The £4.8 million restoration and redevelopment of the Stable Future project of the 19th Century disused agricultural buildings at the Delapré Abbey in Northamptonshire is using a novel foundation detail featuring Marmox Thermoblocks as part of the highly energy efficient design for a new extension. This will become part of the Stable Future Wellbeing Hub the visitor and well-being centre.
The work is being led by Buttress Architects – a conservation and sustainable housing specialist – acting on behalf of the Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust, and supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Architectural Heritage Fund. The hub will help promote the physical and mental health of local people and visitors, while community organisations and retail-led business will occupy various spaces.
The newbuild wing to the old stable block is being built by Briggs & Forester Special Projects, with Marsh Construction (Luton) taking responsibility for all the civils work, including drainage and sub-structure. The substantial footings feature trench foundations supporting dense concrete blockwork walls, with two different widths of Thermoblocks running in parallel along most of the length.
Marsh Construction’s Contract Manager, Steve Gallagher, said: “As a civil engineering specialist, we are undertaking the foundation and services work for the new extension located in the courtyard to the former stables. The element we have built so far is a substantial returning wall along one side, which then forms part of the new building on the other side.
“The use of Marmox Thermoblocks was specified by the architects in tandem with civils consultant David Smith Associates. Laying the Thermoblocks proved to be straightforward for our bricklayers, employing the special adhesive and there has been no issue at all with cutting them or making the overlap joint with the adhesive.”
Thermoblocks are available in widths of 100, 140 or 215mm and are formed from sections of XPS (extruded polystyrene) encapsulating two rows of high strength, epoxy concrete mini-columns. These are attached at either end to the top and bottom layers of glass-fibre reinforced polymer concrete, to ensure a good bond with the rest of the structure.
The columns themselves offer a very low thermal conductivity so do not create a cold bridge, while being able to support a loading of 9N higher than the typical dense or aerated concrete block.
Set within the highly insulating XPS section, the units achieve a combined thermal conductivity of 0.047W/mK and can deliver a very low transmittance, derived by thermal modelling and actual measurement.
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