Irish Construction News July 2021

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C o n n e c tin g th e r e g io na l d o t s 1

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5 NEWS • • • • • • •

10 M A IN F E AT UR E

Kirby Group Engineering announces 300 new jobs 15 construction work-related fatalities recorded in 2020 Micheál O’Connor confirmed as Dornan Group’s new managing director Murdock Builders Merchants announces Brooks acquisition Sisk parent company reports turnover of over €1.5bn for 2020 BAM Ireland bridge wins prestigious international IABSE award ACEI secretary general appointed to European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations board

M A IN F E AT UR E S

10 Regional economic growth is dependent on connecting the NDP dots 15 Rail can take us to a more sustainable future 18 Building a future-proofed construction sector – PJ Rudden, Chairperson, Innovation and Digital Adoption SubGroup

CA SE STUDIE S

18 INTER V IE W

22 A towering success – Dublin Airport Visual Control Tower, BAM Ireland 26 Roadbridge on track for early delivery of N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin Road Scheme 28 Rejuvenating the historic heart of Dundalk – Clanbrassil Street/St Nicholas Quarter Public Realm Rejuvenation Scheme, John Cradock Limited 30 Making critical infrastructure safer for vulnerable road users – Drummartin Link Road/Kilgobbin Road Upgrade, Clonmel Enterprises 34 Creating more welcoming civic spaces in Dublin city centre – Clarendon Street Area Improvement Scheme, Actavo Civils Division 36 UMR Group achieves near-zero waste on an industrial demolition project

OPINION

38 Eight fundamental risks consultants should be considering when entering into contracts – Killian Dorney, Partner, Beale & Co 40 ‘The OGP should mind its own business’ – John FFF O’Brien, Principal Consultant, John Farage O’Brien

SEC TOR F OCUS

22 CA SE STUDIE S

44 ACEI members aim to be carbon neutral by 2030 – David McHugh, President, ACEI 47 Maximising the value of construction waste materials – United Metals Recycling Group 48 ClearyDoyle Celebrates 60 years in business 51 €7bn to be spent on data centre construction in Ireland in the next five years 52 Is your firm doing enough to attract the right job candidates?

– ConstructionJobs.ie 54 Counting the building materials costs

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

57 Sisk certified as a carbon-neutral business 58 Irish Green Building Council working for a sustainable future

61 PR ODUC T S A ND SER V ICE S All the latest products and services news

44 SEC TOR F OCUS

C o v e r p h o t o : Dublin Airport Visual Control Tower, BAM Ireland.

(Photograph by Neil Warner – www.warnercorporatephotography.com) irishconstructionnews 1 July 2021

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ADVENTURE We delivered a 60MW data centre in the Netherlands faster than any similar sized data centre in the World

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2 irishconstructionnews July 2021

EDITORI AL

PUBLISHER Foundation Media Ltd 1 Northumberland Place, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.

Tel: +353 (0)1 677 3157 EDITOR Robbie Cousins robbie@foundationmedia.ie DESIGN Joanne Birmingham CONTRIBUTORS Barry McCall, John FFF O’Brien, Killian Dorney, Shane Dunny, Damien Lambert.

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From the e d i t o r I t is a pivotal time for the rollout of infrastructure in Ireland. Greater clarity on the pipeline of projects in the revised National Development Plan (NDP) is essential. The NDP goal of more regionally balanced development is dependent on much-improved interconnectivity across the country.

Roads, rail, ports, airports, water, broadband, etc, all are critical, but how do they get the balance right? One thing is for sure, the revised NDP, with its focus on sustainability, will need to provide clarity on the project pipeline once and for all so that necessary resources and people can be put in place to deliver on the plan’s ambitions.

Despite Covid-19, activity on infrastructure projects has been maintained over the past 18 months. In some cases, projects have been delivered with greater efficiency, but also at greater cost, due to the reduction in traffic and footfall.

As we look to the revised NDP, contractors, consultants and designers face the challenge of filling their skills gaps and coming up with solutions as to how they will design and build more efficiently and sustainably.

In this issue of Irish Construction News, we explore these areas, with features looking at the burning issues that stakeholders have to grapple with. We get the strongly held views of key figures from across the sector on how problems should be addressed.

In our main feature, a number of leading infrastructure figures discuss the importance of delivering the national road network the country is expecting and why roads are a critical piece of the sustainable infrastructure map.

You will also see a piece from AECOM on how our national rail infrastructure should be reimagined and modernised to improve national and local connectivity.

PJ Rudden, Chairman of the Construction Sector Group’s key Innovation and Digital Adoption SubGroup discusses the important lessons he has learned since taking up the position last year, and how SME contractors will not get left behind in the sector’s transition to digital construction and more

sustainable construction practices.

David McHugh, President of the ACEI, sets out his association’s sustainability ambitions and what he would like done to address the critical PII challenges consulting engineers face at this time.

Pat Barry, CEO of the Irish Green Building Council, discusses the IGBC’s achievements over its first 10 years in operation and what sustainable initiatives the IGBC will be championing in the coming 12 months.

In our opinion section, John FFF O’Brien has the OGP in his sights, as he argues that contractors need to hold firm and get precisely what they are entitled to as a result of Covid-19 stoppages. Killian Dorney of Beale & Co sets out the eight fundamental risks consultants should be considering when entering into contracts.

We have case studies on a number of recently completed projects, including BAM’s Dublin Airport Visual Control Tower, Roadbridge’s N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin Road Scheme, and schemes by Clonmel Enterprises and Actavo. We learn about how UMR Group achieved a 98% waste recovery rate on the demolition of two Limerick industrial units. We also have videos on some of these projects.

Elsewhere, we celebrate ClearyDoyle’s 60th anniversary in business, find out when there might be an end to spiralling building materials costs, look at where a projected €7bn will be spent on data centres in Ireland over the coming five years, and suggest some ways in which contractors can reach more candidates when trying to fill their own skills gaps.

I hope you enjoy this issue. Don’t forget to follow Irish Construction News on social media on Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook, and visit our website constructionnews.ie to get all the latest Irish construction news as well as sign up for our free eNewsletter Regards Robbie Cousins Editor robbie@foundationmedia.ie Scan to subscribe to free e-newsletter

irishconstructionnews 3 July 2021

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KIRBY G RO UP ENG INEERING ANNO UNC ES 300 NE W JOB S

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irby Group Engineering has announced plans to create 300 new jobs as part of a significant expansion to meet the demand for its services in Ireland and across Europe.

The family-founded, privately-owned company says the new jobs will include engineering, commercial, operations and administrative staff, with recruitment for many of these roles already underway.

As part of this recruitment drive, Kirby is looking to attract almost 100 people to be deployed across its hugely successful apprenticeship scheme and graduate programme.

Kirby has also announced a significant structural investment, comprising a €2m plan to upgrade its company headquarters in Co Limerick. The company currently employs over 1,200 people, with 200 new employees having joined during 2020.

Speaking at the announcement, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “Today’s announcement of an additional 300 jobs represents another great milestone for Kirby Group Engineering, Limerick and the wider mid-west region. We want Ireland to be a great location and a competitive location to start and scale businesses just like this.

L to r: Eve Cassidy, Civil Engineer, Kirby Group Engineering; Mark Flanagan, Group Managing Director, Kirby Group Engineering; An Taoiseach Micheál Martin; and Paul Lynam, Apprentice, Kirby Group Engineering.

Kirby’s expansion is testament to the skills and talent this country has to offer, and I note in particular the value the company places on graduates and apprentices in shaping its future. I wish everyone at Kirby Group Engineering many more decades of success.”

Mark Flanagan, Group Managing Director, Kirby Group Engineering, commented: “I’m very proud to unveil this expansion plan at our Limerick headquarters on a landmark day for Kirby. This announcement, coupled with recruitment last year, despite the global pandemic, will result in our team growing by 500 in two

years. Our team is making fantastic inroads at the cutting edge of construction across Europe, and the people we welcome onboard in this phase will be a vital support to the future of the company.”

The construction phase of the Limerick expansion is projected to take six months, with the facility expected to be operational by the end of 2021.

Most of Kirby’s growth in the next 12 months will come from constructing new data centre projects while also meeting the demands of its customer base across life sciences, industrial, commercial and energy sectors.

15 c o n s t r u c t io n w o r k -r e la t e d f a t a lit ie s recorded in 2020

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ccording to the Health and Safety Authority’s (HSA) latest Annual Review of Workplace Injuries, Illnesses and Fatalities, there was a total of 53 work-related fatalities in 2020. The largest number of fatalities, 23 (43.4%), occurred in agriculture, forestry and fishing, while there were 15 (28.3%) fatalities in construction, the second-highest level of fatalities. Construction fatalities, however, have shown considerable variation in recent years, dropping to five in 2017 and showing increases since then.

The highest number of construction fatalities by age was six fatalities in the 45 to 54 years of age cohort.

There has been a significant increase in the number of people contacting the HSA and availing of supports. According to the HSA’s annual report, its Workplace Contact Unit handled 28,684 contacts in 2020, 39% more than in 2019. Of the 28,684 contacts received, over a third or 9,982 were requests for information in relation to Covid-19.

The numbers registering to use the HSA’s free safety statement and risk assessment tool, BeSMART.ie, increased by 15% in 2020

– with 78,162 people registered in 2020, compared with 66,296 registered in 2019.

There were 11,868 new registrants in 2020 – the highest on record, compared with 9,967 new registrants in 2019.

“More people are now aware of the importance of health and safety in the workplace. But health and safety must continue to be a top priority – as it can and will save lives,” said CEO of the HSA, Dr Sharon McGuinness. “Proper risk assessments and health and safety considerations must be implemented in all workplaces to ensure everyone’s safety. No job is worth a loss of life, injury or illness,” Dr McGuinness added.

Overall, in 2020 there were 7,417 nonfatal incidents reported, a reduction of 20% on the figure for 2019. There were 758 (10%) non-fatal incidents reported in construction, with the top three reported incidents being: 239 slips or falls; 220 manual handling (internal injuries); and 118 being reported as a loss of control of an object, machine or vehicle.

irishconstructionnews 5 July 2021

Unit R, M7 Business Park, Newhall, Naas, Co. Kildare. W91 W64H : 045 981900 : www.clonmelent.com : info@clonmelent.com 6 irishconstructionnews July 2021

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M I C H E Á L O ’ C O N N O R C ONFIRMED AS DORNAN G RO UP MANAG ING DIREC TO R

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Micheál O’Connor, Managing Director, Dornan Group.

ornan Group has confirmed the appointment of Micheál O’Connor as its new managing director. A chartered quantity surveyor and past-president of the Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland, Micheál O’Connor brings almost 30 years of experience in the construction industry to the role.

Prior to joining Dornan, he was vice president and general manager for Ireland and Northern Europe with Jacobs.

The announcement marks the continued growth and success of the Dornan Goup in Ireland, the UK and Europe, with a record turnover of €486m recorded in 2020 – up from €332m in 2019. As the company eyes further expansion, a number of strategic hires have been made in the past year, with more recruitment on the cards over the next 18 months.

Dornan Group directly employs more than 1,300 people across its various offices and projects in Ireland, the UK, and Europe. It employs a further 2,500 through its supply chain in these regions.

Having joined Dornan Group as

deputy managing director in March 2020, O’Connor has spent the past 14 months working closely with the senior leadership team of Brian Acheson (CEO), Paul Flynn (Group Operations Director) and David Myers (Group Commercial Director) as well as Oliver Lonergan, who he succeeds as managing director.

Oliver Lonergan, who has held the role of managing director since 2004, will remain with the business as a director for the next three years, focused primarily on the company’s continued business growth and project governance.

Speaking about his appointment, Micheál O’Connor commented, “Dornan Group is an innovative, progressive company, and I am taking on this new role at an exciting time. It’s been an interesting year, and although restrictions meant I was unable to meet many of the team face-to-face at first, technology enabled a seamless transition.”

In the role, O’Connor will lead the Dornan Group’s ambitious growth strategy while lending his expertise to enhancing Dornan’s safety programme and the strategic vision to enhance the group’s modern methods of construction and digital transformation.

MURDO C K BUILDERS MERC HANTS ANNO UNC ES B R OOK S B UILDER S M ER CHA NT S A C QUIS IT ION

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urdock Builders Merchants has announced the acquisition of Brooks Group, comprising Brooks Builders Merchants and Dublin Plywood and Veneer, from Welsh-based Premier Forest Products Group. The transaction is subject to the approval of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

The transaction will lead to the return to Irish ownership, after a 40-year interval, of Brooks, Ireland’s oldest name in builders merchanting and leads to the establishment of a strong competitive force in the market with significant reach throughout the island of Ireland. Murdocks has 10 branches and two timber processing facilities in Northern Ireland and four merchanting outlets in the Republic of Ireland. Brooks has seven builders merchants branches in the Republic, and DPV has its timber distribution based in Dublin.

Announcing the transaction, Ciaran Murdock of Murdocks said: “We are delighted to be announcing the acquisition of Brooks Group, a business we have always held in high regard. Since establishing Murdock Builders Merchants in 1982, we have gradually built the Murdocks business by opening new branches along

with some single site acquisitions. Today’s announcement marks an important strategic move in significantly broadening our footprint in the Republic through the Brooks business. We believe that this provides us with a great platform for further expansion in Ireland.”

Mark Lohan, Managing Director, Brooks Group, said: “The combination of Brooks with Murdocks comes at a great time for the business. We have made significant progress in realising the objectives of our strategy, strengthening the fundamentals, enhancing resilience and delivering performance. The team at Brooks is ambitious for the business,

and that ambition is matched by Ciaran and his colleagues. We’re looking forward to an exciting new chapter for the combined business.”

Murdocks has also announced that following the completion of the acquisition, it plans to appoint Eddie Kelly as chairman of Brooks Group. Kelly has had a significant career in Irish builders merchanting and, as chief executive, led Grafton’s merchanting business in Ireland for seven years prior to his recent retirement. Paul Lynch, former executive director at Heiton Group plc and CFO of Applegreen plc, will also join the board as a non-executive director.

irishconstructionnews 7 July 2021

Regional Director EU Operations Collen Construction is a family-owned business established in 1810 and holds a place within Tier One construction companies in Ireland, with an unrivalled reputation for building excellence and a primary focus on safety and quality across all projects. It has successfully tendered and negotiated contracts for a range of clients including large multi-national corporations, private companies, and state and local authorities.

The Company is now focused on continued, substantial growth of its European operations and is seeking a Regional Director with a civil and/or structural engineering degree to help lead this expansion and manage the delivery of construction solutions in the dynamic Data Centre sector. Based in mainland Europe, the role will encompass overall business management and pre-construction planning through to postcompletion stages; it will also involve business development and public representation. This appointment offers unlimited opportunities for the right person.

While several years senior-level experience with a large construction firm is essential, of equal importance are strong leadership and managerial talents. Highly attractive remuneration arrangements are offered, including a performance-related bonus, in addition to substantial relocation and family supports. Career and personal details should be forwarded, in strictest confidence, to Tom Yeaton at tom@yeatonassoc.com or enquiries may be directed to him at +353 1 6600500 or +353 86 9671940.

Collen is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace

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B AM IR EL A ND B R IDGE WINS PRESTIG IO US INTERNATIONAL IABSE AWARD

he Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge, the longest bridge in Ireland, has been awarded the 2021 International Association of Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) Outstanding Structure Award. The win marks the first time an Irish project has secured the prestigious global award for the most remarkable, innovative and creative structures.

Recognised under the ‘Bridge or Other Infrastructures’ category, the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge has pushed the boundaries for the span of concrete extrados bridges. Constructed by the BAM Dragados JV, the outstanding structure, Ireland’s longest bridge at 887 metres in length, holds other records: at 230 metres each, its two main spans are the longest post-tensioned concrete spans in the world. The side spans over dry land on both sides of the River Barrow were built using a scaffold and a wing form traveller. The main spans were built using the balanced cantilever method. At its maximum

length from the central pier, the west span cantilevered 140 metres over the river.

The Outstanding Structure Award recognises the innovative teamwork of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), Wexford and Kilkenny County Councils, contractors BAM and Dragados, the designers Arup and Carlos Fernandez Casado (CFC), and technical advisors for the scheme Mott MacDonald.

BAM Ireland CEO Theo Cullinane says: “We are delighted that the bridge has been internationally recognised for its engineering excellence and are we very proud to have built such an iconic structure. Congratulations to Tadhg Lucey (COO, BAM Civil) and all the project team for their exceptional hard work in delivering this outstanding piece of infrastructure.”

Sisk parent com pany reports turnover of o v e r € 1. 5 b n f o r 2 0 2 0

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icon Limited, the parent company of the Sisk Group’s construction and construction-related activities in Ireland, the UK and Europe, has announced its financial results for the year ended 31 December 2020, with a turnover of €1.503bn and profit before tax of €23.3m. The figures also incorporate the results of the Korine Property Partners and Origo Distribution businesses, both of which are wholly-owned subsidiaries.

Sicon has reported strong performance for 2020, after allowing for the significant adverse impacts which the Covid-19

pandemic had on the group’s operations throughout 2020 and continuing into the current year. The group experienced a substantial increase in operating costs and took various steps to mitigate these incremental costs. Its construction activities in Ireland were more impacted than in other countries.

However, performance and profitability levels rebounded well in the second half of the year, as European economies started to reopen.

John Sisk & Son CEO Steve Bowcott said that 2020 was a year like no other. “Growth is

continuing across our business in key sectors such as life sciences and data, in both the UK and across Europe as well as delivering much needed social housing through our Sisk Living division. Our new business pipeline remains strong in key target sectors.”

Sisk’s construction businesses suffered site closures due to Covid-19 and deferred over €150m of work from 2020 into 2021.

A CE I s e c r e ta r y g e n e ra l a p p o inte d t o t h e b o a r d of European Federation of Engineering C onsultanc y Associations

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Sarah Ingle, Secretary General, Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland.

he European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations (EFCA) has appointed Sarah Ingle, Secretary General, the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland (ACEI), to its board of directors.

Speaking about her appointment, Sarah Ingle commented: “I am looking forward to continuing my contribution to EFCA’s advocacy and lobbying work to promote the interests of the engineering consultancy sector in Europe across a variety of matters, ranging from sustainability to technology and public procurement.”

Ingle was appointed secretary general of the ACEI in 2015 and has been an active

member of EFCA since then. ACEI is a selfregulatory professional body representing the business and professional interests of the consulting engineering sector in Ireland.

As secretary general of ACEI, Ingle is responsible for ACEI’s internal finances, governance, management, events and training courses, as well as for its international representation. Ingle was a member of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Advisory Council for two years, assisting in providing contributions to support and advising the FIDIC board. She is also a member of the Irish Fulbright Commission Board.

irishconstructionnews 9 July 2021

MAI N FE ATURE

R EGIONA L ECONOM IC GR OW TH IS DEPENDENT ON CONNEC TING THE NDP DOT S The only way to improve inter-regional connectivity is to accelerate the rollout of the regional roads network. Barry McCall speaks with leading infrastructure sector figures about sustainable development and the key issues affecting project delivery at this time.

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peaking on the Climate Bill in the Seanad in late June, Green Party leader and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan made some comments which would have sent shudders down the collective spine of the Irish construction sector. Declaring that the days of motorways “going out and out and out” were over, Minister Ryan said the government would be building bypasses to save dying town centres instead of motorways in future.

“The switch has been made, and it’s agreed in Government,” Minister Ryan told the Seanad. “We have to do a National Development Plan (NDP) review. And we have to start aligning our capital investment with our climate plans. The key changes will firstly be in terms of roads. I think we’ll be switching to large numbers of bypasses because that actually helps us on the climate front.”

That throwaway remark in relation to

10 irishconstructionnews July 2021

the NDP review will be a cause for further disquiet in the industry. The fact that the final shape of the NDP is still in play at this juncture will at the very least cast a shadow of uncertainty over the sector. Many had hoped that with the conclusion of the consultation process earlier this year, the review would have been effectively complete by now, with minimal tweaks made as a result. This may no longer be the case.

BALANCING REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

While Minister Ryan argued that bypasses would be better than motorways for restoring life to regional towns, this view is certainly not universally shared.

Conor McCarthy, Director, Jennings O’Donovan, and the immediate past president of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland (ACEI) comments: “It can’t just be all focused on the east of the

MAI N FE ATURE

Conor McCarthy, Director, Jennings O’Donovan. country. Balanced regional development should be at the heart of the plan. Dublin must thrive and continue to thrive, but other regions must be allowed to develop as well.”

According to McCarthy, the shift in emphasis to public transport may be driven by the best of climate intentions, but it is of dubious value to the regions.

“In transport and roads, there has been a shift to public transport, and they are talking about a ratio of two to one in favour of public transport expenditure,” he adds.

“But there are still parts of the regions where roads have yet to be built. They have fallen behind. The NDP review consultation received 572 submissions, and many of them focused on enhancing the inter-regional roads network. The Dublin to Galway road might be good, but Dublin to Sligo is not so good. It can be difficult if you are trying to get from Mullingar to Sligo.”

It’s a question of equity for Conor McCarthy.

“Projects like the Carrick-on-Shannon bypass need to go ahead,” he continues.

