Residential low-rise

In the residential low-rise sector both house builders and home owners have consistently found
that, compared with other construction materials, concrete, often in the form of concrete
blocks, contributes to the best all-round housing solution.

The shortage of housing in the UK underlines the need for fast and e cient construction.
However, this speed must not be at the expense of quality and long-term performance. The new
homes to be built must not only be structurally robust and a ordable, they also need to provide
comfortable living space that has the exibility to adapt to future needs. These homes should
reduce the need for heating and negate the need for future air-conditioning thereby helping to
reduce energy consumption and fuel bills over their lifetime.

The concrete industry can o er a range of products and construction methods that are
innovative and fast whilst o ering the high performance and inherent bene ts of heavy weight
construction including long-term climate change resilience. These construction solutions o er
the e cient delivery of long-term performance and best value and meet the highest Code for
Sustainable Homes and are recognised in new standards such as the Home Quality Mark.

For details of how to meet current Building Regulation requirements see Thermal Performance
Part L1A.

Bene ts 

Energy e ciency

As insulation and airtightness standards improve, using low levels of continuous heating
combined with the thermal mass of concrete becomes one of the most energy-e cient heating
strategies.

As average temperatures rise the desire and requirement for mechanical or air-conditioned
systems is increasing. Considerable energy savings can be realised utilising the thermal mass of
concrete to keep interior spaces cool, particularly when considered as part of a Passive Solar
Design strategy.

Cost-e ective
Concrete and masonry construction techniques continue to provide a cost e ective solution for
both private and social housing, through the availability of established local supply chains, short
lead times, exible programmes and experienced trades.

Long term sustainability

The environmental impact of heating, cooling and lighting our homes is considerable. It
accounts for some 27 per cent of total UK CO2 emissions. These operational emissions far
outweigh the embodied CO2 of the construction materials which are used to build our
homes. Using the inherent thermal mass of heavy-weight construction together with passive
solar design features such as window size, orientation and shading can provide a real, long-term
sustainable solution by signi cantly reducing the heating and cooling energy demands of a
home over its lifetime.

Code for Sustainable Homes

Numerous built examples and publications illustrate how concrete and masonry solutions can
meet the fabric performance requirements necessary to meet the highest levels of the Code.
For more information refer to Zero Carbon Performance - cost-e ective concrete and masonry
homes. As the Code is phased out, some parts are being divested to Building Regulations,
others to housing standards and potentially other broader consumer orientated issues and
responsible sourcing criteria may become mandated under the Home Quality Mark.

Locally and responsibly sourced

The UK is able to produce almost all the concrete it needs domestically, enhancing concrete’s
sustainability by allowing it to be locally sourced rather than reliant on imports. Both ready-
mixed and precast concrete products can easily be sourced from suppliers operating in
accordance with an environmental management scheme (eg. ISO 14001) and maximum points
can be scored in the materials section of the Code for Sustainable Homes . 90 per cent of UK
concrete is accredited under the BES 6001 standard for the responsible sourcing of
construction products. Read more about responsible sourcing.

Fire resistance

Concrete is a non-combustible material, and has a slow rate of heat transfer, easily exceeding
the minimum requirements for re separation required for housing in the Building Regulations
thus giving additional time for means of escape. In addition the retained structural integrity
helps to ensure costs and disruption due to the repair of re damage are kept to a minimum.
Health and well-being

The internal environment of all buildings, including houses, can be adversely e ected by
chemicals used in the construction and internal room nishes.

Concrete is an inert material that is naturally water and re-resistant. It requires no

preservatives, special coatings or sealers and if exposed, can also be easily cleaned with organic,
non-toxic substances. Its use in construction of houses can therefore assist in the development
of good healthy living spaces.

Sound insulation

Sound insulation is an important consideration in the design of all types of residential properties
and is paramount to the comfort and well-being of its occupants. This includes the walls and
oors separating di erent dwellings but should also include those between spaces in a single
residence.

The inherent mass and versatility of concrete can help to achieve excellent sound insulation
performance in homes, with minimal additional materials or reliance on rigorous checking of
site workmanship.

There are a wide range of heavy-weight construction options available to meet the minimum
standards for reduction of sound transmission required by the building regulations. Over 60 per
cent of Robust Details, designed to exceed the minimum standard, use concrete and masonry.
For further information see 'acoustic performance'.

Flood resilience

Availability of prime land for residential expansion, particularly in the South East of the UK, has
been restricted, resulting in development on more land that is prone to ooding. New buildings
in these areas need to be designed appropriately to handle a ood and maintain their function
following the event

Dwellings constructed from masonry and concrete can easily be designed to be ood resilient.
Concrete does not absorb signi cant amounts of water and nishes that are water damaged
can be stripped o and replaced.  In addition, concrete and masonry homes will not warp or rot
following a ood and the damage caused by ooding is less likely to threaten the structural
integrity of a modern heavyweight constructed home. The use of SUDS and permeable concrete
paving solutions also add to the reduction of ood damage. See The Concrete Centre
publication Concrete and Flooding.
Climate change resilience

In addition to resilience to ooding, the inherent thermal properties of concrete and masonry
homes also provide resilience to overheating, extreme weather events such as storms, high
winds and ash oods.