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According to the 2019 KPMG/ Future Analytics report Economic analysis of productivity in the Irish construction sector, the unique attributes of the Irish construction industry relative to other sectors include its sectoral and regional split, fragmentation of firms across a wide number of micro and small companies, slow uptake of new technologies, varying construction processes and projects, and associated difficulties make it difficult to measure productivity and activity accurately. A cultural emphasis on “client versus supplier” and an inclination for sector participants to operate on a silo basis add to these challenges. The report concluded that these features, combined with the continuing consequences from recession and specific sector challenges, contributed to its low productivity levels.
Following the report’s publication, several cross-sector initiatives were undertaken to modernise the sector by addressing, once and for all, productivity and efficiency issues, moving it out of boom-bust cycles, and putting it on to a basis where stakeholders collaborate to achieve mutually beneficial goals.
In this issue of Irish Construction News, we look at a number of these initiatives to see how far the sector has come since the publication of the 2019 KPMG/Future Analytics report.
The Chair of the CSG Innovation Subgroup PJ Rudden discusses how the recently established Build Digital Project and Construction Technology Centre, as well as the Construction Professionals Skillnet, will help develop the skills and resources to ensure that all companies, no matter what size, can modernise their operations and be facilitated to achieve their own developmental ambitions.
As Clancy celebrates its 75th year in business, managing director John O’Shaughnessy discusses how the Tipperarybased contractor has become a leading proponent of using modern construction methods and processes to deliver fast-track construction projects for clients.
Vincent Bruen, Managing Director, CJK Engineering, discusses how CJK’s
strategic acquisition of McGrattan & Kenny during the pandemic has enabled the M&E contractor to open up new markets and create new opportunities with existing clients.
We continue our series of articles on the Irish Green Building Council’s #BuildingLife campaign and look at the newly published Building a Zero Carbon Ireland: A Roadmap to Decarbonise Ireland’s Built Environment across its Whole Life Cycle. The IGBC’s Marion Jammet sets out the key elements of the roadmap and explains the route the sector must take to halve its carbon footprint by 2030.
Susie Crawford, ESG Manager, Cairn Homes plc, and #BuildingLife Ambassador, discusses how Cairn’s ESG policy informs its operations and how the housebuilder is innovating in the sustainability space.
We learn about the newly-established offsite industry body, MMC Ireland, and its aim to ensure that the right conditions are in place for the sector to meet the needs of Housing for All and the National Development Plan. We also report from the first AGM of the Build Digital Project, an integrated academic/industry body that will be key to the adoption and evolution of BIM in Ireland.
In our case study, we look at the work of Stewart Construction on Dublin Airport Central 1, where the contractor used BIM 4D technology and lean processes to deliver a Grade-A LEED Gold standard and WELLcertified building for its client DAA.
Elsewhere, we have all the latest construction and engineering news and analysis.
Please take a moment to scan the QR code below and sign up for our free e-newsletter. And, if there are any issues or stories you would like to see featured in Irish Construction News, email me at robbie@foundationmedia.ie
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Some of Ireland’s best-known construction brands are among the founding members of new industry body, MMC Ireland, which has been established to represent those involved in the planning, design, procurement or delivery of offsite and other modern methods of construction (MMC) in Ireland.
In response to delivery challenges, the Irish government has committed to enabling a more efficient and sustainable approach to the design, construction and operation of buildings. The new body states that MMC will play a vital role in helping the government meet ambitious targets set out under both the National Development Plan and the National Planning Framework, and increasing MMC adoption is critical to the post-pandemic recovery of Ireland’s built environment, economy and communities.
MMC Ireland is a collaboration of industry talent and experience, working in partnership to gather insights, and the team will work closely with stakeholders from the public and private sectors and academia to ensure those insights feed into relevant policymaking.
The genesis of the organisation can be traced back to a gathering in 2019 where the chairman of both Tide Construction and Vision Modular Systems, John Fleming, inspired the industry with a vision of ‘Rebuilding Ireland through Modular Construction’.
Speaking about the launch of MMC Ireland, co-founder Arthur O’Brien, Managing Director, C+W O’Brien Architects, commented, “Having been involved in the design of MMC projects for several years, I am acutely aware of the challenges project owners face and these challenges are best tackled together. Arthur O’Brien said. “I have been humbled by the strength and knowledge base of the founding members in recent months, and by harnessing this strength and knowledge, we can drive this sector forward.”
The newly-elected members’ board includes Declan Wallace, Evolusion Innovation; Pat Kirwan, C+W O’Brien Architects; Tony McLoughlin, Glenveagh Properties plc; Eoin Waldron, Castle Modular; Ger Fahey, Horizon Offsite Ltd; Richard Walsh, O’Dwyer Steel; and Kevin Loftus, Cairn Homes plc.
Speaking at the announcement of the new board, Declan Wallace, CEO, Evolusion Innovation, emphasised that the overarching objectives of the body are to develop and promote Ireland’s MMC sector in order to build knowledge and awareness of the products and systems on offer in Ireland. “Moreover, our members – through engagement with all stakeholders, including relevant government departments and building control authorities – are committed to ensuring a regulatory environment that addresses compliance, testing, certification, quality and other obstacles to MMC adoption.”
Head of MMC Delivery at C+W O’Brien Architects Pat Kirwan added, “It has been proven that MMC can lead to more efficient and effective construction methodologies, which help to reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment. Through the establishment of MMC Ireland, the construction industry now has a shared voice to develop a coordinated response to the many challenges we face, such as a severe housing crisis and climate change.”
In addition to the aforementioned board members, founding members of MMC
Ireland include Clancy, NorDan Vinduer, Peppard Investments Limited, John Sisk & Son Ltd, Xtratherm, Errigal, Arc Engineering Ltd, Vision-Built, John Paul Construction, CarlowBuild, Actavo, Framespace Solutions, ABM Design and Build Ltd, Procon Modular, LMC Group Ltd, Mac Zero Modular Buildings, Hines Ireland, HLM Architects, Saint-Gobain Ireland, Platt Reilly, CPAC Modular, Rothoblaas srl, PETRUF Consulting Structural Engineers, Steelframe (part of Montane Developments) and Visor MMC.
Construction in Ireland, and indeed globally, is in transition at present. Innovation and collaboration will be key to building a more effective and sustainable sector. MMC Ireland, as an industry representative body, has the ability to collaborate with all key stakeholders and governmental bodies, including the recently established Construction Technology Centre and the MMC Innovation and Demonstration Park.
MMC Ireland encompasses the seven established categories of MMC, namely: volumetric modular, structural panelised, offsite components, additive manufacture, non-structural assembles and sub-assembles, offsite building material improvements and onsite process improvement.
To learn more about MMC Ireland, visit www.mmcireland.ie or scan the QR code
Leading construction firms launch MMC Ireland to champion the development of modern methods of construction In IrelandL-r: Declan Wallace, Evolusion Innovation; Arthur O’Brien, C+W O’Brien Architects; and Pat Kirwan, C+W O’Brien Architects.
The last stage of the assessment process for the Towards NetZero Ireland Awards 2022 has now been completed, with 13 projects across six primary categories making it on to the final shortlist. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in the RDS Concert Hall on Friday, 18 November 2022.
The Towards NetZero Ireland Awards were devised to help drive the net-zero concept and to acknowledge and support those showing leadership in the net-zero arena during this transitionary stage.
The scale of the net-zero challenge is undeniably daunting, but the number and quality of the submissions entered for the awards demonstrate that the construction sector in Ireland is 100% committed to the net-zero objective.
It also confirmed that all disciplines within the sector, be it architecture, building services engineering or construction, are fully aware of the role they each have to play and of the need for them to work together to achieve net zero status.
Industry sponsors of the awards are Ecological Building Systems, Forbo, Kingspan Panels, Reynaers Aluminium and Soprema, while media sponsors are Architecture Ireland, Irish Construction News and Building Services Engineering.
The shortlisted finalists are:
• ESB Offices, Commercial Block, BDP
• Gas Networks Ireland Services Centre, Denis Byrne Architects
• Wren Hotel, BDP
• Robert Bourke Architects
• Highfield Park, DTA Architects
• Kilbride Court, Coady Architects
• Jameson Heights, ClearyDoyle
• Tomás O’Leary, MosArt
• Jason Smith, Lawler Sustainability
• Tom Johnson House, Lawler Sustainability
• Donegal Town Garda Station, Rhatigan Architects
• The Willows, Peter Nickels Architects
• Dockline (New Century House refurb, IFSC), Axiseng.
The first annual conference of the Build Digital Project took place on 26 October. The conference showcased the progress of the programme in its first year.
The Build Digital Project is working to transform the Irish construction and built environment sectors by enabling all stakeholders, particularly SMEs, clients, and suppliers, to develop, maintain, and continuously improve their capabilities as digitally enabled, standards-based, agile, collaborative, and sustainable participants in the delivery of Project Ireland 2040.
In his keynote address, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath spoke about the progress being made by the Build Digital Project, commenting, “Since November last year, the Build Digital project has made significant progress, despite many challenges. I am happy to see the Build Digital Project team with 58 industry experts across the five important pillars of (1) Digital Leadership & Cultural Change, (2) Digital Standards, (3) Digital Education and Training, (4) Digital Procurement, and (5) Sustainability and Circular Economy. The Build Digital Project is driving innovation, which is supporting the delivery of Project Ireland 2040, strengthening the sector’s capability to meet national, EU, and
international sustainability and circular economy targets. “
The conference was opened with an address from the Industry Lead Pat Lucey, who said, “The Build Digital Project presents a unique opportunity for positive change in construction; collaboration is embedded at all levels, the deliverables are reviewed annually to ensure alignment with the project objectives, and, critically, it has the certainty of grant funding for five years.”
Build Digital Project director Dr Clare Eriksson spoke about the strength of the collaborative partnership of bringing together government, industry and academia to deliver the Build Digital Project’s objective
of delivering increased digital adoption across the entire Irish construction and built environment sector.
Other presenters included PJ Rudden, Chair, CSG Innovation and Digital Adoption Subgroup; Robert Moore, Project Lead; Pillar chairs Ted McKenna (MTU), Barry McAuley (TU Dublin), Ken Thomas (SETU), Alan Hore (TU Dublin) and James O’Donnell (UCD).
Industry speakers were Aonghus O’Keeffe (Roughan O’Donovan), Stephen Foley (Collen Construction), Aidan Bermingham (Irish Rail), Sarah Ingle (ACEI), Bernard Pierce (HSE Estates), Janet Lynch (ARUP) and Eileen Faherty (Modula).
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John Paul Construction has announced a strategic partnership with Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) to develop Design + Construct, a centre for collaborative, multidisciplinary education that will drive performance in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector through talent and technology.
John Paul Construction has donated €150,000 to support TU Dublin’s inaugural capital campaign, ‘Transforming Tomorrow’, a €30m fundraising initiative.
Building on a century of delivering applied and practical education for the AEC sector, Design + Construct will leverage TU Dublin’s expertise to address critical modern construction challenges, including building performance, energy-efficient design and the digitisation of the construction process.
The announcement follows a range of John Paul Construction initiatives to encourage future talent, including creating a graduate development programme to help recruits build the right blend of personal, professional and technical skills required to reach their full potential. The company also recently became the first building contractor to be awarded the Retain, Invest, Sustain, Engage (RISE) Corporate Support Scheme badge by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and holds the Engineers Ireland CPD Accredited Employer standard.
Commenting on the programme, Liam Kenny, Managing Director, John Paul Construction, said, “I am delighted to announce our continued support of the TU Dublin Transforming Tomorrow initiative. We have been involved in this initiative since 2019, and it has significantly increased our understanding of the incredible work undertaken by TU Dublin in developing the next generation of talent for the Irish and international construction sectors. As a contractor, our success is totally a function
of the skillset, knowledge and experience of the professionals working for us. I have no doubt that investing in this excellent TU Dublin initiative will yield significant results for both John Paul Construction and the construction industry generally, well into the future.”
Welcoming John Paul Construction’s support, the president of TU Dublin, Professor David FitzPatrick, said, “I am delighted to have this opportunity to thank John Paul Construction for this very generous support of our Transforming Tomorrow philanthropic campaign and Design + Construct, which will provide education and research facilities critical to the next generation of AEC graduates. Today’s announcement builds on the introduction of the John Paul Construction Student Excellence Award in 2020, which recognises the student with the highest academic result from Year 2 of Quantity Surveying and Construction Economics.
“On a personal note, particularly because the company was founded in 1949 by my grandfather, John Paul, I am very proud to be able to count John Paul Construction as a key supporter of our Transforming Tomorrow campaign.”
According to Orna Hanly, Design + Construct Project Lead, the centre is a new way of teaching for the AEC sector, requiring a new type of space. “With the support of our partners, TU Dublin will deliver a flexible, adaptable facility that can
be changed and altered to meet the sector’s needs. The types of activities planned require large unencumbered floor space, tripleheight, clear span, and wide openings for easy RIRO (roll in, roll out) of equipment and to allow for the construction of large learning environments. The building will be a ‘living’ AEC laboratory, an exemplar for the sector, encompassing best practices in sustainable design and construction.”
TU Dublin purchased a 3.25-hectare site at Broombridge in 2011 to complement its Grangegorman and Bolton Street facilities. The site is located immediately adjacent to the Luas cross-city terminus at Broombridge, just two stops from the Grangegorman campus.Currently, it accommodates a fullsize all-weather, floodlit sports pitch. The site at Broombridge also includes a largescale, derelict warehouse to be repurposed, offering 6,200 sq metres of high-tech, flexible and adaptable space upon completion.
