Suppliers of: Celcon concrete blocks lightweight concrete blocks concrete thin joint system
H+H UK LTD manufacture a wide range of Concrete Blocks and lightweight Concrete Blocks to suite all types on Block Construction.
Useful Resources:
- BIM files available on BPi
- H+H Academy: Online training and resources Click here
H+H is the UK’s largest manufacturer of aircrete products. We manufacture the market leading range of Celcon Blocks, including Foundation Blocks, Plus Blocks and the H+H range of aircrete products.
H+H aircrete products offer a complete building material that meets the requirements of the Building Regulations, with the flexibility to offer solutions to hospitals, schools, offices, industrial warehouses and housing (social and private).
Used in partition, separating and external walls (solid or cavity), firewalls and as an infill to framed construction, our products provide durability and fire resistance as well as superb thermal and sound insulation.
Main Product Ranges:
Celcon Blocks
Celcon Blocks in Solar, Standard, High Strength and Super Strength Grades are the most commonly used aircrete block in the H+H range. All Celcon Blocks are BBA certified, are fire resistant (100mm walls, up to 4 hours, 2 hours if loadbearing) and have been classified 0 surface spread of flame and non-combustible to Class A1 (the highest class).
Celcon Block Solar Grade
Celcon Blocks Solar Grade is principally used where enhanced thermal performance is required. With superior thermal conductivity Solar Grade Celcon Blocks are suitably loadbearing for two storey buildings and can be used below DPC.
Celcon Block Standard Grade
Celcon Blocks Standard Grade is BBA certified and has a compressive strength of 3.6N/mm2. Due to its all round performance, it is possible for a 100mm Standard grade Celcon Block to be used throughout a build, eliminating on-site confusion.
Celcon Block High Strength & Super Strength Grade
H+H’s Celcon Blocks High Strength Grade (7.3N/mm2) and Super Strength Grade (8.7N/mm2) are used principally where higher compressive strengths are required such as in the foundations and lower storeys of three storey buildings, piers under high vertical loads and in multi-storey buildings.
Celcon Plus Blocks
Celcon Plus Blocks are an alternative to the 440 x 215mm face format block and are suitable for the same applications. They are longer at 630mm long and come in a variety of thicknesses.
Celcon Foundation Blocks
Available in Standard Grade (3.6N/mm²) and High Strength Grade (7.3N/mm²), Foundation Blocks can be used to support 3 storey constructions. They are suitable for the support of solid or cavity walls, framed construction or suspended floors, including beam and block.
Jumbo Bloks
Jumbo Bloks are produced with the latest technology, offering a high degree of dimensional accuracy with sharp arises, which make them ideal for use with Celfix mortar.
Celcon Block Coursing Units
Coursing Units are produced from the same material as all H+H aircrete and are suitable for the same applications as conventional size Celcon Blocks, allowing consistency within the building fabric.
Celfix Mortar
Celfix Mortar is cement based and supplied as a dry, pre-mixed powder in 25kg bags. It has been designed to replace the traditional sand:cement mortar and is used with building with our Thin-Joint System. Celfix Mortar starts to set within 10 minutes of application and approaches full design strength in just 1 to 2 hours.
H+H UK Ltd : Is this the end of the road for Modular MMC?
Volumetric construction is not the panacea for the housebuilding industry the previous government had hoped it would be. Offsite pioneer Modulous was the most recent casualty of the current swathe of modular building company bankruptcies. This, despite the fact that Modulous, describing itself as a “kit of parts”, had none of the pricey infrastructure of factories that weighed down other volumetric companies such as Ilke Homes and Beattie Passive.
Pioneers and market disrupters are always risky ventures but the following points are particularly relevant in this instance:
There is nothing new in the idea of factory-built homes. And nothing new in the litany of failure of such enterprises.
Volumetric, factory assembled structures do not suit the economic model, the logistical challenges or the skills base of the UK housebuilding sector.
Constantly chasing the ideal of precise, factory-built home units results in repeated losses for investors. When those investors include the Government, taxpayers should be asking questions.
As long ago as 1926, architectural pioneer Walter Gropius speculated on a future where lower-cost housing would be made possible by “the manufacture by mass production methods of stock dwellings which are no longer constructed at the site but are produced in special factories”.
It’s a seductive vision. Muddy building sites replaced by clean, productive factories building homes with precision in quality-controlled settings. Repeated government-backed attempts to kick-start a modular construction industry looks to the mass production of vehicles as a model – but is that analogy convincing?
There are numerous problems with the factory-built homes vision of MMC, but let’s just focus on one – the financial model.
Factory-built homes need factories. Factories involve huge investment and require a reliable and consistent market for their products. UK housebuilding, with its near total reliance on consumer confidence, has simply never provided that degree of consistency.
In its review of the modular housing sector “Modern Methods of Construction – what’s gone wrong?” the Built Environment Select Committee looked for answers from, among others, Homes England which was keen to defend its significant investment in modular factory companies. The conclusion of this scrutiny was summarised in January this year by Chair Lord Moylan: “The Government needs to change tack. Simply throwing money at the sector hasn’t worked.” Food for thought for the new Labour government.
