Pultrusion for Affordable Housing and Green Builds

There is a new trend in the construction industry, and it has pultruded profiles at its heart. We take a look at the ways (and whys) architects and construction companies are turning to a material that has superpowers compared to its traditional counterparts.

According to the European Pultrusion Technology Association (EPTA), there is an increase in the number of architects, engineers and builders discovering the benefits of pultruded profiles, and subsequently looking for ways to use them in construction projects.

Why?

• Pultrusion produces products that are strong, durable, and resistant to extremes of weather. They possess superior strength to weight characteristics – where lightweight yet strong will bean essential factor when triple-glazing legislations come into effect. The weight of windows can be a scary prospect for civil engineers, so the lighter the frame the better!
• Pultruded composite profiles can also be used to make a wide-reaching range of products for housing. From doors and windows to fencing, decking and exterior trim.
• Low maintenance, high durability and high strength make composites just as attractive to homeowners as to construction companies.
• Aesthetically speaking pultruded composites hit the mark for many architects and builders. They can be made in almost any colour, theycan be curved, and single pieces can be manufactured in a wide range of sizes.
• Pultruded profiles are also acknowledged as a cost-effective route when it comes to affordable housing thanks to an efficient manufacturing process and lower transportation costs. In many cases composites can be used to make one “part”, such as gutters incorporated into a facia. This lowers the labour costs for installation.

Why is Pultrusion good for Green Builds?

Eco homes, usually associated with straw bale housing and the like, are incredibly difficult to get built in the UK and are not an option, for many reasons, for commercial construction companies. Eco homes constructed using pultruded profiles however tick the boxes that these companies, and legislating bodies are looking for.

• Pultruded profiles prevent thermal bridging, so an excellent option for when energy efficiency is key to the performance of a building.
• Thermoplastic composites can also be recycled at the end of their useful life, – either ground down to be reused, or heated and reformed.
• Pultruded composite profiles have a longer useful life with lower maintenance than traditional materials, such as PVC, aluminium, steel and timber – another eco advantage to add to the list.

To find out more about the benefits of composites in construction, or to discuss bespoke manufacture or pultrusion machinery for affordable or eco house builds, call the Pultrex team on 01206 395559.