The facility will be a collaborative, multidisciplinary learning resource for students across all levels and disciplines, from apprenticeship to doctoral research, as well as providing research facilities critical to the next generation of AEC graduates in technologies such as off-site and modular construction, near zero energy building, and robotic construction.
For over four decades Grant’s innovative heating solutions have been helping to address the need to reduce carbon emissions, whilst contributing towards a greener future. Following the company’s launch of its award winning HVO biofuel compatible Grant Vortex condensing boiler the company has largely transformed into a renewable heating technology manufacturer.
Currently, Grant’s diverse renewable product portfolio includes ranges of biofuel ready condensing boilers, condensing pellet boilers, solar thermal panels, underfloor heating, hot water cylinders, aluminium radiators, and air to water air source heat pumps. As the average cost of living and annual heating spend continue to rise, it is now more important than ever for those in the construction trade to easily avail of its highly sustainable and efficient heating technologies. This offers reassurance to those working in the construction industry that projects are as efficient as possible for their customers.
The Grant Spira Pell condensing wood pellet boiler utilises indigenous wood pellets to offer a truly renewable heating solution, which in turn will deliver ultra-efficient and cost effective results for homeowners.
The Spira Pell range is made using high grade steel and stainless steel, with the same simplicity of operation of any boiler type and is available in outputs from 5kW to 33kW. The model is easily installed and offers optimal control with an easy-to-use touch screen which provides clear and accurate information on the systems daily operations.
on a heating upgrade project in an already existing property. Upgrading an older boiler to a Grant Vortex condensing boiler will help improve efficiency and save on annual fuel costs. In fact, depending on the age and make of a property’s current boiler, upgrading to a Grant Vortex could help save over 25%* a year on heating bills.
Grant’s award-winning Vortex range can now also be fuelled by a renewable alternative to fossil fuels – 100% HVO biofuel. The Vortex range’s biofuel compatibility is thereby preparing properties for the introduction of renewable biofuel blends**.
The main heat source of choice for new build properties and developments throughout Ireland, the Grant Aerona3 R32 air-to-water, air source heat pump, has an ErP rating of A+++ and and a SCOP of up to 5.4:1, the Aerona3 ensures efficiencies of up to 97% which can help homeowners save more on their annual fuel bills.
The Grant Aerona3 is available in outputs of 6kW, 10kW, 13kW and 17kW and can provide both heat and hot water to the household. The 13kW and 17kW models are also recognised for their quiet operation by the internationally acclaimed Quiet Mark.
The Aerona3 heat pump can work in tandem with Grant’s other heating
This wood pellet heating system is an alternative to biofuel, for those who want to go completely ‘green’. However, it’s important to keep in mind that like all heating technologies certain solutions are more suitable for some properties over others. Given the high space requirement needed for a Spira Pell boiler model compared with conventional fossil fuel boilers, small urban properties are highly unlikely to be able to accommodate a larger biomass boiler, hopper and buffer vessel. Therefore, these property types are better suited to other renewable heating technologies, like the Grant A+++ Aerona3 R32 air to water air source heat pump.
The Grant Vortex range is the most economical heating choice for those working
This adaptability means that builder can have peace of mind from knowing that when installing a new Grant Vortex condensing boiler it will be suitable for use with future biofuel blends whilst still providing the reliability and efficiency that is synonymous with Grant and helping towards the move to a zero-carbon future.
In addition to renewable main heat sources, Grant also provides a range of highly sustainable supporting technologies which include pre-plumbed and integrated hot water cylinders, heat emitters including Uflex underfloor heating and Afinia aluminium radiators and smart heating controls.
Visit www.grant.eu for more information on Grant’s Integrated Heating Packages for New Builds and range of innovative heating solutions. Follow Grant on Facebook and Twitter @GrantIRL or Instagram @Grant_IRL.
*Depending on age and make of boiler **Depending on type of biofuel and % blend
The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s (DPER’s) 2019 report
Economic analysis of productivity in the Irish construction sector, prepared by KPMG/Future Analytics, set out seven priority actions that needed to be implemented in the context of delivering the National Development Plan (NDP).
These actions were seen as key to achieving the modernisation of the Irish construction industry, bringing it on par with more efficient sectors, such as IT and manufacturing. They were also considered essential interventions to enable the construction sector to achieve the massive carbon-emission reductions required, a 51% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
Following the report’s publication, the Construction Sector Group (CSG), comprising government and industry representatives, set up the Innovation and Digital Adoption Subgroup to implement the
seven priority actions. The CSG appointed PJ Rudden, former president of Engineers Ireland, as chairperson of the subgroup to oversee the implementation of the actions. The seven priority actions are:
1. Establish construction research needs
2. Identify funding sources for future innovation, eg circular economy in construction
3. Guide the development of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC)
4. Establish a Construction Technology Centre (CTC) as a national research centre of excellence
5. Establish a digital network under the Construction Professional Skillnet Ireland
6. Digitise the planning permission application system
7. Establish and fund a Build Digital Project (BDP) for BIM and digital adoption
Following the launch of the government’s Housing for All strategy and Climate Action Plan, an eighth all-encompassing action was added to prioritise sustainability and housing delivery as key elements of every priority.
Having held its first meeting in September 2020, the Innovation and Digital Adoption Subgroup has made enormous progress in the past two years in addressing the seven priorities, with much of this achieved during a period when Covid-19 restrictions were in place.
Subgroup chair PJ Rudden says there had been attempts over the years to address some issues contained in the seven priorities. One example of this was the digitisation of the planning process, but all of the priority actions required a properly resourced focused project management approach to deliver. He says they are now receiving this under the leadership of the CSG Innovation and Digital Adoption Team, which comprises some 300 experts from different
fields across the sector.
“This was made possible by the fact that there was a recognition at government and industry level that the sector needed to be modernised as a matter of urgency to deliver on the National Development Plan.” PJ Rudden explains. “And while we have achieved much in the past two years, it has not all been easy, as we needed to be innovative and agile at every step. We now have increasing momentum, which has the necessary support across all government departments, and the Project Ireland 2040 Delivery Board is also overseeing this.”
The three principal work streams are the Build Digital Project, the National Construction Technology Centre, and Modern Methods of Construction.
In November 2021, the DPER announced that a consortium led by TU Dublin with CitA (Construction IT Alliance) as co-applicant and partners Atlantic Technological University, Munster Technological University, University College Dublin, and South East Technological University, had been awarded €2.5m in funding over a five-year period to establish and deliver the BDP.
The BDP was launched in April by Michael McGrath TD, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform at TU Dublin’s Grangegorman campus. It aims to ensure that world-class digital practices, which already exist in some aspects of the construction sector, are adopted throughout the industry and supply chain to create a more sustainable and innovative sector from top to bottom and vice versa. The BDP will achieve this goal by providing guidance and leadership on the digital tools, standards, procurement approaches, and education and training required by the sector.
In July of this year, the DPER announced the awarding of €2.5m funding, with €2.5m matching funding from the construction sector, for a national construction technology centre to a consortium led by the University of Galway with support from Enterprise Ireland. The centre will be hosted at the University of Galway and includes partner institutions Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, University College Cork and the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC).
The CTC aims to accelerate research and innovation within the construction sector. This will be achieved, according to the centre, “by bringing together the whole value chain to accelerate people-centric innovation in construction and the built environment that drives the transition towards a sustainable society and economy, relying on the active engagement of its members and a European network of innovation clusters”.
The new CTC award to the University of Galway and partner colleges was launched by Tánaiste Leo Varadkar TD in late July.
PJ Rudden explains that while these two centres have different objectives, their work is interlinked.
“The BDP and CTC are two critical priorities, and much cross-sector work went into their establishment. We also added a requirement for an MMC Demonstration Park after the Housing for All plan launch last year. This park is scheduled to be in place next year at the National Construction Training Centre at Mount Lucas in Co Offaly.”
He continues, “The BDP has just held its first annual conference in October. It has also completed its inaugural annual baseline survey to discover where the industry is in
terms of BIM adoption and development.”
He adds, “The CTC is still in its set-up phase but is moving quickly towards being fully operational. It will be funded jointly by Enterprise Ireland and contractors/ consultants who want research carried out to improve and validate their project processes. Contractors can go to the CTC and ask questions about areas they want to develop and then use the research to drive innovation in their projects. It has extensive research resources with a national and international network of research bodies to facilitate its work. It will prioritise R&D uptake, particularly by tier-two contractors and subcontractors/suppliers, with an emphasis on SME involvement.”
PJ Rudden believes it is essential that the Irish construction sector as a whole is facilitated to rapidly adopt and move up through the seven levels of BIM adoption.
“BIM level 2D emerged first 10 years ago. The UK government mandated it for contractors on public contracts from 2016. BIM has not been mandated for public contracts here yet, but this was flagged to happen in the National Development Plan. I, therefore, expect that there will be moves in this area, starting with larger projects, in the next year. Whether it’s going to be level 3D or higher is unclear at this time. But, if we are serious about achieving greater efficiency and halving carbon emissions by 2030, we need to get to level 7D BIM as quickly as possible, if we are to drive the productivity and sustainability gains that are now needed.”
He explains that BIM 2D is twodimensional, with level 3D being volumetric. “BIM 3D is the minimum BIM-enabled skill required for integrated project management, but we need to go further.”
He continues, “BIM 4D addresses scheduling and timing of projects, 5D is about managing project estimates and costs. 6D addresses embodied carbon and project life cycle information, while BIM 7D covers the structure’s or building’s life cycle and asset management, including the operational costs of energy, transport and carbon emissions of the building during its entire operational lifetime.
“For us to address the sector’s carbon emission reductions challenge, the sector must operate at BIM level 7D. The BDP will be the key to the industry getting to those higher levels of BIM over the coming years, but before that happens, we need to get to the point where the government mandates BIM for public projects over a certain threshold value.
“Construction sectors in other countries with higher levels of BIM adoption, particularly northern European countries, have greater productivity and sustainability
levels than Ireland because of the extent of construction digitisation in these countries. So, the quicker we adopt higher levels of BIM, the greater the productivity and sustainability gains that will be achieved.”
According to Rudden, Priority 5 (Establish a digital network under the Construction Professionals Skillnet) will play an essential part in ensuring that existing personnel are upskilled in the latest digital construction skills.
“The Construction Professionals Skillnet (CP Skillnet) has been very successful at driving innovation and introducing new upskilling opportunities into the sector. This will now complement the work of the BDP and CTC by providing new training for people already working in the sector.”
PJ Rudden applauds the work currently being carried out by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and SOLAS in addressing equality, diversity and inclusion in construction education and training. He is particularly excited about reforms in the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), which will provide clearer paths for apprentices to move in a structured way through the various NFQ levels.
“We all know that there are not enough skilled people across all levels of the sector, and there are not enough young women entering the industry. The government, state bodies and sector bodies have done a
lot in recent times to address issues around equality, diversity and inclusion. I want to highlight here, in particular, changes being made in the area of apprenticeships.
“The number of registered apprenticeships is increasing in some traditional fields, while also in other new popular emerging fields. Apprenticeships should be seen as an entry point to a lifelong developing career that can lead to any level of qualification. As a result of changes being made to the apprenticeship system in this country, there is now a greater mix of in-class and practical learning for apprentices, which is being supported by our technological universities. And once apprentices complete their apprenticeship, there is a clear path for them to follow if they wish to continue their education, to go from NFQ level 4 to right up to doctorate or NFQ level 10. This means that those who choose to take the apprenticeship route to a career are now afforded the same opportunities as students who go directly into third-level education.
“These routes are now included in the CAO process moving from second-level to third-level education, and I look forward to the establishment of Further Education and Training (FET) colleges by SOLAS and the Education and Training Boards so that in future, all second-level students, regardless of NFQ level, will be ‘going to college’.
PJ Rudden says that when the government mandates BIM for public contracts and with the acceleration of MMC usage, it will be reconfiguring its forms of contract to facilitate the collaborative adoption of BIM
and MMC, working together in tandem to speed up construction, reduce costs, reduce construction waste and create a new nextgeneration construction industry.
“For BIM mandates to work, contracts will need to be reconfigured to take account of the greater need for collaboration on public projects required because BIM is, of its nature, a collaborative process.
“In addition, the Office of Public Works (OPW) and the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) intend to implement green procurement as part of its planning process in the future. For this to happen effectively, it will need 6D BIM to assess designs based on low-carbon and netzero carbon in future tenders. So, we must progress quickly through the various BIM levels for this to happen.”
In closing, he comments that much has been achieved in the past two years, and there will be further substantial progress in the years ahead. But he warns, “At this stage, we can’t afford to stand still, or we will move backwards. We have to maintain momentum and increasingly move forward. Through the ongoing work in the Construction Sector Group with government and industry working and the Innovation and Digital Adoption Subgroup working at the coalface, we can continue to work together to provide the essential housing and infrastructure needed to accommodate the anticipated one million more people living in Ireland, as set out in the ambitions of Project Ireland 2040 and National Development Plan,” PJ Rudden concludes.
Clancy Construction, which celebrates 75 years in business this year, began its digital transition 10 years ago with the introduction of BIM into its operational set-up.
In the intervening years, the Tipperaryheadquartered contractor, through its work with the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), South East Technical University (SETU) and other colleges and universities and industry bodies, has been at the forefront of driving change in Irish construction and engaging with young people to encourage them to pursue construction careers.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, Clancy was quick to react, moving its teams to remote working, and building on the relationships it had nurtured with its supply chain over many years, which enabled it to deliver an essential 24-bed medical facility for HSE in just 14 weeks from concept to handover. This was the first of several fast-track facilities it would complete during 2020 and 2021.
