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Lean Journeys
One of the leading Lean Construction conferences in the world, Lean Construction Ireland 2021 National Conference brought together a national community of learning and practice along with welcoming friends from all around the globe. The conference included presentations and plenary discussions from clients/owners, their professional service providers, contractors and their associated supply chain, Lean academics and Lean service providers.
The event was structured around Lean Construction Ireland’s strategic breakthrough objectives of clients, contractual processes, and capability development, and its streamed presentations were kept succinct so as to optimise the opportunities for speaker and audience engagement and questions and answers.
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Delivering Construction Projects Better, Faster & Together!
On 3 November 2021 over 400 representatives from the Irish construction industry attended the Lean Construction Ireland national virtual conference – this is 10% up on the 2020 event.
Opportunity
Attending delegates had the opportunity to learn about Lean in construction from national and international industry leaders, on how they can leverage the benefits of Lean concepts to deliver quality projects that are safer, faster and more profitable – leading to increased stakeholder satisfaction and customer value for money.
The aim of the conference is to bring together leading experts in the field of Lean Construction from the Irish and international communities - to both inspire and challenge the industry to implement Lean thinking and practices on their public and private construction projects.
Maximise
One of Europe’s largest Lean construction conferences, the 2021 event was structured in a way to maximise the time available and remove waste – providing attendees with multiple stream options which allowed for interactive engagement sessions; 6 parallel streams focused on:
• Clients Leading Lean Adoption • Lean and Contractual Processes • ESG & Quality • Capability Development • Modern Methods of Construction • Digitalisation Enabled Productivity
Sponsors of the LCi 2021 national conference included; Ardmac, Autodesk, CrystalLean Solutions, Exyte, Mace, Sisk Group, Philip Lee, Procore, Fluor, BAM, Jacobs, DPS and Jones Engineering.
Featured among keynote speakers were: Minister Darragh O’Brien, New Children’s Hospital Project, Grangegorman DevelopmentAgency, Sutter Health, King’s College London, Waterford Institute of Technology, plus many more.
Lean Construction Ireland, with over 1,700 members, continues to deliver practical support and knowledge to the Irish construction industry as more and more companies embrace Lean thinking and practices to deliver e ciencies within their projects as well as to achieve operational improvements within their organisations.
Transform
Lean Construction Ireland (LCi) is a not-forprofit, membership-based organisation with a vision to transform the Irish construction sector through the adoption of Lean thinking and practices as part of the design and construction process, and move the industry towards more e cient, cost e ective and collaborative approaches where projects are Delivered Better, Faster and Together
Increased regulation around construction and the built environment, combined with international competition and the impact of Covid-19 has rea rmed the importance of improving e ciencies to reduce project delivery costs and delays whilst ensuring the highest build quality is maintained.
With many Irish companies in the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector seeking to better understand those Lean tools and techniques that are available to assist deliver projects in a more e cient manner, as well as wanting to understand how these Lean tools and techniques are deployed and utilised, Lean Construction Ireland has developed a suite of resources that will assist companies understand and embrace Lean to deliver projects better and faster, and through e ective teamwork and collaboration realise value for all involved in the project delivery process.
Some of these resources include: The LCi Lean Pass Course, LCi Annual Book of Cases, LCi Annual Conference – all of which are available free of charge at www.leanconstructionireland.ie
A message from Mercury!
2021 has been a year of significant growth and strategic development for Mercury. As we enter the new year, our sights are firmly set on continuing to deliver complex engineering projects for our multinational clients across a range of key sectors and regions.
Central to our continued success is our people. Our entrepreneurial spirt challenges us to innovate and drives us into exciting new territories and allows us to develop industry-leading methods of project delivery.
With over 2,800 direct employees, which rises to over 9,000 including subcontractors, our unique Mercury culture – a dedication to being brave, dynamic and making it happen – is embedded in every member of our global teams.
Mercury achieved revenues in excess of €1bn for the first time in 2020 and this growth was supported by significant enhancements to our governance structures.
We recently doubled the size of our executive management team, while our leadership group has also undergone considerable expansion and is now made up of a cohort of forty, highlighting our belief that our people are our greatest asset. At Mercury we enable our people to reach their potential every day.
We believe that to achieve incredible things you must invest in your people.
Delivering projects across Europe
We build and manage complex engineering projects as a prime contractor from design and build to ongoing facilities management, serving sectors such as enterprise and hyperscale data centres, advanced technology, pharmaceutical, building services and more.
Mercury is currently delivering as a design and build contractor on two first-of-a-kind rapid build Data Centres for a hyperscale client in Europe. clients to new territories they never thought possible.
Our purpose is to deliver our clients’ vision through leading edge construction solutions. We go beyond our duty which turns clients into partners and builds relationships that thrive.
These projects are utilising o site fabrication extensively, with entire components such as modular electrical rooms being built, tested and commissioned o site and shipped.
We are also utilising o site assembly on a large technology project in Ireland, where large modules and skids are being delivered from elsewhere and assembled on site.
We believe that real innovation happens if you’re willing to be brave. Our determination and sharp focus enable us to deliver leading edge construction solutions across a range of key sectors, taking our
Brave
We believe you have to be brave to achieve incredible things. We’re proud of who we are and our plans for the future. We stand over everything we say and do. We’re direct and to the point because we respect our clients, their time and needs.
With a generous spirit and vibrant energy, hard work’s made easy because we genuinely enjoy what we do.
Dynamic
As market leaders, we redefine industry standards. We’re a European player with powerful capabilities; yet it is our agility that sets us apart – unafraid of change because we understand its true potential.
Make it happen
No matter the client or sector, we always deliver. It’s our commitment and promise. Success is the only option for us. It’s our delivery, training, processes that make The Mercury Way.
This relentless dedication earns a trust, security and assurance that is second to none. It turns clients into partners and builds relationships that grow and prosper with time.
As usual we check in with the people at Construction Information Services (CIS) to get the lie of the land. One of their latest reports at our time of writing is on activity in Quarter Three 2021 and it shows a lot of activity taking place.
The value of planning applications in Q3 2021 is up 23% from Q3 2020. The Eastern and Midland Region showed the highest jump of 26% to €3.2bn.
Value
Planned investment in Q3 2021 is up by 21% over the average quarterly value for 2020 and by 8.2% over the average quarterly value for 2019.
Only the Northern and Western region shows a decline in pipeline investment over these two periods.
The value of planning grants is down by 9% from Q3 2020 and by 11.5% from Q2 2021. Values are up however from the quarterly averages in 2020 and 2019.
Regionally, approved investment in the Eastern and Midland region is down 15% to €2.5bn and down by 4.5% to €906m in the Southern region.
Up
In the Northern and Western region investment is up 50% in Q3 2021 to €615m over the approved investment in Q3 2020.
Project starts are up 44% from €2bn in Q3 2020 to €2.9bn in Q3 2021.
