 metres was short in space: space which piles of sand and cement mixers would have taken up if they had been using traditional mortar. Instead the Thin-Joint Celfix mortar arrived in bags and was easily mixed in buckets without taking up vital space.
Paul Ollington, continued “For these bungalows time and quality were of utmost importance. We use aircrete because of its air tightness properties and because they are lightweight and easy to cut and shape in comparison to a dense block and Thin-Joint definitely adds to the speed at which builds can happen.”
Opting to use H+H Celcon Solar Grade Blocks for their superior thermal conductivity in the cavity walls and the versatile Celcon Standard Grade Blocks for the partition walls, the build saw in total 373m² of aircrete laid for the 59m² bungalows, all using Thin-Joint Celfix mortar.