Construction Management Ireland

i Cm June/July 2018

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Construction Management Ireland

On Top Of Their Game Setting standards with Duggan Brothers’ team 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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elcome to our Summer 2018 issue of Construction Management Ireland. It’s been a busy time for us of late – as it has been for the industry in general, with lots happening on the ground and in the boardrooms.

Again, we have been out and about, talking with those who make it all happen on a dayto-day basis, finding out what they do and why they do it and what makes this industry tick.

Because at CMi we know one thing – a lot goes into making a successful company in any field; it is a wide range of criteria – not least of which is the quality of the individual professionals at the coalface. We don’t believe we can explore this mix while sitting behind a desk!

And so once again, we look, in this issue, at the big picture – through the eyes of those people at the coalface, taking the pulse of the industry and relating that back to what we are doing now and into our plans for the future.

And all the time we keep the dedicated professional front and centre.

We meet a lot of these in this issue and we mix it all up with some exciting Awards Coverage and regular items including: Legal View, Tech Talk, Products & Services and Project Notes along with Opinion and Analysis as well as general Construction Industry News, Training and Courses and Hr. It’s a lot to cram in but so far the reaction has been good.

In fact it’s been more than good and we are thankful for those who have supported us on our journey thus far.

As our readers know: ‘if it matters to the Construction Professional, it matters to Construction Management Ireland.’

We hope you enjoy this issue

P.22

PUTTING THE PROFESSIONAL CENTRE STAGE

'WE LOOK, IN THIS ISSUE, AT THE BIG PICTURE'

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 Industry Icons - Duggan Brothers’ approach to quality and collaboration is exemplified in a major South East project

5 News & Events Stories and updates – from the industry and the wider economy

18 CIOB News News and events, including: a report from the most recent graduation in Dublin, CPD events, ‘Meet a Member’ and a look at the issue of build quality

22 Project Notes IGBC awards exacting Home Performance Index silver certification to multi-unit social housing development in Dun Laoghaire

27 Lean Journeys Featuring BAM, WIT, Regional meetings and more With an introduction from Paul Ebbs

32 Tech Talk Mark Costello, RPS Director of BIM on a very special course and its development – in association with GMIT

40 How the Land Lies Our industry activity overview with Construction Information Services

42 Facilities Management Some special news this time out – from Pat Gaughan

34 Out & About

48 Personal & Finance

People and places, movers and shakers – we provide a flavour and hope to jog a few memories!

53 Legal View

The word from CCPC, advice from Davy, James Sweetman and Jeff Haden Cathie Shannon and Mary Smith of Beale and Company consider Collateral Warranties

56 Recognition and Awards The RIAI Awards and this year’s Concrete Awards proved major showcases for talent with some top industry names to the fore

61 Me & My Job The people at the coalface. Get to know the professionals who make it all happen

62 Green Building Our regular update from the Irish Green Building Council with Pat Barry

65 Products & Services Including special feature: Precast Concrete Cladding

71 The Final Say Opinion – Kevin Sheridan on BCAR

43 Careers & Training Checking in with WIT, The TechnoTeachers and more

Construction Skills Traineeship (City and Guilds Qualification) Course Duration: 6 months - Enrolling September 18 Health, Safety and Welfare in Construction, Principles of Building Construction Foundations, Slabs and Paths in Concrete, Skills Training in Formwork and Steel Fixing, Work Placement

CSCS Programmes (New Entrants and Experienced Operators) *Site Dumper *Articulated Dumper *Telescopic Handler * 180 Excavator * 360 Excavator *Mini Digger * Remote control/Self Erector Crane *Slinger/Signaller * Tower Crane Changeover Programme Irish CSCS card – UK CPCS card Health Safety & Environmental Test (UK equivalent to Irish SOLAS Safe Pass card)

NEWS

NEWS CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY RISES AT FASTEST PACE FOR A YEAR Growth in Irish construction activity accelerated again in May as firms continued to catch up from the weather disruption seen in March.

New business and input buying also rose at faster rates, while job creation remained strong.

The Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index® (PMI®) – a seasonally adjusted index designed to track changes in total construction activity – posted 61.8 in May, up from 60.7 in April and signalled a sharp monthly expansion of activity during the month.

Moreover, the rate of growth quickened for the second month running and was the fastest for a year.

Activity has now risen in each of the past 57 months. A number of panellists linked increases in activity to favourable weather conditions.

Commenting on the survey, Simon Barry, Chief Economist, Republic of Ireland, at Ulster Bank, noted: ‘The latest results of the Ulster Bank Construction PMI survey show that Irish construction firms experienced strong, and faster, rates of expansion in May.

Elevated ‘The headline PMI picked up for the second month in a row, with a highly elevated reading of 61.8 marking a year-high.

'Commercial construction recorded another acceleration in activity which took the Commercial PMI to its highest level in nearly two years, in the process leaving commercial as the strongest performing activity category last month.

‘There was also a sharp

rise in residential activity which took the Housing PMI to its highest level in a year.

‘The results for Civil Engineering were not as favourable, with activity here registering a decline in May, ending a fivemonth run of expansion.

‘Other details from the

survey also highlight the strength of the ongoing expansion in activity.

‘Strong demand for the services of construction firms was very much evident in further substantial increases in new orders, with the New Orders index picking up to a year-high in May. ‘In turn, the buoyancy of activity and new business trends remains a very important driver of job creation and input buying in construction, with growth in both categories remaining at very elevated rates.

‘And survey respondents remained strongly optimistic about the year ahead with a strong pipeline of new activity and improving economic conditions cited as important sources of support.’

WIT LEAN ENTERPRISE EXCELLENCE FORUM The Annual WIT Lean Enterprise Excellence Forum features organisations of all sizes – from large Multinationals to SMEs to Micro Enterprises and this year’s industryacademia conference provided once again, a great opportunity for industry practitioners to network and participate in presentations and breakout sessions. Pictured here is Maria Ryan of Crystal Lean Solutions delivering a workshop on Last Planner System. For more see ‘Lean Journeys’, in this issue.

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 5

NEWS

Ireland’s Construction Sector embracing Lean thinking through Lean Construction Ireland (LCi) With over 1,600 members and an ambitious 3-year development plan, Lean Construction Ireland (LCi) have recently made the decision to incorporate and have now appointed a Board of Directors.

Concentrate This initiative, to incorporate, will allow the Directors to concentrate on growing the association and the development of Lean principles within the Irish construction sector through new relationships and strategic partnerships with the public/ private and academic sectors.

With increasing regulation, international competition and a push on improving efficiencies to reduce project costs, delays and quality issues, many successful Irish companies in the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector are utilising tools and techniques developed in other highly productive sectors such as manufacturing and services.

These companies improve efficiencies and ultimately become more competitive by consistently delivering projects better and faster through

effective teamwork, collaboration and the use of Lean thinking.

Apart from implementing digital technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and associated data management, companies are also looking at optimising their entire supply chain through the use of Lean tools and the creation of a Lean culture within their organisations.

Tools These new structures utilise various Lean tools such as 5S, Value Stream Mapping and Last Planner to reduce the 8 known wastes such as defects, overproduction, waiting, non-utilised talent, transportation, inventory, motion and extra processing.

The LCi Board of Directors has been established to ensure all key sectors and influencers are involved and working groups have been established to manage the important elements of Lean in Contracts, Training/ Education, Media & Communications and Product/Services enhancement.

Below are the recently nominated Board of Directors for LCi:

Name

Board Position

Company

Richard Fitzpatrick

Chairperson/Director

NPHDB

John French

Vice-Chairperson/ Director

Intel

Kevin White

Company Treasurer/Director

Jones Engineering

Angelyn Rowan

Company Secretary/Director

Eversheds-Sutherland

Joe O’Sullivan

Director/Board Member

Sisk

Gary Widger

Director / Board Member

Mercury Engineering

Trevor McSharry

Director/Board Member

IT Sligo

Elizabeth Wheeler

Director/Board Member

Henchion-Reuter

Richard Casey

Director/Board Member

DPS Engineering

Jason Casey

Director/Board Member

Ardmac

Derek Sinnott

Director / Board Member

Waterford IT

Avril Behan

Director/Board Member

Dublin IT

Denis Leonard

Director / Board Member

GRAHAM Construction

Niall Stone

Director / Board Member

Designer Group

Perry Haughton

Director / Board Member

BAM

6 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

The depth and breadth of knowledge within the association is second to none and with a vision to delivering projects better, faster and together – anyone working within the Irish construction sector will certainly benefit from becoming a member and having the opportunity to regularly network with some of the leaders of home building, commercial construction and publicsector projects.

ABOVE: Richard Fitzpatrick, LCi Chair

Chair Richard Fitzpatrick (LCi Chair) says: ‘Activity within the Irish construction sector has now risen continuously for the past 4 ½ years and this is an extremely exciting time for the industry.

‘With growth projected to continue, the LCi is best placed to assist construction companies – large & small – and their clients to develop a Lean management culture throughout their organisations and projects.’

Lean Construction Ireland, and its directors, are tasked with promoting the application of Lean thinking and practices within the Irish AEC industry and to continue to assist companies achieve value added construction projects.

Their ambition is to challenge the status quo of current project thinking and delivery methods and advance the business case for Lean construction knowledge and skills.

Website LCi encourages all stakeholders within the construction sector to visit their website for further information about Lean, how to get started, service providers and more.

There are some excellent resources such as case studies and webinars which are constantly being added to. See www. leanconstructionireland.ie for further details.

NEWS

Ardmac celebrates 18th consecutive year of RoSPA safety recognition Ardmac has received three Order of Distinction Awards for its Dublin, Manchester and Craigavon operations, in the prestigious annual RoSPA (Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents) health and safety awards.

Presented Order of Distinctions are presented to organisations who have achieved a minimum of 15 consecutive Gold awards.

With 18 years of Gold awards, this is Ardmac’s fourth consecutive year receiving the Order of Distinction Award.

Diarmaid Magee, Director SHEQ Ardmac tells Construction Management Ireland: ‘We are delighted to have received this recognition again this year, as safety is at the fore of all we do.

‘This recognition by RoSPA reflects the hard work and effort put in by all of our employees across the business, keeping Ardmac as a safe place to work.’

Accolade The internationally recognised RoSPA awards are a much sought

after accolade by organisations from every sector, who can demonstrate long-term commitment to accident and ill-health prevention.

Julia Small, RoSPA’s head of qualifications, awards and events, says: ‘The RoSPA Awards are the most highlyrespected in the health and safety arena, with almost 2,000 entrants every year.

‘They allow an organisation prove excellence in the workplace, demonstrating a commitment to the wellbeing of, not only employees, but all those who interact with it.’

Ardmac was presented with the awards during a ceremony at ExCeL, London on Tuesday, June 19.

ABOVE: Diarmaid Magee Director SHEQ Ardmac

Entries The RoSPA Awards scheme, which receives entries from organisations around the world, recognises achievement in health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement.

The majority of awards are noncompetitive and mark achievement at

merit, bronze, silver and gold levels.

Gold medals, president’s awards, orders of distinction and the Patron’s Award are presented to organisations sustaining the high standards of the gold level over consecutive years.

For more information about the RoSPA Awards visit www.rospa.com/awards

Building Better - Ardmac announces management restructure to support future growth Ardmac has recently announced management changes to its business.

The changes mark a move to independent business units, with the roles of their joint managing directors for Ireland and Europe changing.

Roy Millar will now hold the position of managing director of trade contracting services – responsible for the Pharma and Data Centre Business Units, while Alan Coakley will move to managing director of general contracting services – responsible for Ardmac’s Design & Build, Construction, Refurbishment and Fitout business units.

ABOVE: Alan Coakley Ardmac

ABOVE: Roy Millar Ardmac

Ardmac’s Business Development, Pre-Contract, Estimating, Engineering and Operations will now be organised by Business Unit and under the leadership of one managing director.

Ronan Quinn, CEO of Ardmac noted : ‘We are approaching the third anniversary of our MBO and our structure was more functional at that time and we have been moving towards fully independent operational business units.

‘We appointed Andrew Winstanley as MD of UK

Anniversary Following the announcement

Interiors two years ago to complete that transition and this remains unchanged.

‘These latest management changes will facilitate the growth we forecast and ensure we remain focused on our customers in each of our sectors.’

Ardmac’s business targets are €147m for 2018, with all business streams providing significant opportunities and continued growth.

Turnover is forecasted to reach €200m by 2020.

Ardmac are currently recruiting for all disciplines and have forecasted their numbers employed to be 340 by the end of the year.

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 7

NEWS

ABOVE: Chris Smith

ABOVE: Helen Ratcliff

Michelin appointments announced Michelin Tyre plc has announced key appointments to lead its B2B division covering the agricultural, bus/ coach, earthmover, truck and van sectors.

This sees Chris Smith appointed sales director B2B and Helen Ratcliff named as marketing

director – both with responsibility for Ireland and the UK.

Responsible In his new role Smith will be responsible for all sales operations across Michelin’s B2B divisions, using his extensive experience

with commercial vehicles to leverage maximum opportunities for Michelin in other industries including agriculture and earthmoving.

He began his career at Michelin in 2007, and most recently held the position of Truck & Bus marketing director – North Europe.

Ratcliff’s new role is all-encompassing, covering the B2B sectors, as well as Michelin’s B2C product ranges for the passenger car, 4x4, cycling and motorcycle ranges.

Ratcliff was previously marketing director at Michelin for the passenger car, 4x4 and van ranges.

Credit Watch Survey results ISME recently published the results of its quarterly Credit Watch Survey Q1’18. Based on the findings, Credit days for this quarter have improved from 55 to 52.

However, the Construction and Wholesale sectors are waiting the longest on payment; an average of 60 days.

Improvements The Association highlighted the continued need for cash flow improvements. Commenting on the results ISME, CEO Neil McDonnell said: ‘Cash flow certainty is vital for businesses to succeed; 33% of SMEs stated that big businesses are taking longest to pay, this is a worry. Bigger firms must lead by example and pay on time.’

At the recent Construction Summit at Dublin’s Citywest, (pictured L-R): UCD Economist Colm McCarthy; Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Eoghan Murphy; Founder and MD of Premier Publishing, Colin Murphy and John F. Whelan, Chairman of Premier Publishing & Events.

For more see Out & About, this issue.

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 9

NEWS

MCHALE PLANT SALES TO HOST ‘OPEN DAY’ FOR APPRENTICES Construction, civil works and waste management machinery distributor, McHale Plant Sales is advancing plans to host an ‘open day’ for prospective apprentices at its headquarters in Birdhill or Rathcoole, or possibly both.

Likely to be held in Autumn, the proposed event is seen by the company as a logical follow-on to their publication last year of a ‘Career Choices in the Construction Plant and Equipment Industry’ booklet, the content of which can be viewed on the company’s website, http:// www.mchaleplantsales.com/

Response The proposed open day is intended as a direct response to the situation now developing in the sector whereby companies such as McHale Plant Sales – whose machinery lines include Komatsu construction and forestry equipment, Metso stone crushers, Merlo telehandlers and Terex waste

final details have yet to be decided, the company is already open to receiving what company director, Michael McHale terms ‘expressions of interest’ from those wishing to attend.

These, he said, can be channelled through the company’s website ‘contact’ page in the first instance.

ABOVE: McHale Plant Sales director, John O’Brien and general manager, Denis McGrath pictured at the announcement of the company's plans to host an ‘open day’ for prospective apprentices next Autumn – interest for which can be logged via the company's website.

handling machinery – are being advised to augment their technical support teams with personnel versed with an understanding of computerisation and the sophisticated ‘intelligent’ technology now being installed in heavy plant and motorised vehicles generally.

While numbers will be restricted and

IGBC LAUNCHES PROGRAMME TO MEASURE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS The Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) has launched a new programme to measure the carbon footprint of construction products.

Verified The Environmental Product Declaration Ireland Programme (EPD Ireland) allows manufacturers to publish independently verified information about the environmental footprint of their products.

Medite Smartply, Munster Joinery and Quinn Building Products are the first Irish manufacturers to develop EPD through the programme.

They received their EPD certificates at the IGBC first sustainable building materials conference, Re-Source 2018.

Speaking at the event CEO of the Irish Green Building Council Pat Barry said: ‘Half a million homes must be built by 2040.

1 0 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

‘They will further blow our carbon budget if we don't measure and reduce the carbon embodied in their construction.

‘We must start focusing on the environmental impact of the products used to build our homes, offices and infrastructure.

Increasing ‘Due to uncertainty surrounding Brexit, increasing sales of our product in Ireland is one of our key priorities,’ says Jason Quinn of Quinn Building Products.

Mixture According to McHale, the plan will be for a ‘one-day event built around a mixture of conference-room talks and presentations coupled with a visit to our workshops and a hands-on opportunity to view machines and see the technology now being employed in their design and construction’.

Possible also will be the participation of international experts from Komatsu, Metso and others, as well as an introduction to the training programmes, career opportunities and salary structures that apprentices might reasonably expect.

‘Disclosing information on the carbon footprint of our products gives us a more competitive offering.’

Said Pat Barry: ‘I am delighted to see Irish companies taking leadership in producing data on the environmental impacts of their products.

‘It is critical for Irish manufacturers to remain globally competitive.

Assessing the full carbon footprint of a building is now mandatory to obtain building permits for offices and dwellings in the Netherlands.

‘In France, you can no longer make environmental claims about a product unless you first produce an EPD.’

Supporting Stephen Hughes of Enterprise Ireland added: ‘We are supporting Irish manufacturers to develop Environmental Product Declarations.

‘These are required by specifiers across Europe where full environmental foot printing of buildings is now becoming mainstream. More Irish producers need to have them.’

COVER STORY

It can be easy to talk the talk when it comes to client relations, collaboration and attention to detail but on a visit to Wexford Town Construction Management Ireland found a textbook example of what’s possible when a company lives and breathes quality.

A

small green plant, rubus tricolour, also known as the ‘creeping bramble’, sets the tone for our conversation with Duggan Bros at the recently completed Wexford Divisional Garda HQ. The specimen in question is a small ornamental plant that is often used for groundcover and, on the face of it, there seems to be nothing out of the ordinary about this. Until you hear the figures involved.

‘There are 33,500 of them here,’ says John Butler, Contracts Manager/Director with the company who were main contractors on the €22.3m Euro project.

‘We cleared the stocks of Europe to get all of these’ explains John. ‘There were only around 3,500 in Ireland.’

Add to this another 4,500 trees that have been planted. In what is to be a recurring theme here, these include oak, sycamore, beech and willow– all indigenous trees, ‘local’ if you like, like so much of what went into this project, not least the skills and labour used.

