The constant pressures on the construction sector – from keeping costs down, meeting changing environmental standards and of course, delivering to tight deadlines – mean companies have to always be on the ball.
Issues with Covid, inflation and the supply chain have added to the load, along with the need to keep up with advancements in digitalisation and modern methods of construction. It’s challenges like these which mean an increasing focus on products like those we’ve developed here at MiTek, as architects, designers and builders alike seek better solutions for their projects.
For example, in the UK we’ve noticed a continuing upward trend in the take-up of our Posi-Joists, with product volume up almost 8% since 2019, pretty much seeing 10% growth in volume year on year. The volume growth is down to a mix of repeat orders from existing customers who’ve already discovered the benefits for themselves, along with new customers – particularly for use in projects that include flat roofs such as student accommodation or hospitality.
Why do we think Posi-joist is increasingly becoming the product of choice? A number of reasons come to mind. Ease of service installation and speed of construction are clearly key factors in driving the volume growth. Posi-joist gives specifiers unrivalled ease of access for the installation and maintenance of services in the floor zone, something that is becoming ever-more important with the growth of MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery) systems.
Off-site, made-to-measure construction means the product can be delivered to site just when it’s needed, ready for installation and with minimal need for any adjustments or extra trades people. The lightweight product is easy to install, with no specialist installation training required – keeping labour costs and on-site build time to a minimum. There’s very little waste, the joists are easy to transport and costs are easier to control as you know you are only buying exactly what you need.
The depth, length and width can all be adjusted to produce an enormous number of different specifications, each with clearly defined performance criteria. In addition, end details of the Posi-Joist can be altered to give a variety of support conditions – they can include a Trimmable End, incorporating a solid timber block which can be engineered to give up to 130mm allowance at each end for trimming on site.
The perfect partner to Posi-Joists, our Posi-Rafters are becoming increasingly popular for roof applications. Like Posi-Joist, they are designed and manufactured offsite and tailored to the requirements of each individual project. They arrive made to measure and accompanied by full layout drawings for speed of erection, suitable for both pitched and flat roofs.
Of course, we’re hoping to see continued take-up of our Posi-Joists but we’re not resting on our laurels – we’re always looking for ways of improving our products and services so we can make life easier for our customers.
This year we’ll be launching a range of Posi objects in Revit. The software plug-ins will offer a range of objects that architects and engineers can drop into their design models, to help visualise and specify Posi-Joists in their projects and demonstrate the benefits of the product to their own clients.