The Eastern and Midland region accounts for just over €2bn of new starts with Dublin accounting for just over €1.9bn.
The figures continue to reflect the rebound of activity from pandemic shutdowns. Project starts in this quarter and the previous, are at the highest level by far since 2019.
Planning applications
Residential • Planningapplications up 20% to €3.6bn from Q3 2020 • In terms of housingtypethere were applications for11,494 apartment units and 6,304 traditional housing types • Two-bedroom apartments are the most popular accounting for 48%of all apartment types. One bedroom apartments account for 38% • Planningapplication values rose by 18% in the Eastern and Midland region to €2.72bn • The value of planning applications in the other regions combined grew by 28% over Q3 2020 to €897m over 213 projects • The largest planningapplication was for a €250m mix of housing andapartments in Corballis East, Donabate , Co. Dublin
Non-residential • Planningapplication values up 30% to €1.9bn from Q3 2020 • Applications for Data Centres and Warehouse Distribution account for €561m • Growth continues across the board in the Medical sector with applications related to Nursing Homes, Hospitals and Medical
Facilities combined, rising by 104% from Q3 2020 • Applications relating to offices fell in value by just over 50% to €188m • Planningapplication values are down 47% and 2% in the Hospitality and Education sectors respectively • Eastern and Midland Region up 44%; Southern region up 23% • Applications for Data Centres arethree of the top five projects by value
Planning grants
Residential • 11.1k units were grantedplanningapproval in Q3 2021 which represents a 12.6% fall from Q3 2020 • 7,750 apartmentsand 3,296 traditional houses were grantedapproval • The value of plans granted permission in the Eastern and Midland region fellby 14% to €1.75bn • 13 public sectorprojects account for 199 housing units • • The largest project is for 1220 apartment units in 11 blocks on lands at Baldoyle and Stapolin, Dublin 13
Non-residential • The value of planninggrants was up 3% from Q3 2020 • In the regions, the Eastern and Midland region was down 10% while the Southern and Northern and Western regions were up 11% and 78%respectively • Shops and Retail projects granted permission rose by 25% to €93m • Office developments gaining permission rose by 219% to €305m • In the hospitality sector pipeline investment in hotels rose by 34% from Q3 2020 to €112m accounting for 1,026 new hotel beds • Restaurantsbarsand nightclubs saw investment rise by13% to 16m in the quarter • The largest project gaining approval in the quarter was a €120m mixed use office and retail development at North Wall Quay and
MayorStreet Upper, Dublin 1
Project starts
Residential • Residential starts are up 66% by value and 37% in number of units from Q3 2020 to €1.42bn and 7,453 respectively • Over 5,200 units started in Eastern and Midland region up 88% from Q3 2020. Just over 3,000 apartmentsand 2,000 houses • 174 projects started in the quarter, up 24% from Q3 2020 • 15 public sectorprojects started equating to 347 units • Largest project is a €150m Residential development in the Townland ofCork Little and Shanganagh, Woodbrook, Shankill, Co.
Dublin for 685 residential units
Non-residential • The value of non-residential project starts rose by 31% to €1.28bn over Q3 2020 • The starts include projects for498 classrooms, 149 hospital beds, 1,141 hotel beds and 179nursing home beds • Starts in the Industrial sector are up 56% to 560m over Q3 2020. The major projects are for data centres and warehousing • Office project starts are down 19% and Retail is down 10% • Starts in the Hospitality sector rose more thanthreefold to €131m
Construction Information Services Suites 3 & 4, The Cubes, Beacon South Quarter Sandyford, Dublin 18 T: (01) 299 9200 E: Sales@cisireland.com
The Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index® (PMI®) – a seasonally adjusted index designed to track changes in total construction activity – ticked up to 56.9 in October 2021.
Further sharp rise in construction activity as new order growth continues
In the Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index® (PMI®) Index readings above 50 signal an increase in activity on the previous month and readings below 50 signal a decrease.
Increase
The latest figure (at time of writing), 56.9, signalled a marked increase in construction activity, with the rate of expansion accelerating slightly.
Activity has now risen in each of the past six months.
According to respondents, growth reflected an improving picture for new orders, some of which continued to be linked to the release of pent-up demand.
Commenting on the survey, Simon Barry, Chief Economist Republic of Ireland at Ulster Bank, noted that:
‘Irish construction firms continued to experience strong growth in activity in October according to the latest results of the Ulster Bank Construction PMI.
‘Having eased over the summer months following the post-lockdown snap back in activity in Q2, the headline PMI rose slightly, signalling a modest reacceleration in the pace of overall construction activity growth at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
Pace
‘Commercial activity was particularly strong in October as the pace of growth picked up markedly, while residential activity registered solid expansion, albeit at a reduced pace relative to September.
‘Strong demand for construction services was also evident in further sizeable gains in both new orders and employment, with new business and sta ng levels both recording a seventh consecutive month of expansion.
‘But the October results highlight that supply-chain disruptions remain a highly problematic headwind for Irish construction firms.
Factors
‘Respondents cited Brexit, Covid-disruption and shortages of delivery drivers and materials as factors which contributed to a record lengthening of delivery times and record growth in input costs.
‘Nonetheless, despite such headwinds, firms remain confident about the 12-month ahead outlook.
‘Sentiment ticked up from September and was again above long-run average levels, reflecting expectations that the ongoing release of pentup demand will continue to support activity growth in the coming year.’
Commercial sector leads growth in October
The expansion in overall activity was led by a sharp and accelerated rise in work on commercial projects.
Meanwhile, the rate of growth in housing activity continued to soften from May's record. Although civil engineering activity fell, the reduction was only slight.
New business up sharply
The aforementioned improvements in customer demand fed through to a rise in new orders during October.
New business has now
increased in each of the past seven months, and the latest expansion remained sharp despite easing from that seen in September to the softest since April.
Business confidence improves
The prospects for future activity growth also remained bright, according to respondents, with sentiment regarding the 12-month outlook ticking higher and posting above the series average.
Some firms predicted the further release of pent-up demand over the coming year.
In response to rising activity requirements, constructors expanded both their sta ng levels and input buying at marked rates.
The rate of job creation quickened slightly, with some firms reportedly taking on new apprentices.
Strong
Although the rate of increase in purchasing activity eased to a six-month low, it remained strong in the context of historical data.
Where companies did try to expand purchasing activity, however, they were faced with severe disruption to supply chains.
Suppliers' delivery times lengthened to the greatest extent since the survey began in June 2000, with companies linking delays to Brexit, disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, global material shortages and a lack of drivers.
Record
Input price inflation also hit a fresh record in October as the aforementioned supply issues fed through to higher costs.
Some 78% of respondents indicated that their input prices had increased over the month.
SCSI Tender Price index figures showed national construction tender prices increased by 7% in the first half of 2021
The Tender Price Index published by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland showed that construction price inflation increased by 7% in the first half of 2021, a sharp increase on the 1.3% recorded in the previous six months.
