i Cm Spring 2018
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Construction Management Ireland
Embrace the future, cherish the past Collen Construction – building on history
E n g i n E E r s • A r c h i t E c t s • s u rv E yo r s • P r o j E c t M A n A g E r s • c o n t r A c t o r s
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t couldn’t really have gone much better. That was the consensus following the ‘soft’ launch of our inaugural issue of Construction Management Ireland (Cmi), a new kind of publication for a new era in Irish Construction.
Cmi may be new but it is the result of the best part of two decades work in this sector. Our team has had a ringside view on the construction industry, working across several publications for many years now. We like to think that we know something of the mindset of the Irish Construction Professional as a result of our time spent on the sites, in the boardrooms and, indeed, in the colleges and universities. And we knew from early on that a publication which put the professional centre stage was the key to creating a forum for the entire industry which would be responsive and set the agenda. Of course we couldn’t have done it without you: our readers, contributors and advertisers. We appreciate that you bought into our vision and that we can continue to make it happen, thanks to your ongoing support. On that note we are delighted in this issue to bring to you, once again, some of the biggest names in the industry, and also to focus on those starting their careers, and on the very next generation of professionals who have already begun their respective journeys, bringing it all together in one space where what matters is the sum of all parts – the ‘team’ that is the Irish Construction sector. From our Cover Story featuring Collen Construction to our Project Notes feature on Stewart Construction through to our Out & About features, our technical and legal advice and our usual look at products and services, topped off with opinion and analysis, we hope you enjoy the mix as much as we enjoyed putting it together.
P.12
PUTTING THE PROFESSIONAL CENTRE STAGE
'WE ARE DELIGHTED TO BRING TO YOU, ONCE AGAIN, SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN THE INDUSTRY.'
Talk to you soon, Martin & Dermot
Cmi
Construction Management Ireland Published by Ocean Publishing, 14 Upper Fitzwilliam St, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 678 5165 Fax: 01 678 5191
Publisher Patrick Aylward Editor Martin Foran martin@constructionmanagementireland.ie National Sales Manager Dermot Casey Dermot@constructionmanagementireland.ie Art Editor Jim Obey
Printed by WG Baird Ltd Antrim
Ad Production Audrey Fitzgerald
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained within this journal is correct, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors, omissions or discrepancies. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher.
i Cm
CONTENTS
12 Cover Story
5 News & Events
Cover Story - Industry Icons
Stories, events and initiatives from the industry and wider economy
20 CIOB News Hear about news and plans for the year ahead, CPD events, webinars and conferring ceremonies, meet a member and find out about the Novus Group and its ambitious aims
25 Project Notes Stewart Construction is recognised as a leader in the design and build (D&B) arena, having delivered a wide range of D&B contracts over the past 20 years
34 Tech Talk Making provisions for Electric Vehicles (EVs) means getting the infrastructure right, as Mark Daly explains
36 Out & About People and places, movers and shakers – we provide a flavour and hope to jog a few memories!
40 How the Land Lies Our industry activity overview with Construction Information Services
51 Personal & Finance
42 Careers &Training
Tax tips for those returning to work in Ireland from Russell Brennan Keane, the word from CCPC
Checking in with DIT and Engineers Ireland
56 The Gadget Guy In addition to running Laptop Lab, Colin Baker is TV3’s go-to ‘Gadget Guy’. Somehow, he still finds time to work with Construction Management Ireland. Must be our engaging personalities!
59 Me & My Job The people at the coalface. Get to know the professionals who make it all happen
60 Green Building Our regular update from the Irish Green Building Council with Pat Barry
62 Considerate Constructors Scheme We hear from the Chief Executive on its aims and objectives
64 HR & Recruitment Showing the way in a VUCA world (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) with Declan Noone
67 TechnoTeachers Tony Harrison is Chair of the TechnoTeachers Association and writes a regular column for us regarding the world of secondlevel education and career choices in our sector
28 Lean Journeys Featuring Sisk, WIT, Suir Engineering and more. With an introduction from Steven Ward and Charlie Wigzell
68 Products & Services What’s caught our eye this time out?
72 The Final Say ‘I don’t believe that anybody can know what the future holds in Irish residential property’, writes Karl Deeter
NEWS
NEWS GAS NETWORKS IRELAND COMBINED HEAT & POWER CONFERENCE Gas Networks Ireland hosted the 2018 Combined Heat & Power Conference – ‘Powering a sustainable energy future’ – at the Radisson Blu, Cork. The conference explored the significant reduction in
energy costs, CO2 emissions, and carbon tax that can be achieved through the utilisation of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technology and the security and continuity of energy the on-site power generation provides.
ABOVE: Pictured left to right: Fran McFadden, Commercial Connections Manager; Bob Hanna, Chief Technical Advisor, Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment; Owen Lewis (Chair), IIEA Working Group on Energy and Climate; Ian Kilgallon, Business Development and Innovation Manager, Gas Networks Ireland; Hans Korteweg, Managing Director, COGEN Europe and Matthew Clancy, Bioenergy and CHP Programme Manager, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.
ABOVE: L-R: Cathal Healy, Divisional Director; Kieran Masterson, Divisional Director; Eugene O’Shea, Managing Director; James O’Toole, Divisional Director and Gareth Lloyd, Divisional Director
ABOVE: Irish team at WorldSkills International competition, Abu Dhabi
WALLS - SENIOR APPOINTMENTS
THE WORLD’S A STAGE! The 2016 IrelandSkills National Competition (ISNC) winners mark the 60th anniversary of Ireland joining WorldSkills International in 1956. The 2017 winners mark the 60th continuous annual national competition.
Selection The 2016 and 2017 competitions formed the basis of the selection for Team Ireland which contested the 44th WorldSkills International
competition in Abu Dhabi, achieving a total of eight WorldSkills Medallions of Excellence. See our ‘Out & About’ section – pages 36-37, for more.
Walls Construction has announced four senior appointments in its Construction and Quantity Surveying teams: Cathal Healy; Gareth Lloyd; James O’Toole and Kieran Masterson.
Delighted Commenting on the appointments, Managing Director, Eugene O’Shea says: ‘Kieran, Cathal, Gareth and James have developed their careers with Walls practically from graduation and now, as the company continues to grow, we are delighted to recognise their talents and contribution and I look forward to their continued success with the company.’ March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 5
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nd s SAI’s s ea’.
NEWS
A
strategic oversight/advisory committee, the National Construction Standards Consultative Committee (CSCC), has been set up at the invitation of the National Standards Authority of Ireland.
Chairman The committee has elected Kevin Sheridan, Secretary General and Past President of AEEBC (the Association of European Building and Construction Experts) and past Chairman Institution of Civil Engineers (Republic of Ireland) as Chairman and Sean Downey (CIF) as Deputy Chairman. Committee members include relevant committee chairs, key industry construction organisations, utilities and national and regulatory bodies and other key stakeholders impacting on construction activities including the professional construction institutions, explains Kevin Sheridan. The inaugural meeting at NSAI Head Offices in Santry received updates from the NSAI committees on developments in construction standards. The CSCC agenda covered other challenges and threats in the marketplace including the possible effects of Brexit and its potential impact on trade and standards. Kevin Sheridan, Chairman, welcomed the opportunity afforded by NSAI to establish this broad-based oversight consultative committee for construction standards development. ‘The Construction Standards Consultative Committee is tasked with advising the NSAI on the development of Construction standards, resources and priorities and in developing a work programme to assist NSAI in their efforts to develop standards which will assist strategic infrastructural investment in our built environment,’ Kevin tells Construction Management Ireland. ‘This will support a number of government strategic needs to advance, Construction 2020 A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector, which confirms the need for a strong and sustainable construction sector in Ireland. ‘The strategy provides for action around housing and infrastructure provision, planning, energy efficiency and sustainability, standards regulation and training. It will also address the National Adaptation Framework (NAF) published by DCCAE, setting out a strategy to reduce Ireland’s vulnerability to the impact of climate change with 6 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
ABOVE: Inaugural meeting of NSAI Construction Standards Consultative Committee at NSAI Head Offices, Santry. Back Row (L-R): Ciaran O’Connor (OPW); Brian O’Rourke (Chair, Concrete Cttee); Dr Michael Murray (Chair, Slating and Tiling Cttee); Gearoid Lohan (Chair, Roads Cttee); James Hubbard ((A) Universal Design Cttee); Jim Mansfield (Chair, Eurcodes Cttee); Liam Hearne (Chair, Gas Stds Cttee); Michael Slattery (Chair, Fire Stds Cttee); Ralph Montague (Chair, BIM Cttee); Richard Crowe (ACEI); John McAuley (Chair, Electrotechnical Cttee); Noel Larkin (SCSI); Murt Coleman (Engineers Ireland); Dermot McCarthy (Aggregates Panel); Norman Jackson (Housing Agency); Pat Barry (IGBC); Martin English (NSAI Sustainability and Built Environment); Peter Andrews (RIAI); Liam Smyth (ICF); John Wickham (DHPLG). Front Row (L-R): Bill Robinson, (Chair Timber Standards Cttee); Noel Kane (Chair Masonry Panel); Kevin Sheridan (Committee Chairman CSCC); Yvonne Wylde, Committee Secretary CSCC (NSAI Building Standards Manager); Therese Clarke (Standards Officer NSAI, Roads, Aggregates Cttees).
ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE the goal of having a climate resilient economy and society by 2050.
Potential ‘The construction industry is also regarded as having potential for jobs growth, both through an increase in construction projects in Ireland, and the potential for export of construction products and services abroad.’ The Committee mirrors other comparable European standards groups in other EU countries. The European Standards program for the construction sector, in which NSAI participates, includes more than 3000 work items on product standards and test methods, of which about 600 standards are or will be harmonized under the Construction Products Regulation (CPR). In the construction area, there is further potential for standardization to better support initiatives in the sector, points out Kevin Sheridan. Areas where standards might usefully contribute include • Provision of infrastructure, e.g. flood relief, water supply, education, sustainability and conservation, design for ageing populations,
• Application of IT and technological developments, e.g. Building Information Modelling (BIM), e-procurement and Smart Cities, • Export of construction products and engineering services. The challenges introduced by the sheer volume of new, performancebased, European construction standards, which are replacing the old, familiar and often less complicated, prescriptive Irish or British standards, and requirements imposed by the Construction Product Regulation (CPR), are unique to the Construction sector and this is particularly true for the many small companies providing goods and services for the industry. While reliance on industry volunteers in developing these standards is well established, this committee is considered to be central to accelerating and further advancing this process and will focus on prioritising and advancing the development of appropriate standards against a backdrop of badly needed costeffective infrastructural development.
NEWS
BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING (BIM) LEVEL 2 CERTIFICATION FOR JONES ENGINEERING
J
ones Engineering Group has achieved Building Information Modelling (BIM) Level 2 Certification for Design and Construction from BSI (British Standards Institution). The company, which employs nearly 2,400 people, has previously won BIM Initiative of the Year at the Irish Construction Awards 2016, BIM Initiative of the Year at the Irish Building & Design Awards 2015 and was awarded with the prestigious All Ireland Supreme Safety Award at last year’s National Irish Safety Organisation/Northern Ireland Safety Group (NISO/NISG) Safety Awards. To achieve verification certification, Jones Engineering completed the BIM Level 2 audit process working closely with BSI.
Examined The audit examined in detail the company’s BIM processes, procedures and management systems to verify compliance with PAS 1192-2:2013, BS 1192:2007 and BS 1192-4:2014. The award of the certification coincides with the recent publication of: ‘Roadmap to Digital Transition for Ireland’s Construction Industry’ developed by the National BIM Council of Ireland which defines a four-year adoption of digital technologies across the Public Sector. Having been early adopters of BIM, Jones Engineering has sought to remain at the forefront of the construction industry, developing BIM practices from what was initially considered an optional ‘construction aid’ to become the framework of their business model incorporated across all project departments within the group. John O’Brien, BIM Manager, Jones Engineering Group says: ‘it’s a significant step forward for Jones Engineering and demonstrates our commitment and investment in both BIM and digital engineering. ‘We are delighted to have our BIM capability formally recognised by the BSI and we are looking forward to sharing this knowledge with our clients and across our supply chain.’
ABOVE: (L-R) Belinda Dillon BIM Information Manager (JEG); Gary Pattison Certification Technical Expert – BIM & Digital Construction (BSI) and John O’Brien BIM Manager (JEG)
Delighted Gary Fenton, Global Product Certification Director, BSI says: ‘we’re delighted to have supported Jones Engineering with achieving this verification certification which demonstrates their commitment to being compliant with the requirements of PAS 1192-2 covering Design and Construction for Level 2 BIM. ‘There are huge benefits to be made from integrating BIM into the supply chain, and BSI is dedicated to supporting organizations with this, regardless of where they are on their BIM journey.’ Belinda Dillon, BIM Information Manager, Jones Engineering Group, says: ‘the certification is testament to the knowledge of staff and their capability of working within a 3D BIM level 2 environment. ‘Jones Engineering clients and our supply partners can be confident that our day-to-day BIM workflows have been independently assessed and verified.’ Jones Engineering are accredited
What is BIM? Building Information Modelling at a glance Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the management of information through the whole life cycle of a built asset, from initial design all the way through to construction, maintaining and finally de-commissioning, through the use of digital modelling.
to a number of standards including; the Quality Standard ISO9001:2008, Environmental Standard ISO14001:2015 and Safe T Certificate Standard. Jones Engineering are currently recruiting BIM Detailers for their mechanical, electrical and sprinkler divisions. Interested candidates are invited to send a copy of their CV to HR@joneseng.com
Explanation of Standards • PAS 1192-2:2013: Focuses specifically on project delivery, where the majority of graphical data, non-graphical data and documents, known collectively as the project information model (PIM), are accumulated from design and construction activities. • BS 1192:2007: Provides the template for common naming conventions and approaches to collaborative working for use in architecture, engineering and construction. It also facilitates efficient data use in facilities management. • BS 1192-4:2014: This code of practice defines expectations for the exchange of information throughout the lifecycle of a Facility. The COBie (Construction Operations Building information exchange) provides a common structure for the exchange of information about new and existing Facilities, including both buildings and infrastructure. March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 7
NEWS
ABOVE: Rosalind Young, OCSD; Odhran Dunne, Visit Derry; Sean Downey; Adam Goodall, Derry City & Strabane District Council
ABOVE: Jemma Brady, singer songwriter and cultural ambassador
Futureproof Northwest aims at connectivity A new group, Futureproof Northwest, has been established to provide a network that will connect people from the northwest city region of Ireland – the city of Derry and its hinterland – who are primarily based in Dublin. Helen McEntee, Minister of State for European Affairs, delivered the opening address at the recent launch. The minister commented on the importance of connectivity in an island nation. She also reflected on how Ireland benefited from EU membership, evolving from an inward-looking country on the edge of Europe to a country at the centre of the world and one of the best examples of a progressive smaller nation within the EU.
ByrneWallace Excellence in Business Awards ByrneWallace has been awarded two Excellence in Business Awards, Top Legal Adviser and Top Construction Team, ‘in recognition of the firm’s outstanding work advising and representing the Irish Public Sector’. The Excellence in Business Awards are awarded to companies and key service providers who demonstrate outstanding service, continuity, track record and general excellence in business support ‘to the Public Sector, Irish companies, and to the people of Ireland’.
ABOVE: Brian O Connor; John McNulty, JW McNulty Ltd; Tom Parlon, CIF; Barry Keenan, Flynn Mgmt. Contractors
ABOVE: L-R: Sales director, John O’Brien and Senior sales executive, Denis McGrath with copes of the company’s career booklet. See: www.mchaleplantsales.com
Opportunities As an organisation, Futureproof Northwest will strive to provide opportunities for those who have left the Northwest and will aim to generate positive change for all those still based in the region. The Construction Industry Federation’s (CIF’s) Sean Downey, a founding member of Futureproof Northwest and a Derry native based in Dublin, gave an overview of the organisation and of the events planned for the year, including a summer barbeque and winter dinner dance. Futureproof Northwest will also provide a platform for engagement on sport, heritage and cultural matters. Sean introduced 21-year old Gemma Bradley as Futureproof Northwest’s cultural ambassador. Gemma is a rising star from Draperstown in County Derry
ABOVE: Catherine Guy, managing partner
ABOVE: Jemma Brady; Sean Downey and Helen McEntee
McHale Plant Sales commits to apprenticeship training
whose debut single Wicker Man was voted best song in the 2014 Irish Youth Music Awards.
Construction plant and machinery distributor, McHale Plant Sales, has committed to increasing the number of apprentices taking technical training within its organisation. The decision comes on foot of its recent publication of a career guidance booklet entitled, Career Choices In the Construction Plant & Equipment Industry. Encouraging young people to view apprenticeship as a pathway to valuable skills training and the route to a long term career in ‘a most exciting and stimulating industry’, the McHale programme is being implemented in association with Solus.
Interest The launch event generated interest amongst Leinster-based diaspora and had representatives from both Derry City and Strabane District Council as well as Visit Derry who had been very supportive of the Futureproof Northwest initiative. Further information can be found on the association’s website, www. futureproofnorthwest.com.
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NEWS
ABIGAIL WOMEN'S CENTRE REFURB – JOHN PAUL Corporate Social Responsibility was once more to the fore in the industry when John Paul Construction recently undertook charity refurbishment work at the Abigail Women’s Centre in Finglas, Dublin.
Makeover ABOVE:Harold's Cross
OUR LADY’S HOSPICE HAROLD’S CROSS PROJECT RECENTLY COMPLETED BY CLANCY CONSTRUCTION
The project, led by Sean Carroll, involved a makeover of a recreational area at the centre, including painting, kitchenette, furniture, fittings etc., with the work completed by staff from across the company. Materials were also supplied to the centre to allow the residents decorate their individual rooms.
Supported
Clancy’s have recently completed this state-of-the-art healthcare project which involved a new 2,500m2 single storey, 36-bed extension, plus the refurbishment of 800m2 of the existing palliative care unit. Construction was carried out within a live sensitive and acute environment and existing operations of the unit were maintained and protected during the works.
The project was supported by John Paul Construction and also through staff donations and support from subcontractors. The centre meets the needs of homeless women who require supported accommodation for a temporary period in the Dublin area.
Consideration Careful consideration was given to the planning, management and control of noise, vibration and dust, given the extremely sensitive nature of the surrounding environment. The unit includes single and multiple bedrooms, isolation rooms and treatment rooms and this state-of-the-art care unit was finished to the highest standards of workmanship without impacting on the patients and staff. Clancy’s built up a good working relationship with the Client, Design Team and staff and delivered a service and product that exceeds the client’s, the staff’s and patients’ expectations. Clancy’s also proudly sponsored the ‘Light up a Life’ fundraising charity at Harold’s Cross. Architect: Reddy Architecture / Value: €10million 1 0 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
STUDENT CHALLENGE ATTRACTS RECORD NUMBER OF TEAMS Eleven teams from throughout Ireland took part in the CIOB Student Challenge Ireland with Ulster University, Jordanstown emerging as the eventual
winners. Here, judges pay close attention to the presentations which took place at Dublin’s Croke Park. For more, see ‘Out & About’, this issue.
