Construction & Property news

Construction Volume 36 | Number 7 June 2010

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P R O P E R T Y

u Tom King talks

about managing the largest infrastructural project in the mid west

u Paul O’Donnell

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of Hays asks what can be done to revive our ailing industry

27

N E W S

u

Germans launch a premium house product on the Irish market

uCan Builders

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Retrofit Their Way out of Recession?

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State Investment Could Build a Better Ireland The Construction Industry Council is calling and project pipelines for the next three See Page 2 for Industry Comments on the government to make an immediate and years, at least half of the remaining jobs in tangible commitment to specific projects in the construction will be lost. The result will be the at the Aviva Stadium Launch National Development Plan. disappearance of a further 120,000 Irish jobs Launching its ‘Building a Better Ireland’ by the end of 2011. on infrastructure as a cost but it isn’t, it is manifesto at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on The member associations of the Council were an investment. Government departments 21 June, the Council said that a unique window represented at the Aviva Stadium launch by need to set up project teams to work with the of opportunity exists to plan for and build the John Curtin, Society of Chartered Surveyors, private sector to accelerate the public works hospitals, schools, water, transport and energy Paul Keogh, Royal Institute of the Architects of programme. We have a smart economy, green projects that are needed and which guarantee a Ireland, PJ Rudden, Engineers Ireland, Eamon economy and knowledge economy strategy long-term return to the State. but none of these have a capital Supported in their call to budget allocated to them action by IBEC, ICTU and because there is no leadership Dublin Chamber of Commerce, and no-one is in charge of the Council said that delaying, infrastructure delivery in this postponing and cancelling badly country. Delays to the second needed construction projects, runway at Dublin Airport, the and the lead-in planning frustration of Dublin Port’s and design work necessary investment plans, the delay in to maintain a viable Public approving the Grangegorman Capital Programme, is neither development strategy plan, sustainable nor consistent with underinvestment in health what Government continues and schools infrastructure, the to say about job creation and absence of comprehensive plans economic recovery. for water facilities, inadequate (l-r): Kevin Kelly, chairman Construction Safety Partnership; Dara Calleary, The Manifesto is calling broadband provision and the Minister for Labour Affairs and Public Service Transformation; Martin on Government to launch the unprofitable levies proposed for O’Halloran, chief executive officer, Health and Safety Authority; and Tom revised National Development promoters of waste management Parlon, director general of the Construction Industry Federation, at the Plan immediately, maintain a projects are all indicative of the launch of the Safety Management Pack for small contractors. All 10 worker capital budget of at least €5.5bn failure to provide for the longdeaths in the construction sector in 2009 involved contractors with 20 or per annum over the period 2011 term infrastructure needs of the fewer employees. to 2016, ensure that revenues economy.’ raised through alternative funding mechanisms, Timoney, Association of Consulting Engineers IBEC director general, Danny McCoy, said such as the Infrastructure Bond proposal set out of Ireland, Tom Parlon, Construction Industry that, with construction prices having fallen by by the CIC in April 2009, are used in addition to Federation and Roger Gonzalez, Building 30%, it is an ideal time for Government to put this minimum Exchequer commitment, and to Materials Federation. in place specific investment plans representing reinstate the rolling five-year capital envelopes Peter Brennan, president of Dublin Chamber good value for money. ICTU general secretary to allow individual government departments of Commerce and founder of the IBEC PPP David Begg said there was consensus between plan and deliver projects.

Council, called for the reinvigoration of the unions and employers on the centrality of jobs The ‘Building a Better Ireland’ manifesto PPP programme and the implementation of to any recovery. ‘Unfortunately, Government is an update on the Construction Industry the realistic measures in the McCarthy report. has been noticeable by its absence and its Council’s 2009 submission to Government ‘Until they are implemented the government inaction,’ he said. ‘It is our belief that the ‘Jobs and Infrastructure – A Plan for National should keep its hands off the public capital National Development Plan has already been Recovery’. It points out that, in the absence of programme,’ he said. ‘There is a mindset in cut back too far and this will damage our a firm commitment on infrastructure funding the Department of Finance that sees spending capacity for growth and future development.’

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Construction & Property News June 2010

Continued from page 1.

Voices at the Manifesto Launch...

‘The construction industry should support 200,000 construction workers in Ireland. Irish construction workers are going abroad and if that continues to happen the industry will be decimated.

The time to invest is when there is value in the market. This media conference in the Aviva Stadium shows the partnership spirit that exists within the industry but there is one partner missing and that is the government.’

Tom Costello, managing director, John Sisk & Son

‘If we want the government to listen to us we should have brought a government representative to the Aviva Stadium media conference because the CIC, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, IBEC and ICTU are preaching to the converted.

The public perception of the construction industry is that we have had a good time and now we are looking for someone to bail us out. When it comes to attributing blame for everything that has gone wrong with this economy, we are second only to the bankers. The CIC can produce all the statistics it wants but it must address the industry’s image problem.’

Cormac Bradley, Engineers Ireland, and Construction Manager at RPS Group

‘The Galway Tent image is a monkey that the industry needs to get off its back so you need to go public with your message.

While you have had a long dialogue with government departments over the past two years it has been behind closed doors with civil servants. I advise you to make a series of presentations to Oireachtas Committees between now and Christmas, to talk to people who, after the next General Election, may be in a position to respond to your needs.

Ruairi Quinn, Labour Party TD for Dublin South East

‘I’m concerned about the prospects for the industry. By the end of next year it may only account for seven per cent of the Irish economy. I hope the government will take measures to support Irish construction because it is heading to a bad place. The government needs to introduce projects to help small and medium-sized contractors as well as those delivering large infrastructure projects.’

Annette Hughes, DKM Economic Consultants

‘There is a major capacity need in terms of transport and energy in particular

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and the industry hasn’t articulated that well enough to the general public. For example, we can’t tap our offshore energy resources because the grid doesn’t exist to support it. In addition, continued job losses mean that we are losing the productive capacity for the recovery of our industry.’

Irish Quarry Wins Major Environmental Award

PJ Rudden, group environment and energy director, RPS Group and vice president of Engineers Ireland

‘What bothers me is that we don’t understand as a nation the need for infrastructure. The industry should have a “champion” for infrastructure in government.’

Martin Coleman, director, Carillion Irishenco

‘It has been proven internationally that productive infrastructure generates long-term economic growth and it can be delivered using private finance. PPP is a way of delivering infrastructure now and paying for it over the long term.

That is what our economic competitors are doing and we need to do it.’

Michele Connolly, partner, KPMG Ireland

‘Our PPP approach is much more time consuming than, say, the Public Finance Initiatives in the UK. The government needs to streamline procurement of PPP projects to make them more attractive to international investors.’

Eamon Timoney, managing director, Fehily Timoney, and president of the ACEI

‘We need to build 600 schools between now and 2020. In 2001, the HSE identified a requirement for 600 Primary Care Centres around the country – so far only 220 of those have been built. The OPW has millions of pounds worth of projects waiting for the go-ahead from government. The construction industry will build only 10,000 residential units this year yet the ESRI and the CSO predict that we will need 40,000 houses in the years ahead. The country needs a new National Spatial Strategy that isn’t about something for everyone in the audience but focuses on environmental sustainability. The new Planning Act needs to be implemented as soon as possible to deal with over-zoning. We are saying to government that now is the time to plan for the future.’

Paul Keogh, Paul Keogh Architects and RIAI president

Pictured after the presentation in Munich to McGrath Limestone Works are (l-r): Jim O’Brien, president, European Aggregates Association; Liam Smyth, sustainability and marketing manager, Irish Concrete Federation; John Joe McGrath, director, McGrath Limestone Works; Pat O’Donnell, Earth Science Partnership, environmental consultants; and Professor Christian Niemann-Delius, University of Aachen, Germany.

McGrath’s Limestone Works Ltd has won a major European environmental award in recognition of outstanding dedication to environmental best practice.

The award which was presented in Munich, Germany on 27 May was sponsored by the European Aggregates Association based in Brussels.

In 2008, McGrath’s Limestone Works Ltd, which is located in Cong, Co Mayo, won the Irish Concrete Federation Quarry of the Year and, as a result, the company was entered into the equivalent European awards for sustainable development. There were a total of 30 entries from 10 countries and all entries were assessed by an independent jury of internationally distinguished experts in the fields of biodiversity, conservation, health and safety and mining engineering.

McGrath’s Limestone Works Ltd, which produces a large range of concrete, stone and road surfacing products, received the Environmental Best Practice Award for a small company in recognition of outstanding dedication to the environment.

The company’s quarry at Cong is located on an isthmus between Lough Mask and Lough Corrib in a very sensitive ecosphere. Aware of its responsibility to the environment, the company has addressed environmental issues by constructing a water treatment plant to ensure that only the highest quality clean water is discharged. In addition, the company has planted a nursery in which many species of trees are growing and is committed to the protection of all fauna on site by creating protected habitats through the increased depth of buffer zones around the quarry.

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Construction & Property News June 2010

Tobin Opens Polish Office

Pictured at the Enterprise Ireland Trade Dinner in Warsaw Poland on the 26 May is (l-r): Karen Cohalan, Enterprise Ireland; Billy Kelleher, Minister for Trade & Commerce; Ciaran O’Keeffe, Tobin and Marek Klimczyk, Tobin. Patrick J. Tobin commenced practice as a consulting engineer in Galway in 1952 with the primary focus of providing engineering consultancy services in public health projects. The practice incorporated as Patrick J Tobin & Co Ltd in 1973 and now trade as Tobin Consulting Engineers with five offices in Ireland. Tobin entered the Polish market in early 2009 and as of February 2010 they had successfully opened a branch office in Krakow. Tobin currently employs 119 staff, including engineers, scientists and specialists.

Schools Bundle PPP Reaches Financial Close Matheson Ormsby Prentice has advised the Macquarie Partnerships for Ireland on the Schools Bundle 2 PPP Project. The project reached financial close on 2 June 2010.

The project will involve the provision of six new schools providing places for over 4,700 pupils and makes up the second bundle of PPP schools projects to be delivered under the Department’s PPP programme.

Under the PPP model, the schools will be designed, built, financed and maintained for 25 years by MPFI. The National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) signed the contract with MPFI on 2 June and construction commenced immediately. The six new schools will be available by the end of 2011.

‘The Schools Bundle 2 PPP project demonstrates the benefits of PPP projects and also shows that it is possible to close PPP transactions despite the current credit environment,’ says David Quinlan, partner in the projects, energy and construction group at MOP. The six schools in the second bundle are: Bantry Community College, Co Cork; Gaelscoil Bheanntraí, Co Cork; Kildare Town Community School, Co Kildare; Abbeyfeale Community College, Co Limerick; Wicklow Town Community College, Co Wicklow; Athboy Community School, Co Meath.

Carlow Plans €80m Major Facelift Donnybrook Properties has revealed plans to rejuvenate Carlow town centre.

The entire construction project, which would be completed by Christmas 2011, is estimated to cost between €75m and €80m and will include shops, apartments, a new car park, office space and other

amenities. Once completed, it is believed that 600 full-time jobs will be created.

A further 300 jobs are expected to be created in the construction phase of the project, with John Sisk acting as contractors on the site. Currently, work is being held up due to an appeal in the planning process.

Response Group Wins €60m Contract The Response Group has been awarded a long-term, 20-year contract

by Limerick City Council, valued at €60m, to operate and maintain the major assets of the Limerick Main Drainage Scheme.

The Response Group will deliver the services as part of a consortium it has formed with Severn Trent, an international provider of water and wastewater technology, operations and analytical services. The contract was awarded to Response Group as part of a public tender process.

The €300m Limerick Main Drainage Scheme has significantly upgraded and expanded the sewer network, built a new large-scale waste water treatment plant at Bunlicky, a regional sludge treatment facility, developed a major pumping station and completed significant river engineering works in developing part of the project which was integrated with a navigational scheme for the Shannon.

The Response Group consortium will now be responsible for maintaining and operating these major assets to strict performance management standards, ensuring the Limerick Main Drainage Scheme meets its statutory requirements under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive combined with the water quality standards set down in the Shannon Estuary Water Quality Management Plan.

Other contracts awarded to the Response Group recently include Design Build and Operate projects for sewerage schemes in Leitrim, a leachate treatment plant at Wexford Co Council, and a water treatment plant at Terryland in Galway City.

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At the contract signing, back row (l-r) Maurice Daly, Response Group; David Keane, Limerick City Council; Richard Kent, JB Barry & Partners; and Sarah O’Neill, WYG. Front row (seated l-r) Simon Langton, Severn Trent Services International; Mayor of Limerick, Councillor Kevin Kiely; Caroline Curley, Limerick City Council and Seamus Ryan, Limerick City Council.

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n appointments CRH have appointed a new group finance director following the resignation of Glenn Culpepper for personal reasons.

He will leave CRH on 30 June. Current head of group finance Maeve Carton will step into the role. Ms Carton joined CRH in 1988 and was appointed group controller in 2001 before taking up the head of finance position in January last year.

Florence Stanley The Dublin office of CB Richard Ellis Group has appointed Florence Stanley as executive director, joining the CBRE senior management team. Ms Stanley is a senior member of CBRE’s retail team advising Irish and international clients on the acquisition of retail properties in the Irish market. CBRE also announced the appointment of David Wright to the position of director in its Belfast office and a further seven senior appointments within its Dublin & Belfast offices. Alan Moran, Dave Murray, Dessie Kilkenny, Jennifer

Mullen and Kyle Rothwell have been promoted as senior surveyors in its Dublin office. Emer O’Connell has also been appointed as a senior property manager and Deborah Wiggins has been appointed as an associate director. CBRE currently employs a team of over 110 people at its Dublin & Belfast offices.

C&L Industrial has recently appointed Stephen Whelan as their sales director.

C&L Industrial specialises in the sale, installation and service of a range of industrial products from Boge compressors to the AmbiRad energy efficient industrial heating systems.

C&L Industrial provides nationwide coverage through a network of local sales & service centres located strategically around the country, including the recently inaugurated centre in Dublin.

Stephen Whelan

Siteserv Chooses 2010 Charity

(l-r): Kevin Whelan, chief executive officer, Irish Autism Action; Keith Duffy, ambassador for Irish Autism Action; Brian Harvey, chief executive officer, Siteserv plc and Robert Foster, marketing manager, Siteserv plc. Siteserv plc, the Irish-owned Utilities Services Group, has donated €10,000 to Irish Autism Action as part of its annual Corporate Social Responsibility Programme. Brian Harvey made the donation to Kevin Whelan and Keith Duffy at Finnstown House, Lucan. Siteserv is a leading provider of support services to a diverse range of industries across Ireland and the UK, including civil engineering and construction. Founded in 2004, Siteserv currently employs over 1,800 people across 53 strategic locations in Ireland and the UK, with a turnover of €230m in 2009.

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services: structural engineering design; civil engineering design; project management and construction contract administration; fire engineering; environmental/energy auditing and Building Energy Rating; potable and wastewater treatment facility design; design for Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS); temporary works design; heritage engineering and PSDP. Michael Fitzpatrick Michael J Fitzpatrick has been appointed director of Fahy Fitzpatrick Ltd, consulting engineers. Fahy Fitzpatrick Consulting Engineers have 20 years experience in the provision of a broad range of civil, structural and environmental engineering services to private and public clients covering a wide range of projects. Michael comes to Fahy Fitzpatrick from Irish construction project management consultancy Providence Projects Ltd where he was a director for two years. Prior to his move to Providence Projects, he was project manager for four years with Gardiner & Theobald. His appointment is also related to the recent acquisition of Providence Projects Ltd by Fahy Fitzpatrick Ltd. Fa hy F i tz p a t r i c k Co n s u l t i n g Engineers, incorporating Providence Projects, now provide the following

JCB has recruited one of the car industry’s leading engineers to the position of group engineering director.

Michael Mohan, 44, has joined JCB from Jaguar Land Rover, where he was strategic business office director. In his role, Michael will be responsible for all aspects of engineering throughout the JCB Group. Before joining Jaguar, Michael worked for Rolls Royce Aero.

Michael Mohan

Belfast Sewers Project Reaches Completion The Sewers Project in Belfast which cost £160m - was officially opened recently by the NI Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy who ‘launched’ the major stormwater pumping station to mark its completion.

Work has been going on since 2006 to upgrade the existing sewer networks and reduce the risk of flooding. Northern Ireland Water said the project is one of the biggest infrastructure schemes to be completed in Northern Ireland.

About 500 existing sewers have been upgraded at a cost of about £40m, while the stormwater management programme involved the construction of the

network of tunnels at a cost of about £120m. The station will be able to pump the equivalent of an Olympic swimming pool in less than two minutes. The project employed more than 300 personnel during construction work, which included a tunnel network running at depths of up to 30 metres.

Morgan Est, part of Morgan Sindall plc, were the leading engineering contractors on the Belfast Sewers Project.

They were responsible for the construction of all shafts and tunnels for the project. Morgan Farrans was the main contractor, alongside NI Water’s appointed project managers, Atkins.

