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Queens Park Conservation Area TSB Retrofit For the Future, London 2011

Refurbishment of social housing in Queens Park, Westminster, London


2-bedroom, 2-storey Victorian terraced properties built around1865 In a Conservation Area of approximately 400 other similar properties Client - City West Homes Contractor - United House Project Manager Anna Debenham

Project Architects: Energy Conscious Design (ECD)

Lead Architect - Mark Elton Associate Director at Energy Conscious Design On the RIBA sustainable futures committee

Special Interest in: The potential for reducing carbon emissions through retrofit of the existing stock Refurbishment schemes that combine super-insulated fabric improvements with integrated renewables

Key Improvements to Property


Internal wall insulated to the exterior solid walls Roof insulated Doors and windows improved and replaced Acoustic insulation fitted to the party walls of bedrooms Ground floor suspended timber floors removed and replaced with an Eco-Slab floor system Mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) installed

Thermal image showing heat loss

Project funding

Retrofit for the Future project is funded by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) to find innovative and replicable measures to make deep cuts in carbon dioxide emissions from existing properties in the social housing sector

Driving Innovation in Retrofit

UK Technology Strategy Board (TSB) funding was specifically designed to stimulate the implementation of innovative cost effective solutions within the demonstrator houses that can then be applied across the UK.

Evaluation
SAP tests before and after retrofit Used by BRE as a Pilot for their BREEAM Domestic Refurbishment standard Evaluated alongside BRE EcoHomes XB target criteria and discussed with the local conservation officer

Typical Heat Loss Pattern


Generally agreed that 15% of heat is lost through the ground floor but it can be higher in older properties Heat is lost through draughts in the floor boards as well as through the fabric

Draughts in a typical Victorian House

THERMAL ENVELOPE
Insulate the property to keep heat inside in winter and outside in summer and maintain a constant internal temperature Create an airtight seal to eliminate heat loss from draughts

Thermal Image of Interior of Victorian Terraced House

Retrofitting the Ground Floor Schedule of Works

Disconnect Services Remove joists and floor timbers Fill void Reroute and reinstall services Lay new floor

Challenges of the Site when Retrofitting the Ground floor


CHALLENGES OF THE BUILDING SITE

Work had to be carried out in a confined space which meant: Confined space working Health and Safety Act had to be observed so no petrol driven machinery Materials and installation had to be handled manually Labour intensive options not possible No room for storing materials in building Delivery of materials had to be tailored to the demands of restricted site access

The original Victorian features had to be protected The integrity of the Substructure had to be maintained Services had to be re routed Void had to be filled and ventilated The material effects of retrofit on adjoining properties had to be considered Party Wall Act applied Security had to be maintained at all times

Challenges of the Street When Retrofitting the Ground floor


New Road and Street Works Act: Health and Safety conditions Relate to the control of deliveries Needed road signs and barriers Traffic control Timed deliveries Make good any damage to road or footpath Local Council By Laws: The by laws change depending on the Borough Not able to start work before 9am Road had to be cleared and swept by 5pm No weekend working Noise and dust restrictions

The traditional approach


15 tons of aggregates were delivered, stored on the road and shoveled and barrowed in to the house to fill the void at a rate of a ton a day

Diesel driven whacker plate was used to create a flat surface putting pressure on substructure and creating toxic fumes in confined space violating Health and Safety laws

The Eco-Slab solution


FEATURES OF ECO-SLAB SYSTEM Just in time engineering BENEFITS OF ECO-SLAB SYSTEM Minimal materials to store and organise No complications or concerns with Council Bylaws, Conditions of working in Confined Spaces Health and Safety Act and New Road and Street Works Act were satisfied Replaced 15 tons of granular material Pump set up, filled the void cleaned up and left within one in an hour with no manual handling Minimal Impact on the Street: Site Activity, Traffic movement, Noise and Dust all substantially reduced Minimal supervision to organise delivery Foaming concrete was delivered by a Lorry mounted pump, located outside the working area Foaming concrete used to fill deep void

Eco-Slab Module

Method Statement for Retrofitting Ground Floor with Eco-Slab


FEATURES OF ECO-SLAB SYSTEM Just in time engineering Eco-Slab was programmed to be delivered on a light commercial vehicle on day of installation BENEFITS OF ECO-SLAB SYSTEM Hand off loaded and no storage required Unloading and installing completed in one operation. No machinery required so easily met Confined space working Health and Safety Act No pressure or penetration of the existing walls Allowed for simple rerouting of services and Under floor ventilation Reinforcement was in the concrete so delivery and fixing of reinforcement was not needed All Local Council By Laws and New Road and Street Works Act easily met as noise, dust, site activity etc. reduced

Installed by hand by a single semi skilled operative in one day

Eco-Slab was laid directly onto the foam concrete base Service and ventilation void was provided by 100mm legs 75mm thick fibre reinforced wearing slab was poured to finished floor level

Insulation Values & Carbon Reductions


Eco-Slab is made from Carbon Enriched Jablite EPS which has an A+ rating in the BRE Green Guide The unique lap & ledge system ensured a continuous 100mm of insulation throughout the ground floor 200mm Edge beam system gave a U value of zero at the wall/ floor interface The Eco-Slab floor provided the base for the thermal envelope In conjunction with other technologies the energy use for the building was reduced from 16000 kilo watts per year to 2000 kilo watts without renewables

ECD Architects Eco-Slab system ground floor section

Conclusions

Traditional methods of construction cannot meet the demands and complexities of professional retrofitting on the scale required We need to employ new ways of working and new materials Modern methods of construction and in particular just in time engineering can assist in meeting the challenges The Eco-Slab system offers a fast and cost effective solution for retrofitting the ground floor when working in a confined urban environment It is particularly cost effective when retrofitting several houses in one area and the costs of hiring the pump can be shared among several properties The Eco-Slab retrofit system using foaming concrete and the Eco-Slab base significantly reduced the operational and embodied carbon compared to traditional retrofit methods and combined successfully with other technologies to create a thermal envelope www.eco-slab.com

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