This is something that Duggans are justifiably very proud of.

Result What has resulted is a project that is at the heart of the community yet so much bigger than the sum of its parts, if that is possible.

It is difficult to talk about the project without reaching for superlatives. Everything about the project is staggering – from the planning and detail involved to the quantities of materials used and the landscaping work which will, in 1 2 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

time, see a mature woodland setting developing around the building.

Work started on the almost sevenacre brownfield site in 2015. The site was not fully cleared of the remains of the previously demolished distillery buildings along with areas of hard standing, all of which had to be cleared.

The challenges were also significant, with the presence of asbestos, Japanese knotweed and hydrocarbons, not to mention a fault line running longitudinally through the site.

All challenges that arose had to be dealt with, in the correct manner.

‘In fairness to the OPW, they came up with a plan to remediate the site and we had our own slant on it,’ says Kieran Walsh, a Wexford native and Senior Quantity Surveyor for Duggan Brothers on the project.

Planned The project of course had been in the pipeline for a number of years; being first designed before the recession hit.

Duggans started onsite in August 2015 recalls Kieran. ‘We spent the bones of six months remediating it, and getting ready and dealing with any legacy issues that came with it,’ he says. ‘The construction period was just under a year and a half.’

As senior QS on the project, procurement was a big part of Kieran’s role.

‘We had,’ he explains, ‘a huge emphasis on keeping it local. Only in a few circumstances were there certain items that we had to go elsewhere for.’

Local skills and expertise were also to the forefront of this project.

The ground workers were all local.

The concrete frame was done by a local contractor. The brickwork – there are 400,000 bricks here – was all done by a local contractor as well as much more besides.

The standards are incredibly high as one expects in a building like this and it is all the more satisfying that this was achieved by local means for the most part.

Planning ‘There was a lot of skill and pre-planning involved in the

Duggan Brothers Team - building on quality

ABOVE: L-R: John Butler, Contracts Manager/Director with Kieran Walsh Senior Quantity Surveyor, Duggan Bros.

brickwork,’ says John Butler.

‘We spent months preplanning how the brick work would go together. There was a lot of coordination involved.

‘It’s not something we could have tried to work on, on a first-in-place basis.’

Says Kieran: ‘The brick is only a certain size of course, so everything has to be set out to a certain dimension.

‘Getting that done in advance particularly for the masonry support system which you can’t

see – that was probably the single biggest challenge for me.’

The OPW Project Architect notes, ‘we have a very deep façade when typically you would have a single brick façade – it was designed to have deep brick reveals to give a monumental quality to the building, providing areas of light and shade which changes over the course of the days and the months of the year.

‘We therefore needed to incorporate the use the masonry supports for the lintels and particularly where we have soffit at the entrance of the building.’

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 13

COVER STORY

Artisan It sounds straightforward now but the brick is an artisan brick. There is variation in size and finish. This meant there was a lot of effort made to use different batches of brick and mixing them to make sure there was variety and no concentration of colour and tone in any one area.

As John explains: ‘With the use of such a large quantity of bricks they are of course cast over time.

We would bring in truckloads open them and have a team mixing them in a way that worked.

‘That has to be done and it is typical brickwork but on a very large scale and all the time you must maintain programme.

‘You don’t have unlimited programme time to do this.

Resources have to be found.’

The close attention to detail follows right through the project – from the exterior brickwork which also enters into the three storey atrium space and its various elements such as secret-fixed solid oak cladding made in nearby Wellington Bridge.

Collaboration ‘There was huge collaboration between us and the design team throughout,’ notes John Butler. ‘We had to plan everything in detail.

‘At the end of the day we were all are very aware of those who will use the building in years to come and also those who will

ABOVE: John Butler, Superintendent James Doyle, Kieran Walsh

maintain it into the future.

‘It had to be low maintenance, in as far as possible,’ says Kieran.

‘That is part of the reason behind the choice of materials like the brick and landscaping.

‘Also, when it comes to mechanical and electrical services for example, everything can be accessed for future maintenance. ‘

Community The result is a building which stands as a testimony to a successful collaboration and attention to

detail and which is very much part of the community.

Primarily an office building but with public elements, and of course, custodial elements too, it exemplifies the concept of bringing diverse aspects together in perfect harmony.

Its position in the hearts and minds of the locals is underlined by its accessibility and its physical location, facing as it does onto Mulgannon Road near Tesco and with a link to the local sports fields at the back and a view of the two imposing church spires from which

'The OPW is a unique client’ – Seamus Duggan (Joint Managing Director) of Duggan Brothers Duggan Brothers are a family run National General Contractor operating from their head office in Tipperary and regional offices in Dublin and Cork.

The business has been in operation for over ninety years, currently in its third generation, and works across all sectors of the Industry serving both public and private clients.

Duggan Brothers and the OPW have developed a strong working relationship, over the years through the delivery of significant projects.

These projects are diverse in both scale and complexity and include multiple phases at the Garda Training College in Tipperary, the Irish Prison Services Decentralised Offices in Longford 1 4 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

and the Four Courts Refurbishment, in addition to current works on the Refurbishment of Leinster House.

Duggan Brothers were therefore delighted to secure the Wexford Divisional Garda Headquarters Building project as not only was it a fantastic project to be involved in but it also provided an opportunity to build on the existing relationship with the OPW on another challenging project.

Seamus Duggan (Joint Managing Director) of Duggan Brothers comments that ‘the OPW are a unique client in that they fully understand the building process which allows pragmatic and informed decisions to be made.

‘As the OPW operate and manage

their building stock directly they are driven by higher quality standards to ensure longevity and low running costs.

‘These are values that Duggan Brothers also share as it strives to drive quality and use this as a tangible method of differentiating itself from the competition.’

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 15

COVER STORY

the building took its orientation.

Finally, there is also a nice element of continuity here. The OPW designed the original Garda station on Roches’s road in the mid-1930s. And it also featured a similar type of brickwork.

Kieran says it has been received very well locally. ‘It is such an imposing structure perched at top of the town,’ he notes.

‘People feel there is more of a Garda presence.’

There is also a new courthouse in Wexford Town and it has been remarked that they sit well together.

Collaboration Says John Butler: ‘It has been a brilliant and successful collaboration between the design team and construction team. We are very proud of that. The OPW and ourselves worked very, very well together.

‘We are thrilled with it. We feel, we nailed it. But we always knew that it would be about attention to detail here.

‘We feel we have met our objective that we have on every job: to leave a quality project behind.

‘We always try to work ourselves

Wexford Divisional Garda HQ at a glance: The new Garda Divisional Headquarters in Wexford Town comprises a complex of buildings – for which the entire area measures in the region of 5,000sq.m.

– on a 6.9acre site. The location was formerly a part of the W.B Nunn site.

The development consists of a 3-5 storey building with a public reception, offices, conference, training and support facilities facing onto Mulgannon Road.

The building reduces to a single storey structure to the rear forming a secure courtyard at the centre of the scheme. The facility also includes a HGV garage to support Garda operations at Rosslare Harbour.

The project was designed by the Office of Public Works to incorporate sustainable design principles.

into a position where we can go back into any building we have built without any issues from the client – and be welcomed.

‘At the end of the day, it’s not

The building is designed to achieve an A energy rating, and incorporates a green roof, solar panels for water heating, and automated low-energy lighting throughout.

It is constructed in brick to reinforce the civic nature and quality of the building and its status within the community.

The use of brick was also considered to be beneficial in relation to the longterm maintenance and longevity of the building. The site and building is universally accessible.

The complex is set within a parkland type setting with extensive hard and soft landscaping, lighting and vehicular and pedestrian entrances connected to the public road at Mulgannon in the town centre.

all about the bottom line here.

‘From the start we knew, like in our other jobs, that this was about leaving behind a project that we could be proud of.’

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 17

CIOB NEWS

GRADUATION TIME – DUBLIN!

L

ast month saw 1 Fellow and 17 Members being conferred in the historic surroundings of the Mansion House in Dublin.

The graduates were joined by their families and colleagues to celebrate their newly-gained Member and Fellow designations.

The group was warmly welcomed

by Michael Gallagher FCIOB, Chair of CIOB’s Dublin Hub. Michael commended the new Members and Fellow on their commitment to professionalism and achieving excellence, which is imperative in today’s construction industry.

Paul Nash FCIOB, CIOB President 2016/17, congratulated the conferees and reminded them that they are responsible for creating: ‘The buildings and infrastructure that the world’s economy relies on, the places that people live, work and play in, the infrastructure that supports them and the services that sustain them.’

significance of the Mansion House and wished the graduates well in their future careers.

New Fellow Greg Power FCIOB

New Members

Trustee Ivan McCarthy FCIOB, Trustee of CIOB, spoke about it being a day of recognition: recognition of the graduates’ personal achievement and also recognition of the support that their families and colleagues provided, which helped them achieve their new Member or Fellow designations.

We were honoured to be joined by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mícheál MacDonncha. He spoke about the historical and construction

Shaun Bull MCIOB Edward Cassidy MCIOB Thomas Coyle MCIOB Robert Donovan MCIOB Edward Kelly MCIOB Aidan Maher MCIOB Vernon McAllorum MCIOB Keith McCahon MCIOB Gerard McCarthy MCIOB Cathal Moran MCIOB Wayne Nolan MCIOB Conor O'Carroll MCIOB David O'Meara MCIOB Austin Rafferty MCIOB Kevin Rafferty MCIOB Keith Wilson MCIOB Sam Winterton MCIOB

‘THIS YEAR’S STUDENT CHALLENGE WILL TAKE PLACE ON 22 NOVEMBER IN CROKE PARK.' 1 8 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

ABOVE: Ivan McCarthy FCIOB, Trustee of CIOB

Elsewhere: This year’s Student Challenge will take place on 22 November in Croke Park, Dublin and promises to be, once again, a highlight of the year, featuring participants from around the country.

Meanwhile on the CPD front, we have a Presentation and Tour of the redeveloped Pairc Ui Chaoimh stadium, Cork which will be taking place just before publication. Also: Single Leaf Masonry: Galway, 26 September Single Leaf Masonry: Cork, 3 October This CPD will be of interest to: Architects, Architectural Technologists, BER Assessors, Designers, Developers and

ABOVE: Lord Mayor, Mícháel MacDonncha

Construction Professionals in Ireland.

The session will look at single leaf masonry construction, and how this can contribute to rapid build construction whilst improving the performance of the building.

Learn how single leaf masonry construction can: - Fast track the construction process - Reduce construction costs - Improve thermal, structural and fire performance - Help move towards Passive House and nZEB standards.

Quinn Building Products CPD seminar content: - History of single leaf masonry in Ireland - The importance of effective insulation - Historical problems with single leaf masonry - Single leaf versus cavity wall construction - Advancements in single leaf masonry – ETICS - Aircrete and Solid

Masonry Construction - Thin joint technology

Speaker Raymond O’Reilly is a member of Quinn Building Products, Technical Team and as a qualified trainer he is tasked with the development and delivery of continued professional development training to the construction industry across Ireland.

Raymond is also responsible for the management of BIM Implementation within Quinn Building Products Precast Division and the development and management of the Quinn Building Products BIM Object Library.

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.

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 19

CIOB NEWS

QUALITY MATTERS

• What we do matters to the economy and society.

• When we get it wrong it affects people’s lives.

• It is more than doing things right, it is about doing the right things.

T

he CIOB recently held a CPD event on the CIOB Past Presidents' Construction Quality Commission. Paul Nash FCIOB, CIOB President 2016/17, chaired the commission and spoke about the outcomes of their work.

QUALITY MATTERS! – CIOB CONSTRUCTION QUALITY COMMISSION The CIOB, in light of the report into the defects that led to the closure of 17 schools in Edinburgh earlier last year and subsequent events, not least at Grenfell, announced the formation of a Commission of Past Presidents to investigate the issue of build quality in the construction industry, and what needs to be done to address it.

This includes Ireland and wider global considerations.

The CQC is chaired by immediate Past President, Paul Nash, and its membership includes other CIOB Past Presidents James Wates CBE, Professor Roger Flanagan and Peter Jacobs.

Terms of reference • To encourage a new quality culture to instil pride in the work of the

Background In June 2017 the CIOB announced that it was setting up a Commission of Past Presidents to investigate the issue of quality in construction and what needs to be done to improve it.

Results from our call for evidence The important issues arising from the research can be classified under four main headings: • Education, training and knowledge • Legislation, codes and standards • Inspections/sign-off • Consultation/co-operation with other professional bodies/government

Above: Paul Nash FCIOB, CIOB President 2016/17

construction sector • To improve the quality of the product, people and process, whilst recognising the regulatory, statutory and compliance requirements for design, off-site assembly and site

The Commission agreed to focus on the need to ‘establish and promote a culture of quality within the construction sector, instilling pride in the buildings and infrastructure that we create’.

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production in the construction sector • To instil a greater awareness of quality in construction in the education and training of CIOB members and the wider construction community • To recognise the role of government, clients/owners, the design team, contractors, site production team, and subcontractors in the delivery of quality • To recognise the reality of constraints (quality of people and training, and skills availability) on the workforce and the fragmentation of the supply chain

Based on the findings from the call for evidence and wider desk research, the Commission is recommending a number of measures: • To develop a competency-based quality qualification/certification • To create a quality code that will capture best practice and set the standards to be expected from the industry

Central to this was the need to better understand the behaviours, both individual and corporate, that were promoting or preventing the delivery of quality on construction projects.

In October 2017 the

Commission issued a ‘Call for Evidence’ to seek the views of members and the wider industry on the issue of quality – and what needs to be done to improve it.

In February 2018 the findings from the ‘Call for Evidence’ were published.

‘More than half of new-build homes in England have major faults’ (March 2017) Paul Nash pointed out how a YouGov survey for the housing charity Shelter found that 51% of homeowners of recent new builds in England said they had experienced major problems including issues with construction, unfinished fittings and faults with utilities.

• To ensure that quality has greater emphasis in the CIOB Education Framework More detailed proposals will be presented to members at the CIOB Members’ Forum in July 2018, along with a recommended action plan for medium- to longer-term activities.

The findings reflected that, by having greater support through stronger regulations, better resourced training (e.g. apprenticeships) and clearer codes and standards for quality, great strides in improving quality in construction could be made.

A widely shared opinion is to treat quality management in the same way that health and safety management is regulated.

Issues that require further investigation and action beyond this year: • There were numerous examples of existing processes, practices and initiatives which are contributing to good quality and which can be scaled up • There are some issues, such as design quality or the appetite to increase the number of Clerks of Works, which will require collaboration with industry and other industry bodies if we are to address them Also speaking was Kevin Sheridan FCIOB, who spoke about building control and BCAR in Ireland. (See Kevin’s article later in this issue.)

The event concluded with a panel discussion on how the issues of the Commission relate to Ireland and on quality in construction in Ireland in general.

Featured were Paul and Kevin, plus Eddie Tuttle, Associate Director, CIOB; Eddie Cassidy MCIOB, Flynn Management and Contractors and Eoin Leonard, i3PT.

MEET A MEMBER

Greg Wilson

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I

was born and raised in Santry, in Dublin. We lived in a typical housing estate where everybody knew each other and their siblings. Everybody looked out for each other. I’m not living a million miles away from there now.

Understand I have worked in the construction industry for over 30 years but there is no one else from my family in construction. I just always had a grá to understand how things were put together!

I have done a number of construction courses starting back in 1988 after a colleague informed me of a course I might be interested in at Bolton Street. I enrolled and began studying Construction Technology as a part-time student. I'll be the first to say I am still learning today!

As for my CIOB involvement, after I become a corporate member I attended the Eastern Centre AGM and was invited to come along to the committee meetings. This gave a more local understanding of what the CIOB was doing on the ground.

The advantage of CIOB membership has to do with being recognised as a competent construction professional who will carry out all of their work in a professional and ethical manner.

Work I currently work with Designer Group as a Commercial Manager, I am lucky to be part of a

team that are working on maintenance projects for blue chip companies, retail refurbishment projects and refurbishment projects on historic government buildings.

I am involved throughout the project from reviewing the tender documents to completion and final account. My job is made a lot easier as I am part of a committed team who are driven on quality project delivery.

At the moment the biggest challenge I see for the industry will be sufficient competent resources for the high compliance standards and demands the industry need to deliver over the coming years.

As for the rewards, I will keep it very simple: nothing beats the obvious reward, when the client says ‘thank you, I have had a good experience and I want to work with you again’.

Hopes My hopes for CIOB in 2018 are for the Dublin Hub to keep developing traction with its open approach for members to get involved.

I would like to see more quality CPDs and have an accessible library of these CPDs to review at times that suit members.

I look forward to the Dublin Hub of the CIOB delivering on all of the positive feedback we are getting from our Chartered Members.

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 21

RIGH vice c Dubli

PROJECT NOTES

Dun Laoghaire development achieves exacting Home Performance Index Silver Certification

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s near Zero Energy Buildings ‘nZEB’ will become mandatory for all housing stock in the near future a new development of homes in Dun Laoghaire has been hailed as demonstrating how this can be achieved cost effectively, to a rapid build programme on a difficult site.

The Irish Green Building Council awarded the exacting Home Performance Index silver certification to a multi-unit social housing development in Dun Laoghaire.

The dwellings tendered by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Couty Council as a rapid delivery contract achieved the highest score so far for a multi-unit development.

Speaking about this achievement, Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) CEO Pat Barry tells Construction Management Ireland: ‘This rating highlights that quality and sustainability are about choices, design and skills, and do not involve extra costs or time.’

LEFT: Stephen Bowcott, managing director, Sisk; Pat Barry, CEO, Irish Green Building Council; Tom Murphy, Cathaoirleach, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council; Damien English TD, Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government with special responsibility for Housing and Urban Development

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Demonstrate Contractor John Sisk & Son applied for the third-party verified Home Performance Index (HPI) to demonstrate that, not only could they achieve the exemplary standard set down by the Council for nearly Zero Energy homes, but that they could exceed it.

The Home Performance Index label was developed by the Irish Green Building Council after extensive research and consultation with the industry to encourage quality and excellence in the development of new homes.

In addition to the sustainability of a dwelling, HPI assesses its impacts on owners' and tenants’ wellbeing and the costs associated with living in these homes.

Sisk’s HPI silver certified homes have achieved the highest ever score under HPI for walkability.

Proximity to schools, healthcare, parks, shops, amenities and public transport, reduces car dependency and has positive health and financial impacts for residents.

Exemplary Located in part of the former Council depot in Georges Place, the development represents an exemplary use of a brownfield, hence minimising soil sealing.

It also demonstrates that very good densities can be achieved with two-storey homes when designed to maximise privacy.