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Construction & Property News June 2010

Award Winning Builders’ Providers

Olly Dunne, managing director of Contech Building Products, presenting the award to Peter Cosgrave with Thomas Cosgrave (left) and Nicholas Cosgrave (right) of Grange Builders Providers. Baldoyle-based Grange Builders’ Providers has been awarded the accolade of Irish Hardware Magazine Trade Counter of The Year 2010, sponsored by Contech Building Products, Suppliers of Tec 7. The result was announced at an awards ceremony in the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin on 8 June. Irish Hardware receives hundreds of entries for its annual awards and the Trade Counter category is always a hotly contested one. Martin Foran, editor of Irish Hardware, said that the finalists were representative of merchants right throughout the country who had been ‘putting their best foot forward’ in the face of a challenging economic environment, especially for this sector of the industry.

IFS Wins Kildare Route Project IFS have successfully handed over its IFS Digital Project Manual for the Irish Rail Kildare Route Project.

IFS were appointed for a three-year period by Irish Rail to ensure that a comprehensive IFS Digital Project Manual was produced at project completion and handover in 2010 to Irish Rail.

The role of IFS as the construction handover documentation coordinator involved the management and coordination of all construction handover documentation for the entire project for Irish Rail.

IFS has implemented its construction handover documentation software and service in the form of the IFS Digital Project Manual on over 250 separate capital projects of various size, scale and complexity, including large capital projects such as the new Aviva Stadium, Microsoft Datacentre, Wyeth - Product Development Centre, and the newly completed €350m Irish Rail Kildare Route Project. IFS have also been appointed to several major construction projects in the UK. IFS Digital Project Manual is a secure application allowing multiple users to view, manage, search and update Health & Safety File information and providing the users with a lifecycle resource tool that allows effective

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navigation and management of all construction handover documentation. The application acts as a comprehensive information guide for the

Opera House Strikes Right Note with Architects

Wexford Opera House has won an international architecture award for Excellence in Design, the seventh architecture award the building has received since its opening in 2008.

The award was one of only six given this year by the American Institute of Architects.

The judging panel described the opera house as ‘an exceptional insertion into Wexford’s skyline’. It commended the skill with which such a large building had been embedded in the town so that from many angles it was barely noticeable, but from the city’s waterfront ‘its large scale has been successfully orchestrated through careful arrangement of its forms, resulting in a rich townscape composition alongside Wexford’s two Puginian church spires’.

The panel was also impressed by the scale and elegance of the main auditorium, which only revealed itself after entering a modest entrance door off a small street, heightening the sense of drama on entering the building.

The opera house has also won the 2010 Civic Trust Award, 2010 LAMA Award, the 2009 RIAI (Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland) Best Cultural Building Award and a RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Award. building’s owners and building’s managers, providing a complete understanding of the building, its intended performance and its systems.

IFS recently received ISO 9001 2008 for its quality management system.

(l-r): Colin Grimes, Irish Rail civils manager; George Harold, IFS; Kieran Beggan, IFS; Barry McCarthy, Irish Rail mechanical and electrical manager and Dave Vaughan, construction manager

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GAA Project to Create 200 Building Jobs An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission to Parnell’s GAA Club in Coolock for a €20m sports facility in Coolock village on 13 May last. It is estimated that 200 people will be employed during the construction phase of the project.

The development includes two all-weather pitches as well as a sand-

based grass pitch, a sports hall with a championship-sized basketball court, a fully equipped gym and a sports therapy centre, as well as a new clubhouse with a function room facility. The three pitches will have state of the art floodlighting which minimises light pollution and the latest green energy and water conservation technologies will be incorporated into the facility.

The new campus will be built on 12 acres of land at Chanel College which is being sold to the club by the Marist Fathers. The Marists and Parnell’s have worked closely on the project and included in the scheme is a small development of 17 houses and 53 apartments. The development will also include a

medical centre and pharmacy at the entrance to the club in Coolock village.

Architect Charles Robey, who has been working on the scheme since early 2008, is now advancing the project in partnership with Lambe + Tyndall Architects + Designers who have also been appointed as interior designers for the fit out of the clubhouse.

has liabilities of €14.8m. The accounts state that a number of the directors had provided personal guarantees to cover the company’s liabilities.

filing from the office shows. The debt is being pursued on behalf of Gary Smith, owner of the Submarine pub in Crumlin, Dublin, and Ivor Dougan, a native of Northern Ireland, who project managed the Jervis Street Centre development in Dublin. In December 2008 a case taken

by Mr Dougan, Mr Smith, Pascal Taggart, Terry Cooney and Shane Taggart was struck out in the Commercial Court after the court was told the matter had been settled with Mr McNamara. However, the case was re-entered last February and in May an execution order was issued. A judgment mortgage certificate was also issued, allowing for the registration of the debt against property belonging to Mr McNamara. The effect of the order is that the property concerned cannot be sold without the debt being settled.

Pascal and Shane Taggart and Mr Cooney are understood to have decided not to go ahead with the pursuit of the debt and did not take part in the re-entry of the case in February. The debt arises from a plan to develop a shopping centre in the area of the Westbury Hotel and surrounding streets. Mr McNamara was a 76% shareholder in the deal and contracted to buy the others out. However, he found it difficult to raise the finance to close the deal. After the 2008 settlement, he paid €5m but was unable to pay the remaining €2.5m when it came due this January. The €2.15m figure is understood to be the amount of the debt that is due to Mr Smith and Mr Dougan.

n troubled traders Uniform Construction, which built the €75m Southern Ring Road around Limerick city, has gone into receivership.

Accountant Myles Kirby has been appointed receiver by the Clare-based Whelan Group, which previously had a holding in Uniform.

Ulster Bank has appointed accountancy firm KPMG as receiver over the assets of Dublin development company Woodgreen Builders. The company has total liabilities of €24m. The bank has taken possession of a number of houses in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, as well as development land and properties in Laytown, Co Meath. Woodgreen Builders was formerly controlled by developer Joe Kenny but he resigned from the company last year and is no longer involved.

Accountant and developer Sebastian Devlin is a director of the company. In addition to appointing a receiver over Woodgreen, Ulster Bank also appointed a receiver over assets of a number of related companies.

Dublin-based concrete firm, Fernwave Ireland, has gone into liquidation with debts of €1.5m. Accountant Michael McAteer was appointed liquidator earlier this month. The company’s main asset is a €2m Agusta helicopter.

Ulster Bank has seized a number of landmark property schemes from companies connected to Frinailla Developments in an effort to shore up a

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€100m exposure to the Cork development group. The bank has appointed a receiver over three of the group’s large scale developments in the Cork region. Acting on foot of charges over two companies, the bank has taken possession of a development in Douglas in Cork, as well as a retail and residential development in Dennehy’s Cross on the outskirts of the city. The bank has also taken control of a large development in the Sunday’s Well area of the city as well as a number of other small plots of land. The bank has installed Kieran Wallace, head of insolvency with KPMG accountants, as receiver. Kieran Wallace was appointed receiver over two companies, Oakdon and Castle Treasure Homes which, in turn, control the assets.

Frinailla Developments is controlled by members of the Cork-based Conway family, including Michael Conway senior, Kieran Conway and Michael Conway junior. According to company filings, Oakdon owed creditors €25m at the end of March 2009. The company’s accounts state that Ulster Bank has an assignment over insurance policies on the lives of Michael Conway junior, Kieran Conway and another company director Paudie Dennehy, to the amount of €2m. In addition, the bank also has a lien over a cash deposit of €3.5m, of which €1m is available to invest in Castle Treasure Homes. Accounts for Castle Treasure Homes show that it

A group of related companies involved in construction and property development was wound up by the High Court on 17 May. Ms Justice Mary Laffoy appointed Carl Dillon of accountancy firm Moore Stephens Nathans as liquidator to Askon Homes Ltd, Askon Properties Ltd, Askon Investments Ltd, Lance Homes Ltd, Lance Investments Ltd, Lance Properties Ltd, Lordford Land Ltd and Vilbrook Construction Ltd. The court heard that the companies had failed to satisfy a tax bill of almost €4m and Ms Justice Laffoy said that she was satisfied to make the winding up orders because the firms were insolvent and unable to pay their debts. The High Court had previously adjourned the matter to the 17 May sitting of the court to allow the company time to come up with a proposal to pay the tax demand but counsel for the Revenue said that nothing suitable had been put forward.

The seizure of art and other valuables from the Ailesbury Road home of Bernard McNamara came on foot of a warrant to the Dublin City Sheriff’s Office for the collection of a €2.152m debt arising from a property deal. The sheriff’s office was acting on foot of a warrant dated 12 June, 2008, for the collection of €2,152,818, a

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Construction & Property News June 2010

n profit & loss SIAC Holdings made €5m in profits last year. The parent of the Siac group of construction and civil engineering businesses said turnover last year dropped to €282m from €414m the previous year. It said pretax profits fell by more than 30% to €5m in 2009, compared to €8.4m the previous year. With the rate of new contracts coming on stream in Ireland slowing rapidly, the group has begun focusing more of its efforts on overseas markets. The group’s balance sheet remained strong last year. Net assets grew slightly to €46.5m at the end of 2009 from €45m 12 months previously. It had cash in hand of €36.6m.

Losses at builders’ merchant and DIY group Dublin Providers Ltd more than trebled to €1.4m last year as the construction downturn continued. The company’s accounts for the year show that sales fell 33% to €51.7m from €78.1m in 2008. The group’s operations lost €1.2m in 2009, 10 times the €12,000 loss it recorded the previous year. A €200,000 interest bill on its bank loans and overdrafts boosted pretax losses to €1.4m, over three times the €385,000 that the company lost

in 2008. The report says that DPL has a relatively healthy pipeline of acquisition opportunities. The group’s balance sheet remained strong, with shareholders’ funds of €57m at the end of 2009, a slight dip on the €58m it reported 12 months earlier. The value of fixed assets held by the group increased last year to €46.6m.

Mountside Partners, the Irish investment group with interests in property and energy, made a €5.6m profit last year. The firm, which recently changed its name from Mountside Properties, also increased the value of its investments to €60m, after making acquisitions worth €8.8m during the year, according to new accounts. The company had retained profits of €7.9m at the end of June last, up from €2.3m a year earlier. Mountside had €3.5m in cash in the bank at the end of the financial year. The firm owes its banks and lenders €55m, which is secured by a legal charge over the assets of the company, according to its accounts.

Mountside’s main asset is its 20% stake in the Tynagh energy power station in east Galway, which it owns in conjunc-

Knight Frank Adventure Race

An amazing feat of sheer stamina and determination was accomplished by two of Dublin’s estate agents who successfully battled with adventure in the west of Ireland to raise funds for charity. Juliet Gethin (right), a senior negotiator in Knight Frank’s residential department, and Aisling Tannam, an office agency surveyor with Knight Frank Ireland’s commercial wing, completed one of the toughest races ever when they crossed the finishing line after 33km of the most gruelling of adventure sports.

The girls took part in the Connemara Adventure Challenge on 8 May which comprised a 4km bog run, a 1km mountain climb, followed by a 19km cycle ride, then 1.5km by kayak and, finally, a 7.5km run /walk on road and mountain. It was their first adventure race ever and they raised sponsorship in aid of their chosen charity, Cystic Fibrosis Research Trust.

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tion with GE Energy Financial Services and Gama Energy International.

Readymix says it made a €3.8m trading loss in the first three months of 2010, broadly in line with the same period last year. The loss came as revenue slumped 31% from a year earlier. Readymix said this was partly due to lower sales volumes for all its products but that prices were also continuing to drop in what it called an ‘exceptionally competitive’ market. Readymix expects revenues to continue falling for the rest of the year.

Bowen Construction has reported a nine per cent growth in profits for its operations last year.

Th e Co r k- b a se d co m p a ny h a s announced that turnover last year was down over 30% on 2008 at €140m.

Bowen’s costs fell roughly in line with its turnover, leaving it with €4.9m in operating profits in 2009, ahead of the €4.4m it recorded the previous year.

Irish International Trading Corporation, the Cork-based seller of plumbing and building materials, swung into

a loss last year after a 30% decline in sales. The company posted a pre-tax loss of €2.5m in 2009, Irish International said in recently filed accounts. Sales slumped to €35.8m from €50.8m. The drop in profits was also caused by a €1.7m writedown in the value of land in Naas, Co Kildare.

Kingspan says there is now room for measured optimism for the business this year. In a statement issued on 13 May, ahead of its AGM, it said that bad weather led to a slow start to the year, followed by a noticeable pick up in the following six weeks. The company said its sales revenue is down about six per cent on last year and that pattern is anticipated to continue for the coming months. It says its first half operating profit is expected to fall by approximately 10% over the year but that things are stabilising. ‘The sense of nervousness that prevailed in all of the group’s markets a year ago is less evident at present,’ the statement said.

‘This growing stability leads the board to believe that there is scope for a degree of measured optimism through 2010,’ it added.

Controversial M3 Motorway Opens One of Ireland’s major motorways, Clonee to North of Kells M3 Motorway, opened to traffic on 4 June.

The scheme comprises 61km of dual carriageway/motorway, with 3.8 km of two-lane, single carriageway and 15km of link roads, both single and dual carriageway. The scheme also included new toll plazas at Blackbull and Grange and 34 over bridges and 29 under bridges.

The PPP contract was awarded by the NRA to Eurolink M3 Ltd, a consortium of Spanish company Cintra Concessiones (part of the Ferrovial Group) and Irish company SIAC Construction. The detailed design and construction of the works was subcontracted to the M3 Joint Venture, a consortium of Ferrovial Agroman and

SIAC Construction. Atkins and joint venture partner, Prointec of Spain, were appointed as technical advisor to Eurolink M3 Ltd. AtkinsProintec’s main tasks included site supervision, quality auditing and detailed design reviews.

Richard Neuling, technical director at Atkins, said that Atkins-Prointec worked closely with Eurolink M3 on the scheme for the past three years, providing specialist technical advice and ensuring that a high standard of construction quality was maintained. Prointec had 12 fulltime staff working on the construction of this project over the past three years.

Atkins has extensive experience of NRA PPP projects as lead designers on both the M50 PPP and N6 Galway to Ballinasloe PPP schemes.

ITMFA Gets Funding for Eco Training Courses

The Irish Timber Frame Manufacturers’ Association (ITFMA) has announced that it is to receive funding from Skillnets to cover its training activities for the rest of 2010.

‘Training will be offered under the banner of The Eco Construction Skillnet and our programme will include courses covering both

eco home and PassivHaus design as well as a number of retrofitting courses which will be of particular interest to insulation installers and to suppliers of renewable technologies,’ says ITFMA manager Philip Mahony.

He says that the funding will also allow for the continuation of the ITFMA’s City & Guilds

accredited training course for timber frame site erectors. ‘Our ultimate aim is to ensure that timber frame dwellings in Ireland are only erected by certified personnel and this course provides the means to achieve our ambition,’ he says.

The Eco Construction Skillnet is funded by member companies and the Training Networks Programme, an initiative of Skillnets Ltd funded from the National Training Fund through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation.

1/7/10 18:08:27

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t

News 9

Construction & Property News June 2010

Dublin Cork Motorway

n In Brief McGrory Exits Examinership

Cavan-based firm McGrory Contractors exited examinership successfully last month. A scheme of arrangement for the firm was approved by Mr Justice Peter Kelly in the Commercial Court.

McGrory Contractors had been trading in Cavan and Fermanagh since 1986 but Neil Hughes of Hughes Blake was appointed examiner to the firm in February. The firm had debts of €1m at that time.

WYG Celebrates 50 Years The last leg of the Dublin Cork Motorway, the M7/M8 Portlaoise to Cullahill/Castletown PPP Motorway Scheme, was opened by An Taoiseach Brian Cowen on 28 May. The motorway was constructed by BAM in JV, part of the Celtic Roads Group (CRG). CRG comprises BAM, Iridium and NTR. The M7/M8 works involved the design, finance and construction of approximately 41km of new build motorway and its operation and maintenance commenced immediately on its opening. The project was opened four months ahead of schedule and within budget.

Landmark Alliance for Construction & Property Members of both the Society of Chartered Surveyors and the Irish Auctioneers and Valuers Institute voted in favour of the creation of a single professional body to represent the members of both organisations.

The organisation, which will be called the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI), will represent up to 4,000 property and construction professionals. The merger was approved at two separate EGMs in Dublin

earlier this month. A total of 88.4% of IAVI members voted in favour of the merger and 54% of SCS members voted in favour.

In a statement, the presidents of the two bodies, Kersten Mehl (IAVI) and Peter Stapleton (SCS) described the vote as a landmark decision and said that coming together in one body made even greater sense in the current economic climate.

It is expected that SCSI will be based in 38 Merrion Square in Dublin when it becomes operational on the 1 January 2011.