Managing director John O’Shaughnessy begins by explaining how the company responded to the Covid-19 crisis, “As a business, we assessed the opportunities and threats that Covid-19 presented in early 2020, then we adapted and managed our business around this. By doing this, we put
ourselves in a position to put on the green jersey and help the HSE fight Covid-19. It needed hospital space quickly, and that drove us and our supply chain on. We delivered because we had already integrated BIM, lean and offsite construction into our operations. We also, most essentially, have five core values that we apply in everything that we
do. All of this combined created a working environment that facilitated collaboration and project success.”
Clancy’s five core values are ‘Safety’, ‘Quality’, Professionalism ‘Commitment/ Loyalty’, and ‘Partnership/Teamwork’.
“Our core values dictate our decisionmaking every day,” O’Shaughnessy explains.
“We all have a responsibility to change how we build
make our sector, as a whole, more sustainable”Bandon Road Student Accommodation, Cork. St Patrick’s Cathedral Restoration, Dublin.
“For instance, under the Safety value, every day we ask ourselves what is the level of risk involved in any task and how can we mitigate against it. Likewise, for Quality and the other values, we each ask ourselves if are we doing what is best to meet the requirements for this value. This thinking is instilled throughout the Clancy organisation. And, while I am not saying we are perfect at this all the time, we have greatly benefited from this approach, and each team member is guided by these core values in their work every day.”
He continues, “We see Clancy Construction as being one of the leading contractors in Ireland in terms of technology utilisation, innovation, lean construction practices and employing modern methods of construction (MMC) and offsite manufacturing effectively,” he explains. “We have a track record to show this, and we always strive to be the best-in-class in relation to delivering quality projects on time, safely and to our clients’ satisfaction.
“We have achieved this to date by collaborating in a real way not just with clients but with all project stakeholders, including the design team and our full supply chain and subcontractors, as well as local communities.”
Clancy’s ability to innovate and deliver
complex projects with minimal delay is why it was recently selected for Enterprise Ireland Built to Innovate funding under the government’s Housing for All programme.
“We were delighted to be awarded the Built to Innovate funding. It is an acknowledgement of our achievements in the past few years. Most importantly, It will enable us to continue to upskill in the use of lean and digital technology and further improve our efficiency.”
O’Shaughnessy references the recently completed 554-bed Bandon Road Student Accommodation project in Cork, a project of which he is very proud. The model of construction used on Bandon Road Student Accommodation meant that an individual apartment block of five to six storeys high was constructed and weatherproofed in 18 weeks, with the internal finishing cycle taking just 16 weeks.
“Bandon Road Student Accommodation is an excellent example of a project being delivered quickly because of collaboration and stakeholder engagement as well as the integration of BIM, MMC and lean processes.
“It was handed over on time for the new academic year and was probably one of very few large-scale student accommodation projects that were handed over on time this year. Most other projects being built
used traditional forms of construction. By specifying a light gauge steel (LGS) frame structure, we were able to move quickly on-site, and we delivered on time despite the challenges of Brexit, Covid-19 and, more recently, the war in Ukraine. The LGS frame erection team, for instance, comprised two crews of four people each to erect the steel frame. These eight erectors put up five and six-storey structures in a number of weeks, whereas a traditional RC frame crew would have required multiple people and take months to complete”.
John O’Shaughnessy believes that it is critical that everyone involved at all levels of construction contributes to and collaborates in reducing the sector’s carbon footprint.
“The evidence of the increasingly severe weather events in the past few years shows this cannot be ignored anymore. We all have a responsibility to change how we build and make our sector, as a whole, more sustainable. While there have been steps taken by many firms in recent years to reduce emissions, the sector as a whole is still facing a steep learning curve if it is to help achieve the country’s Climate Action Plan carbon reduction goals.
“Clancy is now on its own sustainability journey. We will have a comprehensive ESG
“We see Clancy as being one of the leading contractors in Ireland in terms of technology utilisation, innovation and employing modern methods of construction (MMC) and offsite manufacturing effectively”John O’Shaughnessy, Managing Director, Clancy.
policy in place in the near future as part of an overall sustainability strategy. This is something that we have embraced and will address as a team. And, I hope that we will emulate all of our other achievements as a team to date.”
He adds that the ESG policy will guide everything that the company does in the next phase of its development.
“In everything we do going forward, we will consider the environment, governance
and our societal responsibilities in a structured way. By doing this, we will become a more sustainable and sociallyresponsible organisation working to make construction more sustainable and contributing to the development of a better society for the generations to come.”
John O’Shaughnessy is the chair of the CIF Education, Skills and Training Sub-
committee, which advocates and acts for the sector on upskilling the existing workforce, engaging with young people to encourage them to pursue careers in construction and attracting talent from overseas.
“As chair of this sub-committee, I am fully aware of the skills gap and workforce challenges that the industry faces. Ireland is at full employment, which is a great place to be. The Irish construction industry presents enormous opportunities for young people, and skilled construction professionals and trades considering migrating to Ireland or returning home.
“Despite this, we have struggled to attract anywhere near the numbers needed. But, we are competing for the attention of a limited pool of people in what is a very competitive market.
“A key part of the sub-committee’s work has been changing perceptions about construction work. Traditionally, construction was perceived as physically hard and dirty work. But construction has changed, and there are many opportunities in new and exciting fields.
Apprenticeships are also evolving. New apprenticeships are emerging in developing areas all the time. I am delighted to see that apprenticeship numbers are starting to grow again, quite spectacularly in some cases. The electrical, mechanical and carpentry trades are all growing again at the moment. But there are challenges in wet trades. I would like to acknowledge Solas, CIF and our national training centres for their work in this area.
“The key point about an apprenticeship is that it can be a route to a life-long developing career. An apprentice can become a site or construction manager, be their own boss in their own company or sit at a boardroom table. Many go into further education and become engineers, quantity surveyors, etc. The industry has an excellent relationship with universities, and there are many degree programmes that facilitate people to stay and learn within their work.
“We have lots of challenges in the recruitment area. The main thing for the sector is to get in front of second-level students and show them the emerging opportunities.
“The CIF has run a very successful schools competition over the past three years, which has addressed misconceptions about modern construction. This year we’re changing our approach and looking to encourage male and female transition year students to take up two-week placements with construction firms, complete a safe pass programme, and get a taste of what it is like to work for a main contractor, housebuilder or subcontractor. We believe that this will get traction in the next couple of years. There’s been a lot of interest in it to date.”
With the economy and sector heading into what John O‘Shaughnessy describes as some headwinds, he says Clancy’s order book is full for 2022 and 60% full for 2023. After that, he adds it is difficult to know what will happen for the sector as a whole.
“There’s a lot of commentary about the world going into recession. It’s hard to see that it won’t. How long that would last and how deep it would be are the unknowns. There is no doubt there are huge challenges ahead. Anyone in business needs to be careful. Don’t overstretch, focus on your core competencies, focus on what you are good at and do it well, and try and ride out the storm managing as best as you can.
“Like other contractors, we have been
through hard times before, and we have learned from it. So, I am confident of Clancy’s ability to face what lies ahead.”
In closing, John O’Shaughnessy returns to what we discussed at the start of our interview. “Covid 19 was a challenging time for everybody in Ireland, both personally and professionally. It was an especially difficult time for many people. But it was a turning point for our business. We changed how we did things. We adapted quickly and got on with it. We employed lean construction in a spectacular way, as well as MMC. We also used technology effectively and just did things a lot smarter.
“But the other thing that stood out for me and that marked our success and progress was how we incorporated our core values.
Clancy Construction, which celebrates 75 years in business this year, is recognised as one of the most innovative contractors in the country, having incorporated modern methods of construction, digitisation and lean construction practices to enable it to deliver projects in record times.
Carpenter John Clancy founded Clancy Construction in 1947 in Drangan, Co Tipperary. John started out building one-off houses and farm buildings around the local southeast Tipperary and Kilkenny areas.
His three sons, Billy, Gerry and Pat, grew up in the business before taking over its running in the 1980s. They expanded operations, taking on more ambitious, large-scale housing, commercial, leisure, industrial and healthcare developments.
In the 1990s, the family expanded its management team, bringing in external expertise in senior positions for the first time. People who joined the business at this time included John O’Shaughnessy, current managing director, Pierce Phelan and Padraig Leahy. This enabled it to embark on a major expansion of operations, spreading its geographic reach. In 2003, the first group of non-family members were appointed to the board. In 2005, Clancy Construction opened satellite offices in Dublin and Cork and later Limerick to add to its geographic reach, which gave the business an operation area south of a line drawn between Dublin and Galway.
In 2013, John O’Shaughnessy was appointed managing director. The board was also expanded, bringing added energy and expertise.
At this time, the members of the Clancy family stepped back from the day-to-day contracting business to focus on the development of Clancy Homes, which is a key part of overall operations.
Over the past 10 years, Clancy has invested in new technologies and processes, developing its digital construction capabilities. It has a high national profile within Irish construction due to its innovative approach and the leadership role its senior management team has taken in encouraging young people to pursue careers in construction.
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Clancy delivered a number of critical healthcare infrastructural developments in record time by employing a mix of digital construction, MMC and lean technologies, and it processed projects very successfully in line with its core values of ‘Safety’,
We would never have delivered all those projects for the HSE and other clients during Covid-19 if our staff didn’t believe in those core values. We worked safely, produced quality work, were professional in our approach, and we were committed to each project while collaborating with all stakeholders. The commitment people gave and the hours they put in during this period was spectacular. Today, we’re still upskilling and learning as a business. But as a result of how our teams and supply chain responded to Covid-19 in 2020, we have shown ourselves to be an integrated modern construction service that I am proud to be part of,” John O’Shaughnessy concludes.
Clancy has enjoyed significant increases in turnover in recent years, which its managing director attributes in no small way to the adoption of the core values throughout the organisation.
Today, Clancy is a leading influencer and innovator in Irish construction, with vast experience in all sectors of the construction industry throughout Ireland. Its headquarters are still in Drangan, Thurles, Co Tipperary, and it has offices in Dublin and Cork. It most recently was awarded Enterprise Ireland Built to Innovate funding under the government’s Housing for All strategy to undertake an ambitious productivity improvement programme.
Its recent project portfolio includes Bandon Road Student Accommodation, Cork; University Hospital Limerick 24-Bed Fast-Track Isolation Ward; Tallaght Hospital Renal Dialysis Unit; Bloomfield, a multi-phase development of 154 units over 16 acres with Clancy Homes; St Patrick’s Cathedral Restoration, Dublin; Trinity College Dublin Renovation, Whitfield Clinic Waterford for UPMC and a number of social housing projects for Lyonshall Development and Cork City Council.
Clancy’s senior management team comprises John O’Shaughnessy, Managing Director; John Corcoran, Financial Director; Declan Fitzpatrick, Construction Director; Chris Chambers, Dublin Region Director; and Alan Darmody, Commercial Director.
CJK Engineering is one of the few companies in the construction sector to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic stronger and with more employees than entering it. This achievement was due to various factors, but managing director Vincent Bruen places the company’s people at the top of the list.
“Our people are our key competitive differentiator,” he explains. “The people we have in the company are the reason for our success. Many of them have been with the company for over 20 years, and three of the people who came into the business with our recent McGrattan & Kenny acquisition have
been with that firm for over 40 years. These people know our business, our clients and our supply chains. That’s why clients keep coming back to us, and our supply chain continues to work with and support us.”
Founded by Conor Kearney in 1998, CJK Engineering is now a fully integrated services contractor, specialising in electrical, mechanical and instrumentation engineering services. That comprehensive service offering has been enabled by the acquisition of McGrattan & Kenny in 2021, as Bruen explains. “We were a specialist electrical contractor up until that point. We realised we might be missing out on quite a lot of
opportunities because of that narrow focus. Many clients want a single M&E point of contact for their projects. They want a onestop shop for them.
“M&E services contractors are now the lead contractors on many projects. It’s not the main contractor anymore. The old 80:10:10 rule, where 80% of the value of the project was the structure and building fabric, and mechanical and electrical services accounted for 10% each, has been reversed with the lion’s share being taken by M&E on many projects.”
This prompted the decision to offer mechanical engineering services.
He continues, “We initially tried to develop an offering in-house, but we realised
about how the company’s 2021 acquisition of McGrattan & Kenny has placed it in an ideal position to expand into new sectors and markets.
early on that it wasn’t going to work. At the time, we had already been working with McGrattan & Kenny on several projects and had developed a very good working relationship with them. We initially started talking about a partnership arrangement, and that moved on to a full acquisition. We are now that one-stop shop that clients are looking for.”
CJK recently unveiled its [Y]Our Opportunity strategy.
“[Y]Our Opportunity is the pathway to achieve the next phase of growth and development for the company,” Vincent Bruen explains. “It gives us an overview of how we will develop in the years ahead. We have set several goals for ourselves, which
• Expansion of our services and markets
• Leveraging our key strengths, relationships, culture and expertise
• An increased focus on innovation across our operations.
“Prior to the acquisition of McGrattan & Kenny, we were an electrical services contractor, and we have now expanded into mechanical services. We are talking to people who we have worked with for the past 20 years or more and telling them about this new opportunity, which will bring an element of growth. Now, we are fully concentrated on Ireland, but we will begin to expand overseas during the next 12 to 18 months.”
The strategy will be to follow clients into new locations.
“If you have a client here and you are doing good work for them, and they are developing new facilities overseas, it makes sense to work for them there as well. Ireland has quite a number of FDI companies that have locations around Europe, and they work with companies that they trust. We have developed close relationships with clients in this space over the years, and we plan to be in a position to work with them abroad. It’s a more sensible business model than trying to win new clients in new markets. Our existing clients are the ones who got us to where we are today.”
