Technology & building physics

Project-related type approval vBG: legally secure construction with FAGSI

Building with containers promises speed, flexibility and cost-effectiveness. However, anyone who wants to erect a building in Germany quickly encounters bureaucratic hurdles - especially when it comes to containerised buildings. Building with room units is considered a "non-regulated construction method" in Germany because - unlike solid construction, for example - it is not fully covered by specific technical building regulations or recognised rules of technology. Legal certainty is provided here by a so-called project-related type approval (vBG). It individually verifies the usability of the type of construction for the specific construction project.

In 2022, FAGSI, in close cooperation with the production company ProContain and the ALHO Group's specialist fire protection planning department, was able to obtain the first project-related type approval (vBG) for a container building in Germany. The approval was granted by the Supreme Building Inspectorate of Saxony and relates to a building in the series ProENERGY. FAGSI is the first and only provider to date to have demonstrated the applicability of a containerised construction method for a building through a vBG with the support of the manufacturing plant in a formally completed procedure - and has already done so in several federal states.

FAGSI thus creates planning security for architects and building owners alike. After all, anyone working with a provider who can produce a vBG complies with applicable building law and can therefore guarantee a legally secure utilisation. This is a strategic advantage, especially for construction projects such as schools, day-care centres or temporary administrative buildings.

Responsible for all structural aspects of the building, from preliminary design to the preparation of verifiable structural analysis. Contact person for external structural engineers.

Everything related to thermal and sound insulation: calculation of thermal bridges and component-specific U-values, moisture protection tests, room acoustics tests, and more.

Responsible for building safety in the event of fire, such as recording fire safety information, reviewing and testing fire safety concepts, and providing evidence.

Conception, design, and implementation of electrical engineering systems, from high-voltage current, telecommunications, and information technology systems to lightning protection and grounding systems.

Deals with all requirements relating to technical equipment with mechanical systems for heating, ventilation, and sanitary engineering.

Responsible for the integration, use, maintenance, needs analysis, and further development of our CAD and BIM applications for building modeling.

Preparation of project-specific life cycle assessments, support in the context of DGNB and BNB certifications, analysis, evaluation, and implementation of legal and normative requirements.

Planning the building envelope with a wide variety of facade constructions.

FAGSI buildings can consist of up to three storeys and are assembled from standardised modules and containers. Tested type statics are available for all module and container types. These are prefabricated structural calculations that are specially prepared for a standardised component or building type that is used several times in the same or similar form, such as prefabricated houses, garages, carports - or even the FAGSI room units.

The type structural analysis contains all the details of the structural design and verifications for wind and snow loads. It is approved once by structural engineers or authorities and can then be used again and again. As the structural calculations do not have to be created anew for each individual project, the type structural analysis saves time and costs in the planning and approval process. It only applies within defined framework conditions, i.e. certain dimensions, loads or materials, as is usual in the serial production of standardised container and module types at FAGSI. If a customer buys or rents a building from FAGSI that consists of the standardised room units, the type statics can be used without the need for an individual static calculation for this building.

Our technical department ensures that the standardised structural analyses are alwaysup to dateand comply with currentbuilding regulations.

The safety of users is the be-all and end-all. Fire protection concepts ensure that all structural, technical and organisational measures are taken to prevent the spread of fire and enable rapid evacuation in the event of a fire. Container buildings pose a challenge in terms of fire protection when it comes to approval planning. As there is no regular abZ (general building authority approval) or aBG (general type approval), approval in individual cases (ZiE) for the container construction product and a vBG for the container building type are required for every construction project. FAGSI is currently the only supplier of containers to have a vBG.

The procedure for obtaining the FSC is not to be confused with a real fire test as used by other manufacturers. Real fire tests are based on non-standardised test conditions, meaning that the rightly strict requirements of the building regulations cannot be met. The vBG, on the other hand, represents a fully-fledged building authority approval of the entire construction type in the specific application. In contrast to real fire tests, all requirements of the building regulations are met on the basis of standardised test conditions and therefore offer comprehensive legal certainty.

Physical properties of FAGSI buildings

Building physicsanalyses how physical influences such as heat, sound, air or moisture affect buildings and what measures are required to ensure optimum protection. The aim is to create a cosy, safe and long-lasting indoor climate using suitable constructions.

Container buildingsalso fulfil all the requirements placed on modern buildings in this respect. Whether an office, school, daycare centre, medical facility or residential solution - the building's physical properties in terms ofthermal insulation, sound insulation and fire protectionmeet the specified standards. Thanks to appropriate construction and finishing techniques, container buildings easily achieve the prescribed values and can therefore be used in all areas of application.

Regardless of the intended use, container buildings fulfil the applicable, country-specific standards and therefore offer the same safety and quality in terms of building physics as conventional construction methods.

Temporary buildings from FAGSI fulfil all the important building physics properties.

Thermal insulation refers to all structural and technical measures that serve to reduce the flow of heat between the inside of the building and the outside world. The aim is to keep the heat inside the building in winter and the heat outside in summer. This can save energy for heating and cooling and create a consistently pleasant indoor climate.

There are two main types of thermal insulation. Winter thermal insulation ensures that as little heat as possible escapes from the building. Important factors are the insulation of walls, roof and floor, the glazing of windows and the airtightness of the building envelope to prevent heat loss through draughts. Summer thermal insulation, on the other hand, prevents rooms from heating up too much in summer. This is achieved by sun protection measures such as roller shutters, blinds or special glazing, ventilation concepts such as night ventilation and insulation that also protects against heat.