To create an environment that can be used by all people, regardless of their age, size, disability or ability, the project team used the universal design checklist. For instance, scented plants were added at entrances to help those with sight impairments.

The dwellings are extremely energy efficient and achieved the highest Building Energy Rating (BER), A1, a rating which had been designed and specified by DLRCoCo. A heat recovery ventilation system ensures excellent indoor air quality whilst further reducing energy costs.

To improve comfort, high quality triple-glazed windows were designed to achieve excellent day-lighting but also minimise winter discomfort.

Finally, the experience and qualifications of the design and contracting team were assessed to ensure that a highquality design, place making and attention to detail were applied from concept to completion.

For instance, high levels of airtightness were achieved and the potential for mould growth was minimised through thorough assessment and minimisation of thermal bridging at all junctions; 95% of the waste generated onsite were diverted from landfill and Sisk achieved the Considerate Contractor certification, hence ensuring minimum disruption to neighbours during the construction.

The IGBC congratulated all those involved in this project including Dun Laoghaire County Council, DLR architects as designers, A2 Architects as enabling architects, IGBC members, O’Mahony Pike Architects, Kingspan, and particularly John Sisk & Son for their leadership.

Cathaoirleach Speaking at the launch of the new homes, An Cathaoirleach of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, Cllr Tom Murphy, who officiated along with Minister of State at the Department

About the Home Performance Index Scheme The Home Performance Index is Ireland’s first national certification system for quality and sustainable residential development. The Home Performance Index label was developed by the Irish Green Building Council after extensive consultation with the industry.

The HPI certificate demonstrates that the home has been designed and constructed with care to ensure low running costs, enhance the health and wellbeing of the occupants and minimise environmental impacts.

The Home Performance Index scheme is supported by the EPA. http:// homeperformanceindex.ie.

of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Damien English, said: ‘In setting out our ambition for this project DLR wanted sustainably designed and wellconstructed, quality houses which achieved a BER A1 energy rating.

‘We are delighted with the open, transparent and collaborative relationship we developed with our construction partner, John Sisk & Son, who have delivered on all fronts – safe, quality, on budget and timely delivery.

‘The provision of social and affordable housing is the Council’s main priority and we are delighted to formally take possession of these houses and look forward to getting families settled into their new homes.’

Commenting on the handover of the scheme, Stephen Bowcott, CEO of John Sisk said:

‘Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council had a vision for this prototype development. They wanted it to be constructed with top quality materials which would deliver energy efficient, easy-to-run and maintain homes, which would add to the architectural heritage of the area.

‘Working in partnership with them and our supply chain we have delivered on that vision in only eight months – a great demonstration of our house building capability through our dedicated "Sisk Living" brand.

‘We worked closely with the client and with the local neighbours to the site and the wider community to ensure the development would fit in to the environment and deliver comfortable, energy efficient homes for the people who will live in them.

‘This is our first delivery of Social Houses since 2009 and we are quite proud to confirm that it is being delivered early, by three weeks.

‘We have also proven that builders on a design, build and finance basis can deliver homes at a far lower cost than developers who take the risk of speculatively purchasing land up front for the carrot of big margins.’

Addressing the attendees at the launch, Minister of State, Damien English TD, said 2018 is a critical year for social housing delivery; ‘a critical year to see the fruits of enhanced capacity building across Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies; to see significant increases in the number of new build units being added to stock; to see innovative delivery streams achieving results and to see real impacts for individuals and families across the country.

‘A key priority under Rebuilding Ireland is to increase the level of build on a year-by-year basis.

‘Local Authorities are absolutely central to the implementation of the action plan.

‘All across Ireland, they are responding to that housing supply challenge and are pushing forward with an ambitious programme of works and we are adding to this list on a constant basis.’

Total The development consists of twelve houses in total, ten 2-bed terraced houses and two 2-bed semi-detached houses, located in the centre of Dun Laoghaire, at George’s Place.

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 23

PROJECT NOTES

ABOVE: Pat Barry, CEO, IGBC; Bob Hannan, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, senior architect DLRCC; Norman Higgins, Sisk’s Director of Housing

Bob Hannan, Senior Architect, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council takes us through the new development:

T

he new development at Georges Place is built on a brownfield former Council Depot Site in the heart of Dun Laoghaire Town centre.

The site enjoys good local connections to public transport and is located close to the amenities and services of the main street.

A long standing ambition of the County Development Plan for this area is to strengthen the links between the main street and the seafront to create greater footfall as a means to regenerate the area.

It is also an objective to increase the residential population of the town centre in order to sustain local services. Allied to this is Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council’s ambitious drive to achieve

the highest standard of energy efficiency.

The development advances these objectives.

The layout creates a new street to open up formerly closed depot lands in order to create pedestrian access to the seafront.

The design provides 12 high quality energy efficient A1 rated dwellings with front and rear garden space that are suitable for families.

Despite each dwelling having own door access, densities of 67 dwellings per hectare are achieved so that valuable serviced urban land is sustainably used.

The architectural form of the development promotes a high degree of overlooking and passive surveillance to

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public areas. Parking is provided on street with new indented parking bays and in court parking.

Tree planting has been integrated into car parking to minimise its visual impact. The use of ‘home zones’ provides informal play and amenity space and creates a strong sense of place for both residents and visitors.

The architectural form reflects the sensitive local conservation

context – the dwellings are arranged in narrow, gabled-fronted 2-storey terraces and a wider fronted 2-storey terrace.

Units enjoy own door access and have carefully delineated private space to both the front and back.

Splayed windows at first floor will minimise direct overlooking between units.

Some dwellings are single-aspect above the ground floors to ensure that there is no overlooking of adjacent properties.

The project was designed by dlr architects – the Council’s Architects Department. A2 Architects were appointed as enabling architects for the Council while O'Mahony Pike Architects acted as architects for Sisk Living who are the house building division of John Sisk & Son. It was built using a design build public works contract by Sisk Living to a rapid delivery programme.

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June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 25

LEAN JOURNEYS

A Lean Construction Ireland (LCi) regional collaborative event in Tullamore was introduced as the first of several to come in each region, the aim being to optimise the regional Lean ecosystem and bring people together for knowledge exchange.

Andy Brophy, Lean 2 Innovative Thinking (an LCi Commended Lean Service Provider), provided a series of case demonstrations.

Andy’s presentation included a snapshot of achievements in several Midlands regional firms.

A range of other speakers, including Mike Devaney of Enterprise Ireland, explained about the State’s Lean Business Offer that is available to support companies on their Lean journey.

Ecosystem

LCi regional focus Lean Construction Ireland (LCi): Regional Collaborative Engagement for the Midlands Region in association with the Construction Industry Federation was the description given to a major recent event run in association with the Midlands Regional CIF – Gillian Murtagh and Justin Molloy – and closed by CIF President, Dominic Doheny.

With an opening address from Gillian Murtagh, Marketing Director at Shay Murtagh Precast Ltd and Sean Downey of the CIF, the impressive range of speakers included Richard Fitzpatrick, LCi chairperson and Director for Programme Management & Project Controls, National Paediatric Hospital Development Board. Richard Fitzpatrick presented an overview of LCi. Richard Casey (LCi Board Director and DPS Group) and Perry Haughton (LCi Board Director and BAM see later in this section) outlined what Lean is, its role in construction and why it is so important. Business benefits of Lean were outlined as including: • • • • • •

Greater Client Satisfaction Enhanced Productivity Higher Quality Construction Improved Safety Better Business Yields Improved Competitiveness

(Source: McGraw Hill Construction Smart Market Report – Lean Construction,

Leveraging Collaboration and Advanced Practices to Increase Project Efficiency)

Senan O'Riain (IDA Ireland) spoke of its importance to FDI clients and supply chain.

Darrin Taylor of WIT, and Advisor to the LCi Board of Directors, spoke about Lean Business Ireland and the national ecosystem of Regional Lean Networks.

Taylor noted that such collaborative events aim to: ‘...bring together people in Construction to exchange knowledge on the need for Lean in Construction and how they can begin their Lean journey, to provide case studies of Lean in practice, and to detail for them the various supports available, ranging from Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), to Enterprise Training Boards (ETBs), to regional Higher Education Institutions, and EI- and IDA-approved Lean Service Providers’.

WIT Lean Enterprise Excellence Forum The Annual WIT Lean Enterprise Excellence Forum is distinctive for featuring organisations of all sizes – from large Multinationals to SMEs to Micro Enterprises – as well as its diversity of presentations from public and private organisations across manufacturing, services, healthcare and, of course, construction sectors.

Opportunity This year’s industry-academia conference provided once again, a wonderful opportunity for industry practitioners to network, to exchange knowledge about their experiences and learnings, and to participate in presentations and breakout sessions delivered by subject matter experts and experienced Lean practitioners.

The conference is a core element of the wider Lean Business Ireland community of learning and practice. It focuses on best practices and cutting-

edge developments in Lean enterprise, operational, and process excellence, Lean thinking and practices, and continuous improvement.

Interest As usual, this year’s event was of great interest to organisations of all sizes and from all sectors that have adopted – or will adopt – Lean thinking and practices to enable and sustain competitiveness in national and global marketplaces.

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 27

LEAN JOURNEYS

Lean construction at BAM

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t the recent regional event in Tullamore Perry Haughton from BAM spoke about Lean and its role in Construction. We caught up with Perry along with Simon Tritschler for a short Q&A on BAM’s own Lean journey.

Can you tell us when you as a company started looking at Lean and if there was a particular impetus behind this?

✜

It was 2012 when working with a large FDI manufacturer that we were first introduced to Lean construction at BAM Ireland.

Recognising the potential value of Lean processes we created a pilot study that looked at three projects (of value 2-100m euro) to see where we could identify, and more importantly, remove waste.

One very important consideration for us in this process was that, regardless of each project’s value, they were treated equally under Lean assessment to ensure that lessons learnt would be applicable to all of our future projects.

How is/was Lean fostered and spread?

In other words, how do you implement it and get 'buy-in'?

✜

Our Lean journey was founded in our initial pilot studies where we made several key discoveries.

These were around how we were then operating as a siloed operation.

These were discoveries which led to major improvements around communication, materials and planning – improvements that have now become part of the fabric as to how we operate; but more importantly have provided us with the impetus to look at where we can improve.

They have since evolved into our BSI accredited Level 2 BIM procedures and LPS plans.

At previous Lean presentations BAM expressed how we have utilised the construction industry adoption of BIM (a tool that manages communication / materials / planning) to implement internal change.

Until recently we have not referred to our cultural change towards Lean practices as part of our cultural change message.

Instead we have implemented, matured and received accreditation for our BIM journey. Implementing the technology and training around BIM is a significant impact in itself – and over a relatively short period of time – for our stakeholders.

This journey has shown ‘traditional’ stakeholders more advantageous, less wasteful and ultimately, better, ways of working.

With this new base confidence in how our stakeholders are accepting change we are now rolling out Lean (LPS / 5 Whys…) in appropriate and measured ways to relevant projects.

Currently we have LPS being actively implemented across 3 major projects where we have a high level of BIM maturity.

These sites are supported internally with in-house expertise, client driven programs and, finally, international Lean experts delivering both tailored and generic LPS training.

Where the BIM journey is a well-walked path the implementation of Lean appears to us to be an easier win.

Would you have any advice to others who are thinking of starting on this journey?

✜

across a large operation.

How important is it that this is led from 'the top' and that everyone understands the benefits across the organisation?

✜

Where a safety culture is a priority, from the top down it can be seen the moment you walk onto a site. The site is clean, housekeeping is good and everyone works towards getting everyone else home safe at the end of each day.

We have seen with the safety culture that, without leadership from the top, there is no culture.

When safety is not a priority incidents on site go up and risk is not contained.

There is an expectation at each level that everyone will be monitored for best practice and that the outcome is a positive one for all.

Lean culture for the reduction of waste is no different. Without leadership there is no expectation of positive results and with no expectation there will be no return on the investment in implementing Lean.

Leadership for Lean may happen on individual projects but without leadership across an organisation any of the benefits will live and die within that project.

Thanks to Perry Haughton and Simon Tritschler, BAM

In a word: ‘start’.

Culture in any organisation can be the dominant roadblock when trying to implement change; so, in overcoming this roadblock there are two paths we can take: ‘Evolution or Crisis’.

BAM primarily chose the evolution path where learning happened slowly and at a pace that stakeholders can absorb and small wins are continuously sought and built on.

Occasionally a crisis will occur and change has to happen to ensure success.

Here the plan goes out the window and it’s a sink or swim world. While a solution for firefighting, the lessons are hardlearned and effectively sharing the experience (lessons) learnt can be difficult

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 29

o ying es...’

LEAN JOURNEYS

Why?

What?

How?

Image: Freepik

A

n experienced construction manager, Paul Ebbs is managing director of Umstot Solutions Ireland Ltd, a subsidiary of San Diego-based Umstot Project & Facilities Solutions, LLC www.umstotsolutions.com.

In this issue of Construction Management Ireland he provides an overview of Lean Project Delivery and talks about his own experiences with Lean.

He also has some important suggestions!

I was invited to share my perspective on Lean Project Delivery, but before I start I want to share my own Lean journey and some compelling evidence why one would consider it. I will finish by proposing three key ingredients for success and where I think Ireland is on our Lean journey compared to California.

Why? Let’s start with a brief synopsis of my personal Lean journey. I have worked in the construction industry at various trade, management and consultancy levels since 1996.

In 2009, I was reflecting on a very tough social housing project where I was site manager. It was a public project, months late, over budget, and with lots of defects (with significant rework for multiple trades).

I was stressed, overburdened and certainly did not look forward 3 0 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

LEAN PROJECT DELIVERY to going to work every day.

On a Sunday night I stressed about what lay ahead. It was a constant battle.

At least 75% of my time was spent reacting to ‘new’ problems. The rest was mostly spent writing emails – just in case litigation was to follow!

On my daily site walks I was pulled left, right and centre by people to address issues. Trust and communication had completely broken down on the project. Does this sound familiar?

I honestly thought there had to be a better way. Then, I came across Lean and I thought: wow, the construction industry really is broken!

Since then, my Lean journey has involved a lot of learning, experimentation and experience coaching project teams at different stages of project delivery in Ireland, the UK, and the United States on various aspects of Lean Project Delivery.

Did you know that project teams using a high Lean intensity are three times as likely to finish on or ahead of schedule and two times as likely to be under budget relative to those that do not (US study by Dodge Analytics Data, 2016)?

Hard evidence is also available to show that Lean projects are safer.

Projects using the Last Planner® System compared with a more traditional CPM scheduling are three times safer.

Additionally, the McGraw Hill Smart Market Report on Lean Construction (2013) reported better safety results as one of the top benefits for Lean practitioners.

Since 1998 various reports and research estimate the cost of rework to be between 12 and 30% of project costs yet profit margins are a fraction of this for many project participants.

We have two options: 1) do what we have always done and get what we always got (i.e. poor performance) or, 2) take a Lean approach and drastically improve project performance and results.

What?

Glenn Ballard defines Lean Project Delivery from a chain of customers concept. Simply put, it is an alternative and holistic approach that ensures OAECFM (Owner, Architectural, Engineering, Construction, Facility

Management) stakeholders’ needs and wants are delivered from three customer perspectives: 1. The ‘first’ and ‘end’ customers are the owners and end users of an asset. They require assets to meet a specific purpose and goal(s). For example, the primary goal of the New Children’s Hospital is to ‘deliver a world-class project that serves the needs of the children, young people, their families and staff and to attract the best professionals in the world'. A clearly defined purpose from the outset is critical to delivering a successful project.

2. The ‘next’ customer is the next design, construction or operational stakeholder who receives work from another project team member. Work can be documents, drawings, information – not just physical work between trades.

The goal here is for the ‘suppliers’ of work to make reliable commitments to their next customers because this creates reliable workflow and reliable workflow is the heart of Lean Project Delivery. It is not uncommon to have multiple iterations of documents and drawings at the front end of project delivery due to unclear conditions of satisfaction, poor communication, and uncoordinated action resulting in waste.

3. The ‘last’ customer is the world that we live in. The built environment contributes to approximately 40% of greenhouse gas emissions and 16% of world GDP. On average 80% of the cost of an asset typically occurs during the FM stage. However, typically projects focus on delivering the lowest first cost without sufficient consideration of the total cost of ownership. The return from the front end investment in sustainability multiplies over the lifecycle of an asset and also contributes to a cleaner environment.

How?

ABOVE: LAWA Design Build Project Team collaborating to identify and address design gaps (May 2018)

it is imperative that ‘leadership’ are heavily involved in the design and implementation of a project production system and it is not just seen as a bolton to existing practices. Secondly, I once heard a PM say to a CI Manager that CI was his job, it was his title, and that he had other things to do…

2. Choosing a Lean Consultant/Coach: Use caution when selecting a consultant from another sector. Here are two analogies to show why I believe this.

First, team sports all have coaches and project delivery is also a team sport. How successful would a Gaelic football coach like Jim Gavin be at rugby or how would Joe Schmidt be at GAA? Secondly, if you knew you were seriously ill would you see a specialist consultant or your local GP? Sports coaches and medical consultants specialise in their field of practice and your best chance of success lies with their help. Value is delivered from their wealth of knowledge and experience in their specialist field.

3. Lean Culture: Creating and sustaining this is the most difficult part and without the first two ingredients it becomes very challenging. Culture relates to ‘how things are done around here’ and new ways of working are either resisted or embraced. Resistance in some part is almost inevitable and often the people who initially resist become the strongest advocates for

Lean, so don’t be put off by some early resistance. Discipline and constancy of purpose to embrace new methods along with the first two ingredients are key criteria to overcoming resistance.

Following a recent work trip to California I estimate that Ireland and the UK are 10 years behind California on their respective Lean journeys.

I say this because Lean is fast becoming the only way projects are being specified, designed and delivered there.

For example, one of our clients LAWA (Los Angeles World Airports) called out in detail how they want Lean used on their projects through their Request For Proposals (RFP).

It is a $310m 4-year progressive design build public project scheduled for completion in March 2022.

One requirement is to use Target Value Design/Delivery (TVD) to ensure maximum value (not lowest cost) will be generated from the available funds.

During one of our initial TVD workshops significant gaps and misunderstandings around project scope and risks emerged. The team were five weeks away from finalising their Basis of Design and running out of time.

However, the team realised that in order to set the project up for success they needed to stop, identify these gaps and risks and work together to create solutions.

What transpired was a twoday workshop just six days later where over 70 people participated each day in structured presentations and discussions.

I was extremely impressed at how far this team had come because what they have created is a Lean culture from Lean Leadership.