INDUSTRY ICONS
1 2 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
COLLEN
– BUILDING ON TRADITION
S
ometimes it’s easy to get a sense of what a company is about just by stepping through the door. In the best organisations it is as though the sum of all parts comes together to create something truly unique. So it is at the head offices of Collen Construction, established in 1810, and still a market leader.
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INDUSTRY ICONS
M
anaging director at Collen Construction, Tommy Drumm, ever-engaging and generous with his time, shows us around the company’s head office which hums with an air of controlled productivity. It is perhaps to be expected that Collen’s huge lineage – the company was founded in 1810 – would naturally give rise to a unique character. And the fact that the Collen family is still involved can only serve to reinforce its identity. From company chairman Neil Collen, to Jack, recently graduated from Bolton Street and representing the eight generation, this family involvement is indeed a major factor at the company, notes Tommy Drumm.
Logicwall Jack has earned a degree in Manufacturing and Design Engineering and will be very much involved with Collen’s Logicwall product which featured in our last issue. Collen has exclusivity in Europe for Logicwall, which Tommy Drumm explains is, ‘an extremely durable, permanent formwork, ideal for hotels, prisons, houses and student accommodation’. Collen has an agreement with Lagan to manufacture it in Limavady and Jack will be heavily involved in this project, explains Drumm. It is at this precise point that the unique atmosphere here becomes suddenly clearer to us. What makes this place special is the ability to embrace more than 200 years of tradition while looking to the future as a market leader. The association of the latest generation of the family with one of the company’s newest developments underlines neatly the unbroken line here between that famous lineage and the passion to break new ground.
Innovative ‘It’s all reflective of our wish to be innovative in whatever area we are involved in,’ explains Tommy Drumm, who notes the various incarnations of the company over the years. ‘I worked in Collen for four years from 1978 to 1982,’ he 1 4 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
ABOVE: On site at one of Collen's current projects RIGHT: 30-32 Molesworth St. Dublin
recalls, looking back over his own association with the organisation. ‘I was an engineer based at the Ringsend Pumping Station. At that time we were a Civil Engineering contractor and now, we are a building contractor. ‘At that time we would have been experts in Bailey Bridges and Marine Engineering and we did a huge amount of work in Dublin Port over a 30-year period.’ Tommy Drumm recalls how, on the job in Ringsend, they used
properly. It is fundamental to us. We are very open with our supply chain. We can’t deliver projects without them. We look after them.’ And then there is the Collen staff. The company’s longest serving employee, Jimmy Small, worked for the company for 60 years. In fact he ran the joinery workshop when Tommy Drumm was here in the 1970s. He trained their two senior Contacts Managers and Construction Director as apprentice carpenters. They have been with the company for over 25 years. And this is what you are dealing here – a true longevity which can only serve to be reinforced by the existence of numerous completed projects which are now icons of the built environment. ‘Take the RDS in Dublin,’ says Tommy. ‘It was completed over 100 years ago and we go there for our Christmas party!’ For Collen, buildings like the RDS serve as physical reminders of that unbroken link to tradition. It stands to reason that there is an onus to live up to the reputation and the history, agrees Tommy Drumm.
‘OUR MANTRA: TO FIND LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS.’ sheet piles, well-pointing and diaphram walling – the first time the latter was used in Ireland. ‘We want to be innovative wherever we work,’ he stresses. But how does being a twohundred-year-old company inform and impact on Collen’s day-today approach to business? It’s a big question but Drumm doesn’t miss a beat. ‘We are interested in partnerships,’ he says. ‘We do one-off contracts yes, but our main focus is to do a great job for our clients and finish it in such a manner that there has been a great experience – and no surprises on their account. ‘That’s our mantra: to find longterm relationships. We have a lot of long-standing clients. ‘Also, we always pay people
‘There is no doubt,’ he says, ‘that it is fundamental to all that we do.' Once again, a lot goes back to the family presence at the company. ‘We are lucky we have a Chairman who is here every day and very approachable too,’ says Tommy Drumm. ‘He is extremely focused on doing the right thing by people and getting the work-life blend right here.’
CSR Another thing that is hugely important at Collen is Corporate Social Responsibility. ‘There are so many things you could try to do – we focus here on our community,’ explains Tommy. ‘We are in our current location since 1890 and we are keen to give back to the East Wall community.’
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INDUSTRY ICONS
One of the recent charity events the company participated in was the Dublin Bike Ride which received a lot of attention in the construction media, but there is much more than this going on here from providing jerseys to sports teams to feeding the elderly at Christmas and supporting the extremely popular Men’s Shed. ‘We have also been doing work with the women’s refuge in Coolock,’ adds Tommy Drumm. ‘It is the nearest women’s refuge. They are part of our community. ‘Last year we said we would like to bring them in as beneficiaries of our cycle.’
Staff Not surprisingly, staff recruitment and retention is important but this approach to life and work cannot help but give Collen the edge in attracting and retaining good people. ‘We constantly interview,’ says Tommy Drumm. ‘It is a great way of having a handle on the market. And always, people tell us that they hear good things about what we do. ‘We recruited 67 people since 1 April 2016 and we try to make sure that our core values are extended to all. ‘I am sure that people are joining partly because of the values here.’ Wellness is also very important when it comes to retention, productivity and work-life blend. ‘Each year we engage with people on their own wellbeing,’ says Tommy Drumm. ‘We might send them for an eye test, for example, or help in some other way that benefits them. ‘From a safety point of view we have put all of our systems out to ISO for accreditation. ‘We are delighted to have the Safety Cert A classification for seven years on the trot and so, we said “let’s open ourselves up to ISO also” – and we are delighted with how that has gone. ‘Of course one cannot talk about safety at Collen without mention of our Safety Manager Joe O’Dwyer.’
ABOVE: Leading from the front: Tommy Drumm with Collen Team at Central Park site.
Joe has previously featured in the Construction media because of the innovative projects taking place at Collen – for example, around mindfulness on site – that are still in use to this day.
The market On the Construction sector in general, Tommy Drumm notes how ‘there are a number of sectors struggling to meet demand: housing, student accommodation, hotels are three that we are very focused on,’ he says. ‘The Pharma sector is very strong and Ireland is now one of the leading locations in which to locate your data centre. These
are two very strong areas. ‘The office sector has surprised everyone in how it has sustained itself and there’s evidence that it might continue a little longer. ‘The industrial sector meanwhile, has taken off. The industrial sector is always a measure of how small businesses are able to get up and running. ‘I’ve always seen that as a most important indicator. ‘Healthcare is also very busy. Meanwhile, we completed 350 student beds at UCD and this means that our skills here are right-up-to-date. ‘Housing is, of course, hugely challenged. We are hopeful to become more active here.’
Projects
‘EACH YEAR WE ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE ON THEIR OWN WELLBEING.’ 1 6 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
As for current and recent projects, Collen has completed Audi’s largest showrooms and distribution centre in the UK and Ireland. This is just off Dublin’s M50 at Sandyford. The Frascati Centre extension
ABOVE: Block H, Central Park
BELOW: Horizon
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INDUSTRY ICONS
ABOVE: ESB Fit-Out
and refurbishment project is also taking place at Blackrock in County Dublin and in the city centre they have a new HQ office project with a dramatic exoskeletal frame, visible from across the river Liffey and 100% site coverage. Meanwhile Collen is carrying out a major upgrade and office fit-out at the Amgen biotechnology plant on Pottery road in Dun Laoghaire. This is another ‘live’ environment, like the nearby Frascati shopping centre. Collen recently has opened an office in Frankfurt, Germany and the company also won two major projects in Sweden with one of the directors of its German Business, Tom O’Connor, relocating to Stockholm. A team of 20 people are now involved in these two projects. ‘Our model,’ says Tommy Drumm, ‘is that we will go anywhere in Europe for an existing client but not open tender for work outside of Ireland.'
Recovery Here, at home, Tommy adds that, although the company has previously focused on Dublin, one of the things that he would like to implement is to look outside of Dublin at what other opportunities may follow. ‘There are places outside of Dublin that have not seen recovery yet,’ he notes. ‘I’d like us to participate in that.’ 1 8 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
ABOVE: Team Collen at Great Dublin Bike Ride
Staff development It comes as no surprise that staff development and CPD are extremely important at Collen. ‘We constantly encourage people to try to do more – and we are prepared to help them to achieve this’ explains Tommy Drumm. As we discover, this takes many forms, from individual wellness initiatives to career development programmes and links with the CIOB in Ireland. If a members of staff wishes to partake in a course they are encouraged to do so and practical help is available to encourage them to pursue their ambitions.
Programme At the time of writing, a number of employees, including two Senior Contracts Managers, are training
with Crestcom who run a year-long accredited Leadership Development programme. Four others are developing their skills in this area with Ingenium, which is run by Hugh O’Donnell, the former CEO of Kentz. This programme is linked with the University of Limerick. All of the senior team members are working with Carr Communications to help them present in front of clients. Meanwhile, Collen’s engineers are members of Engineers Ireland – which means taking part in a number of CPD-related activities on an ongoing basis. See our report on CPD at Engineers Ireland in this issue.
CIOB NEWS
The Chartered Institute of Building is looking forward to an exciting and innovative 2018 in Ireland with major plans and initiatives in the offing. It’s a full calendar and, as always, we find out more with Niamh Webbley-O’Gorman.
CIOB IN IRELAND - EVENTS AND INITIATIVES FOR 2018
C
ollateral warranties are frequently amongst the documents to be executed on a construction project. Some construction professionals may take the step of executing a collateral warranty without knowing the significant additional risk they take on as a result.
CPD season With this in mind, the CPD season kicked off with a session on Collateral Warranties. In this talk, Cathie Shannon of Beale and Company provided
an overview of construction collateral warranties and the factors a construction professional should bear in mind before signing on the dotted line.
All of our Hubs are taking part in this initiative, so the range of CPD that will be accessible by members through our Knowledge Hub will be extensive.
Webinars
Conferring
The CIOB recognises that our members are spread across the country and, in an effort to expand the reach of our services we will begin broadcasting some of our CPD events as webinars. You may recall our first live webinar last October, broadcast from the Facebook HQ in Dublin. Some CPD will be broadcast live and some pre-recorded but they will all remain on our website and our social media so you can watch them at a time convenient to you.
The 2018 Dublin conferring ceremony will take place in the Mansion House on Saturday 21 May. This special occasion is for all new Members and Fellows of the Institute, along with new Chartered Building Companies/ Consultancies and Training Partners from across the Dublin Hub. It is an opportunity for our members to celebrate their newly-achieved professional qualification in the company of their families and colleagues. This is always a highlight of our calendar. International Construction Management Day meanwhile, puts a lens on all things construction management. It is a day for celebrating the value of construction management and takes place in March each year. The day is a collaboration between CIOB, the International Project
LEFT: L-R: Winner of the 2017 Construction Manager of the Year in Ireland award, Nick Oldfield, CIOB’s Director of Operations, Amy Gough and Master of Ceremonies, Mario Rosenstock. Following the massive success of the most recent Construction Manager of the Year in Ireland Awards competition planning is already underway for the next contest (2019).
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Management Association (IPMA) and the Construction Management Associations of America (CMAA), Japan (CMAJ), and Korea (CMAK) and is celebrating its eight year in 2018. This year, both GMIT and Waterford IT were running conferences to celebrate the day and raise the profile of the industry in their areas. CIOB’s engagement with construction management students around the country, through the Novus group, will be continuing this year (as we see overleaf). We will be rolling out a series of talks in the relevant ITs and universities around the country on the subject of CV preparation, as well as a series of presentations from finalists in the CMYA in Ireland 2017. As always, we will also be meeting with all students on a separate date to introduce them to the CIOB as a professional body and talking to them about how we can assist them as they move through their career. Our Novus committee is also looking to expand and to engage with young professionals at the beginning of their career. Look out for specialised CPD events and site visits, along with networking events, where you can meet other CIOB members and receive support as you move towards Chartership. Towards the end of the year, watch out for the launch of our Construction Manager of the Year in Ireland Awards 2019. Following the massive success of our most recent competition, we are already planning the next contest and we will be launching it towards the end of the year. As always, we will be looking for successful construction managers to put themselves forward for the title and our judges are already looking forward to visiting the sites of the finalists’ projects and speaking with the finalists themselves. All CIOB news and events can be viewed on www.ciob. org or on our social media channels, @CIOBIreland and www.facebook.com/ciobinireland. If you have questions about any of the above or are interested in membership, please contact Niamh Webbley-O’Gorman, Development Manager – Ireland, on nogorman@ ciob.org.uk or +353 87 783 1234.
MEET A CIOB MEMBER:
TOMMY BUCKLEY
Construction Management Ireland is delighted to introduce readers to the newest member of the CIOB Dublin Hub committee, Tommy Buckley. After studying at DIT (Geomatics)Tommy began his career as a Land Surveyor with BAM Ireland in 2004.
Construction Management He later moved into Construction Management after doing a Masters Degree in Project Management at the University of Ulster in 2007. In 2010 Tommy became the first Vice Chair of CIOB Ireland’s Novus Committee. Following a move to London in 2011 he joined the CIOB London Branch Committee and was a member there for five years, for the last three of which he served as Treasurer. Whilst in the UK Tommy worked as a Freelance Project manager on various Civil and building projects including Crossrail and, most recently, the iconic Battersea Power Station. Tommy returned to Ireland in 2016. He currently lives in Dublin and is working for Bennett Construction. (Point Campus, Student Accommodation). In his spare time Tommy tell us he is ‘an armchair sports fan' and also enjoys cycling and playing golf on occasions. He has also had motorbikes for many years.
Elected Tommy was elected onto the Dublin Hub Committee in December 17 and says that his hopes for the CIOB are local in nature this year. ‘I have a positive outlook for the Dublin Hub in 2018,’ he explains. ‘We have a vibrant and engaged committee with some great CPD events planned. ‘I would like to see the Dublin Hub strengthen its links with other professional bodies in the region and other Hubs around the globe. ‘As part of the Hub strengthening I would like to see the CIOB increase the number of training partnerships and chartered building companies/consultancies in the Dublin region. ‘I am also hopeful that Novus will take off again in the region. Jordan and Aaron are doing great work to get Novus up and running again in a meaningful way (see our article overleaf) and I will be doing what I can to help.
Benefits Of course, Novus is just one of the aspects that make CIOB membership so special. Tommy also cites: ‘peer recognition of professional standards and networking, particularly faceto-face at CPD and events,’ as enormous benefits.
March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 21
CIOB NEWS
N
ovus is a dedicated, passionate group of young professionals who place the CIOB at the heart of their careers. The CIOB in Ireland have some major plans for 2018 in this regard and they are about to kick off right across the industry. Martin Foran finds out more.
NOVUS – A VITAL LINK
bodies and companies in order to raise awareness of the CIOB and the group itself. This involves promoting the benefits of professional qualifications and assisting in the recruitment process of new CIOB/ Novus members.
‘Novus places special focus on young professionals and students, providing support and mentoring to kick off the journey from student to member,’ explains Jordan West, chair of the Novus group on the Dublin CIOB Hub. Put another way: ‘The CIOB Novus group prepares young people to be the next generation of construction industry leaders.’
Events
BETWEEN UNDERGRADUATE AND CHARTERED MEMBERSHIP OF CIOB
Objectives ‘Novus provides a forum for younger professionals,’ explains Jordan, who – along with other members – is, at time of writing, busy developing the Novus programme for 2018. ‘We hope to encourage the
My experience: ‘A great way of sharing experience and knowledge’ – vice chair, Dublin Novus Group Aaron Molloy is vice chair of the Novus Group with the Dublin CIOB Hub. He typifies in many ways the high-calibre entrants to the sector over the past decade and describes Novus as ‘a great way of meeting and networking with likeminded young professionals’. A site manager with John Paul Construction, on one of their Hotel projects in Dublin. Aaron joined Sisk after leaving school in 2009. There he served his time as a Joiner. Over the course of his joinery career to date, RIGHT: Aaron Molloy, vice chair, Novus Group, Dublin Hub, CIOB
CIOB’s future industry managers to network – socially and professionally – with their peers from different construction disciplines,’ he says. ‘The group also provides a mentoring framework and has a role in the identification of – and organisation of – key CPD events and seminars. ‘Novus can also provide a vehicle for current and prospective members to voice their views and make suggestions to the main body of the CIOB.’ Key Novus objectives include liaising with educational institutes, training
Aaron has worked on many prestigious projects and taken part in the National Skills Competition on two occasions. Leaving Dublin in 2013, Aaron moved to London where he developed his career in Construction Management with Sisk, working on a project for the Crown Estate in central London. Over this time he gained a huge amount of experience working in logistically challenging environments. Moving back to Dublin in 2016, Aaron joined John Paul Construction where he has been working on a prestigious 5-star hotel refurbishment. ‘I joined
2 2 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
Meanwhile, tailor-made workshops, site visits and networking events are run on a regular basis, specifically for members. ‘We are currently planning presentations across universities and colleges,’ explains Jordan. ‘We are also working alongside the CIOB committee with a view to organising CPD events. ‘In addition to this we are also preparing a social calendar specifically for Novus.’ So, as they, say...watch this space for more! LEFT: Jordan West, chair, Novus Group, Dublin Hub, CIOB
Novus as I am working towards becoming a Chartered Construction Manager and wanted to become part of the CIOB,’ he tells Construction
Management Ireland. ‘Networking is a great way of sharing experience and knowledge which in turn can help you progress your career further.’
‘Get involved and have fun too’ – CIOB Dublin Hub chair Michael Gallagher, chair of the CIOB Dublin Hub, says: ‘I’m delighted that we have Jordan and Aaron leading the way for the Novus group and really excited about their plans for 2018. ‘Novus is a great platform for student and graduate members to gain MCIOB status and become future leaders in the industry. ‘Tommy Buckley (see ‘Meet a CIOB member’, this issue) and I were the founding members of the
ABOVE: Michael Gallagher, chair, CIOB Dublin Hub
Novus Ireland group back in 2010 and it has been a huge benefit to both of our careers. ‘So my advice to anyone starting their journey in the industry is to get involved and have fun along the way!’
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Stewart Construction has long been recognised for the quality of the schools it has delivered nationwide over a long period under various procurement routes to include public design and build (D&B) frameworks. However, the company’s D&B work stretches much, much further.