The strategy has also identified several sectors of interest for the company. CJK has traditionally been very strong in the commercial, education, and public sectors, and the company is now actively targeting data centres, pharma, and the large industrial sector in addition to these.
“When developing the strategy, we looked at paths for the company to grow and paths for our people to grow professionally,” explains Bruen. “We want to offer everyone an opportunity to work in different areas. Fifty per cent of our staff are apprentices, and operating in three sectors, this made us too narrow for them and us as a company to grow and develop. .”
Each of these critical sectors has a dedicated team with its own business unit leads, project managers, site management and trade staff.
“Each team has specific expertise for their sector,” Bruen adds. “Data centres are different to other sectors, for example. This sector needs managers with experience and a deep understanding of the specifics relating to that market and the expertise required. It’s the same with the pharma sector, which is heavily regulated in terms of quality and safety requirements, and it is vitally important to accommodate the specific requirements of individual clients within our operation. We are always trying to innovate, and we are constantly looking for better ways to help them achieve their goals.”
Change is in the DNA of the business.
“Every business has to adapt and change, and CJK is no different,” Vincent Bruen points out. “Whatever way clients want to develop strategically, we will follow that.”
Offsite and modern methods of construction (MMC) are also part of the future.
“We are moving to a newly expanded facility in the next six months, and that will have a dedicated workshop to support our offsite construction offering. We are digitising our operations now. The days of having paper on site are gone. All our people carry iPads and work in real-time in the cloud. Ideally, we want everybody to have access to all the information they need to do
the job wherever they are.”
Ongoing training is essential.
Vincent Bruen explains, “We have a dedicated training centre where all our apprentices are trained on health and safety, the correct use of hand and power tools and the materials they will be utilising in their trade. Recently, one of our apprentices, Cian Wilson Griffin was nominated for the Irish national heat of the World Skills competition. It’s brilliant to have someone of that calibre in the company.”
Bruen describes the apprenticeship programme as the lifeblood of the organisation and the future of the construction industry.
“They are going to be the industry leaders in 20 years,” he says. “We always grow our apprentice numbers in line with the growth of the company. We make sure to offer them diversified work. No one is posted in any one sector for more than 12 months. We also have a full-time apprentice liaison officer, Brian Nolan, who meets the apprentices regularly and finds out how they are getting on. This continues throughout their four years. We want our apprentices to say that CJK is the best place to do an apprenticeship.”
Talent shortages present a challenge, however.
“The skills gap has been a big problem for everyone in the industry for the past 10 years, and it has been exacerbated over the past 18 months,” he says. “When the industry
came out of the lockdown, companies had to finish projects at the same time as new work was coming in. That was a major challenge. We were positioned to deal with this better than some of our competitors because a lot of our work continued during the pandemic, as many of the projects were considered essential. This meant that we were able to maintain employment for all of our staff during both lockdowns.
“We had 200 employees before the first lockdown and emerged from the last one with 250,” he adds. “Having a base of direct employees meant we were able to continue to serve our clients. We are also lucky to have many specialist subcontractors who work for us on a regular basis. They were able to come in and support our direct labour force at the busiest times.”
He puts the company’s success in recruiting talent down to its reputation.
“A lot of it is word of mouth,” he comments. “We have a very high profile on LinkedIn, and people hear about us through Solas as well. We don’t do direct recruitment advertising. Our apprenticeship programme is well recognised, and we try to ensure that we give them the best training possible. We have a target of recruiting 40 apprentices a year, and when they qualify, they tend to stay with us.”
He continues, “There are challenges with people wanting to go abroad, of course. People completing their apprenticeship are at the right age to travel, and they want to go abroad, having been prevented from going anywhere for the past three years.”
Vincent Bruen believes the outlook for the
company for the next three years is very positive.
“When the acquisition took place, we had 220 people and €44m in turnover,” he says. “Now we have 300 and are on target for a turnover of €55m for this year. The main challenges are people and the cost and availability of materials. I don’t see us growing as rapidly next year. It’s time to take a breath. The past two years have been very busy, and we need to slow down a bit and consolidate. We are very aware of our span of control; hence we are focused on delivery through quality and collaborative means. Clients will be able to get a better service, and our people will enjoy an improved worklife balance. We will start expanding overseas and will continue to focus on the key sectors of interest.”
Vincent Bruen is also looking forward to the move to the new premises.
“We are moving to a single building in the North City Business Park, Dublin. We will have enough office space there to cater for everyone. The next two years will be very positive for CJK. I think the industry will be busy again next year, just maybe not as hectic as it has been. This might be a welcome breather for M&E firms by giving us an opportunity to review operations before momentum picks up again,” he concludes.
To learn more about CJK Engineering or discover more about job or apprenticeship opportunities at the company, visit www.cjkengineering.ie or scan the QR code
The Irish Green Building Council’s (IGBC’s) #BuildingLife campaign aims to achieve a broad range of private sector actions and public policy changes required to tackle the whole-life environmental impact of buildings.
The appointment of #BuildingLife ambassadors from across industry and politics is an integral part of the campaign. The role of these ambassadors is to champion #BuildingLife goals and help drive change around sustainability within their sectors and across the construction industry.
In 2018, Cairn Homes plc (Cairn), following engagement with investors, began to develop an Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) business model that emphasises responsible construction and development while in the process of maintaining a viable business and contributing much-needed supply amidst the housing crisis.
A core objective of this approach was to put the housing developer on a more sustainable footing by reducing the embodied and operational carbon of the business and its developments.
This not only spoke to the concerns of investors but other stakeholders, such as employees, potential employees and the communities in which it is building, as well as local authorities and its own supply chain.
Cairn’s ESG Manager Susie Crawford joined the company in 2019 as an economic advisor on investor relations. For many investors, ESG has moved centre stage. Since joining Cairn, much of her work has involved compiling and analysing economic, sustainability and social data and reporting to investors and the Cairn senior management team.
“Our inaugural Sustainability Report in 2021 gives a broad overview with case studies of our approach to ESG,”
Susie Crawford explains. “This informs investors and stakeholders, which includes our customers, employees, prospective employees, government departments, local authorities and communities, on our overall approach, and enabled us to identify ways in which we can make a difference in terms of playing a positive role in addressing climate change and social issues and aligning this with our overarching strategy and key priority areas.”
Cairn has an established relationship with the the IGBC, and increased engagement with the IGBC was a natural progression for the company as sustainability and ESG became central to its business strategy.
“Once ESG came into play, we wanted to position Cairn as a leader in this area, and IGBC had an extensive range of programmes and training aligned with our ambition,
the role of ESG in thehouse builder’s operations and the appetite in
construction to halve its carbon emissions by 2030 andreach carbon neutrality by 2050. Susie Crawford, ESG Manager, Cairn Homes plc.
“Major
from their sustainability responsibilities”
Crawford notes. “It also presented an opportunity for us to engage with our peers and to contribute to the learning process, and, in turn, learn from others about how we all approach the same sustainability challenges.”
She continues, “I was delighted to take on the role of IGBC #BuildingLife ambassador. In this, I engage with IGBC on their many programmes, keeping an eye on key training opportunities for the Cairn team, such as a recent life-cycle carbon cost analysis training module, which was beneficial to members of our QS team. I also engage with colleagues within Cairn, our supply chain and peers from other companies about key sustainability issues.”
According to the international Green House Gas (GHG) Protocol, a company’s greenhouse gas emissions are classified into three scopes. Scopes 1, 2 and 3 categorise carbon emissions a company creates in its operations and its wider value chain.
Scope 1 emissions are GHG emissions that a company makes directly, for example, consuming energy to run plant and vehicles.
Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions, eg, electricity generated through the national grid. Scope 3 emissions are ”upstream and downstream”, ie, products manufactured, or, in Cairn’s case, buildings constructed.
From a sustainability perspective, the two key priority areas for Cairn are climate impact and biodiversity.
“Scope 1 and scope 2 are emissions that Cairn directly manages,” Susie Crawford comments. “We purchase electricity and diesel for use in company vehicles, generators and other on-site plant. The earlier we can get connected to the grid, the less the need for generators; so lower diesel usage results in a lower carbon footprint. Beyond that, we are looking at piloting hydrotreated vegetable oils as a replacement for diesel.
“Looking at reducing emissions from the electricity we use, we are moving towards fully certified renewable sources of electricity. What we cannot reduce, we aim to make as green as possible.
“Scope 3 emissions are more complex to address. But, this has driven innovation in Cairn around how we design and construct our developments.
“Firstly, the most significant of our scope 3 emissions are embodied carbon and the carbon associated with the energy in use of the homes we build. The IGBC has been very helpful in providing resources and training to inform our people about embodied carbon and identifying the most important components we can address. For example, how would we go about reducing embodied carbon associated with concrete and steel? This could be achieved with leaner design and substitution with more sustainable materials. For example, lowcarbon cement, timber frame or LGS, and removing unnecessary columns or walls in our developments.
“Next is how can we address operational energy required in homes once we hand them over. The way that we design and build affects the energy demand in any given building, and reducing the need for energy to heat, cool or power that building is the key.
“Heating energy requirements can be reduced by having airtight buildings with high-performing glazing. Cairn has a specified minimum A2 BER rating for all our homes, and we are always looking for ways to improve this.”
Susie Crawford continues, “Biodiversity is a key area of focus for Cairn, and we are targeting ‘Biodiversity Net Gain’, whereby the biodiversity on the development should be enhanced relative to the position on the site prior to development. This is achieved by providing protection for existing species, wherever possible, and then providing quality habitats during construction and in the new development. Cairn has taken the market-leading approach of including this target in executive remuneration.”
Environmental product declarations (EPDs) are a standardised way of providing data about the environmental impacts of a product through the product life cycle. Cairn encourages all of its supply chain to provide EPDs.
“We use EPDs to undertake life-cycle assessments on our homes. The more accurate the underlying information we have on each component, the more accurate our estimate of the carbon footprint can be. The more accurate the EPD for each product is, the more likely we are to say, ‘okay, this one is slightly more expensive, but the embodied carbon is much lower’, and we might choose it for that reason.
“When we build up the picture of overall embodied carbon in a building, we can then identify the most carbon-intensive elements and try to reduce these. For example, concrete is an essential building material, but some concrete products have more embodied carbon than others. With an EPD, we can compare one concrete against another and make an informed product choice on that basis.”
Innovation has a key role to play in reducing the embodied carbon in the houses that Cairn builds, and the company has been very successful at encouraging staff at all levels to submit new ideas to improve its operations and reduce its carbon footprint.
“When considering how we might reduce the embodied or operational carbon in our developments, there may be a new product
or process that could be brought in, or there might be a problem for which there is a solution that we don’t know about yet.
“Innovation is said to be driven by necessity, but it is also driven by the range of experiences of everyone in a business. So, we have an innovation forum at Cairn in which we encourage all of our staff to participate.
“Anyone can submit an idea or solution through the forum. A team, including a technical manager, follows a process to evaluate submissions. We see if the proposal will work technically, look at its commercial viability, and finally assess it to see if it makes sense from a sustainability perspective. If deemed feasible, it then goes through a pilot process before being rolled out.
“Examples of ideas that have been very successful include rapid impact compaction where site conditions allow, and the use of LGS. We are also looking to roll out hydrotreated vegetable oils as a replacement for diesel.”
“The social impact of what we do has never been more relevant,” Crawford comments. “We, as a society, are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis at this time. From Cairn’s perspective, we look at how what we do impacts our customers’ lives, and ask what we can do to better so that the communities
we build for them contribute more to their well-being.
“Cairn’s purpose is ‘Building homes and creating places where people love to live’.”
Susie Crawford continues. “’Where people love to live’ is the key phrase for us. It means that we want every Cairn development to be community-centric and give our customers opportunities to gel with their own communities and develop links with established neighbouring communities. To this end, within our sustainability strategy, we have an initiative called ‘Home Together’. Our approach to stimulating community engagement and interaction involves supporting local leaders to build resilient inclusive groups in a way that is authentic for our customers and their needs. We do this by finding out what residents are interested in doing with their community and then providing them with tools to make this happen, for example, hosting events such as coffee mornings or dog shows.”
As a company, Cairn has a comprehensive approach to developing its people. Crawford comments, “We invest a lot in ensuring that our people, particularly new recruits, get the support needed to develop new skills and maintain positive well-being, including offering CPD training supports and ensuring
there is a trained mental health first-aider on every site.”
She continues, “A major challenge for the construction industry as a whole remains the area of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), particularly gender diversity. Gone is the day when construction was about laying blocks. There’s so much more to it. Yet we still have an industry where female representation is far too low, standing at just over 9% here as compared to over 19% in the transportation industry or 14% in construction in the UK . There has been much focus on improving EDI in the sector in recent years, and, while we are proud to have reached 26% female participation at Cairn, continuously improving this remains a priority.”
Susie Crawford notes there has been a real buzz around sustainability since the reopening of social engagement in the sector after the Covid-19 pandemic.
She comments, “Since being able to attend events in person once more, I have noted a massive change in attitudes towards sustainability. There is now great momentum behind the sustainability movement. I can see this, particularly in our engagement with IGBC. By being innovative, contractors and suppliers are reducing their carbon footprints and bringing biodiversity gains into property development.
“The launch of the new IGBC Roadmap to decarbonise Ireland’s construction and built environment sector shows that major developers and contractors are not shying away their sustainability responsibilities. As an industry, we are embracing new ways of working and reducing embodied carbon in developments. It is no longer a case of asking ‘will we or won’t we’; the question now being asked and answered is, ‘How are we going to do this?’” she concludes.
