Our Company

H+H UK is the UK’s largest manufacturer of aircrete building products, including the market-leading range of Celcon Blocks.  The company operates three factories in England at Borough Green, Kent (also the site of the Head Office) and two plants at Pollington, East Yorkshire. The company has been operating in the UK for 75 years and employs some 200.

Aircrete is a widely used building material in UK construction: its lightweight design, flexibility of use and inherent thermal efficiency make it ideal for the construction of all building types.  Historically associated mainly with private sector housing, H+H enjoys longstanding relationships with the major house builders such and the strength of these relationships has allowed H+H to collaborate in experimental projects to build increasingly energy efficient homes.

H+H has always been keen to innovate, introducing new building techniques to the UK market – including Thin-Joint systems, now firmly established as a quick and efficient method of house building.

Today, H+H is gaining ground on the back of a general industry move towards sustainable building.  The company places great emphasis on its environmental credentials.    The aircrete products are manufactured using at least 70% recycled waste material and the company strategy has been to focus significant resource on improving its energy efficiency throughout its operations and demonstrating its commitment to environmental issues.

As a result of this strategy the company became, in 2008, the first manufacturer in the construction industry to achieve certification to the Carbon Trust Standard for demonstrating year-on-year reductions in the company’s carbon footprint. H+H Aircrete also achieves the highest ‘A’ rating in the Building Research Establishment’s Green Guide and is suitable for meeting all levels of the Code for Sustainable Homes including the zero carbon objective for 2016.

H+H UK operates a certified Environmental Management System (EMS) complying with ISO 14001 at all manufacturing sites.   H+H was one of the first manufacturers in the construction industry to achieve BSI accreditation for its Integrated Management System, which pulls together three individual management systems for environment (SO 14001), quality (ISO 9001) and health and safety (OHSAS 18001).  The EMS is a key part of the Integrated Management System (IMS) which combines quality control and Health and Safety policies.

In September 2009 H+H was awarded Very Good for all products under the BES6001:2008 Responsible Sourcing Initiative from the BRE, being the first company to be awarded Very Good on all sites and for all products

The company’s commitment to sustainability throughout its operations was again recognised in 2010 when it was placed number nine in the Sunday Times ranking of the Best Green Companies, the third time H+H had been placed.  

This commitment to environmental performance is absolutely fundamental to the continued success of H+H UK.  Regulations are driving the building industry to produce ever more energy efficient and sustainable buildings and H+H is right at the heart of the process of innovation that will achieve this end.
 

What is Aircrete?

Aircrete is a lightweight masonry material, combining the strength, durability and thermal efficiency of concrete with the ease of use that comes with a lighter material, easy to cut and work on site. 

The materials used in the manufacture of H+H aircrete are: sand, pulverised fuel ash (PFA), cement, lime and water.  These are combined into a slurry where a small amount of aluminium powder is added to the mix.  This initiates a chemical reaction, generating minute bubbles which form the characteristic aircrete structure and appearance.

When the mixture has partially set, the resultant “cakes” are wire-cut into blocks or panels and transferred into autoclaves for high pressure curing.

The Origins of Aircrete

Originally known as cellular concrete, aerated concrete was first produced in Scandinavia in 1924.  At this time the cellular concrete was made from Portland cement, water and a foaming agent.  After mixing, it was poured directly into the required position on site and used primarily for insulating roof screeds and underground pipe insulation.

In the 1950s Celcon developed the process to manufacture aerated concrete into blocks and Danish scientists added pulverised fuel ash (PFA).  A waste product from coal-fired power stations, the PFA gives the product strength, yet makes it light enough to pick up with one hand.

H+H aircrete manufactured in the UK is traditionally comprised of 80% PFA, giving excellent sustainability credentials as well as great performance.  Sand is also used in the mix and, depending upon the availability of PFA.