In Ireland and the UK I often hear: ‘we have not got time for this, we already have a plan…’ However the LAWA team displayed a key Lean principle – slow down to go faster!

To deliver Lean projects three key ingredients are required (before considering any tools): 1. Lean Leadership: This requires decision-makers at all levels in organisations to walk the talk. For example, in my experience outsourcing a Lean transformation to a Lean Consultant or Continuous Improvement (CI) Manager/Department is not a wise move. First, because to successfully and sustainably apply Lean to projects

Paul Ebbs Paul Ebbs is the Managing Director of Umstot Solutions Ireland Ltd a subsidiary of San Diegobased Umstot Project & Facilities Solutions, LLC www.umstotsolutions.com. He is the conference chair of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) 27th Annual Conference in Dublin, Ireland July 1 through 7, 2019 www.iglc2019.com and can be contacted at paul.ebbs@umstotsolutions.com June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 31

TECH TALK

B

uilding Information Modelling (BIM) refers to a collaborative way of working, which places a digital model at the epicentre of the construction process to inform decisions during the entire life-cycle of a project.

This development represents a unique opportunity to rethink the design, construction and operation of the whole built environment through innovative supply chain collaboration that will facilitate a move away from traditional adversarial and fragmentary relationships to enable cost savings, improved quality and reduced environmental impact.

The Higher Diploma in Engineering in BIM is addressing the need for leadership in this transition by using innovative pedagogical approaches in an interdisciplinary learning environment to address competency and skill gaps in the industry.

A reciprocal learning framework has been developed to merge industry best practice and feedback, curriculum innovation and evidence-based research into a set of learning resources for the course.

The learning environment encourages students to work as co-producers of knowledge to continuously improve the programme and address the interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of BIM.

Background The construction industry operates in an extremely competitive marketplace, having to continuously innovate and improve efficiencies to survive.

Over the past number of years, RPS have increased our market share in the UK, particularly for large scale infrastructural projects.

In so doing, we recognised the significant step change in service delivery that was required on foot of the new collaborative working requirements stipulated by the British Cabinet in 2011 and the requirement for ‘3D BIM’.

We had introduced ‘Early BIM’ into our working systems in 2007, and limited advancements were made.

We delivered projects where BIM had not been part of the design process, commonly known as ‘Lonely BIM’. On this basis, we committed to developing the skills and expertise required to make us market leaders in BIM. We established a BIM Working Group to build on the systems already in place, and to track and 3 2 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

Mark Costello

STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE – OUR BIM JOURNEY RPS and GMIT have developed a programme to support evolving BIM technologies and the resultant Higher Diploma in Engineering in BIM course is now available to the wider industry. Mark Costello, RPS Director of BIM, tells us about their journey, the impetus that led to its development and a recent clutch of awards!

document our advances in BIM. These advances, and the requirement for focused BIM training and development were presented to the management board to gain support.

This support allowed us to develop a Strategic Plan for BIM upskilling which aligned our Company Strategy, our BIM Technical Services Strategy and our Human Resources Strategy.

We listened to staff on their training needs. We restructured and built BIM capability in our core personnel, progressively adapting to change.

Collaboration In parallel with these initiatives, we collaborated with local academic

institutions to seek out suitable training courses in BIM to enable upskilling.

When such a course wasn`t available, we embarked on developing a BIM programme with the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) in specifically designed and relevant modules to support evolving BIM technologies in a parallel BIM design process.

Delivery of this training commenced on a pilot basis in September 2013 and it has culminated in the multiaward winning (industry/academia collaboration) and formally accredited Higher Diploma in Engineering in BIM (Level 8) delivered by the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT).

This training is now available to the wider industry, including our supply chain.

Overview The Higher Diploma in Engineering in BIM is a flexible industry-focused programme that uses a combination of delivery modes including: traditional full-time or part-time attendance in GMIT and an outreach educational initiative, which takes place 'in-house' with the industry participants.

All modes use a blended learning pedagogical approach supported by the GMIT Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Moodle.

Each participant must complete three mandatory modules (BIM Virtual Modelling Fundamental, BIM Collaboration, BIM Project) and one elective from the four other modules on offer (BIM Architecture, BIM Infrastructure, BIM Structure, BIM Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing).

In addition, each module (excluding the BIM project) is also available as an individual minor award.

The development of the programme in its current form evolved out of an academic-industry collaboration between GMIT and RPS, who piloted an initial outreach programme originally delivered 'in-house' with eight Galway-based staff over a 12week period in September 2013.

This led to a more extensive outreach pilot with over 100 RPS staff in Galway, Cork and Dublin since 2014.

This pilot outreach initiative with RPS directly informed the decision to offer the Higher Diploma in Engineering in BIM in full-time and part-time modes to other industry stakeholders in September 2015.

ABOVE: RPS / GMIT : ‘A Collaborative Academia-Industry Approach to Programme-Wide Implementation of Building Information Modelling (BIM) Processes using a Reciprocal Learning Framework.’

Three awards in three weeks Following success at the HR Leadership & Management Awards, the GMIT / RPS collaborative approach to Building Information Modelling (BIM) Education received another two awards in March 2018.

DELTA Awards GMIT / RPS won the Disciplinary Excellence in Learning, Teaching and Assessment Award (DELTA Award) in the Engineering / Construction category for using a collaborative academic-industry reciprocal learning framework to establish GMIT as an international leader in Building Information Modelling (BIM) education and campus management.

The winners were announced in March at a gala event in Dublin and presented by Mary Mitchell O’Connor T.D. – Minister of State for Higher Education.

ICE Awards GMIT / RPS were also awarded the Third Level Course – Postgraduate, Special Purpose or Distance Learning Award at the Irish Construction Excellence Awards (ICE Awards).

The Irish Construction Excellence Awards (ICE Awards) recognise performance excellence in Ireland’s construction industry, highlighting achievements across a full range of construction disciplines and project categories.

Editor’s note: Mark commented after the Awards: ‘These awards are further recognition of the collaborative approach taken by RPS and GMIT in developing the Level 8 Higher Education Programme in BIM. ‘BIM is now an integral part of the RPS

design process for the delivery of large building and infrastructural projects.

‘Our innovative approach to education and training is facilitating Irish design team participation and leadership in major infrastructure projects in the UK and Europe.’

Mary Rogers, Head of Department of Building and Civil Engineering in GMIT, praised the collaborative efforts: ‘The Department of Building and

ABOVE: Ice Awards

RPS Dublin and Cork offices achieve BIM Level 2 Business Systems Certification The Dublin and Cork RPS offices have been awarded the BIM Level 2 Business Systems Certification by BRE Global, following a successful audit process.

They are now certified across all regions, recognising their ability to deliver projects in a BIM Level 2 environment for clients.

BRE Global is a UKAS accredited certification body that assesses a business, its BIM policy and capability as defined within PAS 1192-2:2013 and PAS 91. It also assesses its ability to meet the requirements of an employer to carry out a BIM capability

Civil Engineering at GMIT have partnered with RPS on a number of research-informed projects for the construction industry over recent years.

‘The Higher Diploma in Engineering in Building Information Modelling programme was designed, through this close symbiotic alliance, to meet the demand for implementing innovative processes and technologies to keep pace with a changing construction sector, both in Ireland and internationally.’

Jim O’Connor, BIM Programme Coordinator at GMIT, also expressed his delight at receiving the award: ‘We are delighted with this award in recognition of our work. Our close partnership with RPS and other industry stakeholders has enabled GMIT to become one of the leading providers of BIM education to industry in Ireland,’ said Jim.

assessment.

This certification was awarded to the Galway office back in November 2015, and the latest certifications recognise huge progress for RPS in achieving the standard nationally.

‘It is a great achievement for RPS to have extended this accreditation across all Irish offices,’ says Mark Costello.

‘Staff in Dublin and Cork completed our RPS / GMIT multiaward winning Higher Diploma in Engineering in BIM last autumn and have now demonstrated to BRE Global that we have the systems and expertise across our Irish offices to design major infrastructure projects in Level 2 BIM for our wide range of clients.’

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 33

OUT & ABOUT

OVER 3,000 DELEGATES FOR NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION SUMMIT The country’s largest gathering of construction professionals took place at the Citywest Hotel Convention Centre this year. Construction Management Ireland was there of course.

The National Construction Summit welcomed a wide spectrum of construction stakeholders to Citywest to discuss key challenges facing the industry.

Event Construction companies, developers, property managers and many others turned out for the annual event.

Project 2040, sustainability, transport, infrastructure, careers and the Irish rental market were key topics on the cards for those in attendance.

Economic recovery alongside a major shortage of housing and 3 4 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

the rental crisis made this year’s exhibition more relevant than ever.

It also provided industry professionals with opportunities to network and learn about some of Ireland’s largest up

and coming infrastructure and construction projects.

Speaking about this year’s event and the new location, Colin Murphy, founder of Premier Publishing and Events, told Construction Management Ireland: ‘This year’s event was the biggest yet. Construction stakeholders from all walks of life were in attendance to avail of the many information sessions, network and experience the latest product offerings in Construction.

‘The new location in Citywest also proved an excellent venue

for hosting an event of such a scale and we've already started planning next year’s summit.’

Seminars Delegates were able to avail of at least 15 seminars on business intelligence, market research, finance and funding, sustainable construction and more.

Other notable topics discussed included high rise developments, homelessness, the Luas cross-city extension, public infrastructure and spending.

Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy,

gave a key address on Project 2040.

Other speakers included TD & Green Party Leader Eamon Ryan, UCD Economist Colm McCarthy, Group Chief Economist at Bank of Ireland Loretta O’Sullivan and Collen Construction Managing Director Tommy Drumm.

The Construction Industry Federation were gold sponsors of this year’s exhibition.

Other supporting organisations included Sky Ireland, The Health and Safety Authority and The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists.

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 35

OUT & ABOUT

A flying start!

Gold award for Dublin Airport Authority project!

T

he Considerate Constructors Scheme’s 2018 National Site Awards brought recognition to these shores with a very special win for Roadbridge.

Roadbridge’s Dublin Airport Authority project recently became the first Irish site to win a gold award with the Considerate Constructors Scheme.

The Award was presented at the Considerate Constructors Scheme’s 2018 National Site Awards for the North Runway Construction Package 1 project at Dublin Airport.

This is seen as a huge achievement for the Irish construction industry, as it sees the first project in Ireland win a coveted gold award following the launch of the Scheme in Ireland last year.

Standards The Scheme registers around 8,000 3 6 | Construction Management | June\July 2018

construction sites, companies and suppliers in the UK each year and is a huge force for good, helping to encourage and support the construction industry to raise its standards in line with the Scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice.

Its National Site Awards are among the most revered accolades within the construction industry.

They recognise Scheme-registered sites that have demonstrated the very highest levels of consideration in respect of the community, environment and workforce.

There were many examples of outstanding best practice on this project; especially singled out for praise was the ‘collaborative team working’ in meeting all of the project’s challenges, with exceptional outcomes achieved across all five sections of the Scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice.

This prestigious national accolade

was presented by the Construction Industry Federation’s Director General, Tom Parlon, at Plaisterers’ Hall in the City of London.

Considerate Constructors Scheme Chief Executive, Edward Hardy told Construction Management Ireland: ‘To receive a gold award is a fantastic achievement for Roadbridge and Dublin Airport Authority.

‘They have clearly embraced the highest standards expected by the Scheme, demonstrating exceptional performance in considerate construction and a commitment to improving the image and reputation of our industry.

‘Since introducing registration to Ireland in 2017, we have been inundated with requests from contractors, companies, suppliers, clients and professional partners, all keen to register with the Scheme.

‘We are thrilled with this commitment

by the Irish construction industry and look forward to welcoming more registrations – and crowning even more exceptional Irish projects at future Scheme awards.’

Delighted Conor Gilligan, Roadbridge’s managing director, said: ‘Roadbridge are absolutely delighted to have won the first Gold Award on an Irish registered project for the North Runway Construction Package 1, at Dublin Airport.

‘This award is a testament to the dedicated project and support team at Roadbridge and also to the excellent collaborative working relationship throughout the works between ourselves and the daa team.

‘We look forward to continuing registering further Irish projects with the Considerate Constructors Scheme as it is an excellent means of driving improvements across the company.

‘The Scheme fits in very well with our core ethos of being a good neighbour.’ daa’s Maurice Hennessy, who is the executive lead for the North Runway Project, congratulated Roadbridge and the North Runway team on winning the award.

‘This is a fantastic award for North Runway to win,’ said Maurice Hennessy. ‘It

is of particular significance to daa that our corporate values align with those of the Considerate Constructor Scheme.

‘We are hugely focused on the positive culture of safety and respect that it promotes and reaffirms, as well as a commitment to ongoing open communication with our neighbours throughout the works.

‘North Runway is the most important project that Ireland will build in a generation as it will drive growth in tourism, connectivity and jobs for decades to come.

‘We are delighted at Roadbridge’s success and commend them, and daa’s project delivery team, on their commitment to the principles of the Considerate Constructors Scheme.’

Significant The 2018 National Site Awards were particularly significant for the Scheme as they mark the first year top-performing sites based in Ireland were eligible to win awards. These are the first awards to follow the launch of Scheme registration in Ireland in 2017.

To find out more about all of the 2018 award winners, visit the Scheme’s online Construction Map.

Considerate Constructors Scheme Chief Executive, Edward Hardy, said that winning an award is a ‘monumental achievement’.

Said Hardy: ‘To receive this top level of industry recognition reflects how much effort and commitment award-winning sites have made to push their standards, and those of the industry, to even higher levels.

‘I would also like to offer my very special congratulations to the winners of the 2018 Most Considerate Sites accolade, demonstrating the very best in considerate construction and setting the bar incredibly high for the rest of the industry to strive to achieve.’

About the Scheme

The Considerate Constructors Scheme is a non-profit-making, independent organisation founded in 1997 by the construction industry to improve its image.

Construction sites, companies and suppliers voluntarily register with the Scheme and agree to abide by the Code of Considerate Practice.

The Code commits those registered with the Scheme to care about appearance, respect the community, protect the environment, secure everyone’s safety and value their workforce.

The Scheme monitors any area of construction activity that may have a direct or indirect impact on the image of the industry as a whole.

The Scheme provides the Best Practice Hub, a comprehensive online resource showcasing best practice in the construction industry.

The Best Practice Hub hosts a wealth of tips, expertise, guidance and case studies to help constructors learn from their peers and raise industry standards. www.ccscheme.org.uk Twitter: @CCScheme #ccsawards #loveconstruction @ccsbestpractice @IvorGoodsite Instagram: CCScheme #loveconstruction

The Awards

The awards ceremonies attracted over 3000 guests from construction sites of all different sizes across the UK and Ireland.

The 2018 National Site Awards applied to registered sites that completed in 2017. Out of thousands of registered construction sites, 840 were selected to win Bronze, Silver or Gold Awards.

One Gold Award winner per value band: Under £500k; £500k to <£1m; £1m to <£5m; £5m to <£10m; £10m to <£50m; and £50m and over was given the prestigious title of ‘Most Considerate Site 2018’, with all shortlisted sites for this accolade receiving Runner-up Awards.

June/July | Construction Management | 37

OUT & ABOUT

The Annual GMIT International Construction Management Conference is a ‘must attend’ event for the construction community in the west of Ireland and beyond.

The conference is supported and sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Building; The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland; The Chartered Institute of Building Engineers; and, The Construction Industry Federation.

In excess of 400 visitors, staff and senior GMIT students attended this year’s event and exhibition which, again, was free to attend, by kind support of the sponsors.

GMIT International Construction Management Conference

Welcome GMIT President Dr Fergal Barry welcomed delegates to the conference and opened proceedings. Dr Barry outlined the need for greater investment in thirdlevel education facilities and equipment, which had been neglected during the economic downturn.

He also welcomed the significant uplift in demand for GMIT built environment programmes in Construction Management; Quantity Surveying & Building Economics; Architectural Technology; and, Civil Engineering. The demand for graduates from the programmes is also very strong.

Conference Chair and organiser, Dr Martin Taggart, from the Department of Building and Civil Engineering, got proceedings underway, introducing Tomás Kelly, Director of AECOM Ireland, as first speaker.

Tomás is a principal author of the AECOM annual review and took the audience through a detailed overview of the state of the construction industry.

He highlighted both accelerating growth,

T

he construction industry is on the cusp of massive change, driven by digitalisation of design and process and the introduction of new technologies. This was among the key messages delivered at the 8th annual International Construction Management Day Conference at GMIT, Galway.

predicted at 14% for 2018, and also increases in construction costs.

CIF Dominic Doheny, President of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) discussed the up and down nature of the industry as he looked at the options for the future.

He called for a partnership between the industry and government to deliver a sustainable and prosperous future for all.

The President suggested that the industry needed to rapidly adopt methods such as Lean Construction and Building Information Modelling, also calling on government to fund adequate research to improve both process and technologies in the construction industry.

3 8 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

David Taylor, President of The Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) joined the gathering from the UK and was the final speaker in the morning session.

ABOVE: Gus McCarthy, MD, McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan; Justin Molloy, Director, the Construction Industry Federation; Mary Rogers, Head of Department of Building and Civil Engineering, GMIT; Dominic Doheny, President, the Construction Industry Federation; Dr Martin Taggart, GMIT Conference Chair.

ABOVE: Delegates attending the 8th annual International Construction Management Day Conference in GMIT

David gave a fascinating presentation, looking at how the construction industry is being rapidly changed by digital technologies.

David suggested that these technologies have the potential to avoid many of the risks associated with construction and also impact markedly on cost, time and quality.

David led the audience through a wide range of technologies that are already impacting construction and others that are about to make their entrance.

This includes: off-site manufacturing; BIM; Virtual Reality; 3D printing; Nano technology; Robotics; Exoskeleton suits; Smart helmets and Artificial Intelligence.

Sessions The mid-morning session of the conference breaks into parallel sessions, which

traditionally have a more technical flavour. These focus on matters of current concern to the industry.

Brian McIntyre, Programme Executive, from Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI) presented initial results from the SEAI Deep Retrofit toward Zero Energy project.

This project is a pathfinder project, which seeks to find the best way to approach and fund the retrofit of the many older properties in the state, which have poor sustainability profiles.

Brian noted that over one million homes have poor insulation and energy use profiles, meaning they are uncomfortable to live in and expensive to run.

Eamonn Smyth, chief advisor to the Department of Housing, gave a presentation on recent and proposed changes to the Building Regulations.

Principal amongst these concern: Part B – Where regulations covering fire are now split into two sets of regulations covering first, dwellings and secondly, other building types.

