CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 | WWW.CONSTRUCTIONMANAGERMAGAZINE.COM
APRIL 2019 For members of the CIOB
KEW GARDENS
RIGHT ON KEW
GRAHAM’S GLASSHOUSE RESTORATION IN THE FAMOUS BOTANICAL GARDENS
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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
Wavin’s Q-Bic Plus ticks all the boxes for Norfolk County Council Ticking all the boxes
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Project
The Thetford Roundabout Norfolk County Council
Site team Tarmac
Solution
Wavin’s Q-Bic Plus geocellular attenuation solution
“
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”
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To watch the NCC project video and inspect Q-Bic Plus closer, visit: qbic.wavin.co.uk
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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 CONTENTS
04/19
Switchboard +44 (0)20 7490 5595 Editor Will Mann 020 3865 1032 will.m@atompublishing.co.uk Associate editor Neil Gerrard 020 3865 1031 neil@atompublishing.co.uk Production editor Sarah Cutforth Art editor Heather Rugeley Community editor Nicky Roger Redesign art director Mark Bergin Advertising manager Dave Smith 0203 865 1029 Key account manager Tom Peardon 0203 865 1030 Credit control Eva Rugeley Managing director Stephen Quirke
In this issue
28
Circulation Net average 31,509 Audit period: July 2017 to June 2018 Subscriptions To subscribe or for enquiries, please contact: Subscription team Tel: 020 7199 0069 Or go online at: https://constructionmanager.isubscribe.co.uk Or write to us at the address below: Construction Manager Published for the Chartered Institute of Building by Atom Publishing, 3 Waterhouse Square, 138 Holborn, London EC1N 2SW Tel: +44 (0)20 7490 5595 firstname@atompublishing.co.uk Editorial advisory board Mark Beard FCIOB, Ann Bentley, Ian Eggers, Peter Caplehorn, Harvey Francis, Professor Jacqui Glass FCIOB, Paul Morrell, James Pellatt, Nick Raynsford, Richard Saxon, Andy von Bradsky, Phil Wade Construction Manager is published monthly by Atom Publishing. The contents of this magazine are copyright. Reproduction in part or in full is forbidden without permission of the editor. The opinions expressed by writers of signed articles (even with pseudonyms) and letters appearing in the magazine are those of their respective authors, and neither the CIOB, Atom Publishing nor Construction Manager is responsible for these opinions or statements. The editor will give careful consideration to material submitted – articles, photographs, drawings and so on – but does not undertake responsibility for damage or their safe return. Printed by The Wyndeham Group. All rights in the magazine, including copyright, content and design, are owned by CIOB and/or Atom Publishing. ISSN 1360 3566
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44
20
News 04 McAlpine’s 150 double 06 Data: Tall buildings 08 Bid-rigging in construction 10 Ultra Low Emission Zone 12 Paul Cossell interview 16 Call for sprinklers
Technical 20 Graham at Kew Gardens 24 Carbon steel pipework
Legal 42 Beetham Tower glazing 43 Smash & grab test case 44 Contaminated land
Opinion 17 Construction Innovation Hub 18 Chris Blythe 19 Feedback: Readers’ views
28 32 34 36 38
Steel East Midlands Gateway Standardised steel platforms Infill roof at Waterloo station HAVs and fumes safety push Five innovative steel projects
BIM & Digital 40 Using 4D models at Battersea
Community 46 Inspire Summit 2019 51 Diary dates 54 Smart sensors Training & Recruitment 58 From trade to manager
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NEWS APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
04-16
News News in pictures
McAlpine hits double milestone Sir Robert McAlpine has hit a double milestone reaching 150 CIOB members within its ranks in the same year as its 150th anniversary. McAlpine’s special projects division is working on the restoration of the Big Ben tower at the Palace of Westminster (pictured). The contractor is a platinum sponsor of this month’s CIOB Conservation Conference, where Mike Coleman and Hannah Prowse of the special projects division will discuss how old buildings can attract new talent. See p55 for details.
ISG wins £50m luxury Mayfair hotel development ISG has won a £50m contract to build the shell and core of luxury development The Residences at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair in London. The development, in Hanover Square, will boast 80 luxury residences, a 50-suite hotel, and four basement levels of amenities. The building will comprise an exoskeletal steel frame, to produce a Vierendeel structure around the perimeter of the linked nineand 11-storey buildings. The scheme is due to complete in the final quarter of 2021. ISG CEO Paul Cossell interview, p12-14
Colas introduces LED red ‘danger zone’ for big machines Contractor Colas UK – in conjunction with construction machinery specialist Highway Service – has developed an innovative safety system that beams a red danger zone around its biggest machines. Highway Service created an LED-lit red zone around the Colas machines: the light cordon around pavers and rollers indicates to Colas staff where workers and vehicles should be – and where they should not venture. Highway Service recently finished installing its safety system on all Colas vehicles operating out of the firm’s Newcastle depot. 4
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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 NEWS
SCAFFOLDING APRIL 2019
A
PROFESSIONAL GUIDE
REACHING NEW HIGHS BEST PRACTICE, INNOVATION AND SMART THINKING IN SCAFFOLDING
For daily updates on the latest news, go to constructionmanagermagazine.com
Scaffolding: A CM professional guide comes with this issue
www.nasc.org.uk
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News in quotes
Kier appointed to build first Passivhaus care home
“No negative impact” Laing O’Rourke does not expect any negative impact on UK construction after it mapped and analysed the potential challenges that may result from the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.
Kier has been appointed by Exeter City Council to design and build a new £10m extra care development, the first Passivhaus care home in the country. The 53-unit, one- and two-bedroom, mixed-tenure scheme, is designed to allow older people to maintain an independent lifestyle by providing a “home-for-life” integrating varied levels of support. Completion is expected in August 2020.
Morrison Utility Services workers trial ‘bionic’ exoskeletons
Trimble and Microsoft launch updated VR hard hat
Workers on Morrison Utility Services’ Yorkshire Water contract team are trialling high-tech, spring-loaded upper body exoskeletons, designed to elevate and support arms during manual, chest-high-to-overhead handling tasks. The EksoVest exoskeletons are supposed to result in fewer strain related injuries. Late last year, Willmott Dixon announced that it was also trialling the EksoVest in what it claimed at the time was an industry first for construction workers. The vests cost around £5,650 each.
Technology company Trimble has unveiled a high-tech hard hat that lets workers see holographic models overlaid on real structures being built. Called the “Trimble XR10 with HoloLens 2”, it follows the release of its first generation HoloLens hat last year, which used the company’s own blended reality software. Costing £3,570, the device has a flip visor providing 3D overlays that give workers extra information about what they are seeing. It responds to 10 finger gestures, and tracks eye movements.
Offsite specialist cranes in 294 modules for £15m hospital
“We will be changing the way we do selfdelivery ‘at risk’ construction projects.” Aecom announced that it will make changes to the way it approaches construction services work, choosing to work with delivery partners in the future, rather than delivering “at risk” construction work by itself. “Construction is central to delivering a high-productivity, high quality economy.” CIOB past president Paul Nash told a high-profile audience at the New Statesman Northern Powerhouse Conference in Leeds why construction is central to driving the Northern Powerhouse and the burgeoning offsite market.
Offsite construction specialist the McAvoy Group has craned the final modules into position for a new three-storey wing at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington as part of a £15m contract. The building was constructed as 294 steel-framed modules in a build programme that took less than 12 months – half the time of a traditional build. The 14.85m-long bespoke modules have been engineered to provide a structural flooring solution that integrates with the existing building, removing the need for ramps and steps. 5
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DATA APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
168, 500
Number of London tall buildings applications, permissions, starts and completions by year
Data
120
The number of tall buildings (over 20 storeys) to be completed in London in 2019 is at its highest point in history (76), according to New London Architecture and GL Hearn’s annual London Tall Buildings Survey.
110
Construction’s gender imbalance
100
Figures from the Office of National Statistics, highlighted by Construction Products Association (CPA) economics director Noble Francis, show that of the 2.4m people employed in UK construction in the fourth quarter of 2018, 2.1m were men and just 0.3m were women.
UK construction employment by gender and occupation in 2018 Skilled trades
The number of additional construction jobs needed by 2023 (10,000 more than predicted a year ago), according to the CITB
90
80
n Applications n Permissions
70
n Male n Female
n Starts n Completions
60 1.2%
98.8%
50 Operatives
97.6%
2.4%
Managers & directors
82.8%
17.2%
Professional & technical
80.4%
19.6%
Sales & other services
56.7%
43.3%
17.1%
82.9%
Admin & secretarial
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
The minimum proportion of workers ISG has committed to placing in “earn and learn” roles such as apprenticeships after joining the 5% Club. See page 12 for more.
2013
5%
2012
The number of contractors named in the Sunday Times’ Best Mid-Size Companies To Work For. Willmott Dixon took fourth place, with Lincoln-based Lindum Group in 31st place.
2011
2
2010
The estimated cost of damage to five new McCarthy & Stone homes in Buntingford, Hertfordshire, that were destroyed by digger driver Daniel Neagu in a row over payment. Neagu was jailed for four years.
2009
£4m
2008
The increase in apprenticeship grant funding announced by the CITB. From 1 April, attendance grants to employers will increase to £2,500 per year, while achievement grants will rise to £3,500.
2007
The total of net debt being carried by Kier, after it unexpectedly revised its debt figures upwards on 11 March. The contractor’s net debt position as at 31 December is now reckoned to be £180.5m.
2006
£430m 30%
0
100%
2005
News in numbers
80%
2004
60%
10
2003
40%
20
2002
20%
30
2001
0%
40
2020
The year in which the Elizabeth Line is now expected to open, although Crossrail bosses declined to give MPs a precise completion date when grilled by the Public Accounts Committee last month.
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When you carry out more than a million inspections every year
You know build quality when you see it
Leading the way since 1936 www.nhbc.co.uk NHBC is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. NHBC is registered in England & Wales under company number 00320784. NHBC’s registered address is NHBC House, Davy Avenue, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, Bucks MK5 8FP.
P130 02/19
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NEWS APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
IS BID-RIGGING STILL BLIGHTING CONSTRUCTION? THE LATEST FINES FOR BID COLLUSION IN THE FIT-OUT MARKET HAVE PROMPTED A NEW CMA CAMPAIGN, TARGETING CONSTRUCTION. BY NEIL GERRARD
The CMA will be reinforcing its work to stamp out bid-rigging in construction
The construction industry’s bidding activities will be put under the spotlight once again after five fit-out firms were hit with fines totalling £7m last month for collusion offences. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the companies – Fourfront, Loop, Coriolis, ThirdWay and Oakley – had admitted cover pricing offences between 2006 and 2017. Another fit-out firm, JLL, had blown the whistle and escaped a fine. And CM understands that the CMA is now preparing to scrutinise the behaviour of the wider construction industry. The authority also plans to educate and raise awareness about competition law among contractors. The fit-out fines provide an uncomfortable reminder of the huge penalties handed out 10 years ago by the CMA’s predecessor, the Office of Fair Trading. In 2009, it fined 103 construction firms in England a total of £129.2m – including big names like Kier, Balfour Beatty and Carillion – for colluding in bid-rigging activities on 199 tenders over the course of a six-year period. Most of those offences were in the form of cover pricing. One senior estimator in a major contractor told CM the scandal changed the industry. “Previously, if we didn’t want the job but wanted to stay on a tender list, we simply submitted bids we knew were too high after checking what the competition was bidding,” he said. “But after the 2009 scandal, we had to price all tenders properly.” But it seems bid-rigging is back – if it ever went away completely. Nearly half of Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) members in a 2013 survey said they thought corrupt or fraudulent business practices were a common feature of life in construction. And Tom Green, associate at construction law specialist Kennedys, suspects collusion is still prevalent. “Given the covert nature of the practice it is probably impossible to know for sure how widespread the practice of cover pricing is in the construction industry,” Green said.
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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 NEWS
£129.2m “If we are going to see any real industry-wide improvement, individual firms are going to have to have more senior-level discussions about cover pricing” Tom Green, Kennedys
“Cartel activity is notoriously difficult to detect, and customers are unlikely to know that they have been victim to anticompetitive practice.” He believes that bid-rigging comes either from a lack of understanding or, more cynically, firms taking a calculated risk that the benefits are greater than the risk of being caught. “Given that the practice can result in fines of up to 10% of global turnover, disqualification as a director and imprisonment, that is a considerable gamble,” Green told CM. The construction industry is, in many respects, the perfect breeding ground for collusion. “Factors such as a lack of product differentiation and complexity, geographical and regulatory limitations and transparent bid procedures can, when taken together, encourage anti-competitive behaviour between firms, whether intentional or not,” Green said.
That contractors and subcontractors can sometimes be competing with each other and sometimes working together also makes collusion harder to detect. The CMA has incentivised cartel members to tip it off about illegal activity by giving them immunity from penalties or prosecution, in a bid to increase the detection of anticompetitive behaviour. This encouraged JLL to come forward. Meanwhile, its research has identified a need for better education and more awareness of competition law. According to the Competition Law Research 2018 report, conducted on the CMA’s behalf by ICM, only 19% of UK construction firms consider themselves familiar with the rules (see box below). And the CMA is continuing its campaign to encourage people who may have been involved in cartel activity to “be safe not sorry” and report it. But Green warned: “If we are to see any real industry-wide improvement, individual firms are going to have to have more senior-level discussions about cover pricing and other competition law concerns and make provision for internal training sessions on the subject for its employees.” David Barnes, public affairs manager at the CIOB, said: “Bid-rigging is a corrupt and unethical practice and it’s worrying to hear that it’s still occurring in the industry. Past research by the CIOB has indicated corruption is widespread across the infrastructure, construction and engineering sectors.
In 2009, the Office of Fair Trading fined 103 construction firms in England a total of £129.2m
Bid-rigging and cover-pricing explained Bid-rigging is where bidders create the illusion of competition while secretly agreeing which one of them will win a tender. This drives up prices and leads to clients paying over the odds. For example, three bidders collude and between themselves agree that one will bid £1m, another £1.2m and a third £1.4m. The job goes to the bidder with what looks to be the lowest bid, at £1m, but the competition was an illusion. The price could have been lower if they had been genuinely competing to win the business. Cover pricing can occur when contractors are unwilling to bid seriously for a contract but are keen to show interest to the client, and submit what they know to be an unrealistically high price. Source: CMA
“ D e s p i te t h e B r i b e r y A c t a n d t h e CIOB’s repeated warnings on ethics and professionalism, it still seems to be a major problem. We advise all members to be wary and report anything that could be considered corruption.” CM also contacted Build UK, which represents over 40% of the industry, to ask whether it considered bid-rigging was still a concern in construction, but it declined to comment. ●
Competition law awareness l On average, competition law awareness among UK businesses is 23%. In the construction sector in 2018, it was just 19%. l A majority of businesses in all sectors are aware of key anti-competitive behaviours, for example, that price fixing with
other companies can lead to imprisonment (60%) and that it can be illegal to attend a meeting where competitors agree prices (59%). l Only 32% of construction firms are aware of there being financial sanctions for breaking competition law.
l Just 18% of businesses in all sectors are aware that they can gain immunity from admitting to participation in a cartel. l 79% of construction businesses reported having contact with other businesses in their own sector in 2018, down from 85% in 2014.
l Among different sectors, construction businesses are most likely to view their activities as “at least medium risk” of breaching competition law (47%). Source: Competition Law Research 2018 report by ICM on behalf of the CMA
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NEWS APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
A Wilson James construction lorry in east London (below). All its vehicles are Euro VI compliant
One in three construction vehicles not compliant with new London emission zone NEW ULTRA LOW EMISSION ZONE FOR CENTRAL LONDON COMES INTO FORCE THIS MONTH AND MANY CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES WILL HAVE TO PAY A CHARGE. BY WILL MANN
A third of construction vehicles delivering to sites in central London’s new Ultra Low Emission Zone are not compliant with the tighter exhaust requirements, according to research by industry logistics specialist Wilson James. From 8 April, Transport for London (TfL) rules mean lorries and heavier vans entering the centre of the capital must meet Euro VI standards – or pay a daily charge of £100. Wilson James, which works with many major London construction projects, said it monitored delivery vehicles on its sites throughout 2018 and found that roughly one in three did not comply. Director of logistics Keith Winterflood said the cost of fleet upgrades would likely be borne by the supply chain. “Main contractors will support TfL’s environmental initiative and will expect their suppliers to pick up the tab for upgrading their fleets, but that may mean a rise in supply chain tender prices,” he explained.