ABM
ABM
ABM
The challenge for all service companies is to reduce paperwork, while maintaining focus on the key priorities of customer retention, engineer management and provision of an efficient, accurate billing service. Regulatory requirements are increasing for all industries and when your service people go on site it is important that the following information is readily available:-
What was done previously?
What actions he/she must now take?
What follow-up actions remain after his/her visit?
updates he/she must send the service manager?
Dublin Airport Central (DAC), when completed, will be a 70acre state-of-the-art business park built in several phases at the heart of the Dublin Airport campus.
The first of these phases, Dublin Airport Central Phase 1 (DAC1), was completed by Stewart Construction under a design and build contract and comprises two six-storey state-of-the-art, commercial buildings totalling 20,000 sq metres of Grade A LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold-standard office space, ancillary buildings, site services, infrastructure and associated works.
The contract also included the demolition and recycling of several existing buildings, and the restoration and repurposing of an existing substation building, as well as the development of a large 1.25-acre landscaped urban realm to provide natural outdoor meeting spaces that give a sense of place in the middle of a busy international business hub while also enhancing the DAC green campus.
Following the demolition and full recycling of the structural elements on the campus, the project comprised works as follows:
• Block A1: Six-storey Grade A office building with a ground floor area of 8,500 sq metres
• Block A6: Six-storey Grade A office building with a ground floor area of 10,999 sq metres with a restaurant facility at ground floor level
• Block A8: Retention and recladding of existing ESB sub-station
• Block A10a: West – Single-storey amenities/utilities block
• Block A10b: East – Single-storey amenities/utilities block.
The focus of this case study is on Block A1 and Block A6, which were designed and built to Grade A LEED Gold property market standard.
Director, Rachael Stewart explains that Stewart Construction was well placed to interpret and take on this project and brought a collaborative approach to ensuring the client, DAA, achieved its project objectives.
“We fully considered the brief requirements, design intent drawings and specifications as well as the performance requirements to provide the optimum solution to DAA and deliver value for money.”
DAA’s critical success factors for this project included:
• Provision of high quality, flexible, market-leading Grade A office accommodation
• Create a high-quality public realm
• Establish a ‘Green Lung’ with a new landscaped park
• Highly energy-efficient buildings to achieve a minimum BER rating of A3
• Highly sustainable buildings to achieve a minimum LEED Gold accreditation
• Fully air-conditioned environments
• External envelopes to achieve high-performance façades of high aesthetic design and airport campus acoustic sound performance
• Well-designed architectural lighting schemes for external and internal areas
• Early completion and hand-back of the east-west access road and the landscaped park
• Design and build a new foul attenuation and sewer connectivity to public wastewater treatment system to serve the entire of cluster A buildings to the R132 road.
Stewart Construction regional director Roy Pickford explains the approach taken in setting up the work, “For this development, we assembled a complete design and construction team with the experience and capability to deliver the project. The team previously collaborated on many similar projects and employed BIM Level 4D to set out the full scope of works for this project.
“We developed a BIM 4D sequencing model to demonstrate the demolition, construction, and completion of the work. A full PAZ 1192 design model was shared on a live platform and updates on a federated model on a weekly basis, utilising full digital design collaboration with no 2D drawings.” All of this enabled full simulation of the proposed buildings and external environment to analyse the required works and their programmed delivery, including:
• Demolitions
• Structural buildability review with offsite prefabricated solutions
• Precast fair-face walls and staircases
• Post-tensioned floor slabs
• Façade detail design and assembly
• Interior design and fit-out
• Utilities and M&E services coordination and clash detection
• Building performance
• Construction sequencing.
“The BIM 4D process allowed us to comprehensively consider and test solutions, allowing for informed decision making, before going to site,” Roy Pickford continues. “This also provided us with greater cost and programme certainty in developing our approach to this project.”
The Stewart team are fully BIM enabled. By operating at BIM 4D level, it achieved efficiencies right through to build and record facilities management information and full asset tagging for handover to the client DAA on completion.
Stewart Construction has ISO 14001 environmental accreditation. It is committed to continuously delivering sustainable building solutions and has delivered a number of award-winning office developments to LEED Gold and Building Research Establishment
Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) Excellent standards. Stewart Construction employs sustainable construction techniques and operates a comprehensive waste management system, which includes providing designated recycle skips, and re-use, recycling or sustainable disposal of construction waste materials.
During work at DAC1, it worked closely with its supply chain to ensure, for example, that packaging and material offcuts were minimised.
DAC1 Block A1 and Block A6 buildings targeted LEED Gold certification, with a total of 65 points assigned to each building to ensure Gold certification. Both buildings were registered as individual projects under LEED Core & Shell, Version 2009.
Stewart Construction engaged Meehan Green, a highly-specialised Irish sustainability consulting practice, at the start of the tender stage as part of their multi-disciplinary design and consultancy team.
Meehan Green carried out detailed LEED and WELL preassessments in collaboration with this multi-disciplinary team.
The WELL building standard is organised into seven categories of wellness called concepts. These are Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Fitness, Comfort and Mind.
Stewart and Meehan Green engaged with lead designers Coady Architects and mechanical and electrical consultants TUV SUD throughout the design process, especially as there is a synergistic effort with the blocks’ BER A3 target exercises.
Stewart engaged Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) to provide LEED energy modelling and independent commissioning services. They worked collaboratively with the Stewart team on this part of the work.
Meehan Green facilitated a multi-faceted LEED pre-assessment of the DAC1 project during the pre-bid process. LEED was discussed at fortnightly design-team meetings. Meehan Green then collaborated with the full LEED team to evaluate multiple approaches to ensure LEED Gold certification was achieved, along with associated design strategies, costs, benefits and resulting scenarios.
Block A1 and Block A6 were eligible to pursue WELL Core and Shell Compliance. This a one-time certification that integrates
fundamental features into the base building and assists future fit-outs to pursue new and existing buildings and new and existing interiors. Following the success of the approach taken, DAA is continuing this process to target LEED and WELL certification for the full campus.
The Stewart Construction team were acutely aware of the key issues required to achieve a successful A3 BER rating for commercial buildings and guaranteed a mandatory A3 rating would be achieved at construction completion on this project by implementing the following key measures.
• It engaged an air permeability specialist early in the design and construction process to ensure all details and construction methods were conducive to achieving the required test result on completion. It further used this specialist to complete midconstruction sample air permeability tests to ensure that as works progressed, any additional detailing that was required was completed well ahead of the final project completion.
• All thermal building fabric elements were constructed to the exact architectural details and manufacturers’ instructions to ensure u-values were maintained. This was continually monitored throughout the construction process by Stewart’s site construction team and the project architect.
• All building services equipment was provided strictly in accordance with the specification requirements to ensure all plant efficiencies, co-efficiency of performance levels, control parameters, and all associated performance criteria required were maintained and optimised. The installation of equipment and systems was continually monitored throughout the construction process by the site team, mechanical and electrical subcontractors and the project building services consulting engineer.
• Post-award, the multi-disciplinary design team continued to work together to ensure the BER A3 or higher could be achieved by both buildings.
ISO 50001 is a specification for an energy management system that defines requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and improving such a system. This methodology has allowed the Stewart team to follow a systematic approach to facilitating a continual improvement of energy performance, including efficiency, usage and consumption of the project.
The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle is a four-step model for carrying out change. Just as a circle has no end, the PDCA cycle should be repeated again and again for continuous improvement. The PDCA cycle is considered a project planning tool.
The Stewart team has utilised the methodology behind ISO 50001 to develop energy-efficient, low-usage and easily-maintainable design solutions. It followed the PDCA framework as follows:
• Plan: The team conducted an initial energy review of the systems and established the baseline requirements, energy performance indicators, objectives and targets. It then formulated a strategy to deliver results that would improve energy performance in accordance with energy policy.
• Do: The team implemented the energy management action plans within its proposals and included items such as improved u-values, LED lighting, heat recovery systems, daylight dimming and photovoltaic cells.
• Check: The team provided sub-metering, calibration and faultfinding facilities to allow continual monitoring and measuring of the processes and the key characteristics of operations that determine energy performance against the energy policy and objectives, and also reporting the results via the BEMS.
• Act: Stewart’s designs allow performance-based actions to be taken to continually improve energy performance and the energy management system.
“Our client, DAA is proud to have set the standard for DAC Dublin Airport Central campus by achieving a LEED Gold standard on the first stage of its development,” Rachael Stewart says.
Stewart Construction was recently awarded the build and fit-out of a new medical devices and research facility for Integer® Holdings Corporation at IDA Business and Technology Park, Parkmore East, Galway.
Integer is one of the largest medical device outsource (MDO) manufacturers in the world, serving the cardiac, neuromodulation, vascular and portable medical markets.
The Integer building will be two storeys, comprising manufacturing floor space and associated office space. The facility will be constructed on a greenfield site on the Parkmore campus, where Stewart Construction has previously delivered five blocks of three-storey office buildings on a design and build basis that included high-quality LEED Gold-standard facilities. The company also delivered fast-track fit-outs for a number of international blue-chip tenants on the campus, including SAP, FISC, Fidelity, Tessera and Oracle.
Stewart Construction has particular expertise in the delivery of cutting-edge pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing facilities.
It recently completed Phase II at Grifols BioPharma facility at Grange Castle Business Park, Dublin, following the successful completion of Phase I. Grifols is a global leader in plasmaderived medicines. The newly built albumin purification and bag-filling plant add more than 17,000 sq metres (183,000 sq feet) to Grifols’ cutting-edge Grange Castle facilities. The state-of-the-art albumin manufacturing plant has the latest eco-efficiency technologies to conserve energy and water and was 100% designed by BIM technology, enabling optimisation of resources. Stewart delivered the entire works, comprising the CSA, central utilities installation, including full process and 3,520-sq-metre cleanroom fit-out areas within the facility, to meet the highest Aseptic standard, with and
classification ranging from ISO 3 to 8.
Construction is recognised as one of the least productive sectors, and productivity in construction in Ireland is below that in other similarsized countries in Europe and further afield. One of the key factors in this is the under-investment in technology and digital solutions.
There is a lot of talk about BIM being one of the ways of improving not only productivity but many other aspects of the sector. And while this is true, there are many other forms of technology that are more relevant to the vast majority of construction companies in Ireland – the 47,000 SMEs that make up over 90% of the industry here.
Digital technology helps the management of information, finance and materials, enabling companies to have better information and control - and it need not cost a small fortune! In fact, one of things that should be investigated before investing in technology is the return on investment. If it is not going to save you time, give you better or more accurate and real-time information and thus save you money or give you the opportunity to earn more, then there is no point in investing in it.
For many SMEs, they don’t know what they don’t know when it comes to digital solutions. They do things the way they have always done things and aren’t aware of the apps and technologies out there that, at relatively low cost, can make life much easier for them. This is where the Construction Professionals Skillnet can help.
In 2020, the Construction Sector Group was established with a Digital Construction
Skillnet as one of its Priority Actions. In 2022, the Construction Professionals Skillnet was made responsible for this action. Some of the work done in this area has been to develop a response to the skills gap in Modern Methods of Construction. In addition, there is funding available to assist SMEs to introduce a digital solution to their company. An SME employs less than 250 people and has a turnover of less than €43m.
However, for most SMEs, finding the time to find the solutions that are available out there and then working out which one is the best and best value is just too much. Where do you actually begin?
The Construction Professionals Skillnet can work with you to see where you could save time and effort and then identify possible solutions. Not only that, funding is available towards the investment in the technology
and to provide training in its use.
For example, one company is looking at a system whereby invoices-in can be scanned, and the information will then go straight into their accounts package rather than someone having to manually enter them.
Another company is working with a training company to develop training and practice exercises for their staff to complete particular forms, which will reduce the need for double entry by admin back in the office. Another company is introducing a system that will manage all the company’s information needs.
There are also numerous apps available to enable SMEs to do things via their phone instead of waiting to be back in the office again.
The Construction Professionals Skillnet is planning on building a database of apps and software available for SMEs so that construction companies can easily see what the apps do and match it to the functionality that they are looking for. So, if you have an app that you believe may be useful to the construction sector, please let the Construction Professionals Skillnet know so that it can be added to the database.
Solutions for SMEs don’t need to be allencompassing large investments. However, if you are investing in this way, it is essential to streamline your processes first. If there are problems cropping up in a manual system, these would only be exacerbated by speeding them up with technology.
Do you have something you would like to improve and think that there may be a technological solution? If so, contact Liz at the Construction Professionals Skillnet at cpskillnet@cif.ie
When the doors open on this year’s DataCentres Ireland Conference and Exhibition it will be the biggest and most complete event ever staged in the Island of Ireland for data centres and other critical environments.
Taking place at the RDS, Dublin on the 16 & 17 November 2022, this free to attend event features:
• Over 100 Exhibitors showcasing thousands of products
• New for 2022 – 3 Conference Streams
• Over 80 Speakers – made up from
• New for 2022 - CPD Accredited Workshop Programme - to further your knowledge and training
• Huawei Sponsored Additional Exhibition Hall
• Largest gathering of Standby Power Engines and Turbines
• Learn about MicroGrids
• Enter the Hydrogen debate – How might it work?... When might it happen?
• Leading HVAC and cooling Solution providers
DataCentres Ireland offers solutions and new ideas to a wider audience than just Data Centres.
Data centres are the most critical of critical environments as the impact of even a slight failure would be catastrophic.
DataCentres Ireland is your opportunity to see, hear, network and discuss the latest thinking of ideas, best practice, technology, and systems which can be employed to deliver robust, resilient, effective, efficient, safe and secure environments that work.