Arup Reduces Data Costs by 40% Pictured from left, Barry Ryan, head of IT, Arup and Nicola Mortimer, head of ICT, Telefonica O2 Ireland, at the announcement that O2 is the first mobile operator in Ireland to offer a wireless leased line service to business customers. One of the first organisations to adopt the new service is consulting engineering company, Arup, who have installed an O2 Point to Point wireless leased line between its offices in Dublin and Cork, replacing a fixed leased line. ‘By moving from a fixed leased line to O2’s wireless leased line we have already cut data costs by about 40%,’ says Barry Ryan. Arup is using the O2 wireless leased line as a backup to its global WAN for voice and internet communications. In addition, it replicates data on the wireless leased line so that each office has rapid access to data if there is a problem on the existing network.

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WYG is celebrating 50 years in business this year.

The company started when Ernest Green set up the engineering consultancy 50 years ago. White Young then formed in 1964 as a partnership between Ron Young and Terence White. White Young and Partners followed which became White Young Green and then rebranded to WYG in 2008. WYG Ireland employs over 300 people and has offices in Athlone, Belfast, Cork, Derry, Dublin, Kilkenny, Limerick and Sligo.

McNamara Consults in Middle East

Bernard McNamara has been travelling regularly to the Middle East in relation to work there.

According to a recent edition of the Facilities Management Middle East publication, Arabian McNamara Contracting has been engaged by Qatar Airways to work on a new terminal at Doha International Airport, with the contract having a value of between $16m and $30m. It is understood that Arabian McNamara is a joint venture involving a McNamara company and a local business group. Details of payments that Mr McNamara is due to receive for his consultancy work in the UAE have been sought by a group of private investors amassed by Davy Stockbrokers who backed the acquisition of the former Irish Glass Bottle site.

New Property Firm

Former Savills Residential managing director Wade Wise has linked up with Joe Beirne, formerly of Sherry Fitzgerald Lewis Beirne, to launch a new residential auctioneer company.

The duo will trade as Beirne & Wise and will be based on Leeson Street, Dublin. The company will allow clients to access its files online, meaning it can see the number of web hits it has and provide updates on viewings.

ESB Opens New Gas-Fired Plant

The ESB opened its newest generating station at Aghada in East Cork last month. The new plant was built over three years by French engineering company Alstom Power Ltd and cost €360m.

It will be one of the most efficient and cleanest plants in Europe and will generate enough electricity to power almost half a million homes. It was built alongside an existing generating station at Aghada and their combined capacity will make this the biggest power station in the country.

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10 News

Construction & Property News June 2010

Solar Technology Leader Makes €54m Investment Kingspan Renewables recently announced a €54m phased expansion at its Portadown facility in Northern Ireland, which aims to create 163 new advanced manufacturing and engineering jobs over the next five years.

The major phased investment commenced in 2009 and is being supported by an offer of €7.5m from Invest Northern Ireland. It will also safeguard 152 jobs. Now operational, the facility is one of the world’s most technologically-advanced solar technology productions sites. It will manufacture and distribute globally the Thermomax brand of solar vacuum tubes, including the company’s latest product Varisol.

Using high performance polymer materials, Varisol is the world’s first

completely modular vacuum tube solar collector. Each tube will now have a Varisol connector attached, allowing each Thermomax Direct Flow tube to simply click together.

‘As a result of the clear, competitive advantage that this new manufacturing facility provides, we envisage growing our sales four fold over the next five years,’ says Noel Crowe, managing director of Kingspan Renewables and Environmental Division. ‘We have already increased growth in key renewable energy markets and are confident that, as legislation develops, and demand for innovation and sustainable energy sources continue to increase, Kingspan Renewables will maintain its position as a market leader.’

RIAI Calls for State Subsidy for Architects The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI)) has called on the State to consider subsidising the costs of those experiencing financial hardship who are seeking inclusion on the Register of Architects through a Technical Assessment process.

The RIAI’s call was made at a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on 18 May. ‘Undoubtedly some of those people applying for inclusion on the Register of Architects will face real financial difficulty,’ said the RIAI’s director, John Graby. ‘In order to address this situation, the RIAI would be prepared to provide up to €50,000 as part of a Solidarity Fund to defray the costs of applicants experiencing financial hardship provided a substantially greater proportion, ie €200,000, was provided by Government. This could then be used to assist those in genuine hardship subject to means testing.’

Mr Graby explained to the Committee that there could be up to 300 people without formal qualifications applying for inclusion on the Register – over 200 have attended information meetings organised by the RIAI over recent months. John Graby said that it was vital – in the interests of consumer protection – that those without formal qualifications should be assessed in terms of their ability to meet the standards set for inclusion on the Register.

John Graby explained that the Building Control Act provides for those without recognised formal qualifications with access to the Register of Architects through the Register Admission Examination and the Technical Assessment process. ‘The Technical Assessment route is available to those with 10 years’ or more experience at the level of an architect prior to May 2008,’ he said. ‘It involves submitting a CV showing 10 years’ experience in the field of architecture, information as to the level of responsibility for the work undertaken and a portfolio of four building projects for which the applicant was responsible. The process is very reasonable and is in line with similar Recognition of Prior Learning processes in Ireland and overseas.’

AIB to End Lease with Dunne

Northern Ireland Minister Arlene Foster with Noel Crowe, managing director of Kingspan Renewables and Environmental, at the Kingspan jobs announcement last month

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Allied Irish Banks will vacate the four blocks at the front of the bank’s head office in Dublin in July 2011 after issuing a notice to terminate its lease on the buildings to Sean Dunne’s Mountbrook.

The bank has leased the blocks in front of AIB Bankcentre, opposite the RDS on Merrion Road, Dublin 4, since Mountbrook bought the buildings and adjoining land for €207m in July 2006. AIB’s solicitors AL Goodbody wrote to Mountbrook Merrion Road Development, the company behind the property, on 23 December, 2009, saying the bank would terminate the lease on the property on 10 July, 2011. The law firm wrote to Mountbrook on behalf of Kavwall, a property leasing firm owned by AIB. AIB had agreed to rent the four blocks from Mr Dunne’s company with a mutual break clause in the lease available to both sides.

There had been an expectation within the bank that Mr Dunne’s

company would terminate the lease once planning permission was secured to redevelop the site.

Dublin City Council has yet to rule on Mountbrook’s proposal for the property, although the firm’s plans for a major office development were met with cross-party rejection from Dublin city councillors last autumn. They recommended that city planners refuse the application to demolish the four low-rise office blocks and replace them with six buildings, including one residential, up to nine storeys. The plans involve a significant intensification of the current land use, with the floor area increasing from 15,700 square metres to 52,000 square metres.

AIB has challenged Mountbrook’s right to develop the plaza part of the site at the front of the property between the blocks. Ulster Bank and Irish Nationwide Building Society provided about €165m in loans for Mountbrook’s purchase of the Bankcentre buildings and land.

1/7/10 18:08:32

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business partners for building a better Ireland Main image: Suir Bridge, N25 Waterford Bypass PPP Scheme Inset image: VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art & the George Bernard Shaw Theatre, Carlow

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12 News

Construction & Property News June 2010

IHBMA Trade Fair

(l-r): John Murphy, president, Irish Hardware and Building Materials Association (IHBMA), Maureen Ledwith, Business Exhibitions Ltd, organisers of the Hardware/DIY Home Garden Show on behalf of the IHBMA, and Brendan Maher, vice president of the IHBMA, at the official launch of the bi-annual trade fair at Citywest last month. The IHBMA has moved its flagship event – the Hardware/DIY Home Garden Show – from the RDS to the purpose-designed exhibition and convention centre at Citywest. The event will take place on 20 and 21 February 2011. ‘The remainder of this year will undoubtedly prove challenging,’ says IHBMA president John Murphy, ‘but, in the new format we have devised for the Hardware/DIY Home Garden Show, we are confident of kick-starting a major upsurge in business for 2011.’

Developers Face Action over Unauthorised Car Parks Sean Dunne and Ray Grehan are among 20 property owners facing legal action for running unauthorised car parks in Dublin city centre.

Dublin City Council is taking enforcement action against the owners of 17 car parks after warnings to close were not complied with. The Dublin Docklands Development Authority is taking one further set of enforcement proceedings while six of the car parks under scrutiny have applied for and been refused planning permission. Four of the 20 car parks have closed since coming under pressure from the local authority, though enforcement proceedings are still listed against two of these, according to a report presented to the finance strategic policy committee of Dublin City Council.

Mr Grehan opened a 200-space car park at the former veterinary college in Ballsbridge after he was refused planning permission to develop the site he paid more than €170m for in 2006. Enforcement proceedings are pending in relation to the car park, which was refused planning permission last February. City Quay

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Development Ltd, an Isle of Man-registered company run by Mr Dunne, was refused planning permission for a 64-space car park on City Quay last month. It is also the subject of pending enforcement proceedings.

Iarnród Éireann is also the subject of enforcement proceedings in relation to the unauthorised car park it is operating at Connolly Station, which the council says breaches planning regulations. An enforcement notice is the final step before a prosecution for breaching the planning law, which provides for maximum penalties of a €10m fine or two years’ imprisonment.

Other car parks which are the subject of enforcement proceedings include the former Fingal County Council offices on O’Connell Street, which was refused retention permission last month and the former Carlton site at Moore Lane, Old Warehouse in Dublin 1, which was refused permission last December. The council earned over €8m last year from its car parks but these are being undercut by the unauthorised car parks.

Building to Begin at ‘Super Prison’ Construction on the scaled-back ‘super prison’ at Thornton Hall is to begin in July.

Preliminary work at the north Dublin site, including construction of an access road and wall will begin in two months’ time. A separate tender will then be put out to bidders for the contract to construct the prison. Construction on the actual prison is expected to begin in January 2011. The prison will not be operational until towards the end of 2015.

Thornton Hall has already run up a bill of €41.8m in site costs, professional fees and security. The 2,200-inmate jail was to have been completed by the Léargas consortium, which included Bernard McNamara, but negotiation between the Irish Prison Service and Léargas broke down last May. It was initially planned that Thornton Hall be built under a public private partnership. The state now intends to pay for the prison in annual instalments over 25 years.

In 2005 the government acquired a 150-acre site at Killsallaghan near Swords, Co Dublin, for €30m to construct the prison. The price per acre was far higher than any other in the area at that time, prompting sustained criticism of then Minister for Justice Michael McDowell. The site was to be the location for a new 2,200 berth prison to replace Mountjoy Prison, including the women’s Dóchas Centre and St Patrick’s Institution for young offenders.

Major Progress on Ennis School The Department of Education and Skills has given its approval for detailed design documents to be drawn up and planning permission sought for the proposed new Ennis National School, located on the Kilrush Road, which will accommodate 800 pupils.

Minister Tony Killeen said that Minister Mary Coughlan informed him earlier this month that the proposed development has been authorised to proceed to Stage B, which includes the drafting of detailed design, planning application and tender documents. ‘This comes as a major boost to the school’s Board of Management as it will enable it to proceed to the construction phase of the project,’ he said. ‘I have been informed by the Board that architects are currently working on detailed design plans with a view to completing them within weeks. The project will be able to go to tender once the design draft is agreed and planning permission has been secured from the Council.’

The development of a replacement school on a new site was authorised by the Government in November 2006.

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News 13

Construction & Property News June 2010

‘The M50 is moving freely…’

‘The M50 is moving freely, with no major traffic delays to report.’

Twelve months ago such a statement was unheard of in radio traffic reports but is now the normal experience for up to 100,000 daily users of the motorway.

The M50 is now opened to three lanes from the M1 Interchange to the Sandyford Interchange, with a fourth lane also open between Interchanges. Recent months have also seen the M1/M50 interchange opened to traffic on a freeflow arrangement. Many of the 100,000 daily users of the M50 will have seen that the N2 and N3 interchanges are progressing well. These two interchanges, which will also have freeflow arrangements, are expected to be fully opened to traffic before the end of 2010.

Richard Neuling, project manager, Atkins M50 PPP scheme, says that the clearest measure of the project’s success is the fact that, despite its unquestionable status as Ireland’s most complex road scheme, it remains within programme and to budget.

The current upgrade of the M50 is being undertaken via a Public Private Partnership contract, which involves the upgrade and widening of 24km of the motorway, the upgrading of seven interchanges and the operation and maintenance of 42km of motorway for a concession period of 35 years. M50 Concession Ltd, the company who are carrying out this PPP contract, is a consortium including Global via Infraestructuras, Sacyr Concessions (both Spanish) and PJ Hegarty. The construction company M50D&C are also a Spanish/Portuguese/ Irish consortium involving FCC Construcción, Sacyr, Somague and PJ Hegarty.

The photograph shows one of the final viaduct beams being installed over the N3 dual carriageway last month.

Atkins Ireland are designers to the construction consortium and are responsible for design of the upgrade and widening of 24km of the motorway and the upgrading of seven interchanges, including all roadworks, structures and environmental design. Regular users of the M1 travelling under the M1/ M50 interchange will have noticed two new bridges, both in excess of 100 metres in length, and both triple

span using composite curved steel beams with a concrete deck. Both bridges were constructed over the live M1 motorway.

The largest structure on the project is a major viaduct at the N3 interchange and users of the N3 interchange southbound off ramp will have noticed the progress that has been made on this structure in recent months. The 155 metre-long viaduct has five spans and crosses

over the Dublin-Sligo railway line, the Royal Canal and the N3 dual carriageway road, using precast curved concrete beams up to 34 metres in length and 200 tonnes in weight. These beams are internally post-tensioned after fabrication and externally post-tensioned at the joints after erection on site.

Currently, the beam erection is nearing completion, and some deck sections have been poured.

Cinema Operator Anchors Treasury Scheme UK cinema operator Vue Entertainment has agreed to open a venue in the new Spring Cross centre in Ballymun, which is being developed by Treasury Holdings.

Work on Spring Cross will begin in mid-2011 and the development is set to form a centrepiece of the regeneration of Ballymun. Phase 1 of the development has a Metro station integrated into it as well as a library, restaurants, retail and other leisure uses. When built, Metro North will mean Spring Cross is 15 minutes to the city centre and 10 minutes from the airport.

‘The agreement with Vue is great news for the Spring Cross project and the regeneration area of Ballymun but also great news for North Dublin,’ says Niall Kavanagh, director of development for Treasury Holdings. ‘There is a distinct lack of leisure and restaurant uses in this part of Dublin and Phase 1 of Spring Cross will provide these much needed facilities to the area which now is home to IKEA, with the new Dublin Airport and Dublin City University close by.’

Vue currently operates one of Ireland’s biggest cinema complexes at Liffey Valley.

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CPN June 2010.indd 13

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14 News

Construction & Property News June 2010

Cork Library Opens

The Cork County Library, built by BAM, was officially opened on 22 June by Derry Canty, Mayor of County Cork. Pictured are (l-r): Martin Riordan, Cork County Manager; Shay Cleary, Shay Cleary Architects; Derry Canty, Mayor of Cork County and Theo Cullinane, chief executive officer of BAM Contractors. This new six-storey-over basement library building, which extends to 4,500 square metres, forms part of the civic campus linking to the adjacent Cork County Hall, which was refurbished and handed over by BAM in 2006. Both the library and the County Hall refurbishment were designed by Shay Cleary Architects.

Planning Sought for DART Underground Iarnród Éireann sought planning permission from An Bord Pleanála on 30 June to proceed with the €2.5bn Dart Underground in Dublin.

The plans for the DART Underground, submitted under the Transport 21 programme, involve building 8.6km of new railway – 7.6km of which will be in twin-bore tunnels. The tunnels will connect the Northern and Kildare rail lines with underground stations built at Spencer Dock, Pearse Street, St Stephen’s Green, Christchurch and Heuston Station. A new overground station would also be built at Inchicore.

Two boring machines will tunnel under the city at a depth of 24 metres and the system is expected to be up and running by 2018.

Up to 7,000 jobs are to be created each year during construction.

In a business case for the project, Colin Buchanan & Partners, an international transport and economic consultancy, said it would generate 2.4 times more than it cost and represented an investment in future economic development.

Responses to the prequalification tender are due by 20 July. The successful bidder will be responsible for the design, construction, financing, commissioning, operation and maintenance of the tunnel, as well as stations and facilities over the PPP period to last between 25 and 35 years. In return, the private partner will receive an annual payment.

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Engineering Firm Lands Major International Deal DPS Engineering, a process engineering and project management group, has landed an international deal with pharmaceutical firm GSK Biologicals.

Valued at €2m, the contract is for the design, construction, management and commissioning of a high tech human vaccine facility in Wavre, Belgium. The company will have up to 35 engineers and scientists working on the project during peak activity. Due for completion in September 2011, it will have 2,500 square metres of floor space set over two storeys, with formulation, dispensing, warehousing and office space.

The Wavre project is DPS’s 12th with the GlaxoSmithKline-owned GSK. It began work with the company in 1998 and has since completed eight projects at GSK’s Irish base in Curabinny, Co Cork and three at its vaccine facility in Wavre.

DPS has also consulted on construction projects at GSK facilities in the US, India and Hungary.