A problem of presentation?
Part of the problem is with the presentation of MMC as a concept. Modern does not necessarily equate to pre-assembled and Method does not necessarily mean factory-based house units. The accepted definition of MMC (following on from the Farmer Report) is based around seven categories and only Category One requires the use of factory-built entities.
As Lord Moylan indicates, government funding whose objective is to deliver a greater volume of high-quality homes, needs better targeting, informed by a much deeper understanding of the structure of the UK housebuilding sector. Surely the Government’s role should be to stimulate the market and invest in new social housing, but be less enthusiastic in trying to dictate how new homes should be delivered.
H+H has always supported innovative approaches to house construction – our own Vertical Wall Panels and i-House System represent a strong commitment to new concepts and radical ideas. The difference is that these initiatives are evolutionary, rather than revolutionary.
The Built Environment Select Committee acknowledged the success of much Category Two MMC innovation (where our Vertical Wall Panel solution fits), and of the remaining five categories. That recognition absolutely supports the principle of evolutionary change.
Rather than going through another expensive loop of financial support for a delivery model that has proven so problematic, we would strongly advocate the new government takes the time to really understand the housebuilding supply chain; focuses on creating an economic environment in which housebuilding can grow to meet demand; and leave the mechanics to the industry itself.
For more information on H+H Vertical Wall Panels visit https://www.hhcelcon.co.uk/products-applications/methods-modern-mmc/system-build-vertical-wall-panels
Survey reveals Support for Modern Methods of Construction among Housing Associations
The National Housing Federation and Building Better joined together to survey housing associations across England, to find out how Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) are being used in the housing sector.
Running from June to December 2023, the State of MMC Delivery in Social Housing survey included 57 housing associations of varying sizes, which were responsible for 45% of the homes delivered by housing associations in that period. Of the organisations surveyed, the vast majority (96%) were in favour of using MMC solutions.
More than 5,000 homes were completed using MMC, most of which were constructed using panelised assemblies, a category two MMC solution. In fact, nearly all (93%) of the completed builds used either category two, or category two and five combined.
Part of the project’s goal was to identify what housing associations deemed to be the key benefits of building with MMC. Overwhelmingly, environmental sustainability was cited as the most significant benefit, while adhering to the Future Homes Standard also ranked highly.
The Future Homes Standard aims to slash carbon emissions by focusing on building new, highly energy-efficient homes. Innovative MMC solutions can help to meet this demand, quickly and cost-effectively. H+H Vertical Wall Panels (VWPs) are a prime example. VWPs are storey high aircrete panels that are craned into place onto standard foundations and secured with fast-setting strong mortar.
The solution offers an alternative method of housebuilding to traditional brick and block while providing the same performance benefits of aircrete. The panels are quick to install, with the entire ground floor of a house able to be installed in one day, and when combined with prefabricated timber floors and roof joists, the shell of a house can be built in just five days.
The housing associations surveyed also expressed a desire to reduce residents’ energy bills with MMC built homes, especially in the face of rising fuel prices and the cost of living. At H+H we’ve seen evidence of this in our projects time and time again.
An H+H aircrete MMC solution was used in the construction of a Passivhaus development of 16 semi-detached houses and 12 sheltered accommodation apartments on the Isle of Wight, where residents reported significantly lower energy bills in their new homes. Jack Ostrofsky, then Head of Design and Technical at the scheme’s developer, Southern Housing, commented:
“It has been a phenomenal success because residents aren’t spending any money on heating their homes. People have been telling us they haven’t turned on their heating all year, and that’s a regular occurrence.”
Another key aspect of the survey was to discover what the barriers are to using MMC. Supplier vulnerability was a recurring reason given for not using, or increasing the use of MMC, with 73% citing it as their main or secondary barrier.
This is understandable given the recent demise of so many category one modular housing companies. However, category one is not the only option, and new modular companies are not the only MMC manufacturers available. H+H is a robust, well-established company that has been manufacturing aircrete products in the UK for 75 years. Alongside our category two and five MMC solutions, we also manufacture traditional aircrete blocks, which continue to be in high demand.
The survey also revealed that housing associations perceived complexity and a lack of understanding the systems as barriers to using MMC. However, this is not typically an issue for organisations that choose to build with H+H Vertical Wall Panels. The panels are made from aircrete, a familiar material for follow-on trades, eliminating the need for new skills or training. To install the panels, contractors can easily transfer skills from traditional build methods, and H+H offers the necessary training at no cost, presenting an excellent opportunity to expand a team’s skillset.
Affordable housing provider, Abri Homes, decided to make the switch to VWPs to speed up its building process and help to achieve its target of delivering 10,000 homes by 2030. Jake Snell, Head of Partnerships & Innovation, commented on the transition for his team:
"Adopting a new build method is a major cultural shift for both our on-site teams and our back office. The Vertical Wall Panel system is an ideal solution as it comprises a familiar material in a more advanced product. It lets us adapt our culture rather than creating a new one, and significantly reduces the level of risk compared with innovation used in other construction techniques."
The State of MMC Delivery in Social Housing survey shines a positive light on the future of MMC use by housing associations, in particular through the adoption of reliable category two solutions.