“If you want to have connectivity in the regions, they have to have the same facilities as Cork, Galway and Belfast. The regions can’t be allowed to suffer because of the shift in focus to public transport. There is no point in investing in public transport in the north-west if the region has no roads to put it on anyway. There are groups such as the ACEI and Chambers of Commerce branches around the country who will be advocating for the regions. They shouldn’t be punished for not having roads already.”

Conor McCarthy also points to the value for taxpayers’ money that is offered by investing in infrastructure in the regions.

“The north west has been designated

Eamonn Stapleton, Managing Director, Clonmel Enterprises. as a region in transition by the European Commission. That means the region can get up to 60% EU funding for projects because it has fallen so far behind. We want to attract people to live and invest in the north west, but we need to have connectivity to do that.”

SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE

Eamonn Stapleton, Managing Director, Clonmel Enterprises, is stoic when it comes to the prospect of changes to the NDP. “The NDP is what it is,” he says. “It’s a plan, and all plans are subject to change.

Of course, it can be influenced politically, but I don’t believe it will change hugely to the detriment of the industry. We will have retrofitting, upgrading of roads and public transport, bus corridors and cycleways, and so on. I’d be an optimist anyway. It will change, but the industry is remarkably flexible and responsive to change.”

He does not believe the changes should be laid solely at the door of the Green Party.

“When you look at this more closely, everyone has to accept the plan will be greened up,” Stapleton continues. “But this is not totally the domain of the Green Party.

Everyone is on message when it comes to climate action. Everyone hears the message, and it’s what society demands now. The reality is that it is a societal thing, and construction will just have to be prepared for it.”

And the industry is moving in that direction.

“We see a lot of companies with green procurement policies and sustainability departments,” Stapleton continues. “Other companies are doing it to a degree. At Clonmel Enterprise, we are investing in green procurement and digital technologies

Des Mulcair, Director, Roadbridge. in anticipation of what’s coming.”

STICK TO THE PLAN

Des Mulcair, Director, Roadbridge, does not believe the NDP review will result in significant change.

“Our understanding from the review of the NDP is that there will be no impact, or, at worst, minimum impact on the current plan,” he says. “The plan is essential for Ireland’s economic growth, to meet housing demand arising from population growth, completion of the interconnectivity of Ireland and its communities, and the avoidance of wasted investment and taxpayers’ money. However, we do expect the review will have an impact on future developments, as they will be subject to new environmental criteria in their selection.”

Mulcair broadly supports the increased emphasis on public transport but adds the same caveats as Conor McCarthy.

“It is essential that there is an effective public transport system put in place in Ireland, and this will also be dependent on there being an effective and well-maintained road network in place to support this,” he says.

“While our infrastructure has come an awfully long way, we still have a long way to go,” Mulcair continues. “It’s not just about public transport. It’s about connecting all the people in the country. If someone needs to drive to Naas once a week, they still need the road to drive on. And people still have to get from their homes to the train station and then to the office, whether they walk, cycle, take a bus or drive. They will still have to make those journeys on roads.”

Mulcair believes that the change in the complexion of the government shouldn’t

irishconstructionnews 11 July 2021

MAI N FE ATURE impact the essential content of the plan.

CLIMATE ACTION PRIORITIES

‘The climate change agenda is good for the industry. The industry wants to build the right projects in the right locations’ – Des Mulcair, Roadbridge

12 irishconstructionnews July 2021

“Political priorities shouldn’t affect the NDP,” Des Mulcair contends. “That doesn’t change the plan. Just because you change government doesn’t mean you change plans agreed on by all stakeholders. Look at the Programme for Government, all the parties agreed on that.”

But that is not to suggest he is not in favour of an increased focus on climate action.

“The climate change agenda is good for the industry. The industry wants to build the right projects in the right locations, and they have to be sustainable. Economic and employment growth are dependent on connecting the dots, and the NDP is very well thought out, and it does that. When the industry was asked to suggest to the government what it should do, our advice was to stick to the NDP. The plan is there; the plan is good. It is well thought out and well-conceived and worth sticking with. The industry relies heavily on connectivity and feels very strongly about the government following through on the NDP as published.

The industry is also very supportive of a responsible approach to Ireland achieving its climate and environmental targets.”

The uncertainty created by the pandemic and Brexit is being compounded by doubts about the NDP, however.

A RELIABLE PLAN

“A big issue relates to finance coming out of Covid-19,” Eamonn Stapleton notes. “There is no slowdown in procurement at the moment, but who knows what will happen in the next 18 months. A bit of notice from government on where things are going would be good. The industry has proven itself to be reasonably resilient. Boom and bust cycles don’t do anybody any good. We need a reliable plan while accepting that priorities will change over time.”

Des Mulcair agrees.

“The uncertainty is presenting very significant challenges to all construction companies as, currently, it is very difficult to make strategic decisions with regard to how to allocate our resources and advance our future corporate investments,” he says. “The government has a key role in addressing this by maintaining sustained and long term investment plans in Ireland’s infrastructure to enable it to meet its own climate goals and to support innovation in the sector.”

According to Conor McCarthy, the NDP must address the needs of Ireland’s growing population and act as a lever to stimulate the economy when necessary.

“Looking forward, there will be one million extra people living in Ireland in 2040,” he comments. “That hasn’t changed, and we still have to put the infrastructure

in place to provide for them. That means prioritising investment in housing, roads, water services, energy, utilities, and renewable energy. We need investment in housing, not just for the current crisis but for future needs as well. There is still a lot of construction work to be carried out in the years ahead.”

The greening of the plan shouldn’t be viewed in a negative light, however.

“Projects will be subject to a lot more governance and scrutiny, which is a good thing,” McCarthy adds. “What is good for construction and the built environment sector is consistency. Peaks and troughs do nobody any good.”

Funding will be an issue, of course.

“Before Covid-19, the NDP was priced at €116bn,” McCarthy continues. “Ibec and ACEI have already advocated for an increase of €25bn on that. ACEI said this at the time of the publication of the July Stimulus Plan last year. ACEI has had discussions with the government and with Minister McGrath, and we were told we are not going back to 2007 and austerity. That is good news.”

ADDRESSING BACKLOGS

Des Mulcair believes while the review of the NDP and pressure on the public finances in the wake of Covid may have a negative impact on construction activity, but there are other issues at play that need to be addressed.

“There is a slowdown, and contractors are being hindered from firing on all cylinders,” he says. “Projects are not moving as quickly as they should. Is this or is this not due to Covid-19?

“Planning issues and judicial reviews are certainly delaying projects. How people have the time and money to take so many judicial reviews is beyond me. They just seem to want to defeat progress.”

Mulcair believes this needs to be addressed with some urgency.

“We either find a way of working with a system or change the system if it slows things down,” Mulcair comments. “I don’t want to deprive people of their right to object or be heard, but there are times when the greater good must prevail. A means of fast-tracking certain projects is needed. We could give people a certain time period to make objections. But they can’t go on and on and on with objections. But, at the same time, there can’t be some magic gate to push projects through. Of course, people must have the opportunity to object, but it must be fair and not obstruct progress.”

One thing all three are agreed on is the resilience of the industry and its ability to adapt to changing circumstances. The NDP will probably change, but the construction industry will do what it has always done and deliver what is required to meet the plan’s objectives.

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irishconstructionnews 13 July 2021

14 irishconstructionnews July 2021

MAI N FE ATURE

Rail can take us to a m o r e s u s t a in a b le f u t u r e SHANE DUNNY and DAMIEN LAMBERT, AECOM, assess how modernising Ireland’s national rail network and rolling stock will facilitate sustainable growth across the regions and contribute to the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020 commitment of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

F

or decades, Irish cities have sprawled.

A rising population needed new homes, but a lack of infrastructure and inconsistent planning led to developers frequently building out rather than up. As distances increased between work and home, commuters took to the car.

Project Ireland 2040 and other factors, including recovery from coronavirus, have created an opportunity to build something better and more sustainable.

FUTURE NEEDS

Within 20 years, there will be an additional one million people living in the Republic of Ireland, and an additional two-thirds of a million people working in the country, so the time is now for coordinated planning for transport, commercial developments and homes.

The development of housing and commercial properties needs to be aligned with and carried out in parallel with public transport projects.

Investment in rail infrastructure will provide a permanent and sustainable transport option around which communities and businesses can grow. The modernising of the rail network will facilitate compact urban development and sustainable growth while

also contributing to decarbonisation goals— all key Project Ireland 2040 outcomes.

IRISH RAIL NETWORK

Due to decades of underinvestment, Ireland’s commuter rail network is no longer fit for purpose, especially as demand continues to grow. Services can be crowded, irregular and unreliable.

Project Ireland 2040’s National Development Plan allocation of more than €2bn for rail over the next decade to overhaul the network should go some way towards resolving these problems. Central to these plans is increasing the frequency of trains. A turn-up-and-go train service will mean that instead of having to check train times, commuters can arrive on the platform, confident they will depart within minutes.

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

These developments will have significant consequences for the areas around the train network, creating opportunities in both residential and commercial property sectors.

At present, the passenger capacity for heavy rail into Dublin city centre is around 26,000 per hour. But with the planned upgrade through the DART+ programme - the

upgrading of Dublin’s entire heavy rail system - 52,000 passengers will be able to travel per hour, hugely boosting the appeal of rail commuting.

“There has been a strong case for investment for a long time”, says Jim Meade, Chief Executive, Irish Rail. “The pandemic has undoubtedly shifted travel patterns. However, the commitment from the government to upgrade services demonstrates the central role that a modernised rail network has to play in helping Ireland grow sustainably. We need high-capacity links along existing corridors between areas identified for higher-density employment and higher-density residential developments — and now we are finally able to deliver.”

Based on the planned investment, new residential developments are scheduled to be built close to stations. Combined with investment in DART+, these developments in places such as Clonburris and Adamstown - will more than double the number of residents living with 1km of a highfrequency DART service to over 600,000 people. The effects will be substantial, particularly in more deprived areas. Access to world-class transport will improve the job market, transforming opportunities for

irishconstructionnews 15 July 2021

MAI N FE ATURE

Damien Lambert, Associate Director, AECOM. thousands of people.

AECOM analysis shows that this improved rail network would support compact growth and encourage better land use, and it can become a virtuous circle. By developing the potential of the network, the areas around the stations will be boosted.

Landowners and developers can work together on infill development rather than greenfield sprawl, and the opportunity exists to build attractive apartment blocks and allow commuters just a brief walk to a train station rather than a long drive to work.

STAKEHOLDER COOPERATION

Cooperation between all the interested groups is not a given, but there are many examples around the world of improved rail networks significantly enhancing the commercial and residential potential of an area. In Barcelona, for example, AECOM delivered on a large and complex high-speed link between Madrid and Figueras, just south of the French border.

This project focused on the La Sagrera station area of Barcelona, with AECOM appointed to adapt and design the railway’s infrastructure to integrate fully with the existing urban environment. Most of the infrastructure will be hidden under covered slabs and newly landscaped parkland that will reconnect several neighbourhoods Sagrera, Sant Marti and Sant Andreu - that were previously divided by the railway. The plan will bring extensive opportunities for residential and commercial development.

REGIONAL RAIL OPPORTUNITIES

In Ireland, it will be crucial to have a similar vision beyond Dublin if there is to be compact growth focused on the whole rail network. Project Ireland 2040 aims to ensure that 75% of all population growth occurs outside the capital over the coming decades.

The cities of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford have long term integrated

16 irishconstructionnews July 2021

transport strategies in place or under development that foresee a key role for rail.

“These possibilities must be integrated in line with planned developments so that they align with population growth”, says Jim Meade. “For example, Galway County Council wants to residentially develop the area around Oranmore station, which will in turn increase demand for rail services over time. In this way, rail can help reverse lowdensity settlement patterns.”

The opportunity for rail to support sustainable development and cater for increasing demand is also evident in the south of the country, where AECOM is currently working to define the future aspirations for the Cork commuter rail network. This project will support additional capacity and increase service frequencies by developing new stations, double tracking, electrification, operational improvements and a range of other infrastructure and rolling stock investments along the commuter line, extending between Kent Station in Cork city to Mallow, Midleton and Cobh.

CUTTING CARBON EMISSIONS

Modernising the network will help meet environmental goals too. By shifting from diesel to electric trains, the carbon footprint of Ireland’s rail network will be substantially reduced. As commuting by train becomes a more appealing option, private car travel should fall, which will cut emissions further.

The pandemic has provided a huge shakeup of people’s habits, and in its aftermath, it will be important to ensure that commuters are nudged towards more environmentallyfriendly travel.

A key element of promoting sustainable growth is ensuring that the improved trains are part of a wider network of sustainable transport. Already, AECOM has advised on improving stations in Dublin, so that they are more user-friendly, attract more passengers, and fit seamlessly into the wider transport network.

At Docklands Station in Dublin, AECOM has undertaken an extensive study to define development opportunities that would improve the integration of the station within the docklands area of the city. This development would create a multi-modal transportation hub, which encourages the use of rail, increases the capacity of the station and provides a sustainable transport option for commuters. An important aspect of defining these solutions was how the optimised station was designed to provide enhanced connectivity to walking, cycling, and bus routes to and from the docklands area, and how these designs would support a reduction in travel time and enhance the transport experience for those living and working in the areas adjacent to the station.

Shane Dunny, Regional Director, AECOM

A MODERN RAIL NETWORK

Modernising rail, as part of an integrated public transport system supported by walking and cycling facilities, will be a key part of meeting Project Ireland 2040’s goals on sustainable development, compact growth and the transition to a lowcarbon society. And while recovery from coronavirus and a more active and mobile lifestyle is on many people’s minds, we have the chance to embrace these changes to build a more resilient transport network that would reflect society’s future needs. If we can get all interested groups engaging, we can build the network that an expanding, prosperous and more sustainable Ireland needs.

To learn more about AECOM, visit www.aecom.com

DART+ The DART+ programme will see the DART network grow from 50km in length to over 150km. It will promote multi-modal transit, active transport, boost regional connectivity and make public transport the preferred option for more and more people.

The DART+ Programme will involve rail improvements from: • DART+ West - Maynooth and M3 Parkway to Dublin city centre • DART+ South West - Hazelhatch and Celbridge to Dublin city centre • DART+ Coastal North - Drogheda to Dublin city centre • DART+ Coastal South Greystones to the Dublin city centre • DART+ Fleet - Purchase of new electric train fleet to increase train services.

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irishconstructionnews 17 July 2021

MAI N FE ATURE

BUILDING A F U T U R E -P R O O F E D C ONSTRUC TION SEC TO R T The Construction Sector Group’s Innovation and Digital Adoption SubGroup chairperson PJ RUDDEN speaks with Robbie Cousins about the progress being made in putting in place the foundations for a more modern and sustainable Irish construction industry.

he Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s (DPER’s) 2019 report Productivity in the Irish Construction Industry, 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 priority actions are seen as key to achieving the modernisation of the Irish construction industry, bringing it on a par with more efficient sectors, such as IT and manufacturing. The priority actions are also considered essential interventions to enable the construction sector to become a major contributor to achieving the carbonemission reduction commitments made by the government in its Climate Action Bill of achieving 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 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 3. Guide the development of modern methods of construction (MMC) 4. Establish a construction technology centre 5. Establish a digital network under the Construction Skillnet 6. Digitise the planning process 7. Establish and fund a build digital centre of excellence for BIM and digital adoption.

The Innovation and Digital Adoption SubGroup has brought together the top minds and leaders from across all areas of construction to ensure the seven priorities are delivered. PJ Rudden says that the seven priority working groups have already achieved much since September.

Speaking about the need for innovation

18 irishconstructionnews July 2021

in Irish construction at this time, Rudden comments: “Irish construction is relatively low tech. The industry’s multinational clients are all-embracing Industry 4.0. There is quite a gap between that and where the Irish construction and engineering sectors are currently. Those clients expect the same approach as they are taking from our larger construction firms, who, in fairness, are starting to deliver at the higher end of the industry. At the same time, the majority of firms in the construction sector are SMEs, and we need to assist them to upskill to the required levels of innovation and digital adoption.”

RAPID PROGRESS

Rudden says that despite the pandemic, the subgroup has achieved much since its work officially commenced in September 2020.

Each of the seven priority actions has an action leader who reports every four weeks.

The subgroup meets to consider progress every six weeks. PJ Rudden then reports to the CSG chairperson, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s secretarygeneral, every three months.

Addressing progress to date on each of the actions, PJ Rudden explains: “Action 1, [Establishing construction research needs] is complete and now feeding into Action 2 [Identify funding sources for future innovation], which in turn feeds into Action 3 [MMC development) and Action 4 [Construction Technology Centre].

“Action 2 has researched available sources of Irish and EU funding to pilot innovation across a range of construction activities in terms of enhanced productivity and sustainability.

“Action 3 includes modular and off-site construction, circular economy and the decarbonisation of materials.

“Action 4 is the centrepiece of the whole project, and EY consultants are working on a ‘Detailed Description of Needs for the Construction Technology Centre’ in terms of the content and activities that will best innovate, develop and upskill our future industry.

“Action 5, [Establishing a digital network under the Construction Skillnet], is jointly funded by the Department of Education and the Construction Industry Federation. This

MAI N FE ATURE

PJ Rudden, Chairperson, CSG Innovation and Digital Adoption SubGroup. action is also assisted by our SME Focus Group, which is voicing the concerns of the vast majority of the industry in this space.

“Action 6 [Digitising the planning process] is being led by the Local Government Management Agency, which is working on digitising the planning application process. Progress is also satisfactory here, with piloting of the new digital planning systems under trial in three of our 31 local authorities. The planning system is complex and requires integrating the currently developed system with three back-end planning systems and eight different document management systems across the 31 local authorities.

“Finally, Action 7, the five-year Build Digital Project, is soon to be awarded to a consortium of third-level colleges with industrial leadership to build the industry into an integrated Building Information Modelling (BIM) process that allows future major projects to build better, adhere to programme/scheduling, cost controls, decarbonisation and asset management requirements.”

FINDING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

The scale and depth of the work being carried out are ambitious.

“Across the seven priority actions,” explains PJ Rudden, “We have some 80 skilled people sponsored by some 50 contracting, consulting engineering, architectural and surveying firms to include

a wide range of structural, building and data management services, in addition to Enterprise Ireland, NSAI, RIAI, ACEI, SCSI, Engineers Ireland and government departments and public bodies.”

Rudden’s principal role is to lead collaboration between the various subgroups and their members, so they can come up with creative and innovative solutions to the challenges they have. He is very clear on what this means in real terms.

“We need to industrialise construction to create the required future agility, productivity and sustainability,” he explains.

“We have some great people bringing tremendous construction and innovation experience. However, we are also striving to improve diversity, inclusion and gender balance at every level. Gender balance was quite poor at the start of this work, even in the larger firms. Addressing gender balance is critical, as we need more people and more skills than currently exist in the industry. We lost a generation of skilled people 15 years ago from 2008, and we are still recovering from that. To help that recovery, we now really need to seek a 60/40 gender balance across the industry.”

He continues: “Delivering the new NDP over the next 10 years will probably be the greatest challenge we have ever faced when we add the requirement also to decarbonise an industry, which by its nature is responsible for a very high proportion of our greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions now need to be halved in accordance with

“The issue is not scale; the issue is purpose. All companies should be looking to build more productively and sustainably regardless of scale.”

irishconstructionnews 19 July 2021

MAI N FE ATURE Off-sitemanufactured bathroom pods

by LMC Group being delivered to a site in Ireland.

the commitments made in the new Climate Action Bill.”

NEXTGENERATION CONSTRUCTION

PJ Rudden says that many of the elements on which the working groups have been engaged to date are coming together, but there is a substantial piece of work to be completed in the coming year.

“Over the next 12 months, we expect to be at least one-third of the way towards embedding Next GenerationConstruction in Ireland, when many of the priority actions will be completed. The three major priority actions – Modern Methods of Construction, Construction Technology Centre, and Build Digital – will take another three to five years to fully implement. But there is already a detailed plan in place for the next five years.

A ONCE IN A GENERATION OPPORTUNIT Y

Rudden explains that when the project started, he didn’t quite realise the mammoth task that lay ahead, but the incredible talent and professionalism of those involved in the various working groups has meant his work has been made much easier.

“Our biggest learning has been better understanding the sheer scale of the huge ambition facing the construction industry.

However, we should not be daunted by this once in a generation opportunity in human and financial terms. Our goal is to create and build a new Ireland for another one million people under Project Ireland 2040. The 2018 National Development Plan was allocated some €116bn to start the process, with a record €10bn to be spent this year alone. It is now likely that the 2018 capital allocation will be substantially increased in terms of housing and climate action in the updated NDP.”

NOBODY GETS LEFT BEHIND

Rudden says that as most companies in the construction sector are SMEs, they must be facilitated in every way possible to modernise their operations.

“The issue is not scale; the issue is purpose. All companies should be looking

20 irishconstructionnews July 2021

to build more productively and sustainably regardless of scale. We fully recognise the additional challenge that SMEs face in innovation and digital adoption, and we have to help them transform. I am reliably informed by our SME Focus Group that 50% of SMEs in the construction industry have never heard of BIM, and most of the other 50% have heard of it but feel it is not for them due to the scale of their business or other militating factors.

“We get this. However, SMEs are such a large proportion of our industry, we cannot and will not leave them behind.

They are a key part of the productivity and sustainability solution, so I am calling on them to come with us on this journey of innovation and digital adoption, and they will be suitably surprised at how they too can prosper and be part of NextGenerationConstruction.”

