Gang-Nail provides Wales with PassivHaus building

Holbrook Timber Frame, manufacturer of trusses, floors and timber frame structures has supplied Gang-Nail Systems' Ecojoist for use in the construction of the first PassivHaus project in Wales.

The Ebbw Vale project, built to PassivHaus standards, provides an example as to how future housing projects should be constructed, meeting sustainability and energy efficiency credentials.

Forming part of the Welsh Assembly Government's low carbon building agenda, the house will initially be used as a demonstrative model to indicate how it is possible to construct a building of this nature by following a set of comprehensive building guidelines.

Gang-Nail's Ecojoists were installed on the project to allow for MVHR technology to be incorporated into the design of the house.

Due to the Ecojoist being manufactured with an open steel web, it is possible to pass service pipes, wires and ducting through the recess without the need to cut or drill holes into the joist, which can impair its strength and constructional integrity.

The use of Ecojoists also assisted Holbrook Timber Frame in the detailing for the airtightness and cold bridging elimination required for the Passivhaus standard.

It was also a contributing factor in Holbrook achieving an air tightness of 0.29, one of the lowest results recorded in the UK.

Due to its manufacturing process, Ecojoists offer a superior level of strength that can withstand extremely heavy loads without additional support.

With the PassivHaus project in particular, the use of Ecojoists allowed for the most minimal of materials to be used, working towards the environmental agenda of the PassivHaus standard.

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