external works

Metal-web and I-Joists are two popular choices for new builds and both play an important structural role in buildings – supporting floors and roofs to transfer their weight evenly to the walls and beams below.

Metal-web and I-Joists are engineered joists that offer greater span lengths, improved strength and rigidity and more consistent quality when compared to their solid timber counterparts.

When deciding which joist type may be most appropriate for your project, the starting point is that each must deliver the required structural performance.

Following the dry summer of 2025, the Environment Agency has warned that even with average winter rainfall some areas in Britain will still be in drought next spring. 

The recent weather pattern variations can only compound the existing concerns about the anticipated UK water deficit. To offset the predicted daily deficit of 4017 mega litres per day by 2050, major water companies have been developing plans to upgrade the UKs water supply and reduce current usage from 150 litres per person per day to 110. 

Housing associations can strengthen their supply chain by partnering with roof system manufacturers who go further.

The provision of proven product systems, a wide-ranging product portfolio and accessible technical support are roof manufacturing ‘must haves’. It helps the housing association sector balance cost, efficiency and sustainability considerations when it comes to developing low carbon, energy efficient homes for tenants.

Imparting best practice specification, encouraging design skills and sharing essential product knowledge so the next generation of professionals deliver well designed, warm and sustainable future homes for the housing association sector, highlights the importance of manufacturers taking a wider view.

Access to local investment funding has enabled Cornwall based housing providers to access financial and sustainability benefits, leading to the use of Marley’s full roof system with integrated solar panels.

Charitable social housing provider, Coastline Housing, based in Redruth, Cornwall, is committed to tackling ongoing housing challenges for the local population. 

Empire View and Gantry Court are nine-storey residential blocks close to the centre of Southampton. Due to fire safety concerns, in 2021 works began to replace the existing bricks works, replacing with a rainscreen cladding system.

One of the greatest modern challenges for housing developers is the sustainable management of surface water runoff, with more than 3.2 million properties at risk of flooding in England1.

The social and economic costs of flooding are high, and the Association of British Insurers believes that annual losses could reach £1.4 billion by 2040 – much of which is attributed to urban flooding. The surface water management action plan, standardised by Local Government, outlines key principles for residential designers and developers to comply with, to ensure sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are
in place.

Hazel Verschuere, building products director from Deeplas, highlights some of the wide-ranging PVC-U product choices that can deliver budgetary and operational advantages for housing associations.

Housing associations must continually optimise the support and services they provide, while at the same time delivering high levels of tenant comfort and satisfaction.

As a result, it is important product specification choices take account of upfront costs, material performance, aesthetics, and ongoing maintenance commitments. Of these, any reduction in repair and maintenance can help cut financial pressures.