Dec 19 2006
Celcon aircrete blocks with the quick-setting Thin-Joint system are being used by contractor Durkan on a major, £9m project for Octavia Housing & Care at Kensal Road, London W10.
This was the first time that Durkan had used aircrete with H+H Celcon's Thin-Joint System. Specification of a Modern Method of Construction is a requirement for Housing Association funding, and the Thin-Joint System, which is an MMC, fulfilled this requirement. The project comprises a 28-unit care home together with offices for Octavia and a basement car park with workshop units. Celcon standard 100mm blocks were used to fill the reinforced concrete frame
Contract manager Paul Shadbolt of Durkan was very impressed with the system:
"It's very, very easy. Celcon aircrete blocks can be laid by semi-skilled workers. The Celfix mortar sets very quickly and we achieved a high quality of construction which is excellent strength-wise. It's also a low waste product."
The Octavia project is a mix of four and five storey construction with a variety of brick, block and timber cladding, and some glass curtain walling.
The roof is metal clad on a steel portal frame with solar photovoltaic panels.
Durkan are now using Celcon aircrete bocks with the Thin-Joint system on a second, £20m housing association project at Welwyn Garden City where they expect to be able to use their initial experience to further exploit the benefits of the system, such as speed of construction.