“On a typical large central London project, there are about 300 deliveries daily, so if there are 100 non-compliant vehicles, they will be paying a total of £10,000 in charges per day” Keith Winterflood, Wilson James
“On a typical large central London project, there are about 300 deliveries daily, so if there are 100 non-compliant vehicles, they will be paying a total of £10,000 in charges per day,” he added. “Charges will rise next year and the zone is being extended.” The ULEZ will expand to include the whole of Greater London for HGVs from October 2020, and any that are Euro III or older will pay a £300 charge. Winterflood estimates that the typical cost for a construction firm to upgrade to an 18-tonne curtain-sided Euro VI compliant vehicle is £75,000. “There will be a natural improvement in compliance with the ULEZ as these companies replace their fleets, and there has been another 6% to 7% improvement so far in 2019,” he said. Winterf lood added that some local authorities require Euro VI compliant delivery vehicles as part of planning conditions. Wilson James operates only Euro VI compliant vehicles, including electric vans, making deliveries to construction sites in central London from its consolidation centres in Slough and Silvertown. “We provide a two-fold saving on emissions; our vehicles are cleaner and they are fully laden when they go into London whereas suppliers’ might only be partially laden,” explained Winterflood. ●
How the Ultra Low Emission Zone works The ULEZ will be in place in central London from 8 April 2019. l All vehicles that do not meet Euro VI exhaust emission standards must pay a daily charge to enter the zone. l Charges are £12.50 for cars and vans up to 3.5 tonnes, or £100 for heavier vehicles, including lorries. l The ULEZ will operate for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
within the same area as the current Congestion Charging Zone. l From 26 October 2020, the ULEZ zone will be expanded to Greater London for HGVs. HGVs that are Euro III or older will be charged £300 per day. Large vans not meeting Euro III standards will be charged £100 per day. l The penalty charge is £1,000 (reduced to £500 if paid in 14 days).
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NEWS APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Interview
‘WE ARE IN A REVOLUTION. THINGS ARE CHANGING QUICKLY’
Paul Cossell could do with being a bit more patient. At least, that’s what the results of a company-wide survey examining his leadership style tell him. With disarming frankness, Cossell shares the way in which he is perceived. “Some of the feedback was very nice, and some if it was very painful,” he explains. “One of the things that I am doing well is that I am creating an environment and a culture where people feel confident to have ideas and innovation is encouraged. That is supported by the fact
PHOTOGRAPHY: PETER SEARLE
ISG IS RECRUITING 50 NEW WORKERS A MONTH TO KEEP PACE WITH EXPANSION IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING MARKET. IN THE THIRD IN OUR SERIES OF CEO INTERVIEWS, ISG’S PAUL COSSELL TELLS NEIL GERRARD HOW THE MAKE-UP OF THE FIRM’S WORKFORCE IS STARTING TO SHIFT AS IT LOOKS BEYOND TRADITIONAL POOLS OF TALENT
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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 NEWS
50% that we have got private ownership that takes the ‘forever’ view. I also get feedback about having a low ego and being very approachable. “The bits I need to address are to be more patient and I need to give more time and a wider hearing to a range of different ideas to make sure more people buy into things, rather than deciding too quickly.” A certain amount of impatience can probably be forgiven though, given that Cossell sees rapid change ahead in the sector, as digital technology alters the way construction firms will do business in the future. And that is informing the way the company recruits and trains its people. “We are in a revolution and things are moving very quickly,” he asserts. “We need a balance of experience and lessons learned from people who have been around for a long time, but also the creativity and different ways of working that come from the younger generation. The skill for us is going to be making sure that we listen and we don’t block that potential. “We are very much of the mindset that the best ideas should prevail and not that the highest-paid person should decide. At the moment, we have an initiative where we have got our three most senior operations guys trying to solve a couple of efficiency areas, but concurrent with that, we have got our bright young things also doing it. It will be interesting to see who has got the best ideas – because the best idea will prevail.” Boosting diversity ISG, which employs 3,000 staff, places a strong emphasis on developing these “bright young things”. Market leader in office and retail fit out in London, the business is expanding rapidly both at home and internationally and is recruiting about 50 roles a month in areas like planning, project leadership and surveying to sustain its growth. It is partly for that reason that it has committed to increasing the young people it employs, by becoming the latest member of
Paul Cossell on… …Quality “This is a subject that has repeated itself for 20, 30, 40 years. I read the Hackitt report and it seemed to me to be applying all the things we could and should already be doing.”
…Early involvement “Whether it is standardised components, offsite manufacture, BIM – it is all about being involved early. The technology exists. To apply it we have got to get in earlier. That is our challenge, not our customers’.”
50% of ISG’s 10-strong executive committee board is now female
the 5% Club, which lobbies UK businesses to make sure at least 5% of their workforce are in “earn and learn” positions as trainees, apprentices or graduates. The initiative also requires ISG to increase the gender and ethnic diversity of people within its business and is being overseen by the company’s chief human resources officer Jane Falconer, herself promoted to ISG’s board earlier this year. Cossell needs little convincing when it comes to the merits of broadening diversity among ISG’s workforce. “When you are hiring, you tend to fish in the seas that you know and eventually they become depleted. So we have been looking in other seas, and that has been transformational for us,” he says. “What we have found is that when we start to bring in new talent from these different areas, it makes us better,” he adds. While 50% of ISG’s 10-strong executive committee board is now female, boosting representation of traditionally underrepresented groups, in an organisation as large as ISG, is still a challenge. “We are still getting massive underrepresentation of diversity by gender and ethnicity, particularly in site-based roles, so that is disappointing. We have started to run stats based on diversity about people interviewed, jobs offered and jobs accepted,” Cossell says. “It will be interesting to see what that tells us about any unconscious bias.” He sees it as easier and quicker to change things at the grassroots level, hence joining the 5% Club. ISG has also put considerable time and investment into reaching school pupils before they make decisions about their career. Shifting perceptions Cossell recalls: “I asked an audience of 90 kids aged 14-15 at a local school in east London, where we are based, who had considered a career in construction. One hand up went up. You talk about other sectors – marketing, design, computers – and a whole load of 13
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NEWS APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
…Advice to new recruits “Maintain your integrity and be careful who you take advice from because the temptation is to assume people in high positions know best and in my experience that is not always the case.”
...Empowering people “Instead of a ‘control and command’ traditional contractor setup, we think that localised people know best. Of course we have governance in place, but we prefer to enable people rather than be hierarchical. We find the tech generation are very receptive to that.”
hands come up. It is a real articulation of the challenge we have as a sector to appeal to the talent when they make a career choice.” To that end, ISG has developed the Professional Construction Practice (PCP) Level 3 diploma with the WJEC exam board for post-16 learners. Equivalent to an A-level, it is designed to be aspirational and targets STEM students. “Based on statistical data what we found is that by the time people get to the graduate stage, already the lack of diversity has shown itself because they have made their career choices and because of the perception of our sector,” Cossell explains. “In order to disrupt that, we want to get to 16-year-olds and to show them that our sector is far more diverse and stimulating than they may perceive. This Level 3 diploma is a way of doing that. It is an outstanding piece of work that will take you through the whole construction process. It also looks at technology and how it can influence and enhance what we do.” New thinking Cossell is enthusiastic about the flexibility of thinking that younger people bring to the business, but aware that older workers also need to be brought up to speed. “What is exciting is that anyone aged from 18 to 35 seems to have a natural leaning towards digital technology,” he says. “And then you get the pen and paper brigade – which I am a member of – and I observe that there tends to be less agility and flexibility and embracing of new ideas. “It is clearly a challenge for the non-tech generation to embrace and use technology effectively. Part of it is coaching. We train people both face-to-face but also virtually. We try to bring in new ways of working on a phased basis, encouraging people who are resistant to change.” ISG doesn’t like to use the term “skills shortage” within its walls, Cossell explains, and says that there is plenty of talent available provided the business is willing to cast its net wider to secure it. Finding the right people to drive the business forward and creating the
Paul Cossell CV l Trained as a
surveyor. l Joined ISG in 1996 as senior financial manager. l Appointed group managing director responsible for commercial office fit-out and engineering services business in 2010. l Led ISG’s office fit-out business
to become market leader in London. l His business unit
was recognised by the Chartered Management Institute as one of the UK’s Top 50-rated companies for productivity in 2015.
l Appointed
chief executive of ISG in 2016.
right environment for them to thrive is a key management objective, he adds. “The challenge for the leadership of this business is to be good enough to enable the talent within it. That is what drives me. The talent and commitment of people within ISG is endless. “And that is before we start getting more people from different sectors and backgrounds, who have a different view on things,” he continues, before checking himself slightly: “I just need to have patience.” ●
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13/03/2019 13:24
NEWS APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
CPA in post-Grenfell call for evidence on product information Marketing integrity group seeks responses from supply chain
Fit sprinklers in new homes, urge professional bodies CIOB, RIBA AND RICS UNITE IN CALL FOR SPRINKLERS IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS OF 11M IN HEIGHT OR ABOVE
Sprinklers should be installed in all new and converted residential buildings, hotels, hospitals, student accommodation, schools and care home buildings of 11m in height or above. That’s the joint call made by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) to government in a signed statement. The joint statement came ahead of a Westminster Hall Debate on fire safety and sprinkler systems last month.
T h e y s a i d : “A s l e a d i n g c h a r te re d professional bodies in the built environment, we believe further action is required to improve the fire safety of buildings in the UK. “Lives, stock and property are saved by the use of Automatic Fire Suppression Systems (AFSS), which includes sprinklers. At present, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland differ in their requirements on sprinklers yet the science of fire knows no political or geographical boundaries. “Harmonising building regulations across the nation states of the UK regarding the installation of sprinklers would provide clarity to the industry and help protect the public. “We support the installation of sprinklers in all new and converted residential buildings, hotels, hospitals, student accommodation, schools and care home buildings 11m or above in height, and retrofitting to existing buildings when refurbishment occurs as ‘consequential improvements’ where a building is subject to ‘material alterations’. We also support the installation of AFSS including sprinklers below this height on a case by case basis of risk. “Each of the professional bodies will bring forward guidance for our own professionals in line with this statement in the absence of government legislation.” Paul Nash, past president of the CIOB and chair of the Past President’s Quality Commission, said: “The need for harmonisation across the regulatory framework in the UK is essential. CIOB through its work on quality and in support of the Hackitt recommendations fully endorses this statement.” ●
The Construction Products Association (CPA) has issued a call for evidence about how product information is made available to the wider supply chain, following Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review of Building Regulations and fire safety. The CPA has already established a “marketing integrity group” to address Chapter 7 of the report, which challenges how product information is made available to the wider supply chain. The association has issued a call for evidence seeking responses from across the supply chain. Among the areas covered by the survey are: l Ease of finding information l Product substitution l Completeness and correctness of information l Products as part of a system, or use in a variety of applications. The survey will remain open until 5 April, before the marketing integrity group publishes its findings and recommendations in the autumn. CPA deputy chief executive and policy director, Peter Caplehorn, said: “The survey results will help us make recommendations to ensure that consistent, unambiguous and clear product information on construction materials is made available to the wider supply chain.” The CIOB’s recently published Draft Code of Quality Management has also made references to construction products and questions posed about testing, labelling and marketing, as well as suggestions around a periodic review of test methods and the relevant standards. David Barnes, the CIOB’s public affairs manager, said: “The Construction Products Association is undertaking a useful and timely survey which is, in many ways, aligned with the work we’re doing to tackle construction quality and improve the industry’s culture.” He added: “It is important that CIOB members respond to the survey and help ensure the CPA is able to support manufacturers in presenting clear and consistent product information to the industry.”
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19/03/2019 11:27
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 OPINION
17-19
Opinion The UK construction industry is facing a once–in-a-generation opportunity for transformation, but it cannot deliver the infrastructure and homes the UK needs the way it currently operates. The industry is very labour intensive, processes depend on one stage being completed before the next starts, there are high levels of material waste, variable quality, and gaps between designed and actual asset performance. In the past, construction has been held back by industry fragmentation and lack of applicable technology. We will change that through a partnership between government and industry. In July 2018, the government published the Construction Sector Deal as part of the Industrial Strategy. The Sector Deal describes how government procurement will drive change in the design and assembly of buildings, how skills challenges will be addressed, and how £170m provided as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) will bring to market the solutions needed for transforming construction. This will mobilise a critical mass of clients, construction firms and materials suppliers to start the transition to a new approach that embraces digital, and offsite manufacturing technologies. To seize this opportunity, the sector will have to change – it will have to go through the industrial and information revolutions. The challenge is great, but if we achieve our aims, the UK will be a world leader in construction – opening the doors to new market opportunities in an expanding sector expected to be worth over £10 trillion globally by 2025. At the heart of the Sector Deal is the Construction Innovation Hub (CIH). This ties together and enables all other elements of the Sector Deal – collaborative R&D, building strong supply chains and the government’s £20bn a year construction procurement to deliver betterperforming buildings. The CIH consists of a partnership between three centres of excellence: the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC),
Sam Stacey UK Research and Innovation
Construction Innovation Hub can transform the industry AT THE HEART OF THE SECTOR DEAL, THE CONSTRUCTION INNOVATION HUB WILL BRING TECHNOLOGIES USED SUCCESSFULLY IN OTHER INDUSTRIES TO TRANSFORM BUILT ENVIRONMENT PROCESSES, WRITES SAM STACEY
“If we achieve our aims the UK will be a world leader in construction – opening the doors to opportunities in a sector expected to be worth over £10 trillion globally by 2025”
the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and Cambridge University’s Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB). The CIH will bring technologies used successfully in other industries to the construction of buildings and infrastructure. Digital technologies will be used to design buildings based on components – in the same way cars are built now. Manufacturing processes will be developed to produce these to high standards – enabling rapid production of buildings to lower costs. Value of data Data will become an increasingly valuable commodity – with material traceability, so we will know what has been installed where and to what standard – making buildings safer. Safety on site will also improve, making the sector attractive to a more diverse workforce. Factories established as part of new growing UK supply chains can be located where the social return is greatest, bringing regeneration and skilled jobs to manufacturing heartlands. Digital techniques such as augmented and virtual reality will be brought into construction for the first time. The latest generation of robots will assist workers on site and in factories. Selfdriving excavators and robotic cranes will be introduced to construction sites. Smart sensors and digital systems will be incorporated in buildings and infrastructure, so they can manage and maintain themselves. All this will mean that we will be able to build much faster, cheaper and more sustainably than we do today. Not only, for example, will we be able to produce nine schools for the price of five today, but the learning experience for the pupils in those schools will be better. The Construction Industry Sector Deal represents an opportunity to make the UK construction industry a world leader. ● Sam Stacey was previously Skanska’s innovation director and is now head of the Transforming Construction Challenge at UK Research and Innovation. 17
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19/03/2019 11:27
OPINION APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Chris Blythe
Chief executive CIOB
The endless reports of construction firms seeking administration just emphasise what a perilous business construction is. The adage that the way to make a small fortune in construction is to start with a big one seems true. It seems tougher still when even the phoenixes that rise from the ashes of one firm soon crumble into their own pile of dust of dashed hope and broken promises putting others under threat. It is hard to imagine the massive stress a large part of the industry is under, living day to day, trying to get the most from every scrap of cash that is available, worrying whether there is enough to pay the wages at the end of the week. I don’t believe those at the top of the supply chain understand the issues and if they did they probably don’t care. In a business which relies so much on collaboration and teamwork it is dog eat dog. It is no wonder that mental health is a major issue in an industry where the default position has been to “man-up” and get on with it. While there is some good work going on with mental health first-aiders and Mates in Mind, many of these initiatives miss those most in need. With an offsite suicide rate eight times the onsite accidental death rate, we are getting nowhere near solving the problem. I don’t think there are many people in the industry who have not experienced the loss of someone in this way.