DESIGN AND BUILD AT STEWART CONSTRUCTION
S
tewart Construction recently delivered Scoil Aonghusa Primary School in Mallow and the 720 pupil, three-storey, Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh in Knocknacarra, Galway. Design and Build partners on these rapid build schools, delivered under the DoES rapid build schools programme, included well established team members, Coady Architects, Downes Associates and BDP consulting engineers.
Awards Elsewhere, Tuam school, Gaelscoil Iarfhlatha, was designed and constructed by Stewart last year. Nominated for three prestigious awards in this year’s LAMA Community and Council Awards 2018, the school won the Best Educational Building. These were all just the latest in a long line of Design and Build (D&B) projects across a range of sectors and areas – successfully completed by the multiaward winning, innovative company that prides itself on quality and integrity. Stewart Construction is particularly recognised as a leader in the design and build arena having delivered a wide array of D&B contracts over the past 20 years. With each project the company and its project-specific design teams further refine its design and build process to offer a lean and streamlined project delivery experience and support a favoured procurement route for many of its public and private sector clients.
Collaboration ‘Design and build with Stewart Construction allows true collaboration to improve the process at every stage of the design Paul Stewart and construction
ABOVE: Gaelscoil Iarfhlatha
process,’ says Rachael Stewart, Business Development Director. ‘This results in greater cost efficiencies for the client, a stronger design and an improved end product that is ultimately a capturing of the specific client’s requirements and desires translated into the finished product by expert teams. ‘It allows the pooling of expert skills and the nurturing of relationships built over time with prestigious design consultants and specialist partners.’ The company’s record speaks for itself and further includes multiaward winning Government Offices and FDI projects nationwide. Stewart continues to deliver for the dynamic semi-state organisation that is IDA Ireland and is currently working on a number of high profile FDI projects across Ireland to include:
Grifols Stewart Construction was appointed as Construction Manager and Main Contractor for the Grifols Biopharmaceutical Facility Phase 1 and 2 developments, in Grange Castle Business Park, Dublin 22. Working in collaboration with Grifols and the PM Group design team, Stewart Construction delivered on the required levels of experience, expertise and commitment to ensure project success, winning
many awards including Manufacturing Facility of the Year 2016 and FitOut Client of the Year 2015. Phase 1 is a 22,500m2 project comprising a fully serviced international logistics centre. The impressive project comprises Ireland's ‘first-of-a-kind’ structural high-bay rack-clad coldrooms up to 35m high, with an Automated Storage and Retrieval System for refrigerated blood plasma product storage. It also includes research and QC laboratories, along with high end VNA warehouse, cleanroom packaging lines and coldroom logistics areas for shipping and receiving. The scope also included the construction and full fit-out of a high calibre, 3-storey administration office for Grifols Worldwide Operations Ltd commercial headquarters in Ireland. The Phase 2 project comprises an 18,500 m2 albumin processing facility, which will be connected to the existing facility by way of a feature link corridor. This new facility will incorporate a purpose built 3-storey production building, with high specification aseptic cleanrooms, coldrooms and quarantine process areas, together with large laboratory and office area and separate central utilities areas. The phase 2 project is due for completion in Q2 of 2019.
IDA Campus, Parkmore, Galway Block 5 of the IDA Business and Technology Campus at Parkmore in Galway – a well-established and successful campus for global brands in life sciences, software development, telecommunications and the games industry. Elsewhere, Stewart Construction also welcomed the appointment as design and build contractor to Hines International for the extension of their prestigious Bishop’s Square premises in Dublin city centre. The existing five-storey office block is located on Kevin Street, a two-minute walk from Stephen’s Green (see panel). Other major project examples include Irish Life’s Offices in Dundalk and Dublin Airport Central Phase 1 (see panels). For more information contact Rachael Stewart, Business Development Director rstewart@stewart.ie March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 25
PROJECT NOTES
BISHOP’S SQUARE, DUBLIN The design by ACH Architects will see the provision of an extra 5451m2 of prime office space through the expansion of the top two floors and the addition of a sixth and seventh floor. The building is occupied by multiple tenants (Government agencies, the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Justice) who will remain in place during the expansion. The offices will provide for a variety of space types that support a collaborative working environment.
IRISH LIFE, DUNDALK Stewart is part of the team involved in Irish Life’s further expansion plans in Dundalk, having won the design and build of its new office development in Finnabair Business Park, which reinforces the company’s commitment to both its employees and the local community of Dundalk over many years. Stewart Construction is delighted to play its part in this success story.
through a common data environment. The project design team and the client are leveraging the information produced in this environment to inform project design decisions and maximise the efficiency of the construction and operation stages of the project. This is seen as an exemplar project for daa campus with the value identified in the ability to use the information generated at design and construction stages in the future facilities maintenance and operation of the project. It is envisioned that all future construction in the airport will be level 2 PAS compliant.
DUBLIN AIRPORT CENTRAL
Stewart Construction is excited to be playing its part in the development of Ireland’s next generation business hub at Dublin Airport Central. The design and build of Phase 1 of the Schiphol-like ‘office city’ involves 20,000m2 of Grade A LEED Gold standard office space, an elevated link bridge for ease of access from the offices to Terminal 2 and a large urban 2 6 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
realm which significantly enhances the DAC ‘green’ campus.
BIM Alan Keegan, BIM Project Information Manager explains that the DAC project is a BIM level 2 project set up to be PAS1192 compliant and is distinguished by the use of collaborative working practices
Model Stewart is currently using a federated model to carry out clash detection and co-ordination checks which will reduce the need to engage on costly onsite rework. The state-of-the-art and connected international business hub is set to take two years to complete.
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STEWART IN CORK AND SCOIL AONGHUSA Stewart Construction is now well established in the Cork market, delivering for both private and public clients.
Landmark Currently on site in Mitchelstown on its 72nd ALDI store in Ireland, Stewart has completed 10 ALDI stores in the Cork region and the fit out of the landmark Elysian Tower and new builds in Charleville, Glanmire and Bandon. Scoil Aonghusa’s new school premises in Mallow was designed and built by Stewart Construction in under 40
weeks and is an example of the success of rapid build delivery. The primary school is located in a rapidly developing area of the country that was prioritised for funding by the Department of Education and Science.
Outlook Strong economic growth in Cork is offering increased opportunities to Stewart to provide innovative design and build solutions to private sector clients with expansion plans in the Cork region.
GAELSCOIL MHIC AMHLAIGH, GALWAY The Department of Education announced a new build for Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh in early 2017. This announcement was certainly welcomed by local families attending the Gaelscoil, Cnoc Na Cathrach, Co. Galway.
Boost The project is a huge boost to the community providing durable facilities to this area. Stewart Construction, working alongside Coady Architects, has now built the school on time and on budget.
The handover officially took place in December 2017. The project comprises 24 classrooms with a capacity for 600 pupils. The new school includes special education classrooms, as well as 36 parking spaces.
Heightens It heightens promotion and survival of the Irish language and will provide children with a great education and long-lasting facilities for generations to come.
March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 27
LEAN JOURNEYS
John Sisk & Son Ltd has been on its own Lean journey since the late 1990s but the organisation undertook a step change in approach in 2016, recognising how core Lean principles matched the company’s focus on delivering value for the customers and respecting and creating an efficient, safe and rewarding environment for all those who work with them. Joe O’Sullivan (above), Regional Director, Pharma (Ireland), John Sisk & Son, reports.
The implementation of Lean Construction at Sisk T he John Sisk & Son vision is: ‘To be the best at creating value for our customers, shareholders and our people’. Taking a leadership position in our industry in the use of Lean is a key part in helping us live up to this vision every day. As part of making this real, our processes are structured and managed to continuously improve how we deliver value, to continuously improve our safety standards, to continuously improve the efficiency and speed at which high quality work can be delivered.
This consultation was undertaken in the form of consultative workshops, the aim being to identify areas either of frustration or of potential improvement – either in processes or outcomes. Hundreds of ideas were distilled into 42 work streams, prioritising 16 areas for immediate action. A ‘Lean Team’ was established, charged with identifying and reducing waste and inefficiencies by mapping and analysing business processes.
Delivery by the Lean Team Some of the big wins delivered to date by the Lean Team:
This desire to innovate has been key to our growth and sustainability as a business which has been at the forefront of the construction sector for over 150 years.
Formalising the Lean approach in Sisk Following peer reviews and client consultation across both Ireland and the UK we formally defined Lean for Sisk as: ‘An approach which uses a systematic methodology to create or deliver value’ by: • Identifying precisely what is meant by ‘value’ from the customer’s perspective • Eliminating waste in all its forms • Respect for people and what they can contribute • Pursuing excellence within a structured, continuous improvement culture The key concepts for us include ‘leadership by example’, accountability and ownership and recognising that those closest to the working environment are 2 8 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
TOP: Knowledge management intranet ABOVE: Visual boards
often best placed to identify improvement opportunities. Our Lean approach also emphasises the importance of the ‘visual’ in the way work is structured, reviewed and reported.
Consultation We recognised that there were two streams of work to be done. One was on the way we operate as a company and the second was the operation of the projects we work on. In 2016, we undertook an extensive consultation process with over 1,000 staff – 80% of our directly employed workforce.
Lean Management System. The entire suite of project management procedures and forms within the construction management system has been reviewed using systematic Lean methodology, process mapping in particular. Procedures and forms have either been combined, refined or eliminated, particularly where overlaps were identified. Digital Field Tools. Through the use of digital tools including iPads and collaborative sharing sites, Sisk has reduced the volume of paper and delivered a time-saving solution leading to more efficient workflows, clearer communication and more accurate information on projects. Project Set up & Mobilisation. The challenge of rapid mobilisation of a project, such as to produce a safe and efficient set up for the lifetime of the project, whilst reviewing all the design,
LEAN JOURNEYS
on boarding partners into the scheme and indeed getting the teams to work together efficiently has been tackled. A robust process for start-up and mobilising all projects across the business is under development. KPI / Productivity Tracking. Sisk has also introduced better tracking tools to give faster insights into current output and predictive indicators of areas of underperformance. These project controls are helping the wider team on their projects to share accountability for progress and allows the collaborative solving of problems before they become critical.
chain was appointed on the basis of a commitment to collaborative engagement in live interactive planning workshops. The project schedule is being managed using a combination of ‘Last Planner’ type collaboration and Critical Path type techniques, with the full critical path micro-scheduled and rescheduled twice weekly. Most importantly, the entire team and supply chain are fully engaged in an open and collaborative approach both to planning and overcoming problems, with weekly 6-week and 1-week planning sessions, combined with daily field-based
Knowledge Management. In order to capture and leverage the expertise and experience of their people, Sisk has developed a Knowledge Management intranet portal, capturing and sharing best practice across all projects, harnessing the best of good ideas. BIM Implementation. BIM has been a key success over the last number of years and one of the great enablers for Lean working. Sisk has introduced 4D modelling to most of these projects, improving planning, co-ordination, look ahead and communication efforts. Re-work and suboptimal sequencing has been drastically reduced on these projects as spatial and sequencing clashes can be foreseen and managed out more effectively, leading to more efficient programmes and quality outcomes and allowing us build it right first time.
Training for a Lean culture change Sisk has trained over 120 staff to Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt standard and has a number of people currently undertaking Green Belt programmes. It is vital to engage staff and to equip them to be part of the process and this training is a key element of that.
Guided Lean Programmes onsite In addition to eliminating or streamlining non-value-adding processes across the organisation, Sisk has implemented a number of project-specific Lean programmes on some key projects. On one large project in the UK, for example, completion to occupancy in 22 months was the key client requirement. Sisk engaged the services of a Lean consultant, setting an ambitious target to hand over in 19 months. The full supply
ABOVE: ipad inspections
whiteboard meetings focused on the same data. These programmes are underway on four other projects in Ireland and the UK (at time of writing), each programme bespoke and designed to match the first order challenges on the project.
An holistic approach to Lean – relationships, trust and collaboration Over the past 30 years, the construction industry has moved from a ‘construction focused’ effort to a package management approach. Driven by risk management and cost reduction strategies, work now tends to be neatly packaged and contractually arranged such that each contractor and subcontractor is self-sufficient, with less and less support from the CM or main contractor by way of central services, temporary facilities or engineering support. One of the unintended consequences is that we are no longer able to see waste – we do not need to see waste – we have packaged it up and it is not our problem. A generation of construction
professionals have been brought up in this way. A second unintended consequence is the increase in supervisory staff compared with craft – for example, every contractor and subcontractor on a project will require a full-time or visiting safety professional. Notwithstanding regulatory requirements, what we see in practice is enormously inefficient. Similarly, there are significant overlaps in effort between engineering, supervisory and commercial staff, much of which involves the presentation and management of the same information in different formats, issuing correspondence and reports, all in a manner driven by contracting strategy, not by the demands of the project itself. We need to strip back the inefficiencies and overlaps in our current approach and focus holistically across the full design and construction delivery process, ensuring that maximum value is delivered to our clients with the minimum of wasted effort. A sensible and open approach is required, allowing money to cross boundaries to where it can most efficiently deliver, and helping to strip away waste without seeking to benefit directly. This is a key target area in our Lean programme.
Moving ahead with Lean in Sisk The Lean Team will continue their work in adding value, particularly through the knowledge management and knowledge sharing efforts. A key priority is to focus on distributing the ownership of change as close as possible to the working environment and enabling good ideas to be acted upon swiftly. Further developments towards the implementation of paperless site management will be added through the digital field tool and the on-line induction and on-boarding process will be rolled out during 2018 also. The use of BIM on all projects will continue to be a big part of this success. Most critically, however, will be the collaboration ethos which will be built into all projects from tender stage, supporting and encouraging the supply chain and design teams to embrace the Lean collaborative approach in order to get the best value outcomes for the projects we work on. For more information on Lean in Sisk contact: Joe O’Sullivan, John Sisk & Son, j.o’sullivan@sisk.ie March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 29
LEAN JOURNEYS
The basics of Lean in construction ‘W
hen Martin asked us to write an introduction to Lean Construction in 1,200 words it felt like trying to squeeze an elephant in to a mini cooper but here goes...’ (bravely) write Steven Ward and Charli Wigzell! ‘So let’s start with a rant and make no apologies for it...’
The basics of Lean in construction Lean Construction is what it says on the tin – Lean thinking applied to construction. This means that to be able to apply it you need to understand two things, Lean and construction. If anyone is trying to help you with Lean construction you really need to ascertain the level of knowledge and experience in both areas otherwise your people won’t be able to understand or relate to it and you will likely fail before you have started. Recently when working with a company in Dublin we were told of a project where the client imposed a Lean consultant on the team. The weekly work planning sessions lasted four hours every time; the attendees were losing the will to live but attendance was mandatory! Under these circumstances Lean has little chance of embedding.
Value and Waste and Support Activity – A Visual guide
Context So let’s try and set Lean Construction in context, starting with the historical development of Lean. Many people think that lean is ‘a Japanese automotive thing that won’t work in construction’; however the roots
of Lean go much deeper than this. Some say Lean thinking goes back as far as the Chinese Terracotta soldiers and also Greek shipbuilding but Fred Taylor’s, Scientific Management circa 1911 is a reasonably good place to start. Taylor was possibly the first industrial engineer to really think about how to design work methods for maximum efficiency and we can still learn from his work and approaches today. Around the same period, we also have a great Husband & Wife team – Frank & Lillian Gilbreth. No space here to write up all their achievements but suffice to say that Frank Gilbreth invented process mapping. Construction professionals might be interested to know that Gilbreth was a bricklaying contractor and his early consultancy career was focused on improving construction productivity. There is no doubt that his work had a significant influence on the development of Lean, so we can claim that pioneers of Lean thinking came from the construction sector! Following the Gilbreths, other key contributors include Shewart, Deming, Juran and Training within industry (TWI). All of these were North American and after the Second World War taught their methods to the Japanese. Deming predicted in 1950 that the Japanese would produce world-beating quality and productivity within 30 Years. So, fast-forward to the 1980s and Deming’s prediction held. The Americans, now concerned that they were being outperformed, sent a delegation from MIT to Japan to find out why. The results were published in the 1990 book, The Machine That Changed the World, and for the first time, the term ‘Lean’ was coined. This was followed with Womack & Jones’ book, Lean Thinking, which provided a codified approach to Lean.
So let’s cover the basics. Where are we now? Sadly, success and uptake is varied to say the least. We have led Lean construction implementations that have reduced overall project lead times by 30%. • With a global clothing retailer average fit-out, lead times were reduced from 11 weeks to 4 weeks over a 3-year period of sustained application. • A public-sector roads maintenance company, mentored over a 5-year 3 0 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
LEAN JOURNEYS
period, achieved a 5-fold increase in profits based on the same turnover. • Recently in Dublin a construction consultancy we helped achieved a 9% improvement in Value added per person (productivity) utilising the Enterprise Ireland Lean Start Programme.
‘IF ANYONE IS TRYING TO HELP YOU WITH LEAN CONSTRUCTION YOU NEED TO ASCERTAIN THEIR LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE IN BOTH AREAS.’
We have also had failures, when it didn’t seem to matter what was said or done, the company were ‘already doing everything possible’ and couldn’t (wouldn’t) be improved. We have regularly experienced people in construction who will expend significant energy making the case for why their own particular situation is unique and, because of this, Lean won’t work. Any effort spent challenging the way things get done would be pointless to them. Does it work? Will it work? Wrong question. So many people ask the wrong question. They ask whether it will work, or whether it will work for their particular project. Success can be gained much easier if we start by changing from whether? and if? To HOW. How does this thinking apply to my current project? How do the philosophy, tools & techniques translate? How should we design the implementation to suit the culture and circumstance of the construction sector? Once the language changes to ‘how’ not ‘if’, you are halfway there. We should recognise that it works but needs a tailored approach to account for the peculiarities of the construction sector.
Why should we be interested? There is no doubt that the performance of companies that diligently apply Lean thinking is extraordinary compared to those who don’t. Recent construction reports have confirmed that the industry wastes 20% of project costs just on errors and rework alone. So, we have a large body of evidence which says that Lean construction delivers; why then is the take-up so slow? We have identified six organisational learning difficulties which prevent a business from adopting Lean construction. See how many are familiar!