DPS has design offices in Dublin and Cork. The company also has overseas offices in Leiden in the Netherlands, which it opened in 1998. It opened a second overseas office in Singapore three years ago and has since established a base in the Middle East. DPS is targeting revenues of more than €50m within five years.

Builders Should Look to France There are major opportunities for Irish construction firms in France, according to accountancy firm Mazars. .

The Mazars Irish and Construction 2010 Outlook survey highlighted that over 80% of construction firms in the Irish market rely on indigenous work.

But as investment in infrastructure continues to contract in Ireland, both in the public and private sectors, firms are being forced to look at wider markets, and, according to Mazars, France has the most potential.

According to Roger Alexander, Head of Mazars’ Project Finance, and of the Mazars Belfast Office, unlike Ireland and the UK, France has remained immune to a collapse of its commercial property

market and has a strong pipeline of public sector projects which offer opportunities for Irish construction firms. ‘It is forecast that the French construction industry will still be valued at around €166bn in 2010, as opposed to €177bn at its peak in 2007,’ Mr Alexander said. ‘Whether due to the degree of risk aversion, the market’s maturity or other factors, France has remained immune from a collapse of its commercial property market and has had a strong pipeline of public sector projects, including PPP (public-private partnership) projects. Indeed, France has one of the most dominant pipelines of PPP and infrastructure projects in Europe, by way of transport, social accommodation and renewable energy.’

61% Drop in Planning Approvals The number of planning permissions granted in the first three months of 2010 fell by 61.1% compared to the same time last year.

The figures are contained in a report from the Central Statistics Office.

The figures show that planning permission was granted for 5,510 new homes.

This compares with 14,177 in the first three months of 2009. The CSO says that planning permission was granted to build 3,585 houses in the first quarter of the year, a 65% slump on the figure of 10,256 in the first quarter of 2009. It also says that permission was given to build 1,925 apartments in the first three-month period compared with 3,921 at the same time in 2009, which is a fall of 50.9%. One-off houses accounted for 28% of all new units granted planning permission.

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News 15

Construction & Property News June 2010

Corus Responds to Steel Gauge Concerns Corus Colors has published a new technical paper – ‘The effect of gauge on pre-finished steel roof and wall cladding performance’ – which provides an overview of the key role gauge must play in the development of effective roof and wall cladding systems.

Corus has published the technical paper in response to increased confusion in the market place regarding the measurement and description of the gauge (thickness) of pre-finished steel and the impacts this can have on the design

of the building envelope.

The technical paper has been developed to give advice to specifiers on how to measure gauge, standards and tolerances that must be considered and how these should be applied to ensure maximum building performance.

The gauge of pre-finished steel coil or sheeting plays a vital role in the physical properties of roof and wall cladding systems and can have a real impact on structural and aesthetic performance. Increasing financial pressures have

encouraged manufacturers to specify lightweight gauge materials. As a result of manufacturers using lightweight gauge materials, the construction industry is facing situations where cladding systems are not meeting the requirements of the European EN 10143:2006 standard for gauge.

Reduced gauge pre-finished steel cladding is more susceptible to visual defects, which may result from slightly misaligned secondary steelwork and fasteners. For these reasons, it is often recommended that a heavier gauge material is specified. Using under-gauge material will seriously compromise the aesthetic qualities of the facade and should not be specified.

Bam Building Agreed For Carlow Developers Seek NAMA Convent on College Street.

Museum Carlow County Museum is being A modern building, showcasing Carlow’s rich past, is on the way with recent news of a planned project to construct a new Carlow County Museum.

Carlow Town Council appointed Bam Building Ltd of Kill, Co Kildare as the main contractor on the project in April. The council said that the museum will help cater for the cultural and educational needs of the community and provide a much-needed indoor heritage tourism amenity for the county. The new development also involves the restoration of the former Presentation

developed in association with the Carlow Historical and Archaeological Society. The overall contract to construct the new facility will run to €1.1m.

The museum construction design team includes Ivor Bowe, Bowe Consulting Engineers, Andy Quinn of McCullagh Lupton Quinn quantity surveyors and Eddie Doyle of Doyle Environmental.

The museum will be opened in the former Presentation Convent in mid-2011, which is also the 200th anniversary of the Order’s arrival in Carlow town.

MBCA Charity Donation

Funds to Finish Projects The 10 developers whose loans were taken over by the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) in March are seeking up to €1.5bn from the agency in order to complete projects.

The developers, who have loans totalling €16bn, informed NAMA that they need about €1.5bn more to meet their day-to-day costs and to finance the completion of developments. The requests are contained in business plans submitted by each developer to NAMA. As part of the process, they have ranked their various developments and properties based on their suitability for completion and potential return for NAMA. The agency is still working on the business plans with a number of the developers.

NAMA has a €5bn fund for developers to continue projects but has stressed to all developers that it will make funds available if it is presented with compelling evidence that it makes financial sense to do so. NAMA is also seeking a full repayment plan from each developer, including the expected quarterly repayment schedule for each of the next three years and details of all the actions that will be taken to ensure NAMA gets its money.

Ringsend Sewer Work Gains Funding

The Master Builders and Contractors Association recently made a donation of €15,000 to charity in memory of Galway consultant Rory O’Connor. Rory O’Connor was a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in University College Hospital Galway from 2000 until his death in December 2009 from Motor Neurone Disease. Pictured presenting the cheque to Derbhla Wynne, Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA), are Michael O’Sullivan, immediate and past president of the MBCA, and Siobhan O’Connor, wife of the late Rory O’Connor. This donation was the surplus which was raised at the MBCA annual dinner last year and is donated to the president’s nominated charity. All funds received will go towards helping people with Motor Neurone Disease, by providing specialised equipment and assistance towards home help. The IMNDA has set up groups regionally throughout the country to help raise funds and awareness of MND. If anyone would like to get involved in fundraising for the Galway group of the association, freefone 1800 403 403 or email info@imnda.ie

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Wastewater treatment works are likely to expand to full capacity at Ringsend following an Environmental Impact Assessment

by Dublin City Council announced last month.

Environmental Impact Assessment by Dublin City Council now looks set to advise extension of treatment systems with €74m funding. Extending the existing treatment systems on the Ringsend site, combined with a sea outfall discharge, appear to be the most beneficial option for increasing the capacity of the Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Works. This would involve the construction of an alternative discharge point approximately 10 kilometres offshore due east of Dublin, which will meet with all

EU and Irish discharge standards from the existing works and from the proposed extension.

A total of €74m was earmarked over as part of the recently published 2010 – 2012 Water Services Investment Programme.

The Environmental Impact Assessment will include an analysis of the environmental impacts of a number of extension options and there will be public consultation before the Environmental Impact Statement is completed and submitted to An Bord Pleanála for approval in the second half of 2010.

The 2005 study also recommended that a new regional wastewater treatment works should be constructed in north county Dublin.

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16 PPPs us

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Construction & Property News June 2010

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Project 17

Construction & Property News June 2010

Tunnel Vision Becomes a Reality

A view from inside the tunnel – May 2010

Four years is a long time to spend on a construction site but that is what it has taken to achieve practical completion on the Limerick Tunnel. Tom King, general manager of DirectRoute (Limerick) Ltd, talks to Maev Martin about managing the largest infrastructural project in the mid-west region.

The Limerick South Ring Road Project consists of two phases - Phase 1 connects the Dublin Road N7 to the Cork Road N20/21 and was completed in May 2004. The Limerick Tunnel is phase 2 of the Limerick South Ring road project connecting the Dublin Road, N7 to the Ennis Road, N18.

The Limerick Tunnel route starts at the Rosbrien Interchange where it connects into the N7 Southern Ring Road Phase 1. The scheme comprises 10 kilometres of dual-lane dual carriageway built to motorway standard, 2.3 kilometres of single-lane dual carriageway (the West Link from the Clonmacken roundabout to the Tunnel entrance), the tunnel itself under the River Shannon, a 750 metre causeway across Bunlicky Lake, 11 bridges (there is a bridge for every kilometre of motorway), six underpasses to accommodate farmers and landowners, and two toll plazas – one at Clonmacken and one at

CPN June 2010.indd 17

the mainline near Cratloe.

Like the Jack Lynch Tunnel in Cork, the Limerick Tunnel is an immersed tube tunnel and it is just 25 metres longer than the Jack Lynch tunnel. The overall tunnel length is 900 metres, including tunnel approaches. The covered section is 675 metres. The tunnel consists of five immersed tube tunnel elements connected to the north and south tunnel cut and cover approaches. The five tunnel elements were cast in a linear casting basin allowing them to be floated out in sequence and sunk into a pre-dredged channel across the river.

Tunnel Construction Challenges

‘There were a number of challenges to be faced during the construction of the tunnel,’ says Tom King. ‘The first big challenge was to build a casting basin on the north side of the River Shannon where the tube tunnel elements

could be constructed. The casting basin was almost three quarters of a kilometre in length, 30 metres wide and 11 metres deep. We also built a float out channel to connect the casting basin to the Shannon. On the south side we built a cofferdam which was almost 200 metres in length and 11 metres deep to allow us to build the southern cut and cover section of the tunnel, which was 120 metres long. The casting basin on the north side of the tunnel was created in order to build the five immersed tube tunnel elements, each of which was 100 metres long.

Each 100 metre immersed tube tunnel element was constructed in 20 metre segments and floated out into place in 100 metre sections.’

Each group of five tunnel segments had to be post stressed prior to float-out in order to stabilise the entire 100 metre tunnel element.

Once each tunnel element was placed in the pre-dredged channel the post-stressing tendons were cut to accommodate the articulation of the elements.

Work on both sides of the tunnel had to be carried out in parallel. While the immersed tube tunnel elements were being cast on the north side of the river, the construction joint venture was building the cut and cover section of the tunnel on the south side and carrying

1/7/10 18:08:45

18 Project

Construction & Property News June 2010

Above: A view of segment 1 of tunnel element 5 under construction in the casting basin – this is the first of five tunnel elements to be built.

Right: A group photo taken when the south side of the river was connected to the north side during winter 2008 – top row: Koos Van Der Geer, Van Oord; M Kravutske, Strabag; D Pateman, NRA – middle row: S Curran, Roadbridge; J O’Connor, Sisk; T Meagher, NRA; J Barrett, Lagan; T Bryson, NRA and J McGetrick, Sisk – front row: J Hayden, Sisk; T King, Sisk; M McGuire, Lagan; S Nuttall, Sisk and S McLoughlin, Sisk. out the river dredging. Half a million cubic metres of the river bed was dredged to create the channel for the tunnel. ‘The dredging had to be done in the months of May, June and July in order to accommodate the float out of the immersed tubes,’ says Tom. ‘If that hadn’t been co-ordinated and we had missed the dredging window, which was in place to protect seasonal migration of the salmon up the river, the float out could have been postponed by a year.

The first float out of an immersed tube tunnel element took place in September 2008.’

The construction of the cofferdam, casting basin and float out chamber were temporary works. The permanent works on the tunnel project were the cut and cover tunnel on the south side, the immersed tube tunnel elements and the dredging works.

Once the south side cut and cover section was completed, along with the dredging and casting of the five immersed tube tunnel elements, the

CPN June 2010.indd 18

next phase was the floating out of each of the tunnel elements in succession onto the river.

‘Foynes Port Authority gave us a four-day period to carry out each individual immersion,’ says Tom. ‘The tubes were floated out at a rate of two metres per minute. It was quite slow because each unit weighed about 20,000 to 21,000 tonnes and the river is tidal, so we had to calculate the force on the winches that we used to float out the elements (pontoons, winches and jacks facilitated the immersion). The unit was lowered into position on the dredged river bed.

We built large ballast tanks in each of the tunnel elements and we had two survey towers on each unit which surveyors used to check the accuracy of the horizontal and vertical alignment of the tunnel elements. When the units were correctly positioned, additional ballast was pumped into the units to keep them in position and a mixture of sharp sand and water was pumped into the void between the bottom of the units and the

river channel. The supporting jacks were then removed and final positioning checks carried out to verify alignments. The sand and water slurry was pumped in through a network of pipes built into the base of the tunnel elements and arranged in such a fashion as to ensure that the void under the elements was filled.

Approximately 3,500 cubic metres of sand was pumped in under each unit. Once the slurry pumping was completed, locking fill was installed around the unit. That process had to be completed before the next unit was floated out onto the river. Once the five immersed tube tunnel elements were in place a crew installed the remaining fill to cover the immersed tube elements. Finally, a layer of rock armour was placed over the roof of the tunnel, which is designed to protect the tunnel from propeller scour or from damage due to a ship running aground. The designers based their design upon the largest ship that could navigate the River

1/7/10 18:08:49

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1/7/10 18:08:49

20 Project

Construction & Property News June 2010

A view of tunnel elements in the casting basin prior to float out – July 2008

Shannon at high tide.’

After the five tunnel elements were in place, construction began on the north cut and cover section, which is 60 metres, and the north and south approach ramps.

Plant Installation

Following the completion of the immersed tube and the cut and cover sections of the tunnel, the construction joint venture began building the superstructure that would house the plant rooms on the north and south cut and cover ends. The mechanical systems include the tunnel ventilation systems, pumps and sumps to manage accidental spillages in the tunnel, and fire water storage and distribution systems. The tunnel ventilation buildings on the south end and north end of the tunnel each house five Saccardo fans which can purge the tunnel of smoke in the event of a fire. The electrical systems include the tunnel lighting, fire alarm systems, noxious gas detection and standby power generation. The automation systems include Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems (SCADA) and Intelligent Traffic Management Systems (ITS). ‘The plant and equipment installation is complete so we are now testing and commissioning the mechanical, electrical and automation systems in the tunnel,’ says Tom. ‘The plan is to finalise the testing and commissioning of the tunnel by mid-July. The contract completion date is

A view of the mainline toll plaza – winter 2009

CPN June 2010.indd 20

Tunnel element ‘Brigid’ being immersed in the Shannon – September 2008

17 September but we hope to open the tunnel before that.’

Concrete Manufacturing

The strength of the concrete used in the construction of the tunnel had to be 50 neuton per square millimetre, there couldn’t be any through cracks in the structure, and the crack width couldn’t exceed one fifth of a millimetre.

‘This meant that the manufacture of the concrete was a major challenge because the construction joint venture had to come up with a mix design and a methodology for constructing the tunnel elements to the standard required,’ says Tom. ‘The chemical reaction for curing the large concrete elements that we were dealing with generates a lot of heat which leads to cracking so we employed a specialist company from Belgium to calculate the temperatures that might cause stress cracks. We did full scale trial casts and came up with the best solution on the sixth trial cast. The solution was to embed a matrix of pipework in the walls and roof of the 20 metre sections of the immersed tube tunnel elements and to pump chilled water through those sections at a predetermined temperature to ensure that the curing temperature never got above a predetermined level. We did that for each 20 metre section during the casting phase. A twin batching plant was set up on site

by Roadstone which had a capacity to produce 200 cubic metres of concrete per hour.’ A trial

cast report compiled by the construction joint venture for the National Roads Authority took three and a half years to compile.

Difficult Ground Conditions

The majority of the existing ground levels on the scheme were so low (approximately two metres above sea level) that most of the mainline had to be built up by over three metres to a level of 5.2 metres above sea level to ensure protection from flooding. ‘This involved the importation of 3.5 million m3 of fill material to build the embankments, which is unusual for a road project,’ says Tom. The difficult ground conditions presented many engineering problems, including ground stabilisation. ‘Ground stabilisation was a major difficulty on the project,’ says Tom. ‘It took two years to get settlement to the level where the ground could be built on. We employed a system of vertical draining to stabilise the ground. A geo-textile fabric tube was forced down 12 to 14 metres beneath the ground and provided a passage for ground water to be extruded into a drainage layer and to go into the ground drains.

That helped settlement to occur at a controlled rate. Settlement took up to two years, and more, in parts of the site.’

Lagan-owned UK firm Dew Piling carried out the piling for the bridge structures and the approach ramps and Sisk also employed

A view of Bridge 11 under construction

1/7/10 18:08:53

Project 21

Construction & Property News June 2010

Aerial view of the Shannon showing area where the tunnel crosses the river

A view of St Nessan’s Road Bridge B04 nearing completion

Murphy International Ltd to carry out some piling for the bridges. Roadbridge carried out the majority of the sheet piling on the project.

by the construction joint venture at various stages of the project.

The National Roads Authority had a 14-strong team on site, led by Tom Bryson, which checked that the job was installed, designed and commissioned in accordance with the contract.

The Limerick Tunnel will be the first tunnel to be built from cradle to completion in Europe under the May 2006 Tunnel Safety Directive.

The NRA has to certify that the tunnel is fit for use under that legislation. In addition to its site team, the NRA employed design checkers – Danish consultancy COWI A/S – who checked the civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and automation aspects of the tunnel, and RPS, who acted as design checkers for the roads and bridges.