Comment
Don’t ignore those struggling at the bottom THE BUSINESS STRESSES IN SOME COMPANIES CAN BE TOUGH; CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS EVERYWHERE SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR COLLEAGUES AND CO-WORKERS WHO MAY BE IN A DARK PLACE, SAYS CHRIS BLYTHE
To be able to get the best and the brightest to come and work in our industry, we need to be able to offer more than we do. It is no good showing pictures of spectacular structures or “Grand Design” homes and think that is enough to inspire people. What will inspire people is the chance to work in a culture where everyone is appreciated for what they do; there is flexibility to have a life as well as a job whether you are a labourer or a director. Firms in a dark tunnel One of the indelible impressions I will take away from my time in the institute is that the construction employers who are regarded as the best, really the best, are still not the employer of choice for the mums whose husbands work for those firms. This is because these firms, for all their good intentions, are screwed by the system, the business model described by Dame Judith Hackitt as the “drive to the bottom”, which throttles any sense of workmanship, pride in the job and professionalism. Once you sink there it is a hard road back and not achieved by being meaner and harder than before. So many firms seem to be in a dark tunnel now, not sure whether the light they can see is daylight or just another train coming in the opposite direction. There are likely hundreds of our colleagues and co-workers feeling the same, so don’t ignore them. It might just make the difference. ●
New vice president appointed by CIOB CROSSRAIL
Environment and Architecture at London The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)Crossrail: has wasBuilt anyone paying attention? appointed Mike Foy (left) as its new vice president. South Bank University, who becomes CIOB president later this year. Foy, currently at the Department for Education Foy has 40 years of experience in the industry. (DfE) assisting on the implementation of modern Prior to his current role at DfE he led a multimethods of construction for its schools programme, disciplinary team of project directors responsible will become the 118th president of the CIOB in 2021. for the development and delivery of schools in His presidency will follow on from that of Mark the West Midlands and north west of England. Beard, chairman of construction group Beard, He has also held several director positions across who will become CIOB president in 2020, and a range of local authority service areas. Professor Charles Egbu, dean of the School of the
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19/03/2019 11:41
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 OPINION
Steel special: Winvic’s giant East Midlands Gateway logistics hub, p28
Feedback
CM 18/02 GRP fire door firms fail tests Duncan Stewart
To be totally honest, until I read this report, I never even knew that glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) doors could or in fact are being used for fire doors. External doors, sure, but not fire doors. Personally (or professionally), I’d certainly be very reluctant to specify GRP. There’s a perfectly good reason why timber doors are tried and tested and have been trusted for decades. I’d go as far even to suggest that this is yet again an attempt to utilise a cheaper product. If products driven by doing things on the cheap are allowed to creep into the construction Industry unchecked and unchallenged – and I’m not talking about being as prudent and cost effective as possible, while conforming to all relevant standards and regulations – then this would be a very slippery slope indeed. Whatever next? Perhaps GRP structural beams?
Roy Edmunds
Self-certification is a dangerous standard across the whole industry.
Michael Floyd
This seems a big capitulation by the Association of Composite Door Manufacturers (ACDM). There are third-party accredited GRP doors on the market, which would surely be fit for purpose. Why has one rotten apple destroyed the barrel?
Waggle
Who is specifying GRP doors as fire doors? Okay as a house front or back (external) door but not for use in blocks of flats.
Stephen Dunn
In 22 years in building standards, never would I have anticipated that clients or developers would use GRP as an internal fire door. The only GRP composite doors used in my experience have been front doors.
CM 22/02 Didcot collapse Robert Wilson
Sometimes accidents do happen and casting about for someone to blame is more often than not a total waste of time. One could argue that agreeing to pay £6m shared among the four bereaved families and compensating the injured quickly makes more sense than a long trial with numerous hearings, and paying for teams of lawyers. We all want justice to be seen to be done but is it in the public interest to carry out a three to five-year witch hunt to discover maybe an original design fault was to blame?
Dennis Lawler
All of us in the industry feel so torn apart for the four families. How many others could die or be seriously injured while we all wait for the outcome? There must be some basic findings which can be released which could help companies planning future demolition of major structures.
MARCO TIDEI
A selection of readers’ comments about news and issues in the industry from www.constructionmanagermagazine.com
The Jehovah’s Witnesses have built a 40,000 sq m live-work project in Essex
CM 01/03 MMC inquiry Kenneth Horlock
Modern methods of construction in conjunction with modern materials of construction could provide additional housing, utilising labour from alternative trades and helping to offset traditional labour shortages. All sectors of the industry need a more modern and collaborative approach to coordinate a scale-up of a relatively young sector of construction.
Stephanie Trotter
At last! About 30 years ago I suggested to our son’s school that they build a Norwegian-style wooden gym which would have cost about half the brick one and would have been built in less than half the time and would have lasted just as long – but they wouldn’t even consider it. Sad really. There are “instant houses” on the internet that are extremely well insulated so would reduce fumes from the products of combustion.
CM 03/03 Jehovah's HQ Martin Fulford
Amazing. I would be very interested to see the training that is given to the plant operators. Is it a recognised qualification that can be taken to other construction sites or is it in-house and means that when the job is finished they go back to doing whatever it was they did before?
Tony Kelley
It is quite amazing what a motivated team can achieve, which I have noticed over the years. In this instance they are motivated by their religion. Self-build for the JWs is nothing new and even on the scale of the Chelmsford project. Take a brief look at the JW website and you will see that they have built in 120 countries and in some pretty remote locations.
Provide your own feedback on latest industry issues by posting comments online at www.constructionmanagermagazine.com or emailing the editor at construction-manager@atompublishing.co.uk
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19/03/2019 11:41
TECHNICAL APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
20-26
TIM CROCKER X2
Technical
Graham has refurbished the Davies Exploration House, a modernist building constructed in 1952 by Crittall
GRAHAM GOES GREEN AT KEW RARE PLANTS, EXOTIC FLOWERS, TOWERING TREES – KEW GARDENS PROVIDES THE MOST UNUSUAL OF CONSTRUCTION SITES FOR GRAHAM ON ITS £50M FRAMEWORK. STEPHEN COUSINS REPORTS
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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 TECHNICAL
£4.9m
The high-tech £4.9m Arboretum Nursery glasshouse is one of the works currently under way
Left: Fine mist inside the Arboretum Nursery, a climatecontrolled building constructed by Belgian company Deforche Construct
“To come out here, on a day like this, with the sun blazing, it’s a glorious place to work,” says James Sands, framework manager at Graham Construction, as we scoot along in a golf cart past giant redwood trees, lush beds of exotic flowers and perfectly manicured lawns. He is taking CM on a tour of the famous Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, west London, to explore the varied and challenging construction works the contractor is carrying out under a £50m five-year framework. The Kew Capital Development Programme, funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), includes new buildings, major refurbishments and site-wide infrastructure upgrades. Among works under way are the high-tech £4.9m Arboretum Nursery glasshouse, the £4.6m Japanese-inspired Pavilion Restaurant, and refurbishments
“Everything at Kew is about the flora and fauna. We are not allowed to touch the plants or drive on the grass” James Sands, Graham
MORLEY VON STERNBERG
Bottom left: The flat roof of the Japaninspired Pavilion Restaurant extends over the courtyard
to a modernist aluminium glasshouse, the Herbarium Complex and Palm and Water Lily Houses. A connected job at Kew’s sister estate, Wakehurst in West Sussex, involves the delivery of roof repairs to the Grade I listed mansion. Such a logistically complex array of works would test any construction manager’s mettle, but the stakes are higher at Kew where UNESCO World Heritage Site status, proximity to some of the world’s rarest plants, and throngs of tourists, has placed an unusually strong emphasis on safety and protection. Precautions include restrictions on the speed, size and frequency of vehicle movements, special driving licences and protective measures for the horticulture. “Everything at Kew is about the flora and fauna,” says Sands. “We are not allowed to touch the plants or drive on the grass. The Pavilion Restaurant
Kew Gardens capital development programme Value: £50m Programme: Five years from 2017 Client: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Contractor: Graham Construction Architect: Ryder Architecture Consultant (multi-disciplinary): Mott Macdonald Landscape architect: LUC Heritage consultant: Donald Insall Associates
is home to 100-year-old vines and a unique horse chestnut tree, the first of its kind planted in the UK, that must be retained as part of the build. There has been a huge focus on planning to ensure the wildlife is sustained and not damaged during construction.” The golf cart pulls up for the first stop on our tour: the Pavilion Restaurant, a high-end dining destination at the southern end of the Gardens, near the huge Victorian Temperate House recently restored by ISG. The two-storey Japan-inspired building, designed by Ryder Architecture, replaces a demolished Victorian restaurant on the site. It will provide 400 covers, around three-quarters of which will be located outside under a 2.5m-wide canopy entwined with the century-old vines. The steel-framed building is set out on a minimalistic 6m square grid which is repeated in the layout of the curtain walling. The structure was relatively straightforward to erect, says Sands, apart from certain details that had to look “crisp”, such as a sharp edge on the floating flat roof which extends out over the courtyard. The discovery of an undocumented basement level and str uctures containing asbestos resulted in delays when the project was coming out of the ground. “Records of buildings at Kew are often insufficient, drawings are either 21
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TECHNICAL APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
The glasshouse replaces three smaller greenhouses that stood on the same footprint and offers additional space for potting in six distinct areas that can be programmed to simulate different climatic conditions. Such sophisticated engineering is critical to the survival of certain species: one plant being propagated is thought to be the only specimen in existence outside of a small area in Spain. The Arboretum Nursery was a turnkey package by Belgian company Deforche Construct, a world leader in glasshouse design. It features a unique viewing area, positioned between the potting spaces and an energy centre, where visitors can see the scientists at work through a glass wall. The project was modelled in Level 2 BIM to ensure coordination of the complex services and the glass and steel structure. All components were
prefabricated at Deforche’s factory in Belgium, delivered “just in time”, and assembled as a series of standard 12.5m bays that can be expanded in future. We walk through a cloud of fine mist into an incubator bay where the most sensitive specimens will be cared for. Above our heads, a cyclometer device records data on humidity and temperature. This is relayed to the BMS, which controls two boilers and a series of compressors that heat and pump water through diffusers into the spaces. Effective plant propagation requires moisture on leaves and heat on roots so plant pots are placed on bespoke benches with integrated heating. The benches run on rollers and can be pushed together to maximise space. With the structure complete, Graham is assessing a proposal to build an adjacent two-storey staff welfare block, either in cross-laminated timber or a
MORLEY VON STERNBERG X4
400mm
400mm-thick vehicular matting was installed on the ground as part of the enabling works to protect tree roots from being crushed
out of date or haven’t been updated, and finding out where information is archived is a challenge,” says Sands. A former tea-room building on the site, burned down by suffragettes in 1913, increases the likelihood that historic artefacts will be uncovered. Although none have been found so far, an archaeologist remains on call to screen any interesting finds. After a five-minute drive, we pull up alongside a giant pile of manure the size of a three bedroom house. “This is the largest non-commercial compost heap in Europe: it even has a dedicated viewing platform for visitors,” says Sands, holding his nose. Just around the corner is the Arboretum Nursery, a circa 13,000 sq m climate-controlled building, thought to be the most high-tech in the UK, where Kew horticulturalists will care for rare or endangered plants and flowers.
Above top: The Davies Exploration House, with the Temperate House to the rear Above: Complex services enable the Arboretum’s high-tech climate control
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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 TECHNICAL
The Kew grounds form a leafy backdrop to Graham Construction’s £50m framework
TIM CROCKER
less expensive modular system. Sands comments: “CLT is the client’s preferred option but the contract is budget driven so we are also speaking to modular contractors. One concern is the modular units may require tall delivery lorries and Kew has lots of overhanging trees.” The final stop on our tour is the Davies Exploration House (formerly the Australian House), a refurbished aluminium-framed glasshouse located behind the Temperate House. This modernist structure, constructed in 1952 by the Crittall Manufacturing Company, features large arched trusses that span the entire space to remove the need for columns or cross beams. It is one of the earliest examples of aluminium frame construction and Crittall went on to install aluminium windows in almost every post-war British home, as well as London buses.
“One concern is the modular units may require tall delivery lorries and Kew has lots of overhanging trees” James Sands, Graham
Construction work on the Pavilion Restaurant is due to complete this month
Graham took possession of a derelict building and its internal fit out involved constructing new retaining walls, for drainage and planting, and a polished slab. New timber benches line the space and a new corner office is covered with pre-finished Sapele cladding. “Exploration House was a logistical challenge – all our deliveries had to arrive and leave via the Temperate House site, where ISG was completing its refurbishment; if they had important work underway, our hands were effectively tied,” says Sands. Graham Construction’s work here is only just beginning. After completion of the Pavilion Restaurant, expected at the end of April, there is a proposal for a restaurant near the north entrance, with a construction value of around £5m, starting in September or October. Funds for refurbishment of the mighty Palm House are to be confirmed soon, and multiple works are required to improve pathways and electrical services on site. This is welcome news for the many staff who enjoy this unique environment. “Having been here for over a year, I’ve seen the full cycle of nature and the many colours of different seasons,” says Callum Sanderson, design manager with Graham. “Sometimes I have to remind myself to take a step back and take it all in – you don’t get to work on a site like this very often.” ●
Logistical challenges Working at Kew brings its own unique logistics challenges. Callum Sanderson, design manager at Graham Construction, explains that Kew runs its own police constabulary which requires all contractor employees to complete a bespoke driving test. Construction traffic runs on the same paths as tourists, so each vehicle must adhere to a strict 5mph speed limit and be accompanied by two banksmen, one at the front and one at the rear, to walk it in and out of the site. Sanderson comments: “The speed limit is incredibly slow and the programme had to be developed to reflect that. It can be frustrating when you have a large concrete pour. As a result, there have been a couple of 13-hour days.” Delivery lorries are limited in size to the width of the path, so some construction components must be broken down into shorter lengths. For example, the steel frame for the restaurant was delivered in 3m-long sections. The trees, including the historic horse chestnut which stands at the main vehicular entrance, also have to be protected. Around £100,000worth of 400mm-thick vehicular matting was installed on the ground as part of the enabling works to protect the roots from being crushed. The porous design allows rainwater to penetrate and reach the roots.