These principles and thinking go beyond
Infrastructure Ireland
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With over 100 Exhibitors, this is your opportunity to see the latest product, solutions, technologies, and service providers that can assist you in creating secure and resilient critical infrastructure. Key areas on display include:
• Power & Standby Generation
• Cooling and Environmental Control/ Management
• Cabling
• Energy Efficiency & Management
• Cleaning
• Sustainability and the Circular Economy
To find out more about DataCentres Ireland and how you can become involved contact the Datacentres Team via email: datacentres@ stepex.com or call +353 (0) 89 448 8365
Visit www.datacentres-ireland.registrationdesk.ie or scan the QR code to register for free
data centres to all critical environments, whether that be FM Managers responsible for operating theatres, production lines, telecoms, server rooms, control rooms, etc...
Where continuity of service is a must.
Free to attend, DataCentres Ireland is your
opportunity to hear from business leaders and industry experts that could benefit your organisation… Whatever industry sector you are from.
Some of the 75 speakers include:
• Michael McCarthy – Cloud
a: Osprey Business Centre, Naas, Co Kildare p: +353 01 639 2911
e: henry.hathaway@hathawaysolicitors.ie w: www.hathawaysolicitors.ie
Henry Hathaway Solicitors is a niche law firm that is tailored and designed to cater specifically to the construction industry.
Henry Hathaway qualified originally as a Civil & Structural Engineer and has previously spent twelve years in the construction industry representing both Contractors and Engineering Clients. He is a practising solicitor in both Ireland and England and Wales. He acts for clients in relation to disputes and litigation as well as regularly advising on dispute avoidance and alternative dispute resolution. He also acts on non-contentious matters on smalland large-scale construction projects using his
extensive knowledge of the industry both in Ireland and the UK.
Henry Hathaway Solicitors provides bespoke training and development progammes for construction companies, which cover areas of contract formation and interpretation, claims in loss expense, and interim and final account disputes. These programmes are suitable for companies that require advice on the compiling of claims, that have payment disputes and to support those who require legal assistance in the process of administering their contracts.
The additional push for Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) is incentivising properties to lower their energy-associated carbon emissions in both their construction and operation. With businesses not benefiting from the energy price cap protecting millions of homes across the country, the price of energy is an uncontrollable concern – but what are the solutions to counter it?
With the Irish electricity system being supported heavily by gas and other fossil fuels, often imported from overseas, times of high demand mean higher carbon emissions and higher prices. This volatility means prices are often uncontrollable and variable, so, even if a commercial building is on a fixed tariff, drastically. In addition to the increasingly expensive fossil fuels powering Irish electricity generation, investment in large-scale renewable generation to reach net zero, and improvements to the national grid to cope with changing demand patterns, are set to be passed on to the consumer, again in the form of higher unit prices. Businesses operate on stability and informed future trends, so it makes little sense to have faith in such a dynamically priced system.
Photovoltaic (PV) panels convert energy from the sun to usable electricity. In around an hour, enough solar energy hits the earth’s surface to power the entire global community for a whole year. We would only have to tap into a tiny fraction of that total to satisfy our individual needs. Although the UK and Ireland are renowned for their sunny credentials, the heat of the environment isn’t what determines the success of a solar system, but the amount of
light present.
Once installed, a rooftop PV array will absorb energy whenever the sun is present. This presents a unique advantage for commercial or industrial properties. During daytime hours, when there is usually lots of activity, there is typically daylight — creating solar generation to power those activities. Unlike domestic properties, which usually draw large amounts of energy in the evening when the sun isn’t shining, the overlap between solar presence and activity in industrial properties is much higher.
Something to always implement before or during a PV system’s installation is efficiencies in the property – whether incorporating daylighting to reduce energy use, or increasing the thermal efficiency of a building envelope. Every kWh of energy saved improves the operational cost and carbon impact of a space.
Generating energy onsite allows building operators to offset their usage partially or completely — even creating income from selling generated energy back to the grid. Even better, those properties which implement battery storage of some form (whether chemical batteries or hot water systems) can store energy at times of high production and low demand to use at times when energy draw is higher. This reduces energy use from the grid, reducing overall load at peak times and reducing costs. Generation combined with energy storage also presents the opportunity for properties to protect themselves from power cuts or unpredictable power supply, shielding productivity from unstable grid conditions.
The scale and type of system will vary from property to property — considering system size, orientation, storage, and
maximum power demand. For example, a warehouse will have extremely different project requirements from a data centre or the site of a product manufacturer. However, what stays constant is the aim of reducing, completely offsetting or net exporting energy. No matter how much energy reduction from the grid is achieved, cost savings will present themselves.
With solar panels, batteries, and other ancillaries becoming more cost-effective and energy prices at an all-time high, payoff periods for the capital investments on these systems are lower than ever and are continuing to improve.
Whether the aim is to improve the operational carbon of a property or reduce the energy costs associated with inhabiting a space, Solar PV and other on-site renewable generation have never been so appealing — and there are many innovative solutions to choose from.
For instance, Kingspan’s new PowerPanel Solar PV Pitched Roof Panel presents the opportunity for the specifiers of new or refurbished projects to hit two birds with one stone. It combines the thermal excellence of QuadCore with a scalable integrated PV unit, reducing the complexity of installation and being much lighter than having separate units – allowing for more efficient building structures and lower construction costs.
To learn more about the Kingspan PowerPanel, Visit www.kingspan.com/ ie/en/products/ insulated-panels/ roof-panels/ powerpanelpitched/ or scan the QR Code
Engineers Ireland, the professional membership body for engineers, has announced the appointment of Damien Owens as its new director general.
Damien Owens joined Engineers Ireland in 2010, first serving as its registrar, its chief risk officer and most recently as interim director general.
Announcing the appointment, the president of Engineers Ireland, John Power, said: “Damien Owens has extensive experience and knowledge of the organisation since he joined Engineers Ireland in 2010. His management and strong corporate, strategic and operational expertise make him an ideal leader to deliver on the mission and vision of Engineers Ireland. I am confident that under his leadership, our institution will continue to support our engineering community in its work, ensuring the highest levels of competence and integrity.
“On behalf of our council and executive board, I wish Damien every success in his new role and assure him of our full support.”
Damien Owens commented, “It is a privilege and honour to be the director general of Engineers Ireland. With the many challenges we are experiencing in our society at this time, including the war in Ukraine, climate change, energy vulnerability
and high inflation, the expertise of our professional engineering membership will be very important in finding practical and costeffective solutions to the societal challenges we face now and into the future. I look forward to contributing to the journey ahead as the institution and its broad membership of over 25,000 engineers continues to make a sustainable and positive impact on our society and our economy.”
A native of Dublin, Damien Owens graduated as an electronic engineer from Trinity College Dublin in 1983. He later gained a Higher Diploma in Computer Modelling and Simulation, a Master’s Degree
in Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Before joining Engineers Ireland in 2010, Owens worked with Amdahl Computers and Eircom in a wide variety of roles. He is a chartered engineer and a Fellow of Engineers Ireland.
He is currently the chair of the International Engineering Alliance and president of the European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education. He is a board member of the European Society for Engineering Education and a member of the Medical Devices Committee of Ireland’s National Office for Research Ethics Committees.
John Sisk & Son has announced a senior management appointment in its UK business, with Ger Hayes being appointed Managing Director UK South, taking on the role previously held by Ajaz Shafi, who was appointed chief operating officer for Sisk’s entire UK business earlier this year.
Speaking about his appointment, Ger Hayes said, “I am honoured and excited to be stepping into the role of managing director of the UK South division of John Sisk & Son, following Ajaz’s successful time in the position. The quality of our people, their commitment to getting the job done and the range of projects and clients in UK South mean it is a really an exciting time to be working for Sisk.
“We want to expand on our experience in high-rise residential and in the commercial sector on the back of projects such as Unity Place in Milton Keynes. We also see further
opportunities in the healthcare sector, building on the back of recent projects,” he added.
Ger Hayes joined Sisk as a graduate recruit in Ireland in 2003 and worked across a range of projects in Sligo and Belfast before moving to the UK in 2010 to work on the redevelopment of Wembley Park. Sisk has worked with Quintain at Wembley for the past 18 years, and Hayes has been part of the team delivering this unique regeneration.
Commenting on the appointment, Ajaz Shafi said, “Ger Hayes has worked his way up at Sisk from graduate level to now being MD of the UK South, and this is a testament to his skill, hard work and commitment as well as Sisk’s approach to supporting and developing our people. I wish Ger all the best in his new role, and I know the team in UK South will continue to deliver under his leadership.”
Anew renewable energy industry strategy recommends sectoral action to achieve more clean, secure and affordable energy.
Urgent action is now required if Ireland is to meet its emissions reduction targets, according to Renewable Energy Ireland, as it launches its new strategy on how we can achieve more clean, secure and affordable energy for Ireland.
The strategy, launched by Dr Tanya Harrington, Chair, Renewable Energy Ireland, recommends more action across power, transport, building and industry sectors to reduce carbon emissions. Renewable Energy Ireland brings together organisations working in wind, solar, marine and bioenergy alongside those developing new technologies that support the integration of renewables.
Launching the strategy, Dr Harrington commented: “If Ireland is to meet its twin objectives of achieving energy security and net zero, we need to urgently remove the remaining barriers to the faster deployment of renewable energy. The strategy we have published outlines how we can achieve more clean, secure and affordable energy for Ireland, but we know this can only be done by working together with policymakers,
industry and communities across Ireland.”
The strategy identifies priority actions to accelerate progress, including:
• An agile planning system that uses the Planning and Development Act to instruct An Bord Pleanála to prioritise planning applications for renewable energy and associated grid infrastructure
• Grid delivery and flexibility – Delivery of grid is a necessary foundation for decarbonisation of the economy. Market designs must include system services, flexibility, and capacity markets and fully exploit demand-side resources
• Renewable heat needs support –Simplify administrative and regulatory
requirements for energy efficiency, renewable heat and demand flexibility and storage technologies.
• Low and no carbon transport needed – Encourage electric vehicles, enhanced public mobility and cycling infrastructure while harnessing Ireland’s strengths for the appropriate use of sustainable biofuels and green hydrogen
• Early action is a must – Bring together industry, government and other key stakeholders to identify ways to cut the price of renewable energy in Ireland so that we can deliver clean energy at the lowest possible price for Irish consumers.
The Land Development Agency (LDA) has signed a contract to deliver 247 cost-rental homes under its Project Tosaigh initiative, a multi-phase programme through which the agency expects to deliver 5,000 affordable homes through partnerships with housebuilders by the end of 2026. This is in addition to direct delivery by the LDA on state lands.
The LDA has contracted with the McGarrell Reilly Group for the delivery of 247 apartments in Hansfield, Dublin 15.
Hansfield is well located in Dublin’s north-western suburbs, with excellent public transport into the city by train and quality bus corridor. It benefits from an Educate Together primary and secondary school and extensive green space and communal facilities.
Construction has commenced on site, and delivery of the homes is expected to take place during 2024. The homes will be made available to rent by the LDA upon completion.
Housing delivered under Project Tosaigh will comprise homes for rent and affordable
purchase under the government’s affordable housing mechanisms.
The LDA also recently announced the delivery of 95 homes in Mallow, Co Cork, through Project Tosaigh. Twenty-two of
these affordable purchase homes will be ready for occupation before Christmas, with the remainder being delivered in two further phases in 2023.
Commenting on the announcement, Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien TD said, “The announcement of the second Project Tosaigh project demonstrates the progress the LDA is making in accelerating the delivery of affordable housing. It will mean 5,000 new homes by the end of 2026, which will be incremental to the supply the LDA will be already working on through its state land pipeline.”
John Coleman, CEO, LDA, commented, “Project Tosaigh is providing an important mechanism for us to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing by supporting housing construction on private land where it had stalled.”
Project Tosaigh was announced last year in the government’s housing strategy, Housing For All, to unlock land in private ownership that has planning permission but where delivery has stalled due to financing and other constraints.
DataCentres Ireland combines a dedicated exhibition and multi-streamed conference to address every aspect of planning, designing and operating your Datacentre, Server/Comms room and Digital storage solution – Whether internally, outsourced or in the Cloud.
DataCentres Ireland is the largest and most complete event in the country. It is where you will meet the key decision makers as well as those directly involved in the day to day operations.
Jones have recently finalised their internal Responsible Business Framework, which formally defines their goals and vision for a more sustainable and inclusive future. The framework builds a structured foundation around their established legacy and includes areas such as measurable carbon reduction goals, active community engagement and strong investments in team development. The framework has been aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) with a particular focus on the seven main goals, which Jones believe they can have the greatest influence and impact on.
It is public knowledge that Jones have spent decades working on some of the most cutting-edge renewable energy projects, such as anaerobic digestion plants, wind farms, battery storage systems and power plants. Their website is covered with exemplar examples of cross-industry projects, such as the design and build of Taggart Windfarm, the country’s first Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) wind farm to be connected, and the St James’s
Hospital Energy Performance Contract, which delivered €26m in guaranteed energy and operational savings and reduced the hospital’s carbon footprint by approximately 118,380 tonnes.
However, what may be less commonly known, is just how active and engaged they are with their global and local communities, as well as the development of their team members. From senior management down, they strive to make a difference by fostering the next generation of talent, sponsoring organisations within the community, and supporting charities through company and employee efforts.
Recently Jamie Bermingham, Jones Engineering Apprentice, was awarded the winner’s medal at the World Skills Ireland Plumbing and Heating Final in the RDS, demonstrating his exemplary skills and training. While the innovative Jones BIM Team collected the Digital BIM Initiative Award at this year’s Irish Building and Design Awards.
