Case Study
Code 3 House
Our client Impact Housing Association in Cumbria required 5 x affordable housing bungalows built to meet the mandatory Code Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
Initially the project was to be built in timber frame by Thomas Armstrong (Construction) Ltd. However, an alternative masonry option was analysed and costings worked out all of which showed both a cost-saving and a time-saving advantage to using the masonry option.
Super-Insulated Masonry ("SIM") Walls
The key to the lower cost, high-performance and ease of build is the use of SIM wall construction which comprises of:
- Solid Thomas Armstrong Airtec XL aerated concrete block walls built in thin-joint mortar (190mm @ 0.09W/mK thermal conductivity)
- 125mm of 'Neopor' insulation externally fixed to the exterior of the houses
- Reinforced render system with final finish to the client's specification
This construction gives the following advantages:
- A u-value of 0.16 using only 3 layers in the wall (excluding internal finish)
- No cavities, zero interstitial condensation risk, no damp problems in the future
- Excellent air-tighness
- Zero cold bridging
- Quick easy build - thin-joint walls much faster and easier to erect than traditional mortar
- No lengthy lead-times and financial committment for block walls unlike pre-fabricated frame alternatives
Read more about, and follow the progress of this remarkable project here ............
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