Almost double
According to the SCSI’s index this brought the national annual rate of inflation – July 2020 to June 2021 – to 8.3%, almost double preCovid levels.
The figures indicate significant variation across the regions in the first half of the year with the highest rate of 7.8% being recorded in the Rest of Leinster and Connacht/Ulster.
The rate in Munster was 6.3% while the lowest rate of 6% was recorded in Dublin.
Exceptional
Kevin Brady, Chair of the Quantity Surveying Group in the SCSI said pent-up demand coupled with supply constraints led to exceptional increases in material costs.
‘Following the reopening of sites on 12 April it was generally expected tender price inflation would rise as the economic recovery gained momentum.
‘However, the scale of the increase is much greater than anticipated due to supply chain issues and intense competition internationally for building materials.
‘This has led to exceptional increases in the cost of widely used materials such as steel, timber and insulation products.
‘These increases, coupled with serious labour shortages in the domestic market, have led to unprecedented disruption and the current increase in overall tender price inflation.
‘Higher cost increases have been recorded outside of Dublin. This is because costs around the country are coming o a lower base coupled with a strong recovery.’
Ease
Kevin James, Vice President of the SCSI, said that while it was di cult to accurately predict future tender rates, chartered quantity surveyors do expect material price increases to ease into 2022.
‘The last time we saw comparable rates of tender
ABOVE: Construction Tender Prices 1998 – 2021 The survey, which is based on a member sentiment survey, was conducted in August 2021. The SCSI said the latest figures are based on median values rather than averages, as this gives a more accurate reflection of the responses it receives.
‘THE LAST TIME WE SAW COMPARABLE RATES OF TENDER INFLATION WAS IN 2000, AT THE HEIGHT OF THE CELTIC TIGER. ‘
inflation was in 2000, at the height of the Celtic Tiger.
‘While that highlights the seriousness of the current situation, we believe underlying market conditions are fundamentally di erent from that era and that as the global recovery gains pace post Covid, the cost of materials should ease.
‘Given they account for up to half of overall delivery costs in some instances, a return to more normalised costs for key construction inputs such as timber, insulation, glazing, piping/ducting and steelwork appears likely and will be very welcome.
Anticipate
‘We would also anticipate that as the recovery gains pace and manufacturers gear up to meet demand, supply chain bottlenecks will be addressed.
‘While the hope would be that international shipping charges will also come down and that logjams associated with Brexit will be sorted, labour shortages will take longer to address.
‘So, although we expect a correction, it is very di cult at present to predict the extent of it.’ RIGHT: Kevin James
RIGHT: Kevin Brady
Radley Engineering Limited
Radley Engineering Limited is one of Europe’s leading specialists in the design, manufacture and installation of high quality steel fabrications in stainless steel, carbon steel and exotic materials. We provide our services to a range of industries including the Pharma & BioPharma, Oil & Gas, Industrial Manufacturing and Power Generation & Utilities in both Ireland and internationally.
Radley Engineering Limited Killadangan, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Ireland Tel: +353 (0)58 41199 Web: www.radleyeng.com
At CMI we take great interest in the annual GMIT International Construction Management Day conference. Here, Dr Martin Taggart, chair, summarises what the speakers had to say at the eleventh such event which was, of course, held ‘remotely’ earlier this year.
GMIT Conference heard construction industry remains very positive about rapid recovery post-Covid
The eleventh Annual GMIT International Construction Management Day Conference was held fully online this year, attracting an audience of over 700 delegates.
Annually
The conference is hosted annually by the Department of Building and Civil Engineering at GMIT and chaired by lecturer Dr Martin Taggart.
It is supported and sponsored by: The Construction Industry Federation (CIF), The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) and The Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE).
The speakers included John O’Regan, Director of AECOM Ireland. John is a conference regular and is a well-known draw for delegates. The conference entailed a wide-ranging interview by Dr Taggart with Frank Kelly, President of the CIF, and Director of Construction at Walls Construction and Tom Parlon, Director General of the CIF.
Dr Taggart asked Tom and Frank to say a word to students soon to graduate about their prospects. Both Tom and Frank noted that they see a very positive future.
Discussion
ABOVE: Top, L to R: Sean Downey, Director of Specialist Contracting, CIF; Frank Kelly, President, CIF; Gerard Nicholson, GMIT; Micheál Mahon, President SCSI; Irene Hayden, GMIT; John O’Regan, Director, AECOM Ireland; John Scahill, GMIT. Bottom, L to R: John Barfoot, Learning, Education and Academic Director, CABE; Justin Molloy, Director CIF; Dr Martin Taggart, Conference Chair and GMIT lecturer; Tom Parlon, Director General, CIF; Mark Beard, President, CIOB; Dr Mark Kelly, GMIT. ABOVE: President of Engineers Ireland, Professor Orla Feely, see, ‘On the Record’, this issue
three-way discussion on building a sustainable and inclusive culture within the industry.
President of the CIOB, Mark Beard, who is also Chairman of Beard Construction UK, was in conversation with Dr Taggart and Justin Molloy of the CIF.
The conference also featured John Barfoot, Learning, Education and Academic Director of CABE. John spoke about a lifelong learning approach.
Micheál Mahon, President of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI), focused on the housing crisis in Ireland.
The second half of the conference had a focus on innovation. Sean Downey, Director of Specialist Contracting with the CIF, informed the conference of coming changes in terms of innovation.
Four GMIT Sta presented on areas of innovation, reporting on future needs of the industry and assessing how academia can collaborate in providing new skills needed.
Final speaker
The last speaker of the day was Dr Mark Kelly, lecturer in GMIT. Mark heads up the GMIT BIM-360 research group.
Links to presentations
Copies of the speakers' presentations can be found here: https://www.gmit.ie/ engineering/constructgmitpresentations-2021
They may be used for educational and CPD purposes.
Engineers Ireland conference success
Sustainable approaches in engineering, digitalisation within the sector including cyber security, the role that engineers can play in the recovery of the economy, post Covid-19 and Brexit were discussed at Engineers Ireland’s 2021 National Conference.
Themed, Engineering in a new world: digital and sustainable solutions for society, conference session speakers discussed the recovery of Ireland’s economy, and how engineers can contribute to social, environmental and economic development.
Focused
Engineering companies/ firms presenting also focused on best practice from a sustainability perspective, the use of digital technology, and more.
Hundreds heard talks and presentations online from speakers including economist, David McWilliams; Alliance Party Leader in Northern Ireland, Naomi Long, MLA; Leo Clancy, the new CEO of Enterprise Ireland and Linda Doyle, President and Provost at Trinity College Dublin.
Provost Doyle, Leo Clancy and Minister Long are all engineers.