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Addressing the issue of sustainability in the construction industry, PJ Rudden says that the critical challenge facing the sector is ensuring that every company, no matter how small, is able to make the transition to become more efficient and sustainable.

Therefore, the critical part of the subgroup mandate is to ensure that the sector transitions to become a sustainable and green sector.

He explains: “Productivity improvements without full recourse to sustainability is like a new car without an engine. That new engine will ensure we can recover the Irish economy to be a digital green one.

“Construction is currently a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

In the UK, as in Ireland, embodied and operational carbon is a major contributor to climate change. The UK Institution of Civil Engineers estimates that 72% of all greenhouse gas emissions are caused by building and infrastructure. That makes us in the construction industry to be one of the primary targets for urgent climate action in terms of the need to decarbonise.

“The principal target must be concrete, and cement in particular. We will always need concrete, but it should be concrete made with low carbon cement. Low carbon cement has just a fraction, about 4% of the carbon content of ordinary Portland cement.

We cannot ignore this fact. We need to act and to act quickly to decarbonise concrete.

“We also need to look at other traditional building materials. In Scandinavia, for instance, structures are built to 10 stories and beyond using cross-laminated timber (CLT).

“We have a lot to do in this area, but, based on our progress to date, I am confident that we will become a more efficient and sustainable industry sector, and we will get there by working together,” PJ Rudden concludes.

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CASE STUDY

The structural steel frame of the visual control tower ’s cab area cantilevers from the concrete stem.

A T OW E R ING S UC CE S S BAM Ireland’s construction of the new Dublin Airport Visual Control Tower, which is now Ireland’s tallest occupied building, required the contractor to employ several complex construction processes.

T

he new visual control tower at Dublin Airport is a landmark building on the Dublin skyline to welcome newly arriving visitors. At 86.9 metres high, it is the tallest occupied structure in the country.

The height of the visual control tower structure was determined by the operational requirement for a control room floor level of 80 metres above ground level.

The new tower will be essential to allow air traffic controllers to cover both runways at Dublin Airport once the new North Runway is completed.

CONTROL TOWER ELEMENTS

The visual control tower with a gross floor area of 2,766 sq metres has three separate but integrated building elements.

CONTROL CAB STRUCTURE The control cab structure comprises five levels and contains essential technical facilities/staff accommodation, plant space, technical equipment, maintenance facilities, and the visual control tower itself. The tapering cone shape of the cab results from

22 irishconstructionnews August 2021

the spatial requirements of the various functions at each level and their relationship (in terms of proximity) to the visual control tower.

CAB SUPPORTING SHAFT The cab supporting shaft is triangular and derives from the three modes of vertical circulation from bottom to top; the two lifts and the single stairway.

BASE BUILDING The base building accommodates staff facilities, electronic systems and mechanical plant space to provide control of the building environment.

The project also included the demolition and removal of a derelict house, demolition and replacement of a car park, upgrade of security infrastructure, including significant service diversions, and a new landscaping scheme.

METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION The construction of the new tower was completed by BAM in March 2019 to

facilitate parallel runway operations. BAM had also constructed the original tower in 1990, which will remain operational for backup purposes.

The complex project involved three distinct concrete components utilising different construction approaches.

BUILDING SLIPFORM CONSTRUCTION Slipform construction was used for the construction of the stem of the tower.

This involved pouring concrete from a continuously moving form 24/7. It was the single most critical aspect of the project. It required detailed planning and collaboration between the concrete supplier, mix design, the reinforcement supplier, the structure engineer, the steel fixer and the slipform subcontractor to guarantee the success of the slip, with the finishing of exposed internal walls progressing as the tower climbed.

This, combined with pouring concrete in -4°C conditions, proved to be significantly challenging, but the slipform was completed ahead of schedule in just 20 days.

CASE STUDY above, the construction of this RC 700mm wide by 800mm deep corbel proved to be an extraordinary piece of engineering and workmanship.

BAM, as engineering lead, successfully coordinated the team of concrete and formwork contractor, the steel fixer, the reinforcement and coupler supplier, the temporary works and formwork designer and the permanent works structural engineer.

ARCHITECTURAL WHITE CONCRETE PRECAST PANELS Installed before the corbel to facilitate crane access, the curved white concrete precast cladding panels formed a key architectural feature of the building, and attention to detail was paramount. The panels were completed prior to the corbel above due to the geometry of the two components and the required sequential installation of the panels themselves.

Early detailed design of the panels permitted the integration of the 456 cast in fixing components into the slip-formed concrete core to hang and laterally restrain the panels. The installation tolerances for these cast-in components was +/- 10mm.

THE STEEL CAB

BAM assumed full control of the design approach and construction of the steel cab.

The method involved fully embedding 12

The bespoke façade of the cab enables 360-degree views of the airfield.

The works involved the complex installation of a 106-tonne steel ring.

CONCRETE CORBEL AT 70M ABOVE GROUND During detailed reinforcement design, it was clear that a standard corbel design was insufficient. The three points of the triangular shape of the tower caused a significant design issue. Therefore, a combination of a traditional corbel on the longer elevations with cantilever wrap around transfer beams at the three shorter elevations/peaks of the triangular shape of the tower was implemented. This unique concept provided a sufficient load path to transfer the cab loads back to the columns constructed within the RC walls.

During construction, the unique nature of the reinforcement detail posed many challenges, including rebar installation sequence, workability of the bars and the bespoke tools to install and torque the reinforcement on the position couplers.

BAM designed and manufactured customised tools for the construction of the corbel, and this, combined with skilled operatives, led to its successful completion.

Unique reinforcement design, working conditions 70 metres above the ground and formwork needing to be hung from

KEY FEATURES OF VISUAL CONTROL TOWER AT DUBLIN AIRPORT • At 86.9 metres high, Ireland’s tallest occupied structure • Bespoke façade of the cab enables 360-degree views of the airfield to ensure that air traff ic controllers have optimum views to enable eff icient take-off s and landings.

The size of the glass panels was maximised • A bespoke curved and conical shaped unitised curtain wall façade, delivering the architectural intent for the lower cab and glazed structural framing to control room which also supports the cab roof • The tower lighting gives the control tower a distinct visual identity, with nine bands of multicoloured LED strip lights allowing a range of colours and visuals to be programmed to show on the façade by night • The structural steel frame of the cab area of the building cantilevering from the concrete stem • Curved profile architectural white concrete precast panels.

irishconstructionnews 23 August 2021

CASE STUDY steel columns into the slip-formed shaft with flat plate connections to weld the steel into place.

The works involved the complex installation of a 106-tonne steel ring.

The 105-metre lift of the 106-tonne preassembled lower section of the visual control tower’s cab frame took place on 28 May 2018. The lift was carried out by BAM’s team of lifting experts using a Liebherr LR1600-2 crawler crane from Gabriel O’Brien Crane Hire. This lower section of the cab frame not only formed its first floor but also facilitated access for the construction of the rest of the cab at heights of 87 metres above ground level.

Bespoke lighting gives Dublin Airport Visual Control Tower a distinct visual identity.

WEATHER CONDITIONS

Airports are always located to take full advantage of the wind. During the project, there was a five-day stoppage due to a status red weather alert during the slipform installation.

The installation of the precast panels was also hampered by the windy conditions, the height of the works above ground and the large surface area of the panels. Using only the tower crane for installation, “wind windows”, including night-time works, were utilised using highly skilled operatives and a detailed lift plan, averaging installation of 10 panels per day.

Due to the tower’s height, two tuned mass dampers (TMDs) inside the tower absorb vibration energy. These are tuned to vibrate at the same frequency as the structure, reducing the sway of the tower and creating a positive work environment for air traffic controllers.

ENGINEERING CHALLENGES

The project had three critical engineering challenges.

Concrete is the main component of the structure. The curved profile of the precast concrete panels proved to be a significant challenge in the workshop. Early design permitted 114 panels to be manufactured using only two moulds, which were repeatedly re-used to ensure consistency in the panels. This was critical during the installation to mitigate unplanned stoppages.

Access for the installation of the panels was also a challenge during their design and, more specifically, the panels’ joints and fixing locations. Building the mast climbers

PROJECT TEAM MAIN CONTRACTOR: BAM Ireland – BAM Project Director - Perry Haughton – BAM Project Manager – Tadhg Kelly ARCHITECT: Scott Tallon Walker CONSULTING ENGINEER: Arup Consulting Engineers

24 irishconstructionnews July 2021

in tandem with the panels facilitated the installation of the specifically designed ties through the joints. Using a hockey stick design, these mast climber ties were later removed without any impact in the panel, leaving a sacrificial galvanised anchor plate inside the cavity.

The structural steel frame of the cab area of the building cantilevering from the concrete stem provided several challenges, including extremely tight construction tolerances to receive direct fixing of the glass without a separate glass framing system and access challenges at 70 metres to 90 metres above the ground.

The façade and the glazing of the cab area

have two distinct façade types. The façade used on the cab tower did not exist as a certified façade system, and BAM developed a new façade system that passes a full suite of CE certification tests in a very short period of time.

FINISHES

While IAA Technology and Operations were responsible for installation, commissioning and testing of associated air traffic management equipment and systems, BAM provided all internal finishes and infrastructure, including commissioning of building services and life safety systems.

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CASE STUDY

R o a d b rid g e o n tra c k f o r e a r l y d e l i v e r y of N4 C ollooney to C astle bald win Road Scheme The completion of the N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin Road Scheme will open another section of the north west to the rest of the country, as well as removing a fatal accident blackspot in Co Sligo.

A

core priority under Project Ireland 2040 and the National Planning Framework is the requirement to enhance and upgrade accessibility between urban centres of population and their regions, in parallel with the initiation of compact growth of urban centres. This has a crucial role in maximising the growth potential of regional urban centres, one of which is Sligo, and the economy as a whole.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin Road Scheme was included as part of the Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Capital Plan 2016-2021, as it was identified as a key priority in the roads programme to support economic growth and one of the critical gaps in the existing infrastructure that needs to be upgraded.

The delivery of the N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin Scheme is listed as one of the key schemes to be delivered under Strategic Outcome No 2 of the ‘Enhanced Regional Accessibility’ of the National Development Plan (NDP).

This section of the N4 has been an accident blackspot for decades, and this was another critical issue that drove the necessity for upgrade works.

When completed, the N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin Road Scheme will significantly improve safety by reducing fatalities and injuries on the N4 and the surrounding local road network. It will reduce inter-urban journey times and improve journey time reliability, removing barriers to the economic development of the region. Furthermore, it will encourage and support investment and employment in Sligo and the north west.

THE CONTRACT

The Public Works Contract for Civil Engineering Works Designed by the Contractor for the Design & Build of the scheme was awarded by Sligo County Council to Roadbridge in January 2019.

The project period was planned to run for 32 months, from January 2019 to July 2021.

However, Covid-19 impacted this plan, and

26 irishconstructionnews July 2021

the works were extended to be completed in Q4 2021. Roadbridge is now on course to complete the project three months ahead of schedule.

THE BRIEF

The N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin Road Scheme brief called for the realignment of approximately 14.71km of the N4 in Co Sligo, 13.82km of which consists of type 2 dual carriageway commencing at the existing N4/N17 roundabout in the townland of Collooney/Toberbride and extending to a roundabout in the townland of Castlebaldwin.

The brief for the comprehensive works included: • 12.12km of offline realignment from Doorly Road to Cloghoge Lower Road • 2.58km of widening and improvement of the existing N4 single carriageway to a type 2 dual carriageway • Major earthworks including excavation of 700,000 sq m of peat and silts • New side roads and upgrading of existing local roads • One compact grade-separated junction on the mainline (Drumfin/Cloonlurg Junction) • One at-grade roundabout junction on the mainline (Castlebaldwin Junction) • Three roundabout junctions on sideroads • Six road underbridges, four road overbridges, and two river bridges • Culverts and associated diversions of existing minor watercourses and drainage ditches • All necessary drainage works, diversion of services and utilities, environmental mitigation works and accommodation tracks.

THE WORKS

Roadbridge project manager Brian Snow says that the brief was to upgrade this treacherous section of road, which had over 30 fatalities in the past 40 years.

“The original carriageway had varying carriageway widths and cross-sections, over 70 private accesses and 24 junctions

and provided limited opportunity for safe overtaking.

“The project comprises 14.7km of new carriageway between the dual carriageway at Collooney and the Curlew By-pass, south of Castlebaldwin village. It consists of a 2.7km upgrade of the existing single carriageway to a type 2 dual carriageway from the N4/ N17 roundabout to Doorly, 11.2km of offline type 2 dual carriageway between Doorly and the Castlebaldwin roundabout, and 0.8km of offline type 1 single carriageway to tie in with the existing N4 at the end of the Curlews By-pass. There is also 4.5km of type 3 single carriageway and 4.1km of new combined footway included in the scheme.

The construction work included 12 bridges and a number of ancillary structures, as well as environmental barriers, culverts and gantry foundations.

“The overbridges were all three-span integral bridges constructed using W9 precast beams and in-situ concrete decks.

The intermediate supports are columns on ground-bearing foundations, and abutments were high-level bank seats on groundbearing foundations.”

The underbridges were constructed using precast box structures, with spans of approximately 7.6 metres. Lengths varied based on the skew of the road traversing under the mainline.”

Banagher Precast Concrete supplied precast beams for the bridges, and Shay Murtagh Precast and Croom Concrete supplied the culverts.

COVID-19 IMPACTS

Brian Snow says that all was going well with the project schedule until Covid-19 shut down the country in March 2020.

Roadbridge reacted quickly to get sites reopened. In addition to introducing the CIF Covid Pandemic Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), it brought in additional practices and procedures specific to the site, which at first was logistically challenging, but with buy-in from the on-site teams as well as the client and other stakeholders, the project was able to get back up and running with a new schedule.

CASE STUDY

N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin Road Scheme

“There were many challenges faced during the course of constructing the N4 project,” Brian Snow explains. “The most high profile unforeseen one was addressing the impact of the pandemic. However, the policies and procedures that we developed and implemented on site to protect our workforce were well received by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and our client Sligo County Council.

“As was standard procedure before the pandemic, we held large daily group pre-task talks on all Roadbridge sites. Under the new Covid-19 SOP, we broke our workforce into small pods of workers who operated together and didn’t mix with other pods. Under the new measures, instead of one overall group task talk, we had talks with smaller distanced groups. The pod set-up also came into play for breaks, with pods taking staggered lunch breaks, etc.

“It was difficult. But we learned quickly.

This was helped by everyone engaging in the process and quickly understanding what they had to do to protect themselves and their fellow workers.”

MANAGING EXCAVATED MATERIALS

Another major challenge was managing over 1.1 million cubic metres of unsuitable material that required excavation to construct the road embankments.

“We were able to manage the unsuitable material and dispose of it within the land made available (LMA). This greatly reduced the carbon footprint of the project by avoiding disposal of material in off-site licensed pits.”

Brian Snow adds that the weather in the north west has always been a major obstacle for any civil engineering contractor and this N4 project was no different.

“Civils schemes in the north west of Ireland always have to be prepared for difficult weather conditions. But we are well

used to dealing with this, as Roadbridge has a long history of civils works along the west coast of the country.”

in other sectors in Ireland, the UK and Sweden.

PROJECT OUTCOMES

In 2020, Roadbridge introduced its “YourSustainabalePath” initiative to promote and drive its sustainability ambitions.

This was introduced on the N4 project and became a resounding success. The initiative focuses on five pillars across the company. These are ‘Water Protection’, ‘Waste Reduction’, ‘Biodiversity & Habitat Protection’, ‘Air Quality Protection’ and Energy Efficiency’.

Ivan Conway, Quality & Environmental Manager, Roadbridge, is leading the programme, which he says has had full employee buy-in.

“We are delighted with how the initiative has been embraced across the company.

There is a strong appetite to build sustainably and reduce emissions.”

Accredited to the ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management System, Roadbridge’s main energy consumer remains plant and fleet.

“Through a focused plan led by our plant department, we have achieved a 4% decrease in our carbon emissions across the business, resulting in the direct prevention of 1,200 tons of carbon from being produced. This was achieved by updating 22% of our plant and fleet to more efficient engine models in 2020 and the introduction of hybrid plant and electric vehicles to our fleet.

We also provided training on the more efficient use of plant and vehicles, which was fundamental to the success of the initiative,” Ivan Conway concludes.

Brian Snow says that the project has gone well despite Covid-19 and other challenges.

“We are ahead of schedule. The new road should be ready for use later this summer.

“Covid-19 has changed forever how we approach our work. What was at first an enormous hurdle was addressed with ingenuity and determination.

“The end result of the project will mean safer and quicker journeys on this section of the N4. It also marks the completion of the N4 route, opening up the north west to the east of the country. So, it is a project that we are very proud to have delivered,” Brian Snow concludes.

OTHER ROADBRIDGE PROJECTS

The N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin Road Scheme is a prime example of a traditional Roadbridge roads project.

As well as the N4, Roadbridge is currently finishing the new North Runway at Dublin Airport, another project which was deemed essential during the pandemic.

Marine works have become a significant area of focus for the firm in the past few years, mainly due to the impact of Brexit.

Roadbridge is the framework contractor to Dublin Port Company and is involved in major marine developments in Scotland.

Roadbridge’s overall portfolio of works includes aviation, gas, industrial/ commercial, marine, rail, roads, water and wind projects. Its order book is secured for the next three years. The future is bright with similar projects to the N4, including N5 Ballaghaderreen Bypass, the Coonagh to Knockalisheen Northern Distributor Road in Limerick, and the A465 PPP Motorway Project in Wales secured over the past 12 months.

The contractor has also commenced works

SUSTAINABILIT Y

For more details on Roadbridge, visit www. roadbridge.ie Scan QR code to see project video.

irishconstructionnews 27 July 2021

CASE STUDY

St Nicholas’ Church at the from the north end of Clanbrassil Street.

REJUVENATING THE HISTO RIC

HE A R T OF DUNDA LK T

The completion of the Clanbrassil Street/St Nicholas Quarter Public Realm Rejuvenation Scheme in Dundalk adds to John Cradock Ltd’s portfolio of major urban renewal work in the border town.

28 irishconstructionnews July 2021

he official opening of the Clanbrassil Street/St Nicholas Quarter Public Realm Rejuvenation Scheme in Dundalk took place in September of 2020. The scheme was completed over 12 months by John Cradock Ltd (JCL).

The works comprised the provision of new widened asphalt footpaths and parking bays and new asphalt surfacing on Clanbrassil Street, planting and seating areas, upgrading of public lighting, improved pedestrian crossings points and a decluttering of footpaths. It also included the undergrounding of overhead ESB cables and the provision of new ducting for various service providers with spare capacity for future service needs. Additional works comprised the installation of water meters to properties on the street and replacing existing water mains at the northern end of Clanbrassil Street with a new 200mm water main, in partnership with Irish Water.

JCL previously redeveloped Market Square, Dundalk, in 2011 for the same client Louth County Council.

The full brief from Louth County Council for the latest scheme included: • Upgrade 540 metres of Clanbrassil Street from Market Square to St Nicholas Church, with the works extending 80 metres each into Bridge Street and Linenhall Street. The overall area was

• •

• • •

more than 12,000 sq metres, of which approximately 7,000 sq metres was new granite paving, with the remaining area comprising asphalt to parking bays and on Clanbrassil street Design and implement road traffic and pedestrian management systems Upgrade major services with substantial underground ducting to move above ground ESB lines underground, as well as ducting for other utilities, including Eir and Enet Install new watermains Install new public lighting across the length of the scheme Complete hard and soft landscaping throughout.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

The works programme was facilitated by a comprehensive stakeholder engagement programme comprising weekly meetings with a stakeholder representative.

JCL director Victor Smyth says that good communications and ongoing engagement with the employer and other stakeholders are critical factors in successful urban development projects.

“We met weekly with the employer and a liaison officer appointed by local businesses.

The liaison officer was the point of contact to keep people informed on ongoing and

CASE STUDY planned works, to get their input on the project, and to deal with any concerns raised.”

THE WORKS

The programme strategy was to have no more than 100 metres opened up in any one area at a time and for the works to move forward only when the finishes were being completed behind.

“The main works focus of the project was the removal and replacement of the footpath surfaces and the laying of ducts and services along all new paths,” explains Victor Smyth. “This included moving ESB services below ground as well as upgrading public lighting, traffic and pedestrian lights, crossings and junctions. The roadworks comprised primarily milling the original surfacing, regulating works and replacing with a new asphalt surfacing course. These works were programmed at the latter end of the project when the footpath works were well advanced.

“We began work on the southern end of Clanbrassil Street at the Market Square area, which we had completed in 2011, then worked northwards finishing footpaths as we moved forward,” he continues. “The main works involved excavating out original paths and subgrade, installing ducting, filling to formation and then finishing with the new surfaces. We maintained access to all properties using a series of temporary ramps and footbridges and had a dedicated person assigned to oversee traffic and pedestrian management. A one-way traffic system for traffic flows was implemented along Clanbrassil Street for the duration of the works as sufficient room to maintain twoway traffic was not available.”

PROJECT DESIGN

The project design was carried out by BDP Architects and engineers Roughan & O’Donovan on behalf of Louth County Council, with Carron and Walsh employed as quantity surveyors for the project.