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TECHNICAL APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
1950s
Press-fitting invented by Gunnar Larsson
1969
Carbon steel systems introduced by Mannesmann
2001
Externally galvanised carbon steel press-fittings launched
2011
Copper prices reach an all-time high
2012
Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast hits the headlines
2015/ 16
Copper prices fall dramatically. NHS guidance document is issued
Precision carbon steel will work effectively and last for a long time – if handled, installed, operated and maintained correctly. But, like any metal, it is prone to corrosion when the right steps aren’t followed. A dramatic rise in the price of copper in 2011 resulted in many smaller installers switching over to carbon steel to maintain their margins. The sudden upswing in its use was helped along by the labour time benefits it offers, thanks to the fact that it can be installed swiftly and with no need for hot works, via press-fit installation. Unfortunately, copper’s high price meant that precision carbon steel sometimes ended up being used for the wrong application or was incorrectly handled. The discovery of pipework corrosion in the heating system at a new critical care unit at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital led to the project being significantly delayed (see box). This led to many rumours and untruths about precision carbon steel’s performance emerging. As the price of copper fell back to a seven-year low in 2015/16, some installers switched back to copper. Meanwhile, unfounded concerns about precision carbon steel led others to switch to cheap, imported mild steel pipework, or more expensive stainless steel. Carbon steel is a durable and costeffective solution when used in a system designed to reduce corrosion risk
CARBON STEEL PIPEWORK: A BEST PRACTICE GUIDE PRECISION CARBON STEEL PIPEWORK GAINED AN UNFAIR REPUTATION DUE TO POOR PRODUCT APPLICATIONS – BUT SIMPLE RULES IN PLANNING, INSTALLATION AND COMMISSIONING CAN MAKE THE MOST OF THE MATERIAL’S CONSIDERABLE ADVANTAGES. CM EXPLAINS
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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 TECHNICAL
In association with
In fact, carbon steel remains a durable and cost-effective solution – but it has to be incorporated into a system that is designed to reduce the risk of corrosion, as is the case with any other type of metal pipe. And if corrosion does occur, then it is usually post-installation or usage of the pipework that is the problem, rather than the material itself, argues Antony Corbett, product manager of piping systems for Geberit. He explains: “Precision carbon steel comes with its own considerations. It is only suitable for specific applications, namely in closed water systems where dissolved oxygen levels should be lower than systems with open or vented tanks.” Corbett advises that carbon steel pipework should not be installed outside buildings without adequate protection, in open systems, or with excessive water treatment. “Simply switching to other materials will not address the problem,” he contends. In fact, specifying a material such as stainless steel or other tubes which meet old British Standard BS 1387:1985 will only move the problem within a system of mixed pipework materials. That’s because pipework corrosion is accelerated through the formation of a galvanic cell, which happens when two metals are physically connected and placed in an electrolyte such as water. All metals sit on a scale, where some are more anodic and some more cathodic. Because carbon steel is more anodic than copper, corrosion will occur on the carbon steel. But substituting carbon steel for another material like stainless steel 316 is instead likely to move the problem to other components made of brass or copper.
Six steps to prevent corrosion Following a few simple rules throughout the specification and installation of precision carbon steel pipes can help prevent corrosion 1. Good planning
“Precision carbon steel is only suitable for specific applications, namely in closed water systems where dissolved oxygen levels should be lower” Antony Corbett, Geberit
Plan heating and cooling systems as a closed system with a closed expansion tank and appropriate ventilation to ensure proper filling. Watch out for continuous overpressure in the system. Work with manufacturers to determine the best materials for each application. Ensure effective corrosion protection in accordance with BS 5970:2012 or worksheet AGI Q 151. Best practice is to not install precision carbon steel externally.
2.Transport
Use a closed or well-covered means of transportation to reduce the risk of moisture reaching the material.
3. Storage
Store carbon steel in a dry environment and avoid storing on the floor. Do not store in contact with other materials if there is a chance of moisture. Do not cover with plastic foil as this can increase the risk of condensation. Do not remove protective caps during storage. Store different pipe dimensions separately to avoid deformation.
4. Installation
Install carbon steel pipework in accordance with specifications and apply insulation and coatings as stated. Only remove protective caps immediately before use. During longer interruptions use downward-facing bends to
protect open ends from dirt. Do not refit protective caps as this can cause condensation. Testing of the system should ideally be completed using compressed air but if using water, the recommended water quality should be used and the system should be left filled where possible. Protect pipes laid in screeds with a barrier against diffusion in accordance with BS 5970:2012 or worksheet AG Q 151, with closed-cell insulation material and corrosion protection as a minimum. Do not use any parts with visible red rust. Do not use lubricant, which is unnecessary for press-fittings. Ensure adequate training for installers.
5. Commissioning
Fill the system once with the required water quality and leave it filled. Completely ventilate the system and do not empty commissioned systems again.
6. Maintenance
If you must empty an already-running system, refill it within 24 hours at the most. Make sure the operator is aware of issues relating to corrosion such as maximum humidity and use of additives. Refer to the recommended test intervals as per BSRIA recommendations. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines on suitability and dosage of water additives or inhibitors. Consider use of mass loss corrosions device for peace of mind.
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TECHNICAL APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Geberit has launched its Make It Right campaign, which is taking steps to highlight and prevent accelerated corrosion of carbon steel pipes in new and refurbished water systems
The benefits of precision carbon steel pipework
Press-fitting enables simple installation of Geberit Mapress carbon steel pipework
“Following a few simple rules through planning, transport, storage, installation, commissioning and maintenance can help to ensure a long system life” Antony Corbett, Geberit
Instead, corrosion on carbon steel can be avoided by following a few simple rules to ensure its long life (see box – six steps to preventing corrosion). That includes keeping the pipework dry during transportation and before installation, ensuring the system it is used in is closed, and filling a system only once when it is commissioned. Ongoing water monitoring is also crucial. More traditional methods of testing closed water systems haven’t always proved that effective. Ultrasonic thickness tests cannot monitor an entire installation and are therefore unlikely to find a problem before failure, while manual testing offers only a snapshot and can be cost-prohibitive. But there are now much more efficient, cost-effective digital water monitoring devices that can be sited
l More costeffective than stainless steel and copper (subject to copper prices). l Can be connected with press-fitting systems that remove the need for hot works. Systems like Geberit Mapress offer colour pressing indicators to easily identify materials and unpressed joints. l Option for external zinc coatings or external polypropylene coating to help prevent condensation. l Extremely low failure rate. Carbon steel has been installed in tens of millions of metres of pipework and where it has failed, it has been related to installation, poor commissioning practices, a lack of maintenance, or unsuitable application.
A tale of two hospitals Pipework installation can make all the difference to project delivery Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast
The opening of a new £150m critical care unit at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital, built by main contractor McLaughlin & Harvey and mechanical subcontractor Vaughan Engineering, hit significant delays in 2012 after the discovery of corroded pipework during final checks. The discovery resulted in bad publicity that caused a decline in the specification of press-fit precision carbon steel pipework throughout the UK. McLaughlin & Harvey settled its legal action against insurer Allianz in 2016 over the contract, after a judge was told the contractor was left to pay for problems for which it was not responsible. Problems with draining and ventilation in parts of the critical care unit mean that it won’t be fully occupied for another two years.
throughout the system to monitor all materials and produce early warnings of a problem. The devices can also be removed and replaced without needing to drain down the entire system. “ I t n e e d s to b e re a l i s e d t h a t the materials are not the cause of failure, just simply an early evidence marker that something is awry,” says Corbett.
Omagh Hospital
After the issues at the nearby Royal Victoria Hospital, it was crucial that the consultants involved with Omagh Hospital, once again built by McLaughlin & Harvey, made the right decisions over the closed system pipework. Fortunately, contractor R&F Mechanical had a good understanding of precision carbon steel, its properties and performance benefits and knew how to store, install, commission and maintain the system to avoid any potential corrosion issues. Geberit Mapress carbon steel was used in full across nine plant rooms in varying diameters of 15mm-108mm. In total, 50km of pipe were installed and at its busiest, 150 M&E installers, all of whom had received training on Geberit Mapress carbon steel, were on site. The system was handed over with no concerns over corrosion.
“We’re working with specifiers, contractors, and operators to highlight the benefits of precision carbon steel and to reinforce the fact that following a few simple rules through planning, transport, storage, installation, commissioning and maintenance can help to ensure a long system life.” ● The free white paper can be downloaded here: www.geberit.co.uk/makeitright
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STEEL APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
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Steel
STEEL ANCHORS WINVIC’S ‘INLAND PORT’ THE VAST EAST MIDLANDS GATEWAY LOGISTICS HUB, WHICH WILL COMPRISE THREE MILLION SQUARE FOOT OF WAREHOUSE SPACE WHEN COMPLETE, IS BEING BUILT WITH OVER 13,000 TONNES OF STRUCTURAL STEEL. WILL MANN REPORTS
One way to understand the scale of SEGRO Logistics Park, East Midlands Gateway, is through its description as an “inland port”. At the heart of the UK distribution network, 13 miles south-west of Nottingham, it has been categorised as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) due to the planning consent required by the Planning Inspectorate. The development spans 285ha and incorporates a 20ha strategic rail freight
The steel frame of the fulfilment centre on plot one
interchange (SRFI) which will include the only terminal capable of handling freight trains direct from Europe via Eurotunnel. Planning consent has been given for up to six million sq ft of logistics accommodation with container storage and HGV parking. Main contractor Winvic will have completed the construction of almost three million sq ft of modern warehousing, plus office space, across four plots by the
end of April. As is typical on industrial projects, structural steel has been central across the whole development – with a staggering 13,500 tonnes used on the four plots built as part of the scheme. “Speed and flexibility are the main drivers for using a steel frame; in just two to three months these enormous frames have been erected,” says Dave Platt, one of Winvic’s project managers on the scheme. “It would
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13, 500 make little sense for a warehouse to be built with a concrete frame.” Design manager Jason Etienne adds: “With the height, spans and bays, plus the way the buildings are used, concrete isn’t an option. The cost and programme savings are enormous in comparison.” Winvic has worked with its regular steel fabricators Severfield and Caunton on the project. The main contractor has used five project managers across the different plots, with over 100 years of experience between them, meeting regularly with the steelwork contractors to handle any programme conflicts. The multi-span portal frame design of the structures aims to maximise internal space, with “valley columns” missing every two bays, explains Etienne. “The brief was to use a ‘hit and double miss’ approach, meaning every two columns were removed from the frame’s design, creating more functional space inside,” he says. “Due to the location, the wind loadings are quite high, so we designed huge bases for the valley columns – 7m x 3m – which were installed 3m deep,” Etienne adds. Plot one is the largest of the four. This 1.3 million sq ft fulfilment centre, almost 300m long by 200m across, will use around 7,500 tonnes of steel. The structural grid is typically 32m x 8m, then 16m x 8m on the two mezzanine levels. An added complication with the mezzanine structure is that it had to be able to be removed in the future. Frank Hayes, Winvic’s project manager on this plot, says: “Our remit was to create a building with a two-storey mezzanine, but where the mezzanines could be removed if the occupant ever left the premises and the space could be used differently.
13,500 tonnes of structural steel is used on the four plots
“The brief was to use a ‘hit and double miss’ approach, meaning every two columns were removed from the frame’s design, creating more functional space inside” Jason Etienne, Winvic
“This meant every opening for the main construction and fit out had to be carefully coordinated – we couldn’t just drill a hole later down the line.” To accommodate the mezzanine removal, the foundations have been beefed up with concrete bases at intervals around the building – the largest is 605 cu m and was poured in one day – as has the structure’s bracing, which is located in the stair towers. A BIM model was used to design the complexities of the separate mezzanine structure, Hayes adds. “To facilitate the end user’s stateof-the-art robotics system, it was vital that the concrete floors were completely level,” he continues. “We used a specialist screeder to lay the mezzanine floors, but despite all the calculations we could not be 100% sure how the weight of the machine would affect the levelling process; the concrete had to be strong enough but still perfectly malleable. It feels a little like we achieved the impossible but we have the flattest floors in Europe, if not the world, here. “These unusual specifications necessitated a process of continuous design, assessment and refinement,” Hayes says. “Even as the outer frame, mezzanine steels and concrete floors were being constructed, we were analysing and perfecting as we went.”
The whole frame was put up in just 12 weeks – with the mezzanine installation beginning four weeks in – which is the fastest Winvic have ever erected a warehouse of such size and complexity, according to Hayes. Plot two is a 638,000 sq ft warehouse, and is the tallest of the four buildings, with the unusually high bay rising to 35m. The warehouse is 250m long by 226m wide, includes a 40,000 sq ft mezzanine, and uses 3,300 tonnes of steel. The grid is typically 35m x 8m, rising to 42m x 8m for the high bay. “This plot is the tallest industrial facility that Winvic has built,” Dave Platt, Winvic’s project manager on plot two, explains. “A 35m high bay is unusual – the majority of industrial warehouses reach the 20m mark.” This plot also features the biggest span on the whole development
SEGRO Logistics Park, East Midlands Gateway Client: Roxhill Developments & SEGRO Main contractor: Winvic Architect: pHp Programme: Phase 1 (Rail): February 2017 – September 2019 Phase 2 (Infrastructure): February 2017 – October 2018 Phase 3 (Warehousing): January 2018 – September 2019 Total value: £225m
Erection of the high bay steel on plot two 29
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STEEL APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Aerial of the site prior to steel erection on plot four (foreground). East Midlands Airport is to the right
“Not only were there strict height restrictions, but the majority of crane activity had to be sanctioned by the airport a month in advance” Dave Platt, Winvic
– some 44m – which was too long to be transported in one spice so had to be spliced together on site. “The high bay also caused programme complexities, for example, calculating the time it takes to go up to 35m and back down again in a cherry picker,” Platt notes. “Unfortunately, we can’t just order in a 50m cherry picker for the following day – there might be one available in Holland if you’re lucky – so meticulous planning and execution was required to create this huge steel frame.” Plot three is an 898,000 sq ft distribution centre, where the fivespan portal frame is 260m in length by 189m across. There are three bespoke mezzanine levels, supporting automated conveyor systems, and part of the fit-out programme will run alongside the construction. The structure, which includes a mezzanine bridge link, uses 2,160 tonnes of hot and cold rolled steel, with the portal spans up to 37.6m. The fourth plot is the smallest structure, at 196,000 sq ft, with a 163,000 sq ft single-storey production unit. It also includes a 33,000 sq ft office area. The building, 216.4m long by 70m across, includes portal spans up to 34.8m and uses 924 tonnes of hot and cold rolled steel. The structure includes a steel cantilever bridge link to the main office and an external cantilevered canopy,
which allows vehicles to be side loaded with forklift trucks. As well as its vast scale, the project faced other logistical challenges. East Midlands Airport’s runway is just 150m from the site boundary so crane use often required special permissions, particularly on the 35m bay of plot two. “Not only were there strict height restrictions, but the majority of crane activity had to be sanctioned by the airport a month in advance,” explains Platt. Cranes used ranged in capacity from 35 to 200 tonnes, with plot one – due to its size – using tracked cranes inside the structure. Prior to steel erection, Winvic carried out a vast earthmoving and site preparation exercise, which started in early 2017. The muckshift involved some six million cu m of material, while ground remediation avoided the need to excavate and replace a further 250,000 cu m.