Eamonn also outlined the upcoming changes to Part L, which covers energy efficiency.

Eamonn noted that the revised regulations will again increase requirements, principally for new build properties.

These changes will include higher air-tightness requirements as well as larger requirements for renewable energy systems.

CRH Oliver Mahon, a GMIT graduate in Civil Engineering and now Senior Vice-President of CRH, returned to his alma mater, to address the conference.

Oliver charted the growth of CRH and then focused on the current and future

LCI

ABOVE: Dr Martin Taggart, GMIT, Conference Chair; Dave Courtney, Chair, CABE Southern Ireland Region; David Taylor, President, CABE; Dominic Doheny, President, The Construction Industry Federation; Mary Rogers, Head of Department of Building and Civil Engineering, GMIT.

trends in the construction materials sector.

Oliver noted that CRH believes that growth in material needs will continue across the world, but that this will not be even.

Growth in Europe will be modest, whilst they see much higher growth in places such as India and China. He also noted the need for constant innovation to keep pace with customer demands.

Patricia Calleary, Senior Inspector with An Bord Pleanála, spoke about planning and flood risk, issues that have significantly impacted the west of Ireland in recent years.

She highlighted her presentation with stark photographs showing powerful images of flooding in Crossmolina, County Mayo in 2015, followed by its dry riverbed in 2016.

She welcomed progress in predicting flood areas which have included the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment & Management Programme (CFRAM) and the National Flood Hazard Mapping project.

Gus McCarthy, Managing Director and Senior Planner at McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan Planning consultants, spoke next.

Planning Gus gave an overview of the current planning system and considered that there were serious issues in the way we currently approach planning, citing the recent Apple project in Athenry.

He welcomed a number of new regulations that have been introduced by government in an attempt to speed up planning decisions, but considers they are falling short in regard to their stated objectives.

The final speaker in the mid-morning sessions was GMIT Graduate, Patrick King.

Patrick returned from the UK to speak at the conference.

He is currently working as BIM Director at London Architects ECD. Patrick gave a very clear and detailed presentation on one of his current projects, where his company is advising Westminster Council, in London, in regard to the introduction of BIM into a number of their housing projects.

After lunch and a tour of the conference exhibition area, the delegates assembled for the final session. Mattie Dwane, Procurement Advisor for Alexion Pharmaceuticals, represented Lean Construction Ireland (LCI) at the conference.

Mattie outlined the work of LCI, in introducing ‘Lean’ process into construction.

He also noted the upcoming LCI Lean Construction Conference, to be held in Croke Park on 20th November 2018.

Mattie also reported initial results of a current LCI project called ‘Lean in Contracts’, where LCI are seeking to engender a Lean approach in standard construction contracts.

Urszula Jedrol, BIM manager, with Stewart Construction and a GMIT graduate presented next.

Urszula presented a case study of a recent project at Dublin Airport.

This consisted of a demolition of an existing annex and construction of two new office blocks.

Urszula showed the audience how she had used BIM level 2 and Syncro pro programming software to develop an efficient design and programme timeline for the project.

The final speaker was Kevin Duke, Managing director of Duke McCaffrey Construction Consultants.

Kevin gave a wideranging review of matters concerning the surveying profession.

These included observations and insights concerning: The new RIAI forms of construction contract; The Construction Contracts Act (2013); The sectorial employment order (2017); Accelerating contract costs/tender levels; construction insolvency risks; and, residential construction costs.

Presentations are available here: www.gmit.ie/general/ constructgmit18presentations To join the conference mailing list email: martin.taggart@gmit.ie

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 39

HOW THE LAND LIES

Time now to look at the stats, and this time out, Construction Information Services (CIS) provides an interesting comparative analysis for the first quarter of 2018 with the equivalent period in 2017.

SECTOR OVERVIEW SHOWS STATE OF PLAY

T

he construction industry maintained its momentum with strong activity in all sectors during 2017. However, the percentage increases in OnSite activity, Planning Granted and Applications submitted for approval have levelled off compared to previous years.

The challenges still facing the industry remain the provision of essential infrastructure, access to adequate funding and skilled labour, which could be contributing to this levelling off of pipeline activity

across the majority sectors.

This Construction Activity Report overview will provide a comparative analysis for the first quarter of 2018 with the equivalent period in 2017 and it shows that the overall volume of projects progressing to On-site remains virtually static, with 575 projects commencing.

The volume being granted planning increased by 10% and the number of projects submitted for planning increased by 4%.

Fig 2: Residential Plans Granted - Volume

Fig 1: On-Site Projects by Sector - Volume

Residential The Residential sector is the strongest performing sector, which will be of no surprise. The Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Planning Framework 2040 highlights the requirement to build 4 0 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

at least 35, 000 units per annum up to 2027 and 25,000 per annum thereafter to meet the need for welllocated and affordable housing.

The volume of projects commencing On-site in the first quarter is up 40% on the same period in 2017, with 150 projects/schemes, accounting for circa 6,000 housing units commencing construction.

Developments being granted permission to proceed increased by 33% on Q1 2017, but interestingly Dublin is down 3% in the period under review. CIS have noted that the number of housing units per development is up to 47 per project/scheme compared with 31 units in Q1 2017.

Projects coming into the pipeline at planning applied also increased by circa 30%, with Dublin up almost 91% in housing units terms, even though the number of projects/planning applications actually decreased.

One of the most lucrative areas of development is the emergence of student accommodation projects across the main cities.

Since the Rebuilding Ireland initiative in June 2016, 2,786 bedspaces have been completed in counties Dublin, Cork and Limerick.

Currently, there are 5,842 bed-spaces under construction and a further 8,636 bed-spaces at plans granted stage.

Fig 3: Commercial & Retail On-Site - Volume

projects decreased by 15%, with only Dublin reporting a positive growth in value terms. Only 41 projects were submitted for planning, down from 53 in the same period last year.

Fig 4: Hotel & Catering Plans Granted - Volume

Industrial

Commercial There has been a gradual levelling off of the number of projects coming into the pipeline, being granted permission or progressing to On-site. The level of on the ground activity remains strong and will continue to do so as many projects need to be delivered to cope with existing demand.

Looking at the comparative activity analysis for Q1 2018 and 2017, CIS recorded a 26% decrease in the volume of projects commencing On-Site, however, in value terms there was a 137% increase to €330m relating to these developments.

The volume of projects granted remained static for the period under review, which equated to 210 developments, a fall of 1% on Q1 2017.

Similar to the value of projects going to On-Site, there was an increase of 45% in Q1 2018 project values.

A total of 259 planning applications were submitted for approval in Q1 2018, which represented a 6% increase.

Education Activity in this sector for the period under review decreased both for projects moving On-Site, down 34% or 51 projects down from 71 in Q1 2017 and at Plans Granted down 4% to 79 projects.

In positive news, projects submitted for planning approval is up 55% to 177 projects, with over half of these projects in the pre-school sector.

Medical The trend for the last four years in the first quarter continued in 2018 with an 11% decline in the number of developments commencing construction.

However, the volume of projects granted permission to proceed rose by 17% compared to Q1 2017.

Unfortunately, the value of these

Similar to the Residential sector, Industrial activity increased in each of the construction stages examined.

The number of developments commencing construction in the first quarter increased by 39% in volume terms, with all regions experiencing an uplift. The value of these projects was circa €90m.

The volume of projects granted also increased by 19% or €315m, with only Connaught and Ulster ROI showing a decrease in value terms.

Looking at the future pipeline, the volume of projects rose by 29% in plans submitted to the Planning Authorities.

Munster and Leinster are the biggest contributors to the sector with circa 70% of the market. The overall value of these applications is estimated to be €220m.

Civil/Utilities/Transport Infrastructure schemes will continue to play a vital role in the construction sector and the long-term trend is for growth.

However, the period under review recorded a decrease in the volume of projects moving to OnSite of 13%, with only 39 projects commencing construction and the estimated value of these is €400m.

The year-on-year analysis for the first quarter 2018 of plans being granted has remained static at 59 projects.

A total of 69 projects were submitted for planning, which was down 15% on the same period last year from 81.

Looking closer at the data, we can see that Q1 2017 was an outlier, as 2016 had 64 and 2015 had 50, both in the first quarter.

Hospitality & Leisure With tourism numbers continuing to increase, the demand for hotel bedrooms is at an all-time high.

In the first quarter of 2018, 60 developments progressed to OnSite, which is on par with Q1 2017.

Dublin recorded an 18% increase in projects commencing. The value of

Q1 2018 On-Site projects is €182m.

Projects granted planning permission increased by 12% to 135 developments. 149 projects have entered the pipeline at Plans Submitted, which is on par with the same quarter in 2017.

Sports & Community The coming year will see many more community and sports projects progress following the release of the Sports Capital Grant and Leader funding.

The volume of projects commencing in the first quarter is up 15%, but the increase is not reflected across all regions.

The volume of projects granted permission to proceed dropped by 11% in the quarter under review.

A total of 96 projects were submitted for planning which is on par with previous years with the exception of 2017, which saw a spike in applications owing to the sports grant previously mentioned.

It is generally accepted that the medium-term outlook for the industry is positive.

The sustained momentum which commenced in 2013 and continued at a steady pace has created solid foundation to ensure the construction industry remains a significant pillar of the Irish economy.

It is hoped that external factors such as Brexit and Trump’s policy towards US companies located here do not impinge adversely on the potential economic success for future years.

Finally, the apparent commitment

by Government to address the essential deficits in Infrastructure and Housing, both social and private, are welcomed.

To receive this complimentary Q1 2018 Construction Activity Report in full, email: donnaquinn@cisireland.com June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 41

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

BIFM PROPOSES NAME CHANGE

'CHARTER STATUS, THIS IS SEEN BY MANY, INCLUDING MYSELF, AS BEING LONG OVERDUE.’ The proposed name change from BIFM to IWFM for those of us based in Ireland is focused on what it is adding.

The term Workplace has for some time been steadily replacing FM as the title best fitted to describing what functions we perform and deliver for organisations.

It provides FM professionals with an opportunity to move to centre stage in the whole Workplace relationship and start to take a leading role.

Leadership

T

his time out in his regular column on the Facilities Management sector, Pat Gaughan Chair, BIFM (British Institute of Facilities Management) Ireland Committee, brings us some important news and reflects on its significance for this sector.

The BIFM has proposed to change its name to the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) and begin the process of attaining chartered body status.

BIFM Members will vote on both of these issues on 5 July.

BIFM has had a region in Ireland for the last 22 years. In 2014 The BIFM Ireland region underwent a fundamental change in terms of how it was structured.

Branch Previously the Ireland region consisted of a single branch which was run by a committee based out of Belfast and the majority of members were located in Northern Ireland with less than a quarter of its 200 members coming from the Republic.

The Ireland region created a new branch based out of Dublin which 4 2 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

has helped in growing its network.

This was the first International members committee to be established

by BIFM. The Region encompasses the Island of Ireland and is unique in the fact that it covers two jurisdictions.

In a way this approach is similar to the many sporting institutions in Ireland which straddle both North and South. The Irish Rugby Team is a good example of this.

The new BIFM Ireland region was met with great enthusiasm by Facilities Management professionals and resulted in a steady organic increase in membership to a point where it is now the largest professional body representing Facilities Managers in Ireland.

Today there are over 500 members with two-thirds of members now based in the Republic.

Business in Ireland has always been outward looking and has for a long time had strong economic ties with the UK and the rest of Europe.

Value The BIFM organisation was seen as another professional organisation which could add value and an international window for FM in Ireland.

From an Irish perspective the importance of BIFM has always been about what it can do for the FM Profession in Ireland.

BIFM as an organisation of over 17,000 members worldwide is showing true leadership by steering the conversation towards the Workplace debate and that can only be a positive thing.

In terms of Charter status, this is seen by many, including myself, as being long overdue.

FM has long suffered as a Cinderella profession in comparison to the others which operate in our sphere such as Engineers, Architects and Surveyors.

Charter status will help to develop and progress the educational side of Facilities Management and change the perception and image of how it is viewed in a very positive way.

As we all know and recognise, those organisations that change and adapt in relation to what happens around them not only survive but thrive.

Those that don’t become extinct!

For a long time BIFM was perceived as maintaining the status quo. Now it’s starting to show true leadership and silencing its critics!

The two proposed changes by BIFM might be small steps but they are a giant leap in the right direction for the FM profession.

Pat Gaughan Chair BIFM Ireland Committee.

Managing Director Advanced Workplace Solutions

CAREERS & TRAINING

A Dead Cert?

All Junior Cycle subjects have received a new ‘treatment’ and updating as educational aims and curricular content seek to keep pace with the needs of a changing world.

Twenty-five years ago there were many voices which foretold the demise of ‘Woodwork’, gloomily pronouncing it as doomed.

There was a new kid in ‘Subject Town’ and his novelty was attractive – bright, shiny and ‘clean’. Woodwork, old, staid and past its prime, would, many feared, be consigned to history.

‘Technology’ was the newcomer and it has, indeed, become a very important part of the Technology suite of subjects, both at Junior Cycle and Leaving Cert.

However, to paraphrase Mark Twain, rumours of the demise of Woodwork have proven to be greatly exaggerated.

Strength Instead of keeling over and falling off its curricular perch, ‘Woodwork’ has gone from strength to strength and currently has approximately 17, 000 students taking the subject for examination at Junior Cert.

This translates as more than a doubling of the numbers taking the subject 25 years ago when its death knell was prematurely sounded!

Schools, at the time of writing this, are preoccupied with exam preparation. Study timetables, last minute cramming and revision fill students' stressful days.

While the Leaving Cert is important, does it have to be the defining event in everyone’s educational achievement?

There are alternative pathways into careers and other opportunities for further study, upskilling and achieving qualifications.

One such career path is apprenticeships which provide on-the-job training and even offer the potential to develop one’s own business.

Apprenticeships offer the opportunity to undertake relevant college courses and training at a time and pace' of one’s own choosing.

Realisation Gradually the proverbial penny is dropping and realisation is dawning that the Leaving Cert. and the points race are not the only game in town.

Recent thinking has seen a revival in the acceptance of apprenticeships as

S

eptember 2019 will see the introduction of ‘Wood Technology’ into the new Junior Cycle curriculum.

This will be the latest evolution of the subject formerly known as ‘Woodwork’ and the third transformation which it has undergone during my teaching career,' writes Tony Harrison, chair of the TechnoTeachers Association.

worthwhile routes into the world of work and careers. Like ‘Woodwork’, apprenticeships are very much alive and kicking!

What can the Leaving Cert learn from the success of Woodwork in the Junior Cert?

When the new course was introduced it brought with it the concept of ‘project work’ Students were presented with a ‘Brief’ which outlined a problem to be addressed.

The student was invited to analyse, design, manufacture and evaluate a solution.

This involved the creation of a unique and individual solution for the brief.

Students have voted with their feet. The subject is one of the most popular at Junior Cert.

The new Junior Cycle has adopted the concept of ‘project work’ idea across many of its subjects, combined with shorter examination times.

Education chiefs have accepted that mere rotelearning and regurgitation in a lengthy exam is a poor gauge of actual understanding and is often a reason for students failing to engage with a subject.

Review It is probable that this will spark a review of the Leaving Cert. with the possibility of introducing more project work across a variety of subjects.

Project work brings with it a new range of personal and study skills. It spells a move away from the traditional ‘cramming’ for one 3-hour exam.

Students will have to be able juggle a range of research, presentation and IT skills.

This will result in its own challenges and there must be an understanding that project work may result in students facing a number of competing deadlines, all demanding their attention at the same time.

Being cognisant of these potential pitfalls and the increased workload for the classroom teacher, it should be possible to organise project timetables in a way that creates the least stress for students and teachers alike.

'WOODWORK HAS GONE FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH.’

Good luck Good luck to everyone who sat the Leaving Cert this year. Exams are, by their nature, stressful events.

Just don’t lose sight of the fact that there is life beyond the result in mid-August – and, thankfully, there is more than one way to skin the ‘career-cat’!

ABOVE: Tony Harrison

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 43

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CAREERS & TRAINING

T

he Department of Built Environment at Waterford Institute of Technology offers an extensive portfolio of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and actively engages in national and international consultancy and research. Our mission is to pursue innovative, sustainable and interdisciplinary approaches in Construction and Engineering scholarship, write Department Head, Dr Derek Sinnott and Programme Leader for the BSc(Hons) in Construction Management and Engineering, Dr Brian Graham.

WIT

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A LEADER IN CONSTRUCTION EDUCATION

ABOVE: Derek Sinnott

A beacon for construction-related education in the South East At Waterford institute of Technology (WIT), the BSc (Hons) in Construction Management and Engineering and MSc in Construction Project Management are flagship programmes in a Department that also offers industry focused, professionally accredited programmes in Quantity Surveying, Civil Engineering, Building Services Engineering and Sustainable Energy Engineering.

New industry focused programmes We continuously work with our industry partners to enhance existing programmes and assess future demands and trends in the sector.

From September 2018 we will be offering a 1 year level 7, BEng in Fire Engineering with a number of associated minor awards.

The programme was developed in response to the developing skills shortage in Fire Engineering.

Recent events have brought the issue of good fire engineering practice into the public realm.

A deficit of skilled construction professionals has been highlighted by the South East Regional Skills Forum (SERSF), representative bodies like the CIF and through consultation with industry forums.

In response, WIT plans to run a new 1 year level 7, BSc in Construction Site Management from September 2018.

The programme is aimed at those working in the sector to aspire to a supervisory management position.

Both programmes are designed to facilitate the part-time learner with a flexible delivery provision, allowing the student to upskill while retaining their position in the workplace.

Applicants who hold a minimum NQF Level 6 award or hold a National Craft Certificate or Senior Trades Qualification in a cognate area of study will be eligible to apply for the programme.

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 45

CAREERS & TRAINING

4 6 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

CAREERS & TRAINING

International Construction Management Day WIT recently hosted their 8th International Construction Management Day in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

Co-ordinated by Dr Brian Graham, programme leader for the BSc(hons) in Construction Management and Engineering, the event has grown to be a focal point in the year for students to mingle with local and national construction industry leaders and employers.

Guest Speakers included Hugh O’Hara, a Chartered Construction Manager with the Designer Group andTom Rochford, Project Manager with BAM International.

An industry panel discussion followed where Hugh O’Hara was joined by Declan Gahan of Sisk, Brian Costello of Clancy Construction and Des Stafford of MDY Construction who engaged in a lively debate about their experience, current issues facing the industry and the wealth of opportunities available for graduates of construction programmes.