The Project Team

The National Roads Authority awarded the PPP contract for the construction, operation and maintenance of the Limerick Tunnel to DirectRoute (Limerick) Ltd on 18 August 2006. DirectRoute (Limerick) Ltd consortium comprises six shareholders - Allied Irish Banks (Holdings & Investment) Ltd, John Sisk & Son Holdings Ltd, Lagan Holdings Ltd, private equity fund Meridiam Infrastructure Finance, Roadbridge Ltd and Austrian construction firm Strabag AG. The structure of the contract is that the PPP company - DirectRoute (Limerick) Ltd - steps down the design and construction of the tunnel to the construction joint venture, which comprises the four construction interests – Sisk, Lagan, Roadbridge and Strabag. As general manager of the PPP company, Tom King represents the PPP shareholders, interfaces with the NRA and manages the construction of the project through the construction joint venture.

The construction joint venture awarded the design contracts to Roughan O’Donovan (civil and structural engineers for the roads and bridges), Capita Symonds (tunnel design and preliminary design of the mechanical, electrical and automation systems) and White Young Green (toll plazas design). Danish consultants Ramboll acted as design checkers on the project and the archaeologists were Eactra Archaeological Projects.

Strabag AG delivered all of the civil, mechanical, electrical, and automation work on the tunnel. Dutch company Van Oord carried out the dredging and they brought in Mergor to install the immersed tube tunnel elements.

‘Van Oord and Mergor were exemplary on the dredging and tunnel immersion aspects of the project,’ says Tom. ‘They examined and crossexamined every last detail and the final result was a very smooth operation.’

Sisk built most of the bridges on the project, including the impressive 180-metre long Bridge 11 at the intersection between the

CPN June 2010.indd 21

A Unique Project to Manage A view of the mainline approach to the South Portal across Bunlickey Lake

mainline and the N18 at Cratloe, along with the toll plazas and the underpasses. Roadbridge built all of the earthworks, embankment works and the temporary works at the casting basin. Roadbridge also opened quarries on the northside of the river. ‘They quarried rock that was suitable for fill and returned it to arable land for the landowners so that was a win-win for Roadbridge and for the landowners,’ says Tom. Lagan carried out some temporary works for the south cut and cover section of the tunnel and they built two bridges – bridges 8 and 9.

The prefabrication of the bridge structures was carried out by Banagher Concrete who worked closely with Sisk and Roughan O’Donovan.

The four members of the construction joint venture appointed all of the subcontractors on the project. These included Kirby Electrical, who were subcontracted by Strabag AG to carry out the mechanical and electrical works in the tunnel, and Foynes Engineering, who completed a number of works for Strabag AG, including the procurement and installation of doors and temporary works. O’Sheas Electrical, part of the Jones Group, installed the mainline lighting, and Holemasters was also employed

Civil engineer Tom King has been working for Sisk for five years, first on the expansion of manufacturing facilities for Vistakon in Limerick before being seconded to work on the Limerick Tunnel project. During the 1990s he was employed as a project manager by a number of pharmaceutical companies and worked with Sisk on many projects, including Wyeth’s complex in Newbridge, their nutritional plant extension at Askeaton in Limerick and a biopharmaceutical plant in Clondalkin. Before returning to Ireland in the 1990s, Tom worked on civil marine projects in Canary Wharf in London and in the West Indies. All of that experience meant he was ideally equipped to deal with the challenges presented on the Limerick Tunnel.

However, during his four years on site he did have to address a number of new areas, including managing the financing of the project and setting up the operation and maintenance of the tunnel post-construction. But the biggest challenge of all was the complex PPP NRA agreement. ‘A total of 6,000 pages of legalese define the works and that excludes drawings and technical documents,’ says Tom. ‘The document requirements on the NRA PPP contract were more onerous than any I have encountered on a pharmaceutical plant project.

I can honestly say it was the most complex contract that I’ve ever worked on.’

1/7/10 18:08:56

22 Piling & Stabilisation

Construction & Property News June 2010

Holding Ground With tender prices down a further 15% in the past 12 months, many ground engineering contractors continue to struggle with the competitive realities of the marketplace. Robbie Cousins looks at some challenges they face and asks what opportunities lie ahead for Irish ground engineering contractors.

With market conditions remaining difficult in the third and fourth quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010, it is no surprise that there have been some major shake-ups in the Irish ground engineering sector in recent times. A number of players left the market and contractors as a whole were forced to downsize in an effort to cut costs. But the shake-up has created a more efficient sector, with many of those still operating within it looking to the medium-term future with a more positive outlook than may have been the case 12 months ago.

The results of a Construction & Property News survey suggest that tender prices in the ground engineering market have fallen by at least 15% in the past 12 months, with some contractors suggesting drops of as much as 25%. A number of contractors expressed concern that some companies are trading at unsustainably low tender prices. As a result, the number of essentially skilled and experienced operatives in the sector is falling dramatically, which will result in a dearth of available skills in the sector once activity picks up. However, contractors are developing and introducing new and more sustainable methods of ground engineering and clients are reaping the benefits from these cost effective innovations.

CPN June 2010.indd 22

A Changing Sector

In September 2009, Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering (BBGE) united its divisional businesses of Pennine, Stent, Branlow, Balfour Beatty GeoEnvironmental and Testal to provide an integrated ground engineering service. The amalgamated company completed its first job in Ireland in November after it was awarded the contract to prepare the ground for the construction of a new road maintenance depot for Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Co Council at Ballyogan, south Dublin.

‘We amalgamated Stent, Pennine and Branlow to offer a stronger and wide range of geotechnical services,’ explains BBGE’s business development manager James McNeill. ‘These were all well-established companies successfully offering piling, mini-piling and ground improvement solutions into the UK and Irish markets. The amalgamation of these divisions means we can offer an integrated specialist service in the areas of ground improvement, piling and foundations, mini and micro piling, contaminated land and remediation, and testing and analysis.’

In looking at market trends James McNeill says he has noticed that the

1/7/10 18:08:58

Piling & Stabilisation 23

Construction & Property News June 2010

number of enquiries has remained reasonably constant over the past 12 months but that costs and tender prices have dropped in real terms by up to 15%. ‘Labour, plant and materials all make up a significant proportion of our costs,’ he says. ‘And while general overheads have been reduced, there is little difference in labour and plant costs but material costs have reduced somewhat, locally by up to 15%.’ In the coming year BBGE intends ‘to remain focused on our core markets with the volumes of work in Ireland expected to remain steady’. More recently, BBGE have been engaged on a range of contract types including private and public sector housing, food retails units, road maintenance depots, water treatment works, a mail centre and industrial units, most of which have been in Northern Ireland.

Colm Smyth of Trench Control says the company has adapted very well to new market conditions. ‘Trench Control have adopted a marketing strategy of getting closer to our customers to add value to our hire business by offering a free design service, on-site visits, and guaranteeing our customers that we will deliver the best price across the country,’ he says. ‘And our customers have been making full use of this, not to mention benefiting from our hands-on local service with the added bonus of free Health & Safety design advice. This, most importantly, takes the risk away from the project manager and ensures the site QS is achieving value for money.’

Colm suggests that tender prices have fallen by as much as 25%. ‘The obvious impact of the downturn has been a fall of over 25% in prices,’ he says. ‘This is being driven more by the competitive environment for

These images show Staplestown Engineering’s work in progresss on the Portlaoise Bypass for BAM. The images show cement being added to a granular material, layer thickness of 300mm, which is placed directly on the sub-grade. This improves the foundation strength of the road and hence there is a reduced capping/sub-base/surfacing thickness in the upper layers.

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1/7/10 18:08:59

24 Piling & Stabilisation

Construction & Property News June 2010

One of Conform’s integrated spreader/rotovators at work and a stand-alone rotovator in the background - the units are incorporating lime into clay material to modify and stabilise the material into a granular form that can be incorporated into the works. fewer project opportunities. However, the ability to guarantee payment on agreed contracts is a major factor for many contractors.’

A knock on issue that arises in the sector is cost management. ‘In general, the two largest cost factors are labour and equipment,’ says Colm. ‘Fortunately, Trench Control has no issue on equipment as our machines have been in service for many years and their cost has been

On the Instructions of Mr Michael Cotter (Official Liquidator) Ernst & Young,City Quarter, Lapps Quay, Cork

CainWhite Piling & Foundations Ltd. (In Liquidation) For Sale by Public Tender (In Lots) An example of some of the Lots: Large DTH 660mm Hammer System, Selection of Augers, Drill Heads, Test Equipment, Extension Rods, Stationary Cement Mixers etc.

Tenders in writing, by

3pm on Friday 16th July 2010 to Cohalan Downing

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Cohalan Downing CPN June 2010.indd 24

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covered. But labour is a large factor and the skills required in our sector are not easy to maintain in the current competitive environment as the amount of work that is available has a direct impact on staff numbers.’

Looking at the coming 12 months, Colm Smyth says he still cannot see any major change on the horizon. ‘We expect to see little improvement in piling, with infrastructure projects driven by the Government being the only significant high point,’ he says. ‘However, across our hire business we continue to have a loyal customer base and the hire of trench boxes, frames and stoppers look to be the order of the day in the coming 12 months.’

Colm believes that in the next 18 months there could be a number of opportunities. ‘The main contracts of significance will be additional waste water treatment plants, main drainage, flood protection schemes and the possible enabling works for Metro North,’ he says. ‘But the lack of private commercial projects in the pipeline could further de-stabilise the market. The problem is that at present there is a lack of information from Government on budgets for new public projects and this is creating further uncertainty. Likewise, the lack of credit to developers and main contractors is forcing them to delay projects and also to delay payment on projects completed, putting unnecessary pressure on sub-contractors.

I would like to see more localised initiatives to drive new public building projects to stimulate growth across the country and allow the smaller contractors to maintain some level of activity. There is also the continued danger of some larger contractors undercutting smaller companies to win contracts at a loss, which in turn has and will continue to force companies out of the market and reduce competitiveness.’

Ground engineering specialists Con-Form offers foundation solutions that eliminate the use of piles and reduce materials exported from and imported to sites. Con-Form’s UK and Ireland sales and marketing manager, Tim McKee, explains that the company has been operating primarily along the east coast corridor and in Northern Ireland, ‘targeting companies that are ideally suited to benefit from our remediation capabilities and specialist patented systems for both remediation and foundation solutions’. He says that, while the market remains very poor, Con-Form have remained competitive because of their ‘unique’ service offering and Tim is very buoyant about market conditions in the coming 12 months. ‘As a company we will exceed €14m turnover this year, which will be a jump of 60% on last year,’ he says. ‘However our biggest worry is fuel prices as one of our major costs is the transport of lime from source. We would also like to see more sustainable tender pricing within the market.’

1/7/10 18:09:02

Construction & Property News June 2010

Elaine Gibson of Wexford-based Staplestown Engineering reports that the company has maintained its business by lowering prices while pushing productivity as far as it can. ‘Our reputation for good service in the past few years has stood us well as we continue to get repeat business,’ she says. ‘We strive to be better than the competition by keeping our plant and machinery, as well as design methods, up to date. We also provide an in-house design and technical back-up service, which has proven to be very valuable to clients. We continue to see tender prices dropping as the market gets even more competitive. And enquiries, particularly in the roads sector, and, of course, housing remains low. We have also suffered, as other subcontractors have, in winning contracts only to find that they are put on hold indefinitely due to funding issues. Elsewhere, there is obviously a cut-off pricing point that we can’t go below without making a loss. Unfortunately, some contractors are operating at these low levels and that will not be sustainable.’

Staplestown Engineering has completed a number of significant projects in the past year for clients such as BAM, SIAC Ferrovial and Shannon Valley Developments. Works include the improvement of the 300mm Cement Bound Granular Material (CBGM) layer on the main

alignment of the Portlaoise Bypass. A similar contract was carried out at an Aldi Distribution Centre in Mitchelstown, Co Cork. Both projects were for BAM. The company is also carrying out ongoing modification work for SIAC Ferrovial on the M3 Motorway and has treated grounds at Phibblestown, Dublin for Shannon Valley Developments. ‘We stabilised 3,500m3 of unsuitable material with the addition of lime for use in a new school development for Shannon Valley Developments,’ says Elaine.

Tensar specialises in roads, retaining wall structures and embankment ground stabilisation.

Their Irish distributor is TAL Distribution Ltd. A spokesperson for Tensar says that the company has remained successful in Ireland by sticking

CPN June 2010.indd 25

Piling & Stabilisation 25

Vacuum Consolidation Improves Peat Ground Conditions Trinity College Dublin is currently testing This was achieved by pushing in three an innovative technique, known as vacuum settlement cells and four piezometers at the consolidation, to improve peat ground centre of each subarea, at different depths. conditions, as part of the National Roads One of the remaining piezometers was located at the inner edge of the site to investigate the Authority Fellowship initiative.

In July 2009 National Vibration Monitoring broader effect, while the other was placed Ltd were contacted by Eric Farrell of Trinity outside to observe if the vacuum pressure has College Dublin to provide geo technical any effect outside of the studied area. The instrumentation for a vacuum consolidation surface barometer/thermometer and one of the field trial. Through NVM’s agency and close settlement cells are connected to data loggers affiliation with Geosense Instrumentation UK, taking hourly readings, allowing constant NVM supplied monitoring instrumentation monitoring of the test.

The field trial has been running continuously and provided backup to the field trial by way of installation support and data acquisition.

The following is an update on how this first of its kind project is currently performing.

Vacuum consolidation is a ground improvement method used to accelerate ground settlements and increase the shear strength of soft soils using the atmospheric pressure as a temporary surcharge. The surface of the ground is covered by a geomembrane and the air pressure beneath this sheet is reduced using a vacuum pump. Prefabricated vertical drains are used to accelerate A before and after shot showing the effects of vacuum the flow of water from the peat. This consolidation to accelerate the flow of water from the peat technique has not been used before in this country.

The TCD/NRAVacuum Consolidation field trial is being carried out at Bórd Na Móna grounds on the Ballydermot bog, Co Offaly. The field trial comprises a heavily instrumented 10 metre x 10 metre area where 98 vertical drains were driven down to a depth of 2.65 metres from the surface. To investigate the effect of the spacing of the drains in the ground improvement, two sub areas were built, one with 0.85 metre spacing and a second with 1.20 metre spacing.

The test was required to measure settlement, for over five months, through the winter and positive and negative pore water pressure, spring of 2009 and 2010. The information barometric pressure, temperature, water table gathered from the instrumentation system has allowed Trinity College to understand and rainfall.

The instrumentation for this test section was the behaviour of the peat ground subjected to supplied by National Vibration Monitoring vacuum pressures and the effect of the different Ireland Limited/Geosense who also contributed spacing of the drains.

Commenting on the assistance provided valuable technical assistance. The system includes six push-in Vibrating Wire Settlement by NVM/Geosense to the project, Juan Pablo Cells, 10 push-in Vibrating Wire Piezometers Osorio Salas (BEng, MEng) of the geotechnical (calibrated for both positive and negative research group at the Department of Civil, pressure) and a surface barometer/thermometer. Structural and Environmental Engineering at The system described was complemented with TCD says that ‘on top of reliable, accurate and 26 surface settlement plates to monitor surface easy to use instruments, I have always found settlement, 17 stand pipes to monitor water somebody willing to help me every step of the way, from the system design to the installation table and a rain gauge.

Due to the difference in spacing of the two and monitoring, with a friendly attitude, sub areas, each of them required independent whether over the phone or on site, even in the monitoring of settlement and pore pressure. worst winter we have seen in 40 years’.

1/7/10 18:09:05

26 Piling & Stabilisation

Cofferdam Construction by Trench Control at Kinsale Wastewater Treatment Plant to its core business of providing ‘economic and sustainable methods’ of stabilising poor ground for civils work. ‘As budgets are squeezed further, clients have looked for alternatives to conventional technologies such as piling, reinforced concrete etc and appreciate the benefits of geogrids,’ he says. Tensar geogrid technology has been employed on the N7 to N18 Limerick Tunnel. Work on this contract included a basal foundation stabilisation, retaining walls and general ground stabilisation for access roads, all of which was based on geogrid technology.

Construction & Property News June 2010

The main sustainable goal of ground remediation is to limit the amount of disruption and land removal from a site. And Con-Form points out that its Quick-Bio patented remediation techniques using their Eco-Warrior unit remains a proven quick and effective solution for the remediation of soil with heavy metals and hydrocarbons.

At Trench Control the geotechnical design team has been working on extending the capability of their hydraulic frames. This has resulted in the ability to deliver a framed cofferdam pit in excess of 50 metres with a complete hydraulic frame in place, reducing the need for expensive and cumbersome propping, which has improved the speed of excavation within a pit. It also enables pits to be smaller in size as additional space is not required for props and larger working room.

BBGE recently introduced a new construction material called AggReFlo, which is flowable during construction and can be produced from almost any form of excavated materials. This can be used for most backflow situations such as filling excavations, utility and service trenches. BBGE now also provides full calculations of their carbon footprint on any tendered project, which, they say, allows clients to select the piling method with the least environmental impact. And BBGE’s Stent bored and precast energy piles house closed circuit plastic piping which is used to circulate a heat transfer fluid that transports ground temperature to a central control system for building services.

