Yorkon News Archives

17/01/2007 – Yorkon Scores Sustainability First

 

Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon – winner of the Innovator of the Year award – has achieved another industry first by becoming the first off-site construction specialist to introduce a new and advanced software system to carry out a detailed environmental assessment of every new Yorkon building.

The value management tool will allow Yorkon to produce the most sustainable solution for each modular building project, using fast, efficient, comprehensive and fully integrated building simulation analysis.

The initiative is the result of an 18-month research and development programme, and is part of Yorkon’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and to delivering more energy efficient buildings with lower carbon emissions and reduced running costs.

Yorkon customers now have the opportunity to benefit from detailed analysis at the earliest stage in the design process, to assess the impact of specification decisions on capital cost, energy consumption, carbon emissions and running costs, over the life cycle of a building.

The new system can be used for Building Regulations Part L2 compliance checks, and assessing annual carbon emissions, heating and cooling costs per square metre, whole life costing, energy audits, and to generate valuable data such as the air quality of each room. It will also provide a framework for the energy certification process, once the legislation is in place.

Whole life costing is now a requirement for all public sector building contracts, and PFI and PPP schemes. It is also central to sustainable development, which is increasing in importance as legislation and tax changes are implemented to mitigate climate change and achieve targets for the reduction of carbon emissions.

The software tool, which is fully compliant with the revised Building Regulations Part L2, integrates all building components, structural elements and M&E services allowing a full simulation of the anticipated use of a Yorkon building over any number of years. This allows the design to be value engineered around functionality and environmental performance, improving energy efficiency and ensuring a cost-effective design solution for the life of the building.

Commenting on the new initiative, David Johnson, Director and General Manager of Yorkon, said, "Sustainability needs to be at the core of every business, because of the impact of climate change. Fifty per cent of all carbon emissions are generated by inefficient buildings – this is a major issue that the construction industry has to address."

"This leading edge system is just one of many sustainability initiatives we have in place to minimise energy consumption and waste. The advanced software is a very powerful design tool, which will allow our customers to benefit from more accurate tenders, greater energy efficiency and reduced running costs. It will prevent over specification of M&E plant and facilitate compliance with the revised Building Regulations, whilst adding value to every building project."

Editor’s Notes

• Off-site construction is a highly sustainable building method:
• Up to 67 per cent less energy is required to produce a modular building compared to an equivalent traditionally built project (source: Arup Research and Development).
• Yorkon, as part of the Portakabin Group, is the first modular manufacturer to commit to meeting the challenges set out in the Sustainability Charter introduced by the Major Contractors Group.
• The Yorkon approach to off-site construction offers a number of clear advantages over site-based building methods:
  
  - a more sustainable approach to construction
  - enhanced thermal efficiency
  - less waste
  - programme times reduced by up to 50 per cent
  - greater cost control
  - less disruption
  - safety improved on site
  - earlier occupation
  - guaranteed quality
  - greater design flexibility
  - less risk for the client – more than 96 per cent of Yorkon projects have been completed on time and 94 per cent on budget over the past five years – well exceeding construction industry averages.
• Off-site construction involves the manufacture of steel-framed modules in a controlled factory environment, using production line technology, whilst the foundation works are completed on site. The modules are delivered to site by road where they are craned into position in just a few days ready for fitting out.

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