WIT’s Department of the Built Environment has a long-standing positive relationship with the CIOB who kindly sponsored the event and were represented by their Development Manager, Niamh Webbley-O’Gorman, who was on hand to deal with queries about the institute and promote the importance of professional body membership to students.

Lean construction In January the Department was honoured to have Professor Glenn Ballard from Berkeley and Professor Christine Pasquire from NTU spend a full day running simulations on Lean Construction and Last Planner System with our students and faculty.

Organised by Darrin Taylor, WIT Academy of Lean Enterprise Excellence, the session proved to be very informative and activity-driven.

This was followed in May at the 6th Annual WIT Lean Enterprise Excellence Forum where in association with Lean Construction Ireland (LCI) there was a strong construction pillar with two thought-provoking talks by William Power, Productivity and Performance Manager, DPS Engineering, Cork and Joe O’Sullivan Regional Director (Pharma) SISK and Crystal Lean Solutions hosted an interactive last planner session with several experienced industry practitioners.

2 modules alongside our Construction Management and Engineering students.

These international students bring novel ideas and international best practice to bear on our programmes.

Graduates leave WIT culturally aware and equipped to deal with inter-cultural dimensions of the construction industry.

Student awards and industrial placement The Department seeks to reward students who excel through their programme of study and are proud to have fantastic industry supported awards across disciplines in the department.

The BSc(Hons) in Construction Management and Engineering programmes are grateful to be able to reward student achievement through the longstanding SISK and Clancy awards.

This year five teams from final year Construction Management & Engineering entered the CIOB’s Global Student Challenge.

Entry was sponsored by FESP International who recently attended WIT to present the best performing team award.

WIT is very fortunate to have fantastic industry links enabling students to gain exceptional experience as part of their 6-month paid Industrial Placement.

Students can gain experience at local and national level.

Some choose to travel to the UK, whilst many students in the department compete for up to four prized placements with leading contractors, Turner Construction and JT Magen & Company in New York, USA. With the buoyancy in the industry companies interested in seeking placement students are recommended to contact WIT early in the academic year.

GRADUATES LEAVE WIT CULTURALLY AWARE AND EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH INTERCULTURAL DIMENSIONS OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.

Further Details can be found at www.wit.ie/be Dr Derek Sinnott Head of Department of the Built Environment Dr Brian Graham Programme Leader for the BSc(Hons) in Construction Management and Engineering

International links The Department has been to the forefront of embracing the increasing trend towards internationalisation in education.

We have successfully engaged in recruiting a diverse international student cohort, through Erasmus, Study Abroad and direct programme entry.

We have recently partnered with Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, for a study abroad programme.

This year 14 final year Construction Management students came to WIT to study a range of Semester June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 47

PERSONAL & FINANCE

W

hether onsite, in the office, at a trade show or an industry event, you want to be able to make the people you meet feel instantly more comfortable, valued and respected. In short, you want to make a great first impression, writes Jeff Haden.

Can I trust you?’ People subconsciously ask themselves this one key question when you first meet, says Amy Cuddy.

A major key to making a great first impression lies here, in this realisation.

‘From an evolutionary perspective,’ Cuddy writes in her book, Presence, ‘it is more crucial to our survival to know whether a person deserves our trust.’

Relationships To make a great first impression, first show that you're someone who can build and maintain great relationships and make people feel better about themselves.

How do you make a great first impression in a genuine and authentic way?

How to make a great first impression:

9 POWERFUL TIPS can never connect with others if you're busy connecting with your stuff, too.

Listen 10x more than you 1.talk 5. Don't be self-important Ask questions. Maintain eye contact.

Smile. Frown. Nod. Respond – not so much verbally, but nonverbally. That's all it takes to show the other person he or she is important.

When you do speak, don't offer advice unless you're asked. Listening shows you care a lot more than offering advice does. When you offer advice, in most cases, you make the conversation about you.

2. Shift the spotlight

No one receives enough praise.

No one. Whenever possible, start the conversation by telling the other person what they did well.

. Give before you receive 3 (and assume you will never receive) Never think about what you can get.

Focus on what you can provide. Giving is the only way to establish a real connection and a real relationship.

4

. Put everything else away

Don't check your phone. Don't glance at your monitor. Don't focus on anything else, even for a moment. You

4 8 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

The only people who are impressed by your stuffy, pretentious, self-important self are other stuffy, pretentious, self-important people.

6

. Show that other people are more important

You already know what you know. You know your opinions. You know your perspectives and points of view. All that isn't important because it's already yours. You can't learn anything from yourself.

7. Choose your words

The words you use impact the attitude of others.

For example: You don't have to interview job candidates; you get to select a great person to join your team!

The words you choose can help other people feel better about themselves – and make you feel better about yourself, too.

discuss the failings 8.ofDon't others

Granted, we all like hearing a little gossip. We all like hearing a little dirt.

The problem is, we don't necessarily like

– and we definitely don't respect – the people who dish that dirt.

Don't laugh at other people. When you do, the people around you wonder if you sometimes laugh at them.

And readily admit your 9.own failings

Incredibly successful people are often assumed to have charisma simply because they're successful. Their success seems to create a halo effect, almost like a glow.

The key word is ‘seem’.

You don't have to be incredibly successful to make a great first impression. Scratch the shiny surface, and many successful people have all the charisma of a rock.

But you do have to be incredibly genuine to be remarkably charismatic.

Be humble. Share your screwups.

Admit your mistakes. Be the cautionary tale. And laugh at yourself.

While you should never laugh at other people, you should always laugh at yourself.

People won't laugh at you. People will laugh with you.

They'll like you better for it – and they'll want to be around you.

The opinions expressed here by Inc. com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

PERSONAL & FINANCE

(whichever is lesser). The Normal rate (up to 14 nights) increased to €133.73, the Reduced rate (next 14 nights) to €120.36, and the Detention rate (next 28 nights) to €66.87.

• A Vouched Accommodation rate of up to €133.73 plus the appropriate day rate was introduced for use in Dublin only, where accommodation cannot be sourced within the normal overnight rate cost.

Motor travel rates Where an employee is required to use their own vehicle for business purposes, only business travel up to the acceptable Civil Service rate can be paid free of tax.

The following sets out the key rates and also some key issues to consider when implementing a policy of reimbursement:

Tax treatment of the reimbursement of expenses and travel and subsistence

T ABOVE: Mairead O'Grady

he reimbursement of travel and subsistence tax-free is always a topical issue for Employers and Revenue alike and updated Civil Service rates are in effect since 1 April 2017. It is vital that employers understand the rates and, if not, take the necessary actions to rectify any issues in order to remain compliant from a PAYE perspective.

Domestic Subsistence Rates • A day allowance may be paid to an employee working away from his/ her normal place of work where he/ she is away for over 5 hours and is at least 8km away from that normal place of work or his/her home (whichever is the lesser). The day rates (remained unchanged at the last updating) are at €14.01 for absences of 5 hours to 10 hours and €33.61 for absences of 10 hours or more.

• An overnight rate may be paid to an employee to cover a business related absence for a period of up

to 24 hours, subject to conditions including the employee is working at least 100km away from his/her normal place of work, or home

1. A qualifying business journey always requires an employee to be temporarily away from their normal place of work in the performance of duties. In general, the normal place of work is straightforward to determine and will be the employer’s main business premises. However, exceptions may apply to where the ‘Normal’ place of work is.

2. Any travel to and from an employee’s private home to their normal place of work is never considered a business journey and any reimbursement of such expenses will always be taxable, e.g. the cost of a taxi fare where an employee has been required to work late.

3. The allowable rate per kilometre for a Car depends on the engine capacity of the car and the level of annual business mileage in a calendar year. Separate rates apply for Motor Cycles and Bicycles.

Band

Distance

Engine capacity up to 1200cc

Engine capacity 1201cc - 1500cc

Engine capacity 1501cc and over

Band 1

0 - 1,500 km

37.95 cent

39.86 cent

44.79 cent

Band 2

1,501 - 5,500 km

70.00 cent

73.21 cent

83.53 cent

Band 3

5,501 - 25,000 km

27.55 cent

29.03 cent

32.21 cent

Band 4

25,001 km and over

21.36 cent

22.23 cent

25.85 cent

ABOVE: Allowable rates per kilometre for a car on engine capacity

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 49

PERSONAL & FINANCE

4. Where an employee commences a business journey from their home (e.g. travel direct to a customer/supplier premises at the start of the working day), the allowable business journey will be restricted to the lesser of: • The distance travelled from home to that temporary place of work, or • The distance from the normal place of work to the temporary place of work.

5. Particular care should be taken where employees are required to be away from the normal place of work on an ongoing basis for a considerable length of time. It is advisable in these cases to evaluate the position to ensure that the normal place of work has not changed.

6. A new condition is the exclusion of these rates where the trip might be associated with an individual’s job, but not in the performance of those duties, e.g. attendance at lectures, etc.

5 0 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

7. It is important to note also that there are specific rates available for foreign trips that may be applied separately.

Country money Employees in the construction industry are often required to travel to work at different sites.

Expenses of travel and subsistence may be paid tax free to a site-based employee, up to €36.34 per day where the employee is working at a site that is 32km (20 miles) or more from the employer’s base.

They may not be paid tax free where the employee is provided with transport or lodgings by the employer or recruited to work at one site only.

Provision of a company vehicle Where an employee is provided with a company vehicle, a taxable benefit should not arise where the employee spends at least 80% of his/her working time away from the employer’s base and,

other than travel to and from the employee’s home, any private use is strictly forbidden. The retention of appropriate documentation is vital in such a case.

Importance The above is just a summary of the broad guidelines but further detail applies to each area. The importance of administering your tax obligations as an employer in the area of travel and subsistence payments cannot be underestimated.

Employers should be vigilant in terms of retaining appropriate documentation and records to ensure that any PAYE risks are minimised.

A strong policy document and good internal controls are key to achieving this as failure to apply correctly could result in exposure to interest and penalties in a Revenue audit.

To discuss how your business manages its travel and subsistence policy, contact Mairead O’Grady at Russell Brennan Keane on (090) 64 80600 or email mogrady@rbk.ie

PERSONAL & FINANCE

Y

ou should think about whether gadget insurance suits your needs before buying it. A good place to start is by checking out the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s (CCPC) tips for finding out if gadget insurance is right for you: • Your consumer rights.

If a gadget you bought is faulty, you have rights as a consumer to get the business you bought it from to rectify the problem, regardless of whether you take out insurance on the item.

Under consumer law you are entitled to a repair, replacement or refund.

If you are unhappy with the response the retailer offers you, you should make a formal complaint to them in writing.

Bought the gadget – what about insurance?

protect your item against things like accidental damage, liquid damage, theft, and unauthorised calls after your phone has been stolen, and most will include a period of cover when travelling abroad. Read the small print so you know what you’re not covered for and watch out for any exclusions that may apply.

For instance, if you left your phone in your car without hiding it away in the glove compartment and it was stolen, you may not be covered.

• Find out about the excess fee. If you have to make a claim, you will more than likely have to pay an excess fee. The excess usually increases with every claim you make. For example, if it is the first time your phone is stolen, the excess could cost €30-€60, but if your phone is stolen a second time and you are making a claim again, the excess could cost double this amount. Most policies include a maximum amount of claims – usually two per year.

• Have you already got a guarantee or warranty?

It is also worth knowing where you stand if you hen you buy expensive electronic have a guarantee from equipment for yourself or your family, it the manufacturer or if makes sense to want to protect yourself. you took out a warranty If you buy a new phone, laptop or tablet, you may when you bought be offered gadget insurance to protect you from the gadget. If it is still possible loss, theft or accidents. The Competition within the guarantee and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) or warranty period, it is • Value for money. has some great advice as always! up to the manufacturer It may be convenient to resolve the issue. A to choose whatever guarantee or warranty insurance is offered normally won’t protect you if you lose or drop the by sales staff when you buy your laptop or phone device, even if it is within the specified time period. without giving it much thought. But it might not be the best deal out there. Don’t feel pressured into • The cost of replacement. Insurance for electronic making a decision there and then. Do some research goods, such as mobile phones, can be quite expensive beforehand and shop around to work out what is the when compared to the cost of the item itself, so there best option for you. You may be able to include the are a few things to think about before you sign up to item as part of your home insurance contents cover, any policy. Look at the total cost of any insurance policy but this could cause your home insurance premium to compared to how much it would cost you to replace the increase if you have to make a claim. Gadget insurance item, to see if it makes sense. If the guarantee or warranty usually only covers faults that occur outside of the period has expired and you don’t have insurance, then manufacturer’s guarantee period, so make sure that it you will have to pay for the cost of a repair or replacement is worthwhile paying for it. If the guarantee or warranty of your device if the issue is due to accidental damage, does provide cover for a certain amount of time ask misuse or wear and tear. If you take out gadget insurance yourself would you ever claim on the insurance. For that covers situations like accidental damage, loss or example, if your gadget is a mobile phone you may theft, the insurance company may pay for the cost end up changing it every couple of years anyway. of a repair or replacement once you make a claim.

You can find more information on gadget •What’s covered and what’s not. Most insurers will insurance on the CCPC’s website www.ccpc.ie

W

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 51

PERSONAL & FINANCE

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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, the key concerns may be paying down 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.

an appropriate 2. Set investment strategy

Five steps to a financial plan T he 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.

4.

Plan for unforeseen events

The next step is to devise an investment strategy which gives you the best chance of meeting your goals. Goalsbased investing aims to align each goal with an appropriate strategy, reflecting your personal risk and objectives.

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 and business if you were to pass away suddenly or become too ill to work.

3.Be Tax Smart

5. Review regularly

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.

5 2 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

Putting a financial plan in place and identifying any action points for the short-, medium- and long-term 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.

LEGAL VIEW

C

ollateral warranties are part and parcel of any large construction project. With onerous and often uninsurable terms increasingly being sought by funders in particular, in this article Cathie Shannon and Mary Smith of Beale & Company consider the provisions to be found in a typical collateral warranty and the steps that might be taken by consultants and contractors to limit their exposure to liability.

Collateral Warranties in focus For contractors and members of the design team, a Collateral Warranty (CW) is a stand-alone contract, collateral either to the building agreement or to the letter of appointment, with the contractor or design team member being the warrantor.

A CW enables the third party beneficiary of the CW to have the benefit of the building agreement or letter of appointment and to sue the warrantor for breach of contract.

If no CW were to be executed, the third party would have no contractual right to sue the warrantor in the event of there being defects.

UK In the UK, the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 allows a third party to enforce a contract, either where the contract expressly provides that he may, or where it may be inferred that the third party should be entitled to enforce a term.

There is no equivalent legislation in Ireland, hence the important of CWs to funders, buyers and tenants.

Building contractors are often required as one of their contractual obligations to obtain CWs from sub-contractors, particularly those taking on design responsibility and regarded by the employer as key.

With a view to ensuring that they are in the best position to provide these CWs and comply with their contractual obligations, the sub-contract documents entered into should include provision of CWs by the sub-contractor as a contractual obligation.

The same step should be taken by any design team member engaging a sub-consultant providing a CW for an element of the works.

A CW will probably require that a design team member warrant that its services have been performed with reasonable skill and care in accordance with its letter of appointment.

Require For a building contractor, the CW generally will require that it warrant it has complied and shall continue to comply with its obligations under the Building

Contract and these obligations may be listed.

The standard of care provision should be identical to that contained in the contract. For a consultant or contractor with design responsibility, a standard of care greater than ‘reasonable skill and care’, such as a fitness for purpose warranty, should be resisted.

Claims arising from such warranties in general are excluded from cover in professional indemnity insurance policies.

A fitness for purpose obligation does not require that negligence be proved in order for there to be a breach and this could mean that an Insurer could require the policyholder to prove their own negligence.

It is usual to seek to limit liability so that the design team member or contractor is not liable to the beneficiary of the CW for any act or omission which is not a breach of the letter of appointment or building agreement.

All construction professionals should seek to ensure that a ‘no greater liability’ clause is included in their CWs, to ensure

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 53

LEGAL VIEW

that they can have no greater liability to the beneficiary of the CW than they do to their client, as well as a clause confirming that they may rely on any defences and limitations available to them under their letter of appointment or building agreement.

Importance It is of primary importance for contractors and design team members that a financial cap on liability be included in CW. If there is no financial cap on liability, then the warrantor’s liability to the beneficiary will be unlimited.

Seek to include a clause limiting liability to the cost of making good physical defects in the works and excluding indirect or consequential loss in its entirety.

It is generally preferable to be specific as to what types of indirect or consequential loss are being excluded, for the avoidance of doubt.

Whilst these are often resisted by funders in particular, always seek to include a net contribution clause, providing that the construction professional is only liable to the extent that it is responsible for any defects in the work.

Net contribution clauses are contractual provisions which attempt to avoid the iniquities of the Civil Liability Act 1961 providing for joint and several liability of concurrent wrongdoers.

In the period following the economic downturn, this legislation often operated to ensure that consultants holding professional indemnity insurance bore the brunt of claims in respect of defective buildings, where the contractors either had no assets or were insolvent.

Net contribution clauses have not been tested in the Irish Courts, but have been upheld in a number of UK decisions, which an Irish Court might have regard to should it have to rule upon whether to uphold such a clause.

Typically A CW typically will provide that professional indemnity insurance has to be in place and maintained for 6 or 12 years, that a particular level of cover will be provided and that ‘reasonable endeavours’ will be made to put in place and maintain PI insurance from date of PC, provided PI is available at commercially reasonable rates.

Seek to ensure that the ‘endeavours’ to be made to obtain PI cover are no more than reasonable.

Case law in the UK, which may be of 5 4 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

persuasive effect in Ireland, has held that a party contractually bound to make ‘best endeavours’ to achieve a particular end, may be obliged to take steps that do not necessarily align with its own interests, in order to comply with its contractual obligations.

Note too that the fact that a particular level of PI cover is expressed in the CW does not mean that any claim for damages made by the beneficiary of the CW will be limited to that sum.

Only a limitation of liability provision in the CW will operate to ensure that the quantum of any claim is limited to a particular sum.

The period of the CW typically will be either 6 or 12 years from PC, depending on whether executed under seal.

Care should be taken with this provision, as claims on foot of CWs may arise some time after a project has completed.

Seek to ensure that in case of step-in, any outstanding fees will be paid by the funder.

CWs generally include provision allowing for the assignment of the benefit of the CW to another party, as this makes the property more marketable.

Seek to limit the number of permitted assignments and if possible ensure that consent, not to be unreasonably withheld, is to be obtained before the CW is assigned.

There may be a provision in the CW that the CW may be assigned once without the prior written consent of the warrantor, but that thereafter consent must be obtained, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

The terms on which the CW may be assigned, if at all, merit careful consideration.