Elaine Gibson of Staplestown Engineering says that in the past year

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GroundEngineer stabilisation Kevin Gibson 087 9077017 Cost effective Engineer ‘mix-in-place’ system for Staplestown, Murrintown, Co. Wexford improvement of unsuitable elaine@staplestown.ie soils. Applications include kevin@staplestown.ie bulk fill modification, www.staplestown.ie capping replacement or CBM for sub-base/ road-base layers road recyclinG Cost effective solution

for rehabilitation of failed Other services at Staplestown: road pavements. Suitable * Ground surveying for all road types from * Soil stabilisation private tracks to national roads. * Plant hire * Ground works * Demolition

Kilnock, Ballon, Co. Carlow, Ireland Tel: 00353 (0)59 9159002 / 00353 (0)86 0419524 e-mail: info@staplestown.ie

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CPN June 2010.indd 26

Concrete pile wall construction by Trench Control at St James’s Hospital the company has been very focused on developing the market for its new road recycling service. She explains that they provide the unique road recycling service for county councils, in particular. ‘It is very cost effective to rehabilitate roads that have been severely frost damaged, particularly with the weather earlier this year,’ she says. ‘It is a longterm solution that eliminates the need to continuously refill the potholes.’

Road recycling is an environmentally friendly method of rehabilitating the road structure by milling up the existing construction and adding appropriate binding agents such as cement and/or bitumen. The traditional method would be to mill up the existing damaged layers and replace with imported materials.

Road recycling is relatively new in Ireland and has been shown to provide a cost reduction of up 30% over traditional methods, as well as having a far smaller carbon footprint. There are also significant time savings (up to 60% faster Ground than traditional methods) associated Stabilisation Ltd. with this method. ‘Unfortunately, road recycling is so new that it is not yet in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges,’ says Elaine. ‘So people Elaine Gibson BEng Tech Dip MIEI are nervous about being pioneers with the technology. But we carried out successful trials in CorkGeotechnical and Sligo last Engineer year for the National Roads 0419524 Authority and for county councils086 so when it does catch on we intend to elaine@staplestown.ie be the market leaders in the field in Ireland.’

Even though tender prices remain worryingly effective cost Staplestown, Murrintown, Co.low, Wexford management, combined with some of the aforementioned innovative service offerings, are tools that successful ground engineering firms www.staplestown.ie are using to sustain them through current market conditions. And this is providing an overall better service package for their clients to avail of.

STAPLESTOWN

1/7/10 18:09:07

Building Abroad 27

Construction & Property News June 2010

Bringing the Building Boom Back Home Most construction firms are actively pursuing contracts overseas to keep their companies afloat. Paul O’Donnell, operations manager with recruitment experts Hays, identifies some lucrative business opportunities in Africa and Asia but asks what can be done to revive our ailing industry at home.

Construction should be viewed as providing the platform from which to build this vision of Ireland as a leading knowledge economy. We need a grandiose vision for our country to propel it towards full recovery where all the constituent parts of our economy work together towards this. For this to genuinely work, however, it must be recognised that the construction industry has a pivotal role to play. Then, perhaps, all the experience gained building up other countries in recent years can be applied in re-building our own.

The Irish have always had an aptitude for building and over the years we have been very successful at exporting our skill-set in this area.

Construction workers from Ireland have travelled far and wide over the last century building the infrastructure of countries such as the US, Britain and many more. We have built their roads, canals, railways, tunnels, dams and public utilities. Legacies of Irish craftsmanship can be seen all over the world. Then, when Ireland was able to build its own infrastructure, to catch up with its western counterparts, we were able to demonstrate those skills on our own turf, as some of the recent buildings and roads pay testament to. However, after a sustained period of being able to apply these skills in Ireland we

CPN June 2010.indd 27

have regrettably reverted to exporting our best talent again.

Irish contractors are an extremely attractive prospect abroad. During the boom, many of the best and brightest technical engineering graduates were attracted to the sector, given the exciting levels of activity in it. This buoyancy provided an excellent training ground for professionals in the sector to hone their expertise.

They quickly developed an aptitude for turning over civil and building projects very quickly,

with a high degree of emphasis on quality. With output in the domestic sector projected to be less than 25% of peak (€38bn in 2007) in 2010, this leaves many highly skilled contractors and professionals within the industry effectively idle. It therefore makes sense that their management and expertise should be applied in countries where infrastructure building still features prominently.

One such country is Libya. In 2008 the Italian government agreed a ‘colonial investment and reparations’ fund for Libya as an apologetic gesture for years of colonial occupation.

It involves the investment of $5bn - or $200m a year - invested over a 25-year period. This fund has been earmarked for investment in public interest projects such as roads, schools, and hospitals. When you couple this with the fact that the Libyan government is already substantially wealthy through oil, it paves the way for immensely ambitious building projects to be initiated. The Energy City project typifies the enterprising mood in Libya at the moment. This development is based 70km from Tripoli and concerns itself with the efficient harvesting of oil and gas resources in the country. Its scope

1/7/10 18:09:10

28 Building Abroad

Construction & Property News June 2010

is considerable at a total value of $5bn. It will encompass large amounts of residential, commercial, and civil work. It is no surprise then that several Irish contractors and design practices are shifting their focus towards the North African nation.

Although Libya is the most prominent and targeted country in the region, its neighbours also provide good opportunities for Irish construction. Nigeria, Algeria, and Egypt are all investing heavily in infrastructure and represent relatively stable environments in which to do business. South Africa has also invested heavily in its road network to update it in time for the 2010 World Cup and while this activity has been curtailed somewhat there are still plans to redevelop large areas around Johannesburg and Cape Town. The Australasia market holds some promise with countries like China, India, and Australia investing heavily in their infrastructure. The $8.6bn link between Hong Kong and Guagzhan in Southern China is an example of the size and scale of the projects involved.

At home, the experience gained through the Transport 21 road upgrade programme has been invaluable and places Irish companies at a strong competitive advantage for winning contracts. Establishing a presence in these markets is not easy, however. Several issues can exist, including a lack of understanding of the cultural nuances involved in doing business there. Upon entering the market contractors would understandably lack good supplier and sub-contrac-

tor relationships. Transferring your domestic business model to these regions would not be advisable and those who adopt this approach can find the venture unfruitful and unforgiving.

Conversely, when contractors complement their lack of local knowledge by entering the market with a local business partner or consultant they

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Building Abroad 29

Construction & Property News June 2010

our doorstep and generally they won’t present the significant cultural barrier. They are essentially very familiar markets to the Irish construction industry so unforeseen pitfalls are less of an issue. The UK still provides us with some excellent opportunities through the construction projects commissioned for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. A number of small, medium and large Irish construction companies have won a combined total of €200m worth of contracts for the games. The projects range from pre-cast work on the Olympic infrastructure to general building work on the Olympic village itself. However, with spending cuts looming in the UK and fiscal tightening in the EU at large, it is worthwhile considering the long-term viability of targeting these areas for work.

We would like our contractors to earn a living in Ireland and contribute positively to developing the infrastructure of the country. However, in this sustained period of non-investment it affords contractors the opportunity to maintain turnover and improve the skill base of their company. In employment terms, it provides some relief on an already struggling exchequer when these companies employ Irish workers to manage and complete these projects. For most workers it provides a much-needed outlet for them to apply their skills and provide for their families, despite the potentially straining prospect of long periods of absence from home.

These are the benefits, but we cannot ignore the fact that these people are migrating to survive and that is difficult to dress up as a positive scenario. Therefore, it begs the question, what could be done here to revive our own ailing construction sector so that international expansion strategies are seen as a complementary element to a strong domestic trade rather than a necessity for existence? The government’s approach to date has been to distance itself from the industry, despite the staggering job loss figures predicted to be over 150,000 by the end of 2010. Unfortunately, all practitioners within the industry are

CPN June 2010.indd 29

tarred with the same brush as the more speculative property developers who over-populated towns and villages with superfluous housing.

Consequently, the government appears unwilling to make the politically unpopular choice of propping up the industry during these difficult times.

There are a number of immediate actions the government could take to revive the industry that would ultimately ensure the economy as a whole would be on a sounder footing. These would be timely as we enter into the beginnings of a gradual economic recovery. Firstly, I would urge them to find creative ways to invest in the development of our country’s infrastructure. A good example of one such avenue was the CIF and ICTU’s joint proposal to invest pension funds in construction bonds to finance genuine public interest projects such as the Grangegorman University project.

Secondly, if there is to be a strategic vision of ‘brand Ireland’ as being a leading knowledge economy the infrastructure must exist to back this up. The report released by Davy stockbrokers in February 2010 essentially argues that our infrastructure lags significantly behind our European neighbours who are deemed to have vastly superior road and telecommunications networks and public services. Facilitated by some excellent work from the IDA, the economy has been thrown a lifeline through the growth of serviceled exporting (seven per cent in Q1 2010). But how can the IDA continue to pitch brand Ireland and attract companies such as Google and Facebook if our telecommunications network is so badly dated? Genuine commitment to this area is a must.

Thirdly, the asphyxiation of the sector through arrested credit flow must be addressed. It is fast becoming clear that the banks do not want to lend at this point in time. This is despite NAMA constantly being pitched as the best method to unfetter financial institutions to do just this.

Our own survey on the topic found that 62%

of construction professionals felt that NAMA would not release the banks to lend to construction companies within the next three years. This could well be a direct result of watching the heads of AIB and BOI stand in front of a joint Oireachtas committee in late 2009 and confirm that the capital investment would primarily be used to improve their funding position. This will not help the cash strapped construction sector.

The issue is highlighted further when reviewing statistics released by The Insolvency Journal, which note there were 165 insolvencies in the construction sector from January to April 2010. So the urgency is very real and very imminent. Pressure needs to be applied to the banks to ensure they meet their commitments to lending. All too often the failure to lend is explained away behind the subjective term of ‘viability’. It would be foolhardy for me to suggest that banks would not assess the viability of the businesses that they take onto their loan books. However, my feeling is that it is being utilised as an excuse to mask a general non-lending policy to businesses. The recent moves by Enterprise Minister Batt O’Keeffe to pressurise the banks on this very point are, of course, welcome but much more needs to be done to stem the flow of insolvencies in the sector.

In general, more confidence needs to be placed in the construction sector’s ability to contribute to the stabilisation of our economy in the coming years. There is still a glaring gap in progressive strategies to lift us out of the economic doldrums.

Perhaps during the boom times the emphasis switched too heavily in favour of construction being an end in itself. Fairly or unfairly, this has left a lasting impression on the reputation of the entire sector. To discard this image the industry needs to recast itself as being a vehicle for economic recovery. This is dependent on investment in the infrastructure and development of the State. Construction should be viewed as providing the platform from which to build this vision of Ireland as a leading knowledge economy. We need a grandiose vision for our country to propel it towards full recovery where all the constituent parts of our economy work together towards this.

For this to genuinely work, however, it must be recognised that the construction industry has a pivotal role to play. Then, perhaps, all the experience gained building up other countries in recent years can be applied in re-building our own.

Author Details:

Paul O’Donnell is operations manager at Hays, the recruiting expert in construction and property, and has provided recruitment solutions to the construction industry in Ireland for over nine years. Hays Ireland is part of global specialist recruiting group Hays plc, which operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments.

1/7/10 18:09:14

30 Feature

Construction & Property News June 2010

Welcome to the

Huf Haus

A private house in Germany

By Maev Martin

The interior of a private house in Germany

CPN June 2010.indd 30

During the Celtic Tiger years builders were focused on turning out buildings as quickly as possible and weren’t interested in hearing about alternative approaches to construction. While some might say that it is a difficult time to be launching a new and premium product on the Irish market, now that we are in the midst of a significant downturn in activity many construction professionals are using the time to up skill and do some research to help move their businesses in a new and, hopefully, lucrative direction.

At least that is what Huf Haus are hoping. The family-owned German firm, which is regarded as the European market leader in contemporary post-and-beam architecture, launched its full range of building services in Ireland last month. The launch, which took place at the Irish Architectural Archive, was attended by company president, Georg Huf and by the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley.

Established in 1912, Huf Haus builds just over 150 projects each year, ranging from average to larger sized homes and terraced town houses to multi-storey offices and public buildings, such as fire stations. The company manages the entire design and build process, including interiors, furnishings and landscaping. It has annual revenues of €100m and about 40% of its buildings are exported worldwide, even to China. Dublinbased Denis Byrne Architects have been appointed as the architecture partner for Huf in Ireland.

The Huf Haus post-and-beam construction is characterised by large glass areas and open-plan floor layouts. The Huf Haus ‘green revolution’ range of houses and buildings meet stringent new energy saving regulations in Germany, which require a 60% reduction in energy requirements for all new homes by 2012. They also meet and exceed EU and Irish mandatory minimum standards of energy efficiency for all new

1/7/10 18:09:20

Feature 31

Construction & Property News June 2010

homes, including heating systems that reduce waste through excessive heating, yielding overall highly beneficial Building Energy Ratings.

‘In low energy buildings, as much as 80% of the operational costs can be saved through integrated design solutions,’ says Georg Huf, president of Huf Haus. ‘Huf Haus offers a greener and a smarter way of designing, building and delivering in a cost effective way the private homes and the public buildings of the future, and that is what we believe we can contribute in Ireland.’

Huf Haus claims that, with its post-and-beam construction lies, all constructive timber parts have been provided with a high efficiency insulation layer, eliminating the usual thermal bridges. Additionally, the insulation of exterior walls has been significantly improved and the use of materials in construction has been optimised in order to achieve maximum thermal protection.

As part of the energy efficient standard specification of each ‘green revolution’ Huf house, all glass panels are made of quality controlled, triple glazed panes with a U-factor of only 0.11 BTU/(h.ft2.F). This is accompanied by the most advanced building services utilising heat pumps and self-regulating measurement and control technology. On request, Huf Haus can provide individual solutions for regenerative energy systems, including controlled ventilation with heat recovery, solar-thermal and photovoltaic systems.

Huf Haus has appointed an Irish representative in Dublin, Maggie Moran, who will help customers to plan and design their new homes.

‘With Huf Haus, new home builders have the opportunity to choose an architecturally advanced building with built-in energy efficiency and environmental sustainability,’ she says. ‘This is combined with the reassurance of timely delivery and high quality construction to the exact specifications required. We don’t have a project going forward as yet. We have a number of enquiries and some people very keen to progress.’

Is Huf Haus targeting any particular sector of the construction industry with its post-andbeam architecture? ‘Personally I would love to see the first family house here in Ireland,’ says Maggie. ‘However, I would say we are targeting all sectors - this type of construction, with its guaranteed prices, time frame, delivery date and quality, is something that appeals to all sectors. I think the Irish market is both educated about, and open to, all forms of construction and is increasingly aware of the necessity for energy efficient buildings. While in one sense, of course, it is a difficult time to launch in the Irish market, people are worried about their jobs and money is tight, in another way it’s a good time. Sites are affordable and people have the time to think about what exactly they want from a house without feeling pressured into getting onto the property ladder. They want good value, good quality and price certainty. I do see a lot of concern among Irish people about meeting the current and forthcoming regulations around

CPN June 2010.indd 31

energy efficiency and in this sense Huf houses are perfect. They address all of these issues and give guarantees in all these areas of concern.’

When it comes to the specific advantages offered by Huf Haus post and beam construction over traditional masonry construction, Maggie Moran cites the fixed prices, faster construction process, less disturbance on site and the guaranteed finish date. ‘It is important to note they are “turnkey” houses so included in the price (and delivery date) are the architects design fees, heating, plumbing, wiring, flooring, blinds etc,’ she says. ‘Your only extras are the kitchen (because they are so many options and prices – plus you can opt for a local kitchen supplier) also the site preparation and any landscaping works. However, besides all the above, there are architectural possibilities offered by this type of architecture that you can’t have in a traditional build. Because you don’t need internal load-bearing walls you can a much more open, flowing and flexible use of space.’

And what makes Huf Haus superior to other timber frame forms of building? ‘The level of quality and energy efficiency,’ says Maggie. ‘The new “green revolution” Huf houses have extra insulation layers and thicker walls, reduced thermal bridges and quality-certified triple glazing. The building materials are certified, quality-tested and ecologically compatible – no tropical woods are used. The walls have several functional layers and provide maximum thermal insulation and long life. Your children can lick and chew the internal paintwork as only non-biocide, water-based, coatings are used and on the outside of the buildings the chemical wood preservatives are all well within legal limits as Huf has many years of experience in wood preservation.’

the 2010 Building Regulation standards, which will be introduced shortly, and it was delivered using the New Engineering Contract form as a fixed price, lump sum contract. ‘The price was agreed with Huf Haus in 2004 and that is the price that the project finished at in 2006,’ says John Hanley, project manager for Nazareth House Nursing Home.

In 2004, Nazareth House Management Ltd, which includes representatives from the Sisters of Nazareth and the HSE North West Region, commissioned Huf Haus to build the 55,000 square foot care unit. Huf commenced construction in September 2005 and the overall project was completed in 14 months.