Not every achievement is measured in accolades. Some “wins” are more personal. For example, when Amy joined Jones in
2018 as a HR Intern, she never expected that two years down the road, she would be able to pivot to her dream role. In her own words, Amy said, “Whilst I loved my job and the team, quantity surveying had tweaked my interest from a young age, but I pushed it to the back of my head, as I didn’t feel confident to pursue such a male-dominated career. When I discussed the possibilities with my manager, she was very supportive and encouraged me to pursue my interests in quantity surveying. I have recently made the transition from office to site and started my Master’s Degree in Quantity Surveying. Jones have helped me every step of the way, from supporting me for college to the transition from office to site to get some hands-on experience. Although it is a big change, the support and guidance from Jones Engineering, in particular, the HR and QS Teams, have been outstanding.”
The CSO estimates that only 5.5% of the workforce across all construction-related sectors are women. At Jones Engineering, the figure of 8.4% is marginally higher than the norm, something they are proud of while still recognising the need for continuous improvement. With their newly formalised Responsible Business Framework, it seems inevitable that they will deliver on their promises, securing a sustainable and brighter future for their clients, their staff and their community.
Jones have already grown sustainably in both size and reputation, becoming a business with a turnover of €970m+ and resources of over 4,200 people worldwide. Their core value is the delivery of engineering through people, and the breadth of their team is unrivalled. Recruiting, nurturing and developing the best talent has been a cornerstone of the group’s development.
If Jones like a company you would like to “engineer your career” with, then check out their Current Opportunities today at www.joneseng. com/careers/currentopportunities or scan the QR code
As one of Ireland’s longest-established companies, Jones Engineering has a proud history of innovative and sustainable growth. Here they discuss the evolution of their Responsible Business Framework and how it reflects their vision for the future.L to r: Simon Watson, Team Development, Jones Engineering; World Skills Ireland Plumbing and Heating Apprentice Award Winner, Jamie Bermingham; and Stephen McCabe, CEO, Jones Engineering. Taggart Windfarm.
BAM UK and Ireland’s target is in line with Royal BAM Group’s target to reduce its direct emissions intensity by 80% by 2026 from 2015 levels. The company is committed to openness and not relying heavily on carbon offsets, which it believes can disguise more substantial progress in how a company is acting.
The net-zero commitment encompasses not just direct scope 1 and scope 2 emissions (associated with fuels and energy use) but also select scope 3 emissions, going further than most net-zero carbon targets in the sector.
BAM’s scope 3 emissions include water consumption, staff transport (across road, rail and air), emissions arising from using hotels, emissions from third-party fuel and energy use and all well-to-tank (upstream) emissions associated with scope 1 and scope 2 emissions. The company says it has significant influence over all these emissions sources.
BAM becomes the only company in the sector at present not to count its purchase of renewable (REGO-backed) electricity towards zero emissions.
Any remaining emissions from 2026 will be offset using high-quality nature-based solutions such as reforestation or carbon capture technologies.
John Wilkinson, Chief Operating Officer, BAM UK & Ireland, said: “Net zero carbon is the objective we are all seeking because the construction sector still accounts for 39% of all global emissions. We have a serious job on our hands to get that down and to do so fast.
“That’s why we have chosen to accelerate our progress – and we are not fooled that we will be alone. The whole industry needs to challenge itself, work together, and assist its clients and supply chain to make faster progress too.
“There is no room for or advantage in disguising or hiding performance. Vague data is useless, so science-based, transparent information and a healthy dose of honesty are part of the medicine.”
Alasdair Henderson, Executive Director, BAM Ireland, told Irish Construction News that as a purpose-led business, BAM’s aim is to create sustainable environments that
enhance people’s lives.
“We take this commitment seriously,” Alasdair Henderson commented. “We are seeking net zero carbon because the built environment still accounts for 39% of all global emissions, and therefore needs to change quickly and to change more than any other sector.
“To tackle this problem we need to ensure not only that waste and energy intensity are kept to a minimum across the lifecycle of an asset, but also that we find creative alternatives to the carbon-heavy materials prevalent in today’s industry.
“We can only do this by working together with expert industry partners, academic researchers, the government, our highly valued supply chain, and our customers and end users to embed a circular approach to the way we design, construct and operate buildings and infrastructure. We also need our highly skilled team to capitalise on tools such as digital construction and industrialised construction methods to help ensure energy-efficient operations.”
Some examples of BAM’s work to remove and reduce the impact of carbon include:
• Using HVO fuels to replace fossil fuels
• Transition to electric vehicles – BAM has also rolled out an EV charging installation service
• Conducting first-of-their-kind independent embodied carbon studies in primary schools and offices, including the new HQ for Meta
• Delivering the National Children’s Hospital in Dublin with a 60-70% lower operational energy use.
Newry-based Haldane Fisher has won the overall Octabuild Award for Excellence 2022 at the first-ever all-island Octabuild Builders Merchant Excellence Awards. The company also won the Northern Ireland Regional Award.
Other winners came from Dublin, Galway, Longford, Louth, Meath and Waterford.
The Octabuild Builders Merchant Excellence Awards ceremony was held on 13 October at a gala event in the Round Room at the Mansion House, Dublin. It was attended by over 300 guests, including shortlisted merchants and representatives of the builders merchant trade from across the country. The event was hosted by the eight Octabuild members, Dulux, Etex, Glennon Brothers, Grant Engineering, Gyproc, Irish Cement, Kingspan Insulation and Wavin. Guest of honour at the awards was Michael McGrath TD, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Congratulating all the winners, the Minister said: “I would like to congratulate all the finalists and winners at this year’s awards, particularly Haldane Fisher Newry, who won the overall Octabuild Award for Excellence 2022. This is the first year the awards were held on an all-island basis, and I want to commend the organisers and Octabuild chairperson, Ray Molyneaux for such a great event. These are a unique set of awards designed to promote excellence within the Irish builders merchants industry and highlight the importance of the industry to the wider construction and building sector.”
Since the awards were first introduced in 1986, this is the first year they have been held on an all-island basis. Previously awards were held in Ireland and Northern Ireland on alternate years.
This year builders merchants competed for four regional awards, five individual category awards and a Rising Star award, which acknowledges up-and-coming talent in the industry.
Ray Molyneaux, Chairperson, Octabuild, said, “It’s important for Octabuild that the awards highlight to the building and construction industry the excellence of Irish builders merchants amidst its ever-changing landscape. Congratulations to all finalists and winners from all over the country who represented absolute excellence in the
industry.”
Commenting on the quality of the entries, Liam O’Gorman, chair of the independent judging panel, said: “It is evident that the industry has evolved hugely and that merchants have led the way in embracing this changed landscape. These merchants have transformed their processes, systems and operations to reflect this new way of doing business.”
In total, eleven awards were presented at the awards ceremony, as well as the Octabuild Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented to Brian Wogan, Dunleer Hardware, Dunleer, Co Louth.
In addition to the two awards won by Haldane Fisher, Newry, other winners were:
• Connacht/Donegal/Monaghan/Cavan
Regional Award: Joyce’s Hardware & Home, Galway
• Leinster Regional Award: Rooney’s Homevalue, Kells, Co Meath
• Munster Regional Award: Morris Builders Providers Ltd, Waterford
• Excellence in Business Management Award: Chadwicks Coolock, Dublin
• Excellence in Customer Service Award: Nioclás Ó Conchubhair, Teo Homevalue, Connemara, Co Galway
• Excellence in Sales & Marketing Award: Ganly’s Longford
• Excellence in Sustainable Business Award: Brooks Timber & Building Supplies Ltd, Galway
• Excellence in Community Outreach: Chadwicks Thomas Street, Dublin
• Rising Star Award: Laura Cassidy, Rooney’s Homevalue, Kells, Co Meath.
According to the ‘Building a Zero Carbon Ireland’ report, construction and the built environment account for 37% of Ireland’s carbon emissions, the same as agriculture. This comprises about 23% operational emissions associated with the energy used to heat, cool, and light our buildings, with the remaining 14% being accounted for by embodied carbon. Embodied emissions result from quarrying, transporting, and manufacturing building materials, in addition to constructing buildings and infrastructure.
Projections to 2030 show the national retrofit programme will lead to a significant decrease in emissions from operating buildings. However, new construction outlined in the National Development Plan and the Housing for All policy will likely negate these savings unless embodied emissions are fully addressed.
Speaking at the launch of the Building a Zero Carbon Ireland: A Roadmap to Decarbonise Ireland’s Built Environment across its Whole Life Cycle, Pat Barry, CEO, IGBC, said that the roadmap details a set
of actions to halve construction sector emissions by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
“The first thing should be to prioritise what is being built to meet our housing, health, transport, and educational needs without blowing our carbon budget,” Pat Barry commented. “That means better using our existing stock, including vacant and derelict properties, and supporting high-quality, affordable retrofit at scale. It’s important to realise that the carbon emissions of a deep retrofit are, on average, a quarter of those of a new build.”
Pat Barry added that when new buildings are designed and constructed, the focus should no longer be exclusively on energy efficiency. The decarbonisation of the grid will support the transition to net zero homes in operation, but embodied carbon is locked in as soon as a home is completed and cannot be retrofitted.
“All new homes must be highly energy efficient and deliver as per design, but the
construction process itself must be low carbon. We must reduce embodied carbon emissions through better design and innovation so that low-carbon construction and materials become the norm. With 400,000 homes to be built in the next decade, we must do it rapidly.”
Speaking at the launch, Ossian Smyth TD, Minister of State with Responsibility for Public Procurement, eGovernment and Circular Economy, said: “I welcome the publication of this roadmap, which emphasises the importance of transitioning to circularity in construction if we are to reach our climate targets. A decarbonised, circular and resource-efficient built environment will not only help achieve our climate objectives but will generate business opportunities and support sustainable economic growth. I look forward to working with industry and key stakeholders on the roadmap delivery to ensure Ireland becomes a leader in circularity.”
The roadmap was developed in close cooperation with 200 key stakeholders. It proposes, among other things:
• To regulate embodied carbon emissions in the built environment, as already done in several European countries
• To further support affordable, highquality energy renovations, including phased retrofits
• To encourage the development of low-carbon construction processes and materials, including greater use of biobased materials such as timber.
• #BuildingLife aims to achieve the mix of private sector action and public policy
necessary to tackle the whole-life impact of buildings. In Ireland, the project launched with the support of several high-profile ambassadors.
At the launch, a panel of stakeholders discussed some of the key issues that need to be addressed if the goals set out in the roadmap are to be achieved. The panellists included Kathryn Meghen, CEO, RIAI; Susie Crawford, ESG Manager, Cairn Homes PLC; Alan Cawley, Senior Sustainability Manager, John Sisk & Son; Claire Pomroy, Director of Development, Hines; and Rebecca Dolan, Architecture Student, University College Dublin.
The Building a Zero Carbon Ireland roadmap was developed by the IGBC in close cooperation with over 200 key stakeholders. It sets out a detailed strategy towards a net zero carbon-built environment by 2050 and details a series of near-term actions to put the construction industry on a clear path towards this, as well as a range of further, longer-term actions to accelerate the transformation of our built environment. Similar roadmaps were developed in Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and the UK, as well as at European level. These will support the work of officials at local, national and EU levels. The roadmap was developed as part of the #BuildingLife campaign and is available on the IGBC website.
To learn more, visit www.igbc.ie
the committee advised that Global Warming Potential Declarations and/ or the measurement of embodied carbon be implemented prior to the 2027/2030 implementation date as set out by the EU, insofar as is practicable. In the event of this not being feasible, it recommended that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage prioritises preparatory work for measuring embodied carbon to ensure that once EU proposals are agreed, so, there won’t be delays in transposing or amending the relevant domestic regulations.
Following the hosting of three sessions on embodied carbon in the built environment, the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage has published a report and made a number of key recommendations aimed at reducing embodied carbon in the built environment.
In exploring the topic of embodied carbon in the built environment, the committee held three sessions, with two sessions focusing on embodied carbon and construction emissions in particular and one session focusing on the implications of recent EU proposals and their potential impact on Ireland’s relationship between its building and energy sector.
The committee heard from various stakeholders, including the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), the Office of Public Works (OPW), the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC), and Enterprise Ireland.
Commenting on the publication of the report, Embodied Carbon in the Built Environment, Joint Committee Cathaoirleach and Green Party TD Steven Matthews said, “With such a sizeable portion of emissions emanating from the built environment, it is imperative that we put plans in place to reduce the amount of embodied carbon across the construction sector, in particular, given the need to significantly increase construction to meet housing demand and the other projects outlined in the National Development Plan.”
Among the recommendations made,
Throughout its engagement with various stakeholders, the committee discussed the availability and suitability of new construction technologies and modern methods of construction in an Irish context.
Expanding on the use of sustainable materials, in its presentation to the committee, the IGBC noted that timber frame accounts for more than 75% of newly constructed homes in Scotland, but only 24% In Ireland, despite Ireland having world-class timber frame manufacturers. Expanding on this, the IGBC advised that consistent and clear guidance on the safe use of timber structures should be provided and that new local forestry- and agriculture-related industries should be supported to supply the construction industry.
In its recommendations, the committee advised that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage engages with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform/Office of Government Procurement to prioritise the development of revised public procurement rules that encourage and emphasise the use of lowcarbon construction materials and that the department engages with the National Building Control Office and Building Control and Fire Safety officials in local authorities to amend building regulations to permit timber-based buildings over 10 metres in a manner to ensure the highest levels of fire safety and the lowest embodied carbon content.
