School Teaches Lessons in Sustainable Construction

Excel Building Solutions’s TRADIS factory-manufactured wall panels and roof plates have provided Waseley Hills High School in Worcestershire with a highly energy efficient structural envelope for a new school building, which will help to minimise the building’s heating costs while providing a comfortable, healthy environment for the pupils.

The TRADIS solution also meets Worcestershire County Council’s policy of reducing environmental impact, both in its ability to minimise energy consumption and because all TRADIS component materials are sourced from sustainable or recycled sources.

The 1,850m2, two-storey expansion of Waseley Hills High School houses eight classrooms, an IT suite, music suite, a drama studio, gym and changing rooms.

Its TRADIS structure was constructed around a steel frame skeleton, which was necessary to support intermediate ‘Termodeck’ concrete floors used in the building. These floors have an integral air movement system to distribute warm air around the building in winter and cool air in summer. For this to work effectively, it is essential that the building has a high thermal performance insulated envelope. According to Ian Paul of the council’s technical services department: “Excel’s products satisfied the Termodeck’s requirements perfectly.”

The building’s roof features some of the largest TRADIS roof plates ever produced, measuring 12m x 2.4m x 400mm deep. These roof plates deliver a U value of 0.09 W/m2K. The 200mm thick TRADIS walls produce a U value of 0.17 W/m2K.

Externally, the new school building is clad in a combination of brick and Douglas fir, with an aluminium standing seam roof covering. Energy saving triple-glazed windows complete the building’s appearance.