Moisture was squeezed from the soil over an area of 32,000 sq m and compacted under high pressure to ensure the ground was robust enough to construct upon. The settlement differential risk was eliminated after 12 weeks and a 300mm concrete slab was laid as a base for heavy plant to begin work. Construction of all four plots is scheduled to finish this month, with fit-out work running through the year and final completion due in September. ●
The giant fulfilment centre on plot one, with the steelwork partially clad
Warehouse plots
PLOT 1
PLOT 2
PLOT 3
Value
£63m
£48m
£30m (plus £16m fit out) £17m (including fit out)
PLOT 4
Programme
54 weeks
51 weeks
64 weeks
33 weeks
Description
Fulfilment centre
Warehouse
Distribution centre
Warehouse/production
Floor space
1.3 million sq ft
638,000 sq ft
898,000 sq ft
Dimensions
H19m W200m L299m
H19m (with 35m bay) H18.2m W189m W226m L250m L260m
H16m W70m L216.4m
Engineer
RPS
Hydrock
RPS
Hydrock
Steel fabricator
Severfield
Severfield
Severfield
Caunton
Steel tonnage
7,500 tonnes
3,300 tonnes
2,160 tonnes
924 tonnes
359,000 sq ft
Steel erection time 12 weeks
20 weeks
11 weeks
9 weeks
Longest beam span 16m
44m (spliced)
25m
17.1m
Heaviest beam
7.5 tonnes
9 tonnes
5.8 tonnes
Three mezzanines; mezzanine bridge link; 43,000 sq ft three-storey offices; 306,000 sq ft yard space
33,000 sq ft office; cantilever bridge link to office; external cantilevered canopy
15 tonnes
Other features Two mezzanines; 35m-high bay; 57,000 sq ft office 40,000 sq ft and amenity areas; mezzanine; 480,000 sq ft 30,000 sq ft yard space three-storey offices
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STEEL APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Sarah McCann-Bartlett British Constructional Steelwork Association
Standardised steel – a new construction platform? STRUCTURAL STEEL ALREADY ADDS VALUE THROUGH ITS OFFSITE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES – BUT COULD PROPOSALS FOR A STANDARDISED ‘PLATFORMS’ APPROACH TO CONSTRUCTION BRING FURTHER PRODUCTIVITY GAINS? BY SARAH MCCANN-BARTLETT
The government has previously stated its ambitions for construction and infrastructure projects to utilise greater levels of offsite manufacturing to drive increased productivity and reduce costs. More recently, government has indicated that it also wants to take a more standardised approach to design, including componentisation. This is sometimes referred to as a “platforms approach”.
With the majority of the added value for structural steel already occurring offsite – in some cases up to 90% – the structural steelwork sector is well placed to be an early adopter of these new approaches. The view of steelwork contractors is that a shift towards a platforms-type approach will allow reduced costs and increased efficiency along a transformed supply chain. Benefits are likely to include changes to the commercial and procurement model, improved collaboration and a shorter supply chain. Key to the success of this will be the ability to lock down the complete design, with a full view of the supply chain. The current delivery model does not allow the design to be fixed and drives late changes driven by individual subcontractors as they are engaged. This lack of design certainty is the biggest issue facing steelwork contractors today and one of the largest drivers of cost. The British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA) believes late and incomplete design, design errors and ongoing design changes could currently add up to 15% to 20% in cost to a project. Steelwork contractors are frequently instructed to commence fabrication before the design is finalised, and certainly before many of the other subcontractors are engaged. This leads to rework, often on site, and costs increase. For a platforms approach to be successful, the construction delivery model will have to become collaborative, incorporate early engagement, and demonstrate a high level of coordination and integration. A specific benefit is that it will make the design process easier and therefore the design could be finalised faster. Fixity of design and early engagement of subcontractors would be a significant positive change.
While the structural steelwork sector already commonly uses a narrow range of section sizes and three standard connection designs, as well as generally using one standard bolt size, the overall building or structure design is sometimes so bespoke that the standard components and designs are unable to be utilised as often as they could be. Formalisation of standard details, including standard architectural details, so that standardised solutions and components can be used would reduce the number of steel components and subdesigns used in an “average” structure. A balance does need to be struck between over and under application. If a platforms approach standardises more than is practical, it may be that the building design becomes less efficient than other design solutions. Alternative to offsite systems In its early stages, a platforms approach is most likely to be an alternative to modular and panelised offsite build systems, for example, in student accommodation, low rise hotels and low rise residential type structures. This is due to their regular grid, repetitive design and limited number of storeys. Steelwork contractors already feed the BIM model into the manufacturing process, so it will be important that software houses incorporate standardised components into their packages. While a platforms approach itself will not necessarily be the optimum solution for all projects, the principles of fixed or standardised design and interoperability can provide a solution for many buildings and will have wider benefits in effecting positive change. ● Sarah McCann-Bartlett is director general at the British Constructional Steelwork Association.
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STEEL APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
£400m
Above: The infill roof structure is effectively a rectangular box Top right: Waterloo station before the upgrade and the location of the infill roof
STEEL MINDS THE GAP AT WATERLOO THE UPGRADE OF LONDON WATERLOO STATION HAS INCLUDED CONSTRUCTING A STEEL INFILL ROOF TO LINK THE FORMER INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL WITH THE MAIN CONCOURSE. CM REPORTS ON A TRICKY ENGINEERING CHALLENGE
Britain’s busiest railway station, London Waterloo, has been undergoing a £400m upgrade to increase capacity. In 2014/15, the terminus was used by 99 million passengers, a 70% increase since 1998, despite little change to its infrastructure for 30 years. The number of journeys on the South West Main Line, which runs into the station, is forecast to rise by 40% in the next quarter century. The upgrade includes bringing the former Waterloo International Terminal (WIT), on the west side of the station, back into use for domestic services. This part of the project includes a tricky piece of engineering; constructing a new steelwork roof to bridge the 14m gap between the Victorian-era main station concourse and the futuristic WIT. The scheme is being delivered by the Wessex Capacity Alliance, which was appointed in January 2015, and comprises client Network Rail,
Britain’s busiest railway station, London Waterloo has been undergoing a £400m upgrade to increase capacity
consultants Mott MacDonald and Aecom, main contractor Skanska and rail contractor Colas Rail. The logistics of the work, including the roof connection, is a considerable challenge, says architecture design director Erik Behrens. “Remodelling Waterloo Station and bringing the international terminal back into use is like carrying out openheart surgery: we need to keep the station fully operational throughout this transformation,” he explains. WIT was the UK terminus for Eurostar trains using the Channel Tunnel from 1994, but in 2007, with the completion of High Speed 1, services moved to St Pancras. WIT’s five platforms, its snaking blue tubular steel roof and other facilities were mothballed and are being brought back to life as part of the current project. This began during Christmas 2016, when extensive enabling work was carried out to the WIT infrastructure.
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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 STEEL
“Cables and wires were removed, replaced and rerouted, parts of the concourse demolished, and significant structural work carried out to connect platforms one to four and the Underground,” explains Network Rail senior sponsor Paula Haustead. This phase also involved installation of tension cables at five locations to support the tubular steel WIT arches. These arches are restrained by the 50m wide concrete slab, which also supports the WIT platforms and track, spanning between their springing points. Converting the WIT for domestic services required new stairs and lifts to be built through this slab, but creating these openings would undermine the slab’s structural continuity. Until the openings were properly framed out, the slab’s restraining function had to be transferred to the tension cables. “These openings were made by removing concrete in a controlled way, using hydro-demolition,” explains Alliance contracts engineering manager Chris Kitching. “This means that the reinforcement remains intact and can be manipulated to frame the opening with additional reinforcement and concrete.” Weatherproof envelope When WIT was built, a covered check-in area, a storey lower than the main station concourse and platforms, marked the transition between the old station and the new. Under the upgrade plan, the old check-in roof would form part of the concourse for the newly repurposed domestic platforms, but a new weatherproof envelope was needed. Loads from this new roof would have to be supported by existing structures and foundations due to Tube tunnels and stations below ground. An early idea was to replicate and continue the
Installation of tension cables supported the tubular steel WIT arches during Coleman Group’s demolition phase
“We carried out a time-history analysis to understand the impact of demolition and construction on the structure” Chris Kitching, Wessex Capacity Alliance
WIT roof to meet the mainline station’s roof – but this came in at an unfeasibly high cost, due to its many bespoke features. Instead, a simpler 53m-span steel-trussed roof was proposed, which would oversail both the WIT and shed roofs. Louvres in the new roof would assist in cooling the space and provide ventilation for the station’s fire strategy. Initially, the loads at each end of the roof exceeded the bearing capacity of
the structure below, so two intermediate columns, supported off existing structures, were introduced. This led to a complete redesign of the roof to echo the ridgeline of the shed roof over the existing domestic platforms one to 19. “Columns have been located so that the load from the infill roof is supported by existing assets to achieve as nearperfect load balancing as possible,” says Kitching. “We carried out a timehistory analysis to understand the impact of demolition and construction on the structure. “Around £4m has been saved by not having to install new foundations and £2m to 3m has been saved by reducing the scope of monitoring of the existing structure.” The infill roof is effectively a rectangular steel box, 53m wide, 26m high, and 18m across where it closes the gap between the old WIT structure and the Victorian station. Some 300 tonnes of steel were used for the structure, installed by fabricator Bourne Steel. The new roof was completed earlier this year, and platforms 20 to 22 – three of the five old WIT platforms – were reopened to the public before Christmas. Further works on the Waterloo upgrade project will continue through 2019, with the last two WIT platforms – 23 and 24 – due to open in May. ●
Installing the infill roof at Waterloo Columns located on existing foundations By removing redundant concrete structures, existing foundations could support internal columns of the roof infill
Infill in section
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STEEL APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
“The fact that Cleveland Bridge UK has surpassed a million hours without a recordable accident underlines our deep commitment to the welfare of our workforce” Chris Droogan, Cleveland Bridge UK
Constructional steelwork’s safety record is ahead of government and industry targets – but the industry’s main trade body still has worries it wants to address. Pete Walker is director of health, safety and training at the British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA) and one of his main areas of focus this year is occupational health. He is concerned about the levels of white finger, more correctly known as hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) in the sector. In his view, it is due to overuse of grinders, a ubiquitous tool in constructional steelwork. Walker says workers typically want to get a “shiny edge” on their steelwork and will use a grinder to achieve it – but he points out it is very often painted over or welded anyway. “There are times when we need to grind and edge for technical reasons but let’s not just grind everything for the sake of it,” he adds. “I am trying to get people to stop and think: do they really need to use the grinder? If we only grind what we need to, I think we will make a significant difference to HAVS.” He also sees a more holistic safety benefit to reduced use of the tools, because of the hazards associated with flying sparks, noise exposure and increased fire risk. The BCSA is also working to highlight the risk of welding fumes, after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) introduced new enforced control measures for welding operations, following an announcement from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which has classified welding fumes and UV radiation from welding as Group 1 carcinogens. “We have been running talks on weld fumes and we want to raise awareness of
The BCSA is highlighting the risk of welding fumes to members
STEEL’S SAFETY PUSH ON HAVS AND FUMES THE STEELWORK SECTOR HAS A STRONG RECORD ON HEALTH AND SAFETY, BUT ITS MAIN TRADE BODY HAS CONCERNS ABOUT HAND ARM VIBRATION SYNDROME AND WELDING FUMES. NEIL GERRARD EXPLAINS
this issue,” Walker says. “We are about to issue a training pack because you need the person who is exposed to weld fumes to understand what they need to do. Managers can put as much equipment and facilities in place as they like but if people don’t use them then they are not much use. It is all about education.” Broadly though, the sector performs well on safety. Leading fabricator Cleveland Bridge UK has recently completed one million hours without a recordable accident. The firm, which employs more than 300 at its Darlington facility, attributes the achievement to the continuing development of its safety culture and an extensive programme of training, coaching, information and supervision. Initiatives include regular scheduled meetings, toolbox talks and safety audits to encourage the workforce to adopt a unified and positive attitude towards safety and compliance. Managing director Chris Droogan says: “The fact that Cleveland Bridge UK has surpassed a million hours w i t h o u t a re co rd a b l e a cc i d e n t underlines our deep commitment to the welfare of our workforce. “It is even more remarkable given that we operate in an industry in which we deal with major engineering and construction challenges.” ●
The steel sector’s record on safety In 2017, the BCSA accident frequency rate* was 0.4 compared with the 2010 government target of 1.6 and an industry target of 0.7 (set by BCSA members). A frequency rate of zero remains the desired target. *Frequency rate = Number of accidents x 100,000, divided by the average number of hours worked.
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STEEL APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
IN PICTURES | FIVE INNOVATIVE USES OF STRUCTURAL STEEL CM LOOKS AT SOME INVENTIVE APPLICATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTIONAL STEEL, FROM A LISTED CHURCH SPIRE TO MARINE FOUNDATIONS ON A DOCKLANDS DEVELOPMENT
Weathering steel supports Canary Wharf scheme The Heron Quays Pavilion in London’s Docklands has a highly unusual structure, designed specifically for its marine environment, with a weathering steel grillage supporting the building. The fivestorey leisure club is being constructed on existing marine piles, constructed in the 1980s to support a sincedemolished office, which are encased in steel and still usable. Above the piles, fabricator Elland Structures installed 400 tonnes of weathering steel, chosen for its corrosion protection properties, to form the deck of the building, and another 1,200 tonnes for the main structure. Main contractor Canary Wharf expects to complete the project in June.
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GRIMSHAW ARCHITECTS
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 STEEL
Inspired engineering in Aberdeen An Aberdeen student accommodation development is being carefully constructed around a Grade A-listed church spire, using a steel frame. Named the Triple Kirks, after the 1840s era church, the project comprises three interlinked blocks up to 13 storeys high, with 337 en-suite units. The structural design uses a concrete core in each of the blocks, with composite floors using metal decking and a concrete topping, supported on steel beams. Working for developer-constructor Dandara, steel fabricator EvadX has installed 600 tonnes of structural steel on the three blocks, which surround the spire forming an open courtyard.
Redeveloping legendary Leeds sporting venue Headingley has the unusual distinction of a stand with back-to-back seating facing on to two different sporting venues: the homes of Yorkshire cricket and, immediately to the south, the Leeds rugby league team. As part of the wider redevelopment of Headingley, this stand is currently being rebuilt – around sporting fixtures – with a 29m-long cantilevered steel roof over the new seating on the rugby side, and a barrel-vaulted steel roof extending 26m over the cricket side. Working for main contractor Caddick, Hambleton Steel has used 1,800 tonnes of steel on the stand, which is due to open next month.
Manchester’s latest Landmark One of Manchester’s largest new commercial developments is the Landmark in St Peter’s Square, where the use of a steel frame has allowed spacious and flexible floorplates throughout the 180,000 sq ft office. Secondary beams span approximately 17.6m from the single central core to the perimeter columns. Steelwork contractor Billington Structures has installed 1,800 tonnes of structural steel on the 14-storey building, working for main contractor B+K. The new office opens this summer.