It also recommended that the department, following consultation with the National Building Control Office, industry and the IGBC, consider a phase-out date for high-carbon cement products, including an ascending scale of incentives in public procurement contracts for providers of lowcarbon products.
On construction materials, the committee noted that at present, during the construction of new developments, many existing buildings on sites are demolished, and the materials they are constructed from are disposed of, along with the inherent embodied carbon that has been generated.
It recommended that the department consider the introduction of demolition audits in planning applications where demolition is proposed, whereby the applicant sets out the justification for any proposed demolition (such as product viability) and why that option, as opposed to re-use, is being proposed.
The committee also recommended that the department liaises with the EPA to revise the way they apply the EU waste framework, particularly Article 27 and Article 28, commenting that currently, it is very difficult to re-use any materials taken off site to another site as this requires a license from the EPA to do so, which takes a minimum of 10 weeks, and in turn creates very high levels of construction waste.
In addition, the committee recommended that the department consider introducing embodied-carbon-focused regulations in the planning system requiring persons to appropriately justify a proposed demolition to account for the demolition waste produced and its disposal and re-use.
The Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage Embodied Carbon in the Built Environment report with its complete list of recommendations can be downloaded at www.oireachtas.ie/en/press-centre
Arecent study by the Building in a Climate Emergency (BIACE) Research Lab at UCD, commissioned by the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC), shows that construction and the built environment account for 37% of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions, the same as agriculture. Projections to 2030, based on existing policies, are clear: Our sector cannot halve its emissions by then unless urgent actions are taken. These findings are worrying, and the decarbonisation of construction and the built environment will, no doubt, be challenging. However, it also presents an opportunity to improve people’s quality of life, while making our sector more competitive and resilient.
Building a Zero Carbon Ireland: A Roadmap to Decarbonise Ireland’s Built Environment across its Whole Life Cycle, recently published by the IGBC, details a series of actions to accelerate the transformation of our built environment over the next decade.
In simple terms, to reach our 2030’s targets, the first step is to prioritise what is being built, re-use (as much as possible) our existing stock, and reduce the carbon intensity of new construction and renovation.
Of the 37% of carbon emissions associated with the built environment in Ireland, onethird relate to embodied carbon emissions. These are the emissions associated with quarrying, transporting, and manufacturing building materials, in addition to constructing buildings and infrastructure.
Unlike a growing number of European countries, embodied carbon emissions remain unregulated in Ireland. Without addressing them, it will simply be impossible for our sector to halve its emissions by 2030. The carbon modelling report shows that the Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) standard and the implementation of the National Retrofit Plan should lead to a significant decrease in operational
carbon emissions (ie, the emissions associated with the energy we use to heat, cool, and light buildings), but this will be negated by a significant rise in embodied carbon emissions due to an increase in infrastructure and homes being constructed. Embodied carbon emissions are influenced by the total volume of construction and the carbon intensity per unit of construction. The roadmap advocates for prioritisation of what is being built to meet citizens’ housing, health, sustainable transport, economic and educational needs without blowing our carbon budget. More specifically, there is an urgent need to measure the whole-life carbon impact of all projects to be built under the National Development Plan. With household sizes decreasing, the mix of home sizes also needs to be re-evaluated. With a sufficiency of three- and four-bedroom homes likely already within the existing stock, integration of one- and two-bedroom homes into neighbourhoods could enable downsizing, freeing up family homes for those who need them. This would allow more homes to be built for less cost in manpower, materials, and carbon emissions. Our existing stock must also be better used, with a significant share of new homes needed to be sourced from the high level of vacant and under-used spaces, including above retail premises in
our village, town and city centres.
This is key as embodied carbon of a deep retrofit is estimated to have approximately 25% the carbon intensity of a new build.
Finally, the new homes we build must be highly energy efficient and deliver as per design, with the construction process itself being low carbon. A reduction in carbon intensity per square metre can initially be achieved by leaner design (ie, using commonly available materials, but using less by optimising building form factor, efficient structural design, and material use). But significant innovation is also needed to rapidly decarbonise the materials themselves and/or develop alternative low-carbon materials.
Policy and regulatory changes, as well as financial support, will be needed to deliver on these actions. As what is not measured cannot be improved, measurement of whole-life carbon for larger buildings should be mandated. This, introduced alongside a planned schedule of limits per square metre – getting stricter over time, will give the industry long-term certainty and support the drive for innovation.
Anecdotal evidence from our colleagues in France and the Netherlands suggests that embodied carbon regulation has led to innovation in low-carbon materials, including biobased materials in these markets. Technical guidance documents (TGDs) will need to be reviewed to support this transition. This includes TGDs K and M to accelerate the conversion of existing vacant space, and TGD B to address the limits placed on timber construction above three stories. The application of articles 27 and 28 of the EU Waste Framework Directive in Ireland must be urgently reviewed to enable the re-use of materials. Ireland, with a large agricultural sector, has a strategic interest to identify, encourage, and develop local low-carbon bio-based solutions from agriculture and forestry. This requires reviewing licensing for industrial hemp production and strategic government investment or risk sharing to create large export-orientated bio-based construction industries.
Finally, delivering on Ireland’s renovation targets will require further financial and
technical support to make retrofits more affordable and accessible.
While critical, none of these policy changes can succeed without strong support and collaboration across the industry. Designers, manufacturers and suppliers, developers and contractors must all work together to accelerate Ireland’s transition to a zerocarbon built environment.
To facilitate the implementation of the roadmap, sector-specific strategies were developed in close cooperation with industry. These include simple steps that building owners, investors, developers, product manufacturers and suppliers, planners, design professionals, contractors and facility managers can take to accelerate their decarbonisation journey.
For instance, developers can drive the transition to zero-carbon buildings by the targets they set for the design team. The first step is to ensure all new projects are fossilfree and require a design-for-performance approach. Targets for whole-life carbon should be set to gradually reach net-zero carbon. This requires investing in innovation to ensure at least a certain percentage of new buildings integrate innovative construction products and processes.
Product manufacturers and suppliers are key to the decarbonisation of construction. Materials and products can represent more than 80% of the embodied carbon of a new build. Irish product manufacturers can already receive support from Enterprise Ireland to develop Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and strategies to decarbonise the production process. Suppliers should request EPDs from them and international producers or suppliers to increase transparency in the market.
Contractors will play a key role in the transition to zero-carbon buildings with the expertise to advise at design stage on new low-carbon forms of construction and processes. They should engage proactively with the design team and subcontractors to propose optimisations of construction and lower-carbon options and drive the adoption of low-carbon modern methods of construction (MMC).
Improving carbon reporting from site activities and developing a strategy for zerocarbon sites is another important step. An inspiring example of same is the “Olav Vs gate” project in Oslo, as all the machinery used on site - excavators, diggers, and loaders - were electric.
There is no doubt that the decarbonisation of our built environment will require significant innovation and upskilling. It presents real challenges but also many opportunities. A strong focus on energy renovation can enable our sector to move away from “boom & bust” cycles and create sustainable local jobs across the country.
As a growing number of countries regulate embodied carbon emissions, moving in that direction will allow us to build capacity within the industry and make it more resilient.
Rapid and collaborative action is needed for our sector to reach its climate targets, but it could also enable Ireland to become a leader in low-carbon construction materials and processes.
The Building a Zero Carbon Ireland roadmap was developed by the IGBC in close cooperation with over 200 key stakeholders from industry, academia and the public sector as part of #BuildingLife – a programme funded by IKEA and Laudes foundations.
Training and tools have been developed by the IGBC to support you in your transition to net zero. These include the Carbon Designer Tool, a simple way to estimate the carbon impact of your project at an early stage of building design, which was developed with support from the EPA and the LDA.
The Roadmap is available to download at www.igbc. ie/building-azero-carbonireland or scan the QR code
“To reach our 2030’s targets, the first step is to prioritise what is being built, re-use (as much as possible) our existing stock, and reduce the carbon intensity of new construction and renovation.“
Earlier this year, Irish-owned company Smart Monitoring launched its new sustainable Smart ECO CCTV Tower on the Irish market, which has been designed with the construction industry in mind.
The ECO CCTV Tower is the most technically advanced portable mobile monitored CCTV solution available in Ireland and also the most sustainable site security monitoring system on the market.
Up to now, providing CCTV monitoring to new construction or remote sites has had two glaring problems; no power and no broadband. The Smart ECO CCTV Tower not only generates its own power, it also has a secure remote data connection to the grid, so it can operate from the most remote locations in the country.
When a site camera picks up a movement from up to 80 metres away using the most advanced video analytics equipment, it sends a live video alarm to Smart Monitoring’s specialist CCTV control room. The
controller instantly verifies the trespass and immediately issues a live audio warning to the trespasser telling them to leave, and notifies the Gardaí and relevant key holders.
The Smart ECO CCTV Tower has the added bonus of not needing any power supply.
Garrett Wall, Director, Smart Monitoring Ltd, explains: “Our towers are powered by the latest solar-powered technology and energy harvesting equipment, with the addition of a methanol fuel back-up, which would only ever be used if required during the winter months. Unlike with diesel or hydrogen, there is no requirement for regular refuelling, so there is no additional cost to the client or risk of equipment shutdown due to failure to refuel.”
Garrett Wall adds: “In addition to the environmental benefits of the system, there is no noise pollution, which is important if the site is near a residential area.”
Smart Monitoring Ltd is a wholly Irishowned and independent company that was
For more information about the Smart ECO CCTV Tower, phone 086-6818250 or email sales@sml.ie
Monaghan-based IJM Timber Engineering has been awarded Enterprise Ireland funding for an ambitious productivity improvement programme under the Housing for All ‘Built to Innovate’ programme.
Built to Innovate is designed to achieve faster, higher-quality construction of housing by providing funding support for productivity training, innovation and the introduction of digital, paperless systems. The funding will enable IJM to further enhance its digital technologies and upskill its staff in the latest lean processes.
According to the Irish Timber Frame Manufacturers’ Association, timber frame accounted for just under 50% of all low-rise scheme housing delivered in 2021. Off-site construction, and more specifically timber frame construction, has been identified as being key to the construction sector being able to halve its carbon emissions by 2030.
Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys has welcomed the announcement of the funding, saying: “I want to commend IJM, who have been awarded Enterprise Ireland funding under the ‘Built to Innovate’ initiative. The government, through Enterprise Ireland, is working with industry to strengthen
the residential construction supply chain. Schemes like this will help the construction sector prove new technologies that will ultimately help speed up the delivery of big infrastructure projects.”
Peter McCaughey, Managing Director, IJM Timber Engineering, said, “We were delighted to work with Enterprise Ireland under the Built to Innovate programme as part of the national Housing for All plan. We have taken huge strides in achieving greater productivity through the integration of
digital technologies and lean processes into our operations over the past few years. With the support of Enterprise Ireland, we are now entering a new phase of development that will be of enormous benefit to our clients and help us increase our output to meet the needs of the Housing for All plan.”
IJM Timber Engineering is a familyowned business founded in Monaghan in 1965. The company employs 160 people directly at its manufacturing facilities and over 100 indirectly at sites across Ireland.
KDM Hire, despite being surrounded by 1,700 fellow exhibitors from Ireland and further afield, made an inspiring debut appearance at the National Ploughing Championships this year.
KDM showcased a range of striking products that it offers as part of its equipment rental portfolio. One of the only equipment rental suppliers present at the National Ploughing Championships, KDM Hire’s presence at the exhibition was prominent but what made the stand so remarkable was the fact that it was powered by a hybrid battery power unit, making the entire stand’s power eco-friendly and energy efficient.
David Burns, Sales Director, KDM Hire, decided to power the stand using green energy for a few reasons. “The decision to power our stand at the National Ploughing Championships was an easy one – we invested in hybrid battery power units earlier this year as we know the benefits that it brings to our
customers. Reduced emissions, reduced fuel consumption, lower noise, and less pollution are all environmental benefits that customers will benefit from within their site applications when utilising this hybrid battery power unit, helping them to meet their annual green targets.”
Another notable advantage of using a unit like this on site was the significant fuel savings to be achieved. As the hybrid technology regulates when there is a low demand for power, turning the generator off results in the battery supplying the power, with up to 266 litres per week less fuel used.
Meeting green targets is becoming increasingly important to businesses and consumers alike. KDM Hire takes pride in its go-green efforts, focusing on internal sustainable actions whilst providing energy efficient, zero-emission hybrid and fully electric options in a range of their solutions and hire products to customers.
To learn more, visit www.kdmhire.ie
KORE has announced the launch of a new low-carbon insulation product line, the first EPS insulation manufacturer in Ireland to do so. Manufactured with BASF’s Neopor and Styropor BMB raw material, made using the biomass balance approach where fossil fuels are replaced with 100% renewable feedstock such as plant-based materials and organic waste matter.
Using the biomass balance approach, renewable and fossilbased raw materials are mixed in production and cannot be distinguished from one another. Both the allocation process and the product itself, have been certified by an independent auditor, REDcert.
According to BASF’s calculations, this method will reduce carbon emissions during the manufacture of raw material by as much as 90%
and by as much as 60% during the manufacture of the final EPS insulation board product, saving nearly 2.223kg CO2 per kilogram of EPS. A typical two-storey family home of 100 sq metres using KORE’s Low Carbon EPS as external wall insulation can save 800kg CO2e, which equates to three years’ worth of heating in a passive house.
KORE’s low-carbon insulation is currently available for a range of products, including components of the KORE Insulated Foundation System, KORE Floor, KORE Fill Diamond, KORE External Wall Insulation, KORE Roof Insulation, KORE Void Formers and Geofoam.
To learn more about KORE’s new low-carbon offering, visit www.kore-system.com/ products/kore-low-carboninsulation/
