Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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
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
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
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
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
Disconnect Services Remove joists and floor timbers Fill void Reroute and reinstall services Lay new floor
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
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
Eco-Slab Module
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
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