Under its headline banner of ‘raising standards, protecting homeowners’, the NHBC plays a pivotal role in the UK housing sector. Neil Smith, NHBC Head of Research and Innovation, outlines its role in supplying guidance and information on prefabrication and offsite manufacture.
It is increasingly clear that boosting housing output at a time of declining availability of skills requires ever more innovation by the housebuilding industry and the greater use of modern methods of construction (MMC). As the Farmer Review and the Housing White Paper stress, without a change to the status quo, the prospects of making real progress in tackling the UK’s housing need are severely limited.
At NHBC we are witnessing an upsurge in interest in offsite construction, with increasing numbers of systems and components being put forward to us for assessment against the NHBC Standards. Such reviews are essential, to be assured that homes and their component parts are designed, manufactured and constructed to consistently meet.
It is an established expectation amongst homeowners, landlords, investors and mortgage companies that new homes will last a very long time. Reflecting this expectation, NHBC explicitly requires a life of 60 years for the structure. This means that materials and components need to be selected and assembled carefully so that a 60 year lifespan can be achieved in reality, with the construction of the finished home having the durability and resilience to withstand the vagaries of the UK climate. In practice, homes designed for 60 years can be expected to last well beyond that time.
NHBC was established in 1936 in response to the ‘Jerry building’ that was happening as towns and cities were being rebuilt following the First World War. A rush to construct large numbers of new homes quickly was causing major problems, with significant consequences for homeowners and mortgage lenders.
Our insistence on ensuring that a high standard of durability is achieved reflects the length of time that NHBC has been in existence. Our interest extends well beyond the first ten years of the NHBC Buildmark warranty.
NHBC Standards
Our technical manual, the NHBC Standards, provides guidance for designers and housebuilders. Covering all parts of the home, they are written as ‘performance standards’ giving the flexibility in the use of various forms of construction and facilitating new approaches and innovation. Fundamentally NHBC requires the following five Technical Requirements to be satisfied:
• Statutory requirements (compliance with Building Regulations and other statutory requirements)
• Design requirement (design taking account of the location and use of the home)
• Materials requirement (materials to comply with accepted standards/certification)
• Workmanship requirement (satisfactory levels of workmanship)
• Structural design requirement (structural design by competent engineers in compliance with established codes).
