Grey and White is Greener in house building

CEMEX Ready Wallform is launched at Ecobuild 2015

In today’s world, where there are shortages of raw materials and global pressure on energy supply, a new product CEMEX Ready Wallform can provide a solution for the UK housing market, where demand for homes far outstrips current rates of supply.

Ready Wallform is an insulating concrete formwork system (ICF), a combination of large, hollow lightweight blocks which lock together to provide a permanent formwork into which Readymix concrete can be poured.

The product is the result of a partnership between Beco Products, who manufacture the ICF units and CEMEX, one of the leading suppliers of readymix concrete in the UK. The two companies will now work together to promote the system, integrating other products from the CEMEX range to offer a packaged solution to the housing market.

The system is currently being used in a development of 18 houses by Gusto Homes in Lincoln. It creates an integrated thermal shell for the house, giving years of energy savings and a more comfortable living environment. The polystyrene and concrete contribute to an environmentally friendly system using sustainable and recyclable materials, resulting in a structure which can offer low, zero or passive energy performance.

The houses will achieve U-Values in the range of 0.30W/m3k down to 0.10W/m2k, highlighting the effectiveness of ICF. Cavity walls have an approximate value of 1.6 W/m2k and solid brick wall 2.0 W/m2k.

CEMEX has supplied in excess of 900 cu metres of concrete and screed to the development to date from its local plant in Lincoln. The ICF units were manufactured and supplied by Beco from their facility in Brigg, North Lincolnshire. The project represents the first major venture between the 2 companies.

“ICF is not a new concept and is prominent within the self build market where Beco have vast experience and an excellent reputation. CEMEX Ready Wallform is positioned to take construction of houses and a wider range of buildings such as apartments, office blocks, hotels and care homes into the modern age.  The concrete provides a high-strength, thermal structure with the added benefit of the polystyrene blocks providing considerable additional thermal insulation, “ comments Mathew Tranter, Business Manager – Housing Solutions

“For the house builder the system is fast and simple to construct with significantly lower labour costs and no ongoing maintenance required. The houses in Lincoln are designed to maximise thermal efficiency and represent an important step towards more medium and large scale developments adopting ICF technology. The establishment of the partnership with CEMEX demonstrates a strong belief in the system and confirmation that alternative methods of construction are shifting firmly into the mainstream.”  concludes Robin Miller of Beco Wallform

Ends

 Find out more about Ready Wallform Insulated Concrete Forms system here

Notes to editors:

• For further details on CEMEXUK contact Elizabeth Young; email: Elizabeth.young@cemex.com t: 01932 58321401932 583214.
• Follow us on Twitter@CEMEX_UK
• Key points about CEMEX Ready Wallform:
  • The Wallform components are delivered to site in packs or bags. They are light and easy to handle , can be cut with hot wire or hand saw and interlock vertically and horizontally to form a continuous void that is filled with concrete
  • The formwork system is interlocking and held together by a matrix of polystyrene or metal connectors which become cast into the concrete core.
  • The concrete once pumped into the formwork fills the system through gravity flow and will self-compact without the need for mechanical vibration
  • The wall thickness varies between 250 – 600mm with the concrete core 140 mm – 300mm depending on structural design and two leaves of insulation 100mm – 300mm depending on thermal insulation specification.

     

• Helping to build a Great Britain – CEMEX’s vision is to help build a greater Britain by providing solutions to construction problems through our innovative building materials, our expertise, our understanding of the construction issues and our people.We aim to create the best service and the best solutions for a better future.

   

• About CEMEX: CEMEX is a global manufacturer of building materials and the biggest Mexican investor in the UK, with 3,000 people employed across 450 sites nationwide. In this country, we are a leading provider of aggregates, cement, ready-mixed concrete and rail sleepers with annual sales of around £1 billion.

• Beco Products manufactures and distributes the Wallform building system in the UK and Ireland.Established over 20 years ago, it is the leading name for ICF (Insulated Concrete Formwork) construction in the U.K., with approved performance levels from affordable to Passivhaus standards for all types of building.Energy efficiency and Sustainability are at the core of the company’s corporate strategy.