ABOVE: Kevin James, SCSI Vice-President and Director at Cogent and Associates addresses conference
QS + Construction Conference – Hybrid Event takes place
The QS + Construction Conference took place both Online and in person, SCSI tells Construction Management Ireland. ‘The conference on 15 October was our first hybrid event and had just over 100 online and over 55 in attendance in the Alex Hotel.
‘The event was sponsored by Alfa Wealth and also in partnership with the CEEC. A delegation from across Europe travelled to the conference.
Key topics
‘Some of the key topics we looked at were Supply Chain challenges and there was a really interesting discussion with Marcus Crane from Sisk and Donal Hennessy from Collen Construction.
‘There was also an update on ICMS.3 with Charles Mitchell from the OGP, Gerard Monaghan from Nicholas O’ Dwyer and this session was chaired by Colm Cleary from the HSE.
‘There was also a PII update from Stephen Byrne in Glennons and a BIM update from Mary Flynn, Dublin City Council and Trevor Woods a 5D Bim expert.’
2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference
All eyes were on Glasgow where the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, was held. The event was the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and it was the third meeting of the parties to the Paris Agreement.
Urgency
The Irish Green Building Council, (IGBC), featured in this issue as usual, has highlighted the urgency to address the carbon emissions associated with buildings across their whole life cycle.
‘The most recent report from the
National Construction Summit
National Construction Summit is taking place at the National Arena, Sport Ireland Campus, Blanchardstown, Dublin on 3 February 2022.
We are informed: ‘With our new venue in place, we have also added new pillars which the event will be built on, these include: Construction • Architecture & Design • Data Centres in partnership with Host in Ireland • Construct IT in partnership with CITA • Building Materials & Innovation • Building Control & Regulation • Lean Construction, Passive Construction and NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building) • Facilities Management • QEHS
‘With over 3,000 construction professionals expected to attend, this event is the ideal opportunity to get your company in front of the right demographic to showcase your products.’
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concludes that immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are needed to keep global warming at 1.5°C’; the IGBC reminds us.
‘This requires all sectors to ramp up their climate ambitions.’
PM Group wins All Ireland Supreme Safety Award 2020
The 29th National Irish Safety Organisation / Northern Ireland Safety Group (NISO/NISG) Annual Occupational Safety Awards took place in a special online ceremony at which the Supreme Safety Award winner for 2020, sponsored by Irving Oil Whitegate Refinery, was announced as PM Group.
As the Supreme Safety Award winner in 2019 also, PM Group has made Safety Award history by becoming the first organisation to win the top prize two years in a row!
The Supreme Safety Award is presented to the organisation that has shown consistently good or continuously improving health and safety performance over a number of years and an outstanding contribution to occupational safety, health and welfare during the previous year.
The Awards are highly valued and regarded among health and safety professionals throughout the island of Ireland.
Ceremony
Under normal circumstances the safety awards would have been presented to the award winners in a prizegiving
ABOVE: An online ceremony took place
ceremony and gala dinner event in October of 2020.
However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the event was moved online.
MTU emerge victorious at CIOB Student Challenge,
Ireland Event held on-line for first time
The CIOB Student Challenge Ireland took place online earlier this year and saw MTU emerge as overall winners.
The team members are: PJ Duggan, Shane Brown, Stephen Donovan, and Conor Evans.
Accredited
(Honours) in Construction Management, which is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Building.
Second place was taken by Limerick Institute of Technology with Letterkenny IT coming third. The winners were announced by the CIOB president Mark Beard.
ABOVE: The adaptation and reuse of our existing buildings – a sustainable response by architects to Climate Change – was particularly strong this year and the top award went to the transformation of the former anatomy school at University College Cork into a Student Hub by O’Donnell + Tuomey.
Strong turn-out in Irish architecture at home and abroad celebrated
RIAI announce winners of 2021 RIAI Awards
The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) announced the winners of the 2021 RIAI Awards.
The awards are given annually to acknowledge achievement in architecture and celebrate the quality of work carried out by RIAI members and the contribution registered architects make to the built environment.
Completed
Projects submitted for the 2021 Awards were practically completed between 1 January and 31 December 2020.
Marking the 32nd year of the awards, the RIAI announced 17 Award Winners across all categories, including Adaption & Re-Use, Cultural or Public Buildings, Learning Environments, Wellbeing, Public Spaces, Workplace, Living, and International.
ABOVE LEFT: 'Placemaking' in Dun Laoghaire 'House for a gardener', a private home in Northern Ireland
The award winners include projects in Cork, Dublin, Donegal, Down, Leitrim, Limerick, Louth, O aly, as well as Punjab, India.
The adaptation and reuse of our existing buildings – a sustainable response by architects to Climate Change – was particularly strong this year and the top award went
to the transformation of the former anatomy school at University College Cork into a Student Hub by O’Donnell + Tuomey.
An award for Conservation went to the sensitive restoration of the Swiss Cottage in Co. Leitrim, by Buckley Partnership Architects.
New student facilities got further recognition in this year’s awards with
ABOVE: King John's Castle in County Louth
Student Civitas, Lee Point Student Accommodation, Cork sharing the top prize in the Living category, along with two outstanding private homes – House for a Gardener in Northern Ireland and Baltrasna House in Skerries, Co. Dublin.
Public
Public projects amongst the winners include the renovation and retention of the original Garda Station building in Donegal Town by Rhatigan Architects which was a double award winner in both Cultural/ Public Buildings and the Sustainability categories.
A new extension to Scoil Uí Mhuirí in County Louth was given top prize in the Learning Environments category. Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Architects Department’s Covid-19 response for placemaking from Blackrock to Sandycove and in Dundrum was a joint winner alongside King John’s Castle in Carlingford, Co. Louth in the Public Space Category.
The quality of Irish workplaces was recognised with two awards this year – North Dock by ABK Architects and Babel Academy of English by Stephen Mulhall, nineteeneighty studio for Fit-Out.
The award for Wellbeing was given to Healy Partner Architect’s The Padel Club in Limerick.
The work of RIAI architects overseas was celebrated with McCullough Mulvin Architect’s Learning Laboratory for Thapar University in Punjab, India – the winner in the International category.
A Special Award for Research through Practice was awarded to Ryan W Kennihan Architects for their work on Baltrasna House and Beach Road House.
North Dock. Quality of Irish Work Places ABOVE: An award for Conservation went to the sensitive restoration of the Swiss Cottage in Co. Leitrim, by Buckley Partnership Architects.
Conserve
Finally, John McLaughlin Architects and Queen's University Belfast were awarded for their research in ‘Keeping it Modern’ addressing how to conserve the social and architectural ideals inherent in 20th century Modernism.
The RIAI Public Choice Award saw over 10,000 online votes being cast by members of the public.
The winning submission was Field, Stonewall, House by Taylor McCarney Architects. The design for the house was conceived as a series of parallel field stone walls that fit seamlessly within the rural setting in the West of Ireland.
Ciaran O’Connor, RIAI President said: ‘The wide variety of projects included in this year’s shortlist demonstrates the diversity of great work being carried out by Irish architects across the country and further afield.