Education campus in the Scottish Borders The £32m Jedburgh Intergenerational Community Campus in the south of Scotland is using a steel frame to deliver an architecturally impressive design. Situated above the town, the scheme is two storeys high at the front and three storeys at the rear to accommodate the sloping site. It includes a cantilevered roof canopy which extends to 7.5m deep at the front and 4.5m on other elevations. Hescott Engineering erected the 800 tonnes of steelwork, during a 12-week programme, for main contractor BAM. The campus opens in spring 2020.
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BIM & DIGITAL APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
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JAMES BOWLES
BIM & Digital
MCALPINE USES 4D MODELS FOR BATTERSEA SEQUENCING SIR ROBERT MCALPINE, CONSTRUCTION MANAGER FOR PHASE 3A OF THE BATTERSEA POWER STATION DEVELOPMENT, HAS USED 4M MODELLING TO EXECUTE ITS PROGRAMME ON THIS COMPLEX PROJECT. BY STEPHEN COUSINS
Battersea Power Station is a £9bn eight-phase development on the banks of the River Thames. Featuring more than 4,000 new homes, commercial offices, retail and a hotel, the scheme is being managed by Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC). Phase 3A is a key phase within the overall masterplan – boasting projects by leading architects Gehry Partners and Foster + Partners, it will comprise over 550 apartments, a lifestyle hotel and a pedestrianised retail high street once complete. With complex architecture and a demanding programme, Sir Robert McAlpine was keen to work in 4D and to develop robust sequencing and logistics for the substructure, superstructure, facade and the fit out of the apartments. London-based 4D consultancy Freeform developed a detailed model
of the project – the most complex ever delivered by the firm – which contains some 300,000 distinct geometric elements linked to roughly 12,000 separate activities being carried out by multiple intersecting trades. “For us the main benefit has been the ability to identify clashes and work through the issues to resolve and ensure the programme works,” explains Tom Hirsch, senior planner at Sir Robert McAlpine. The model for the substructure, superstructure and facades was primarily a validation tool, created after the programme was developed to check logistical milestones could be achieved. The model for the fit out is more complex. Developed in tandem with the programme, it sought to interrogate the design, link it to information flowing from the trades and, as part of the tender
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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 BIM & DIGITAL
Battersea Power Station Client: Battersea Power Station Development Company Construction manager: Sir Robert McAlpine Architects: Gehry Partners, Foster + Partners 4D consultancy: Freeform BIM tools: Rhino, Synchro Pro
process, create a tested animated 4D installation plan to unlock the complex project. The model focuses on the flow of trades and the sequencing of 1,200 prefabricated bathroom pods, alongside M&E, risers, screed rails in floors, doors and windows. James Bowles, director of Freeform, explains: “A key programme risk on this project is the manufacture and delivery of the bathroom pods. Understanding the required works just before and just after their installation reduced this risk. By careful 4D planning, the team has rehearsed their delivery, installation sequences and even each route through the site and floor plate.” The team could move backwards or forwards through a timeline to check for delivery clashes. Checking for clashes Each bathroom pod is assigned a series of installation milestones: first it is lifted into a temporary location in the apartment while various works are completed around it, then it is moved into the permanent position and the remaining works, including closing off the floor and ceiling, are completed and finally the apartment is signed off. The lightweight 3D model was created in Rhino and linked to P6/Asta and additional time information using Synchro Pro 4D project planning software. The latter makes it possible to scrub backwards or forwards in time through planned sequences of work to check for clashes and make adjustments. At fortnightly workshops, the construction manager, project planner and all key trades interrogated the 4D model on a large 108-inch screen and two laptops. This gave them the opportunity to resolve any issues in an easy-to-understand 3D visual format.
4D visualisation of the whole project (opposite) and fit out of individual floors (above right) Phase 3A (below) will comprise more than 550 apartments, a lifestyle hotel and a retail high street
For example, if there are 16 pods being delivered one week and the facade was coming in at the same time, it was easy to visualise that all the hoists would be busy, requiring adjustments to deliveries and timings. Apart from the hard benefit of improved planning, there were soft benefits too, says Bowles: “People left the workshops with a much better
“By careful 4D planning, the team has rehearsed delivery, installation sequences and even each route through the site and floor plate” James Bowles, Freeform
understanding of how the project will run. This is not the case using traditional methods, i.e. 2D plans, marker pens and Gantt charts, which is a very opaque way of running a project.” Despite the size of the model, recent updates to Synchro Pro enable it to run smoothly on a laptop without being broken down into chunks. “We wouldn’t have been able to attempt this two years ago – it’s just too big,” says Bowles. When fit-out works begin later this year, floor managers will carry tablets that display a 4D model of their specific floor and the various programme milestones. As they walk the project they will be able to zoom in, monitor progress, snag issues and sign off any completed items of work. “We expect using 4D will avoid multiple clashes and the need for remedial works – for example, when a wall has been closed up but a bathroom pod still needs to be brought in, or when a fan coil unit has to be removed because there isn’t room for the pod to fit underneath,” says Bowles. “Fit-out projects overrun and fail as a result of poor planning. BPSDC and Sir Robert McAlpine recognised that fit out was going to be a risk here and we created probably the most complete 4D model of fit-out works anywhere. We expect to see some very positive impacts,” he concludes. ● 41
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LEGAL APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Legal Theresa Mohammed Trowers & Hamlins
Tamsin Lim Trowers & Hamlins
Carillion’s Beetham Tower: Sealed without a kiss FAILINGS WITH THE GLAZING SEALANT BOND ON MANCHESTER’S BEETHAM TOWER CAUSED THE TENANT AND FREEHOLDER TO END UP IN COURT, AFTER ORIGINAL CONTRACTOR CARILLION WENT INTO LIQUIDATION. THERESA MOHAMMED AND TAMSIN LIM EXAMINE THE CASE
Beetham Tower in central Manchester was the tallest building in Britain outside London when it was completed in 2006 by main contractor Carillion. But the collapse of the contractor last year led to a legal wrangle between landlord and tenant over outstanding facade repairs. The tower is a building of two halves. A cantilever divides the Hilton hotel from the luxury flats above. The facade is seamless glass curtain walling, its panels, a mix of double-glazed vision units and single-glazed shadow box units, attached to their frames with structural sealant. In 2014, Carillion discovered that the sealant bond was failing and that over 150 of the shadow box units were potentially affected. The contractor effected a short-term solution, fitting stitch pressure plates to the units to hold them in place. Carillion then began investigating a permanent remedy but went into liquidation in January 2018 before this could be implemented.
“Judge Davies said the disrepair did not necessarily have to render the property non-functional to breach the covenant”
Subsequently, the leasehold owner of the Hilton, Blue Manchester, brought a claim in the Technology & Construction Court (TCC) against the freehold owner of the tower, North West Ground Rents. The claimant highlighted the landlord’s repairing covenant in clause 7.2 of the lease and demanded a permanent solution. It also raised concerns about the safety of the shadow box units and the adverse effect of the stitch plates on the appearance of the tower. The court considered what works the landlord was liable for under the terms of lease. It held that the tenant could compel the landlord to undertake a permanent remedial scheme and was entitled to damages. The judge, Stephen Davies, also considered whether the existing state of the shadow box units placed the landlord within breach of clause 7.2, where it had covenanted to “keep in good and substantial repair and when necessary as part of repair to reinstate, replace and renew where appropriate the retained property and the common parts”. The judge referred to Gibson Investments v Chesterton [2002], where Judge Neuberger said: “Good and substantial repair means more than just that the building must be capable of occupation. It means… the building must be in a state of repair which is appropriate for a high-class office building in a prime office location.” Judge Davies said the disrepair did not necessarily have to render the property non-functional to breach the covenant. He referred to Hunt v Optima (Cambridge) [2013], where a similarly broad repairing covenant “obliged the landlord to make good any design, workmanship or material deficiency within the building as a whole, for which it was responsible to… a number of long leasehold tenants”.
“The judge held that the landlord was in breach of its repairing covenant and was required to install an alternative glazed facade” The judge noted that Beetham Tower was likewise divided into multiple leasehold interests and it was desirable for one person to be responsible for making good disrepair in the common parts, even if this was due to inherent defects or defective design or workmanship, which potentially required works going beyond mere repair. Aesthetic considerations He then considered solely aesthetic considerations in relation to remedial w o r k s a n d re f e r re d to R u x l e y Construction v Forsyth [1996], where the client took the contractor to court for building a swimming pool nine inches shallower than the seven feet and nine inches specified in the contract. However, Forsyth failed to obtain the cost of removal and reinstatement. Judge Davies said there would be cases where it was unreasonable for a tenant to insist on contractual obligations which reflected solely aesthetic considerations, but that sometimes tenants could insist on remediation to their own aesthetic standards. He concluded that as a significant number of shadow box units were at risk of failure on the Beetham Tower, so a repair scheme covering all of the units was required. Without the stitch plates, the affected units would be in disrepair, causing the landlord to breach clause 7.2.
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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 LEGAL
Davenport v Greer: ‘Smash and grab’ lives on ‘Smash and grab’ adjudications were predicted to end after last year’s S&T v Grove ruling; the judgement had its first test case earlier this year. By James Sargeant Judge Davies said that the stitch plates were expressly adopted as a temporary solution to last no more than three years; on this basis, they could not be regarded as structurally safe or “in good or substantial repair”. The judge held that the landlord was in breach of its repairing covenant and was required to install an alternative glazed facade. He added that damages in lieu of an acceptable remedial scheme would not be adequate or fair. The judge also said that a detailed schedule of works was “not necessary” as long as North West Ground Rents was ordered to achieve a “clearly specified result” and could be “protected against the risk of unforeseen circumstances which render it impossible or impracticable to comply”. The judge required the landlord to “remove the stitch plates… and remove and reinstate or replace the shadow box
units and their frames… so that they are securely affixed to the structure of the building”, providing the same external appearance as at the date of the lease. North West Ground Rents was allowed 18 months to implement the works. The judge noted that although this seemed generous, it was a reasonable period designed to ensure compliance on the basis that non-compliance could result in contempt of court. Finally, Judge Davies acknowledged that there was a question mark over whether the landlord could recover costs from the tenant, under the lease’s service charge provisions, or from the leasehold owners of the flats above the hotel. These are queries to be raised in a separate case. ● Theresa Mohammed is a partner and Tamsin Lim is a trainee solicitor at Trowers & Hamlins.
The death knell that many sounded for “smash and grab” adjudications – after a landmark case last year – may have been premature. The term was coined for an adjudication which follows an employer’s failure to serve a valid pay less notice against either a payment notice or a default notice. As a result of the employer’s failure to issue a pay less notice, the contractor seeks an adjudicator’s decision that the sum stated as due in the payment notice or the default notice is due by default. Until recently, the Technology and Construction Court (TCC) had made it clear – through the ISG v Seevic and Galliford Try Building v Estura judgements – that where a smash and grab adjudication has occurred, there could not be a subsequent second adjudication by the employer to determine the “true value” of the contractor’s account until its next interim application. The Court of Appeal subsequently decided, following Harding v Paice, that the principles developed in ISG and Galliford were limited to interim applications only and did not apply to final accounts disputes. Then came last year’s the S&T v Grove ruling. The Court of Appeal upheld an earlier TCC decision that, following a successful smash and grab adjudication relating to an interim application, the employer is entitled to refer the dispute to a second adjudication to establish the true value of the contractor’s account – but only after paying the sum that was awarded in the first adjudication. But how would the decision in S&T be applied to final account disputes?
M Davenport Builders v Greer [2019] has provided the answer. Davenport, which had been delivering construction works on a building in Stockport, had made an application for final account, but Greer failed to pay by the final date for payment. Davenport launched an adjudication and was awarded the full amount claimed in its final account application. Greer then commenced a second adjudication to determine the true value of the account and the adjudicator decided that no sum was due to Davenport as a result of the revaluation. Davenport then began enforcement proceedings in the court and Greer sought to rely on the second adjudicator’s decision that Davenport was not entitled to any money. Judge Jeremy Stuart-Smith confirmed that, following a smash and grab adjudication, the employer is entitled to refer the true value of the contractor’s final account to be decided by an adjudicator. However, as with the S&T decision, in the Davenport case he ruled that the employer is only able to do so after it has paid the first adjudicator’s decision. Stuart-Smith said: “The decisions… in S&T v Grove are clear and unequivocal in stating that the employer must make payment in accordance with the contract or in accordance with section 111 of the Amended Act before it can commence a ‘true value’ adjudication.” This suggests that there is still plenty of life in smash and grabs. James Sargeant is an associate at Quigg Golden.
The Beetham Tower, Manchester, contains a Hilton hotel with luxury flats above 43
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LEGAL APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
When a consultant produces a report on contaminated land, can its findings be relied on by future buyers of the site? This question was central in a recent case, BDW Trading v Intégral Géotechnique (Wales) [2018] EWHC 1915, which concerned a contaminated development site in the south Wales village of Ogmore-by-Sea. The site had been owned and used by Bridgend County Borough Council as a residential education centre. It was then sold off to BDW, a division of the Barratt Group, for new housing. Prior to sale, the council appointed Intégral Géotechnique (IG) to carry out desktop and intrusive investigations of the site and produce a geotechnical site report, primarily to identify possible contamination. As is common in such situations, the report had been disclosed to BDW prior to sale. During construction, BDW discovered several areas tainted by asbestos. These were not mentioned in the IG report. BDW sued IG for the amount by which it would have reduced its purchase price had it known it was buying a contaminated site. The Technology and Construction Court (TCC) was asked whether IG owed a duty of care to BDW in the tort of negligence for failing to assess the extent of contamination by asbestos in its report. To construct a duty of care, there must be a close relationship between the parties and it must be just and reasonable for the consultant to owe a duty of care to the buyer. IG’s report stated that third parties were not entitled to rely on its contents. However, IG had been aware that a buyer was likely to read it and had agreed that the council could assign its benefits under the report to a buyer. As it transpired, the council (perhaps mistakenly)
Francis Ho Penningtons Manches
Volkan Palanci Canary Wharf Contractors
Barratt v Intégral Géotec: What lies beneath AFTER A RECENT CONTAMINATED LAND CASE, FRANCIS HO AND VOLKAN PALANCI EXAMINE WHETHER SURVEYORS MAY OWE A DUTY OF CARE IN TORT TO A FUTURE SITE OWNER
failed to effect an assignment to BDW. This meant there was no contractual relationship between IG and BDW. Judge Stephen Davies disagreed that there was a tortious duty of care for several reasons. The report was put together by IG for the council’s use. Although it did not oppose the report being circulated to third parties, it never specifically agreed to one being able rely on the
report save where its appointment was validly assigned or novated, an event which never took place. The report clearly stated that it could not be assigned to another party without the express consent of IG. This had not been obtained. An earlier assurance by IG to the council that it would allow the report to be assigned was insufficient to uphold a tortious duty of care. It was BDW’s responsibility to ensure that the requisite steps for assignment or novation were actioned rather than IG’s. Finally, IG was not obliged to advise BDW that it had not consented to the developer relying on the report, despite BDW purchasing the site based on the report. What lessons can be drawn from the case? Developers or owners should consider commissioning a report from a reputable and experienced consultant to give comfort to buyers or investors about the condition of a site, rather than having to blindly accept contamination risk or ask for that risk to remain with the owner. For consultants, it may be market reality that their reports or investigations are used by site owners and relied on by prospective third-party buyers. If so, it is prudent for a consultant’s professional indemnity insurers to understand (and limit) how many potential third parties there may be and the extent and duration of liability (in financial terms) to the client and any third parties. Any report’s conclusions should be subject to skill and care and not amount to any warranty or guarantee that a site is free of contamination. ● Francis Ho is a partner at Penningtons Manches and chair of the CIOB’s Contract & Procurement Special Interest Group. Volkan Palanci is a trainee at Canary Wharf Contractors.