Important differences in construction are: • It is ‘Fixed Position’ production
The cult of personality where • Process is ignored and the focus is on personalities
– resources move over the product (like shipbuilding) and unlike manufacturing • It is ‘one of a kind’, bespoke • Buildings are rooted in place and so are subject to local constraints • Organisations (project delivery supply chains) are of a temporal nature
Director of Bristol-based Rubicon Wigzell Ltd, Charlie Wigzell is a very experienced practitioner in the art and science of Lean construction with a particular interest and expertise in the application of Lean thinking to organisational design both at the project and enterprise level. charlie.wigzell@ rubiconwigzell.com
• New leaders are allowed, nay, encouraged, to change the infrastructure • Leaders are changed to get a better result – but the process remains the same The status quo will pertain • A belief that construction is too complex and fractured to change • A love of fire fighting (it is what makes the job interesting) Anti-planningitis • There are too many variables for the plan to be stable • We can’t plan in detail because we cannot know everything • We only plan in detail when we have to (e.g. possessions) Inability to finish • We don’t start with an end in mind • It is OK not to finish • We multitask, so delay the finish The customer (client) says: ‘jump’; we say: ‘how high?’ • We don’t own our projects (we hand control to clients and the contracts) • We don’t design organisations for success, we meet contractual obligations (spend more effort managing the contract than the work) • We behave as though we are not in control Anti-investment • We focus on first, not last, cost • Too busy to invest time so we live in the short-term • No budget to invest so the last cost rises If businesses can get over these learning difficulties then the sunny uplands of improved safety, shorter programmes, improved quality, lower costs, greater profits and less environmental impact are there for the taking.
Dr Steven Ward, MCIO, managing director, Lean Construct Ltd., has a lifetime of construction experience beginning as an apprentice carpenter, progressing to chartered builder and achieving a doctorate in civil engineering. His research examines critical success factors for the application of Lean thinking to the construction sector. steve@leanconstruct.co.uk March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 31
LEAN JOURNEYS
Lean Construction Ireland’s Community of Learning & Practice
I
n a Lean Construction Ireland (LCI) initiative hosted at the WIT Arena and supported by both Ardmac and Suir Engineering, the WIT Academy of Lean Enterprise Excellence at the RIKON Research Centre in collaboration with the WIT Department of Built Environment, brought 40 construction students together with 20 industry practitioners for a day-long Lean Construction simulation workshop. Darrin Taylor, Principal Lead at the WIT Academy of Lean Enterprise Excellence and vice-chair of LCI, looks back on a very successful day. At WIT we are committed to collaboration and facilitating knowledge-sharing on Lean. Our Academy is a leader on that front in terms of the WIT Lean Practitioner Seminar Series and the Annual WIT Lean Enterprise Excellence Forum, allied to our wider involvement with LCI and Lean Business Ireland. The mission of LCI is to promote the transformation of the Irish Construction Sector through the adoption of Lean thinking and practices, and LCI’s community of learning and practice involves all stakeholders collaborating to that end. This wonderfully engaging and interactive event held recently brought together global thought leaders, industry professionals, companies, academics and students in a simple example of such collaboration in action, and is testament to the generosity of spirit integral to the Lean community here in Ireland and abroad.
Facilitated The simulation workshop was facilitated by Paul Ebbs – a co-founder of Lean Construction Ireland, a Research Fellow at Nottingham Trent University’s Centre for Lean Projects and Managing Director Of Umstot Solutions Ireland Ltd – alongside two global thought leaders in Lean Construction. These were: Professor Glenn Ballard from the University of California at Berkeley and Professor Christine Pasquire from Nottingham Trent University (NTU). The workshop used the ‘Villego®’ simulation to introduce participants to the benefits of the Last Planner® System (LPS) of Production Planning and 3 2 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
Global thought leaders enabling new thinking and practices in construction at WIT Control, along with a number of other concepts.
Last Planner® System (LPS) LPS is a production planning and control system that produces reliable work flow and rapid learning in programming, design, building, and commissioning of capital projects. The principles of the system apply to any work requiring coordination between people. It is a structured collaborative process that dramatically improves coordination and the identification of constraints on projects through conversations, shared understanding and reliable promising. This improves value around schedule, cost, productivity, quality, team morale, and safety performance. One of the key deliverables of the LPS is that the people who are closest to the work, and who can authorise resources, plan the work. Typically, these are the trade foremen, site manager, clerk of works or owner representative, and are known as the ‘Last Planners'. LPS was developed by Glenn Ballard and Greg Howell. Visit www.leanconstructionireland.ie to see a webinar on ‘The 5 Levels of the Last Planner® System’ delivered by Paul Ebbs and David Umstot.
Introducing LPS via Villego® The simulation workshop was delivered through a mixture of action-based learning, interactive presentations, and discussions, in order to illustrate how Lean thinking and practices can dramatically improve the performance of the Construction Sector. In this instance the workshop participants included a 2/3 to 1/3 split of students (Quantity Surveyors, Construction Management Engineers, Civil Engineers) and industry professionals. Villego® uses Lego® and occurs in two rounds usually over about four hours. It provides participants with an opportunity to feel and see a traditional planning approach and compare it with key aspects of LPS. During Round 1 the team is given a period of time to plan how to build a small Lego Villa. At the end of Round 1 the results and general moods of the teams are recorded for comparison after Round 2. Prior to Round 2, the LPS is introduced using practical real life stories, images, graphics, and instruction on how to use specific elements of the LPS for Round 2. Participants are required to use what they have just learned about LPS to plan and control progress during Round 2. Time and time again remarkable results are seen in Round 2 from the application of Lean thinking and practices.
Visit: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=6N3oV6tV8d4 for a short video of a Villego® workshop at San Diego Mesa College
As part of ongoing research at the NTU Centre for Lean Projects, the moods of the workshop participants were assessed to benchmark the impact of the simulation. Following Round 1 the participants ‘expressed feeling stressed, pressured, frustrated, and chaos’ – similar to how construction projects can feel at times. However, following Round 2 the participants reported ‘feeling satisfied, confident, organised, productive, and in control of the construction process’. These moods are typical on projects delivered using the LPS. Dr Derek Sinnott, Head of Department Built Environment Waterford Institute of Technology, said: ‘The Department of the Built Environment at the WIT School of Engineering was delighted to have Paul Ebbs, Professor Glenn Ballard, and Professor Christine Pasquire spend a full day running simulations on Lean Construction and LPS with our students, faculty, and several experienced industry practitioners. ‘Students found the interactive session hugely engaging and enjoyable. They recognised working in teams with industry professionals as being extremely beneficial to their understanding of the practical implementation of Lean concepts and processes. ‘Lean, Green, and BIM are key themes being adopted by the Department of the Built Environment. ‘Graduates leave with the knowledge to challenge the status quo and develop innovative, sustainable and more productive ways of working.’ Johnny Crowley, Continuous Improvement Manager at Suir Engineering, said: ‘Suir Senior Management believe in the continuous
improvement philosophy and have made a serious commitment to embed Lean principles in our organisation. ‘The Last Planner® System (LPS) has been designed using these principles, and we will be incorporating what we have learned into the “Suir Way”. ‘In addition to the “pull-planning” component, the metrics offered by LPS will help us improve our workflow reliability, our look-ahead planning, and how we learn from breakdowns in projects. ‘Less time fire fighting will give more time improving our value proposition to customers. ‘Continued knowledge-sharing over time will transform the sector, and indeed help keep Ireland an attractive location to invest.’ Leo Doherty, Contracts Manager at Suir Engineering, said: ‘The workshop was very well prepared and delivered, and there was a good mixture of practical learning and theory. ‘The Last Planner® System is a very good planning tool, and, in combination with detailed design, it produces far more favourable project outcomes. ‘During the simulation the subcontractors worked a lot more effectively and spent a lot less time on site.’ Noel Phelan, Supervisor at Suir Engineering, said: ‘The Last Planner® simulation shifted my mind-set on planning. ‘I realised that by spending more time at, and putting a greater emphasis on, planning, we will get the job done quicker and at less expense. ‘We are now adapting the LPS principles to suit how we plan our work on site and in time we will focus on sharing
this learning with the client and main contractor.’ ‘When everyone is using it, there will be a lot less time wasted on site.’ Brian Nolan, Planner at Suir Engineering, said: ‘I had some exposure to the LPS prior to the simulation but I wasn’t expecting the “wow” factor as experienced on the day. ‘The collaboration element of LPS resulted in much richer and more accurate information going into the plan. ‘In contrast to the “critical-path” method traditionally used in construction planning, LPS removes a lot of stress and waste and is a more logical approach for industries where you need to adapt over time.’ Andrew Norris, Project Manager at Suir Engineering, said: ‘I really enjoyed the workshop and the interaction between the students and ourselves. ‘The group/team environment opened my mind to the positive contributions that can be made from listening to all the parties in the team – no matter what experience they had gained in their careers. ‘This is something I personally need to bring forward to my workings. As regards the LPS, I found it important at certain stages to stop, review, and realign the works as the reality of the working situation altered. ‘Again, this is key going forward on projects as we need to amend our programmes which are affected by delays, disruptions, or additional works which had not been factored-in initially. All-in-all a good learning day with great interaction.’
WANT TO KNOW MORE? Visit www.wit.ie/lean for WIT’s Lean Enterprise and Operational Excellence programme portfolio, events, and activities and www.witleanforum. com for its Annual Lean Forum. Visit www.leanconstructionireland. ie for LCI events, webinars, news and other information. Visit www.leanbusinessireland.ie for information on Lean Business Ireland. Paul Ebbs can be contacted at paul. ebbs@umstotsolutions.com Visit www.ntu.ac.uk/research/groupsand-centres/groups/lean-projectmanagement for the Centre for Lean Projects at Nottingham Trent University. March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 33
TECH TALK
Electric Vehicles (EVs) are the subject of much discussion these days as they become more prevalent on the streets of our towns and cities. Of course, making provisions for EVs means getting the infrastructure right, as Mark Daly explains.
W
hether you are looking at America. Asia or Europe, the talk about electric vehicles is almost deafening. Many of the vehicle manufacturers have made announcements about migrating to EVs, away from traditional petrol and diesel. A number of cities have set deadlines, banning the combustion engine from their streets. While these declarations are important, they are irrelevant unless the consumer buys in.
ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TRUE SUSTAINABILITY COMES FROM SMART DESIGN
Sales The last three years have seen electric vehicle sales grow healthily in Ireland and across Europe. This has been helped by the increased autonomy of the vehicles on offer, as well as a growing number of makes and models on the market. Two additional factors are set to accelerate the migration to EVs in Ireland. The first is a decision made by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, which has provided clarity regarding the public infrastructure, effectively giving the green light for commercial operations and investment. The second is the budget, which has earmarked substantial support for EVs, including significantly, the introduction of 0% Benefit-in-Kind tax on fully electric company vehicles.
Construction All this will lead to additional focus on Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) on construction projects.
Many of the specification documents circulated in the form of Request for Quotations have been below the level you might expect if the RfQ had been for a fire detection system or some equally familiar requirement. Often, the specifications resembled outdated or unsuitable samples from a web search engine. In October last, Engineers Ireland organised the first course aimed at those tasked with the job of specifying EVSEs on projects. I had the pleasure of being asked to design and present the one-day CPD course, which discussed the state of the art of EV technology as well as specification considerations for a range of construction projects. Feedback from course participants was very positive.
Philosophy The ‘one size fits all’ philosophy does not work when it comes
to Electric Vehicle charging. In order to avoid unhappy clients, Engineers specifying charging requirements for construction projects need to prepare not only for the immediate needs, but also the short- to medium-term requirements. A common misconception is that higher power chargers are better because they provide greater value to the driver. This is not always the case; in fact it is rarely the case. Choosing the power of the charge point should be a direct result of considering who the users are and what they require. Another very important consideration when it comes to power rating is the effect this choice has on the electrical distribution and Maximum Import Capacity (MIC) of the electricity supply. While the installation of a single charge point may not cause any difficulty, the expansions that can be expected, even in the short term,
‘RECENT DEVELOPMENTS WILL LEAD TO AN ADDITIONAL FOCUS ON ELECTRIC VEHICLE SUPPLY EQUIPMENT (EVSE) ON CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.’ 3 4 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
are likely to cause a few headaches.
Payment Another topic is payment. Traditionally, organisations have opted to offer Electric Vehicle charging free of charge to the driver. This has stemmed from the minimal impact on energy costs due to the early stage of the industry, as well as the fact that public infrastructure in Ireland was free to use. Times are changing in this regard, Electric Vehicle registrations are growing and the public infrastructure is about to go commercial. Soon organisations with EV charging on their premises will need to realise a method for cost recovery, whether just the energy cost or also the O&M costs. In this regard too, the project specification will need to be cognizant of the evolving industry. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has published a much awaited decision paper regarding the Charging Infrastructure in Ireland. A key output of this paper is the clarity provided with regard to energy consumption as a metric by which EV charging services can be billed. While the decision paper explains the full background, in short, the CRU has stated that operators of charge points are permitted to use energy consumption as a metric for billing if they so wish. This opens up a realm of possibilities, which were, heretofore, believed by many to be contrary to regulations of the sale of electricity. Time-based charging and token systems were seen as a stop-gap solution. In reality many users disliked them as the benefit gained by users differed from vehicle to vehicle. By allowing billing to take place based on energy consumed, the transaction is far more transparent.
Numbers On projects where charge point numbers are likely to be significant, energy management is a topic worth considering. A number of products are offered with an energy management feature built in. However, I have yet to see one that offers a full suite of features including external commands for provision of energy services. Most offerings are based on
in-house protocols that simply focus on communication between the charge points specific to the electrical connection. As this market matures over the next year or two, energy management offerings will become more comprehensive and will, by necessity, adhere to an industry standard rather than a proprietary system. When choosing any product, you will need to consider flexibility. Many charge point manufacturers design their product in compliance with Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP). This protocol ensures that the equipment and services of a range of compliant vendors is interoperable. The end result is that whether you are looking at payment systems or energy management, the purchaser doesn’t get locked to a vendor as a result of signing up to their proprietary system.
Interest Reporting of EVSE usage contributes to three areas of interest. Environmental reporting is of interest to many large organisations. This can contribute to measuring the carbon impact of employee migration to EVs or simply creating awareness of social responsibility activities. Another very important part of the reporting function is the ability to gather real information on times and magnitudes of usage. This data will be instrumental in deciding on the need for additional charge points, as well as how to best integrate them with the building energy system on site. In the coming years energy services contracts can use usage profiles to best assess the opportunities for voltage and even frequency control. The recent budget allows provision of EV charging at the work place with zero BiK implications. This is positive and supports a situation that has generally been the case up until now. However, the subtle message in the budget is that the provision of charging free of charge is on the radar and will eventually be reconsidered for taxation purposes. This message is yet another reason for knowing who is using the charge points and how much energy they are consuming.
Choosing When choosing a charge point, it is very important to look at what is in the box. While you may decide not to opt for connection to a back office immediately, it is still important to ensure that all the hardware is installed and ready to go. Technically it might be possible to update later, however in reality this is not such an easy job and will undoubtedly come at a premium. Similarly, provision of adequate electrical protection inside the charge point is important. Some charge points come equipped with circuit breakers and leakage detection on each socket, while others only incorporate a master breaker, which will mean that a fault on one channel can interrupt both outlets. I have even seen some equipment with no protection at all. In the case where the only protection is installed in the main distribution panel, you run the risk that the internal wiring of the charger is insufficiently protected. Further CPD registered courses are being planned for 2018. For more details contact Eninserv Ltd. training@eninserv.com
Mark Daly is an Energy and Innovation consultant as well as an industry leader in the domain of electric vehicle and associated infrastructure. His recent publication Electric Vehicles: A Guide For Just About Anyone is available through Amazon. ISBN 978-1-5272-1698-3 Mark can be contacted on: mark@eninserv.com www.eninserv.com (01) 687 7996
March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 35
OUT & ABOUT
IRELANDSKILLS WINNERS SHOW FUTURE IN GOOD HANDS The Department of Education and Skills Silver Medal Awards ceremony took place in the Cusack Suite, Croke Park. Construction Management Ireland was represented there, naturally.
T
he future of the construction sector and related industries relies heavily on the talents and skills of those entering the workforce.
the 44th WorldSkills International competition in Abu Dhabi, achieving a total of eight WorldSkills Medallions of Excellence.
Good hands
Showcase
If the recipients of the Department of Education and Skills Silver Medal Awards are anything to go by then that future can be judged to be in good hands. The Silver Medal Awards were presented to recipients at the Cusack Suite in Croke Park by the Minister for Education & Skills, Richard Bruton. Construction Management Ireland was represented there amongst a large crowd of well-wishers and proud family members.
‘Competitions at national and international levels expose our experts to best technological practice and not only enable us to showcase young Irish talent to a global audience but to benchmark the employability skills of our apprentices, trainees and graduates with those from across
the world,’ added Ray English. ‘It is this global insight which will ensure more young people are equipped with the right skills to help Irish business to be prepared for global competition and a global future.’
Coordinated Ray English, Chair, WorldSkills Ireland, explained to us how IrelandSkills has organised and coordinated the Ireland Skills National Competition on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills since 1957. ‘The 2016 IrelandSkills National Competition or “ISNC” (chair – Donal Keys) winners mark the 60th anniversary of Ireland joining WorldSkills International in 1956 as the eighth member, while the 2017 winners mark the 60th continuous annual national competition,’ said English. ‘Each competition is adjudicated over three days by a panel of examiners directed by a chief examiner to a WorldSkills standard specification – to reflect best national and international practice. This ensures that competitors are reaching best industry standards.’ The 2016 and 2017 competitions formed the basis of the selection for Team Ireland which contested 3 6 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
TEAM IRELAND AT WORLDSKILLS 2017 The 44th WorldSkills competition was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE in October 2017. Team Ireland won 7 Medallions of Excellence there. The next Worldskills competition will take place in Kazan, Russia from 29 August - 3 September 2019. WorldSkills Ireland coordinates the WorldSkills Competitions on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills.
TOP: Parade of flags at Worldskills 2017 ABOVE: Stephen Murray, Plastering, at WorldSkills competition
ABOVE: 2016 IrelandSkills Competition winner - Bricklaying: Jonathan Chapman, presented with award by Minister for Education & Skills, Richard Bruton
ABOVE:2016 IrelandSkills Competition winner - Plasterwork: Stephen Murray
ABOVE: 2016 IrelandSkills Competition winner - Welding: Eoin Shortall
ABOVE: 2017 IrelandSkills Competition winner - Joinery: James McSwiney
ABOVE: 2017 IrelandSkills Competition winner - Metal Fabrication: Martin Crowe
ABOVE: 2017 IrelandSkills Competition winner - Plumbing: David Donegan
ABOVE: The assembled crowd
ABOVE: Donal Keys, Chair of ISNC
ABOVE: A full house
ABOVE:Ray English, Chair, WorldSkills Ireland
March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 37
OUT & ABOUT
Onwards and upwards for CIOB Student Challenge Ireland!
T
he most recent Chartered Institute of Building’s annual competition for third-level students in Ireland took place in Croke Park. With 11 teams from around Ireland taking part, it was the largest Student Challenge Ireland competition yet. Teams of four, accompanied by their lecturers, travelled from right around the island to compete. This included both previous winners and colleges who had never been involved before. The Chartered Institute of Building’s annual competition for third-level students in Ireland began with a warm welcome from the Dublin Hub Chair, Michael Gallagher FCIOB, and from the sponsors of the day, McAleer & Rushe, Aconex, Elecosoft, and Turner & Townsend.
