Scholar cladding research celebrated by CIOB and NHBC

Today the Hilton London Euston Hotel played host to the National Housing Building Council (NHBC) and the Chartered Institute of Building’s (CIOB) Faculty of Building Control and Standards Scholar Presentation. The winning scholar, Jon Behan, Inspection Manager at NHBC, delivered a presentation to industry experts on the effectiveness of installing cavity barriers in rainscreen cladding – as is necessitated by current legislation.

The Scholarship, run by the Faculty of Building Control and Standards, and jointly funded by the CIOB and NHBC, offers each student a specialist £3,000 research grant – if selected for the programme. It is designed to recognise exceptional talent, support professional development, and improve career progression within the industry.

During the scholarship, each student will continue in full time employment, and will receive mentoring support from a panel of representatives from the CIOB’s Faculty of Building Control and Standards and the NHBC. At the end of the year, each scholar is asked to produce a report on their research and deliver a presentation which outlines the project’s findings. With the first intake of scholars in 2013/2014, Jon, who has a keen interest in design, is the first scholar to be sponsored by the CIOB and NHBC.

Commenting on the presentation, Nigel Barr, Chair of the Scholarship Panel and Managing Director at BBS Building Control said: “This research has identified real issues with the understanding of the importance of correct installation of cavity barriers amongst relevant trades. Although some Quality Assurance (QA) processes are in place, these often fall short in their effectiveness and application.
“The findings highlight the importance of including installation of barriers in QA sign off. The results indicate that only 60% of the installations were covered by a QA procedure, and a similar percentage of sites had installations in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions. 

“The research findings will hopefully encourage the introduction of more effective training and quality control procedures through NHBC guidance and wider industry awareness.”
Mr Barr concluded:  “I have welcomed the opportunity of chairing Jon’s Scholarship Panel. The report is a credit to Jon, his colleagues at the NHBC, and the CIOB. I join other members of the panel in wishing Jon every success in his career, which can only be enhanced by his scholarship work.”

Saleem Akram, Director of Construction, Innovation and Development at the CIOB, said: “On behalf of the CIOB and the Faculty of Building Control and Standards, it gives me enormous pleasure to congratulate Jon Behan, of NHBC, on completion of the joint scholarship, and for his demonstrable dedication and intellect throughout the project. Jon’s research raises a number of thought provoking questions for industry, many of which present further avenues for research. We thank Jon for his contribution to the field of research, and wish him every success in his future career.”