Versatile, high performance and sustainable walls
Chris Hornby, Senior Technical Manager at leading building solutions company Wienerberger, manufacturer of the Porotherm Cellular Clay Block System – one of the systems approved by NHBC Accepts, explains how their product works.
“Building with Porotherm clay blocks is an innovative method of construction with the reassuringly traditional values of clay material; it delivers versatile, high performance and sustainable walls.
“It is an efficient alternative to other building materials such as timber, concrete or light steel frames and is suitable for a variety of construction applications such as Inner leaves and rendered outer leaves of cavity walls, monolithic external walls, infill panels within framed structures and load bearing and non-load bearing partition walls.
“Overall, the selection of a wall material will form only part of the total building cost; however it is integral to the quality of your finished project. With Porotherm blocks, you are choosing a construction system that is not only economical and sustainable in every respect - but also offers maximum quality and value retention.
“The inner leaf is protected by its location as cavity walling, protected by impervious cladding or as an internal partition. The engineered blocks are supplied in thicknesses ranging from 100mm to 365mm and are placed on a bed of ZeroPlus thin layer mortar to provide a 1mm bed joint. The cross-joints interlock at the header ends and contain no mortar, saving both time and materials.
“Under NHBC Accepts, Porotherm, an A1 fire-rated, non-combustible block can be used up to three storeys high in the UK and is suitable for the construction of masonry structures with wide span precast concrete floors."
“We are very pleased to be part of the NHBC Accepts story. An accepted system demonstrates that, subject to appropriate design and installation, it can be used in homes covered by NHBC Buildmark. Crucially the systems it accepts will help instil faith in the quality credentials of modern methods of construction (MMC) across the wider industry.
“MMC has come on leaps and bounds over the last few years and will play a key role in delivering more new, high-quality homes that the country needs.”
Our comprehensive review service for innovative systems is the fast-track route for acceptance of these systems for use in homes covered by all NHBC warranty and insurance policies.
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