Exciting With 11 teams taking part in the event, it was set to be an exciting day and in the end it did not disappoint. The brief was to prepare a bid for the
re-development of a 1970s building into a budget hotel in Dublin’s city centre – taking into account the Luas, a one-way system, and an ESB sub-station, to name just a few of the challenges. The teams had three hours to produce a one-page overview and a 15-minute presentation, describing their solution and the issues they felt were most important. Each team presented to a two-judge panel and then had a 10-minute question and answer session. The top three teams were chosen from the 11 that had entered, and these three teams had to answer further questions from the judges. The teams involved were from Southern Regional College, Ulster University Jordanstown, DIT, GMIT, WIT, IT Sligo, Letterkenny IT, IT Carlow, CIT, Athlone IT, and Belfast Met.
Places In third place was the team from the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology A warm welcome from the Dublin Hub Chair, Michael Gallagher FCIOB
TOP: First place: Student Challenge Ireland 2017 winners, Ulster University Jordanstown. L-R: Neil Recána; Philip Beattie; Mark Kitson; Christopher Da Mata – with Clare Mahon (Course Director) ABOVE: Judges and CIOB personnel: Seated, L-R: Margaret Conway (Mc Aleer & Rushe); Hugh Dodd; Niamh WebbleyO’Gorman; Dermot Russell. Standing, L-R: Ivan Mc Carthy; Michael Gallagher; John Sweeney; Paul Campbell
(GMIT). In second place was the team from the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT). The winning team of Student Challenge Ireland 2017 was from Ulster University, Jordanstown: Chris DeMata; Mark Kitson; Philip Beattie and Neil Recána, supported by their lecturer, Clare Mahon. As always, for further information, please contact Niamh WebbleyO’Gorman on nogorman@ciob. org.uk or +353 87 783 1234.
‘EACH TEAM PRESENTED TO A TWO-JUDGE PANEL AND THEN HAD A 10-MINUTE QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION.’ 3 8 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
CIS UPDATES HOW THE LAND LIES
C
onstruction Information Services (CIS) provides an analysis of activity in the construction sector for the 12 months of 2017 and a comparative analysis against the corresponding period in 2016. This Construction Market overview also provides an insight into the overall planning pipeline for 2018 and beyond on a sector-by-sector basis and a regional analysis of the Republic of Ireland.
CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY OVERVIEW WITH CIS Construction Projects at On-Site Stage in the Republic Of Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland, the volume of projects On-Site in the year 2017 has fallen by 7% when compared to 2016. All sectors, with the exception of Agriculture, Industrial and Residential have fallen in volume terms as per Fig. 1
Fig 1
4 0 | Construction Management | November/December 2017
The value of projects On-Site is actually up 17% to €7.6bn with the €1bn Children’s Hospital representing almost all of this growth. Ulster and Leinster have fallen in value terms, with all other regions experiencing double digit growth. Residential, Industrial, Commercial and Medical have all surpassed the €1bn in projects on site in the year. Construction Projects at Plans Granted Stage in Republic Of Ireland. The value of projects granted planning in 2017 has fallen by 20% when compared with 2016 with over €8.7bn projects granted planning in the year, down from over €11bn in 2016. All regions are showing declines in value terms as can be seen by Fig 1.2.
THE VALUE OF PROJECTS ON-SITE IS ACTUALLY UP 17% TO €7.6BN WITH THE €1BN CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL REPRESENTING ALMOST ALL OF THIS GROWTH. Construction Projects at Plans Submitted Stage in Republic Of Ireland. The volume of projects submitted for planning increased slightly by 5% to almost 7,000 projects over 2016 levels. The volume of projects submitted for planning in 2017 is up 15% in Dublin with all other regions showing single digit growth with the exception of Connacht which has fallen 7%.
Fig 1.2 The volume of projects granted planning is also down by 2% on 2016 levels with 5,451 major projects granted planning in 2017, down from 5,558 in 2016. Connacht as a region has experienced the biggest decline in percentage terms, with Munster also slowing significantly, down 8%. The other three regions have shown modest positive growth in volume terms over 2016 levels. In sectoral terms, Agriculture and Medical & Care Residential have experienced significant declines in volume terms, while all other sectors have experienced double digit growth with the exception of Commercial which is pretty static and Industrial which is up 7%.
Fig 1.4 The value of projects submitted for planning is down 4% on 2016 levels. The Leinster region is down 16% year-on-year with Munster down 5%. All other regions have positive growth for the year. In sectoral terms, Civil & Utilities, Commercial & Retail and Education are all down significantly while there is strong growth in value terms in Residential, Community & Sport, Industrial and Hotel & Catering.
Fig 1.5 Fig 1.3
2015
2016
2017
March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 41
CAREERS & TRAINING
EARN AS YOU LEARN
BSc. Quantity Surveying and Construction Economics (Part-Time) Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) has a long history of providing industry-related programmes. This is confirmed by the recent signing of the Universities Bill and the move towards the formation of the TU4D.
Programmes The School of Surveying and Construction Management in DIT, Bolton Street, has been providing industry related programmes to undergraduate students for decades on both a full and part-time basis. Recently, DIT took the time to revise the BSc. Quantity Surveying and Construction Management Degree (PartTime) in line with industry requirements. This came at a time when there was a significant shortfall in the number of graduates from quantity surveying programmes.
ABOVE: Charlies Mitchell
week in a relevant employment under the guidance of a quantity surveyor and study one day per week in DIT, Bolton Street. Classes take place during the academic year (2 x 12 week semesters). Students study a range of work related modules including, but not limited to, construction technology, measurement and quantification, economics and finance.
Part-time
Module
DIT now offers a 5-year parttime Honours degree in Quantity Surveying, which allows students the opportunity to earn as they learn. The programme is viewed as a vocational apprenticeship whereby students work four days per
To aid students, the part-time programme contains a work-related learning module in the first four years, which helps to prepare the students to undertake the Society of Chartered Surveyors’ (SCSI) assessment of professional competency (APC).
4 2 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
Part-time students have access to all the same facilities as full-time students. Where necessary lectures are supported by online tutorials. The revised programme has been operating for the last two years and currently has 75 students enrolled. Each year, a maximum of 25 students are accepted into the first year of the programme. Applicants to the programme apply directly to the DIT. All details are available on http://dit.ie/studyatdit/part-time/ programmescourses/. Applications are now open. Interviews for prospective students will be held in April /May 2018. Prospective students and employers are invited to contact the Course Chair, Charles Mitchell, via email: charles.mitchell@dit.ie. The programme provides an advanced entry route for suitable applicants.
Students’ comments: ‘I love the course’s impact on my personal and professional growth… It gave me the opportunity to acquire a full-time career.’ ‘Since beginning my studies in DIT I’ve been challenged daily with a variety of interesting tasks, all helping me to become more competent and capable in my chosen field.’ Thanks to Course Chair Charles Mitchell
CAREERS & TRAINING
ABOVE: Joseph Little
D
ublin Institute of Technology provides programmes that enable tradespersons, site foremen and supervisors, construction managers and BIM technicians to progress their knowledge and careers in Ireland’s increasingly digitally-literate construction industry, writes Joseph Little, Assistant Head of School (Discipline of Construction), Dublin School of Architecture, College of Engineering & Built Environment, Dublin Institute of Technology.
It is clear that Irish construction has returned to pre-recession growth levels, but there will likely be capacity concerns for some time. A lot of knowledge and expertise was lost in the recession due to company closures and emigration. At the same time, the rate of change in the industry is noticeably greater than a few years ago, and this rate is likely to pick up further. I recommend reading Shaping the Future of Construction: A Breakthrough in Mindset and Technology from the World Economic Forum (published 2016) to understand the worldwide nature of this disruptive change. In the Irish construction industry we can say that clients are now more risk averse. Health and safety standards have risen greatly. The accepted position on ethics and professionalism are changing in the context of past failings, the advent of CIRI and the impending Statutory Register of Builders in 2018. There is an increased focus on
4 4 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
ABOVE: Construction Site Management (DT149A) students inspect civil works of a basement construction.
DIT – Educating construction managers for the digital age training, though in the short term this can seem to conflict with dayto-day progress on building sites. BIM is becoming a common platform for exchange of information (in larger and services-heavy projects) and digital construction technologies (e.g. BIM, wifi, tablets, drones etc.) are making inroads everywhere. The Government has agreed to a BIM mandate for state-funded projects and the National BIM Council’s ‘Roadmap to Digital Transition’ will support a wider BIM adoption. All of this points to a new kind of builder, professional in approach, open to learning and collaboration, and sufficiently literate in lean principles and digital technologies. ‘Sufficiently’ is an important word: BIM managers need to deliver at BIM Level 2.0, but they do not
need to understand slump tests or electrical wiring standards. Construction managers do not need to be able to make a BIM model, but, they do need to be able to navigate an existing BIM model, and speedily and confidently extract information and supply information in BIM or other digital environments. They also need to be ready for the next wave of changes that will undoubtedly come after. Academic programmes and CPD need to focus time and expertise on competencies their students require.
n CPD Certificate in Digital Delivery by Site Teams At a glance: QQI Level 6 CPD, 13 weeks part-time, next intake Sept 2018 The communication and efficiency gains of BIM and Lean can only be
achieved when people at every level of the construction process are engaged. The missing link is often thought to be at the final stage – on site. With that awareness DIT created a CPD called 'CPD Certificate in Information Technology for Site Workers'. This has now been renamed as 'Certificate in Digital Delivery by Site Teams.' This one semester, part-time CPD is for site foremen and supervisors, construction managers, and other construction personnel who want to become sufficiently conversant in digital construction technologies. We accept students with some, or no knowledge of computers, BIM and digital construction technologies. A recent class had students with QQI Level 5, 6, 7 and 8 qualifications. Time input is generally three hours per week with three hours homework. The CPD is suitable for construction personnel who wish to carry out their existing work in a more efficient and inter-connected way; or to expand their role, to progress their career, re-skill or seek employment. Staff teaching on the programme are active in CIOB, CiTA and CIF’s Construction 4.0 Committee. Further information about the programme can be found at: http:// www.dit.ie/architecture/programmes/ cpd/ or contact joseph.little@dit.ie
n BTech in Construction Site Management At a glance: QQI Level 7 degree (Ord.), 3 years, one day-&-one-evening a week, next intake Sept 2018 This well-established, part-time (Level 7) degree programme is specifically designed for anyone qualified in a construction trade, such as carpentry or joinery, bricklaying, electrical or plumbing, that is looking to add additional skillsets and an academic qualification in site management to progress his/her career. The Construction Site Management programme is delivered over three academic years, requiring attendance of one day and one evening per week. The programme is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Building, and the Institute of Clerks of Works and Construction Inspectorate. The managers of the programme know that applicants have generally gained significant knowledge and experience since their original qualifications.
Therefore that existing knowledge and practical experience is recognised as a component within the programme structure and contributes to the final award. The programme modules are structured to give a progressive spread of learning throughout the three years. The programme focuses on construction technology, construction management, building quantities and contract administration, surveying and levelling, health and safety and academic research. From September 2018 a new
Modelling and Management (aBIMM) suite is a truly multidisciplinary programme that enables construction and design professionals to learn and develop essential BIM and digital construction skills collaboratively in a safe educational setting. Structured in modular format to allow easy entry and exit for learners, including interim exit awards at postgraduate certificate and postgraduate diploma levels, the programme meets the needs of working professionals through evening delivery of face-to-face content
ABOVE: Construction Site Management (DT149A) students visit Techrete Ireland Ltd in Balbriggan.
module will focus on digital construction technologies. The current level 7 degree programme also allows a clear progression route for those seeking to upgrade their knowledge and qualifications from older higher certificate & diploma programmes in site management that are no longer taught in Ireland. These older programmes are the Level 6 higher certificate in Construction Site Management (validated by DIT) and the Site Management Education and Training (SMETS) programme (validated by CIOB). Staff teaching on the programme are active in CIOB, ICWCI and CIF’s Construction 4.0 Committee. Further information about the programme can be found at: http://www.dit.ie/architecture/ programmes/undergraduate/ or contact joseph.little@dit.ie
n MSc in applied Building Information Modelling and Management At a glance: QQI Level 9 nested programme, part-time, next intake Sept 2018 Dublin Institute of Technology’s MSc in applied Building Information
and significant online support. The programme educates BIM Technicians, Coordinators and Managers in professional areas of Construction Management, Architecture, Architectural Technology, Engineering (Building, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical & Structural) and Surveying (Quantity and Geomatics). Current students of the programme work with Irish and international consultancies, contractors, subcontractors, client organisations, or public bodies. Students’ final papers have been published at international conferences. Graduates typically achieve promotion with existing employers or switch to new opportunities. The market for graduates is extremely buoyant. Staff teaching on the programme are active in CitA, the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, the UK BIM Task Group’s Survey4BIM, the BIM Academic forum, CIBSE, CIAT, and Lean Construction Ireland. (Thanks to Avril Behan for information on this course) Further information about the programme can be found at: www.dit.ie/bim or contact avril.behan@dit.ie March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 45
CAREERS & TRAINING
E
ngineers Ireland last year introduced a new CPD policy to move into line with international best practice and with other leading professional bodies. A year down the line, we discuss its significance, reflect on what has been learned and hear more about the ‘T-shaped engineer’.
L
ike other Construction professionals, today’s engineers must be constantly learning to maintain and enhance their competence. ‘Continuing professional development (CPD) is the key to staying up-to-date,’ says Aidan O’Flaherty, CPD Executive at Engineers Ireland. With this in mind, Engineers Ireland introduced a new CPD policy on 1 January 2017 which reflects the importance of continued learning in the professional context.
Definition In these jargon-laden times, one of the most important elements of this new initiative involved communicating a clearly understood definition of what CPD is about. ‘Often, there might be a concept that CPD is about going to courses or seminars, for example,’ says Aidan. ‘We tried hard to communicate the message that CPD is about “learning” – learning skills behaviours, 4 6 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
information and knowledge that will enable you to develop as an engineer and do your job better. ‘That can happen in various ways.’ At this point O’Flaherty gives us a classic definition of CPD in this sector as being, ‘the systematic maintenance, enhancement and development of knowledge and skill, and the development of personal qualities necessary for the execution of professional and technical duties throughout the practising engineering professional’s career.’ Put another way: CPD is any activity that enables someone to develop competencies relevant to their profession. ‘There are many forms by which you can learn now,’ points out O’Flaherty. ‘It is not like it was years ago where it was considered that you had to have a formal environment for learning with someone talking down to a room full of people. ‘Nowadays, learning is about participating in activities and you can be learning at your own desk – perhaps online – or participating in more
Credit: Freepik.com
CPD
– THE ENGINEERS IRELAND EXPERIENCE
organised learning activities at your workplace. ‘It is not just about courses and seminars, even though these do count and are important too. ‘As a general guide we’d recommend that members undertake a mixture of technical and nontechnical/soft skills learning. ‘We also suggest a balance of structured CPD – such as courses, free lectures or mentoring – and non-structured, such as self-directed reading or online research.’ It is also about a mix of skills, both hard and soft. ‘We now talk about the concept of the “T-shaped engineer” says Aidan. ‘This is where a person has a depth of knowledge in their specialist area alongside a breadth of competence over many areas.'
Aidan O’Flaherty gives us a classic definition of CPD:
‘The systematic maintenance, enhancement and development of knowledge and skill and the development of personal qualities necessary for the execution of professional and technical duties throughout the practising engineering professional’s career.’
Engineers Ireland divides CPD activities into six broad types: • • • • • •
Work-based learning Professional bodies activities Self-directed learning Mentoring and coaching Courses, seminars and conferences, and Further education. ‘You can see from this list that not all learning takes place with a group or facilitator,’ continues O’Flaherty. ‘Structured, self-directed learning, where you take time to learn in a planned and organised manner, also counts as CPD. ‘This includes structured reading of journals or reports, or online viewing of presentations or tutorials.’ For ‘self-directed learning’, Engineers Ireland recommends a maximum of 14 hours of a 35-hour requirement – 35 hours formally reflecting what was already taking place on the ground in line with Engineers Ireland’s Accredited Employer standard. Says Aidan: ‘The question to ask yourself is: “Am I learning something new that will contribute to my professional competencies – my knowledge, skills and qualities?” ‘If the answer is "Yes", then this activity counts as CPD. ‘A central point is that we benefit most from our learning activities when they are planned, recorded and reflected upon.’
Credit: Freepik.com
My CPD On this note, ‘My CPD’, is an online recording tool which was introduced alongside the new policy. This central repository is located on the Engineers Ireland website to facilitate storage of CPD records. ‘It’s quick, simple and easy to use,’ says O’Flaherty. ‘You can access, download or print out your records at any time. ‘We’ve kept it simple and prioritised functionality for ease of use.’ Part of the beauty of the tool is that, regardless of whether or not people move companies or even countries, they will always be able to access this personal record.
‘They can view it and print it out or download it.’ Of course the proof of the pudding has been in the eating and, on My CPD, feedback has been very positive. There is a very high satisfaction rate – as with the policy in general – reflecting, no doubt, the consultative approach that was taken prior to its launch. Consultation of course is a key area in all of this. But one year down the road, are there any other observations and pieces of advice that O’Flaherty would have for implementing a CPD policy and on CPD in general? ‘First, you want the learning of the organsisation to reflect the objectives and ambitions of that organisation,’ he says. ‘If you were to set up a committee, for example, you should look to have a cross-functional body that is representative of the whole organisation. ‘You should be looking to have not only your engineers involved but people from other sectors. ‘And you want someone at the top who is going to sponsor and champion CPD.’ And for the individual engineer, ‘at the end of the day you want to be able to deliver for the employer, the client, the public as a whole,’ says O’Flaherty. ‘Personally, you want to be comfortable and confident in your skills while adding value to your current and future employers. ‘In short, you don’t want to become obsolete. ‘Younger graduates in particular are now very aware of this. They are conscious that you do not stop learning when you leave college or university. ‘You have only received your formal qualifications.’
Make CPD work for YOUR company • Learning should reflect the objectives and ambitions of the organisation • Any in-house committee should be crossfunctional and representative of the whole organisation • Ideally there will be someone at the top who is going to sponsor and champion CPD
March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 47
SURETY / BONDS
Surety Bonds in Ireland
T
okio Marine HCC is a market leader in the provision of both Contract and Commercial Surety Bonds. From our offices in Kill, Co. Kildare we provide a high quality service to our clients and brokers throughout Ireland, across Europe and even beyond. Our customers operate in all industry sectors and range in size from large public quoted companies to regional or local businesses. We are one of the only major international insurance groups specialising in Surety Bonds to have an established presence in Ireland. We have maintained service and support to our Irish clients for decades and continue to provide bonds through the challenging times as well as the good times. Tokio Marine HCC has been a specialist in surety since it commenced writing business at the beginning of 1982. We have grown consistently and are now one of the major European insurers in this line of business.
