Tata Steel proposes efficient steel modules for schools

Tata Steel said it is at the forefront of creating the next generation of schools in the UK, which will give thousands of children access to education in safe, purpose-designed environmentally-efficient buildings.

The company, working with construction industry experts in the UK, is developing a kit of parts allowing highly energy-efficient schools to be built offsite and then shipped to their final location. This will reduce waste created during traditional building as well as allowing the structures to be quick to build, give good value for taxpayers and be 100% recycled at the end of their life.

The news comes just weeks after the UK Government announced a scheme to modernise the nation’s schools. The rebuilding programme will start in 2020-21 with the first 50 projects supported by more than £1 billion in funding.

The government aims to reduce the construction costs and whole life costs of buildings by a third, while seeing those same buildings delivered in half the time and with a 50% reduction in carbon emissions from the construction sector.

The entirely UK-designed and built solution will allow schools to grow and adapt as required. In addition, the standardised offsite construction approach can also be used to create emergency healthcare facilities in times of crisis.

Phil Clements, Tata Steel UK Technical Director, said: “Traditional building techniques using bricks, mortar and wood can be slow, wasteful and have a significant impact on the environment.

“This project will allow thousands of children to have access to education in buildings which have been designed using the latest technology, constructed offsite to lower emissions and can be repurposed and recycled.”

The consortium behind the project is made up of: offsite building experts Blacc; the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC); two offsite manufacturers, Elliott Group and the McAvoy Group; Tata Steel; the Active Building Centre (ABC); and the National Composite Centre (NCC).