‘Despite Covid-19 having an impact on construction projects, we received almost 150 entries for work complete in 2020 and the quality was exceptional.'
ABOVE: Keeping it modern at QUB.
Build your knowledge with the Law Society of Ireland’s Diploma in Construction Law
The award-winning Diploma Centre at the Law Society of Ireland o ers an in-depth Diploma in Construction Law. The popular course, which is open to lawyers and construction professionals, such as engineers, claims surveyors and expert witnesses, provides an overview of the specialised discipline that is construction law and practice in Ireland.
Claire O’Mahony, Head of the Diploma Centre, says for over twenty years the Diploma Centre has provided continuing professional education and training in Ireland.
‘Our primary aim is to o er high-quality postgraduate courses with an emphasis on applying the law in practice. We are proud to provide flexible online learning for busy professionals, and courses are delivered by experienced practitioners and industry leaders.’
Now in its sixth year, this diploma takes a practical approach to the complex issues that arise from the multiparty nature of the construction process.
Participants are introduced to the standard forms of construction contracts with particular focus on the public works and RIAI contracts.
Other prominent areas of study include the Construction Contracts Act 2013, allocation of risk between the employer and the contractor, collateral warranties and bonds, specialists and subcontractors, and the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014.
2021 modules:
Module 1: An introduction to Construction Law Module 2: Construction procurement – the tendering process Module 3: Construction contracts Module 4: Construction dispute resolution
On completion of this programme, participants will be able to: • Professionally communicate to a range of diverse constructionmanagement stakeholders, demonstrating in-depth knowledge of the principles of construction contracts and the rationale for amending standard form contracts • Explain and identify the impact and interaction of contract law and tort in the construction process • Advise on compliance with statutory obligations, including health and safety and building control legislation • Critically assess and report on the implications of important case law developments and legislative changes • Develop skills to evaluate and critically analyse how a contract is discharged and identify how a contract is performed and breached • Describe how alternative dispute resolution mechanisms (such as adjudication and arbitration) operate and provide advice to clients on the merits and suitability of these di erent mechanisms
‘The course content was excellent and the faculty are known within the industry to be leaders in their respective fields. The continuous assessment elements of the course were well organised and based on interesting and relevant cases to my work.
‘The other students included a good balance of legal and construction professionals which provided a great opportunity to debate and understand the di ering viewpoints of both professions on matters of construction law.
‘I would highly recommend this diploma to anyone with an interest in construction law.’ – Past Diploma in Construction Law student
Who should apply?
‘This course is suitable for construction professionals, including engineers, claims surveyors, and expert witnesses, Solicitors currently working in the area or those who would be interested in practising in this area.
‘It would also be of interest to dispute resolution solicitors and barristers looking to broaden their understanding of an area of law that generates a large amount of claims and litigation.
‘The course is recognised by Engineers Ireland for CPD purposes.’
For further information visit www.lawsociety. ie/diplomacentre or contact the Diploma Team by emailing diplomateam@lawsociety.ie or telephone 01 672 4802.
Needed now more than ever, WorldSkills Ireland 2022 returns in March 2022 to promote skills and apprenticeship careers and opportunities for young people as they navigate future options following secondary education. We find out more with WorldSkills IrelandChair/Technical Delegate, Ray English.
The expo will build upon the success of the inaugural event which took place in 2019 when over 12,000 visitors, including thousands of students and their parents, descended on the RDS, Simmonscourt, to see first-hand the wealth of career options available.
Gold medal
Announcing the return of the event in March 2022, Niall Collins TD, Minister of State for Skills and Further Education was joined by Megan Yates, a former freight forwarding and logistics competitor who represented Ireland at WorldSkills in Kazan in 2019, bringing home the gold medal.
According To Minister Niall Collins: ‘WorldSkills Live is an excellent promotional event for apprenticeships and traineeships in Ireland, showing that they are attractive routes for young people to gain an internationally recognised qualification and to develop up-todate and relevant skills.
‘I’m also thrilled to say we have a track record of significant success at the competition, and for that we should be very proud, but I think it is also important that Ireland’s achievements in practical skills are
WORLDSKILLS IRELAND LIVE 2022
TAKING PLACE 22-24 MARCH 2022: WORLDSKILLS IRELAND 2022
recognised at home.
‘WorldSkills Ireland Live provides an opportunity to demonstrate the breadth of options available to learners in practical education and training.
‘I hear consistent messages from employers in areas of skills demand and I see the demand for future skills required to support the economy.
‘Many of these areas, such as cyber security, construction, transport and logistics, are encompassed in the WorldSkills Ireland Live competitions.’
Compete
More than 200 competitors from all over Ireland will compete over three days next March to win the Silver Medal awarded by the Department of Further and Higher Education in each skill category and WorldSkills have added more skill competitions in engineering, digital construction and hospitality to reflect the growing range of apprenticeship and skills careers opportunities now available through an enhanced CAO offering.
New competitions include Space Systems Engineering, IT software Solutions for Business, Butchery, CADD for Engineering, Sales, Hotel Reception and Digital Infrastructure for Sustainability with the traditional apprenticeships from Plumbing to Metal Fabrication, Heavy Vehicle Mechanics, Carpentry, Bricklaying and the automotive trades all to be showcased.
The main category sponsors are ESB, Construction Industry Federation, John Sisks and Sons, Designer Group and AutoDesk with Collen sponsoring the Heroes stage which delivers spotlight talks and insights into the world of skilled careers and apprenticeships.
WORLDSKILLS IRELAND LIVE 2022
Five global megatrends have been identified connecting the designmanufacture-construct process as being:
• Prefabricationand offsite construction • Additive manufacturing • Robotics and automation • AI-big data • IOT(Internetof Things)
Thesemegatrends will be reflected in new skills competitions promoted for the WorldSkills International Shanghai 2022 Competition.
Each of the competitions will showcase the skills needed for careers and allow try a trade chances to complete tasks and have tactile engagement. Links to Education and Training institutes and the industry vacancies will be critically supported in the specialised information zones. History
WorldSkills Ireland has a history of developing new competitions and along with AutoDesk proposed Building Information Modelling as a new global skill category based on the rapid adoption of BIM in the Irish construction sector.
Following on from a successful WorldSkills International competition in Kazan 2019, further consultation with AutoDesk and industry input, a decision was made to rename that competition Digital Construction to better reflect how data is managed across construction from design through to build and ultimate building operation.
The expanding competition portfolio in ICT and Digital skills promotes the move to digitalisation and the extended use of technologies in the construction sector attracting younger generations into construction and challenges the misconception of construction as mud, boots and Hi-Viz jackets.
The WorldSkills Ireland competition is centrally placed to promote construction digital careers and support government strategy to address gaps in digital skills needs.