Our professional underwriting team has extensive experience in the construction industry. This detailed industry knowledge, combined with many years of experience, means our underwriters have the ability to assess every type of surety risk. Our Contract Bonds include: • Performance bonds • Advance payment bonds • Retention bonds • Maintenance or warranty bonds • Refund guarantees Our Commercial Bonds include: • Customs bonds • Environmental bonds • Pension bonds • Deferred consideration bonds • Court and appeal bonds Why Tokio Marine HCC? • Direct access to our specialist underwriters
Construction Guarantee A 360° view of the Dublin skyline will reveal some 80 cranes operating on the, mostly private, mostly commercial projects underway in the booming capital city. But when a €500k school extension in the Midlands attracts 12 competitive tenders we are reminded that there is another construction industry out there – one that is still struggling. For sure, things are better than they were some years ago. There are significantly more tendering opportunities and many contractors 4 8 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
have already full order books for 2018 and good visibility into 2019. But margins remain razor-thin, which is a big problem. Growth in overall industry output is not being accompanied by sufficient profitability and the question is: ‘Is this as good as it’s going to get for the construction industry?’ Having learnt a lot about survival in the downturn, is the industry as a whole beginning to repeat the mistakes of the past, even as the boom times return? Do we simply have to accept that
• All size bonds issued, large or small • Specialist in the construction and engineering industries • Speed of service • Long-term support • Tokio Marine HCC’s insurance companies are highly rated AA- (Very Strong) by Standard & Poor’s and A++ (Superior) by A.M. Best Company. We ensure direct access to our specialist underwriters and bond support team and provide a prompt, professional and efficient service to all our clients and brokers. Contact Derek Phelan, Summit House, Embassy Office Park, Kill, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Tel: +353 (0)45 886993 irelandbonds@tmhcc.com & Peter Lynch Summit House, Embassy Office Park, Kill, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Tel: +353 (0)45 886993
contracting is a low-margin / high-risk activity, destined to follow the same cyclical track that it has for generations? We at Construction Guarantee have been providing bonds for building contractors for 35 years and we have seen at first hand the effect of 'The Cycle' on construction businesses. This time feels different though. When you inflate a balloon the first time there is some resistance, it takes a bit of puff. Let the air out and inflate again and it’s a little easier. This seems to be what is happening in the industry at the moment. Back in the early 2000’s there
SURETY / BONDS
was a little bit of healthy fear of the unknown for firms as they began to grow and ultimately peak in 2007. This time around, having accumulated that experience, the impediments, from a management perspective, are less and so the growth is sometimes less cautious, thus more rapid. It’s self-fulfilling and very concerning. Firms don’t fear expansion, so they pursue it aggressively, driving down margins which, in turn, further necessitates the pursuit of turnover. So, even in times of plenty, Contractors can get themselves into trouble. Turnover requires working
Tokio Marine HCC is a trading name of HCC International Insurance Company plc, which is a member of the Tokio Marine HCC Group of Companies. HCC International Insurance Company plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and regulated by the Financial
capital. The more you grow, the more you need and most likely it will have to come from internal resources. The so-called ‘self-financing’ job is a myth. Clients are not exactly killing themselves to pay more quickly. Subcontractors have also learnt many hard lessons and have a few more cards to play this time around. It would not surprise us to see some significant insolvencies this year. The margins are simply not good enough to sustain the number of operators that there are now. As things peaked in 2007, we were issuing proportionately less bonds.
There was a complacency that led many Clients to believe that contractor insolvency wasn’t a significant risk that needed managing. Often, bonds were called up in tenders but omitted once the contract was awarded. Clients are more vigilant now. In the public sector, bonds are virtually mandatory for contracts of any significance. Private sector clients are being encouraged by their funders and advisors to ensure bonds are in place. One senses that this is as much from a fear of the future as it is a reaction to the past.
Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority and is also regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland for conduct of business rules.
Branch is registered in Ireland No.902629 with registered office at Summit House, Embassy Office Park, Kill, Co. Kildare.
Registered in England and Wales No. 01575839 with registered office at 1 Aldgate, London, EC3N 1RE. The Irish
HCC is rated AA- (Very Strong) by Standard & Poor’s and A++ (Superior) by A.M. Best Company.
Information detailed within this marketing material is for promotional use only and does not constitute advice or fact. Any reliance upon such information shall be at your sole risk. A member of the Tokio Marine HCC group of companies.
“For a competitive quotation or Specialist advice, ask the Bond Experts. For 35 years, Construction Guarantee has been the leading provider of Performance Bonds in Ireland Contact Kevin O’Brien or Mark Hogan at: Construction Guarantee 72 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4 E: info@bonds.ie PH: 01-6687240
5 0 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
The Central Statistics Office has recorded that, since 2015, there have been more people immigrating to Ireland, year on year, than emigrating from Ireland. Many of these have been in the Construction sector. Tax-wise Russell Brennan Keane has some great advice as always.
Moving Home to Ireland What’s the tax plan?
and plan on returning home permanently on 1 September 2018. Your tax status in 2018 will be non-Irish resident, non-ordinarily resident and Irish domiciled, as: • You will only be present in Ireland for 122 days in 2018. • You haven’t been tax resident for three consecutive years. • You are originally from Ireland.
Whilst the Irish tax implications of a move home may not be the top of your agenda, knowing when you will trigger your entry into the Irish tax net should be, so that you can plan for it. When are you caught in the Irish tax net? The tax year in Ireland runs from 1 January to 31 December. The territorial scope and charge to Irish tax is dependent on three factors as follows: (i) Residence: You are tax resident in Ireland if you are in Ireland for 183 days or more in a tax year, or, 280 days or more in a tax year plus the previous tax year taken together, with a minimum of 30 days in either. In general, if you are tax resident in Ireland for a tax year, you pay Irish tax on your worldwide income and gains in that year. (ii) Ordinarily Resident: If you have been tax resident in Ireland for three consecutive tax years, you become ordinarily resident in the fourth tax year. This mostly affects people leaving Ireland as you may remain in Ireland’s tax net for foreign income and gains until the fourth year of non-residency. (iii) Domicile: This broadly means your home country or the country you intend living permanently in. It is important as if you are not Irish domiciled then you can only be taxed on the foreign income and gains that you remit into Ireland. As an example, assume you are originally from Ireland, have been abroad for the last 10 years
In 2018, you will only be subject to Irish income tax on Irish source income (e.g. Irish employment income) and Irish capital gains tax on Irish specified assets (e.g. selling an Irish house). In 2019, you will be considered Irish resident, non-ordinarily
resident, and Irish domiciled and will be subject to Irish income tax and capital gains tax on your worldwide income and gains. Is there any Tax Planning I should be considering? Anything you earn from sources outside of Ireland and any gains you make on the disposal of assets situated outside of Ireland are not within the Irish tax net until you become tax resident. This is beneficial where the tax rate you currently pay abroad is lower than Ireland’s average Income Tax rate of 52%/55% and Capital Taxes rate of 33%. Therefore, it may be appropriate to crystallise foreign income and interest earned on foreign bank accounts and tidy up/close accounts before you come back to Ireland.
It is also worth checking whether it is tax-efficient to crystallise capital gains by selling assets before you return. Obviously, the commercial justification is of primary importance but the taxation treatment should also be considered as if you have become tax resident in Ireland and sell a foreign property, it will become liable to Irish Capital Gains Tax. However, if you have lived in the property as your primary home, the amount of the Irish taxable gain is reduced based on the percentage of occupation as your home over the total period of ownership. Commonly, this leads to the full amount of the gain being relieved from Irish Capital Gains Tax, but just to note, you may still be subject to tax in the foreign jurisdiction. Even if the property was not your primary home, crystallising the gain in a jurisdiction with a lesser Capital Taxes rate than Ireland should reduce overall exposure as the gain would not become taxable in Ireland prior to becoming resident. Finally, should you retain your foreign property and rent it out when you are Irish tax resident and domiciled, the rental income will be subject to Irish and foreign Income Tax. However, you should be able to reduce your Irish Taxes by any foreign tax paid due to the existence of double taxation treaties, which either exempts certain income or gains from Irish or foreign tax, or allows a credit for the foreign tax paid on the same income/ gain so you are not taxed twice. To discuss the above in more detail contact Mairead O’Grady (left) on (090) 64 80600 or email mogrady@rbk.ie. March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 51
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PERSONAL & FINANCE
Get out of here! Travel tips for your next break Your mind may be dreaming of a sunny getaway or maybe a city break is high on your agenda for 2018. Whatever your plans, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has some travel tips to help you when planning your next trip.
A
package holiday is defined as a pre-arranged holiday that is sold at an inclusive price, which must last more than 24 hours or include an overnight stay. It must also include at least two of the following: • Transport • Accommodation • A tourist service or activity (for instance golf or hill-walking) not directly linked to transport or accommodation, but which makes up a significant part of the package.
to be aware of possible issues. For example, if you are travelling for a particular event and it’s cancelled, because you booked each part of your trip separately you would have to sort out each element yourself. This may involve paying to reschedule flights or losing money if you have to cancel accommodation. You still have some protections. For example if your holiday involves a ferry or flight you have rights if there is a delay or cancellation.
You enter into a contract with the tour operator or travel agent you book the holiday with. It is their responsibility to ensure that your holiday arrangements run smoothly. They should provide you with a written copy of the contract before you travel, with information such as the cost, destination, length of the holiday, itineraries of any excursions, and details of the complaints procedure. You should be given any other relevant information, such as vaccination and passport or visa requirements. By law, all package holiday providers in Ireland must have arrangements in place so that if they go out of business your money and bookings are protected. You don’t have the same protection if you book each element of your trip separately yourself, so it’s important
Rental scams
5 2 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
When you are researching your accommodation, watch out for potential rental accommodation scams. This is where scammers visit a genuine holiday website offering places for rent, copy the photos, addresses and other information from various listings and then use this to put up a fake listing. This is a scam to get you to pay the full rental cost or a large deposit upfront. Try to make sure a listing is genuine before you make a booking. Only use a secure method when paying for the rental property online, such as a credit card or Paypal. If you rent through a genuine holiday website make sure you pay through that site (research online if you aren’t sure it is genuine). If the contact for the rental
property asks you to email them directly or encourages you to leave the site promising a better deal, don’t do it as this may be a scam. If you rent a car in a different country make sure to check the website for the terms and conditions. Have a look at the FAQ section. If you rent a car abroad and something goes wrong it can sometimes be difficult to get a resolution due to the distance and language barrier. It is important to research the company before booking, ensure you have contact details and enough insurance to meet the company’s requirements. At the time of booking you may find that not all charges are included – some may be payable when collecting the car, such as costs for extras like child seats, additional drivers, extra insurance etc. If you book a package holiday, travel agents and tour operators may sell travel insurance as part of the package but you may get better value by buying your insurance separately or by taking out an annual travel insurance policy if you travel a lot. If you have private health insurance, check your policy to see if you have cover for illness and injury abroad before you buy travel insurance and check that the cover is enough for you. For more tips on travel visit the CCPC’s website www.ccpc.ie
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PERSONAL & FINANCE
As all business owners know, the construction industry has felt the sting of the recession, exacerbated by austerity measures targeting the sector itself. From a financial planning perspective it is crucial that you take a step back and think about your own financial future. A good financial plan should serve as a roadmap towards your individual financial goals, writes Philip Smith of Davy’s.
W
here to begin? An holistic financial plan will incorporate aspects of investment, tax, structuring and protection, bringing these elements together in a way which suits your individual needs. The following are five key steps in the financial planning process, regardless of your age, business structure or current financial position. A good financial advisor should be able to tailor them and create a financial plan that is bespoke to you and your family.
1. Identify your financial goals A good financial plan starts with identifying your financial goals. The goals are your destination and the plan is your roadmap. Identifying your goals involves asking questions such as: What type of income do I need to fund my lifestyle in the future? Is my business structured optimally from a tax perspective? If I sell my business, are there other sources of income available to me? How am I and my spouse positioned for retirement? What will happen in the event of illness or untimely death? Will my business be passed on to the next generation? How should this be done? Bear in mind that not all goals will have the same timeline or level of importance: for a younger business owner for example, the key concerns may be paying down
Five steps to a financial 5 4 plan 1
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debt or building up a pension fund outside the business; for someone older, the transfer of the trade to the next generation and the investment of surplus capital may take priority.
2. Set an appropriate investment strategy The next step is to devise an investment strategy which gives you the best chance of meeting your goals. Goals-based investing aims to align each goal with an appropriate strategy, reflecting your personal risk and objectives.
3. Be Tax Smart It is important you are aware of the tax consequences of any course of action you may take and take advantage of any tax reliefs or exemptions applicable to you and your business.
4. Plan for unforeseen events The fourth step involves planning for unforeseen events, such as serious illness or premature death. We often put off thinking about these issues – however, it is necessary to consider the impact on your family
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and business if you were to pass away suddenly or become too ill to work.
5. Review regularly Putting a financial plan in place and identifying any action points for the short-, medium- and longterm should help give you peace of mind that you are making progress towards your financial goals. Nevertheless, it is important to regularly review your plan – at least annually, and as and when there are changes to your personal circumstances or to the investment, tax or regulatory environment in which you operate. Philip Smith is an Associate Director at Davy. He works with construction company owners to provide best-in-class financial planning, investment management and asset selection. You can contact Philip directly on 01 614 9180 or email him at philip.smith@davy.ie.
Please note that this article is general in nature, and does not take account of your financial situation or investment objectives. It is not intended to constitute tax, financial or legal advice and is based on Davy’s understanding of current tax legislation in Ireland. Davy does not provide tax or legal advice. Prior to making any decision which may have tax, legal or other financial implications you should seek independent professional advice. There are risks associated with putting any financial plan or strategy in place. The value of investments may go down as well as up. J&E Davy, trading as Davy, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
March/April 2018| Construction Management | 55
THE GADGET GUY
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his time out, our Gadget Guy, Colin Baker, turns his thoughts to a worrying trend that affects businesses and individuals alike. Just what is ransomware and what do you need to know? As always, Colin gives it to us straight.
This week, a business customer of mine discovered first hand the true meaning and implications of 'ransomware'. A word that did not exist until recently, it describes the recent spate of computer viruses designed to attack a user’s personal data and hold it to ransom, usually by encrypting it with a password they might offer to provide for a sturdy sum of money. In the case of my unfortunate customer, the sum requested was a princely $4000 and needless to say, even on foot of payment, the possibility of being able to again access to the vital data of her business was slim. Cautionary tales are all well and good – but let's look at how to protect yourself or your business from becoming yet another infuriating tale. So, what is ransomware? Ransomware is a family of viruses that attack by various means and earn money for their creators by finding important personal files on your computer and encrypting them with a password. Your files are essentially 'held to ransom' by the unknown perp until you agree to pay said ‘person’ by 'hard to trace' means such as Bitcoin for example. How does it attack? Typically the virus is effectively a very sophisticated piece of software, not governed by the traditional rules of legitimate software. You actually end up somehow installing it. Scarily, in most situations the users themselves have inadvertently been tricked into installing it. Possibly by means of a seemingly
innocuous email attachment or a piece of software the user was innocently seeking. A recent case came in that originated from a user attempting to access a live feed of a Conor McGregor fight, not poor Conor's fault but the virus creator obviously managed to target popular search strings and offer to install a supposed solution. Does Anti-Virus help? It goes ideally without saying that decent, up-todate security software is vital, in the same way as locks on your front door are pretty ideal. It's important to remember that antivirus software is, in a sense, 'reactionary' in that it really doesn't recognise a threat until it's done some damage somewhere and been reported and analysed. The creators of ransomware change its appearance and delivery method with alarming speed and in most cases the security companies are playing catchup. It's like when I got thrown out of Club 92 for trying to do a backflip on the dance floor and then came back with a different top on and a pair of glasses and the bouncers didn't recognise me. As regards what performs and what doesn't, often what you will find well received in the media is not in fact the best security software for the job. Talk to someone with expertise in this area. Personally I use a cloud-based Endpoint Security system called Panda commercial cloud.
HELD TO RANSOM! 5 6 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
Free packages, like Microsoft's Security Essentials, are perfectly decent in the same way as a small padlock is fine on the door of your gym locker. If you have more to protect, you need to scale up your security system to match. If you're not inclined to support the 20 to 50 million euro per month growing industry (McAfee labs recent estimate) you obviously need to ensure your equipment – Mac and Smartphones included – is up-to-date and secure. You also need to exercise general caution and risk aversion when online. When seeking out software on critical business equipment, stick with the well established and reputable names and sources. You're looking for a free stream of the fight? Stick to a computer or device that doesn't also run your tax returns or house the only copy of your family photo album. Although some commercial cloud backup solutions can similarly be infected, a timed backup system we use called Acronis backs up your data on a scheduled basis with several versions. So in the event of a ransomware infection, you could simply wipe your equipment and restore.
If this happens to you can the files be recovered? Anecdotally, if you pay the ransom, you get your files back. The ransoms sought vary from as little as €800 to over €40,000 in a famous case in the US last year and I would not trust that the virus is even gone at that point. Furthermore, you'd be supporting a pretty insidious criminal activity. In two cases so far we've been able to decrypt a large proportion of vital files for customers using powerful 'brute force' equipment, but in many ransomware cases, the files are unhackable. Take care and browse safe!
March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 57
ARCHITECTURAL GLAZING
ALUCRAFT Alucraft Ltd. is one of Ireland's leading designers, manufacturers and installers of architectural glazing systems and has been serving the construction industry for over 40 years. They have an excellent team of over 100 professionals who bring the most complex of architectural intents to life from their headquarters in Cloverhill Industrial Estate in Dublin. This dedicated, quality focused and experienced team offers a full pretender service to their clients including concept design and best practice advice, budget costing, specification support and advice post tender. On receipt of a contract, they offer value engineering, design and build solutions, complete in-house design, manufacture and installation services.
