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14 Oct 2015

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ researcher searching for ways to build a million new homes

A º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ researcher hopes his study into house construction could revolutionise the way homes are built in the UK.

Research Engineer Ron Lang is in the final stages of a four-year project looking at alternative methods of housing construction.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, houses in Britain have typically been built with some form of masonry cavity wall construction. Unfortunately, the construction of cavity walls has become progressively more complex in recent years, especially as energy efficiency standards have become more stringent. This complexity not only increases construction time, but also the skills required to construct homes, and the number of potential defects.

Whilst many researchers continue to look for ways to move the production of houses away from site and into factories, Ron believes there is a solid case for developing traditional methods.

He said: “We have a historic love of masonry construction in the UK, using local materials and labour to deliver robust housing. Additionally, the flexibility of site-based construction is well-suited to our volatile housing market.”

To identify alternative construction methods, six full-scale test walls with varying specifications have been constructed at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s School of Civil and Building Engineering. The walls were constructed under site conditions to allow Ron and his team to assess the build process for each alternative solution.

He said: “If we can simplify on-site construction, we can improve the quality of our homes, speed up the home-building process and help the government to achieve its target of one million new homes in England by 2020.”

The University is hosting a project Open Day on Friday 6 November 2015 which will welcome colleagues from the construction industry to provide important feedback on the methods tested, and the practical issues of on-site wall construction. 

Ron added: “The views of the people who build our houses are critical if we are to improve buildability and productivity; Practical issues are very difficult to identify and measure, and have a major impact on the skill level required to deliver good quality.”

The project is jointly funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Leicestershire-based company, Aggregate Industries (part of the LafargeHolcim group). Industry support has also been received from Gusto Construction, Tarmac Building Products, Forterra (formerly Hanson Building Products) and Low Therm Solutions.

Anyone interested in attending the Open Day should contact Ron on a.lang@lboro.ac.uk

Notes for editors

Article reference number: PR 15/192

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, putting it among the best universities in the world, and was named University of the Year in the What Uni Student Choice Awards 2015.º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. It was 2nd in the 2015 THE Student Experience Survey and was named Sports University of the Year 2013-14 by The Times and Sunday Times. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

In September 2015 the University opened an additional academic campus in London’s new innovation quarter. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ London, based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities.

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