Bringing together
Bringing together industry and education in a community for promotion of skilled careers the competitors who are studying, training or working in the Digital and Construction industries from across Ireland will apply practical industry skills and demonstrate the connected digital flow of work from BIM Modelling, Co-ordination and Management to onsite implementation.
Ray English, WorldSkills IrelandChair/Technical Delegate adds:
‘The skills shortage is one of major challenges across all sectors today. Simply put, we need more skilled people across multiple sectors. This has been recognised at all levels, which is reflected in this unique event’s collective support from education and training providers, industry and government.
‘Skills drive the future and WorldSkills Ireland 2022 will be a true showcase of the “best in class” across many different disciplines, offering young people a wealth of options as they move from secondary education and look to their future in the world of employment.’
McKinsey Global estimate that by 2030 there will be up to 200 million construction jobs worldwide in a new future of industrialised construction that relies on innovative and integrated processes and technologies. (See panel for ‘five global megatrends’)
WorldSkills International is a global organisation of 85 countries and hosts the WorldSkills competitions every two years with the next scheduled to be held in Shanghai in October 2022 with an estimated 3,700 competitors and experts in over 63 competition skill categories.
Pipelife Training Academy - keep up to date and enhance your knowledge
There’s a lot going on at Pipelife’s Training Academy – a key resource when it comes to keeping up to date!
Renewable Heating Systems have become an important area for the building services industry.
Key
Understanding how to provide these sources, systems and applications is seen as key in meeting the future needs of both commercial and domestic heating.
Expertise is vital to renewables success and so Pipelife are delighted to o er a range of courses that have been specifically designed to provide experienced heating, plumbing, installation and building professionals with a real understanding of the potential for renewable energy sources, installation and their application.
Relevant, practical, industry-leading training courses delivered at our stateof-the-art Academy in Cork or Dublin by fully qualified professionals in a relaxed, informal environment.
Free
The courses are free to attend and will be led by members of our Technical Team who have a wealth of practical knowledge and installation practices, and feature a detailed tour of the Pipelife manufacturing facility where visitors are given the opportunity to see first-hand where our products are designed and manufactured.
The free courses will be available to installers, service engineers, plumbers, merchants, architects, local authorities and BER Assessors.
By o ering a valuable insight into each of our heating technologies, those who attend our courses will be equipped with the best product knowledge and installation techniques, ensuring that our customers are fully satisfied.
We are also a registered training provider with Engineers Ireland.
Exciting
Padjoe Barry – national sales manager says: ‘These are really exciting times for Pipelife, we have always had a strong focus on providing a great service to all our customers and with the launch of our new Renewable Training Academy this will allow us to support them with hands-on product training and installation techniques.
‘The company is determined to o er contractors and installers the skills, support and service they need to thrive in the renewable heating sector.
‘Two major things that we o er – that are not standard in the industry – are a 50-year guarantee on all our manufactured pipe products and extended warranties on all our traded products,’ says Padjoe.
Insurance
‘We give full design indemnity insurance on all our designs for underfloor heating and heat pump systems.
‘We also provide full electrical drawings and full layout drawings for the piping and manifold locations and settings.
‘When you get a job from us, everything is specified, and the contractor can talk to the actual designer.
‘If any problem occurs after the homeowner takes possession of the house, we are still available.
‘We’ve been around for 50 years, and we are willing to stand over the quality of our pipes to give a further 50-year assurance.
‘We stand over the quality of our traded products because we only take in heat pumps and fittings from people we have vetted ourselves.’
Training courses
Heat Pump Training - Intended for domestic heating and renewable installers who wish to know more about our Air to Water heat pump range.
Training covers both the Hitachi Yutaki S Split Combi and Midea Monobloc Heat pumps.
This course covers its construction, principles of operation, electrical wiring, controller settings, sizing, selection of the correct unit(s) to suit the property concerned, installation considerations, requirements and commissioning the complete system.
Underfloor Heating Intended for domestic heating installers of boilers or Air to Water Heat Pumps either with Underfloor Heating experience or those wishing to know more about Pipelife underfloor heating systems.
This training course covers the basic principles of underfloor heating and the system design considerations, as well as full details of the Pipelife systems, their installation, filling, pressure testing and commissioning.
Also included are full details of the Pipelife UFH control system, the options, operation, installation and set-up.
CPD training for architects, engineers, energy assessors, etc. Continuous Personal Development (CPD) is training we provide here and o site for architects, engineers, energy assessors and similar minded professionals.
These certified courses are available in many technologies, give insight and knowledge on current and new products and areas which are relevant to attendees.
Contact
For o -site training contact ireland@ pipelife.com for booking details.
To book your training day with Pipelife please contact us at Ireland@pipelife. com, contact us on 021 4884700 or visit our website www.pipelife.ie/training
Irish buildings tech company IFS announces global expansion with creation of 100 jobs
Integrated Facilities Solutions (IFS), the Dublin-based provider of digital asset management solutions for infrastructure and real estate, is to expand its operations into the US, UK, and Scandinavia with the recruitment of 100 new sta over the next three years. The company is also launching its new corporate brand identity and digital platform. The organisation, now known as Fexillon, is currently based in Dublin.
Partnering
Fexillon has confirmed that it is partnering with Microsoft in the development and testing of a range of solutions, including Digital Twins, HoloLens technology and Building Information Modelling (BIM) integration.
The expansion of the relationship will see Fexillon utilise Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform to support bespoke, detailed, and interactive digital replicas of Microsoft’s built infrastructure, allowing for the real time management of assets and leading to greater operational e ciencies, while leveraging the security benefits of the Microsoft Cloud.
Digital twins are already in use across several sectors including construction, energy, healthcare, automotive and infrastructure sectors. In each case, digital twins take in vast amounts of data, including streams from Internet of Things sensors, to monitor current operations and historical behaviour, and plan for what may happen next.
Fexillon, which builds and provides access to validated and secure Digital Building Information for design, construction, and facilities management teams, was founded 22 years ago by George Harold and Kieran Beggan, graduates of Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street.
Reputation
‘We’ve built a strong reputation for quality and innovation,’ said Fexillon co-CEO and co-founder, Kieran Beggan. ‘The equity built under our previous identity is a valuable asset and has helped us grow and expand into targeted markets in Europe and the US, targeting doubling our revenue and headcount, and aiming to create 100 new jobs by 2024.
‘However, evolving our name marks a strategic pivot in our future direction and enables opportunities to market the Fexillon brand in pursuit of future growth and expansion. In all, the rebranding and our global expansion embodies an Irish organisation that is reinventing itself and building upon its history of innovation and expertise but is still committed to its original mission; to build a more connected, sustainable, and intelligent future for our built world.’
Reinforce
George Harold, co-CEO and co-founder said: ‘We have long established ourselves as experts in the business of what we do. To reinforce this among our customers and to aid them in their journey with our brand, we decided the time was ripe to strengthen ourselves further based on our long legacy of technical excellence.