Strive They constantly strive to improve, keeping up to date with the latest procedures and designs. In response to
the continual growth of the company, they recognised the need to introduce CIP (Continuous Improvement Programme) into their business. Meeting deadlines is paramount, so as part of CIP they are reviewing all the steps involved in their projects, from the tendering stage to installation on site. This is leading to more efficient, streamlined processes, utilizing the allocated time for each task. They are proud to be able to offer a full design, fabrication and installation service for large scale construction projects. Their systems include unitised and stick curtain walling, roof-glazing, point-fixed and structural glazing, windows, doors and cladding products. Jobs undertaken by Alucraft Ltd. range from St. Stephen’s Green, Liffey Valley, Dundrum and Blanchardstown shopping centres to large-scale office developments such as Kerry Group Global Technology and Innovation Centre, No 1. Ballsbridge, No. 1 George's Quay, Burlington House, LinkedIn EMEA HQ, The Gaiety
Centre, Trinity Bio-Science Institute and The National Convention Centre. Hospital projects include: The Mater Private, The Galway Clinic, The Hermitage Clinic and The National Rehabilitation Hospital in 2018.
Projects Current projects underway by Alucraft Ltd. include Capital Dock where they are working on Block D, E and F. On completion, Block F will be Ireland’s tallest residential building comprising of 24 storeys. This €11m contract will see Alucraft Ltd. use a variety of systems from curtain walling, unitized glazed frames to pre-cast off-site aluminium frames with completion date on track for 2018. Alucraft Ltd. have worked with many of the top construction companies across Ireland. Their clients, and the long-term relationships they nurture are testament to the type of people they are; open, honest, experienced and professional, with some of their client relationships in place for over 30 years.
We are pleased to have delivered the entire façade package for the LinkedIn EMEA HQ, at Wilton Place, Dublin LEADING DESIGN MANUFACTURER AND INSTALLER OF ARCHITECTURAL GLAZING SYSTEMS SINCE 1975
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ME & MY JOB
Irish women in the trades can attend and represent at the next international tradeswomen’s gathering. We are also looking forward to some of our new overseas tradeswomen friends visiting Ireland and how we can create a great experience for them here. We will continue our outreach work here at home and WITNI will also have some really interesting activities rolling out in 2018. Stay tuned!
ABOVE: Jen Kelly at work
Name: Jen Kelly Current occupation/s: Founder of Women in Trades Network Ireland (WITNI) and Industrial Abseiler What was your route into the industry? I was certainly inspired by a group of technicians that I was volunteering alongside at the Melbourne Women’s Circus. That experience really blew my perspective about what my options were in the working world. During this period I also met a group of people who were working as industrial abseilers in Melbourne Australia, which is where I began working on the ropes. What was the impetus behind the founding of WITNI? I returned after a number of years working overseas and was pretty disappointed with the lack of work being done on a national level to support and encourage women in trades, manual skills and construction. Ireland has certainly trailed behind with its initiatives compared to other states around the world. Also, very little was happening on the ground to acknowledge the tradeswomen that already existed here, which meant it was extremely rare for young women to have female role models in the industry. One of the major focuses at WITNI has been to change the visual landscape in that regard. This ‘profile raising’ also feeds into a culture of support that we cultivate for our industry peers – of any gender.
shared is truly inspiring. We have also had encouragement from a wide community of suppliers, engineers, architects and tradespeople here and overseas. Late last year I went to join the biggest tradeswomen’s gathering in the world, in the US, attending as a guest speaker. This was significant because it was the first time it had been attended by an organisation representing Irish tradeswomen. It was a step forward, forging relationships with the US founders at the event last year and they shared a lot of excitement about opening the dialogue with us here in Ireland.
Is there anyone who has been a particular source of inspiration for you, personally, in the industry? A couple of women really inspired me early on in my work on the ropes. As well, I am both influenced and supported by the women of the Global network of tradeswomen. And I have to say, that, in an ongoing way, the resilience of regular men and women around me dealing with the crazy day-to-day challenges of life is a source of inspiration in itself. Humans really are amazing.
What are your hopes for 2018 in this regard? This year I am certainly keen to find sponsorship so that some of our other
Credit: Morley Von Sternberg. This picture forms part of the NAWIC UK project 'Image of Women in Construction'
How has the organisation been received in this sector? There’s a superb group of women that have met through WITNI and the range of experience and perspective that’s been March/April | Construction Management | 59
GREEN BUILDING
Credit: Freepik.com
NZEB is only months away. When it comes to the new Building Regulations Part L – Conservation of Fuel and Energy – Buildings other than dwellings, the transitional arrangements are simple. You need to answer one question: Have you applied for planning permission before 1 January 2019 and will the main structure of the building be complete by 31 December 2019? If not, you must build to the new standard. Eight years after it was first announced in the Recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) it still seems to come as a major surprise to many! It is arguable whether the new standard really represents a Near Zero Energy Building. The Irish Green Building Council’s members, admittedly the most progressive companies in the sector, don’t consider the new standard very challenging and have already been achieving it. Does NZEB mean we have reached the goal of building sustainable new buildings? In a word: No! We are just a little further along the road.
What happens after NZEB? NZEB is about optimising energy efficiency of buildings during their operation, which is one important stage of the building’s life cycle.
But buildings have a very large impact on the environment at all stages of their life cycle. Materials must be quarried, mined or harvested, transported to factories and manufactured. The final products must be transported to site, lifted into place and fixed in position. All of this takes not only a huge amount of energy and associated carbon emissions but also resources. Over a 60-year life cycle, components fail, roofs leak and need replacement, finishes spoil and need repainting and continue to consume resources. Eventually the building ceases to provide its function and needs to be demolished and all its components disposed of, by landfill, incineration, recycling or direct reuse. However many of our buildings may have a life span as short as 30 years and specific types such as data centres are hard to predict. The carbon emissions associated with the production of materials incorporated into the building is called embodied carbon (or embedded carbon).
Embodied Carbon The embodied impacts involved in the construction of buildings are too important to be brushed under the carpet. A study by Dr Jamie Goggins of NUI Galway in 2012 found that
embodied carbon accounted for approximately 34% of the life cycle carbon emissions for a semi-detached house, and a 2012 study by Sturgess Associates found it to be 45% for UK offices. For an NZEB building the proportion will be even greater! Certain design concepts may have far greater impacts than others. The shape of the building, the column spacings and structural beam depths, all have major impacts on material use. What is the environmental impact of replacing concrete, with say an alternative such as steel or cross laminated timber? Unless the project engineer or architect considers early in the design, then opportunities may be lost to optimise carbon over the building life cycle.
Life Cycle Assessment Full consideration of all the stages is called Life Cycle assessment (LCA) and helps avoid shifting the impacts from one stage to another. It does not make sense to expend a huge amount of carbon at construction stage just to save a tiny amount during operation. With many commercial buildings from the 1960s and 70s now reaching the perceived end of life, it allows professionals to provide proper due diligence on whether retaining the structure makes
MOVING BEYOND NZEB
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he new Building Regulations Part L – Conservation of Fuel and Energy – Buildings other than dwellings, which define Near Zero Energy Building (NZEB), come into force on 1 January 2019 for both public and private sector, as CEO with the Irish Green Building Council, Pat Barry, reminds us.
6 0 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
independent verifiers and an EPD can be published, providing clear transparent information to architects and engineers for use in creating the Building Level LCA. Suppliers of products which already have EPD from international programmes can upload their EPD to IGBC’s EPD Ireland platform: www.epdireland.org. There is already a full range of products on the platform ranging from insulation to paints. ABOVE: Individual materials.
more environmental sense. LCA is moving into the mainstream with European standards such as EN 15978 defining how building level LCA should be calculated. LEED V4, and BREEAM now have criteria for carrying out building level LCA. In the BREEAM 2018 version LCA and Life cycle costing (LCC) will carry more weight than the energy efficiency criteria. The European commission has just released Level(s) a new reporting framework for integration into Green Public Procurement, which includes LCA and LCC as key indicators. The Irish Green Building Council’s own Home Performance Index (HPI), a certification system for new residential development, has started to mainstream LCA within the residential sector too. Finally, Transport Infrastructure Ireland is releasing an assessment tool for embodied carbon calculation for road and rail, meaning 2018 will be the year that LCA really starts to hit every construction professional’s office.
Software and training for Life Cycle Assessment The Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) has teamed up with the leading Finnish LCA experts Bionova to allow building professionals to quickly calculate the LCA and LCC with their BIM enabled One Click LCA software, with a customised offering for Ireland. It also allows professionals to compare their buildings against benchmarks across Europe. To date the skills have been lacking in Ireland. The IGBC has arranged free licences for One Click LCA for education providers in the universities and institutes of technology ensuring that LCA and LCC can be integrated into undergraduate and post-graduate courses.
The Circular Economy From Spring 2018 IGBC is offering integrated LCA and LCC courses taking professionals through the process of turning a Bill of Quantities into quality assured LCA or LCC.
Ireland’s Environmental Product Declaration Programme – EPD Ireland To improve the quality of data on construction products, the IGBC has developed a fully operational Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) programme with the support of the EPA. This allows Irish manufacturers to create, have verified and publish the environmental impacts of their construction products. EPD Ireland sets out mandatory indicators that must be assessed including global warming, ozone depletion, acidification of land and water, eutrophication, photochemical ozone creation, depletion of abiotic (elements) and biotic (fossil) resources. All of this is fully in line with international practice meaning the EPD will be recognised and accepted across Europe. Irish Manufacturers have reacted quickly to the programme and many have already started the first step in creating an EPD. This usually involves getting a consultant, versed in life cycle assessment standards, to assemble the various energy and materials inputs to create a product LCA. The LCA is checked by IGBC’s
In order to move to a real circular economy, we need to conceive buildings as materials banks and change the approach to what we put into building and how we assemble them. If materials are laminated together making separation impossible or are contaminated with toxic coatings, they have less potential for recovery. A simple example is a high value hardwood floor which in a commercial refurbishment might have a very short life. Can it be simply unclipped and resold for reuse for more or less the same value, or must it be prised up and broken and sent for incineration? Can the structure be easily disassembled and re-erected somewhere else, retaining a high value into the next life cycle? These questions allow us to move towards full cradle-to-cradle thinking. To explore all of this the Irish Green Building Council has launched a new conference about construction material and the circular economy – Re-Source on 21 of June 2018. For more information on EPD Ireland: www.epdireland.org For more information on buildings life cycle assessment: https://www.oneclicklca.com/ construction/carbonheroes/ For more information on the Home Performance Index: www.homeperformanceindex.ie For more information on IGBC events and education: www.igbc.ie
March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 61
CONSIDERATE CONSTRUCTORS
CONSIDERATION COUNTS IN CONSTRUCTION S ince launching in Ireland in 2017 – following requests from Irish contractors and their supply chains wishing to display their considerate credentials in Ireland – the Considerate Constructors Scheme has received an influx of enquiries from contractors, subcontractors and suppliers alike. All are keen to improve the image and reputation of the construction industry, in line with the Scheme’s five-point Code of Considerate Practice, which commits those registered to care about appearance, respect the community, protect the environment, secure everyone’s safety and value their workforce. Raising standards above and beyond statutory requirements throughout the industry is at the very core of the Scheme which makes a significant contribution towards encouraging businesses to adopt more socially responsible practices. These not only benefit the workforce, but also the local community and the environments in which they operate.
Registration with the Scheme in Ireland presents a great opportunity to help raise standards and make a positive contribution towards improving the image of construction. How does it work? The Scheme works through the voluntary registration of construction sites, companies, subcontractors and suppliers. Every year it registers around 9,000 sites, companies and suppliers and makes over 18,000 monitoring visits in the UK. By displaying Considerate Constructors Scheme posters around the site, companies can promote their registration. The posters also provide a name and telephone number of the site manager or company contact and the Scheme’s website address, should any passers-by wish to comment. Registered companies and suppliers also display a vehicle sticker or magnet showing their unique registration number on every company vehicle used on the public highway. Monitoring to raise standards:
Those registered with the Scheme are monitored against the Code of Considerate Practice. Scheme Monitors are drawn from the senior ranks of all disciplines within the industry. Monitors will visit registered sites, companies and suppliers to monitor and assess them against the Code in order to determine the level of consideration they are showing towards the public, their workforce and the environment. After the Monitor has visited a site, they produce a report, which highlights evidence of good practice and performance beyond compliance with the Code of Considerate Practice, as well as areas where improvements can be made. Monitors will also offer guidance and support to help construction sites, companies and suppliers further develop their working practices and raise their considerate efforts.
Business benefits There are a number of compelling cases for gaining CCS membership: it can
Dublin Airport helps Scheme to take off in Ireland The Scheme continues to expand in Ireland as Civil Engineering contractor, Roadbridge, registered daa’s North Runway Construction Package 1 project. It is great to have Roadbridge and daa championing the Scheme in Ireland, as one of the forerunners in Site Registration. We look forward to Roadbridge’s and daa’s commitment to inspiring other contractors and clients in Ireland to register with the Scheme. LEFT: L-R: Peter Byrne (Roadbridge); Siobhan O’Donnell (daa); Justin Hughes (daa); Cathal O’Kane (Roadbridge); Edward Hardy (CCS); Kim O’Meara (Roadbridge) 6 2 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
Credit: Freepik.com
ABOVE: Edward Hardy, Chief Executive of the Considerate Constructors Scheme
The Considerate Constructors Scheme has a clear and simple objective: to improve the image of the construction industry, by encouraging best practice beyond statutory requirements. Typically, it registers and monitors around 9,000 construction sites, companies and suppliers a year in the UK and it now aims to replicate this success in Ireland following its recent launch. Edward Hardy, Chief Executive of the Considerate Constructors Scheme, explains why the Irish construction industry should embrace ‘considerate construction’.
all aspects of the Scheme’s Code.
Credit: Freepik.com
Professional Partners
The opportunity for contractors to now register sites in Ireland is a huge step forward for the Considerate Constructors Scheme. The Scheme is delighted to be able to provide monitoring and support services to Irish-based construction sites to help raise their standards beyond statutory requirements – pushing the bar of considerate construction to a new level in Ireland.
often support winning new business and help with the planning process, by demonstrating commitment to adding social value, minimising inconvenience for local communities and disruption to the environment. The industry recognises the Scheme’s impact in helping to tackle these challenges; so much so that many clients have made registration with the Scheme a tendering condition for a number of publicly and privately funded projects. The advice and guidance provided during visits is instrumental in helping construction sites and companies to become more efficient, whether it is more effective communication with their workforce or developing stronger relationships with their supply chain.
Services to the construction industry are an integral part of the construction process and can have a huge impact on how the industry is perceived. It is vital that this important group can contribute to improving the image of the industry, and the Scheme was delighted to introduce Professional Partnership in 2017. This is open to any professional organisation that provides services which can directly or indirectly help to improve the image of the industry. Types of professions eligible for registration include (but are not limited to): architects, engineers, consultants, surveyors, and waste management specialists.
Sharing best practice With over 20 years of experience in monitoring construction sites, companies and suppliers, and after carrying out over 110,000 monitoring visits, the Scheme has collected a vast library of examples of best practice which exceed the requirements of the Scheme’s Code. Examples come from a range of organisations and project sizes, covering huge billionpound projects right through to small-scale building works. In 2015, the Scheme introduced the Best Practice Hub to share these examples with the industry. Any organisation can use the Hub and, once registered, can update it with their best practice examples, case studies and tips on how to operate to the highest levels.
Location, location, location
ABOVE: L-R: Ken Lynch, Contracts Manager, The Exchange, Sisk; Paul Hackett, MD Ireland East, Sisk; Edward Hardy, Chief Executive of the Considerate Constructors Scheme; Brian Handcock, Head of Sustainability, Sisk.
Sisk registers first site with Scheme in Ireland In May 2017, the Scheme welcomed its first contractor to register projects in Ireland – family-owned John Sisk & Son – a member of the international construction company, SISK Group. The first registered Irish site is located at The Exchange, which forms part of the International Financial Services Centre at the heart of Dublin’s financial district. Sisk led the pilot of Site Registration to help ensure that this model of registration within the Irish construction industry was appropriate and fully tried and tested, before making it available to all construction activity in Ireland.
of reference for the entire population, it also gives those committed to improving the image and reputation of the construction industry an opportunity to showcase their projects and be able to demonstrate what they are doing as considerate constructors. The Considerate Constructors Scheme will this year be working with Construction Management Ireland on a series of articles in relation to raising standards in considerate construction in areas including workforce, community and environment.
Client Partners
In 2017, the Scheme pioneered the first-ever online map of construction activity. The Scheme’s Construction Map (www.constructionmap.info) provides an easily usable resource to find out what’s going on and where, right across the UK and Irish construction industries. Not only does it provide a single point
Clients can also demonstrate their commitment to considerate construction by becoming a Client Partner. Client Partners agree to ensure Scheme registration to all sites they control and are expected to encourage at least compliance with
For further information about the Considerate Constructors Scheme visit: www.ccscheme.org.uk To register with the Scheme visit: https://www.ccscheme.org.uk/register/register/ Twitter: @CCScheme @ccsbestpractice @IvorGoodsite #loveconstruction Instagram: CCScheme ccsfirstimpressions ivorgoodsite #loveconstruction March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 63
HR & RECRUITMENT
LEADERSHIP STYLE FOR A CHANGING WORLD HOW TO BUILD A POSITIVE WORK CULTURE AND CREATE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA), are ever present in our world, both as business leaders and in our personal lives. One example of this VUCA world lies in the challenges business leaders face in recruitment and retention, explains Declan Noone.
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he rate of change experienced globally as a result of advances in technology and science, alterations in political systems and structures, evolving domestic and international security environments and in economic and social spheres, is at an extraordinary level.
Changes We live in a disruptive world where changes to systems, processes, and mindsets can happen quickly, which tends to generate conflicting feelings of excitement and awe, apprehension and fear. The highly competitive nature of the recruitment marketplace provides a constant array of dynamic challenges businesses must face in order to not only attract the right talent but to also retain it. Recruitment and Retention are not separate and independent, and 6 4 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
should not be treated as such. The ability you have as an employer to attract talent is influenced by the quality of your employer brand, your employee value proposition, as well as your employee experience. These are the same ingredients that either encourage or discourage talent to remain. The 2016 Gallup Report: ‘How millennials want to work and live’, provides some important insights into the challenges employers have in both areas. First of all it highlights that 50% of millennials are seeking to leave their employer within one year. Secondly, it quite clearly outlines the expectations millennials have regarding their working context. Gone is the focus on: my pay check; my selection, my boss, my annual review, my weaknesses, and, my job.
Strive Now they strive to find a workplace where: my purpose, my development, my coach, my ongoing conversation, my strengths, and, my life, are prevalent factors in their daily professional lives. Furthermore, Glassdoor with its 2017 Benefits Review, not only refers to the perks offered by companies but also to the importance of: a strong company culture; having a ‘company mission and values that are clear, communicated often, and embraced’, along with personal and professional development opportunities for employees. So what’s the one key enabler of driving solutions to these competing and diverse expectations? Leadership is and, more specifically, Positive Leadership.
What do we mean when we talk about Positive Leadership? Positive Leadership is the application of Positive Psychology to the human challenges in the workplace. In essence, its purpose is to enable organisations and their leaders to understand the reality that positivity pays the highest dividend.