Some professional indemnity insurance

'CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT A CW IS A STAND-ALONE CONTRACT AND THAT IN ENTERING INTO IT, THEY TAKE ON CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS TO THE BENEFICIARY.' For a construction professional, ideally the period would be stated to be 6 or 12 years from completion of project or cessation of services, whichever is the earlier.

Step-in rights generally are provided for in CWs entered into with funders and the purpose of this is to enable the funder to ‘step in’ to the employer’s shoes in the event of the employer’s liquidation or bankruptcy.

Right Typically, a step-in clause provides that the construction professional has a right to determine its employment pursuant to the letter of appointment or building agreement, but will have to give notice to the funder of intention to do so, providing the funder with an opportunity to ‘step-in’ to the contract.

The CW usually provides that the funder will take on the obligations of the employer and that the letter of appointment or building agreement will continue to have full force and effect.

policies on the market exclude from cover claims arising out of the assumption of obligations to more than two subsequent owners or occupiers of works in relation to which the policy holder has been performing the services.

Stand alone Construction professionals have to keep in mind that a CW is a stand-alone contract and that in entering into it, they take on contractual obligations to the beneficiary.

The fact that a CW is in effect a ‘right to sue’ has to be at the forefront of considerations when deciding whether to execute.

Only agree to provide CWs where there is a contractual obligation to do so.

Legal and insurance advice may need to be taken before the CW is executed and its terms should not be considered in isolation from the building agreement or letter of appointment and any relevant insurance policies. www.beale-law.com

WETROOMS REPORT

a standard bathroom layout.

Although not always designed with this in mind, wetrooms are particularly good for the elderly or less able bodied.

With no shower step to negotiate, adding half-height screens can allow a carer to remain dry whilst assisting someone in the showering area.

Flexibility

THE WONDER OF WETROOMS

A

wetroom is effectively a fully waterproofed bathroom where walls and floors are ‘tanked’ or sealed with layers of waterresistant material which stops damp from seeping out into the fabric of the building. Here, Sarah Viney of Marmox considers the attractions and challenges.

The advantages of wetrooms are many; perhaps the main one being that, freed of baths, trays, screens or other enclosures, a wetroom can make a striking addition that increases the value of a home.

Wet rooms are, in general, easier to clean, as there’s no shower screen or tray to worry about and if you go for a wall-hung sink and toilet, the floor can be kept completely clear.

In addition, they should prove more hygienic as the opportunities for mould growth are much restricted compared to

Unquestionably, a wetroom allows greater flexibility for future adaptation: ready for any decline in the mobility for the end user.

A further argument in their favour is that for those considering spending on a new shower enclosure, a wet room without one can work out at a very similar price, while looking a lot more modern and stylish.

A couple of caveats, though, need to be heeded if your wetroom is going to be a success: It is vital that the installation is professionally waterproofed, then tiled or lined from floor to ceiling – which costs more than simply tiling above a bath.

In some respects a wetroom can be viewed as a blank canvas – free from most of the normal obstructions – which can then permit greater design freedom in respect of the finishes.

Tiles are the most popular wall and floor covering, but it is circumspect to choose non-porous options such as ceramic or porcelain.

Porous materials, including slate, marble and limestone, unfortunately require sealing every few months to prevent water damage.

Meanwhile, floor tiles should be non-slip for obvious safety reasons and many people will want the additional comfort of underfloor heating.

This will not only keep the surface warm underfoot, but help the water evaporate.

Sheet vinyl or even composite materials, which are seamless and non-porous for low-maintenance, are other options for both walls and floors as are the many attractive panel alternatives available.

Often manufactured in the form of high pressure laminates, these are large format which can feature special interlocks or the use of joint profiles, to avoid the need for grout and thus the almost inevitable future chore of scrubbing or bleaching

to get rid of stains and mould.

Durability The long-term durability and success of any wall or floorcovering is, however, very much dependent on the stability of the substrate. Ideally the background for any finishes should be sound, completely waterresistant and, if possible, provide a degree of thermal insulation.

Whether the structure of the building is traditional masonry, timber-frame or some other hybrid, a wetroom will benefit from the installation of a well-proven tilebacker board to present a uniform background – which also offers excellent bonding characteristics for tile cement or other adhesives.

Those with a core of extruded polystyrene (XPS) and a facing of reinforced polymer concrete meet all of these aspirations and can also support substantial loads including wheelchairs, when laid across joists or other sub-floors.

In all situations, adequate provision must be made to remove water from the room, which requires both a drain outlet and direction for the run-off.

For a workable wetroom therefore, probably the best way of achieving this is to make use of a pre-sloped tileable shower base.

The most user-friendly option is to purchase one which offers the same positive physical characteristics as the best tile-backer boards, but incorporates an adequately sloping surface and an integral drain that is adjustable for direction of outflow and it is essential that the waterproofing membrane laid beneath the tiling can be permanently sealed to this drain.

Given that these multiple criteria are met, then with their ease of maintenance and the sense of luxury, a contemporary wetroom is considered super-stylish by both design professionals and property pundits, meaning that – properly executed – they can add to both the enjoyment and the value of a home.

For further information: Marmox (uk) Ltd, Caxton house, 101-103 Hopewell Drive, Chatham, Kent ME5 7NP. Tel: 0044 1634 835290 Fax: 0044 1634 835299 Email: sales@marmox.co.uk Web: www.marmox.co.uk March/April 2018 | Construction Management | 55

RECOGNITION AND AWARDS

Talent of Irish architects celebrated

A

mong the projects recognised at the 2018 RIAI Architecture Awards were Clancy Quay Housing, Phase 2; the National Gallery of Ireland; Meath County Council and Thapar University Student Accommodation in India.

The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) has announced the winners of the 2018 RIAI Architecture Awards.

Contribution The awards recognise the quality of work carried out by RIAI members in 2017 and highlight the contribution that Irish architects make to society.

This year saw the highest number of entries to the awards since before the recession and the standard was so high that the jury also selected 63 projects for exhibition, which will be shown at the RIAI offices and online.

Clancy Quay, Phase 2 by OMP Architects was the winner in Housing, while the prize for Best Public and Culture went to the National Gallery of Ireland, Refurbishment of Historic Wings project by Heneghan Peng architects, with Blackwood Associates Architects.

Newry Leisure Centre in Co. Down won in the Best Universal Design category and Meath County Council HQ, by Bucholz EcEvoy Architects, took the top spot in the Fit-Out category.

The Tenement Museum in Dublin, 5 6 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

ABOVE: 1WML office and mixed use development

designed by Shaffrey Architects was named Best Conservation/ Restoration Building.

Shared The award for Best Education Building was shared between a primary school in Westport, Co. Mayo, Scoil Phรกdraig, designed by SJK Architects and No 26 York Street, the new medical education building on the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland campus in Dublin, which was designed by Henry J Lyons.

Best International Project went to Thapar University Student Accommodation in India, designed

by McCullough Mulvin.

For the tenth year, members of the public were invited to have their say on the Public Choice award. Over 10,000 votes were cast, and the winning building was No 26 York Street.

2018 Category W Best Commercial / Workplace: 1WML Office and Mixed-Use Development, Dublin by MOLA Architecture. And Fallahogey Studio, Kilrea, Coleraine by McGarry Moon Architects Ltd.

Best Conservation / Restoration: No 14 Henrietta Street, Tenement Museum Dublin by Shaffrey Architects

Best Educational Building: Scoil Phรกdraig, Westport, Co. Mayo

by SJK Architects. And, No 26 York Street, RCSI, Dublin, Henry J Lyons

ry Winners - overview Best Culture or Public Building: National Gallery of Ireland, Refurbishment of Historic Wings, Dublin by Heneghen Peng Architects with Blackwood Associates Architects (Conservation Architect)

Best House: Vaulted House, Dublin by GKMP Architects

Best House Extension: St Catherine’s, Dublin by Ryan W. Kennihan Architects

Best Fit-Out:

Best Housing:

Meath County Council HQ, Co. Meath by Bucholz McEvoy Architects.

And, Triggerfish Cookshop, Co. Dublin by Darragh Breathnach

Clancy Quay, Phase 2, Dublin by O’Mahony Pike Architects with Lindsay Conservation Architects

Best Health Building: Northwest Cancer Centre, Derry

by O'Connell Mahon Architects with Isherwood and Ellis Architects

BELOW: No. 26 York Street

Best Public Place: Port Centre Precinct, Dublin by Darmody Architecture.

And, DLR Red Jetty, Co. Dublin by A2 Architects and Alan Meredith Studio June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 57

RECOGNITION AND AWARDS

Best International: Thapar University Student Accommodation, India by McCullough Mulvin

Future Award:

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John Monahan, Noji Architects

Sustainability: The Mews, Co. Dublin by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Architects Department

Universal Design: Newry Leisure Centre, Newry by Kennedy FitzGerald Architects LLP

Public Choice Award: Winner: 26 York Street, RCSI, Dublin, Henry J Lyons / 2nd Place: Scoil Phádraig, Westport, Co. Mayo by SJK Architects / 3rd Place: One Microsoft Place, Dublin, RKD Architects

Special Jury Award: No 14 Henrietta Street, Tenement Museum Dublin by Shaffrey Architects

Welcome Speaking at the event, David Browne, President, RIAI, said: ‘It’s very welcome that we had a record number of entries submitted this year as it demonstrates the range of great work being carried out by Irish architects both at home and abroad.

‘The standard was exceptionally high and I would like to heartily congratulate all of our winners on their success.’

The RIAI Irish Architecture Awards are sponsored by Gerflor, with additional support from Wink Lighting and Stewart Construction.

For more information see www.irisharchitectureawards.ie and www.riai.ie

ABOVE: Port Centre Precinct

5 8 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

ABOVE: No. 14 Henrietta Street

BELOW: Clancy Quay, phase 2

RECOGNITION AND AWARDS

SECTOR SHINES BRIGHT IN IRISH CONCRETE SOCIETY AWARDS E xcellence in the design and construction in concrete was clearly evident again at this year’s Irish Concrete Society’s Awards Evening.

This year marked the 36th Annual Awards Evening of the Concrete Society. The Awards recognise excellence in both design and construction of concrete and are adjudicated by a distinguished, independent jury of industry professionals.

The main awards jury reviewed a total of 27 projects nominated in three categories of main awards: Element, Infrastructure and Building.

Element Category and Overall Winner: The Vaulted House, Dublin Chosen from a total of 10 category entries and 27 entries for overall award.

Jury Quote: ‘The terrazzo flooring in the existing building may have been the spark that set the client, designers and contractors down a road that delivered an exceptional building that has concrete features throughout.

‘The client was brave and gave a complete vote of confidence to the design team and the contractor.

‘There are many architectural exposed concrete elements that could have been submitted, fair faced walls, columns, soffits, and beams; the dramatic board marked beams internally and externally; the extensive use of terrazzo on the floors and stairs.

‘The concrete theme continued

into the garden with a board marked concrete shed, planter boxes, barbeque and even an in situ concrete table, and a concrete worktop and sink.

‘The vaulted concrete ceiling could well have been overpowering and cold. However, the attention to detail in the design and the craftwork and passion from the contractor have resulted in an exceptional feature in a very beautiful modern home.’

Project Client: Private, Project Engineer: David Maher & Associates, Project Architect: GKMP Architects, Project Contractor: Darcy Bros, Major Suppliers: Gerry & Martin Brennan / PJ Ryan Terrazzo / Roadstone

There were also eight projects nominated for the sixth International Award, which is sponsored by Enterprise Ireland. The winners of the annual Séan deCourcy Student Award and the biennial Sculpture Award were also announced.

The main awards jury consisted of Michael Browne of Collen Construction, Séan Harrington of Séan Harrington Architects and Brian Kavanagh of Garland Consulting Engineers.

ABOVE: Project team members for The Vaulted House, Dublin accepting their award from Jim Mansfield Chairman of the Society. (L-R) Declan Darcy (Darcy Bros); Thomas Burke (Roadstone); Jim Mansfield; Grace Keeley (GKMP Architects); Paul Durcan (GKMP Architects); Michael Pike (GKMP Architects)

Sculpture Award. winning Piece: Shards of Memory by Yvonne Casburn Held every two years this Award scheme enables the Society to acknowledge the work of sculptors who use concrete as a medium of expression.

Séan deCourcy Student Award: Winner: Steven Conroy, National University of Ireland, Galway.

Project title: Smart materials – structural testing and analysis of ‘smart’ precast concrete slabs.

This is an annual award given to the best final year project on a concrete related topic from the engineering faculties of 3rd level colleges.

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 59

RECOGNITION AND AWARDS

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ABOVE: Project team members for ‘Páirc Uí Chaoimh’ accepting their award from Jim Mansfield Chairman of the Society. (L-R) Ger Campion (Roadstone); Eamon Stack (Banagher Precast Concrete); Peter Deegan (Banagher Precast Concrete); Dave Cotter (John Sisk and Son); Bryan Roe (Scott Tallon Walker); Tony O'Dowd (P J Edwards); Jim Mansfield; Fiona Clancy (Roadstone); Sean Breen (Malachy Walsh and Partners); Seamus Kelly (Malachy Walsh and Partners); Eoghan Cremin (John Sisk and Son); Michael Barry (Roadstone)

Infrastructure Category Winner: Páirc Uí Chaoimh Stadium Chosen from a total of 7 projects entered.

Jury Quote: ‘This is a project of scale and impact and it dominates the local area. The vertical concrete elements and the excellent precast cladding panels captured the jury’s attention. There is also the row after row of precast concrete seating and terraces all completed to a high standard.

‘This concrete tiered infrastructure surrounding is a worthy winner.’

Project Client: Cork County GAA, Project Architect: Scott Tallon Walker, Project Engineer: Malachy Walsh and Partners, Project Contractor: John Sisk and Son, Major Supplier: Banagher Precast Concrete / P J Edwards & Co Ltd / Roadstone 6 0 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

ABOVE: Royal College of Surgeons. Project team members for ‘Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin’ accepting their award from Jim Mansfield, Chairman of the Society. (L-R) David McKeown (Kilsaran); Paul Devine (OCSC); Paul Healy (OCSC); Maria Mulcahy (Henry J Lyons); Eddie Lyons (OCSC); Jim Mansfield; Colm Murray (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland); Sara Madigan (Henry J Lyons); Robert Salmon (Henry J Lyons); Michael Drury (Henry J Lyons)

Building Category winner: Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin Chosen from a total of 10 entries Jury Quote: ‘The project team have combined to deliver a spectacular building that is alive with learning. The concrete challenges demanded a collaborative approach which must have pushed the parties to their elastic limit at times.

‘From the raking columns, the jumbo corbel transfers, the dramatic board marked free standing concrete walls, the challenges in the basement civil works, this project challenged practitioners in concrete on several fronts.

‘The building that results is a vibrant living centre of education which highlights the concrete frame of the building in a very positive light.

‘This a landmark living building and excellent concrete work is at the heart of the project.’

Project Client: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Project Architect: Henry J Lyons, Project Engineer: OCSC, Project Contractor: Bennett Construction, Major Suppliers: Kilsaran / SMG Formwork

ABOVE: The Royal Mint, Banagher Precast Concrete. (L-R) Peter Deegan (Banagher Precast Concrete); Jim Mansfield; Donal Byrne (Enterprise Ireland); Caroline Cavanagh (Banagher Precast Concrete)

Winner of the 6th International Award: Banagher Precast Concrete, for ‘The Royal Mint, London’.

An award that recognises Irish companies who export product or service off the island of Ireland.

The Award reflects the growing emphasis on export for all in Irish construction and is sponsored

by Enterprise Ireland.

The Jury included Ed Hanlon, Engineer, Brian O’Rourke, Architect and Donal Byrne from Enterprise Ireland.

Chosen from a total of 8 entries.

Jury Quote: ‘The ambition demonstrated by this Irish company to complete the encapsulation of an existing busy rail line and free up the valuable airspace overhead for much needed inner city residential accommodation was impressive.

‘The entrant provided a full comprehensive design as well as the logistical expertise to manufacture and deliver multiple precast concrete units to this busy inner city site.

‘The structural design life of 120 years, the capacity to withstand a train impact and the innovative design approach undertaken together with the collaborative research into the seismic capability of invisible connections was also impressive.’

Project Client: The Royal Mint, London; Irish Supplier: Banagher Precast Concrete,

ME & MY JOB

statistical data on the new homes market.

Much of our data is published with some of our research data being made available to our key clients and government.

Name: Keith Lowe Occupation: Chief Executive Officer with DNG Can you tell us about your background and training?

I started working in DNG as a summer job which gave me a great introduction to the residential property business. I studied a property course in Rathmines College of Commerce. I attended college in the mornings and worked at DNG in the afternoons and at weekends.

I am now a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland and a member of Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers.

I began as a Junior Negotiator at DNG Central in the city and then was appointed manager at DNGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first branch office in The Square Shopping Centre, Dublin.

I moved on to manage our branch at Stillorgan Village before settling down at DNG HQ at Leeson Park. I was appointed a Partner when I was 26 and Chief Executive when I was 36, which is 12 years ago.

Is there a typical day for you?

My work life can be hectic. I start early â&#x20AC;&#x201C; before the phone starts ringing and emails pinging. Finding me in the office

at 6.45 -7.00am would not be unusual.

A typical day for me is littered with meetings â&#x20AC;&#x201C; be it with our new homes, marketing, franchising, valuation, research or second-hand office teams.

I spend quite a bit of time evaluating sites for development and I am part of a number of design teams for new housing schemes in the development stage.

I like to interface with my clients directly, be it by phone or face-to-face meetings and spend a good proportion of my day working on new homes schemes.

I attend meetings at branch level every week. This allows me to keep my finger on the market pulse.

At least one day every other week I provide one-to-one or remote market presentations to clients, many of whom are based outside Ireland.

Research is a huge area for your organisation. How do you stay on top of the coming trends?

DNG collate and produce extensive data on the residential re-sale and new homes markets on a national basis.

We have three separate house and apartment price indexes and we have a team who collate incredible data.

We have an in-house economist who produces and oversees much of our data. We also prepare extensive

How do you view the market at the moment, starting with Residential Construction?

We are witnessing a major rebound in residential construction which has commenced in the Capital and environs.

It will take a couple of years until the fruits are fully seen in the actual completion numbers but it is on the way and potentially quicker than many might think.

I believe that it will not be too many years until construction closes in on demand and that the new homes market returns to some form of normality in Dublin.

Apart from Dublin, construction numbers have picked up strongly already in Kildare, Meath, Wicklow and Louth and this has already started to spread to the commuter towns.