SUSTAINABILIT Y

“Existing furniture on the route of the works was identified for potential reuse by the client,” Smyth adds. “This included lighting, street furniture, bollards, etc. These were passed on to the employer once removed.

The employer was keen to reuse material wherever possible, and original granite was reused to delineate the on-street parking bays. Uncontaminated fill material that had been in place as subbase under footpaths was allowed for reuse by the employer.”

COMPLETED WORKS

Speaking about the completed project, Victor Smyth says: “JCL is delighted to have been able to have been the contractor on another landmark project in the heart

Granite footpaths with seating and landscaping on Clanbrassil Street. of Dundalk. The collaborative approach of engaging closely with Louth County Council and local businesses really paid off in terms of the smooth transitioning of the works through the project. We were also delighted to see that many of the businesses along the route took the opportunity of the works to upgrade their facades, so much so that the whole area has been transformed.”

Speaking at the official opening in September of last year, the cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, Councillor Dolores Minogue, said:” I am delighted to officially open the Clanbrassil Street and Saint Nicholas’ Quarter Rejuvenation Scheme, which has been designed and constructed to the highest standards and will bring new life to the centre of the town.”

Louth County Council chief executive Joan Martin said: “The completed scheme is very welcome, and it has transformed the main spine of the town, as well as making it more attractive for investment, and increasing visitors to the town. The scheme has been a catalyst for the redevelopment of existing buildings along the street, and the recent painting of shop fronts has complemented the rejuvenation scheme.”

With a project value of €5.5m, the Clanbrassil Street and Saint Nicholas’ Quarter Rejuvenation Scheme was a

partnership between the Northern and Western Regional Assembly and Louth County Council, with European Regional Development Fund assistance through the BMW Regional Operational Programme 2014-2020.

JOHN CRADOCK PROJECTS

JCL has the capacity and capability to project manage and construct civil and building projects. Its team has vast experience working for public and private clients on roads and bridges, urban regenerations, water and wastewater projects, pharmaceutical schemes, coastal protection works, etc. It has NSAI accreditation in safety, health and environment, as well as in quality management systems.

JCL has several projects ongoing at the moment. In Co Meath, it is currently on site with an urban renewal scheme in Navan and a roads project in Laytown/Bettystown, both for Meath County Council. It is also carrying out work in Howth/Balbriggan/Malahide for Irish Water as well as a joint venture scheme with Jons Civil Engineering for Hines in Cherrywood, Dublin. In Co Cork.

JCL has another joint venture with Jons Civil Engineering ongoing on the N22 Macroom Bypass, and it has just finished a roads project for the IDA in Plassy in Co Limerick.

irishconstructionnews 29 July 2021

CASE STUDY

Drummartin Link Road and Blackthorne Drive junction.

Making critical infrastruc ture s a f e r f o r v u ln e ra b le r o a d u s e r s Clonmel Enterprise’s upgrade of Drummartin Link Road and Kilgobbin Road for Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council is one of several road network schemes being undertaken to make the capital’s wider road network safer for vehicle users, cyclists and pedestrians.

C

lonmel Enterprises has recently completed the construction of a new one-kilometre stretch of cycle track and pedestrian route, including landscaping, along the Drummartin Link Road and Kilgobbin Road section of the N31 south Dublin link road.

In late 2019, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council appointed Clonmel Enterprises as the main contractor and project supervisor construction stage (PSCS) to construct the new pedestrian route and cycle track just north of the Beacon Hospital across the Sandyford Rotary Interchange and along the Kilgobbin Road.

The project initially experienced delays due to the first Covid-19 shutdowns, but it has to some degree benefitted from the restrictions as there was reduced vehicular traffic for much of the time that the works were ongoing.

THE BRIEF

The brief for the project was for the construction of new on- and off-road cycle facilities along Drummartin Link Road, upgrading the junction with Blackthorne Drive and through the Sandyford Rotary Interchange and along Kilgobbin Road.

The works included installing several new pedestrian and cyclist crossings and upgrading existing traffic signals with cyclist and pedestrian phasing. In addition, the contract covered all associated works, comprising earthworks, ducting and resurfacing, and all

30 irishconstructionnews July 2021

New Beacon Hospital approach on Drummartin Link Road. traffic management.

The €5m project was initially planned to be completed in 12 months, starting from March 2020. However, the Covid-19 pandemic impacted the programme schedule. As a result, a revised programme was issued once construction recommenced on 18 May 2020.

According to the Clonmel Enterprises engineering manager Anne Kinsella, the programme was extended due to extensive changes required to mitigate Covid-19 risks on site.

“We adjusted the programme for subcontractors to work consecutively instead of concurrently on site to ensure social distancing measures were followed. When the more recent Level 5 restrictions came in from January, the client, after reviewing the scheme, determined that it met the requirements for an exemption as the scheme is providing critical infrastructure in the area for cyclists

CASE STUDY and pedestrians. Additional works were also identified at this time.

These were added to the project, and the programme was adjusted to be completed by mid-July.”

ON-SITE PROGRESS

The challenges on the site changed as the scheme progressed due mainly to pandemic restrictions. However, one of the main issues that needed to be addressed at the start of the project was managing the traffic during construction.

Anne Kinsella explains how the contractor approached this particularly tricky challenge: “In an area where you have vulnerable road-users, such as cyclists and pedestrians, interacting with vehicular traffic, it can be difficult to accommodate all parties during the construction phases. In this case, it was particularly challenging, as there was limited existing infrastructure in place for vulnerable road users. We installed fencing and road barriers to segregate the different route users from both the site and public road vehicular traffic. The Sandyford Rotary Interchange is a busy junction. On the Drummartin Road section of the works, there was also a relatively high number of vehicles accessing the Beacon Hospital. Many of these drivers were not familiar with the area and were using GPS mapping to guide them to their location. Therefore, care had to be taken when designing and implementing the temporary traffic management in this area to allow access to the hospital to be as clear and straightforward as possible.

“We were also able to call on specialist knowledge from within our team, as this type of work is a core part of our business,” she continues. “This was especially useful when dealing with uncharted or mislocated services that can often arise on this type of project.”

HEALTH AND SAFET Y

Clonmel Enterprises is ISO45001 certified and has A-graded Safe-T certified safety management systems in place. These systems provided the framework followed on the project to develop the sitespecific health and safety requirements.

“We take and actively promote a collaborative approach to health and safety on all of our sites,” explains Kinsella, “ensuring that all who work on our sites feel comfortable to raise awareness of any safety issues that arise. We treat all of our safety documentation on sites as live documents to be altered as situations change and risks/ hazards need to be reassessed. Our site safety and health plans are developed by our health and safety manager in conjunction with the project manager so that ownership of the documentation stays with the site.”

As already mentioned, the main risk identified at the start of the project was traffic. In addition, the contractor had to manage services. This included the diversion and protection of existing services, such as public lighting, drainage, communications, power and water services. But both were successfully managed by the site team.

“We also incorporated the CIF Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedure into our own operational control procedures on the site and were successful in ensuring that no Covid-19 outbreaks took place on site,” Anne Kinsella adds. “The site risk of live traffic was also reduced as a result of the pandemic restrictions.”

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Following the project plan, Clonmel Enterprises carried out the works in several phases, with temporary traffic management plans developed for each phase.

“Our site team are trained in temporary traffic management design and implementation,” Kinsella continues. “However, due to the complexity of traffic management on this project, we also engaged the professional team from Road Control Services to devise plans and install the required temporary traffic management equipment on the ground. Traffic was maintained at all peak times, with night shifts implemented where restrictions on the traffic lanes were required for

Kilgobbin Road junction. surfacing works.”

COVID-19 OPPORTUNITIES

Not all of the impacts from the Covid-19 level 5 restrictions since January were negative.

“We were able to take advantage of lower traffic volumes,” Kinsella explains. “This allowed us to carry out works during the day that otherwise would have required a nightshift. This had a positive effect on the project, eliminating the overall hazard of working at night and reducing the risk of working beside live traffic.”

SUSTAINABILIT Y

Key on this project, as with most construction projects during the construction stage, was the disposal of surplus material and the lack of nearby facilities to dispose of material.

The concept of end-of-waste was established in the European Waste Framework Directive (WFD). Article 27 of the European Communities (Waste Directive) Regulations 2011 allows “an economic operator to decide, under certain circumstances, that a material is a by-product and not a waste”. Article 27 sets out the grounds by which a material that is recovered or recycled from waste can be deemed to be no longer a waste.

Anne Kinsella says that due to the length of the project, the contractor was not in a position to use Article 27, but the scheme has resulted in a substantial sustainability win for the client.

“While the advent of the Article 27 procedure has resulted in advances in alleviating site-generated waste, unfortunately, the long review periods required make it impossible to implement on projects like this one. But the end product of the construction works, the new cyclist and pedestrian facilities, make this heavily trafficked area much safer for vulnerable road users and adds to the growing sustainability of Ireland’s roads infrastructure.”

PROJECT TEAM

The Drummartin Link Road and Kilgobbin Road project team was overseen by Clonmel Enterprises’ lead contracts director Brian Gravin, contracts manager Trevor McArdle, and site agent Ger Dollard. The foreman was Scott Mitchell, and the engineers were Thomas Foy, Sean Milner and Ruairi Greene, with support from Clonmel Enterprises health and safety manager Peter Mulvihill.

CLONMEL ENTERPRISES PROJECTS

Clonmel Enterprises is currently undertaking several similar projects.

The Active School Travel Framework is underway, continuing the upgrade of pedestrian and cyclist facilities throughout the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown catchment area. The contractor is also working on another similar project in south Dublin, installing a new cycle track along the N31 for South Dublin County Council.

irishconstructionnews 31 July 2021

SIT E POWER GENERAT ION

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They offer fully serviced, safe and reliable working at height solutions from electric and diesel scissor lifts to vertical masts and articulated or telescopic booms. Whether you have a base of medium debris, gravel or mud, they have an option to help gain height to access those hard to reach areas, and increase onsite efficiency. Many of their machines have the ability to maintain traction on rough terrain, which means you don’t have to worry about the machine slipping if you are working outdoors.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

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32 irishconstructionnews July 2021

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irishconstructionnews 33 July 2021

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CASE STUDY

Raised road sections with non-slip surfaces at the junctions along Clarendon Street.

C R E AT IN G M OR E W E L C OM IN G C I V I C S P A C E S IN DUBLIN C IT Y C ENTRE The Clarendon Street Area Improvement Scheme in Dublin city centre was completed by Actavo Civils Division in July 2020, a time when the capital had a growing need for more user-friendly city centre spaces.

T

he Grafton Street Quarter Public Realm Improvement Plan, published in 2014, proposed a series of public realm improvements in the Grafton Street Quarter of Dublin, the heart of the capital’s economic, social and cultural life.

The Grafton Street Quarter covers the area bounded by Dawson Street to the east, South Great George’s Street to the west, College Green to the north and St Stephen’s Green to the south.

Improvement works were initially carried out on Grafton Street, including Johnson’s Court and a section of Wicklow Street, in 2014.

As part of the same programme Actavo Civils Division completed works on Harry Street, Balfe Street, Chatham Street, Chatham Lane and Swanyard in the following years.

In 2019, Actavo won the tender to carry out the next phase of the work, comprising a significant refurbishment of Clarendon Street, to the west of Grafton Street.

Street Experience” westward into Clarendon Street/Clarendon Row. As with other works in the area, it was also looking to follow universal design principles in making the street accessible to everyone.

The project goals included: • Upgrading the comfort and safety of the street for pedestrian use • Extending the Grafton Street Experience with improvements to Clarendon Street • Accommodating the required traffic movements and loading requirements on the street for businesses, hotels and the general public • Applying universal design principles to the improvements to allow comfortable and safe access and use by people regardless of their age, size or ability • Encouraging enhanced street animation by shops and restaurants • Improving tree planting and seating opportunities in the street • Promoting the quality of the street as a pedestrian environment by the use of high-quality stone paving and street furniture.

DESIGN GOALS

SCOPE OF THE WORKS

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Dublin City Council’s (DCC’s) design intent for the works was to extend the “Grafton

34 irishconstructionnews July 2021

Ollie Raftery, Head of Civils, Actavo, explains that the scope of the works was

for the excavation and reconstruction of the original asphalt carriageway and the repaving of the existing footpaths with new granite slabs and setts.

“Actavo was also contracted to install new watermains for Irish Water, public lighting and traffic ducts,” Ollie Raftery adds, “and street furniture, such as bollards, benches, bins and cycle stands, as well as the installation of new tree pits, trees and green walls.”

THE WORKS

Prior to the works, Clarendon Street comprised an asphalt-covered street with narrow footpaths. Over the years, the footpaths and street had been patched up, as required interventions were completed.

The scheme narrowed and centred the carriageway creating wider footpaths and an improved pedestrian environment that can be accessed and used to the greatest extent possible.

Greening interventions within the scheme formed part of the broader greening strategy developed for the Grafton Street Quarter.

The DDC strategy aimed “to establish local green infrastructure to address biodiversity, climate change and the built environment, while connecting elements such as parks and

CASE STUDY

The north end of Clarendon Street with flat paving. green corridors that run through and beyond the area, with the possibility for increasing social activity and fostering spaces of rest and tranquillity within this busy retail and restaurant quarter of the city”.

Traffic calming was used to upgrade the quality of the pedestrian environment. As Clarendon Street is a vehicular trafficked street, the scheme differentiated between the carriageway and the adjoining footpath areas on Clarendon Street using different materials; asphalt for the carriageway and Leinster brown-grey granite for the footpaths and flat kerbstones.

The north end of Clarendon Street was paved flat, and the south end paved with raised kerbs. The use of kerbs is to protect the pedestrians in the loading bay areas, which are located between Coppinger Row and South King Street. In addition, the road surfaces at the junctions with Coppinger Row and Chatham Street were raised, and the surfaces were finished with a highfriction anti-skid surfacing material. This arrangement of materials and levels provided a safe pedestrian environment that can also accommodate the buses/coaches and servicing vehicles that use the street. The granite footpath surfaces were also sealed for ease of maintenance.

The scheme continued the suite of street furniture used on the earlier Chatham Street, Harry Street and Balfe Street scheme. The provision of seating is an essential part of a universal design approach, affording rest opportunities, particularly for people with disabilities and older people. These seating locations also fed into greening and tree planting plans outlined in the Grafton Street Quarter Greening Strategy.

Public lighting was upgraded with new public lighting fittings installed to match the LED fittings on Grafton Street. These were generally wall-mounted on the building facades.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Actavo worked closely with emergency services and local businesses to ensure works had a minimum impact, including

organising off-peak project deliveries and ensuring surrounding businesses could receive deliveries on time and without disruption.

Ollie Raftery explains that as Actavo had previously carried out upgrading works on adjacent streets, emergency services and local businesses were familiar with how they operated, and the team was well placed to deal with most issues that arose.

“Previously, we developed a good relationship with emergency services and businesses in the area when we had upgraded Balfe Street, Harry’s Street and Chatham Row. Because of the location of the street in the centre of Dublin city, we knew the importance of having a comprehensive stakeholder plan in place. This was not only for the benefit of local businesses; it was to ensure that emergency services and An Garda Siochana were also kept up to date on the work taking place.”

“One issue that arose on the original upgrade projects was the discovery of uncharted shallow cellars. This came up once again on Clarendon Street. But we had a system in place, and when we were required to call in archaeologists, we moved to another part of the project while they completed their work.”

The project experienced delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It meant introducing additional health and safety requirements for working during a pandemic.

“Covid-19 added to the logistical challenges of the project at first,” Ollie Raftery comments. “But, once we had a new standard operating procedure in place, the reduced traffic and footfall on the street meant we could move more quickly.”

PROJECT COMPLETION

The on-site element of the project ultimately had a duration of 14 months, from May 2019 to July 2020. By the time it was completed, there was a growing emphasis on the need for user-friendly outdoor spaces around the city centre because of the pandemic.

The response to the upgrade of the street, particularly the expanded footpaths seating

and new planting, was very positive.

Speaking about the project from Actavo’s perspective, Ollie Raftery comments that they were delighted with the outcome and how the works went.

“Actavo has delivered a high-quality area improvement project on time and within budget in a challenging urban setting and during a pandemic when we had to change our operating procedures completely. This was delivered safely with comprehensive Covid-19 operating procedures followed at all times. Most importantly, from a project management perspective, the engagement plan we had in place ensured that there was good local stakeholder engagement throughout the process of the work.”

OTHER ACTAVO CIVILS PROJECTS

Dublin City Council has since engaged Actavo Civils Division to install a number of Covid-19 mobility measures, including upgrading junctions and pedestrian crossings and installing a number of prolific cycle lanes across the city.

One such project was the installation of rapid-build slip-form kerbs to create purpose-built cycle lanes on Griffith Avenue to the north of the city, a project that took just two weeks to complete.

This work comprised excavating a trench with a narrow rock wheel and installing a kerb using a slip-forming machine. Once poured, the kerb was protected until the slipform cured. The project also called for the provision of drainage gaps along the line of the kerb. Actavo developed this method for trenching and installing a specially designed kerb to create designated cycle lanes on busy urban streets. The design was so successful, it has been adopted by Dublin City Council for use elsewhere.

For more details on Actavo, visit www.actavo.com Scan QR code to see project video.

irishconstructionnews 35 July 2021

CASE STUDY

Bay 77 before works began.

U M R G r o u p a c h ie v e s n e a r -z e r o w a s t e on an industrial demolition projec t United Metals Recycling Group set a high bar when it achieved a 98% recycling rate on the demolition of two industrial units in the Shannon Free Zone.

O

ver 35% of the European Union’s total waste generation comes from construction and demolition (C&D), of which it is estimated that approximately 50% gets recycled. In Ireland, this figure is lower due to a lack of indigenous recycling facilities. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 6.2 million tonnes of C&D waste was generated in Ireland in 2018.

C&D waste comprises many different materials, including soil, stone, concrete, brick, tile and gypsum waste. The treatment route for most C&D waste is backfilling.

Over 75% of C&D waste in Ireland is soil and stone, yet only one facility is approved for end-of-waste to produce recycled aggregate.

Over 3% of overall C&D waste in Ireland is metals.

As one of the country’s leading demolition contractors, United Metals Recycling (UMR) Group’s services include managing and certifying the recycling and disposal of waste for LEED-certified projects. It has vast experience managing waste compliance on demolition projects and has the haulage capabilities and permits to transport waste. It also provides bins and skips of various sizes to facilitate the segregation and safe collection of all materials on site. UMR Group helps its clients streamline their compliance with waste disposal directives and ensures waste is removed quickly and efficiently.

SHANNON FREE ZONE PROJECT

In 2020, UMR Group was contracted for the demolition and waste management for Bays 77 and 79 in the Shannon Free Zone for Shannon Commercial Properties. The demolition provided 1.034

36 irishconstructionnews July 2021

hectares of fully serviced sites for redevelopment.

THE WORKS

UMR Group commenced works in late Sept 2020. As the project was to be a LEED-certified project, UMR was engaged to assist the project to claim credits in various categories.

LEED supports projects to implement sustainable and healthy building practices to realise environmental, economic, social and community benefits for decades to come.

LEED REQUIREMENTS

LEED champion on the project Rebecca Reidy says there were several LEED prerequisites and requirements to be managed to assist the client in attaining LEED credits in order for the final project to achieve its LEED target.

“UMR Group provided substantive paperwork as evidence for the LEED submissions, including erosion and sedimentation plans, demolition waste management plans, weekly inspections, reports and completed audits, along with appointing a dedicated LEED champion to manage the project and compile weekly reports and capture all waste disposal documentation.

We also demonstrated project-specific methodologies for compliance with legislative and contractual obligations to manage and control waste for the project.”

DEMOLITION WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN

UMR Group has industry knowledge, experience, and commercial

CASE STUDY

Glass panels from the roofs were offered to adjacent units to be reused to replace damaged panels.

Plastics were extracted from trunking, fixtures and fittings, furniture, etc.

Metals being separated for processing.

The deconstructed Bay 77 before removal of walls.

relationships to ensure as many materials as possible are recycled.

It approaches each project individually to identify opportunities to reuse and repurpose materials.

Niall Casey, Project Manager, UMR Group, explains that the demolition waste management plan (DWMP) for Bays 77 and 79 was prepared in accordance with the General Principles of Prevention, the waste hierarchy and best practice. A DWMP seeks to demonstrate how works can be planned to be delivered in a logistical, sensible, and safe sequence while managing where demolition materials can be reused, recycled, and disposed of appropriately.

“The project’s DWMP goal was to reduce total waste material and the diversion of 75% of demolition and construction waste from landfill by identifying five or more waste streams to be segregated, either on-site or off-site,” Niall Casey explains. “Upon completion of demolition, UMR Group had achieved a recycling rate of over 98%, with the identification of six waste streams (Plastic, WEEE, timber, metals, glass, and bulky waste), with over 87 tonnes of materials recycled. The materials arising from hard demolition (ie, brick, stone, etc) were crushed on-site, and materials certified to 6F2 recycled aggregate and stockpiled on site for the client to reuse when construction commences.”

GLASS

“The bay roofs contained numerous glass panels, which were carefully removed,” continues Casey. “Those in good condition were offered to adjacent units as they could be reused to replace damaged panels in future. The remaining glass was sent to Gannon Eco, which recycles glass, with some glass reused in the filtration systems for domestic water treatment plants.”