The Nursing Home, which provides high dependency nursing care, consists of three buildings. The central building is three storeys (as it has a basement) and this building is the social centre with a restaurant, chapel and communal living spaces. The two other buildings are the residential areas. The building uses three 40Kw geothermal heat pumps and is all under-floor heated.

The shell build cost was approximately €10m and the building has a 10-year warranty.

The contract also included for the first overall painting of the exterior of the building typically when the building is four to five years old.

‘We were keen for the home to be environmentally friendly with low running costs, where care units are usually warmer and require more energy than most buildings,’ says John Hanley.

‘We have created an exceptional, light-filled and comfortable home for the elderly where the quality of life and living provided in this modern new building has clearly contributed to better health, lower rates of illness and enhanced longevity for residents.’

Nazareth House, Sligo

Nazareth House Nursing Home in Sligo town is the company’s first completed project in Ireland. The home is one of the first health buildings in Ireland to employ geothermal heating. It is the only nursing home in Ireland that meets The Nazareth House Nursing home in Sligo Right: An interior shot of the nursing home

1/7/10 18:09:22

32 Retrofitting

Construction & Property News June 2010

Can Builders Retrofit Their Way out of Recession?

By Maev Martin

The first article on Super E housing appeared in Construction & Property News back in 2003 following my introduction to the concept at a briefing in the Canadian Embassy. Super E is the name given to Canada’s energy-efficient house programme for the export market, which encourages Canadian exporters of housing systems to partner or joint venture with local builders. Over 12,000 homes built with Super E technology can be found in eight different countries.

The first official Super E project in Ireland - the construction of six Super E timber frame homes in Sandymount in Dublin – was completed in 2004. Since then Super E houses have been built in various locations around Ireland, including Cootehill, Co Cavan, Westport, Co Mayo, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim, Turloughmore, Co Galway, Lismore, Co Waterford, Belmullet, Co Mayo (four houses) and Rosslare Harbour, Co Wexford (five houses).

With Super E the house is viewed as a system, building is airtight, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery is standard, and the levels of insulation are extremely high. All Super E homes must pass a number of stringent tests in order to be recognised as Super E - an airtightness test, a ventilation flow and balancing test, a computerised energy consumption test and a wall structure design verification test.

However, despite a major and sustained educational drive by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Super E has never really caught on in a significant way in the Irish market. During the building frenzy of the past decade it seems that Irish builders didn’t have time to absorb the Super E message or maybe it was because there was little in the way of a legislative imperative to thrust Super E into the mainstream.

Fast forward to June 2010 and I’m sitting at another Super E briefing, this time in the Construction Industry Federation’s offices

CPN June 2010.indd 32

in Dublin, and it seems that Super E’s time has come. Builders are using the lull in activity to educate themselves about new construction technologies and materials. In addition, they must now respond to the requirements of the new Building Energy Rating regime and to the forthcoming revisions to the 2008 Building Regulations which are likely to be out for public consultation this summer and signed into law before the end of this year. The 2008 regulations called for a 40% improvement in energy efficiency for new homes and a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions. The 2010 regulations will look for a 60% reduction and, among other things, are likely to seek much higher levels of airtightness in buildings over those currently required.

Oliver Drerup of CMHC certainly believes that the time is right for Irish builders to embrace Super E. Speaking at the CIF briefing he talked about Canadian retrofitting initiatives which, he claimed, could be readily adopted in the Irish market as part of the government’s national retrofitting programme. The seminar also heard from Jay Stuart, managing director of Delap & Waller EcoCo, integrated sustainable design consultants, and the founder and technical director of Durkan Ecofix Ltd, which has been carrying out housing retrofit work in Ireland since November 2008.

Canada has over 30 years’ experience in the retrofitting market. Super E Homes are low energy use homes and currently constitute best practice in Canada. Led by CMHC, the Equilibrium programme is a Canadian sustainable housing demonstration initiative which seeks to create houses that have zero net energy use. It represents future best practice for house building in Canada. The 12 houses in the Equilibrium programme have been completed and will be sold on the open market, with their performance monitored for a year. They include the NOW house demonstration project in Topham Park in Toronto – the only retrofitting project in the programme. This typical postwar Canadian house has been upgraded in accordance with the Equilibrium principles of healthy indoor environments, energy- and resource- efficiency, and low environmental impact. Improvements made to the 60-year-old, two-storey brick home include upgrades to the insulation, new windows, the installation of solar hot water panels, a photovoltaic array, Energy Star-certified appliances

1/7/10 18:09:27

Construction & Property News June 2010

and a waste water heat recovery system.

Since the completion of the Topham Park house retrofit, 10 further houses in Windsor, near Topham, are being retrofitted. They are also 60 years old and have full basements, like most houses in Canada. New insulation was installed in all of the houses and the basements were insulated on the exterior. They also installed floor radiant heating in the basement. The exterior wall U value achieved for the timber frame walls was 0.17 W/m2k. Fibre glass doubled glazed windows with warm edge spacers were installed, which radically upgraded the U value of the windows to 1.0 W/m2k. An air pressure test showed that, post retrofit, the buildings’ airtightness was reduced from 4.6 air changes per hour @ 50 Pascals to 2.6 @ 50 Pascals. The target was even lower than that, at 1.5 air changes per hour @ 50 Pascals. The space heating system installed was a high efficiency gas boiler. No space cooling was installed. The houses have mechanical ventilation with a Powerpipe wastewater heat recovery system. The retrofitted houses also feature grid connected photovoltaic panels and solar evacuated tubes. The nominal cost of upgrading each of the houses came to $85,000 but $20,000 of that was spent on the PV panels. Oliver projected that the house retrofit programme will result in a 78% reduction in projected natural gas use and a 60% reduction in projected electricity use. He also pointed out that the energy saved from retrofitting these homes can be sold or traded and that is happening in Canada under the Now programme.

Jay Stuart has been involved in the Super E programme for the past seven years. He compared the Super E specification to the 2008 Building Regulations. With the Super E specification, airtightness must be 1.5 air changes per hour @ 50 Pascals and Heat Recovery Ventilation is mandatory. The wall U value is 0.20 W/m2k and the roof U value is 0 for both sloping and horizontal roofs. Under the 2008 Building Regulations, airtightness must be 10 air changes per hour @ 50 Pascals. The wall U value is 0.27 W/m2k, the roof is 0.20 W/m2k for sloping and 0.16 W/ m2k for horizontal and the floor U value is 0.25 W/m2k. With the Super E specification, airtightness testing is mandatory whereas under the 2008 Building Regulations, airtightness testing is optional. The overall performance of a Super E house would come in at an A3 to A2 rating on the Building Energy Rating scale. A house built to comply with the 2008 Building Regulations would deliver an overall performance of C1.

The Canadian government funded Delap + Waller EcoCo to undertake a two-year moisture monitoring study of five houses – four in the UK and the Super E house in Carrick-on-Shannon. The objective of the Super E Moisture Monitoring Project was to demonstrate that the moisture content of the timber framing, particularly for the exterior walls, is within acceptable limits and to provide evidence that preservative treatment

Jay Stuart, managing director of Delap and Waller EcoCo, Tom Parlon, director general, Construction Industry Federation and Oliver Drerup, CMHC International

CPN June 2010.indd 33

Retrofitting 33

John Craig, director and head of construction, Ellier Developments; Sarah Neary, Department of the Environment; Eugene Farrell, Homebond and Brian McKeon, MKN Property Group

for wall framing components is not necessary in houses built in the UK and Ireland to UK Super E standards. The project also sought to prove that the Super E performance specification works in the high moisture and relative humidity conditions of Ireland. Monitors were installed in the houses to measure moisture levels of the timber frame structures.

Readings were taken every month from March 2006, when first reading was taken, until April 2007 and in every case the moisture level dropped.

A total of 88% of the readings were below 20%, two per cent were high risk and 10% were low risk for moisture. Jay Stuart said that the overall result from the UK and Irish analysis showed that the vapour barrier was doing its job. He said the moisture monitoring programme proved that timber frame in a properly constructed house will dry out from 20%, which is the point at which mould growth can occur, to 12%. The HRV system in the Super E house in Carrick-on-Shannon is reducing the relative humidity in the house.

Delap + Waller EcoCo also led the EU-funded Advanced Ventilation Approaches for Social Housing research project which investigated the most appropriate ventilation and insulation upgrade strategy for existing social housing in Denmark, Ireland and the UK. The project, which was carried out between 2006 and 2008, looked at five types of housing, including steel frame and timber frame. Thirty-two dwellings were analysed in Dublin and the project found that the houses averaged airtightness levels of just below 10 air changes per hour, which is just below the Building Regulations minimum standard. One of the brick and block houses studied, which was built six years ago, had 22 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals. By improving the insulation and airtightness of the buildings and introducing an energy efficient ventilation strategy, the AVASH project achieved a 40% to 60% energy reduction in the houses surveyed at an average cost of €10,000.

Jay emphasised key points to be considered when approaching a retrofitting project - moisture in an existing wall and inside a dwelling must be controlled, airtightness for moisture control and efficiency requires adequate ventilation, and ventilation systems should be designed and proven. He said that existing masonry walls have absorbed considerable moisture over many years so increasing insulation levels can increase the risk of condensation if the insulation isn’t installed properly. Both Oliver and Jay pointed out that upgrading the insulation in the attic and other areas of a house will make the occupants of the house feel warmer and more comfortable but will not necessarily reduce the energy consumption of the house. Other more widespread and costly measures, such as external wall insulation, are often necessary to achieve a dwelling that is warmer, more comfortable and saves energy.

1/7/10 18:09:29

34 Legal

Construction & Property News June 2010

Ambiguous Clause Creates Uncertainty

By Enda O’Keeffe, associate, Maples & Calder

This is the sixth in a series of articles addressing the issues that have arisen in practice with the Department of Finance’s new form of Public Works Contract (the ‘New Form’).

In the previous articles I discussed some of the potential ambiguities that exist within sub-clause 10.3.1, which governs the contractor’s notices of claims, and undertook to discuss that issue further in this article.

Before addressing some of the other uncertainties in the text of the sub-clause, I should again set out the wording for ease of reference: If the Contractor considers that under the Contract there should be an extension of time or an adjustment to the Contract Sum, or that it has any other entitlement under or in connection with the Contract, the Contractor shall, as soon as practicable and in any event within 20 Working Days after it became aware, or should have become aware of something that could result in such an entitlement, give notice of this to the Employer’s Representative. The notice must be given according to clause 4.14 and prominently state that it is being given under sub-clause 10.3 of the Contract. Within a further 20 working days after giving the notice, the Contractor shall give the Employer’s

CPN June 2010.indd 34

Representative details of all of the following: (1) all relevant facts about the claim (2) a detailed calculation and, so far as practicable, a proposal, based on that calculation, of any adjustment to be made to the Contract Sum and of the amount of any other entitlement claimed by the Contractor (3) if the Contractor considers that the programme contingency referred to in sub-clause 9.4 should be used or that there should be an extension of time, the information required under sub-clause 9.3, and, so far as practicable, a proposal, based on that information for any use of the programme contingency or any extension to the Date for Substantial Completion of the Works and any affected Section

The Contractor shall give any further information about the event or circumstance requested by the Employer’s Representative.

...something that could result in such an entitlement…

As discussed in the preceding article, this phrase seems to be lacking the clarity that one might expect in a clause that has such potentially serious consequences. To provide an example: while it will not always be the case, in most scenarios that give rise to a contractor’s claim, there will be a series of events that could result in an entitlement to additional time and/or money under the contract.

Take the example of a large public housing scheme where the employer’s representative approaches the contractor on site in week 10 of the project and orally informs it that

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Legal 35

Construction & Property News June 2010

the employer is considering changing the specification of the bathroom tiles throughout the development. The contractor notes this and orally acknowledges it but, because no change order has been instructed, it does not submit a notice pursuant to sub-clause 10.3. Five weeks later the employer’s representative issues a change order in the expected terms to the contractor but, when the contractor submits a notice of a claim in respect of the change order a day later, the employer’s representative informs the contractor that its claim is timebarred because it became aware of the change order more than 20 working days before the date upon which it submitted its notice.

This is unlikely to happen in reality and would clearly be an unfair stance for the employer’s representative to adopt. However, the contractor was aware in week 10 of something that could result in an entitlement to it under the contract, yet it did not submit notice of that fact to the employer’s representative.

The employer’s representative would therefore be within its rights to adopt such a stance.

The net point here is that sub-clause 10.3.1 does not expressly say that the contractor should submit notice within 20 working days of the first of a series of events relating to the one compensation or delay event. Instead, it

seems merely to require notice of one of those events. In some circumstances it will be clear when the notice should have been submitted but, in others, the wording of the sub-clause may lead to ambiguity as to when exactly the 20 working day period specified in the subclause should have started running.

…give notice of this to the Employer’s Representative.

In our experience, most contractors specify the grounds of their claims in the notices that they submit pursuant to sub-clause 10.3.1.

There is no real problem with adopting this approach but it is worth noting that, in order to comply with the express wording of the sub-clause, a contractor only has to notify the employer’s representative that it considers that under the contract there should be an extension of time or an adjustment to the contract sum, or that it has another entitlement under or in connection with the contract. The notice therefore does not have to specify the facts or circumstances giving rise to the claim, or the relevant compensation or delay events (though it does have to prominently state that it is being given under sub-clause 10.3). While there are ambiguities in sub-

clause 10.3.1, the only prudent position for a contractor to adopt in respect of the sub-clause is that it will operate to bar the contractor’s claims if the contractor does not comply with the sub-clause.

The essential point here is that it is a simple matter for the contractor to submit at least a bare pro forma notice to the employer’s representative if any event occurs on site that might result in a claim later on in the project and that it is worth the contractor’s while to do so, simply to avoid finding itself in a situation where its claim is found to be notice barred.

…all relevant facts about the claim

Within 20 days of submitting a notice in accordance with sub-clause 10.3.1 the contractor must then give the employer’s representative all relevant facts about the claim.

As is the case if the contractor fails to submit the notice, its claim will be barred pursuant to 10.3.2 if it fails to adhere to this requirement.

However, say the contractor neglects to inform the employer’s representative that the contractor has entered into a contract with the employer – is the contractor’s claim barred?

The fact that the two parties have entered a

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36 Legal contract is clearly a relevant fact and something that would need to be established to legally ground the claim. Therefore, strictly applying sub-clause 10.3.1 and 10.3.2, the contractor’s claim would be barred. This would obviously be an unfair result and, again, something that is unlikely to happen in practice. However, the point is that, as with much of sub-clause 10.3.1, one has to apply a purposeful approach to interpreting the wording of the clause in order to achieve a reasonable outcome. As is set out in the preceding article, this potentially poses a problem for the enforceability of the sub-clause, given that limitation clauses have to be clearly and unambiguously worded so as to have the intended effect of limiting one party’s liability to the other.

…all relevant facts about the claim

Another potentially ambiguous element of this requirement arises from the lack of a definition for the term ‘the claim’. This is the first instance of the term in the sub-clause and the context implies that ‘the claim’ has already been received by the employer’s representative.

However, all that has been submitted to the employer’s representative at this point in the sub-clause sequence is the notice from the contractor of the fact that it considers that it has an entitlement under or in connection with the contract. That notice cannot be ‘the claim’ because it is clearly referred to as a notice throughout the sub-clause.

While it may seem like a trite and overly pedantic point, it is nevertheless important to know exactly what ‘the claim’ is, in that the contractor can potentially be barred from recovering significant sums of money if it does not

Construction & Property News June 2010

supply all relevant facts about ‘the claim’, and the time within which the employer’s representative must determine the contractor’s entitlements starts to run, as per sub-clause 10.5.1, from the point at which the contractor makes ‘a claim’. What ‘the claim’ is obviously goes to the heart of clause 10 and, given the fact that the word ‘claim’ is seemingly used interchangeably with ‘notice’, ‘event’ and ‘circumstance’ in clause 10, it potentially gives rise to ambiguity which, as above, could endanger the utility and enforceability of the sub-clause.

The Contractor shall give any further information about the event or circumstance requested by the Employer’s Representative.

At first glance, this seems to be a fairly straightforward provision of the sub-clause.

However there are two primary issues with it: first, it is unclear what event or circumstance the provision is referring to; and, second, in the event that the employer’s representative does request further information pursuant to the provision, there is no time specified within which the contractor must provide the said information. The implications of the first ambiguity have already been discussed, in that it is really another facet of the above discussion regarding the absence of a definition for ‘the claim’. The second ambiguity is potentially just as problematic, in that it is not clear whether a request for further information by the employer’s representative temporarily suspends the obligation upon it to carry out one of the actions listed in sub-clause 10.5.1 until the contractor responds to the request, or whether it is intended to proceed to operate sub-clause 10.5.1 regardless of the request.

Arguments can be made both for and against taking either of these courses of action.