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18/03/2019 17:36
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COMMUNITY APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
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Community
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL BODY
Event
Inspire event to encourage D&I in built environment CIOB ONE OF KEY PLAYERS AT ANNUAL SUMMIT AND AWARDS Election 2019
Vote now for CIOB Board of Trustees VOTING DEADLINE IS 15 APRIL
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Chris Keast,chair of the CIOB’s Diversity Special Interest Group, will be one of several key industry speakers at the forthcoming Inspire Summit in Manchester. Supported by leading industry bodies, the summit returns for its third year on 5 June. Over the course of a one-day conference, industry leaders will give talks on diversity and inclusion (D&I) and how to inspire a new generation – irrespective of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, age, or disability – to embrace a career in the built environment. The event is organised into three main themes: personal development, recruitment and retention. In its two previous years, the summit focused on encouraging gender equality and inclusion for women across the construction, engineering and housing sectors. While this remains
The CIOB Board of Trustees’ election 2019 has commenced. All corporate members (MCIOB/ FCIOB/RetMCIOB/RetFCIOB) who paid their 2019 subscriptions by 28 February are eligible to vote, and by now should have received an email and/or postal ballot from the CIOB’s trusted partner, Mi-Voice. The deadline for voting is Monday 15 April 2019 at 12 noon BST. Candidates have been through a rigorous competency assessment,
MATES IN MIND EVENT BELFAST CELEBRATES SUCCESS STUDENT CHALLENGE DIARY DATES ME AND MY PROJECT a key focus, under-representation does not end there, so the organisers have widened their focus in 2019. In the evening of 5 June, the Inspire Awards will also return for a second year, with categories honouring the most inspiring individuals, companies and projects. The summit will take place at The Hilton, Manchester. An early-bird offer of £95 + VAT + booking fees is open until 5 April (£125 + VAT standard rate). ●
You can find out more and register to attend at www.inspiresummit.co.uk and www.theinspireawards.co.uk.
says the CIOB, which urges members to reward the most able by voting for them: “Make your voice heard and exercise your vote – Your Vote, Our Future.” Voting online is easy, says the institute: l Access your email from Mi-Voice. l Click on the vote button. l Follow the instructions to vote. Alternatively: l Visit www.ciob.org.uk and click on the link for the election.
l Enter your surname and membership number. l Follow the instructions to vote. Members who cannot locate their mail, or who have any query in relation to voting, should contact the Mi-Voice Support Team at support@mi-voice.com, quoting their CIOB membership number. For any other enquiries regarding the election, members should contact governance@ciob.org.uk.
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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 COMMUNITY Community is edited by Nicky Roger nicky@atompublishing.co.uk
Event
Mates in Mind starts the conversation on mental health with CIOB members
PETER DENCH
MANAGERS HEAR HOW TO SPOT SIGNS AND CHALLENGE STIGMA IN THE WORKPLACE At a recent CIOB event in Guildford, Stephen Haynes, (pictured), head of programme at mental health awareness charity Mates in Mind, gave a presentation on what is being done to bring about an improvement in mental health awareness in construction organisations. During the session, CIOB members explored mental health issues in the workplace and how companies are engaging with this issue. Central to this was an insight into how to start the conversation about mental health in the workplace and what can be done to help challenge some of the stigma surrounding mental ill-health. Participants gained some understanding of key areas including how to spot the signs of mental ill-health, the role that mental health first aid can play within the workplace and how managers can provide better support. Haynes says: “It is important to remember what you are trying to actually address within the organisation, both in terms of support for staff struggling with emotional and mental health – whether severe mental illnesses such as bipolar, severe depression or schizophrenia, to more common mental health problems such as anxiety
Health
Greendale Construction takes steps to support mental wellbeing WALKING TOGETHER BOOSTS HEALTH
or depression – as well as working to mitigate factors in the working environment which can increase negative pressures leading to stress and other mental health related problems. He continues: “At Mates in Mind we understand that, at one end of the spectrum, addressing mental health in the workplace is about supporting people with mental health issues, whilst at the other end it is about creating working environments where our people thrive at work. “A single support solution can help but won’t address the wider issues. For example: introducing professional helpline services or colleague listener support models, such as Mental Health First Aid in isolation, will only work effectively if they are communicated as part of a wider programme, employees understand what they provide and importantly, when to use them and how to signpost co-workers to them.” ●
For more information, visit www.matesinmind.org.
Fifteen employees at chartered builder Greendale Construction have attended a mental health awareness course, in line with the company’s commitment to raising awareness of mental health in an industry where workers are three times more likely to commit suicide than the average UK male. Five staff at the company, based at Poole in Dorset, also completed a mental health first aid course. Greendale has also introduced the “midday mile”, where staff are encouraged to join together for a daily walk (pictured above) in a bid to promote good health and mental wellbeing. Maria Seabright, the firm’s HR and finance director, emphasises that employers have a duty of care to ensure the wellbeing of their staff.
“We all have mental health just as we have physical health, and both have their ups and downs. At Greendale we want to embrace an environment where our managers understand their roles and responsibilities when it comes to dealing with mental wellbeing,” she explains. “As an organisation, we want to promote positive mental wellbeing. The ‘midday mile’ promotes good health and mental wellbeing, giving staff a break away from their desks, a bit of fresh air, and socialising with colleagues. “This is an initiative that we learned from Ouch Training Team, after staff recently attended a mental health awareness course – something we would highly recommend.”
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COMMUNITY APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Event
More than 200 attend CIOB regional dinner in Belfast
“Stephen Ferris regaled the audience with stories from his exceptional rugby career”
MICHAEL SHEPPARD PHOTOGRAPHY
SPEAKERS INCLUDE CIOB’S CHRIS BLYTHE AND RUGBY PLAYER STEPHEN FERRIS
Host Adrian Logan (left) talks to Stephen Ferris at the event
Campaign
Support initiative highlights taboo topic MEMBER RAISES AWARENESS OF MALE DOMESTIC ABUSE
Over 200 construction professionals attended the CIOB regional annual dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Belfast in February. Hosted by TV personality Adrian Logan, speakers included Gary Blair, chair of the CIOB Belfast Hub and Chris Blythe OBE, CEO of the CIOB. The after-dinner address was delivered by former Ulster, Ireland and British & Irish Lion Stephen Ferris, who regaled the audience with stories from his exceptional rugby career. Those who received recognition at the event were: Mark Kitson, for being awarded the title of CIOB Full-Time Student of the Year at Ulster University. Shane Kennedy, for winning the Joe White Cup, as overall best student among the further education colleges in the north west.
A CIOB member is raising awareness of male domestic abuse. Carl Mannion (left) is a chartered construction manager, external verifier for the chartership process and a survivor of domestic abuse. He has created Support4Men to offer support to the many men who suffer domestic abuse but receive zero support from the police, social services and NHS. Latest data suggests that as many as one in four men suffer
Peter Clarke for being the worldwide top student in the CIOB Chartered Management Programme. Eamonn Laverty and Mel McMahon for winning Silver medals at the CIOB UK Construction Manager of the Year Awards 2018. Karl Jordan for winning a Gold medal at the CIOB UK Construction Manager of the Year Awards 2018 Woodvale Construction Company in recognition of its record number of conferees at the 2018 Graduation Ceremony in Titanic Belfast. A presentation was made to Gerard Graham, outgoing chair of the Belfast Hub, in recognition of his work. Sponsors of the event were Ridgeway, Hays Recruitment, Tughans Solicitors, JP Corry, GBS Roofing, Training LMS, Titan Air-Conditioning, Farrans Construction, and Keystone Group. ●
domestic abuse, often in the presence of their children. “Less than 10% of government funding for domestic abuse is targeted at male victims,” says Mannion. Support4Men has been set up to raise awareness within the workplace. It delivers awareness days and highly personal “My Story” workshops that highlight the often taboo subject. Workshops are designed to help employers and employees
to understand the signs and symptoms of domestic abuse, how to support colleagues and how to work with statutory agencies. Domestic abuse costs the UK economy over £2bn per year – employee time off work, unexplained absences and emergency respite all have an impact on employers. For more information, contact Carl Mannion on info@support4men. co.uk or via 07572 877551.
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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 COMMUNITY
Competition
Awards
McCarrick’s focus on apprenticeship is rewarded MEMBER’S BUSINESS IS IN THE RUNNING AT THE NORTH-EAST BUSINESS AWARDS McCarrick Construction, run by Matthew McCarrick MCIOB, is hoping to add to its pile of awards this year with the Apprenticeship Award in the North East Business Awards. The firm has a hefty collection of accolades to prove how seriously it takes its trainees. It has already been highly commended at the CITB Apprentice Awards to add to its win as Small Business Apprentice Employer of the
Event
Novus under starter’s orders for Kent karting SIGN UP FOR HIGH-SPEED NOVUS NETWORKING EVENT IN SITTINGBOURNE
Year at the North East and Yorkshire and The Humber Regional Apprenticeship Awards in 2017, when it was also named at the National Apprentice Awards among the Top 250 Employers. Apprentices regularly rise through the ranks – some to board level – and over half of the workforce comprises current or former apprentices. The variety of options is also key: McCarrick’s takes on apprentices in up to six disciplines every year. The company is in the process of training two former joinery apprentices, now site managers, through the MCIOB chartership route. “We have been creating and promoting apprentices for over 60 years,” said McCarrick. “We are always looking for new opportunities to grow our business through the inclusion of more skilled individuals to strengthen our team.” ●
The popular annual Maidstone Novus Kent Construction Karting Cup takes place on 20 June. This sell-out annual competition, which takes place at the Bayford Meadows Karting Circuit in Sittingbourne, allows members to have a fun evening networking while competing in a friendly but hard-fought race on one of the country’s premier outdoor floodlit kart circuits. Individual entries or teams of three are welcome. Teampol is sponsoring the event for the second year. ● Contact Beverley Lawrence for more information about the event. To book online visit https://events. ciob.org/200186519, email blawrence@ciob.org.uk or call 01344 630861.
ROOKIE TEAM WINS AT PROJECT-BASED TESTS
JIM MAILER X2
Matthew McCarrick: “We have been creating and promoting apprentices for over 60 years”
Ayrshire College scoops prize at CIOB Scotland’s Student Challenge
Top: Learning the ropes Above: Ayrshire’s winning team Ayrshire College took the top prize at this year’s CIOB Student Challenge in Scotland. This annual competition gives future industry leaders the opportunity to engage with their peers in a project-based format that allows teams to demonstrate individuality in their solutions while hopefully having a bit of fun. Peter Brady MCIOB, the Student Challenge co‑ordinator, aims to ensure that the day tests the students and takes them out of their comfort zone. Held at Crieff Hydro and sponsored by Robertson Construction, the event involved teams from both further education colleges and universities throughout Scotland. Ayrshire College’s win came on its first time taking
part in the competition. Second place went to last year’s winner Dundee & Angus College and third place went to Heriot-Watt University. As well as their trophy and prize, the winning team will be going on a week’s work experience with Robertson Construction. The runners-up will have work experience with BAM Construction and third-place students will have work experience with Careys. Aby Wallace, a winner from 2016, gave a talk on her career journey: from winning the challenge, she completed her work experience and received a summer internship. On graduation she received a full time offer of employment and continues to work with Robertson Construction as a site manager.
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COMMUNITY APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Left and below: Novus members and students get together in Digbeth
Education
Members go back to school to promote construction NOTTINGHAM HUB TAKES THE MESSAGE TO SCHOOL FAIRS
Novus
Midlands celebrates with crazy golf NOVUS GROUPS JOIN TOGETHER FOR 10TH ANNIVERSARY
to be able to support the event and had a fantastic night networking with the future talent in the Midlands. Cameron MacKenzie, graduate design manager at Kier Construction and Birmingham Novus chair, said: “Novus hit a hole in one by bringing together students, young professionals and CIOB members for an evening of crazy golf and networking where everybody ended up a winner.” ●
The Midlands Novus groups joined forces to run a crazy golf night at Ghetto Golf in Digbeth as part of Novus’s 10-year anniversary celebrations. Thanks to sponsorship from the Coleman Group, 25 Novus members and students enjoyed an evening of networking and celebration. Mark Coleman FCIOB, Birmingham Hub chair and chief executive of the Coleman Group, said the company was delighted Obituary
Tony Dever FORMER NORTH WEST BRANCH CHAIR DIES AGED 57
“Novus hit a hole in one by bringing together students, young professionals and CIOB members” Cameron MacKenzie, Birmingham Novus
The Nottingham Hub has been busy ramping up its work within schools. Julia Allen MCIOB and Harriette Doxey MCIOB recently spent an evening at the Future Intentions Fair at Thomas Alleyne’s High School, speaking to over 50 students and their parents. Rachel Toor, MCIOB and assistant site manager at Shaylor Group, will also be sharing her experiences at a “Guess my Job” careers fair at Fairfax School. Students at the fair get five minutes to question the professionals, then guess their job role before moving on to the next person. To get involved in the work the Midlands hubs are doing in schools, or if you have contact with a school which would appreciate a visit, contact gfloyd@ciob.org.uk. Harriette Doxey (left) and Julia Allen at the Thomas Alleyne’s School Future Intentions Fair
It is with great sadness that the CIOB announces that Tony Dever FCIOB passed away on Wednesday 27 February, aged just 57. Tony joined the CIOB in 1986 and was a very active member, taking on the role of chair of Liverpool, North Wales & Cheshire centre and chair of the North West branch.
He took on the role of PDP assessor for the institute and was also a trustee while running his own company and CBC Anthony Dever Construction. Tony and his wife Donna celebrated 25 years of marriage in 2015. Our thoughts and prayers are with Donna and his family at this difficult time.