Prior to UMR Group coming on site, the client offered any furniture, such as chairs and desks, to the public. These types of initiatives help drive circularity and the reuse of materials.

ASBESTOS REMOVAL

UMR Group engaged noise, dust and vibration monitoring and had dust suppression strategies in operation on site. It managed hazardous waste, specifically asbestos removal, on this project, although these materials do not form part of the overall waste recycling strategy as they require specific disposal.

THE UMR GROUP APPROACH

UMR Group staff are kept up to date on the latest practices in the segregation of material on site into specific waste streams. This ties in closely with the company’s risk assessment method statements (RAMs) and how its works are planned and executed UMR Group specialises in carrying out complete building stripouts - from floor to ceiling and wall to wall - giving the client back a blank canvas. This experience and practice are also utilised in complete demolition and redevelopment projects, as it allows the contractor to maximise the segregation and recycling of materials.

The methodologies UMP Group uses are continuously interrogated and developed during and after each project, incorporating any new industry advances.

Turn to page 47 to read UMR Group profile.

PROJECT TEAM Client: Shannon Commercial Properties Environmental Consultants: Meehan Green Demolition Contractor : United Metals Recycling Group

irishconstructionnews 37 July 2021

OPI NION

E ig h t f u n d a m e n t a l r is k s consultants should be considering when entering into contrac ts KILLIAN DORNEY, Partner, Beale & Co, outlines some of the key contract provisions that consultants should consider and resist and how these provisions impact consultants’ ability to operate.

W

ith all the excitement that surrounds a new project, often employers and consultants rush into commencing services without agreeing an appointment - this can lead to much frustration down the line where the employer withholds payment on the basis that no appointment is signed and that the two parties have reached an impasse on agreement to the terms of the appointment.

To avoid situations such as these arising, we urge consultants to ensure they have an appointment in place (or their standard terms and conditions) in the first instance before commencing the services.

In light of the constantly changing landscapes of the construction and professional indemnity insurance (PPI) markets, it is equally important that consultants are aware of the key provisions to include in their appointments and how to mitigate these risks. In particular, given the hardening of the PII market, it is crucial that consultants operate within the remits of their PII cover, especially concerning their appointment terms.

This prompts the question: What are the key provisions that consultants should include and resist in appointments?

1. LIABILIT Y

The inclusion of a limitation of liability is imperative. Otherwise, the consultant’s liability is unlimited, which can lead to a hoard of issues. We, therefore, recommend that consultants ensure they have an overriding limit of liability in their appointments and that their liability is limited to an amount that is commensurate with the relevant fee and scope of services. In

38 irishconstructionnews July 2021

addition, the limit should never be above the consultant’s PII limit of indemnity, and any exclusions (eg in respect of fire safety and cladding claims and asbestos) should also be reflected in the limit of liability.

That said, in certain sectors in the Irish market, in particular in the public sector, employers require consultants to work with unlimited liability. The consultant should be aware of the risks of this before entering appointments with unlimited liability and ensure that it follows its contract carefully and implements sufficient risk mitigation measures during the performance of the services.

Although some consultants in the Irish market are accustomed to working for public authority employers under unlimited liability, should consultants appoint UK sub-consultants and/or other international sub-consultants, they will find that will meet strong resistance from such sub-consultants to accept the risk of unlimited liability.

Should the consultant succumb to the sub-consultant’s resistance and agree for the sub-consultant’s liability to be limited, there will then be a risk of a liability gap to the consultant’s detriment. We recommend that consultants stand firm on either resisting this gap or narrowing this gap as much as possible.

We also recommend that consultants ensure that (i) they include an exclusion in respect of indirect and consequential loss that they are not liable for loss that is far removed from the breach, and (ii) they have a net contribution clause so that they are only severally liable for loss that they have caused rather than jointly with the other consultants, contractors and sub-consultants that form part of the project team. Note that UK sub-consultants will most likely demand these provisions in their sub-consultant appointments too.

2. DUT Y OF CARE AND FITNESS FOR PURPOSE OBLIGATIONS

For consistency with PII arrangements, it is important that the consultant’s duty of care is no more than that required at common law (ie reasonable skill and care).

Often, bespoke employer appointments contain higher standards of care (eg good industry practice), in addition to strict obligations that are inconsistent with typical PII arrangements. We, therefore, advise

consultants to ensure that they have a duty of care that is consistent with PII arrangements and which is “overarching” in that it trumps all strict obligations in the appointment.

In addition, fitness for purpose obligations often crop up in design and build contracts in particular, either as an express fitness for purpose provision or in the guise of a requirement to “comply with the brief ” or “achieve the employer’s requirements”. Such obligations are inconsistent with typical PII arrangements and should be resisted.

3. PAYMENT AND THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT ACT 2013

The Construction Contracts Act 2013 (the “Construction Act”), which applies to all “construction contracts”, provides the parties with the opportunity to submit a payment dispute to adjudication and for the consultant to suspend for non-payment by giving not less than seven days’ notice.

The Construction Act requires that a “construction contract” shall provide for “the amount of each interim payment to be made under the construction contract”, and “the amount of the final payment to be made under the construction contract” or “for an adequate mechanism for determining those amounts”. Accordingly, we recommend that consultants ensure that their appointments include an adequate payment mechanism that includes a payment claim date and a final date for payment. Moreover, we recommend that consultants ensure that a right to suspend for non-payment and a right to adjudicate is written into their appointments to reflect their statutory rights. These are useful tools to have to hand when employers fail to make a payment or unreasonably withhold a payment.

We are increasingly seeing more onerous payment provisions, including long payment periods (ie where the final date for payment is more than the standard 30 days after the submission of an invoice) and additional “hurdles” to payment (eg to provide all information as the employer requires in addition to the consultant’s payment application). We advise that consultants push back on such onerous payment provisions.

4. ADDITIONAL SERVICES AND PROLONGATION More often than not, employer bespoke

OPI NION appointments do not contain a fee adjustment mechanism to adjust the fee if the consultant is required to provide additional services, to vary the services, or if there is delay or prolongation to the services due to no fault of the consultant. This is a cash-flow risk and one that needs to be mitigated against. We, therefore, recommend that a standard fee adjustment mechanism is inserted into appointments so that the consultant is not caught in a scenario where it has incurred significant additional costs that are unrecoverable under the terms of its appointment.

5. BUILDING CONTROL (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 2014

The consultant and the employer will need to comply with their respective obligations under Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (BCAR), which will need to be written into the appointment. Often consultants are required to provide ancillary certificates and opinions in respect of the compliance of the design with BCAR. Such requirements can expose the consultant to joint and several liabilities with the assigned certifier and contractor, respectively, under BCAR. We recommend that in respect of ancillary certificates, the consultant only agrees to enter into the industry standard forms that have been developed and agreed by the RIAI, ACEI, Engineers Ireland and SCSI. In respect of a requirement to provide opinions, we advise that this is resisted where possible.

6. COLLATERAL WARRANTIES

Killian Dorney, Partner, Beale & Co.

Due to the complex nexus of projects, consultants are often required to provide collateral warranties to third parties (ie parties other than the employer with whom the consultant is contracting) that expose consultants to additional liability. We advise that consultants consider whether (i) this is appropriate to the scope of services (eg pre-planning services would not be appropriate); (ii) the number of collateral warranties are limited to an appropriate number; (iii) the scope of beneficiaries are limited accordingly (eg no residential tenant warranties); and (iv) the form of collateral warranty is no more onerous than the appointment (in particular that the consultant owes no greater or longer-

lasting liability to the beneficiary than it does to the employer under the appointment).

7. INDEMNITIES

Often employer bespoke consultant appointments contain indemnities, which are inconsistent with typical PII arrangements and which are recoverable on a “pound for pound” basis. Indemnities remove the principle that losses must be reasonably foreseeable, meaning that the employer can claim losses that the consultant cannot anticipate. In addition, indemnities extend the limitation of the liability period.

We, therefore, advise that consultants resist indemnities. In any event, the employer can claim damages for breach of contract and does not require indemnities to recover loss that flows from the breach.

8. FORCE MAJEURE

Often force majeure clauses are not included in bespoke employer consultant appointments. However, since the impacts from Covid-19, they are now a “musthave” provision to include. Importantly, the definition of “force majeure” in appointments should expressly refer to pandemics and other events that are outside the consultant’s control. We also recommend that force majeure provisions provide for an entitlement to additional time (and payment where possible), make clear that the consultant is not liable for the force majeure event and entitle consultants to suspension and termination if the force majeure event persists.

IN CONCLUSION

Although the above is not an exhaustive list of the key provisions to incorporate into appointments or those provisions to resist, these items illustrate the fundamental risks and measures that a consultant should consider from the outset of a project and when entering into a contract.

We, therefore, recommend that consultants ensure that (i) they have adequate protection mechanisms in their appointments (including amongst others a limitation of liability); (ii) they operate within their PII cover (which is in the interest of the employer too); and (iii) they seek advice from their legal advisers to ensure that they are complying with the former. And most importantly – get into contract early to protect themselves and provide certainty.

Beale & Co are international construction and insurance law specialists. Killian Dorney is a partner in Beale & Co and leads the noninsurance construction practice in Dublin.

To learn more, visit www.beale-law.com or contact Killian directly on k.dorney@bealelaw.com / +353 (0) 86 032 1205.

irishconstructionnews 39 July 2021

OPI NION

‘ T HE OGP S HOULD M IND IT S OW N B US INE S S ’ JOHN FFF O’BRIEN writes that the Office of Government Procurement should refrain from interfering with live contracts between public works employers and private contractors.

I

am in somewhat of a unique position to have advised over the past 12 months on a significant number of matters where public works employers are in dispute with contractors in respect of Covid-19 related claims. I am disappointed to say that my opinion is that the positions being adopted by public sector employers do not stand up to any objective scrutiny and certainly not when properly viewed in the context of the applicable contract terms.

WHAT CONTRACTORS ARE CLAIMING

The Covid-19 pandemic has essentially brought about three separate heads of claims for contractors, all of which fall under events listed in Part 1K of the Schedule to the Public Works Contract (PWC). These are: 1. Event 3: Suspension – This occurs on account of the closure of sites in periods of lockdown.

2. Event 1: Change Order – Due to imposed constraints resulting from the employer requiring the contractor to return to complete the works before the Covid pandemic event has ended.

3. Event 1: Change Order – Due to imposed constraints as a result of the lack of availability or increased costs of material or labour.

An Event 3 in Part 1K of the schedule designates “Yes” to a delay entitlement and “Yes” to a compensation entitlement.

This means that the contractor is entitled both to an extension of time (EOT) and

40 irishconstructionnews August 2021

compensation because of the event. In other words, the date for “Substantial Completion” is extended proportionate to the event’s impact, and the contractor gets paid its incurred costs as a result of the event. In the context of Covid, this means that the contractor gets sent home, gets an EOT for the duration that they are at home, and gets paid while at home.

And An Event 1 is a Change Order resulting from either additional scope or imposed constraints that change how the works are to be executed, and Part 1K of the Schedule designates “Yes” to a delay entitlement and “Yes” to a compensation entitlement.

THE APPROACH OF PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYERS...

Notwithstanding what the contract actually says, I have found that in defence to these claims, public sector employers generally deny entitlement “across the board” using a mixture of the following reasons: (i) “Sorry, but our hands are tied”, the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) won’t allow any compensation for any Covid-19 related claims whatsoever, and any and all such delays associated with the Covid-19 shutdowns are an Event 15*, not an Event 3 and “We can give you time but not any money”. And, “We are prohibited from discussing the matter any further”. *An Event 15 is a “Delay to the works caused by the order or other act of a court or other public authority exercising

OPI NION authority under law, that did not arise as a result of or in connection with an act, omission or breach of legal requirements of the contractor or the contractor’s personnel or a breach of the contract by the contractor”.

An Event 15 entitles the contractor to time but not to compensation. So, for contractors, all this really amounts to is a concession in respect of the employer levying of liquidated damages – There is no commercial benefit to contractors, which means it is entirely different to an Event 3. (ii) “We never gave an instruction to suspend work, you suspended the works of your own accord, and therefore it cannot be an Event 3 – It is a contractor suspension”. (iii) “You have no grounds to claim an Event1 Change Order for coming back to complete the works because you are obligated to proceed regularly and diligently with the execution of the works under subclause 12.1.1(3), so come back to site work under the Covid-19 Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) and take your ex-gratia payment and be thankful for it as we are all collaborating together”. (iv) “You have no grounds for any increase costs of materials or labour; look at your Price Variation 1 (PV1) base date as being the 31st month after the contract date, and that’s not even close yet”.

THE INDEPENDENT VIEW...

Fortunately, most of the third-party neutrals that have been appointed to the disputes I have advised on over the past 12 months have been experienced and well versed alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practitioners, and they have applied objective scrutiny to the positions adopted by the parties. Indeed, they have taken the time and examined closely where the risks have been allocated under the contract and concurred that the employer’s hands are not tied so tightly and, in some cases, not tied at all.

In particular, their attentions were drawn to and they considered the ramifications of a particular subclause we have in the Irish PWC (a form of contract that is unique to Ireland) that was operative at the time the parties entered into an agreement and existed before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. That subclause is 3.5, and it reads as follows: 3.5 Employer’s Indemnity The employer shall indemnify the contractor against: (1) liability for death, injury, or illness of any person or loss of or damage to any physical property that the Contractor incurs in the course of performing the

contract to the extent caused by the negligence of the employer This (express) employer’s indemnity clause is entirely open-ended, and it creates an enormous exposure of risk to a local authority employer if it was found to be negligent to allow a site to remain operational throughout a fatal pandemic, instead of the works being suspended by the employer. As a result of employer negligence, if a contractor’s employee contracted the Covid-19 virus on site, became ill and died, or indeed a close contact of the employee died, a claim could legitimately be pursued against the employer under this express indemnity.

Multiply this subclause 3.5 by every PWC in the land current at the time of the Covid-19 outbreak and then multiply it by the number of operatives working on each site (and all of their close contacts) and every public sector employer in Ireland has a very, very big exposure to risk indeed.

Was subclause 3.5 of the PWC the reason why the Irish government was the only government in Europe that suspended the entire construction industry sector consisting of 57,000 companies in the supply chain?

That, of course, cannot be the reason because the Irish government gave local authority employers the power to decide whether their projects were essential or non-essential. If they decided they were essential, they could continue working, and if they decided they were non-essential, then they could suspend the works. But, the point being made here is that it was the employer who decided that the works were essential or not. It was not the order or other act of a court or other public authority exercising authority under law that decided this, and, given the consequence of its enormous potential exposure to risk under Clause 3.5, the employer was pretty much compelled to suspend the works. However, the only contractual portal under which he could do so was under Event 3, but they would be obligated to pay the contractor compensation. As a result, an Event 15 is a much better choice for the employer [if he can make it stick] as the contractor is only entitled to delay and extension of time “not compensation”. Coupled with the ex-gratia payment, which effectively buys off this risk for a fraction of its value, maybe the employer local authorities perhaps felt that they dodged the bullet in this regard?

UNDER THE CONTRACT

Under the contract, where does it define how long the works get delayed by any particular event?

The answer is that it doesn’t. It is implied that the duration lasts “until the event is over”.

Let us ignore for a moment whether it is an Event 3 or an Event 15 and assume that the event was not a contagious and deadly pandemic virus, but that the event was an invasion from a hostile territory and a war broke out in Dublin, where the works were being executed. The war would commence, and the contractor would retreat to the Hellfire Club in the Dublin Mountains and wait it out, drinking whiskey and playing cards until the war was over.

And when the war (the event) was over, the contractor would then come down from the mountains and receive their extension of time for the duration of the war (that was now over) from the ER, and they would continue with the contracted works to completion that are executed under the same characteristics and conditions applicable to the lump sum price they had tendered before the event occurred.

Of course, the war is the Covid-19 event in the present scenario, but its effects are still not over today. Twice, the contractor, having retreated to the Dublin Mountains (the two site shutdowns), has been instructed by the employer to come back down and continue with the works on the battlefield during the war and is being expected to do so at the originally tendered rates.

Being instructed to carry on with the works on a live battlefield, dodging the bombs and the bullets, is most definitely an imposed constraint that changed the manner in which the works were executed. This is an Event 1 Change Order that has a Yes/Yes designation for delay and compensation, and the direct costs are to be valued fairly under 10.6.3.

The employer’s defence that it was the contractor who suspended the works fails, as the contractor has no power to suspend the works other than under subclause 12.3, which is only in circumstances where the amount due has not been paid by the employer. Otherwise, they are obligated under 12.1.1(2) to proceed regularly and diligently with the execution of the works, or they will be in default, and their contract can be terminated.

The employer’s defence that any increased cost of labour or materials due to the effects of Covid-19 is denied due to the presence of PV1 also fails.

One employer’s representative (ER) at a hearing retorted to me: “So, you are suggesting that we are somehow liable for the increased cost of the supply chain?” I said: “Because the employer wanted the works to proceed before the event was over, that is exactly what I am suggesting”, and I gave him the following practical example: “A contractor, when tendering for city street hard landscaping granite paving works, prices all of his granite from China where he can source it for €80,000. The pandemic commences and shuts down the

irishconstructionnews 41 August 2021

OPI NION

‘Public works employers all over the country have brought contractors back onto the battlefield to continue and complete the works under battle-like conditions, and have refused to pay any costs beyond what the OGP describe as an exgratia payment’

42 irishconstructionnews July 2021

Chinese quarries, and the ER shuts down the site claiming it was an Event 15.

“The employer then decides they want to restart the works before the effects of the pandemic are over and continue with their hard landscaping. Of course, the Chinese quarries are still closed, and the contractor can only get replacement granite from Spain, but it will cost €140,000. Therefore the employer has a choice to either pay for the increased costs of €60,000 or wait until the effects of the pandemic are over, and the Chinese can supply the granite to the contractor at the tendered price of €80,000 and pay no increased costs.

“Returning to work before the pandemic is over is an employer-driven need.

“Under the contract, the contractor is permitted not to return to work until the effects of the event are over. While the contractor may not be paid during the period of an Event 15 delay, at least they will not be expected to return and complete the paving works until they can purchase the granite at the tendered price of €80,000.”

HAVE NO DOUBT, WE ARE STILL ON THE BATTLEFIELD...

Public works employers all over the country have brought contractors back onto the battlefield to continue and complete the works under battle-like conditions and have refused to pay any costs beyond what the OGP describe as ex-gratia payments, which are paltry sums (limited to a fraction of actual contractor costs) that fund covers little more than the purchase of facemasks and hand sanitiser.

The most basic valuation rule of a variation in quantity surveying is when work of similar character is executed under different conditions, the contract bill rate becomes inapplicable, and a new rate needs to be derived, failing that, a fair valuation is applied, and that principle applies when increased costs occur as a contractor is brought back before the effects of the pandemic are over.

One real effect of the Covid-19 pandemic in Ireland was the government handing out €350-a-week to the general operatives and tradespeople who were supposed to be sitting at home during these shutdowns. But they were not all at home; many have gone to work on construction sites in the UK. As a result, Ireland now has a severe shortage of labour in the construction industry, and the cost of labour as a result of Covid has increased exponentially.

Contractually, contractors on PWCs should have been allowed to go back up to the Dublin Mountains to play cards and drink whiskey and wait until the effects of the Covid event are over, and then continue completing their works when the labour has come back from the UK, and labour costs have returned to the tendered levels.

NO NEED TO SHUT DOWN THE INDUSTRY IN THE FIRST PLACE

Since the dawn of time, contractors have been planning and organising construction activities and are experts at protecting their operatives and keeping them safe on site.

There are very stringent health and safety at work laws to ensure that they do just that.

Safe working construction activity plans are drafted by competent construction professionals. They are set out in method statements with risk assessments and mitigating measures, and they are drilled home to all site operatives at toolbox talks.

Apparently, the rest of the world (except Ireland) continued to safely work in construction by implementing Covid-19 SOP measures.

While there may have been an initial pro-tem without prejudice acceptance by contractors, that with regard to the Covid-19 outbreak, “we were all in this together”, but nearly 18 months since the outbreak of the pandemic, the casualties in the Irish construction sector cannot continue to be denied by employers under PWCs entered into before the outbreak occurred.

At the time of tender, the contractor agreed to undertake and undertook some particular and specific risk allocations laid out in great detail under the public works commercial contract they entered into with the employer.

OGP IN THE CROSSHAIRS...

One of my clients asked me that if the employer was not going to pay for the two Covid-19 delay Event 3 suspensions, should he instruct his lawyers to seek a formal letter from the local authority employer stating that the OGP is the reason that they are repudiating their contract, and should he then present that letter to the OGP seeking a formal response to explain why they are interfering with his contract with the local authority.

I told him I couldn’t possibly answer that question as I was not a lawyer and advised that he should go and ask that question to his lawyer.

My view is that I believe the OGP is not interfering and all it did was give both local authority employers and contractors some suggestions to collaborate their way out of this pandemic (so much for collaboration).

In my mind, they succeeded only in handing out a crate of hand grenades at a chimpanzees’ tea party. I mean, seriously, what did they expect would happen?