‘By further leveraging our expertise through this strategic rebrand and growth, we can continue to create a single source of truth for a more sustainable, connected and innovative future for the built world.’
Three-quarters of tradespeople have made changes to lead a healthier lifestyle over the last year and 73% say that COVID-19 has made them more health conscious.
That’s according to research from Chadwicks Group.
The research of over 600 tradespeople, examining attitudes to health and wellness, finds that while many are trying to be healthier, there is still room for improvement.
Half say they don’t go for a regular health check up and 1-in-5 admit to working through illness so they don’t fall behind on a job.
Free
Chadwicks Group’s annual National Tradesperson Check (NTC) provides customers with a free health check in branch in partnership with HealthWatch.
The health screenings cover: BMI, blood pressure, and finger-prick test gauging the total cholesterol and glucose of the patient.
Now in its second year, the NTC has been taking place in 18 Chadwick Group locations nationwide including Chadwicks, The Panelling Centre, Cork Builders Providers and Telfords.
Shouldering the pain
research, a fifth of tradespeople work a minimum of 60 hours a week and three quarters (76%) consider their occupation physically demanding.
Launch
Launching this year’s National Tradesperson Check, Chadwicks Group ambassador and resident builder on RTE’s Home Rescue, Peter Finn, said, now more than ever tradespeople need to prioritise their health.
‘A lot of us in the industry are also self-employed so it’s no surprise that the research shows that a fifth of tradespeople have worked through illness.
‘This makes it even more important to look after ourselves and take time out of our busy schedules to prioritise our health.’ Delighted
of our National Tradesperson Check and we are delighted to expand these health checks to 18 locations across the country.'
You have an idea. A great idea. A brilliant idea. A potentially business- or lifechanging idea.
But then, by the time you get the chance to write it down, you've forgotten it.
Even though it's unlikely that something you can't remember for more than a few hours is that important, still:
We've all had things we wanted to remember, but couldn't.
And that's a problem, because where success is concerned, what you know, and what you actually do with that knowledge, can make all the di erence.
Important
So what can you do if you need to
3. Rehearse for 40 seconds.
Memory consolidation is the process of transforming temporary memories into more stable, long-lasting memories.
Even though the process of memory consolidation can be sped up, still: Storing
Three nearly e ortless ways to improve your memory and recall, backed by neuroscience
Want to almost instantly improve your short-term memory and recall? Of course you do. As usual Je Haden has suggestions that can help!
remember something important?
Most memory-improvement techniques – like mnemonics, chunking, and building memory palaces –involve a fair amount of e ort.
Science to the rescue: Check out these simple ways to increase your short-term memory and recall.
1. Predict whether you will actually remember what you want to remember.
Sounds odd, I know. But this 2011 study published in Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology shows the simple act of asking yourself whether you will remember something significantly improves the odds that you will remember, in some cases by as much as 50 percent.
That's especially true for remembering things you want to do, like prospective memories.
Prospective memories involve remembering to perform a planned action, or recall a planned intention, at some point in the future.
Like remembering to praise an employee, email a customer, or implement a schedule change.
Why this works is somewhat unclear. Maybe the act of predicting is a little like testing yourself; research shows that quizzing yourself is an extremely e ective way to speed up the learning process.
What is clear is that the act helps your hippocampus better form and index those episodic memories for later access.
So, if you want to remember to do something in the future, take a second and predict whether you will remember.
Science says that act alone makes it more likely you will.
2. Say it out loud.
We've all been around people who repeat things they're learning out loud. Or just mouth the words.
They look a little odd: Smart people just file knowledge away. They don't have to talk to themselves.
Actually, smart people do talk to themselves.
A 2010 study published in the aforementioned Journal of Experimental Psychology found that saying words out loud, or just mouthing them, makes them more distinctive.
Separates them from all the other words you're thinking. Makes them di erent.
All of which makes them more memorable.
So go ahead. When you need to remember something, say it aloud. Or mouth it to yourself.
Your cerebral cortex will thank you for
it.
a memory in a lasting way takes time.
One way to increase the odds is to rehearse whatever you want to remember for 40 seconds.
A 2015 study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that a brief period of rehearsal – like replaying an event in your mind, going over what someone said in a meeting, or mentally mapping out a series of steps –makes it significantly more likely that you will remember what you rehearsed.
As the researchers write, that ‘brief period of rehearsal has a huge e ect on our ability to remember complex, lifelike events over periods of one to two weeks. 'We have also linked this rehearsal e ect to processing in a particular part of the brain – the posterior cingulate.’
Which should be long enough for you to actually do something with whatever you hope to remember.
Because ideas without action aren't really ideas.
They're regrets.
Kilsaran has been in operation for over fifty-seven years and is Ireland’s leading independent manufacturer of construction materials. A family-owned and run company, Kilsaran specialises in producing superior quality paving and walling, road surfacing materials, pre-mixed dry mortars, renders, screeds and, of course, ready-mixed concrete and blocks.
Kilsaran’s ability to supply standard, unique, and bespoke product solutions to both the commercial and domestic market centres on continual commitment to manufacturing excellence and technical expertise.
A proud member of the Guaranteed Irish family of brands, Kilsaran is quite literally Irish from the ground up, extracting raw materials from our own quarries and manufacturing end products at our various plants across Ireland.
Kilsaran supplies a full range of building materials to the construction industry in Ireland and the UK. We work with architects, specifiers, contractors, and developers in the commercial sector. We have a strong network of merchants across Ireland and the UK that stock our paving and KPRO ranges.
Our retail showroom in Dunboyne, Co. Meath is designed with the homeowner in mind. It features more than fifteen show gardens. Our quality construction materials feature extensively in many national infrastructure projects, including large commercial buildings, domestic and process, from pre-planning and design to post planning, structural inputs, and maintenance post completion.
Our research and development initiatives, meanwhile, are driven by customers’ needs, along with a passion for delivering innovation and technical expertise in all areas. Continued investment in R&D reinforces Kilsaran’s operations are performed and managed to the highest standard by appointing competent supervisors at each work location, and the Health and Safety Committee constantly looks at ways of improving the quality of our safe operating procedures and risk assessments.
Our experienced Health and Safety Management Team monitors health and safety performance throughout our site operations. The Kilsaran team strives for continuous improvement and is always looking for di erent ideas to make things more e cient and leaner.
agricultural construction, o ce blocks and road networks.
Trends and R&D
We’ve seen a definite move towards o site construction, given the current Covid situation. Our new precast plant, which opened in early 2021, is fully automated with full traceability of components.
We have also seen a demand for more sustainable solutions when it comes to construction materials. Meanwhile, we are involved in the entire lifecycle of the
Kilsaran’s commitment to excellence
commitment to quality, e ciency and performance while allowing us to anticipate future market trends in line with customer demands.
Health and safety
At Kilsaran, it’s about providing a safe place of work and safe systems. Our employees are our biggest asset. We believe in providing them with the proper training and equipment to do the job safely.
