Spec Finish

6 www.thefis.org British Gypsum is on the road to net zero carbon by 2050 Launch of the new GIRI Design Guide NEWS GIRI has launched a best practice guide intended to instil in all parties an understanding of the importance of taking a robust approach to the design process. Research indicates that this is where many of the most costly errors in construction projects have their roots. Setting up and effectively managing the design process is critical to project success, and that’s what the Design Guide is intended to do - it outlines a series of recommendations for delivering projects with the minimum of error. It’s important to emphasise that this is not simply a guide for design companies – everyone involved in construction needs a better understanding of how to manage the process successfully. The key term here is ‘process’, because that’s what design is. What’s more, it is a complex process, one that involves not just the individuals we typically think of as designers – the architect or the engineer – but a multitude of different stakeholders. It starts with the client, and it takes in the consultants, contractors, commercial roles, and, increasingly, subcontractors and supply chain specialists, whom all have a role to play in bringing the design and the project to a successful conclusion. So, to say that the root cause of errors is in the design process is not to say that designers are always responsible for those errors. The complexity of the design process is one of the main reasons GIRI’s Design Guide focuses on providing guidance and structure to the early phases, to ensure that those who need to be involved are brought on board at the right time and at the right level, and that communication is open, honest, and efficient. www.designguide.getitright.uk.com British Gypsum has made further progress towards its goal of being carbon neutral by 2050, thanks to the introduction of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuelled vehicles to its UK fleet. This additional investment in low- emission vehicles reflects British Gypsum’s ongoing commitment to significantly reducing its impact on the environment, putting it on course to achieving its pledge of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. British Gypsumhas started to convert its HGVfleet fromdiesel to HVO and is expected to use approximately 75,000 litres of fuel per week. This means that around 40%of the company’s UK fleet will now operate on HVO fuel, with a further 10%using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The use of multi-fuelled vehicles at this scale is expected to reduce British Gypsum’s carbon emissions by approximately 70%, year on year. To support the implementation of HVO vehicles, British Gypsum has made several upgrades to site infrastructure, including an HVO refuelling point in Robertsbridge and a new fuel island capable of delivering 110,000 litres a week at its distribution centre in Gotham. HVO is an emerging ‘drop-in’ fuel replacement for diesel, and ismanufactured at refineries fromwastematerials such as cooking oils and other waste streams that are not fit for human consumption.TheBritish Gypsumvehicles are usingGreenD+HVO, which is an EN15940 fuel - recognised by almost all major enginemanufacturers as it leaves no carbon deposits, and also has a cleaning effect on engines. It’s becomingmore ubiquitous due to itswealth of environmentally- friendly benefits, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to90%. 1 To reach net zero in 2050, global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide need to fall by about 45% from 2010 levels by 2030. In October 2021, more than a third of businesses across all industries reported taking at least one action to reduce emissions. 2 www.british-gypsum.com/sustainability Algeco secures £27.6m* Northampton modular school framework Algeco UK Ltd has secured a Department for Education (DfE) funded project for the offsite construction of Northampton School for Boys Multi- Academy Trust. The project was secured via the MMC1 Lot 1 modular framework (*DfE published contract value is £27.6m). Algeco, acting as principal design & build contractor and working with Watson Batty Architects, is providing a full turnkey solution. The announcement is the latest in a trio of recent new project wins totalling over £90m. A total of 210 modules will be supplied using the innovative Seismic technology, plus a hybrid structure for the halls, to create the 1200 place new secondary school, including sixth form provision. Utilising Seismic technology for the Northampton school modules will deliver important benefits; it is 75% faster and achieves a 47% improvement in value compared to traditional construction techniques; it even offers a 33% improvement in speed when compared with standard modular construction. In terms of sustainability, the technology delivers significant reductions in both operational and embodied carbon of up to 70%. This is achieved through factors including design efficiency, materials selection and manufacturing effectiveness, leading to limited wastage. www.algeco.co.uk Sources 1. www.nationwidefuels.co.uk/faq/what-is-hvo-fuel-an-faq/ 2. https://tinyurl.com/5b9798y5