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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 COMMUNITY
Anthony Carroll MCIOB
Meet a member
Anthony Carroll MCIOB, project manager for Court Homes
Events
Diary dates HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CIOB CALENDAR FOR THE COMING MONTH. FOR MORE EVENTS VISIT CIOB.ORG
Golf tournament 20 September, Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club, Edinburgh CIOB in Scotland is offering guests the opportunity for maximum networking at its golf tournament. A welcome reception and a good few hours on the golf course is followed by a Golfers’ Buffet meal, drinks and wider networking opportunities. CIOB staff will be out on the course providing refreshments as well as the fixed pit-stop tents across the 18 holes. There will be a shotgun start, with 18 teams starting the Championship course, and a maximum of 72 golfers participating in the tournament. Packages for partners will be made available for full spa day access as well as an afternoon tea package. All guests will be welcomed along to the networking and prizegiving element of the event with three drinks and enjoy the Golfers’ Buffet prior to a pay bar. Cost for a team of four on the Championship course is £600 inc VAT. For full details head online or email wmarshall@ciob.org.uk Architectural walking tour of Rochester 7 May, 6.30pm-8.30pm, Rochester, Kent This 90-minute tour starts at 6.30pm from the Visitor Information Centre in Rochester, taking in local history and paying particular attention to the architecture often missed by the passer-by. The tour will be followed by a meal and networking at one of the city’s pubs. Contact: blawrence@ciob.org.uk Mental Health Masterminds charity quiz 16 May, 6.30pm-10pm Bristol What better way to focus on Mental Health Awareness Week than to raise money for
mental health charity Mates in Mind while blowing off some steam and engaging in some competitive fun? Register on the link below as a team of four to six, or as an individual to be grouped into a team on the night. Register at www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/ciob-ciat-pub-quiz. Contact: nbreakspear@ciob.org.uk York Minster tour 21 May, 2.30pm-4.30pm, York The York Hub is pleased to present a tour around the magnificent York Minster. The visit will include a trip up the scaffold to look at the ongoing work to the South Quire Aisle, which is a 10-year-plus project replacing damaged and eroded stonework and carrying out glazing works to a number of unprotected stained-glass windows. There is also the opportunity to visit the stonemasons’ workshop and observe the stone being worked. Places are limited to 20 people, so please book early to avoid disappointment. Contact: cseymour@ciob.org.uk Mindset and the Neuroscience of Resilience 23 May 7.15am-10am, Jersey Leadership coach Tom Flatau returns to the Channel Islands to talk about rewiring the way you think. In this workshop, he will show how the latest neuroscience and positive psychology research shows that learning to handle stress and develop an optimistic outlook is within everyone’s grasp, because we all have the power to rewire our brain. Members attending the event from the mainland can also take advantage of site visits being organised on the island. Contact: cbenjamin@ciob.org.uk NEC4 – The Latest Contractual Frontier 21 May, 6pm-8pm, London The latest edition of the NEC contract, NEC4, is now starting to appear on new projects, but what are the risks and what has changed? How can you ensure financial success when running projects under NEC4? Join the CIOB and a host of expert speakers who will explain the risks and challenges of working with the latest edition of the contract. Contact: abernal@ciob.org.uk
Why did you choose construction? With four generations of construction in my family, it chose me. I began at 14 years of age: making tea, keeping welfare site office clean and tidy, and helping tradesmen. I started a four-year apprenticeship in carpentry/ joinery and weekends would be spent with working my uncle. Because of an economic downturn in Ireland I emigrated to London in 1987. I spent three years as a selfemployed carpenter then in 1990 started my own business, but when the recession hit I decided to go back to college part time and studied for a HNC in building studies. From 2004 I decided the best way to gain knowledge as a site manager was to work on as many projects of various types as possible and take the best from each. You work as a freelancer in construction management now. What does this involve? As a freelance site manager you are usually called in to help with a project that has fallen behind schedule or is in danger of it and needs a push. It’s often firefighting in a pressurised environment, like a school that has to be handed over in September, so there is a big responsibility to meet deadline.
As a freelance you pay for your own training, don’t get paid holidays or sick leave. But it has afforded me time with my kids, and to refurbish my home and visit my family in Ireland. It has allowed me to build up a diverse all-round knowledge of the construction process. I have been fortunate to work on some fantastic projects from stadiums to high-rise and from new-builds to heritage proejcts. What change would you like to see in the industry? Better training for apprentices: the NVQ system is not producing quality competent tradespeople. If I was a 14-year-old lad now I would be put off by the amount of theory. I would like to see options for tradespeople with a minimum of seven years’ experience to move into management. Many are put off by the IT and bureaucracy but with help from the CIOB they, like me, can do it. I would make it compulsory for all quantity surveyors, architects and directors to sit an SMSTS course. This would give them a better understanding of what a site manager deals with. I would like to see freelance managers more appreciated by all. Perhaps a Freelance Construction Manager of the Year Award! What do you do in your spare time? One of my daughters has been a competitive swimmer for the past six years. The other daughter keeps me busy taking her out to lunch and window shopping. I enjoy keeping fit and struggling with the guitar.
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Tuesday 30 April 2019 l Church House, Westminster
Conservation, Adaptation and Maintenance of the Built Environment An informative and inspiring event for professionals in the heritage and conservation sector. Now in its fifth year, this popular conference, run in partnership with English Heritage, will be exploring quality and standards in the heritage sector. Meet an array of inspirational speakers, and witness a series of fascinating case studies that showcase impressive heritage projects from around the UK. And what could be a more fitting location than Church House, a Grade II listed building nestled in the grounds of London’s breath-taking Westminster Abbey?
DON’T MISS OUT, SECURE YOUR TICKET TODAY
https://events.ciob.org/conservation2019
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COMMUNITY APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Me and my project
Smart thinking DR KAY ROGAGE ON AN ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL HOUSING PROJECT USING SMART SENSORS THAT COULD TRANSFORM HOW BUILDINGS ARE DESIGNED AND LIVED IN
SIMON VEIT-WILSON
Over the last year, Northumbria University academics, with partners from BIM Academy and the National Energy Foundation, have been working with local housing organisation Your Homes Newcastle to find out more about how its customers live in their homes. We have been researching the feasibility of a building performance measurement and advice platform currently lacking in the building industry. Smart Connected Buildings set out to be an intelligent data platform integrating building design information, sensor data and user feedback, producing alerts and actionable advice for occupiers, building owners and those who build and maintain properties. With permission from customers, sensors were placed in seven apartments, monitoring factors such as electricity usage, room temperature, humidity, light and how householders move around the rooms within the building. The data from sensors is displayed in real time with graphs giving a 24-hour snapshot. This can be used to understand how customers use buildings, provide alerts and advice which will help them live more comfortably, and influence the design of buildings to better reflect customers’ requirements. One of the benefits of this system is that it can be customised, so for example an alert could be set up so that when the
“Data from sensors is displayed in real time and can be used to understand how customers use buildings”
humidity in an individual flat or room goes above a certain level the building owner or occupant would be notified. An alert can be made up of one or many different rules. Each rule has a comparison operator such as “greater than” or “less than”, and a value which it is compared against. This value can either be an average over time, making rules possible such as “humidity greater than 20 deg C on average for the past
From left: Dr Kay Rogage, Mark Riley (Your Homes Newcastle), Graham Coulby (BIM Academy) and Dr Adrian Clear (Northumbria University) with the smart sensors
week”, or a distinct value within a timeframe such as “electricity consumption greater than 2,000KWh in the past year”. This data allows potential issues to be identified. For landlords, the conditions which lead to mould and mildew could be identified before they develop, minimising the costs of treatment, reducing complaints and providing more comfortable living conditions for tenants. The project has been funded by Innovate UK. We now hope to source additional funding to develop the prototype into a commercial grade software for use by housing associations, property owners, developers and others in the housing and building sector. The prototype would include additional features, such as the ability to extract data from Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) reports – used by the government to compare the energy and environmental performance of homes. These contain useful information such as estimated energy consumption and these values could be included into the alert system to automatically trigger an alert if the estimates are exceeded. ● Dr Kay Rogage is a research fellow in digital living at Northumbria University and an active member of the university’s BIM Academy research team. She discussed the project at February’s BIM Show Live. For more information about the project,read the BIM Academy blog.
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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | APRIL 2019 COMMUNITY
Partnership Is heritage the key to the future? WORKING ON OUR OLDEST BUILDINGS COULD ATTRACT BRIGHT YOUNG TALENT
This is one of the greatest opportunities facing the industry right now. To meet the country’s demands and ambition that align with healthy economic growth, construction must become a more appealing, more obvious career choice to young people than it currently is. But how do we attract the diversity and the range of skills we need from the next generation of construction professionals? As the industry scratches its head in search of solutions to secure the major new builds and defining schemes of the future, the heritage sector could paradoxically emerge as holding the key to solving these perennial issues in its efforts to preserve the legacy of important landmarks of the past. When considering projects in the heritage and conservation sector, it appears that the teams involved are more diverse and showcase a range of skills and experiences that is way above
Working on projects such as the renovation of the Elizabeth Tower brings a sense of duty and privilege
“Our heritage has an appeal that can excite everyone’s imagination, including that of young girls and boys”
UK PARLIAMENT MARK DUFFY
Sir Robert McAlpine is a platinum sponsor of the CIOB Conservation Conference taking place this month. Mike Coleman and Hannah Prowse, operations director and pre-construction manager of Sir Robert McAlpine Special Projects, will be delivering a presentation at the event, entitled “The Heritage Paradox: Can buildings with a long history attract new diverse talent?”. Here they give a taster of what’s to come.
industry average. What is also striking is the number of young people willing to embark, out of passion, on a career in this sector. They share the drive to learn complex new skills and excel at what they do. Th e h e r i ta ge s e c to r i s o f te n synonymous with buildings that have stood the test of time and excite the imagination. When you are assigned to work on the renovation of a worldfamous landmark like the Elizabeth Tower or the Royal Albert Hall, you carry a sense of duty that is equal to the privilege you feel and the reverence you receive from people around you. Your family and loved ones want to hear about your experience at work. The engagement and the fascination these buildings exert fuel passions, excitement, care, creative collaboration – as well as a compulsion for excellence. These landmarks are more emblematic
than ever today because they are a true reflection of visionary engineering and exemplary craftsmanship. Our heritage has an appeal that can excite everyone’s imagination, including that of young girls and boys. Modern construction is our future heritage. If, somehow, we can convey the same degree of critical importance to the role future buildings will play in creating a world we all want to live in, gilded with the same aura of reverence as our treasured patrimony, then we may well make our industry a dramatically more attractive option to a vastly larger and more diverse crowd of talented people. ● Conservation, Adaptation & Maintenance of the Built Environment will be held at Church House, Westminster, on 30 April. For details see http://bit.ly/conservation2019. 55
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TO ADVERTISE YOUR POSITIONS ON THESE PAGES, CONTACT IAN HARTLEY ON T: 020 7183 1815 ianh@media-shed.co.uk
Senior Construction Planner / Construction Professional – To undertake a Delay analyst and expert role (training & support provided) Moor Consult are an established and progressive Construction Consultancy based in Southwest of England. We have an opening for a self-motivated and experienced Senior Construction Planner / Construction Professional that offers a unique opportunity for you to develop into a delay / expert programme analyst. Based in the South West, we will offer the best of both worlds, either living and working in the Southwest or/and flexible home / working arrangements. Our Clients take us into many parts of the UK, so some travel will be required. We work on a variety of commissions for our Clients whom include Industry Employers, Main and Specialist contractors. We also work with Construction Law firms to provide Forensic/Delay Planning services. The successful candidate will be involved on range of exciting projects that cover the building sector within the UK. Duties will include; providing construction planning and programming services including analysis of construction delay and disruption events, providing ‘as-built’ and delay impact analysis programmes with associated contemporaneous evidence to substantiate or refute extension of time claims. Candidate Requirements You must have a strong construction background and a solid understanding of construction techniques across the building sectors. The ability to understand and demonstrate cause and effect; in regard to the causes of design and or construction delays is desirable. Familiarity with Elecosoft Powerproject software, experience in writing technical reports and a good understanding of standard building contracts is essential. If you have these skill sets, are seeking to develop your experience / skills base, or seeking a move from operations to a specialist role that is both challenging and rewarding then please send your curriculum vitae to: admin@moorconsult.com marked for the attention of Rod Short MCIOB, CCM.
Hundreds of the best jobs in construction. Recruitment news and insight. Employers seeking CIOB members.
www.constructionmanagerjobs.co.uk
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BIM+ The UK's best read digital construction resource. Exclusive news, views, interviews, debate and case studies on all the latest digital technologies from 3D printing and robotics to off-site manufacturing and virtual reality. How digital technologies are creating efficiencies and productivity for firms across the supply chain from designers to contractors and product manufacturers. A site for anyone working in digital construction from beginners through to experienced practitioners. Every part of the BIM journey provided by industry experts, software developers and industry bodies. Project stories and case studies to guide you through BIM adoption.
www.bimplus.co.uk
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TRAINING & RECRUITMENT APRIL 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Training & Recruitment Job spotlight Gemma Booth Assistant site manager, Redrow Homes
TRADING PLACES GEMMA BOOTH SPENT 11 YEARS ‘ON THE TOOLS’ BEFORE STUDYING FOR HER DEGREE IN BUILDING MANAGEMENT AND SURVEYING ON A NIGHT COURSE AND EMBARKING ON A CAREER IN CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT How does your experience in “management” differ from being a trade? My experience as a painter and decorator was very challenging as an apprentice. I was the first woman at my college to study it back in 2000 – and I felt I had to be three times better than a man, in a male-dominated industry. There were no facilities specific to women back then. I found I was very popular with customers and clients, and most of my colleagues accepted me and were encouraging. But there were always one or two that disagreed with me working in a maledominated industry – saying I wouldn’t be able to work as hard and lift heavy materials, carry ladders or work from heights. I proved them all wrong. This motivated me to aim higher. I am now an assistant site manager and have found that I am taken seriously as a woman with the majority of the site team and supply chain.
There will always be one or two people who are old school, but that isn’t necessarily because I am a woman – it is because I am not as experienced as others. I get support from the team on my site to help and train me to become a great site manager and a role model to others. How challenging was it making the move into management work? I found it exciting and felt that I had a new challenge ahead. However, the mindset is so different – and difficult – now that I am delegating, organising and managing other people through a five-year programme of building works and not just my own work on a day-to-day basis. I found managing my own time and work much easier than managing others and making sure the trades complete the works you ask them in the time required, but that is an experience I am learning. Do male colleagues support you? Most of the lads help me, teach me and complete the works I ask of them, which gains me more experience to become a site manager in the near future. Times have changed for women in construction now, as we have the facilities we need and a positive attitude on site towards us as a diverse industry, encouraging females to join. There will always be a tiny bit of controversy – but nothing is perfect. Th e f u t u re i s a b o u t d i ve rs i t y a n d inclusion: I believe that a balance of men and women will be the key to future successful construction on and off site and a solution to the skills shortage. ●
Hundreds of the best jobs in construction. Recruitment news and insight. www.constructionmanagerjobs.co.uk
Welcome back Willmott Dixon’s resourcing manager Clare Francis on attracting returners back into the jobs market
We know construction is facing a skills crisis, made even worse by Brexit uncertainty. We have to be imaginative in meeting two challenges: attracting the next generation and reaching new pools of talent. This includes how we engage with people who have taken a career break and are itching to get back into work. Willmott Dixon’s Welcome Back programme gives people who’ve had an extended career break a route back into work via construction. This is ideal for those with the right skills or who could be trained to develop them across the full range of business disciplines. The programme was designed with an organisation called Women Returners. It’s a 20-week programme on a fixed-term contract basis, offering work experience along with a coaching programme that includes refresher training and new skills. For the right candidates, it leads to the opportunity for a permanent role. It is designed to give returners the confidence and flexibility to find their feet in the business world. We started in April 2018 and received over 100 applications, all of whom were spoken to by one of our recruitment team. After assessment and interview, we welcomed five returners to Willmott Dixon in September. One of our returners previously worked in construction but the others have a variety of backgrounds that include finance, aviation and events. Four out of five are working reduced hours or flexibly, which supports evidence that flexible working is one of the most important criteria for people returning after a career break. We have continued to run the programme this year. One thing we have learned is that our people sharing information about our programme with their own local networks is as effective as any paid advert or promotion; hence the huge uplift in interest. ●
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