Since 2020, the energy planning of buildings in Germany has been governed by the Building Energy Act (GEG), which has replaced the previous regulations of the EnEV, EnEG and EEWärmeG. It specifies the energy requirements that heated or cooled buildings must fulfil in order to reduce energy requirements while ensuring a healthy indoor climate.Interim solutions with a useful life of up to two years are not subject to the GEG; however, from a medium-term utilisation of more than 24 months, the law must also be taken into account when planning temporary buildings. Corresponding evidence must be submitted during the building application process. The FAGSI ProENERGY system was developed specifically for the requirements of the GEG, which reliably fulfils all energy requirements and guarantees maximum efficiency with minimum energy consumption.

The heat transfer coefficient (U-value) is particularly relevant for compliance with the GEG. It describes the amount of heat that is transferred per unit of time through 1 m² of a component at a temperature difference of 1 Kelvin. In lightweight steel constructions, as is typical for containers and modules, the U-value is calculated in accordance with DIN 10211 in order to correctly take into account the effect of the different thermal conductivities of materials such as insulation and steel frames. FEM calculations (finite element method) are used for this purpose.

Sound insulation is a key issue in building acoustics and ensures that common rooms are reliably protected from disturbing noises - be it noise from neighbouring rooms, building services or from outside. Thestate building regulationsstipulate minimum requirements for this, which serve to protect health. In particularly noisy areas, such as classrooms or offices, increased sound insulation can also be agreed in order to create more comfort.

DIN 4109-1:2018defines the requirement values for minimum sound insulation in so-called "rooms in need of protection", i.e. rooms for permanent occupancy. These include living rooms and bedrooms, patient rooms in hospitals, classrooms and offices. The aim is to protect people from unreasonable noise pollution.

Protection against noise from outside also plays an important role in sound insulation.DIN 4109-1: Sound insulation in buildingsspecifies minimum requirements that relate to the installed components such as walls and doors. In practice, thesound insulation of external wallsis usually significantly higher, provided that windows, doors and ventilation systems are professionally installed.

The effectiveness against external noise depends in particular on theglazing, the frame, the quality of the installationand additional components such as ventilation systems or roller shutter boxes. With FAGSI room units, manufactured by our sister companyProContain, attention is paid tohigh-quality materials and precise workmanship. Regularquality controlsensure that both our container buildings and our modular buildings are optimally protected against external noise.

As temporary office buildings, schools, day-care centres and residential accommodation with a service life of more than 24 months are also subject to approval,proof of sound insulationmust be provided as part of the building application.FAGSI buildingsfulfil these requirements as a matter of course and thus ensure that users are optimally protected from noise.

Moisture protection includes all structural measures that prevent moisture such as rain, snow, splash water, ground moisture and pressing groundwater that rises in cellars, for example, from penetrating the building from the outside. On the other hand, it prevents moisture such as water vapour, which is produced when cooking, showering or breathing, as well as water from leaking pipes or appliances, from accumulating in the building. Targeted moisture protection measures are designed to prevent structural damage, mould growth and health risks and to maintain the thermal insulation and load-bearing capacity of the building.

The design of our modules and containers ensures that moisture cannot penetrate the structure. All relevant DIN standards regarding the sealing of structures in the area of floors, roofs and walls as well as components in contact with the ground are of course complied with. The use of dry construction materials in the interior also ensures that the buildings are ready for immediate occupancy and that building moisture cannot develop in the first place.

On average, people spend up to 90% of the day indoors. Indoor air hygiene therefore plays a key role in general well-being and preventive health protection . This term refers to the quality of the air indoors and the measures taken to keep this air healthy and low in pollutants. It is particularly important in residential buildings, schools, offices and other common rooms, as people often spend many hours there every day.

Targeted measures to improve indoor air hygiene help to prevent respiratory diseases, allergies and other health complaints, increase well-being and the ability to concentrate and at the same time prevent moisture damage and mould growth. Important influencing factors here are humidity, temperature, air exchange and air circulation.

In this context, pollutants released into the room air by building materials, wall and floor coverings and furniture are crucial. Only quality-tested and low-emission materials are used in the production of FAGSI's temporary buildings. The VOC and TVOC values in the modular or container building are well below the relevant guideline values and usual indoor air concentrations. This has been confirmed time and again in measurements by independent test centres.

What is an aBG?

The general type approval ( aBG ) certifies that a type of construction can be used permanently under specified conditions. It is issued centrally by the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt) in Berlin and sets extremely high requirements.

What is a vBG?

The project-related type approval (vBG) is currently an alternative to aBG: It allows container manufacturers, in consultation with the highest building supervisory authority in the respective federal state, to have a specific container design approved for a specific construction project - including the submission of a comprehensive fire protection certificate.

What is a ZiE?

In contrast to aBG or vBG, the approval in individual cases (ZiE) does not refer to the construction method, but to a specific construction product. In the FAGSI example, it therefore does not apply to the container or modular construction method, but to the container or module itself.

Which container rental company offers a vBG?

FAGSI is currently the first and only provider that has already demonstrated the applicability of its container construction method in several federal states by means of a formally completed procedure.

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