In other words, by developing a deep understanding of how people work, and how they achieve extraordinary performance levels (positive psychology and human behaviour), an organisations’ leaders and managers can design new structures and processes which will enable performance levels to be optimised. This form of leadership is human-centric at its core. The application of positive psychology to discover the drivers/influencers of greatness, as well as designing methods that empower people and teams to achieve their potential, are the main drivers of this new science, with its focus on human performance. Critical to optimal performance is the enhancement and maintenance of wellbeing and happiness within your workforce. Consequently, generating a greater frequency of positive emotions, enhancing individual and collective
what you learn to your working environment allows for real time skills application development. Therefore, we believe that to generate positive leaders, organisations should review the way they educate and train their leaders. Three critical components which should be included in the educational development of any leaders are; • developing new ‘mindware’, in other words rewiring the way they operate and think at work and introducing practices such as behavioural decision-making • developing a deep understanding of the significance of positive development: appreciating how generating positive environments, focusing on strengths development, enabling and empowering dialogue and enhancing wellbeing can radically change the emphasis of how you lead, manage and develop your individuals and teams • engaging in the new era of professional
and creating an open dialogue which would enable the building of a generative environment, where all have a voice and input into driving solutions. • Relationships: How to move beyond the job titles they each had and identify the individual, the human. The success or otherwise of the team would be partly fuelled by the strength and dynamic of their team relationships. Creating a connection beyond the role they filled would encourage greater connectedness, a desire to support and encourage each other, and a willingness to go ‘ the extra mile’ for each other. • Meaning: How to fuse the purpose of one with that of the team, and in turn with the purpose of the organisation. Meaning would move beyond ‘What is my role?’ to ‘How can I add value?’ while feeling challenged and having a sense of belonging to a common cause. • Achievement: How to recognise where the successes are and why.
‘CRITICAL TO OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE IS THE ENHANCEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF WELLBEING AND HAPPINESS.’ engagement, recognising the importance of relationships to people, providing or creating a purpose or meaning for an individual, team and organisation and, recognising and rewarding success, are all important building blocks to achieving increased levels of wellbeing and happiness. Understanding the impact these building blocks have on people, and how to generate them within yourself and others, is a key skill for a positive leader. Essentially, by establishing a generative environment for you and others, you increase the likelihood of fostering greater wellbeing and happiness, which will ultimately enhance performance levels and positively impact output.
How do you develop positive leaders? While heavily based on hard science, mastering the tools and techniques of a positive leader is very much experientially based. The direct application of
development focused on ‘training behaviours’ at work, for example: practices in the workplace, habit hacking, behavioural tricks. By developing Positive Leaders, you create a leadership team that understands their role as ‘context creators’ i.e. they appreciate how they create the environment and conditions for organisational and team performance. Consequently, they build a positive work culture, having regard to the following five components: • Positive Emotions: How to create a space both from a physical and time perspective, that enables selfreflection, the sharing of experiences and knowledge, a sense of belonging and connectedness to individuals, the team, and the organisation. • Engagement: How to afford all participants the opportunity to fully engage in the direction the team wants to go, connecting it with their own and the organisation’s purpose, building on their self-communicated strengths,
Appreciating that the success of the individual feeds the success of the team. Identifying what the collective targets are, what the implications are for each individual, how through supporting each other each success adds to the momentum of change and creating value.
Progressive Building the right positive work culture with progressive human-centred policies and processes, not only positively impacts your organisational performance and productivity but answers this employee/potential employee question ‘ why should I stay in/join this organisation?’ Therefore, develop positive leaders, build a positive work culture and create a competitive advantage.
Declan Noone is a partner with Serrano 99 Management Consulting. www.serrano99.com March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 65
TECHNOTEACHERS
work independently, manage a project and bring a high level of craft skills and computer design graphics to a finished product are the very skills at which tomorrow's workers must excel. The TTA celebrates this success with the students, their families, their teacher and school at this event. By highlighting and rewarding such achievement we hope to encourage others to reach such standards.
Relaxed
Pressure points and panic!
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his time of year can be a time of high pressure in secondary schools across the country. Tony Harrison, Chairperson of the TechnoTeachers Association considers our current value systems when it comes to educational attainment. Early springtime in schools is dominated by the filling out of CAO forms to secure a college course and by preparations for the mock exams.
Courses This in turn will give way to the oral exams and the last minute fever of Easter ‘grinds’ courses. Students are often encountered in a dazed state, as they begin to experience the early rumblings of a pressure cooker-like build up which explodes in early June. Students have been led to believe that their entire lives depend on making the correct third-level choices and on total academic diligence over the next few months. Career guidance counsellors work flat-out to ensure correct course codes and choices. Never doubt that even schools feel the heat and scrutiny of the newspaper headlines. It almost appears that the only true measure of a school's success lies in the total number of students it dispatches to college courses.
Value A school receives top billing by sending 100% of its Leaving Certs to third level. There is no room for ambiguity about the value the media places on third level entry or, conversely, how poorly it values the students who
make alternative career choices. Yet, spring is also ‘awards’ season and not just in Hollywood. The TechnoTeachers Association holds its annual awards presentation in GMIT Galway in March each year. We highlight and celebrate the achievement of the students who secured the highest marks in the previous year's Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied and Junior Certificate in our subject areas. TTA is the subject association for teachers of Construction Studies, Design and Communication Graphics, and Materials Technology Wood and Technical Graphics. Each year we present a specially commissioned award to the candidates who achieved 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in these respective subjects.
Clearly, in schools at this time of year, it is unusual to find a student who seems relaxed and at ease with school life. One might suspect that any such student has little interest in future careers. Armed with just such suspicion, I challenged one such student this week – why was he not stressed and wearing the cross of college choices and study more seriously? ‘Oh’ he said ‘I have already secured an apprenticeship,
Supportive GMIT has been very supportive of this event for the last number of years. Our previous main sponsor, Xtratherm, has been involved over a number of years and last year was joined by CIF and John Sisk Ltd. So, is it all about how the Leaving Cert. points can secure a career via college entry? In fact, the answer to that question is ‘No’. Speaking at last year's event, Dermot Carey, representing CIF, appealed to ‘the room full of talent’ to consider the construction industry and to visit apprentices.ie when considering career choices. Our students must learn to combine a theoretical knowledge with the ability to devise and manage a practical project, and to create a physical artefact in wood. Such skills are in high demand amongst employers. The ability to
ABOVE: Tony Harrison
starting next summer’. A quick glance across the pond at the UK suffices to confirm that being a third-level graduate is no guarantee of employment. Some professions appear oversubscribed, and many students leave third level saddled with debt and with a degree whose skills are not easily transferrable. I imagine the day when the media will base its reports of educational achievement on the numbers who are in employment after school and third level. Surely this is part of the acid test of educational achievement? One would hate to imagine that all that stress, the pressure and the points race proved less than fruitful, wouldn't one? March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 67
PRODUCTS & SERVICES PRODUCT NEWS
WHAT’S CAUGHT OUR EYE!
Here we bring you a selection of products and services that has caught our eye in conjunction with our sister publication Hardware & Homestyle, Homestyle, an official gia publication, working in conjunction with the International Homewares Association in Chicago. Always contact the suppliers directly for the latest information, updates and offerings. Facilities Management in Ireland - 2018 begins on a high note
Leon Boots
ABOVE: FM Award winners, 2018
With the year barely underway, Facilities Management professionals had already gathered to celebrate outstanding performance in their sector at the FM Awards for 2018. The event was held in the Ballsbridge Hotel in Dublin. The FM Awards represent something of a benchmark for excellence. And, with new buildings being erected and more facilities being upgraded, this is an area of increasing importance.
Opportunity The awards offer the Facilities Management industry an opportunity to come together, collaborate and showcase their work. Judging Coordinator, Pat Gaughan, managing director at Advanced Workplace Solutions, moderated an independent panel of judges for the awards. ‘We received entries of an extremely high calibre from across a broad expanse of industries,’ Pat tells us. Among the big prize winners on the night were Sodexo, Aramark and BAM.
Companies Margot Slattery country President of Sodexo Ireland was awarded the 6 8 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
Facilities Management Leader Award in recognition for her contribution to the FM Industry in Ireland. Aramark, under the leadership of Roger Brennan and Stuart McIntosh scooped the Total FM Service Providers of the Year Award, while BAM Facilities Management ably led by Micheál Keohane and Gráinne de Mórdha took away the Overall excellence in FM Award. Full details of all the winners and runners up are available on www.fmawards.ie
For the last three years Leon boots has been supplying Ultralight boots into the Irish market through farm, garden, and hardware stores. Last year we finally produced the lightest full safety boot – The Safety 1st.
Protector Made from Ultralight, durable EVA material, the Safety 1st boot has a steel toe protector, mid-sole antiperforation plate and non-slip sole. To add comfort, as with all our boots, the Safety 1st comes with re-moveable and washable thermal socks. For anyone working in the construction sector with the need for safety footwear, the Safety 1st boots are revolutionary!
Glennon Brothers welcomes Minister Pat Breen to Windymains. Leading timber processing firm, Glennon Brothers welcomed Minister Pat Breen, and Mark Hanniffy, Consul General of Ireland to Scotland, to its Windymains site, as part of a trip to Scotland in celebration of St Patrick's Day. During the visit, the Minister met with Joint Managing Directors, Mike and Pat Glennon, and received a tour of the timber processing facility.
ABOVE: L-R: Deirdre McPartlin; Minister Pat Breen; Pat Glennon and Mark Hanniffy
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
ABOVE: Victoria Gate Leeds (John Lewis Building)
A message from Techrete With design intent for projects increasing in complexity and an emphasis on reduced programme, the logical construction choice is architectural precast concrete cladding.
Limitless From an aesthetics point of view, the vast palette of colours and textures available is almost limitless. This, coupled with the ability to incorporate intricate details such as cornices, quoins, arches and decorative relief panels, make it a versatile option for delivering on design intent. Aside from the versatility of the product, the benefits of architectural precast concrete cladding versus traditional methods of construction can be seen in the areas of speed, durability, acoustics, low lifecycle costs, fire resistance, weather proofing, energy efficiency and increased floor area. On-site, there is no need for scaffolding, as panels are craned into place and a weathertight enclosure can be achieved rapidly. Depending on panel design, windows can be installed, post panel manufacture, off-site and delivered as a complete unit to site. These factors combined reduce both on-site labour and the construction programme. One of the most notable benefits of using architectural precast is the quality that can be achieved as the production process has stringent quality controls at all stages. The resultant cost benefits that can be achieved from these elements make this a preferred option over traditional methods of construction. With almost 30 years’ experience operating in both the UK and Irish markets, Techrete have the unique ability to deliver on design intent and to provide our clients with the
ABOVE: Lombard Wharf
benefits previously detailed. Skilled in both developing new mixes and finishes for unique facades, and carefully marrying new facades with surrounding buildings, Techrete are driving innovation to meet clients' requirements. They have helped to deliver multi award-winning facades for clients with a strong emphasis on green methods of construction, at all times striving to reduce the carbon footprint of their activities. They have an exceptional engineering team with a strong emphasis on architectural intent and pride themselves on their innovative approach to the design, manufacture and site installation processes.
precast concrete cladding solutions delivered for clients, with strong design intent, have resulted in some unique facades: From an ornate, regal finish on tracery panels on 2 St. Peters Square, Manchester, to encapsulating the rugged Scottish cliffs on the Dundee V&A and, not to be overlooked, the multi award-winning Victoria Gate in Leeds with its complex diagrid and panels incorporating different finishes (and various others; see pictures). For unique facades, with almost limitless possibilities and a definitive emphasis on quality, architectural precast concrete cladding is the ideal solution for projects. For more see: www.techrete.com
Team ‘Our excellent team of pre-construction managers, provide assistance to clients at design stage,’ readers are told. ‘This early design development process helps to ascertain what is achievable and develops the best methods to employ to achieve buildability with a precast solution. Early budget cost plans can also be provided during this process.’ Some of the recent architectural
ABOVE: The Capitol Cork.JPG
March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 69
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Firebird’s new Enviroair heat pump Can be combined with a Firebird oil boiler or a gas boiler Firebird Heating Solutions has always been a name you can trust and is now a market leader in hybrid heating with the launch of its new range of Enviroair heat pump/boiler hybrid systems. Combining the Enviroair heat pump with a Firebird Enviromax boiler or a gas boiler quite literally takes heating to another level.
Incredible The hybrid range not only boasts ultraquiet operation, but the excellent COP (Coefficient Performance) can produce an incredible 4kW of energy for every kW of energy used to power the heat pump. These high levels of efficiency will reduce fuel bills for the homeowner when compared to other heat pump systems. Available in single phase outputs from 7.5kW to 16kW, the Enviroair hybrid range provides a compact and space saving solution as a single Monobloc unit that is installed outside the property. However, combined with the highly successful Enviromax boiler range or a gas boiler, the hybrid system will ensure that 100% comfort heating is provided throughout the year,
regardless of the weather conditions. Environmentally friendly, the Enviroair hybrid system provides the perfect heating solution for the modern new build, combining market leading technologies with over 35 years of experience.
Flexibility The system is easy to install and offers total flexibility, providing Part L Compliance and high BER ratings. The hybrid range has particular functions, including screed drying when integrated into an underfloor heating system. To complete the hybrid, Firebird also offer cylinders specifically designed for heat pump operation. These are preplumbed and make installation easy. There are five cylinders which range from 180 litres to 400 litres.
Outstanding The outstanding energy efficiency of the Enviroair hybrid range is achieved by utilising cutting-edge DC Inverter Technology that saves on energy consumption and money all year round. This technology keeps temperature fluctuations to a minimum and ensures heat output matches the heating load of the property. Room temperatures are controlled effortlessly and efficiently with an intuitive, top of the range, intelligent heating control. The system controller automatically runs the entire heating system and balances demand between the heat pump and boiler in colder climates and also has a built in weather compensation control facility.
Solution Firebird Heating Solutions specialises in providing a total heating package solution. The comprehensive product range includes oil fired boilers, gas boilers, solar thermal systems, stoves, range cookers and biomass boilers. For further information on the Enviroair hybrid range or other products in the range, simply visit www.firebird.ie or contact Firebird Heating Solutions: T: 026 45253 or E: info@firebird.ie
New Komatsu Midi breaks cover ahead of Irish launch ‘A perfect tool for most confined jobsites’ – says McHale Plant Sales With first models being available in Ireland ahead of its official debut in April at the Intermat Fair in Paris, the new Komatsu PC80MR-5 is a model that perfectly illustrates what happens when superb design comes together with excellent comfort and superior safety to create an eyewatering challenger in what is a highly competitive midi digger sector.
features Crammed with new and improved features, the Komatsu PC80MR-5 is powered by an electronically controlled Komatsu 4D98E-5SFB Stage IIIB engine, with DPF and a net horsepower of 46.2 kW (62 hp). Designed with the customer in mind, its most visually appealing features include an integrated counterweight and tight tail-swing 7 0 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
and low operating costs’, the new PC80MR-5 is described as ‘a perfect tool for most confined-area jobsites and for construction, utility, landscaping or similar applications’.
Ireland
radius coupled with a machinehugging swing boom that couple to make it ideal for work in confined areas and urban environments. With operating weights ranging from 8,000 to 8,240 kg, its more environmentally-friendly engine maintains the proven performance of the previous series whilst delivering an upwards of 10% lower fuel consumption. Said by McHale Plant Sales director, John O’Brien to deliver ‘improved versatility, manoeuvrability, comfort
In Ireland, it is expected that the new PC80MR-5 will find a ready market amongst rentals and the burgeoning utilities sectors, competing for the affections of those in search of a reliable, long-life machine that will retain a high resale value. Included in that mix also is a rejuvenated house building and construction sector and a notto-be-overlooked community of landscape contractors. Additional niche markets are said by McHale Plant Sales to include ‘drainage contractors, graveyard operatives, forestry managers and more’. www.mchaleplantsales.com
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
To see just how good Tec7 Plumb and the full range of products are, contact Contech Buildings Products on 00353 (0)1 6292963, simply log on to the website at www.tec7.ie or join the company on Facebook
March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 71
THE FINAL SAY...
GAUGING THE IRISH RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY MARKET A range of factors must play out
I
don’t believe that anybody can know what the future holds in Irish residential property. The broad conventional wisdom is that prices will continue to rise and that will encourage more investment in the sector, but there are so many constraints that also have to play out, writes Karl Deeter.
'IT’S LIKE NOAH’S FLOOD TURNING INTO THE SAHARA IN A FEW SHORT YEARS – UNTHINKABLE, YET TRUE.’
Pipeline Putting aside the fact that we cannot know for sure how many homes we are building, consider the situation with site prices. Some buyers are paying over the odds as they have cash that has to be invested to create a pipeline. The vacant site tax has yet to kick in and all the loosened planning rules we were promised are also untested in terms of seeing how projects get through to the system. Labour is already constrained and has been for some time. Equally, higher building standards and the need for increased certification are dynamic unto themselves. It’s happening in the midst of a housing crisis that was born out of one 7 2 | Construction Management | March/April 2018
of history’s largest property crashes where we turned abundance into scarcity in a short amount of time. It’s like Noah’s flood turning into the Sahara in a few short years – unthinkable, yet true.
‘Big win’ Much of the policy direction is aimed at large ‘big win’ options, but even when you get those they take years to come to fruition. Cherrywood is a great example of so much potential yet to be realised as it celebrated its 10th anniversary. Many vested interests – most of whom are not in the business of
construction – are calling out for every manner of self-interested policy direction from height restrictions to calling for social housing output of a scale not seen since the tenement clearing projects of the 1940s. Ireland is one of the few countries in the world with such strong third-party property rights; this means that a person who owns nothing can, for a very modest sum of money, hold up huge projects worth millions with objections. Some serial professional objectors (sadly some are even government funded) are responsible for putting thousands of homes on hold at a time they are badly needed. These all amount to a story of incompatible objectives, of delays that are insurmountable – not individually – but in general, when taken as a whole market. From a sectoral point of view, those who actually build rather than bleat about housing will have to get a job done with or without the right policies in place. That means tight cost controls, high levels of uncertainty despite the bullish market, sensible sales prices, and getting density and mix as keen as possible. If you felt lonely in this industry in 2011 then you have probably grown used to the feeling. But make no doubt about it, the official position is the same now as it was then, you are on your own.
Sense I hope everybody makes great profits while the sun shines, but remember, even a squirrel has enough common sense to put aside nuts for winter. This time around we should all do the same. Karl Deeter is Operations and Compliance Manager with Irish Mortgage Brokers and regularly contributes to the national media as a commentator, industry observer and financial and property journalist.