Contact John FFF O’Brien, Principal, John FFF O’Brien Ltd, Dispute Resolution & Legal Support Consultants, by phone at 086 803 4330, email: info@johnfarageobrien.ie, or visit www.johnfarageobrien.ie

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SECTOR F OCUS

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SECTOR F OCUS

AC EI MEMBERS AIM TO BE CA R B ON NEUTR A L B Y 2030 David McHugh, President, ACEI, speaks with Robbie Cousins about consulting engineers achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 and why the government needs to cap consultants’ liability before PII issues force practices out of business.

T

he new president of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland (ACEI), David McHugh, would appear ideally qualified and experienced for the role he has taken up, considering the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the coming year and beyond for the association. The senior director responsible for renewable energy and business development at RPS in Ireland also has eight years of experience in global roles as a corporate executive and management consultant specialising in sustainability.

With its recently published ACEI Sustainability Vision, the association is setting out an ambitious programme for its members to become advocates for climate action and sustainable change in Irish construction and to lead by example by becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

McHugh completed a degree in civil and environmental engineering at University College Cork in the mid-90s.

He later completed a Masters in Business Administration at the Smurfit Business School in University College Dublin.

He started his career as an engineer in Zimbabwe, returning to Ireland in 1999 to take up engineering roles in several leading practices. In 2009, when Irish construction was on its knees, he made a successful move into global management consultancy, where he led teams on strategy, operations and sustainability projects globally.

In 2016, he became a board member of the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management in the UK, and, in 2019, he took up his current role with RPS. McHugh has hit the ground running as president of the ACEI. A key goal for his presidency will be furthering the work done to date by the ACEI in engaging with key stakeholders from the government and the built environment sector. The two immediate ACEI past presidents, Conor McCarthy and Gerry Carty, had championed this issue as a priority for the industry.

PROFESSIONAL INDEMNIT Y INSURANCE

While there are a number of essential agenda items to be addressed, of immediate concern to David McHugh is reaching a solution on the provision of affordable professional

‘Sustainability is a core part of what the ACEI and its members do’ indemnity insurance (PII) for ACEI members.

The challenge of sourcing PII can, for the most part, be put down to demand and supply. At this time, there is not enough capacity within the PII market to deal with the volume or scale of demand, whether it is the number of firms seeking insurance or the amount of cover they need to hold.

In addition, the few remaining insurers in the market are also subject to increased internal scrutiny. This, in turn, is affecting the number and percentage of risks PII providers can underwrite, the limits of indemnity they can support, the premium they are required to charge, and the amount of risk they require policyholders to retain.

He says that consulting engineers are caught between a rock and a hard place regarding the level of risk they are exposed to and the unreasonable contractual obligations being imposed. His concern is that unless this is addressed, the viability of some engineering consultancies is at risk, and if they end up closing down because of PII issues, then the delivery of major projects, including public works, are also at risk.

“Government departments and agencies have a huge role to play in addressing this issue. A considerable amount of the work consulting engineers take on is awarded by government bodies or contractors operating on government contracts. In these cases, it is the government bodies that have set out the contractual framework that governs the construction sector. The ACEI has been engaging with all the relevant bodies on this subject. We have outlined the problems and the specific actions they need to take to

relieve the pressure on our members. These solutions include straightforward measures such as a cap on consultants’ liability.

“The public works contract being used by state bodies at the moment, in essence, have unlimited liability for consultants.

However, the PII providers will only insure to a certain amount. Hence a cap is required on consultants’ liability, which should be proportionate to the level of services being provided and should not exceed the level of PII required for a project. Without the cap, there is a risk of putting consultants out of business.

“Specifically, we are also looking for a net contribution clause. This avoids unfair transfer of liabilities where contractors or other consultants are unable to meet their liabilities. With a net contribution clause, consultants would be liable only for elements relating to their contribution to a contract.

But at the moment, they could be liable for all elements of the contract if they were to be the ‘last man standing’.

“These are all quite reasonable suggestions to fix the problem, and we have been having conversations with government bodies, including the Office of Government Procurement, and we will continue to push this dialogue on behalf of member firms.”

SUSTAINABILIT Y

David McHugh played a key role in setting up the ACEI’s Sustainability Committee.

He says the recent publication of the ACEI’s Sustainability Vision, which includes an ambitious climate action commitment, is the culmination of a lot of work by the committee, and it sets a high bar for members to target. But it also means ACEI member firms aim to be leaders and advocates for sustainable changes in Irish construction.

The ACEI Sustainability Vision sets out the case for a future shaped by socially and environmentally responsible design, where actual long-term costs and benefits are considered across entire project lifecycles.

The vision states that ‘the ACEI will continue to help shape policy and to influence consulting engineering firms and their clients to pursue well-conceived projects for the benefit of communities and the environment. Such projects will be planned and designed to go beyond the traditional

irishconstructionnews 45 July 2021

SECTOR F OCUS

Aberdeen Windfarm, Scotland, on which RPS was commissioned for consenting work .

(Photo: Robert Jiang, RPS)

focus on function, cost minimisation and programme, also to address resilience, longterm sustainability, and societal impacts’.

David McHugh explains that what excites him about the vision is that it calls on ACEI members to be advocates for change and take the lead in all that they undertake and in all their work practices, from the operation of their business and offices to how they address their project work.

“Sustainability is a core part of what the ACEI and its members do. We are heartened by how our members have this bold vision that will challenge them and will have a substantial impact across the built environment sector.

“I am delighted that the ACEI Sustainability Vision has been published. It is ambitious and sets out a role for the ACEI and its members to address the challenge of the climate crisis, and through it, the association makes clear commitments to climate action. The four commitments set out in the vision are” ‘Advocating’, ‘Innovating’, ‘Implementing’ and ‘Leading.’

“The advocating commitment signals a shift that we as an organisation are making to move from being technocratic to engaging with the public and policymakers to make change happen.

“Innovating calls on engineers to invest in knowledge around climate change, as new approaches will be required.

“Implementing calls on us to talk with clients so they will embody climate change ambition into their projects.

“The fourth commitment – leading – has many long-term impacts for association members, as it is calling on them to lead the way with sustainable solutions to how they carry out their work. We need to look at our own organisations and make sure we are sustainable in all that we do.

46 irishconstructionnews July 2021

CARBON NEUTRALIT Y BY 2030

“One of the key parts of our ‘leading’ is that the ACEI as an association will achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. We are aiming for member firms to also achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. While the national goal is to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, we believe that as a sector, we should lead by example and that we can achieve this by 2030.”

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

ACEI made a submission on the Review to Renew National Development Plan (NDP) consultation process.

“Our Review to Renew submission welcomed the Budget 2021 provision of €10bn for capital expenditure and the government commitment to capital investment to stimulate economic recovery.

We called for the NDP spending envelope to be increased from €116bn to €141bn over the lifetime of the plan, as significant investment is still required in housing; healthcare; education; transport; utilities, including water and wastewater; in renewable energy; and infrastructure. We also had a specific submission on climate action covering the retrofitting of buildings and infrastructure investment focussed on renewables.”

RECRUITMENT

None of the initiatives mentioned above will be sustainable if the sector cannot attract and hold on to its people.

“Like many other sectors in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), we are battling to attract and hold on to talented people.

“ACEI member firms throughout Ireland are struggling to get the people they need.

This is also at a time when we need to be ramping up operations. But our members are struggling to recruit the engineers,

technicians, scientists and planners required.

This is a real threat to project delivery, and it must be addressed as a matter of absolute urgency. But we know we are not alone in this.

“We are, however, one sector where there has been improvement in terms of gender balance, particularly in environmental sciences, but we still need to attract more women into our industry. I intend to engage with industry stakeholders and educational bodies to get the message across that engineering is an exciting and rewarding career for young people to pursue.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

David McHugh is optimistic about the future of the sector.

“Consultants create value,” he says.

“Consultants create value for clients by taking into account the needs and constraints of a wide range of stakeholders and project challenges. Consulting engineers must have early involvement in projects to minimise life cycle costs and environmental impact through good design. We need to make sure it remains an attractive and rewarding career route for students and graduates to follow, so we can continue to attract the best people into our sector.”

As stated at the beginning of this article, David McHugh will need to draw on his combined experience as a consulting engineer and business consultant during his presidency of the ACEI. But he closes by saying that the ACEI is a resilient organisation with a strong and engaged member base.

“I look forward to working with the ACEI secretary general Sarah Ingle, the ACEI executive and committees, and ACEI members to tackle the challenges and take the opportunities that lie ahead,” David McHugh concludes.

SECTOR F OCUS

M A X I M I S I N G T H E VA L U E O F C ONSTRUC TION WASTE MATERIALS United Metals Recycling Group offers an integrated site processing service, including recycling, demolition, end-waste processing and waste certification.

U

nited Metals Recycling (UMR) Group was established in 2010 as a joint venture between the Donlan and Hegarty families, two highlyrespected families within the recycling sector. The company is best described as a dynamic, family business, with vast generational experience in metal recycling and demolition.

Since 2010, the UMR Group has grown to become a top metal recycler in Ireland, currently employing over 70 people directly.

In recent years, UMR established a strategic alliance with civil and building contractor Lymar Contracts Ltd. This has enabled UMR to avail of additional civils and construction expertise and maximise the efficiency of its demolition operations.

Although headquartered in Limerick, UMR operates nationwide, with much of its demolition activities in Dublin.

Eoin Hegarty, Director, UMR, says that the company has worked on several BREEAM and LEED projects over the past few years.

“We work best with our clients when we guide and encourage them in relation to recycling in the early stages of projects,” Eoin Hegarty explains. “This is the ideal time for us to come on board. While LEED and BREEAM consultants tend to be brought in later, we can offer the best value by being on board as early as possible. We cover everything from a demolition and recycling perspective, including LEED and BREEAM, and provide all the necessary documentation.”

COMPLETE SERVICE PACKAGE

UMR’s core business has always been metals recycling. It also provides skips and on-demand collections from building sites across Ireland. It is currently contracted on several of Ireland’s major construction and infrastructure projects and also has clients in the pharma and food production industries.

Tony Donlan, Director, UMR Group, explains that the company offers a quick turnaround on collections.“Most importantly, we provide full certification and peace of mind for contractors to know that materials are being processed and shipped to foundries directly, ensuring closed-loop guarantees.”

Its demolition teams provide demolition services and PSCS expertise on the complete decommissioning and deconstruction of buildings.

47 irishconstructionnews August 2021

unique in the market.

“With our expertise in recycling and demolition, we can assess the value of the contents in buildings and projects, quickly identifying materials for salvage and recycling. We have the transportation and facilities for processing, as well as access to direct markets.

“We work collaboratively with clients and encourage the reuse and repurposing of materials where possible and with all the requisite permits, our ISO 9001 accreditation, and insurances.”

UMR Group’s current and recent clients include Hines, Vision Contracting and John Sisk & Son.

COMPLETE CERTIFICATION A ship collects metals from UMR Group’s facilities in Co Limerick .

“Our services are designed to be particularly beneficial for redevelopment projects, with works planned meticulously and assessed to ensure maximisation of recycling and reuse, for example, where bricks can be salvaged for later use in gardens or curbing. Where items can be retained or refurbished, we will suggest solutions to the client.

“We also offer a complete demolition service, with the highest specification plant and machinery available for hard demolition.”

UMR provides various remediation packages, including asbestos removal, lead paint remediation and treatment of steel, managing the work from start to finish.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

UMR has ongoing contracts in the pharma and dairy/food production sectors, where it carries out tank removals, industrial line strip outs, removal of plants rooms and redundant AHUs, etc.

Its established expertise in recycling ensures it can provide clients with coveted end-of-waste criteria.

“Our senior team members with experience in construction have seen it all over the years and have unquantifiable knowledge and experience in metals recycling in all its forms,” adds Tony Donlan.

“This experience, coupled with our capacity to process and recycle, plays directly into why our demolition service offering is so

UMR Group offers complete environmental certifications, including certification of recycling resulting from its end-ofwaste accredited status, as well as copies of all disposal dockets and complete waste management plans, It also offers certified destruction services to those with commercially sensitive or proprietary waste that needs specific means of disposal.

In closing, Eoin Hegarty comments that while construction firms and their clients are currently looking at new methods of construction, they should also be considering all avenues to recycle or reuse materials.

“While leaders in the construction industry are looking toward new design and methods of more sustainable construction and many turning to offsite construction methods to achieve lower carbon emissions, they should also be analysing ways in which existing building stock can be reused and future-proofed,” he concludes.

For more details on the United Metals Group’s services, phone: 061 603 848, email: info@umrgroup.ie, or visit www.umrgroup.ie Scan QR code to see UMR Group services video.

Turn to page 36 for a case study where UMR Group achieved a 98% recycling rate.

irishconstructionnews 47 July 2021

SECTOR F OCUS The National Opera House, Wexford.

Cle a r y Do y le C e le b rate s 6 0 y e a r s in b u s in e s s A brand refresh, a growing team of gifted, experienced construction professionals, and several significant project wins are some of the highlights marking ClearyDoyle’s 60th anniversary in business.

F

ounded in Wexford in 1961 by Eugene Cleary and John Doyle Sr, ClearyDoyle’s first contract was the refurbishment of a local Wexford pub.

Since then, the company has built some of the country’s most significant and recognisable buildings. Through the 60s and 70s, the local company grew to become one of the largest multi-discipline contractors in the south east, and in the process, became a major player on the national stage.

By the 1980s, ClearyDoyle was pioneering Design & Build contracts in Ireland, with its projects increasing in scale and complexity through the 90s and into the 2000s.

Its iconic projects include Blackhall Stud Farms, Kildare (1993); St James Hospital, Dublin (1995); Dublin Zoo (1998); Dublin Castle (1999); the Japanese Gardens Visitors Centre, Kildare, (1999); Institute of Technology Carlow (1999); Kellys Hotel Sea Spa, Wexford (2004); Druids Glen Hotel, Co Wicklow (2005); Killeen Castle and Golf Club, Co Meath (2005); Whites Hotel, Wexford (2005); Cork Civic Offices (2006); UCD Health Sciences Complex Phase 3, Dublin (2007); The National Opera House, Wexford (2008); Powerscourt House, Co Wicklow (2008); and the Orchard Gardens apartment and retail development, Cork (2009).

CLEARY DOYLE TEAM

ClearyDoyle’s brand refresh.

48 irishconstructionnews July 2021

While Eugene Cleary and John Doyle Sr maintain an interest in the business today, with John still active as a non-executive director, John P Doyle and Brian Byrne, joint managing directors, now head up the senior management team.

ClearyDoyle directly employs over 50 highly skilled professionals, many with vast experience in the construction industry. ClearyDoyle has a strong focus on

encouraging and assisting its team members to maximise their potential through education and having direct input on project decisions.

Brian Byrne explains: “We foster a spirit of teamwork on all of our projects.

We have regular company reviews where all employees are invited to discuss their projects, report on their role and encouraged to add more value.

“We also encourage and facilitate upskilling and training for all our staff.

For instance, we have some of our team completing construction management degrees, post-graduate diplomas in BIM and being mentored through their charterships in the SCSI and CIOB. Our senior management is entrusted with mentoring our new employees whether they are project managers, site managers, quantity surveyors or members of the support team in head office.”

ClearyDoyle is on a major recruitment drive at the moment to fill positions for project managers and quantity surveyors.

“We have a strong team in place at ClearyDoyle,” Byrne explains. “But with a number of exciting projects in the pipeline, we are looking to build this team with skilled construction professionals at all levels.”

RECENTLY COMPLETED PROJECTS

Over the past couple of years, projects ClearyDoyle has delivered for clients include: • Construction of a 33-unit social housing project in Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny for Kilkenny County Council (€6.5m) • Construction of Abbeyview House, Monkstown, Co Dublin, an 11-unit social housing scheme for Cluid Housing (€3.5m)

SECTOR F OCUS contract for the rapid build of 22 social housing units in Newtownmountkennnedy; and a Design & Build contract for the rapid build of 36 new social houses at Greenhill Road in Wicklow town, with a project value of €6.5m. Both of these projects are for Wicklow County Council.

COVID-19 IMPACTS

John P Doyle and Brian Byrne, Joint Managing Directors, ClearyDoyle.

• Refurbishment of Arklow Courthouse for Wicklow County Council, (€1.0m) • Construction of Jameson Heights, Kilmacanogue, a 22-house social housing scheme for Wicklow County Council (€4.5M) • Construction of a new learning building and the refurbishment of dormitories and an infirmary building in Clane, Co Kildare, for Clongowes Wood College (€4.5m).

CURRENT WORKS ON SITE

ClearyDoyle has a mix of project types on site at this time.

In Cherrywood, Dublin 18, the contractor is on site with a €12.5m development at Cherrywood Business Park for Spearstreet Capital. The brief for this includes masterplanning and the construction of new meeting pods, sunken garden and canopy, and façade and internal refurbishment work.

In Tallaght, it is refurbishing an existing pharmaceutical facility and constructing an extension for Henkel Ireland, a €1.8m project.

At 5 Dame Lane, Dublin 2, ClearyDoyle is carrying out a €4.5m refurbishment and fitout of a 15,000 sq ft office space for Eir. In Wicklow, it has a €4.5m Design & Build

John P Doyle says that Covid-19 has had a major impact on the whole industry over the past 16 or so months.

“We have changed how we manage projects on site,” explains John P Doyle, “But our site teams have done a fantastic job in adapting to the new conditions and in doing all that is required of them to operate under the new standard operating procedure we introduced, while at the same time working together to deliver to the high standards that we all expect of ourselves at ClearyDoyle.

“In addition to on-site practices,” he continues, “We have had the challenge of adjusting our procurement procedures to try to offset the delays that the industry is experiencing on the availability of building materials, as well as addressing the shortage of skilled professionals in the sector.

“It has not been easy, but as a result of the changes we introduced, we have safer and more efficient operating procedures in place across the organisation, and we look forward to building up momentum over the coming months as more projects come online.”

CLEARYDOYLE REBRAND

As part of the celebration of its 60th year in business, ClearyDoyle has unveiled a new brand identity to reflect its forward-thinking outlook, young, experienced and diverse workforce and growing capability as a modern, ambitious building contractor.

John P Doyle says that the “ClearyDoyle” rebrand highlights the contractor’s core values and work culture, where teamwork, reliability, integrity, and quality define the ClearyDoyle approach to project delivery.

“It has always been ClearyDoyle’s vision to be the contractor of choice for public and private sector customer/clients. We achieve this by working hard as a team every day to deliver the best product, and by creating partnerships based on reliability, integrity, and quality to provide consistent customer satisfaction.”

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

Druids Glen Hotel, Co Wicklow.

Like any well managed business Cleary Doyle’s senior management team regularly reviews and assesses its performance against a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) and uses this exercise to evaluate future business opportunities. John P Doyle says that ClearyDoyle is perfectly positioned to continue to expand its operations as planned into the future.

“We acknowledge that integrating new

irishconstructionnews 49 July 2021

SECTOR F OCUS

Jameson Heights, Kilmacanogue, a 22-house social housing scheme for Wicklow County Council.

Kellys Hotel Sea Spa, Wexford. technologies into our operations is essential to grow and be competitive over the coming years,” explains Doyle. “All our sites are linked to our head office, each equipped with high-speed broadband to access our secure cloud-based server. We have had an excellent response from our site teams on this, who have shown great enthusiasm to adopt new practices and technologies and learn with the ongoing development of the company.”

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Looking at prospects for the construction industry for the coming years, Brian Byrne comments that the National Development Plan (NDP) has been dealt a major blow by the pandemic, with the vast majority of the construction industry being closed for months.

“The timeframe to delivery of the NDP programme has been thrown into flux as a result of so many sites being shut down for

CGI of the Cherrywood Business Park development.

Cork Civic Off ices.

50 irishconstructionnews July 2021

long periods as a result of the pandemic.

Now, as we once again are ramping up to deliver NDP elements, there are huge issues with the availability of workers, skilled professionals and tradespeople, and an unprecedented jump in the cost of building materials. As a sector, we need a new plan for the industry and indeed the country to pull back this lost time.”

GROWTH PROSPECTS

John P Doyle says that despite the challenges presented by Covid-19, ClearyDoyle has continued to grow, which he attributes to the company’s ethos and the dynamic individuals that make up the ClearyDoyle team.

“ClearyDoyle continues to be a large employer in the industry, both directly and indirectly. The calibre of people that are coming through the business gives me great confidence that we will continue to grow in the coming years.”

IN CONCLUSION

The last word on the current chapter of the company he co-founded 60 years ago this year must go to John Doyle Sr. “When we started in 1961, we could never have imagined the journey that we would take and the impact that ClearyDoyle would have on our industry. I am very proud of all that the company has achieved over the past 60 years, particularly the fact that we have maintained a supportive familial culture.

This has always been important to Eugene and I. The current generation that makes up the company and how they support each other in everything they do means this tradition will continue long into the future.”

For more information about ClearyDoyle, visit www.clearydoyle.com

SECTOR F OCUS

€ 7b n to b e s p e nt on data centre construc tion in Ire land in the nex t five years Ireland now has 70 operational data centres, totalling 900MW of connected power capacity.

Garry Connolly, founder and President, Host in Ireland.

A

ccording to the latest Host in Ireland bi-annual report ‘Ireland’s Data Hosting Industry – An Industry of Substance (May 2021)’, Ireland saw a 25% increase in completed data centre capacity during 2020.

