Pictured above: (l-r) Roger Bullivant (Bullivant),
Christopher Wood (Nottingham University) and Stephen Smith (East
Midlands Business)
A revolutionary approach to the foundations of new houses has
put an East Staffordshire engineering firm in line to compete for a
prestigious regional innovation prize.
The 'System First' (SF) project, developed jointly by Roger
Bullivant Ltd and the University of Nottingham, has been
short-listed in the Innovation for Sustainability category at this
year's Lord Stafford Awards.
The SF system provides a cutting edge build along with a marked
reduction in CO2 through reduced raw material usage and the
incorporation of green technologies that produce impressive low
carbon performances in day-to-day use.
At the heart of SF is a piled modular foundation structure which
is used in place of the traditional trench method, providing the
same level of structural support from 90% less concrete. Highly
insulated flooring is also a feature of the system ensuring heat
loss through the building floor slab is kept to a minimum, lowering
the overall energy requirements and minimising CO2 emissions.
These piles also have a secondary function as heat exchangers
which, combined with roof solar panels, allow heat gathered during
the summer months to be stored and then re-extracted during the
winter, further increasing the energy efficiency of the system.
The simplicity of the process makes the SF system easy to
replicate meaning it could be utilised in a wide range of housing
applications, with the aim of eliminating the need for gas boilers
in the future.
John Patch, director of Bullivant, takes up the story: "The
project is a major breakthrough in an area often overlooked in the
modern search for green technologies. It is quite a simple
principle and, when you combine this with the effectiveness of the
system, means it has the potential to be successful overseas in
developing economies like China and India."
He continued: "Our short-listing for this award provides a clear
recognition of all the effort that has been put into this project
and strengthens the ties between ourselves and the University of
Nottingham. The increased profile gained also helps us raise
awareness of this technology in the industry which will benefit
everyone by providing a viable low carbon alternative."
During development two PhD students worked within the company,
adding invaluable commercial experience to their own education.
A series of papers is also set to be published on the
research undertaken, increasing the profile of the university in
the wider academic community.
A functional version of the system has already been employed in
the build of five detached homes in West Sussex by company client
Plan2build, who used SF in order to achieve the highest possible
rating against the Code for Sustainable Homes criteria.
The installation was a major success, providing the energy
efficiency and low carbon emission levels expected, serving as a
real-world proving ground for the technology.
Founded in 1971, Roger Bullivant turns over in excess of
£100m a year and operates from its 250 acre head quarters in
Burton upon Trent with eight other specialist sites across the UK.
It employs a staff of over 1000 people across a range of
specialist engineering fields, such as underpinning and ground
improvement.
Projects are undertaken worldwide by the company, including
places like Saudi Arabia, where the firm completed a large scale
pressure grouting operation to strengthen the foundations of the
Ethylene Plant during last year.
Awards Patron Lord Stafford said: "The Awards provide an
opportunity to showcase how the region has forged ahead in terms of
innovation and collaboration, linking businesses with our
world-class universities to encourage knowledge transfer and
deliver innovative products, processes and services.
"This partnership between Roger Bullivant Ltd and the University
of Nottingham is a perfect example and this project thoroughly
deserves it's nomination in this year's awards."
The winners of the awards, which cover 'Innovation Achieved',
'Innovation in Development' and 'Innovation for Sustainability',
will be announced at a high-profile finale on September 9th at
Athena in Leicester.
Sponsors for the event include the East Midlands Development
Agency, the East Midlands Universities Association, CFE, Connect
Midlands, epm: technology ltd, Swindell and Pearson, Leicester and
Leicestershire Leadership Group to the list of sponsors and the
Enterprise Europe Network.
For further information, visit www.thelordstaffordawards.co.uk