First, a failure by the employer’s

representative to determine the contractor’s entitlements in accordance with the timescales specified by sub-clause 10.5.1 may give rise to an argument that, if the timescales set out by clause 10 as a whole are not binding upon the employer’s representative, then they should not be binding upon the contractor (sub-clauses 1.10.4 in the design and build contracts and 1.9.4 in the traditional forms are intended to counter an argument of this nature). Second, the employer’s representative will likely compromise its position somewhat if it proceeds to determine the contractor’s claim in a situation where there is an outstanding request for further information: how can it determine the claim if it does not yet have the information that it has told the contractor it needed to determine the claim?

The employer’s representative is therefore in something of a bind. The difficulty may be somewhat illusory, in that it is again unclear why the employer’s representative would request additional information under this subclause: either it has received all relevant facts about the claim or it hasn’t, in which case the claim is barred.

If a situation does arise whereby an employer’s representative needs to request further information from the contractor, we would suggest that it discusses the claim with the contractor pursuant to sub-clause 4.1 (co-operation) and that it seeks a commitment from the contractor that the contractor will respond to the request within a set timeframe.

It should then write to the contractor, confirm the contents of their discussions and inform the contractor that it will proceed to administer the claim in accordance with sub-clause 10.5.1 if it does not receive the requested information by the agreed deadline.

Summary

In summary, while sub-clause 10.3.1 should be presumed by both contractors and employer’s representatives to be effective and operable, and should be complied with accordingly, there are a number of ambiguities in the sub-clause which, in some circumstance, may render its operation less than straightforward.

In next month’s article I shall briefly discuss other elements of clause 10.

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Product News 37

Construction & Property News June 2010

Smart Controls for Rainwater Harvesting www.kingspanwater.com

Kingspan Water has launched a new, smart control panel for its domestic Envireau rainwater harvesting systems, making the process of setting up an Envireau both simple and fast.

The control panel also offers a multitude of new monitoring functions so that management and fault-reporting, via an LCD display, is easy to do. The wall-mounted, intelligent control panel automatically self-configures the Envireau with a set-up wizard providing installers with a step-bystep guide through the whole process. Once installed, an LCD display panel gives homeowners real-time operating information about the system, including an accurate measure of the amount and temperature of the water in the tank, the pump pressure, and fault reporting. The control panel can be retro-fitted onto Envireaus. The panel has been tested to European standards and gained the relevant CE approval.

Kingspan Water, a brand of products supplied by Kingspan Environmental, manufactures Envireau and Raintrap rainwater harvesting systems (approved by the British Board of Agrèment (BBA)). All are available at builders’ merchants nationwide.

Unitised Panels Form Metallic Facade www.wicona.ie

The final phase of Birmingham’s The Mailbox development has moved a step nearer to completion with the installation of the final Wicona unitised panels.

Designed by Make, The Cube is a £100m, 23-storey, mixed-use scheme which is due for completion this summer. Based on the concept of a jewellery box, the bespoke facade has been constructed and installed by HAGA using Wicona unitised curtain walling to provide a geometric blend of projecting gold, silver and bronze anodised aluminium panels and glass. This intricate design is complemented by a decorative metallic fretwork screen. The 20,000 panels have three different depths, casting a variety of shadows to add texture to the external facade.

The Wicona unitised facade removed the need for scaffolding and material storage on this constrained city centre site. Its off-site fabrication also allowed each floor to be clad ready for earlier fitting out as the building rose upwards. The modular cladding gave the architects the flexibility to tailor the glazing on the external and internal elevations in response to potential solar gain and provide a high degree of insulation and a low U value facade.

Make are the architects for The Cube and the structural engineers are Buro Happold.

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Barrier Pipe Protects Drinking Water www.polypipe.com/ventilation

Polypipe Building Products has launched a new barrier pipe solution designed to ensure the safe delivery of drinking water through redeveloped sites that may have been contaminated by previous industrial and commercial use.

Polyguard protects drinking water against a wide range of potential contaminants including organic, inorganic, corrosive and toxic elements.

Polyguard pipe is constructed from two layers of Polypipe’s polyethylene,

adhered to a layer of aluminium. The inner layer of polyethylene carries the water while the outer layer provides protection for the aluminium layer from damage. Polypipe says it offers a cost effective, time saving alternative to traditional materials – copper in the main - which is prone to damage on site.

Manufactured by Polypipe, the fittings that are available as part of the Polyguard system are made from DZR brass which are impenetrable to contamination – there is no need to cover the fittings or wrap joints.

Weber Renders Achieve A+ Rating www.netweber.co.uk

Weber is the first manufacturer of monocouche renders to be awarded an A+ Green Guide Rating, as defined in the BRE Global 2008 Green Guide to Specification, for weber.pral M and weber.pral D. The achievement of an A+ rating followed a detailed assessment which was undertaken by the BBA. Both products are one-coat, through-coloured monocouche renders manufactured from carefully selected raw materials. While providing a protective outer coat for the building they will, at the same time, allow the structure to breathe.

According to Weber, these renders are quick and easy to apply, contributing to short programme periods which reduce associated scaffolding and site costs and encourage the completion of ground works at an earlier stage.

The Green Guide is an accredited environmental profile rating system for products and building elements. By auditing materials and components on their environmental performance and impact, and the way they are used in buildings, specifiers and designers can consider comparable systems, or materials, and make selections that will collectively reduce the environmental impact of their buildings. These profile ratings measure the performance of materials over their entire life based on Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), measuring the material from extraction and harvesting, process manufacturing, construction and maintenance methods, through to its eventual disposal.

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38

Plant&Machinerynews

Construction & Property News June 2010

Get the Job Done With Husqvarna Husqvarna Construction is currently promoting the K760 model from its extensive range of power cutters.

The Husqvarna K 760 is equipped with the new generation Active Air Filtration, one of the market’s most efficient centrifugal air cleaning systems, that delivers up to one year’s operation without a filter change. It also includes SmartCarb, a built in automatic filter compensation and a vibration dampening system. The K 760 is outfitted with an X-Torq engine that Husqvarna claims reduces emissions by up to 75% and lowers fuel consumption by 20%. Other features include DuraStarter, a dust-sealed starter that boosts reliability and product life, Air Purge, and a decompression valve with makes the power cutter easy to start.

The K 760 is ideal for cutting concrete and stone in alterations, renovations and new construction. It is also perfect for cutting smaller holes and adjusting window and door openings, as well as some pipe, asphalt and metal cutting.

Husqvarna Construction’s equipment portfolio for the construction

industry includes power cutters, floor saws, wall and wire saws, tile and masonry saws, drill motors with drill stands, and machines for surface preparation and demolition.

Liffey Distributors are the sole importer and distributor of the Husqvarna Construction range throughout Ireland.

Safety Focus Sleator Plant is Hatz for HSS at Dealer for Ireland Titanic Site HSS Hire teamed up with the Patton Construction Group to promote health and safety at the new campus site at Titanic Quarter, Belfast Metropolitan College.

The new campus, which will replace the Institute’s current facilities at Brunswick Street and College Square East, has an expected completion date of August 2011 and will house 18,000 full-time and part-time students.

On 19 May both the Patton Group and HSS Hire demonstrated their total commitment to safety with a dedicated team of experts delivering Working at Height workshops, toolbox talks and product demonstrations. A team of 84 men from 12 companies including McOscar Contracts, Harvey Group, Roe Dry lining, Joseph Hughes, Craig Construction, A P W Fire, WMB Stainless, Architectural Systems, O’Connor Bros, Walsin Ltd and McKendry Fabrications were in attendance on the day.

Toolbox talks and all equipment were supplied

by HSS. HSS Training will deliver courses in Ireland at purpose built ‘centres of excellence’ in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway as well as Belfast in Northern Ireland. Courses will also be offered at customer locations.

CPN June 2010.indd 38

Dublin-based Sleator Plant has been appointed as the Republic of Ireland distributor for Hatz diesel engines.

Sleator Plant has over 25 years’ experience in the service and repair of a wide range of construction plant. To reinforce their operations, the company has appointed several key personnel, with long experience in Hatz products, to work within their after sales team.

The German diesel engine manufacturer has also appointed Southern Plant to cater for operators of equipment powered by a Hatz engine in London. These two new dealers will provide a service, repair and spare parts service for all Hatz products throughout their designated area of operations.

Sleator Plant and Southern Plant are part of Ballyvesey Holdings group of companies.

Established in 1970, Ballyvesey Holdings Ltd is a privately owned group, with principal activities in road transport, trailer manufactur-

ing, vehicle and construction equipment sales and supportive services to the road transport industry. Ballyvesey Holdings has facilities throughout the UK and Ireland.

From their manufacturing base situated at Ruhstorf, Germany, Hatz produce a range of modern diesel engines from 3 to 60 kW. The company has subsidiaries in the USA, South Africa, Australia, China and in most European countries. Their UK subsidiary, Hatz GB Ltd, has its facilities in Hinckley, Leicestershire, adjacent to the massive Magna Park industrial complex.

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Construction & Property News June 2010

Plant&Machinerynews 39

New Additions to Hilti Product Line The new DSH hand-held petrol cut-off saw from Hilti offers complete independence from electric supplies and can be used for a whole range of cutting applications in the general construction and civil engineering trades.

The DSH 700 saw can run for approximately 30 minutes on a tank full (0.9 litre) of fuel, refilling takes less than one minute and it can be ready for operation within seconds. The handheld saw can cut construction materials of many kinds up to a depth or thickness of 125mm. It has been developed with the following applications in mind: cutting kerbstones; paving stones and garden or patio slabs; cutting concrete pipes and pre-cast concrete components; cutting expansion joints in green concrete, cutting out openings, plus demolition work on concrete; cutting masonry blocks and bricks, as well as steel sections and sheet steel. In addition, this saw is suitable for road surface repair work and it makes cuts in road surfaces for pipe-laying work.

The engine is fitted with a resonance pipe exhaust system that results in more power and torque to Hilti’s diamond blades, especially when cutting deep or into hard materials. The resonance exhaust is a system that is used on 2-stroke engines to optimise their performance and it has now been developed for the new Hilti DSH 700 hand-held petrol saws.

The range of applications for Hilti’s new combi hammer extends all the way from heavyhammer drilling in diameters from 22mm to

150mm through socket cutting up to 150mm, drilling pipe penetrations with breach bits up to 80mm in diameter, plus high-torque, rotaryonly drilling in wood and steel. With its speed of 360 r.p.m. combined with Hilti’s hammer drill bits and core bits, the TE 70 (with Active Torque Control) achieves a level of performance far beyond the standard for this type of tool, Hilti claims. Thanks also to its further optimised mechanical clutch, the TE 70 powers its way through even the toughest jobs because the operator can take full advantage of its maximum torque whenever required.

H i l t i ’s a w a r d - w i n n i n g polygon chisels (Red Dot Design Award 2007) ensure that the combi hammer is suitable even for heavier work such as demolition and chiselling breaches.

Nevertheless, with a range of wide-flat, hollow, channel, joint and mortar chisels plus bushing tools at its disposal, the combi hammer is equally at home on lighter jobs including surface finishing work.

McCormick Macnaughton Enters Receivership In an effort to recover its debts, Ulster Bank has appointed a receiver over three more companies in the McCormick Macnaughton Group – Mac Rental Ltd, Mac Rental Holdings and Mancasal Ltd, which has a number of investment properties.

Mac Rental Ltd is the main trading company of the three. It employs approximately 20 people in the Republic and 20 people in Northern Ireland.

The move comes just weeks after Caterpillar Financial Services, the finance division of the firm, appointed a receiver over two other companies in the McCormick Macnaughton Group - McCormick Macnaughton and McCormick Macnaughton Power Services.

Caterpillar Financial Services committed to

paying the wages of the company’s employees for six weeks.

Company filings show that the debts of McCormick Macnaughton are guaranteed by the group’s overall company, Ballymana Holdings, which made a loss of €13m in 2008, compared to a profit of €7m the previous year, as turnover plummeted 35% to €123m.

The company said in its 2008 accounts that it renegotiated debt facilities, which enabled the group to extend the repayment terms of certain debts due within a year. The group employed an average of 404 people during the year.

The receiver is currently safeguarding the assets of the businesses and considering the options as to whether the business can be sold as a going concern.

Kevin Maughan, chief executive officer, McCormick Macnaughton, pictured at the company’s new offices in the Aerodrome Business Park in March

In March, McCormick Macnaughton moved from its well known premises near the Red Cow roundabout off the Naas Road to a new 100,000 square foot head office in the Aerodrome Business Park at Rathcoole, Co Dublin (see interview with chief executive officer Kevin Maughan in the March issue of Construction & Property News).

23-24 Finglas Business Park,Tolka Valley Road, Dublin 11.

Tel: 01 8641 777 • Fax: 01 8641 999 Mobile: 086 2540 844 / 086 2555 989 Email: info@falconrockbreakers.com / pjafitzgerald@eircom.netwebsite: www.falconrockbreakers.com

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40 News

Construction & Property News June 2010

RSUA Design Awards

Jessica McGarry of McGarry-Moon Architects holds aloft the Wood Award which the company won at the recent Royal Society of Ulster Architects Design Awards. Also pictured are Michelle Thompson of Wood NI, lead sponsor of the awards, and Steven Moon, also of McGarry-Moon Architects.

The Wood Award was presented to McGarry-Moon Architects for Fallahogey House and Studio located near Kilrea in Coleraine. Other award winners included Solearth Ecological Architecture, who won the ‘best example of sustainable design’ award for Castle Espie Wildfowl and Wetland Visitor centre and received a commendation in the projects between £750,000 and £3m category for the project, and BDP Architects, who won the regeneration award for Victoria Square in Belfast. Local architect Neil Darby won the overall award – the Liam McCormick Prize for Architecture – for his work on ‘House on Sketrick Island’ in Killinchy, Co Down.

Building to Begin at Mater in 2011 Green Firms to be Prioritised for Contracts The sod is due to be turned at the new national paediatric hospital, which is located at the Mater hospital site in Dublin, by the end of the year, with construction expected to begin in 2011.

The facility, into which the existing three children’s hospitals in Dublin – Tallaght, Temple Street and Crumlin - are due to be merged, will be built by the end of 2014. Planning applications are to be made in July and August.

Speaking at the Children in Hospital Ireland’s European Association for Children in Hospital 2010 Conference

in Dublin Castle this month, National Paediatric Hospital chief executive, Eilish Hardiman forecast that the cost of building the hospital would be less than the predicted €750m, due to the downturn in the building sector and greater competition.

The hospital will contain 392 inpatient beds, all in single rooms, with facilities accommodating parents who wish to stay overnight. There will also be 81 day care beds, split between the new ambulatory and urgent care centre in Tallaght and the Mater site.

Dublin Agency Gets a New Name Dublin estate agent Colliers JacksonStops is to trade in future as Colliers International Ireland.

To coincide with the new branding, Colliers has expanded its professional services division in Dublin with the setting up of a property and asset management department headed up by two experienced property managers, Aidan Grimes and Brian Cleary.

Aidan Grimes was involved in the establishment of Blanchardstown Town

Centre and later held the post of property director at Dundrum Town Centre. Brian Cleary has management experience in the office, retail and industrial sectors, and was also involved in the management of the Pavilions centre in Swords as well as with Athlone and Arklow shopping centres.

Colliers International is now the third largest property advisory organisation in the world with revenues of £1.2bn (€1.4bn).

Limerick Renewal Gets Green Light The first phase of the Government’s revised plan to regenerate Limerick’s most deprived estates will get underway this summer.

Speaking at Government Buildings on 18 June, the Taoiseach Brian Cowen said the scheme will incorporate 26 new regeneration projects worth €337m. The Taoiseach said that a group will report back to him in the autumn with ways to encourage private sector investment.

Minister of State for Housing Michael Finneran said the projects would benefit the people of areas such as Moyross,

CPN June 2010.indd 40

Southill, Ballinacurra Weston and St Mary’s Park. The Minister of State said he was committed to providing over 850 new and refurbished social housing units at a total cost of €160m over the next four and a half years. He said he was confident of seeing a renewal of owneroccupied homes and of private housing investment.

Meanwhile the Government has agreed to provide a €5m fund in each of the next five years ‘to deliver enhanced public services to protect the social fabric of these communities’.

Firms with environmentally-friendly policies are to get priority in competing for State contracts worth up to €16bn a year, according to the Minister for the Environment John Gormley.

Department of the Environment officials are drafting a plan aimed at ‘greening’ at least half of the Government’s contracts each year. The plan, which will be in line with EU environmental regulations on public spending, is due to be put to the Cabinet within two months.

Firms operating environment protection policies, such as saving energy and curbing pollution, will be given priority in competing for contracts. Minister Gormley maintains that P R O P Epurchasing R T Y N E Wwill S give more the change in& Government policy opportunities to Irish small and medium-sized firms competing with bigger companies in the EU. According to Minister Gormley, the green economy is already worth almost €3bn a year in the Republic and provided 6,500 jobs with the potential to grow to between 75,000 and 100,000 jobs in a few years.

Six areas have been identified as being particularly suited to green procurement. These are: construction projects, purchase of cleaning products, clothing and textile costs, electricity, office machinery, food and paper.

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