There are now 70 operational data centres, totalling 900MW of connected power capacity, in the country, with 10 new data centres coming on line in the past year.

The report also estimates that the data centre sector accounted for about 1.85% of Ireland’s total carbon emissions in 2020.

CONSTRUCTION INVESTMENT

Construction investment in data centre facilities in Ireland totalled €7bn in the decade between 2010 and 2020. In the coming five years, there will be a further €7bn of investment, based on data centres with approved planning permission, with €1.33bn being spent in 2021 and €1.5bn being spent in 2022 and 2023.

DATA CENTRES UPDATE

Amazon Web Services (AWS) recently received approval for and commenced construction of a development in west

Dublin, to add to a data centre under construction in Drogheda and three already developed in the Dublin Metropolitan Region.

As a result, AWS will now have a presence in five clusters around Dublin and the wider region.

Two new data centres are planned in Clonshaugh, Dublin.

In addition, Microsoft submitted a planning application for a further two data centres on its site in west Dublin to add to 10 already built on the site.

Facebook continued to progress its development in Clonee, Co Meath, during 2020. Wholesale operator EdgeConneX received planning permission in west Dublin following an appeal to An Bord Pleanala.

The CyrusOne development of two data centres is largely complete, with additional planning approved for a further two on the site. Echelon has also applied for planning for two new facilities in west Dublin.

RENEWABLES

The Ireland’s Data Hosting Industry report also explores the relationship between data centres, renewable electricity, and collaboration during a national and global digital transformation.

It states that a “renewable electricity policy is critical to this digital transformation.

Ireland reached a key milestone in 2020 of its target of 70% renewable electricity by 2030, with 43% of electricity generated from renewable sources – the only greenhouse emissions state-target met.”

Data-centre-related emissions were 1.85% of Ireland’s total emissions in 2020. Host in Ireland expects this number to remain stable even as data centre growth is expected to double over the next five years.

Garry Connolly, founder and President, Host in Ireland, says: “One of the longlasting effects of the pandemic has been the rapid digital transformation of businesses worldwide.

“As data is at the core of this transformation, the data centres supporting it will play an essential role, and sustainability will need to be at the heart of this. To this end, for example, in 2021, we

have seen several big initiatives announced in Ireland and Europe. The Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact was agreed upon by more than 30 data centre operators and 20 national associations to make data centres in Europe climate neutral by 2030. This is a good initial step in bringing together the European data centre industry to actively play its part in addressing the serious climate challenges we face as individuals, an industry and society.”

Connolly says that Host in Ireland has always believed in the power of the collective.

“The commitment of data centre owners, operators and trade associations to work as a whole to achieve these goals provides the strongest foundation for success.”

Speaking about the coming decade and programme for government commitment to achieving a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, he says there will be more design and operational changes in Ireland’s electrical grid over the next decade than in the past 80 years.

HOST IN IRELAND

Host in Ireland is a strategic global initiative created to increase awareness of the benefits of hosting digital assets in Ireland as well as Irish companies that are designing, building, and operating data centres globally. The Ireland’s Data Hosting Industry report was published by Host in Ireland in conjunction with Bitpower Energy Solutions and Cornwall Insight.

To download a copy of the Ireland’s Data Hosting Industry report, visit www.hostinireland.com

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I S Y O U R F I R M D O I N G E N O U G H TO AT TRAC T THE RIG HT JOB C ANDIDATES? The latest figures from construction jobs board ConstructionJobs.ie show housing as the sector with the most jobs on offer, with northern Europe being the top jobs location next to Dublin.

PARAIC KELLY’ S RECRUITMENT TIPS

T

he construction sector continues to face a myriad of recruitment challenges, from growing skills gaps to replacing workers who have switched careers or returned home, and scaling up to take on new projects.

The uncertainty caused by the pandemic over the past 18 months has impacted all industries. But construction was resilient during the pandemic due to being early to adapt to meet changing conditions.

According to Paraic Kelly, Director, constructionjobs.ie, in order to overcome current recruitment challenges, contractors should be analysing their approach to recruitment and asking themselves if they are getting the best value from the mix of

52 irishconstructionnews July 2021

recruitment tools they are employing.

“Shortages in construction, engineering professionals and trades mean that there is currently and will be a lot of competition for talent in the short to medium term,” Paraic Kelly comments. “Contractors should be considering a mix of recruitment tools to attract the right talent. With pressure on the housing sector and other labour-intensive construction sectors, it is at this time a jobseekers’ market.”

Kelly suggests that contractors should be using all the routes that they can to get the right people.

“Recruitment agencies, head hunters, general jobs boards, niche jobs boards, job aggregators and social media platforms

Mixing it up gets the best results from recruitment strategies.

Paraic Kelly suggests the following recruitment strategy tips to find the right candidate for the job.

• Use a mix of recruitment agencies, head hunters, jobs boards (General and niche), social media, Google adverts, local papers • Have a clearly defined inclusion and diversity policy in place • Have a clearly defined graduate development programme in place • Make a compelling proposition to work for your organisation • Use your digital resources, website and social media to promote your employer brand.

Show the people behind the business at their work • Be an organisation where candidates can Grow, Learn and Contribute • Sell the vision and culture of your company.

SECTOR F OCUS

TOP 10 LOCATIONS FOR JOBS ON CONSTRUCTIONJOBS.IE JUNE 2021 1. Dublin 2. *Mainland Europe 3. Cork 4. Kildare 5. Meath 6. UK 7. Limerick 8. Wicklow 9. Galway 10. Tipperary *Jobs in mainland Europe are primarily driven by the demand for construction and engineering professionals on data centres

TOP 10 JOB CATEGORIES ON CONSTRUCTIONJOBS.IE JUNE 2021

Paraic Kelly, Director, ConstructionJobs.ie are just the start of it,” he says. “Other enticements will have to be considered and if that doesn’t work, upskilling and retraining existing and trusted employees is another measure worth exploring.”

The latest statistics from the

ConstructionJobs.ie jobs board give a general indication of the most sought after candidates, the popular jobs with candidates, and where those jobs are.

Paraic Kelly says that at the moment, the sectors that are seeing the most recruitment activity are housing, data centres, pharma and civils, with project managers, quantity surveyors, site engineers and site managers the most advertised jobs.

From the candidate’s perspective, he says the most viewed jobs in June were health and safety officer, quantity surveyor, project engineer, construction manager and accounts payable assistant.

“As would be expected, Dublin is where most of the recruitment activity is taking place,” he says, “with mainland Europe and Cork the other top locations. As Irish M&E firms and contractors have such a huge stake in data centre development across Europe, it should be no surprise that most of the jobs in mainland Europe are for construction and engineering professionals in the data centre market.”

To learn more about the latest construction and engineering opportunities, visit www.constructionjobs.ie

1. Project manager 2. Quantity surveyor 3. Site engineer 4. Site manager 5. Health & safety 6. Foreperson 7. Electrical engineer 8. Contracts manager 9. Civil engineer 10. Mechanical & electrical engineer

TOP 10 MOST VIEWED JOBS ON CONSTRUCTIONJOBS.IE JUNE 2021 1. Health and safety officer – Longford County Council 2. Quantity surveyor Grade I – Office of Public Works 3. Project engineer 4. Construction manager – Amsterdam 5. Accounts payable assistant 6. Quantity surveyor 7. Senior quantity surveyor – Limerick 8. Site engineer – Blanchardstown, Dublin 9. Junior engineer 10. Junior quantity surveyor

TOP 5 SECTORS FOR JOBS ON CONSTRUCTIONJOBS.IE JUNE 2021 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Housing Data centres Pharmaceutical Civils Office-based

irishconstructionnews 53 July 2021

SECTOR F OCUS ????

C o u n t i n g the building materials co sts Robbie Cousins assesses factors that have been driving the surge in building materials costs over the past 18 months.

T

he costs of building materials have been undergoing an unprecedented surge since the beginning of 2020, with many in the industry expecting prices to remain at an elevated level for a considerable time to come. Traditionally, across a 12-month period, suppliers might experience price increases of 3% to 5%. Many absorb these increases as a matter of course on long-term contracts.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) recently stated that several materials providers had experienced price increases of over 30% in the past 12 months. Add to this a shortage of products, with some suppliers being forced to rationalise supply, and global distribution problems, building materials producers and providers would appear to be least well placed to benefit from the current increase in construction activity.

According to a recent survey by the Hardware Association of Ireland (HAI), building materials account for 13% of the total sales price of an average home. Therefore, an increase of 20% to 30% in materials costs would result in an increase of 2.5% to 4% in the overall sales price.

WHAT THE SURVEYS SAY

In March of this year, the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) stated that house rebuilding costs spiked by 7.3% nationally over the previous 18 months.

According to the CSO’s ‘Wholesale Price Index’ for May 2021, between April 2020 and April 2021, timber prices had an annual increase of 30% for rough timber (including plain sawn) and 33.7%

54 irishconstructionnews July 2021

Michael O’Donohoe, Country Director, Wavin Ireland, and President, Hardware Association Ireland. for other non-hardwood timber. However, the Irish Timber Frame Manufacturers Association (ITFMA) says the price that its members are paying for imported softwood has more than doubled since the start of 2020.

According to the Wholesale Price Index, structural steel prices increased by up to 25.2% on the same period in 2020, with the index indicating reinforced metal prices increased by 14.4%.

Another CSO survey on the impacts of Brexit on SMEs in 2020, also published in May, indicated that the rising cost of building materials remains the biggest post-Brexit worry for Irish

SECTOR F OCUS construction SMEs, with 65% of SMEs in the construction sector expressing concerns about price increases. The transport of goods is also a significant concern for firms, with 30% of construction SMEs worried.

The Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (May 2021) noted a substantial jump in input costs stating, “The rate of input cost inflation surged to a new record high and was by far the sharpest in 21 years of data collection. Close to 73% of respondents signalled that their input prices had risen over the month, with copper, plastics and steel among the items most widely mentioned as costing more.”

BREXIT AND COVID-19 IMPACTS

In the pre-Covid construction sector of Q4 2019, Irish construction firms were bracing themselves for the impact of Brexit at midnight on 31 December 2019. At that time, building materials prices were already on the rise due in some part to stockpiling, but other factors were also in play.

While Brexit has had a major impact on the price and supply of building materials, the pandemic changed the dynamics of global trade in ways that could not have been predicted. Despite shutdowns for most of the construction sector during 2020 and 2021, materials prices continued to rise, as raw materials suppliers who had reduced their output were hit by massive unforeseen demands from other markets, in addition to requiring time to ramp up production upon reopening after shutdowns.

The spread of coronavirus across the globe in Q1 2020 escalated supply challenges further. It impacted the ability of raw materials providers to harvest or mine, and processors to keep their production lines running.

Then Irish construction was hit with an existentialist challenge on 24 March 2020, as the government shut down the country to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

PLASTICS

While Brexit and supply issues due to Covid-19 have impacted the supply of plastic needed for ducting and other building products, several other factors also contributed to price increases and supply challenges.

Michael O’Donohoe, Country Director, Wavin Ireland, and President of the HAI, explains that the surge in plastics prices began around the end of the first lockdown in May 2020, when there was a huge upturn in construction, as the suppliers of the raw materials for plastic products needed time to ramp up their production to catch up with the sudden enormous demand across many sectors.

“In May of last year, when construction was allowed back, there was a very strong pick-up in activity,” Michael O’Donohoe explains.

“That remained unrelenting in our business for the rest of the year.

So much so that by December of 2020, our output was 50% higher than it had been in the previous December. Last year, Europe also had a relatively mild winter, so construction activity across the continent was strong. But due to a number of force majeure events, there were production problems with the raw materials required for plastic products. This resulted in a restriction of supply and a substantial increase in prices. On top of this, Winter Storm Uri hit Texas, where many petrochemical producers are based, in February of this year. This further impacted the sector’s ability to produce product used for PVC manufacture. We lost a month’s production over this, but demand continued to rise, as many of the sectors we supply were not affected by the last shutdown.”

O’Donohoe says prices have been rising continuously over the past few months. But supply has also been severely hampered since February.

“Wavin as a European-wide group operates on the basis of allocation of supply. Wavin Ireland, like other regions, has had its allocation cut every month since February so far. So much so that we were supplying clients based on the urgency of their need since mid-

May. Since the last reopening, demand for product has gone through the roof. Because of the volatility of price, we have been pricing jobs on application since 01 July.

O’Donohoe explains that Wavin generally sees price increases of about 5% or 6% every 12 to 18 months, but there are now increases every couple of months, totalling about 30% to date.

“We will be playing catch up until early next year, unless developers decide to stall projects for six months because of the precariousness of supply. But I don’t see this happening. I hope we will start to see things begin to settle by the end of Q1 2022.”

TIMBER

The Irish construction timber market consumes in the region of 625,000 cubic metres of sawn timber per annum. This is a mix of domestically grown and imported timber. Most timber used in timber frame buildings is imported graded softwood from Scandinavia and mainland Europe. Much of the timber used for other construction purposes is domestically grown.

Before Covid-19 and Brexit, the price of timber had started to rise. When coronavirus arrived in Europe, with an anticipated drop in demand and challenges to staff plants, many European timber mills took the opportunity to close early and reschedule planned maintenance works. But instead of falling, demand started to grow rapidly in alternative markets.

Homeowners turned to their local DIY suppliers to purchase materials for domestic improvements. In addition, an explosion in demand for timber from the US housing market, which could not be met from Canada due to supply problems, meant that by the end of Q2 2020, when the Irish construction market started to reopen, there was an unprecedented demand for timber from Scandinavia and Northern Europe.

The growth in demand for timber in the US housebuilding market over the past 18 months completely upended the supply chain, as timber providers in northern Europe, who traditionally supply timber to Irish and other European timber frame manufacturing companies, were looking to the US, which was in a position to pay premium prices.

According to the ITFMA, the cost of imported softwood to Ireland grew by an unprecedented 35% across the whole of 2020, and another 85% so far in 2021. But the increases had already started to bite before the end of 2019.

Peter de Lacy Staunton of the ITFMA says its members would generally expect to have cost increases of about 3% to 5% per annum, which they would absorb as a matter of course. But the current run of cost increases going back to Q3 2019 has never been seen before, and it has not yet hit its peak yet.

“Some ITFMA members are operating on an ‘open-book’ basis with clients, sharing information on timber price movements

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SECTOR F OCUS

and their impact on timber frame selling prices to ensure trust is maintained,” Peter de Lacy Staunton explains. “Most of our supply comes from Scandinavia or northern Europe. Since Q3 2019, when the escalating increases started, we estimate that the cost of timber has more than doubled. With timber so expensive worldwide at the moment, there is no alternative supply for us, so we just have to ride this out.

“On the positive side, there is an expectation that timber prices will start to stabilise in Q1 or Q2 of next year. But this is based on the fact that in the US, the price of timber is beginning to drop, and supply issues with timber from Canada appear to be getting resolved.

But there is no other solid data to back up this expectation. So, we will just have to wait and see. For the moment, however, we have not reached the peak of the increases.”

This year global steel has again seen substantial price hikes.

There usually would be a prior warning on price hikes, but this was not the case this year. As steel is such an integral element across construction, this is a significant concern for the industry. And, while the pricing for projects usually is set for a period of time in advance, suppliers and manufacturers have moved to a position where prices quoted for materials and products can only hold for several weeks at the moment.

On the bright side, US market analysts HIS Markit forecasts that global steel prices will remain elevated in 2021, with supply chain disruptions expected to delay price declines to the second half of 2021 while supplies need to be replenished. But once this has been achieved, prices will stabilise.

FELLING LICENCES

Cement, aggregates, roof tiles and bricks have all been following an upward pricing trend as well as being in short supply. Insulation prices, for instance, have increased by approximately 13% since December 2019, and 12% since the start of 2021. Concrete prices have increased by about 4% since December 2019 and 1% in 2021 to date.

In Ireland, last year, a backlog in the issuing of tree-felling licences due to a lengthy appeals process contributed to a shortage of domestically grown timber. This means that markets that traditionally purchased Irish timber have also been sourcing product overseas. The Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity Pippa Hackett looked to address the issue in October with the Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2020 to give the Forestry Appeals Committee the tools it needed to address a backlog of appeals more quickly. To date, there has been an increase of 11% in the number of licences being issued. But the construction sector needs this percentage to be increased considerably.

STEEL PRICES

Irish construction is also at the mercy of the global steel trade. As it is an essential building product, steel also underwent substantial price hikes during 2020 and to date in 2021. During 2020, steel was hit by shortages and price rises, with demand growing faster than the industry could produce product. In addition, the cost of iron ore used to make steel almost doubled, resulting in huge jumps in the price of steel products.

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OTHER COSTS

IN CONCLUSION

It should once again be noted according to the Hardware Association of Ireland (HAI) survey mentioned at the beginning of this article, building materials account for 13% of the total sales price of an average home. Therefore, an increase of 20% to 30% in materials costs would result in an increase of 2.5% to 4% in the overall sales price.

Michael O’Donohoe commenting as president of the HAI, on behalf of the association’s members, says: “Building materials providers have absorbed huge costs over the past 18 or so months and will continue to work with the wider construction industry to arrive at sustainable solutions to cost and supply problems. We look forward to being part of what looks like being an exceptionally busy time for the industry over the coming years,” Michael O’Donohoe concludes.

SUSTAI NABI LIT Y Another 40 electric vehicles were added to the Sisk fleet in 2020.

SISK C ERTIFIED AS A C A R B O N -N E U T R A L B U S I N E S S John Sisk & Son has reached the first milestone in its 2030 sustainability roadmap by being certified as a carbonneutral business.

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isk achieved certification under the Achilles Carbon Reduce Programme in early 2021 by having its 2019 baseline and 2020 carbon footprint externally verified. As well as achieving a reduction in carbon emissions during 2020, Sisk has also offset its outstanding emissions through internationally verified carbon reduction projects.

SISK SUSTAINABILIT Y ROADMAP

In its 2030 Sustainability Roadmap – ‘Building today, Caring for tomorrow’ – Sisk set targets for tackling climate change and air pollution, committing to a total of 21 targets, including 50% of its vehicle fleet being electric by 2024 and an ultimate goal of achieving a carbon-neutral status without offsetting by 2030.

During 2020, Sisk reduced carbon emissions by 19% against its 2019 baseline by decreasing carbon emissions from diesel in the company fleet.

This was achieved mainly by: • Use of effective travel plans • Use of technology for virtual meetings • Reduction in employee commuting miles • Introduction of an additional 40 electric vehicles to its existing fleet in 2020 • All electricity in the business now procured from renewable sources Currently, work is also being ongoing to combat the emissions from diesel on site, with the increased use of electric plant

and alternative fuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), which has been used as the single source of fuel for the plant on its Northstowe, UK, project since 2019.

Steve Bowcott, Chief Executive Officer, John Sisk & Son, said: “In our 2030 sustainability roadmap we set some ambitious targets, and I am delighted that we have achieved our first goal of carbonneutral status by offsetting the emissions from our operations through international accredited offsetting schemes within 12 months of setting the target.

“We continue to actively work to drive down the carbon emissions which we produce as a business, and my hope is that through engagement with our clients and supply chain, we can affect a paradigm shift in the industry to help us achieve our overall target of becoming a carbon-neutral business without offsetting by 2030.

“In addition to this, we commenced our tree planting initiative in March of this year, with over 100,000 trees planted to date.

We are on track to achieve our target of planting 1.7 million native trees by our 170th anniversary as a business in 2029.”

SISK CARBON OFFSETS

Sisk has partnered with South Pole to purchase carbon offsets for its outstanding carbon emissions. South Pole is a leading project developer with a portfolio of Gold Standard and Verified Carbon Standard programmes across the world, with the offsets divided between three carbon offsetting programmes: • Wind Energy, India – The project provides green electricity to support India’s growing economy and brings benefits, such as jobs and infrastructure, to under-developed regions.

• Siam Cement, Thailand – By shifting to renewable biomass instead of fossil fuels, five Thai cement manufacturing plants can substantially reduce their carbon emissions – leading to environmental and socio-economic benefits for surrounding communities.

• Toyola Cookstoves, Ghana – This project distributes efficient cookstoves that require less wood and produce less smoke, alleviating deforestation and enabling healthier livelihoods.

Sisk commenced a tree planting initiative in March of this year, with over 100,000 trees planted to date.

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SUSTAI NABI LIT Y

A passive house at Wayside, Douglas Road, Cork .

Iris h g r e e n b u ild in g c o u n c il working for a sustainable future Irish Green Building Council CEO PAT BARRY speaks with Robbie Cousins about the council’s first 10 years in operation and outlines some of the initiatives and tools it will launch in the coming months to help Ireland build greener.

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he Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) was launched 10 years ago in 2011, with 35 founding members. Today, it has grown to over 220 members, drawn from across the entire built environment value chain, from contractors to building product manufacturers and providers, as well as development finance agencies. Its staff of 10 people work on a broad range of projects and programmes aimed at bringing about transformative change in the construction sector in the next 10 years.