We are in the process of introducing mental health ambassadors who are trained in how to assist co-workers who may be developing mental health issues or experiencing a mental health crisis. We also started the ‘Goal Zero’ journey in the past year, getting people to think about safety before they start tasks.
At Kilsaran, we ensure that our
Sustainability matters
Our goal is to minimise the environmental impacts of our business and where practicable provide benefit. To ensure the environmental impacts are controlled and minimised and that our objectives and commitments are achieved, we have established and maintain Environmental Management Systems (EMS) at all our major extractive sites.
Kilsaran has a sustainability team, formed to develop and maintain all Kilsaran’s sustainability ambitions into the future. In 2021, we formally identified the numerous initiatives we have undertaken, and have begun to communicate these, both internally and externally.
In 2022, Kilsaran will be investing in external experts to guide us on reaching sustainability objectives.
Millennium Concrete Plant
Kilsaran’s Millennium Concrete Plant, in County Dublin, is one of the largest in Europe, and serves the greater Dublin area as well as supplementing all our other concrete plants in Dublin and beyond.
In operation since early 2020, it has an output capacity of approximately 280 cubes per hour, run by two four-cubicmetre Teka pan mixers. We produce more than 2,000 cubic metres each day, with a loading capability of one truck every threeand-a-half minutes.
All unused concrete is recycled here. Washout slurries, waters and aggregates are recycled as part of our sustainability plan. The plant contains attenuation tanks underneath the footprint of the site, where all stormwater and rainwater is gathered, released in a controlled manner into the systems, and used within the production facility itself.
Upgrades to the delivery dockets and weighbridge system mean the plant is paper-free. It all makes the plant one of the most environmentally-friendly in the country.
Spotlight on Suir Engineering
Suir Engineering has over 37 years of mechanical, electrical and instrumentation (M,E&I) expertise, with o ces in Waterford, Dublin, Sweden, Denmark and Germany and a direct workforce of more than 1,200 people.
At any one time they would have around twenty-five operational sites throughout Ireland and a further 6 across Sweden, Denmark and Germany.
The sectors in which Suir Engineering operates include data centres, energy and utilities (sub-stations and power infrastructure projects), renewables (wind farms and battery energy storage systems), pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and commercial o ces.
Direct-hire
Suir Engineering is a direct hire business with over 1,200 full-time employees.
Suir continues to invest in their most important assets, their people. They work with the best talent available and put the client first, and in doing so have built sustainable, long-term client partnerships.
Above all else, health and safety are what matters most to the business. Particularly in these past 2 challenging years, the safety and wellbeing of colleagues, clients and ultimately the end customer is paramount.
Experience
Through its extensive experience in the industry, Suir Engineering has earned a reputation for safe, e cient, and coste ective engineering services.
Thanks to the e orts of its EHS team, the company was the first M&E Contractor in Ireland to achieve ISO 45001 accreditation to add to its current ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification and is firmly committed to policies and procedures that guarantee the safety of its employees, clients, visitors and contractors.
Suir Engineering’s proactive approach to Health & Safety places emphasis on transparency, communication and the continual refinement of procedures and guidelines.
THROUGH ITS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY, SUIR ENGINEERING HAS EARNED A REPUTATION FOR SAFE, EFFICIENT, AND COST-EFFECTIVE ENGINEERING SERVICES.’
Technology team
To be more e cient in delivering projects and explore opportunities for continuous improvement, Suir Engineering set up a technology team to collaborate and look at modern methods of construction to ensure they were at the forefront of new technologies.
This project includes delivering innovation to the various sectors by adopting 3D modelling, Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QAQC) digital platforms, o site fabrication and Lean principles.
They have integrated digital construction technologies across their operations to facilitate the smooth delivery of projects.
These innovations have had the benefit of driving continuous improvement across the company in safety, quality, employee job satisfaction and the reduction of their carbon footprint
Future
Investing in its future, they have identified ‘Suir Way’ as a framework to standardize quality across the business.
The Suir Way is a lean initiative and the way they work. The Suir Way is about bringing the business together through consistent and familiar processes designed to help and continually improve.
The future of Suir Engineering is bright as it continues its sustainable growth in Ireland and across Europe.
A message from RMD Kwikform (RMDK)
RMD Kwikform (RMDK) is a leading provider of formwork, falsework, and ground shoring solutions. RMDK provides engineering solutions in the specialist field of temporary structures, needed to deliver major infrastructure and building projects.
Key sectors
Designing, hiring, and selling formwork, falsework, ground shoring, and safety and access systems to the construction industry, RMDK’s key sectors include civil engineering and infrastructure, energy, industrial, commercial, and multi-storey residential buildings.
Ireland is an important market for RMDK, with the company having been involved with a series of high-profile and prestigious projects over the past year.
One of these is the Belfast Transport Hub, a multi-million-pound investment by the Department for Infrastructure that will sit at the heart of a new city neighbourhood called ‘Weavers Cross’ in Belfast.
Viewed as a key driver for economic growth for Belfast and Northern Ireland, it will act as the main transport gateway to Belfast, creating a sense of arrival and o ering rail, bus and coach connections to all parts of Northern Ireland and beyond.
RMDK has supplied its high-performance ground shoring solutions to the project.
Salesforce Tower
Another project that RMDK has been involved in this year is the construction of Salesforce Tower, the company’s new headquarters, in Dublin’s Spencer Dock. RMDK has supplied temporary works equipment to assist with formwork construction.
Once completed, Salesforce Tower will be the most sustainable o ce campus in the Republic, running on 100 per cent renewable energy, and will be the new home for its 1,400-strong Irish workforce.
Other key contracts that RMDK have worked on in 2021 include supplying formwork to the new National Children’s Hospital in Dublin, which is the most significant capital investment project in the healthcare system undertaken in Ireland and will deliver the best care and treatments for Ireland’s sickest children and young people; formwork for the upgrade being undertaken to the Dunkettle Interchange, helping reconfigure the Interchange into a free flowing one, in so far as is reasonably practical; and formwork for the Macroom Bypass, supporting the build of the N22 dual carriageway that will bypass Macroom and Ballyvourney, which will help greatly improve travel times and safety on the Cork to Kerry route.
By working closely with its clients at each stage of the construction process, RMDK strives to deliver the most e cient, safe and easy-to-use temporary works solutions for its customers. This encompasses its digital engineering expertise too. From 3D designs and BIM-compliant models to its visualisation software LocusEye, these tools help clients minimise risks and streamline workflows, while enabling greater collaboration across the supply chain.
Its people
At the very heart of this o ering is its people. Its team understands the everincreasing complexity of projects, tight timescales, and the need to ensure stringent health and safety standards. With world-class engineering capabilities, knowledge and experience, supported by a network of 400 global and local suppliers, RMDK’s team is committed to bringing structures to life.
To find out more about RMDK, please visit www. rmdkwikform.com