The goal of the IGBC and its members is to accelerate the transformation of the built environment sector, related industries and supply chains to become a sustainable integrated sector. This goal is to be achieved through leadership, research, education, and by providing policy input to national and local government.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE IGBC

Over the past 10 years, the Irish construction industry has not only recovered from a devastating recession but has started a process of transformation to become a more efficient, green and sustainable sector. However, the next 10 years will be an even more transformative time, as the construction sector tackles a broad range of sustainability issues that will be pivotal in Ireland reducing its carbon emissions by 51%, as it has committed to under the government’s Climate Action Plan. But that process will not be just about building more energy-efficient buildings and retrofitting older inefficient buildings, it will require a revolutionary overhaul of the construction supply chain, the materials that go into building and a

58 irishconstructionnews July 2021

massive reduction in the level of construction waste that is created within the sector.

The IGBC’s membership includes BAM Ireland, Google, AIB, Cairn, Chadwick Group, Sisk, KSN, I-RES, Velux and many more.

The IGBC’s CEO Pat Barry says much has happened over the past 10 years since the 35 founding members set ambitious targets for the fledgling organisation.

“When the IGBC was established 10 years ago, the construction sector was still reeling from the crash,” explains Pat Barry. “The founding members believed that it was then a good point to start putting the foundations in place to build sustainably. As the industry began to recover, new directives on green building were being put in place to facilitate the sector’s transition.

“Ten years later, it is now standard to link finance and green construction. Investors ask for whole life carbon calculations. Our government has an ambitious renovation strategy to retrofit 500,000 homes. Environmental product declarations are now almost standard for every Irish construction product manufacturer and supplier, and the sustainability team has become a core part of every construction organisation.”

Barry says the next 10 years will be even more transformational for the Irish construction industry.

“The ground has been prepared, and change will accelerate. The Government and the EU are fully on board with transformational change. A 50-55% cut in carbon in eight and half years must now be delivered.”

SUSTAI NABI LIT Y environment to date has been on addressing operational carbon, the emissions associated with the energy used to operate buildings (ie, lighting and heating).

Buildings and construction activity account for 36% of greenhouse gases emitted in Europe. But they also account for half of raw materials used and more than 40% of solid waste produced on the continent. Climate neutrality is hence not achievable without tapping the full potential of the sector.

#BUILDINGLIFE CAMPAIGN

Pat Barry, CEO, Irish Green Building Council.

GOING FOR GREEN

Despite the pandemic challenges of the past 18 or so months, substantial change has been achieved in putting in place the building blocks to transform Irish construction. The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021 has just been enshrined into law with the overall aim of reaching climate neutrality by 2050. In Europe, several directives affecting the built environment are being reviewed and are expected to be more ambitious than they have been heretofore. These include the cornerstone of buildings policy in the EU, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), the first version of which was published in 2002. The IGBC is also working on several initiatives to support the transition to a more sustainable built environment.

WHOLE LIFE CARBON

Most of the focus of developing a green and sustainable built

Convent Lands, Wicklow, a scheme by John Sisk & Sons with Home Performance Index certification.

In December 2020, the IGBC, alongside other European green building councils, launched the #BuildingLife campaign. The campaign aims to develop national roadmaps to tackle the environmental impact of buildings across their life cycle.

“This means looking at both operational and embodied emissions,” Pat Barry explains. “Embodied emissions result from mining, quarrying, transporting and manufacturing building materials, in addition to constructing buildings. With an estimated half a million homes to be built in Ireland by 2040, this conversation needs to happen. These embodied emissions in each year will be the equivalent of bringing a new Moneypoint coal-burning power station online.

“The roadmap to be developed by the IGBC will explore policy and legal changes needed, including the role of public procurement.

It will also look at training and educational needs, including the development of tools and guidance documents for the industry. The IGBC is already offering an introductory whole-life-carbon training course to help practitioners understand the methodology of life-cycle assessment.

“We are developing a new tool called Carbon Designer, sponsored

by EPA and LDA, for use at early concept stage using typical Irish construction build-ups that allow the development of benchmarks for whole-life carbon. The Carbon Designer will be released later in the summer.

“The roadmap to address whole-life carbon in the built environment is being developed with support from the Ikea Foundation and Laudes Foundation, and it should be launched in Spring 2022.”

SUSTAINABLE HOMES AND NEIGHBOURHOODS

To support a more holistic approach to sustainability in the built environment, the IGBC developed the Home Performance Index (HPI), Ireland’s national certification for quality and sustainability in new residential developments.

The HPI goes well beyond the Building Energy Rating (BER).

It addresses all the environmental impacts of new homes, from the production of building materials to biodiversity loss, water consumption, land use and flood risks. It also encourages home builders to improve the health and wellbeing of homeowners by improving daylight and acoustics and minimising harmful chemicals such as radon and volatile organic components (VOCs). HPI certification gives a third-party verified seal for financial institutions, procurers, homebuyers and developers.

“It is encouraging to see a growing number of investors are placing a high importance on sustainability credentials such as the HPI,” Barry comments.

“The European Taxonomy Regulation should also impact investments in green homes in the coming years. The taxonomy spells out detailed technical criteria to identify sustainable activities going beyond energy efficiency.”

The Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) was recently awarded to the HPI. The GRESB is the leading evaluation system for measuring the sustainability performance of property companies, real estate funds and developers. It now recognises the HPI as a full points scheme for new residential developments.

This means that developers and investors can now report their sustainability scores for new homes to GRESB using the HPI.

irishconstructionnews 59 July 2021

SUSTAI NABI LIT Y One of many IGBC training programmes classes. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic these classes are available online.

retrofit best-practice. It should also support much-needed citizen engagement.”

The energy renovation framework is currently being tested by Dublin City Council, with additional feedback provided by Cork City, Kilkenny and Laois County Councils. Developed as part of the H2020 Build Upon project, the framework will be launched at the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in November of this year.

ONE-STOP ONLINE RETROFITTING RESOURCE

GREEN LOANS DISCOUNTS

Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI) has launched a green loan product offering a discount of up to 0.5% on loans to home builders for developments certified with the HPI. The HBFI Green Funding Product is the first Irish green financial product fully aligned to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and EU taxonomy regulation.

SCALING UP ENERGY RENOVATION

The Climate Action Plan and Ireland’s Long-Term Renovation Strategy 2020 set very high targets for energy renovation. Half a million homes must be retrofitted to a BER of B2 by 2030, and a third of the non-residential stock must be brought to a BER B by then. These targets are critical in providing the certainty the industry needs. Nevertheless, increasing the depth and rate of energy renovation present significant challenges.

The IGBC is currently developing an energy renovation framework to support local authorities with their retrofit programmes.

“The energy renovation framework will allow local authorities to track and measure the benefits of renovation works, from energy efficiency to tackling energy poverty and creating jobs,” explains Pat Barry. “This, in turn, should allow them to better identify and share The government aims to retrofit 500,000 homes to a BER of B2 by 2030.

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Many retrofit SMEs have attempted to scale up services, with the largest currently delivering up to 250 retrofits a year. Individual suppliers lack the capacity to create a single digital place that links homeowners, suppliers and finance at scale. After extensive stakeholder engagement, the IGBC is proposing a digital platform and marketplace to connect homeowners with end-to-end services.

A first version of the website will be launched in September. It will provide homeowners with information on the renovation potential of their dwelling, including a roadmap, as well as grants and finance available.

BUILDING A NET-ZERO-CARBON INDUSTRY

To support the industry in the transition to net-zero carbon sustainable buildings, the IGBC has released new training courses.

These include an introductory whole-life-carbon training course and a green innovations webinar series focusing on innovative building materials and systems. Other training courses available include LEED GA (Green Associate) and Home Performance Index Assessor. Past webinars can also be accessed at any time on the IGBC learning hub.

Topics covered include nZEB, zero-carbon buildings, circularity, indoor air quality, green building certification (eg, LEED, BREEAM and WELL) and much more. Beyond courses run by the IGBC, building professionals and construction workers can identify all energy renovation training courses that suit their needs in one click through the Build Up Skills Advisor application. The app is available on Android and Apple mobile phones.

To learn more about the Irish Green Building Council, phone 01 681 5862, or visit www.igbc.ie

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

G RO UNDFORC E LAUNC HES NE W S A F E T Y DIV IS ION

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pecialist equipment supplier Groundforce is expanding its product offering with the launch of a new division, Groundforce Safety.

Groundforce Safety will operate in the areas of confined space safety, environmental monitoring and survey equipment.

The new division will give customers even better access to a peerless portfolio of products that already includes excavation support, piling, and pipe testing equipment.

The confined space safety range will include access and egress equipment, gas detectors, breathing air cylinders and rescue systems, such as davit arms.

Groundforce’s environmental monitoring range includes CCTV pipeline cameras and noise, dust and vibration monitors, while the survey range features cable detection equipment, laser levels and total stations.

Customers can hire online or directly from Groundforce depots in Mountmellick, Co Laois, and Lisburn, Co Antrim, with plans to develop a service and training centre in the second half of the year.

Joseph Lenihan, General Manager, Groundforce, comments: “This is an exciting

yet practical venture for the business with the new product range complementing our core offering. Over the years, Groundforce has gained a great reputation for quality products and efficient service, and these are

the standards that Groundforce Safety will strive to emulate.”

For more details, visit www.vpgroundforce.com/ire

E t e x a c q u ir e s H o r iz o n O ff s it e

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tex has announced the acquisition of Tipperary-based Horizon Offsite, which follows closely on the group’s purchase of Cork-based technical consultancy company Evolusion Innovation.

It boosts Etex’s ability to deliver offsite building solutions in Ireland and the UK, helping the company’s European modular ambitions.

Based in Cahir, Co Tipperary, light gauge steel frame (LGSF) manufacturer Horizon Offsite has been serving Irish and UK markets successfully since 2016, with continuous top-line growth.

Horizon Offsite specialises in lightweight steel framing for buildings up to five storeys, including residential structures, schools and hospitals. Its vertically integrated teams cover sales, lightweight steel framing and framing production and installation, with design and engineering work performed in collaboration with technical consultancy company Evolusion Innovation, in which Etex acquired a majority stake in April.

With this acquisition, Etex’s New Ways division – which is composed of businesses and joint ventures active in the domains of offsite construction – is expanding its footprint in the European markets. Etex

Paddy Kelly, Managing Director, Etex Ireland, and Ger Fahey, Managing Director, Horizon Off site.

New Ways businesses work together across borders and continents. In doing so, they integrate different technologies to offer safe, affordable and high-performing construction solutions around the world.

Paddy Kelly, Managing Director, Etex Ireland, commented on the acquisition: “Ireland is facing major challenges when it comes to ensuring high-quality spaces for living and working for a growing population – quickly and sustainably. Etex’s modular and lightweight track responds to these challenges with ambition and focus, and Horizon Offsite will play an important role

in our ability to deliver on these ambitions.”

Ger Fahey, Managing Director, Horizon Offsite, commented: “Horizon is delighted to become part of the Etex group. Etex and Horizon share a vision of modern methods of construction (MMC) and the role this form of construction will have in the future.

With the challenges of undersupply in the construction sector in Ireland, the UK and across Europe, we know our partnership with Etex will help to cater for this demand and also evolve Horizon to become a centre of excellence and global leader in MMC.”

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PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

S IG IR E L A ND LAUNC HES ONLINE STORE

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pecialist building products provider SIG has announced the launch of a new online store to deliver building products and accessories direct to site.

SIG has already successfully deployed Pixsell e-commerce solutions internally to allow its external sales representatives place orders directly from their iPads, along with a customer digital delivery tracking service. Striving to be an industry innovator, SIG has used this knowledge and experience to develop and launch the new e-commerce platform for its customers.

The new website allows customers to manage their accounts, access invoice statements and e-POD’s while integrating customer-specific pricing into the solution. In addition, customers can benefit from access to SIG’s technical building solutions experts for additional support and specialised, independent solutions to solve their building challenges.

Ciarán Kelly, Commercial Director, SIG Ireland, says that SIG customers have been at the forefront of everything the company does over the past 30 years. “This new site will feature our unique assortment of brands and values that SIG is known for, and we are excited for customers to experience the brand in this new way.”

SIG Ireland has been a supplier to the Irish construction industry for over 30 years, having built up its presence over that time through joint ventures with local entrepreneurs and acquisitions. It is now the largest provider of specialist building products and technical

expertise to the construction industry on the island of Ireland, employing over 240 people.

Visit www.sig.ie to shop online and find your local branch. If you would like to set up an online account, contact ian_mcloughlin@sig.ie

E c o c e m r a is e s € 2 2 . 5 m in equity investment

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reen cement company Ecocem has announced the completion of a €22.5m equity investment by Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) and Breakthrough Energy VenturesEurope (BEV-E). BEV will now nominate a director to Ecocem’s board of directors.

Ecocem has long been a pioneer and market leader in slag-based and other green cements. This investment will enable Ecocem to bring new ultra-low-carbon cements to the market over the coming years. These new products will draw on Ecocem’s knowledge in slag-based cements and incorporate new materials and technologies developed by the company.

The manufacture of cement generates 7% of global CO2 emissions.

Progress in decarbonisation has been limited by the high level of process-related CO2 emissions of cement clinker manufacture. The sector faces increased investment and high operating costs from the deployment of carbon capture and storage/use (CCSU) beyond 2030. Only limited further decarbonisation potential is foreseen this decade.

Ecocem’s new technologies will enable the global cement industry to reduce its CO2 emissions rapidly and without high cost, providing high-performance cements with significantly lower clinker content.

The cement sector is already developing and deploying a range of carbon reduction technologies. Ecocem will add a further dimension to these efforts, provide wide access to its low-carbon technology, and support the sector in moving to a Paris-compliant, emissions reduction trajectory.

Donal O’Riain, founder and Managing Director, Ecocem, says: “Everyone at Ecocem is very excited at what we can achieve with the support of BEV and BEV-E. We share the conviction that rapid decarbonisation of cement manufacture is vital for the planet and

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Donal O’Riain, founder and Managing Director, Ecocem. that it can be achieved through innovation and the diffusion of new technology. Together, we can now meet this challenge with renewed urgency and ambition.”

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

BATHRO O M PODS MANUFAC TURER C O N N E X OF F S IT E A NNOUNCE S 50 NE W JOB S

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ewry-based modular bathroom pods manufacturer Connex Offsite Limited is creating 50 jobs in Newry in a £4.6m investment to help it grow its business in international markets.

Established in 2017, Connex Offsite specialises in the design, offsite fabrication and supply of steel framed bathroom pods for the Great Britain (GB) and Republic of Ireland (RoI) construction markets. The new jobs will see the company grow its team from three employees in 2017 to 53 employees by the end of 2022.

Invest NI has offered the company £355,000 of support towards the 50 jobs and a marketing development grant to help it explore new markets and develop its brand.

Twenty-eight of the jobs are in place, with skilled trades, administration and designer roles still to be recruited.

Welcoming the company’s investment, Kevin Holland, Invest Northern Ireland’s CEO, said: “For an early stage SME, Connex has achieved remarkable success over the last three years, securing multi-million-pound contracts in the RoI and GB markets. This is driven by the ambition and entrepreneurial flair of Connex’s managing director, Brendan

Brendan Doherty, Managing Director, Connex Off site, and Kevin Holland, CEO, Invest NI. Doherty.”

Brendan Doherty, Managing Director, Connex, said: “We have an ambitious fiveyear growth strategy that will position Connex as the premier UK supplier of bathroom pods. We have seen huge growth in recent months; Covid-19 has forced restrictions on the level of labour on a construction site, which has been a catalyst for a shift to modular construction.

“Our pods are finished in a controlled environment at our site in Newry, shrink wrapped on the factory floor and are shipped to construction sites, which helps reduce

the numbers of trades required on site. Last year, we completed a major refurbishment of our Newry factory, and we have just finalised the purchase of an additional 45,000-sq ft facility opposite our current building, which will enable our production capacity to significantly increase per annum to meet projected demand.”

Connex Offsite’s services are proving very attractive to companies such as London-based property developer Mount Anvil, with a recent £3m contract secured to deliver pods for its Royal Eden Docks scheme in London.

W a v in la u n c h e s in n o v a t iv e n o is e r e d u c t io n s y s t e m for multi-occupanc y buildings

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avin Ireland has launched a new wastewater system that is designed to reduce noise levels, particularly in multioccupancy developments, such as apartments, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, libraries and offices.

The Wavin AS+ is manufactured using a mineral reinforced polypropylene material which prevents noise from escaping.

John McPeake, Technical Sales Manager, Wavin Ireland, comments: “The high-quality nature of the material and specially developed sound-absorbing brackets are perfect for small and large installations. This premium low-noise drainage system ticks all the boxes of noise reduction and cost-effectiveness and is designed to benefit specifiers, installers and occupants.”

When specifying products and materials for homes and particularly for multi-occupancy properties, a critical consideration is that noise pollution can significantly impact building occupants’ comfort and well-being. A physical piping system along with a bracketing system can have a major influence on the noise levels generated from wastewater discharges.

The Wavin AS+ and bracket system, along with its SoundCheck tool, provide a comprehensive solution for controlling noise levels.

It offers some of the most impressive reductions in wastewater noise available in the market, and with the Wavin AS+ bracketing system, a Db rating of less than 10Db can be achieved (Fraunhofer Institute of Building Physics test report 2019).

The Wavin AS+ system.

Wavin Ireland states that combining Wavin AS+ with a considered approach to the layout of the whole system means that specifiers can effectively minimise the discharge noise from wastewater, creating a more relaxing, productive environment for all occupants.

For more information about Wavin AS+, visit wavin.ie/as-plus

irishconstructionnews 63 July 2021

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

N a t io n a l b r o a d b a n d Ir e la n d a w a r d e d I S O c e r t if ic a t io n s f o r q u a lit y , environmental and H&S systems

(L to r): Peter Hendrick , CEO; NBI; Grace Kelly, HSQE Director, NBI; and Ali Alkadhimi, Project Manager Business Excellence, NBI.

N

ational Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company delivering the new high-speed fibre-to-the-home network under the National Broadband Plan on behalf of the government, has been awarded ISO 14001:2015, ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 certifications. A statement from NBI says that securing certification across quality, environmental and health and safety management demonstrates NBI’s commitment to being at the forefront of best practice in the telecommunications sector.

The accreditations demonstrate the importance of creating a quality work culture that will have a positive impact on customers.

NBI was established in 2019, and as a newly formed company, the ISO auditors found that it had a considered and careful approach to ensure the management systems, structure and development of procedures and processes are focused on best practice.

Due to the scale of the National Broadband Plan, creating a safety culture and ethos was essential both internally and externally, as NBI crew members are visible across the country. Quality, safety, and environmental processes are well integrated into the day-today operational decisions and planning functions of NBI, while the company is monitoring and measuring key performances, evaluating results, continually improving operational controls and maintaining regulatory, company and industry compliance.

Peter Hendrick, CEO, NBI, comments: “NBI is delighted to receive these ISO certifications. They underline the culture of continuous improvement and highlight that the NBI team is very focused on creating a professional culture that will have a positive impact on our customers, the retail service providers, as well as end-users.

“In addition, creating an ethos of health and safety among the NBI crews working on the ground across Ireland is vital. This certification provides confidence to the public that they are dealing with a professional company that meets the highest standard in terms of health and safety management.

“Sustainability is also a key element of the National Broadband Plan, and as part of the build works NBI has measures in place to ensure these works do not impact the environment. From senior management to the crews on the ground, NBI is striving to implement robust environmental practices for this extensive project across the country,” Peter Hendrick concludes.

O ’ R e illy G r o u p o p e n s n e w a r c h it e c t u r a l p r e c a s t w a ll m a n u f a c t u r in g f a c ili t y in C a v a n

T

he O’Reilly Group has opened a new state-of-the-art architectural precast wall manufacturing facility, located in Shercock, Co Cavan.

O’Reilly Concrete Ltd, part of the O Reilly Group, is one of the largest precast frame manufacturers in Ireland and the UK, having designed, manufactured, installed and certified precast systems over the past 15 years. It has a library of prestigious projects for various clients in both jurisdictions. Indeed, in recent times, the company has expanded operations into central Europe, with ongoing projects in Germany.

O’Reilly Group CEO Emmet Cosgrove said that the new architectural facility, now in operation and with orders confirmed, is a natural progression for the business based on increasing demand from its growing customer base.

“The facility is capable of manufacturing bespoke architectural walls panels, designed by our in-house design team,” commented Emmet Cosgrove, “which include brick-faced precast panels, coloured rendered finished panels and other bespoke finishes. The on-site construction phase can therefore be reduced by up to 50% with a very small crew compared to traditional build methods.

The walls can be completed with windows and doors installed if requested, again saving our clients time and money.”

Cosgrove is a passionate advocate for modern methods of construction, and he says that the key benefits of using O’Reilly Concrete architectural wall units include energy efficiency and fire resistance; substantial programme savings; reduced on-site labour requirements; increased quality control in a factory-controlled

64 irishconstructionnews July 2021

O’Reilly Group architectural wall panels. (L to r): Emmet Cosgrove, CEO, O’Reilly Group; Vanessa McMahon, CFO, O’Reilly Group; and Terry Farrelly, Precast Director, O’Reilly Group. environment; buildings can be brought to a weathertight status much quicker; very little on-site waste generated; a fully integrated structure and external skin system; reduced deliveries to site, and no scaffolding required.

O’Reilly Group’s wall panels can be manufactured as single-skin panels connected to the structural frame or as a sandwich wall panel consisting of an outer layer of precast concrete with the desired aesthetic finish, with insulation sandwiched to the inner concrete structural layer. The opening of the facility has created 15 new local jobs.

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