Construction is also commencing, albeit at low levels, on sites in Galway, Cork and other key high population urban areas.

However, construction still remains unviable in the majority of areas outside these key urban locations and it appears that it will be some time yet before new housing will recommence in many of these.

The property market has indeed been buoyant in the Greater Dublin Area for some time. How is the rest of the country catching up?

Sales in the majority of areas outside Dublin are strong with house prices rising across the board with the possible exception of the border counties where Brexit, and in particular, the fall in value of Sterling, has had a negative impact.

With limited new homes construction outside the cities second-hand property is in strong demand.

We have noted a rise in investor demand outside Dublin as yields have come under pressure in the Capital.

Apartment prices have been particularly slow to recover outside Dublin and we anticipate strong price growth in these over the next two to three years in many locations.

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 61

GREEN BUILDING

W

ith Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) standard coming into force on 1 January 2019, the focus is now shifting from energy efficiency to broader sustainability aspects.

Criteria Resource efficiency, healthy construction materials and the ability for these materials to be reused and recycled are some of the broader sustainability criteria already assessed under green building certification schemes, such as LEED, BREEAM and the Home Performance Index (HPI).

For instance, LEED V4 and BREEAM now have criteria for carrying out building level LCA. In BREEAM 2018 version LCA and Life cycle costing (LCC) will even carry more weight than the energy efficiency criteria.

The European commission is also piloting a common reporting framework for sustainable buildings, Level(s).

The objective of the framework is to standardise indicators for sustainable construction across Europe, with a view to integrate them into public procurement processes.

Material life cycle, Life Cycle Cost (LCC) and indoor air quality are some of the key indicators.

ABOVE: The IGBC has developed a fully operational Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) programme.

Optimising nZEB standard is only about optimising energy efficiency of buildings during their operation, which is just one important stage of the building’s life cycle.

Buildings have a very large impact on the environment at all stages of their life cycle.

A 2012’s study by Dr Jamie Goggins of NUI Galway suggested that embodied carbon accounted for approximately 34% of the carbon emissions from the total of all building’s life stages.

Embodied carbon can be defined as the carbon emissions associated with the production of materials incorporated into a building.

For an nZEB building the embodied carbon will form an even greater proportion. For these reasons, the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) has developed tools to mainstream buildings Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in Ireland.

The IGBC has teamed up with the leading LCA experts Bionova to customise their web based One Click LCA for Ireland and the Home

ABOVE: Pat Barry, CEO of the IGBC

Performance Index (HPI), the Irish certification system for new residential development.

The One Click LCA software allows building professionals to quickly calculate a full LCA to the European standard EN 15978 and to compare their buildings against benchmarks across Europe.

Established The tool currently draws on established European databases of construction products.

However, to improve the quality of data on construction products, the IGBC has developed a fully operational Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) programme.

Supported by the EPA, EPD Ireland allows Irish manufacturers to create, have verified and publish the environmental impacts of their construction products.

EPD Ireland sets out mandatory indicators

IRISH GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL UPDATE 6 2 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

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. In fact, Munster Joinery, Quinn Building Products and Medite Smartply have developed full EPDs under the EPD Ireland programme.

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. This assessment is then checked by IGBC’s 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 the EPD Ireland platform (www.epdireland.org).

Detailed information on almost 60 products ranging from insulation to paints is already available on the website.

Upskilling Yet, developing these tools is only one part of the equation when it comes to delivering a more sustainable built environment.

Upskilling the industry is equally important.

A recent IGBC’s report shows that a lack of holistic sustainability skills at all levels of the construction supply chain represents a major barrier to energy renovation, and to Ireland’s reaching its climate change targets.

Whole building approach, multidisciplinary and soft skills (e.g. communication) were among some of the skills gaps identified.

Against this background, the Irish Green Building Council proposed to launch an energy efficiency accreditation framework to create demand for highly qualified building professionals and to better incentivise them to upskill in the area.

The recommendations emerged from a comprehensive consultation process with a wide range of almost 150 stakeholders.

These include Ireland’s main building professional bodies, educational organisations, as well as industry and building users’ representatives.

Important Speaking at the launch of the report, Pat Barry, CEO of the IGBC said: ‘The Recommendations published today represent an important commitment by the industry to upskill building professionals in energy renovation.

‘However, the accreditation framework

must be supported by government if it is to be recognised by consumers.

‘A link to the register of accredited professionals could for instance be included in the BER advisory report.

‘SEAI, Government agencies and local authorities could also mandate the use of accredited professionals as part of their funding applications.’

The Irish Green Building Council has already taken the initiative to upskill the industry in a more holistic approach to building sustainability.

In 2017, more than 140 construction professionals were trained in green building certification schemes, LEED, BREEAM and the Home Performance Index – Ireland’s first national certification system for quality and sustainable residential development.

Beyond green building certification training, the IGBC now offers training in LCA, as well as health and wellbeing.

The IGBC has also 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.

In the area of health and wellbeing, the IGBC will organise a one-day training in September in

ABOVE: Report on upskilling building professionals in holistic energy renovation

‘BUILDINGS HAVE A VERY LARGE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AT ALL STAGES OF THEIR LIFE CYCLE.’ conjunction with the International Well Building Institute for those delivering Well certified projects or interested in delivering them.

Designing buildings to minimise embodied carbon, and creating a circular economy for construction materials, as well as healthy places to live and work, are all set, at time of writing, to be discussed at the Re-source 2018 conference on which we will have a report in our next issue.

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, including ReSource 2018: www.igbc.ie.

IGBC, 2018. Recommendations for a user-friendly holistic energy efficiency accreditation for building professionals. Available at www.igbc.ie.

June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 63

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

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.

Irish Cement - 80 years - from 1938 to 2018 Life in Ireland has changed dramatically over the past eighty years. In 1938 the Irish population was less than three million. Just half the population was connected to the electricity network, and less than one in ten households had radio licenses.

Cars were still a rare sight on the roads with bicycles instead the more common form of transport; back then a new bicycle cost £5!

The year 1938 was a significant one for the fledgling Irish state, with Ireland’s first president, Douglas Hyde inaugurated in June and the 20,000-seat Cusack Stand opening in Croke Park in August.

It was also a significant year for

Irish Cement as, on 23 May 1938, Sean Lemass, then Minister for Industry and Commerce, officially opened the cement factories in Drogheda and Limerick.

Industry That was the culmination of a

concerted effort to develop an indigenous cement industry.

In 1933 the Cement Act was established, which provided the legal framework for the formation of a cement industry in Ireland.

In 1934, the State approved the first cement licence and in May 1936, Cement Limited was registered as a Limited Liability Company and the two cement factories were established in Limerick and Drogheda in 1938.

Cement Limited and Roadstone Limited merged in 1970 to form CRH plc. In December 1978, the name ‘Cement Limited’ was changed to ‘Irish Cement Limited’ to reflect the long history of indigenous cement manufacture at the two factories and to more appropriately brand the company and its June/July 2018 2018 | Construction Management | 65

PRODUCTS & SERVICES/FEATURES

ABOVE: Limerick Works under construction 1930s

products as being 100% Irish.

Irish Cement today has a skilled workforce, operating two modern energy-efficient cement factories in Platin and Limerick which manufacture high quality cement for the construction sector both in Ireland and in export markets.

High quality The company continues to modernise and adapt both factories to reflect best practice and technology to meet customer demand for high quality products and ensure the long-term sustainability of the operations.

The importance placed by Irish Cement on continuous improvement over eighty years has resulted in products of the 6 6 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

highest quality and consistency.

Irish Cement products, long regarded as the benchmark for quality in Ireland, are also considered market leaders in high profile UK and mainland European construction markets.

Dedicated, expert technical support to customers and the broader industry has been a feature of Irish Cementâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s service since the early days of the company.

As construction techniques evolve and technical requirements become increasingly sophisticated, this expert technical support is more important than ever.

Vital The development of our modern way of life in Ireland is closely

linked to the improvements in housing, transport and infrastructure, where cement and concrete continue to play a vital role.

Irish Cement rightly remains proud of this close association over the past eighty years with the development of our modern Irish economy; not many products can claim to have formed the foundation of our nation!

Generations of construction workers have relied on the tried and trusted performance of Irish Cement products.

Now eighty years on, Irish Cement is well positioned to continue providing the construction market with high quality cement and technical support as Ireland builds its future.

PRECAST CONCRETE CLADDING Pre-cast concrete cladding solution for Capital Dock In 2016 Alucraft were appointed

by Aecom as a named domestic sub-contractor to Sisk on the iconic Capital Dock project.

This contract deviated from the norm as it included the installation of our large panoramic floor to ceiling windows and sliding doors into Techrete pre-cast concrete brick faced panels prior to installation on site.

Manufactured in Alucraft, a high specification Schüco window and door system was then transported by Techrete and lifted directly onto the building to provide a weathered building for follow on trades in the fastest manner possible.

Planning The co-ordination of manufacturing the pre-cast concrete panels and the façade elements in unison with each other was critical to project success.

To allow for this, the building’s façade was divided up, so that both manufacturing plants could work on the same section of elevation in unison.

The logistics were complex as the façade consisted of almost 700 windows, of which there were 90 different types.

Success was dependant on Alucraft’s ID system coupled with the sectional phasing of the façade installation.

Installation As the concrete panels were manufactured they were fitted with their glazed façade elements and then stored in ‘Toast Racks’ until installation commenced on site for that section.

Installation moved at a fast pace with windows and brick panels being installed in one go.

The brick reveal was to one side of the pre-cast panel and as the next panel was fitted it formed the second reveal of the window.

Once the panels were installed, the internal fit out of insulation, fire barriers, vapour sealing and internal finishes could commence.

The external sealing started once a number of floors were completed.

end product was a direct result of the individual attention each panel received under the design, manufacture and install QA process.

The QA system employed meant that the benchmark of checking of panels was agreed and completed before arrival on site, thus reducing the level of site inspection and risk.

Benefits

Testing Allowance had to be made earlier than usual for testing the interface of the precast panel with the glazed façade element.

The ‘off-site’ construction method was used and full-size panels with glazing were transported to a UK laboratory and tested.

A great deal was learnt from the testing process including transport methods, water and air infiltration and ensuring internal elements were fully workable and co-ordinated.

Quality The exceptional quality of the

Installing the façade in this manner resulted in numerous benefits with the main one being the need for no scaffolding on a 24-storey high building.

It also greatly reduced the time on site by 50% and this was a massive deciding factor when considering the site programme.

The use of a controlled environment to fit the windows and doors in a factory setting ensured high quality standards were achieved whilst not compromising the programme.

In summary, a major element of the overall project delivery was relatively risk-free as a result of ‘off-site’ construction methods.

June/July 2018 2018 | Construction Management | 67

PRODUCTS & SERVICES/FEATURES

Photos Credit: Dundee V&A

PRECAST CONCRETE CLADDING

Techrete have completed their work on the V&A Dundee Capturing design intent and the architect’s vision for a project is no mean feat for designers but with over 30 years’ experience, in the field of architectural precast cladding, Techrete managed to deliver just that.

Situated on the River Tay, the Victoria & Albert Museum of Design Dundee (V&A Dundee) is the first V&A to be built outside London.

The striking structure was designed by Kengo Kuma with BAM as the main contractor.

The design of the façade drew inspiration from the Scottish cliffs and the silhouette of the impressive façade imitates the shape of a ship at dock.

BIM was utilised during the design stage for the planks and innovatively, it was used to accurately locate where the cast-in channels were to be placed in the walls to facilitate the precast fixings.

A GPS system of precise co-ordinates was developed to ensure total accuracy of the interface between the cast-in channels and fixings on the panels during the installation process.

Bespoke There were approximately 18,000 channels cast in total. Pioneering bespoke fixings were also engineered

by Techrete which contributed to the overall speed of installation.

These fixings were specially designed with marine grade materials to 6 8 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

ensure there would be no corrosion due to its maritime location.

Due to the complexity of the curvature and complex geometric slopes of the façade the manufacture of the moulds presented some challenges.

From a distance, the planks look almost uniform, with a slightly non-linear appearance. However, whilst the planks from the anterior aspect are a comparable size, the posterior of the planks are differing sizes and orientations.

The traditional mould manufacture process, to facilitate such diversity in the planks, would have proved very costly with a lot of wastage.

So, Techrete experimented during the mock up phase and, through an advanced design process and collaboration with a steel mould builder, a rotating steel mould was devised that enabled the mould to rotate on large rollers and had the capability to lock the form at given angles which were required for the diversity of the units. The fully adjustable steel moulds facilitated quick and easy mould changes, were simple to operate and adjust and eliminated the need for a high volume of moulds thus reducing waste and improving quality.

With such a detailed design brief for this structure, Techrete utilised a mix that would encompass all the elements detailed.

The chosen mix was a C155 in an exposed finish. This mix encompasses all design elements and consists of reconstructed granite, which drew direct inspiration from the rugged Scottish landscape, and was enhanced by exposing the aggregates with the use of a retarder during the production stage.

The effect was further heightened with a light power washing to further expose the aggregates.

The overall effect is a striking contemporary structure with all the ruggedness traditionally associated with the highlands of Scotland.

Commenced The manufacturing period commenced in August 2016 and lasted a year. Two months of preparatory site works were undertaken to ensure a seamless installation of the 8,787 linear metres of planks, ranging in weight from 0.9 tonnes up to 2.8 tonnes.

The site works and GPS system facilitated a high level of accuracy when installing the panels.

The programme was initially designed to install all planks in a 36 week period but thanks to the GPS system, the preparatory site works and pioneering fixings, this was reduced to 28 weeks.

The onsite installation commenced in March 2017 and was complete by the end of October 2017.

Photos Credit: Dundee V&A

Photos Credit: Dundee V&A

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

June/July 2018 2018 | Construction Management | 69

PRODUCTS & SERVICES/FEATURES

Komatsu introduces KomVision ‘surround view’ visibility system KomVision is the name given by Komatsu to its new ‘surround view’ visibility system now being fitted as a standard safety feature on all excavators.

Goes beyond KomVision is said by Komatsu to be ‘a visual aid’ that ‘goes beyond safety regulations’.

It complies with the provisions of ISO5006:2017 – the new visibility testing standard which came into force from January 2018 – and is incorporated into the EU standard EN474-1 for earthmoving machinery safety.

Designed to give the operator ultimate peace of mind by providing an all-sides, real-time, bird’s eye view of the machine’s immediate surroundings, KomVision was designed, developed and manufactured by Komatsu as a ‘fully integrated feature that offers seamless connectivity between driver, machine and the

surrounding jobsite’.

Cameras Using a network of highdefinition cameras, KomVision projects ‘a crystal clear view of the immediate surroundings on to a widescreen cab monitor that the driver can quickly and easily check prior to making any movements’.

John O’Brien, sales director for Komatsu distributor McHale Plant Sales, tells us: ‘KomVision will ease the life of drivers who wished they had eyes in the back of their head and alleviate the concerns of operators keen to eliminate unnecessary contacts or collisions due to blind spots’.

7 0 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

THE FINAL SAY...

2. A cultural change and shift of ownership required to reflect the complexity of modern construction

Blame Culture

BEWARE OF 'FALSE PROPHETS'?

A

t the Building Regulations & Standards Summit Panel Discussions in Croke Park and the CIOB Panel Discussion in Ballsbridge Kevin Sheridan rejected many of the criticisms levelled at BCAR. He stated that much of the criticism in the ‘Safe as Houses’ report is largely based on the climate prevailing in the Celtic Tiger boom and relates to the Building Control system primarily between 1992 and 2014, whereas BCAR has only been in existence since 2014. This confusion he believes, has been conflated by linking the two situations and not acknowledging the full extent of the regulatory and culture change introduced since 2014.

The Building Control (Amendment) Regulation (BCAR- S.I.9 2014) had significant input from the construction industry which resulted in the delivery of a robust system of oversight and certification; yet, I feel that one might be forgiven for thinking that it seems to be ‘under siege’ sometimes.

This can come from a range of sources including wellintentioned reformers.

accountability to provide protection for current and future building users, by introducing an enabling preventative building control system.

BCAR replaced the former Ad-Hoc ‘self-compliance’ system operating up to 2014 which previously relied on ‘conveyancing led’, non-statutory opinions on ‘substantial compliance’, offering limited comfort or protection to lenders and end-users.

Regulatory landscape

Requirements

The regulatory landscape has changed significantly since the introduction of the Building Control Amendment Regulations (BCAR) system which has evolved since the Building Control Act was first introduced in the 1990s.

The recent changes brought about

by S.I.9 are designed to bring about greater clarity, transparency and

BCAR addresses the following requirements of the Grenfell report produced by Dame Judith Hackitt which called for: 1. A clear model of risk ownership

by Clients, Designers, Contractors and Owners – i.e. the principle risk being owned and managed by those who create it

A very strong ‘blame culture’ emerged and media contributors regularly offered perceived opinions on the causes and remedies of many highprofile failures which unfortunately bedevilled our industry and this reached a low point during the ‘Celtic Tiger’ building era.

The solutions proffered were often accompanied by media ‘sound bites’ oversimplifying the problem and offering unworkable simplistic solutions – incorrectly citing BCAR as the cause of the problem by conflating SI 9 with the former 1991 Building Control Regulations, often misinterpreting and misrepresenting the more holistic inspection and certification rigour of BCAR while ignoring the previous shortcomings in the former system.

Much misdirected criticism ignored the former light touch regulatory system and some mistakenly inferred that the SI 9 system was equally flawed.

Many unsubstantiated examples cited were used to infer evidence of current failures whereas they had their origins mainly prior to BCAR. Many would accept that these former high-profile failures are not a fair reflection on the overall performance of an otherwise largely compliant industry.

However, these incidents were undoubtedly a blight on the reputation of the industry and heralded the introduction of a more transparent, accountable and rigorous system introduced by BCAR.

Chronology Before BCAR the self-compliance system was largely supported by non-statutory ‘conveyancing led’ certification (opinions on compliance).

In contrast, BCAR provides significant industry oversight and ‘ownership’ of the inspection and ‘signing off’ processes and requires that the mandatory statutory certification is underpinned by comprehensive rigorous ancillary certification discipline by involving the key chain of contributors to the construction process.

The new system involves a more forensic examination of each of the key components and products and forces all of the supply chain June/July 2018 | Construction Management | 71

THE FINAL SAY...

‘BCAR REPLACED THE FORMER AD-HOC "SELF- COMPLIANCE" SYSTEM OPERATING UP TO 2014’ to demonstrate evidence that each element and component is individually and collectively fit for purpose as part of the overall holistic system.

While this comes at a cost, often exaggerated, it is vital to have such a rigorous system as the cost of failure has been exponentially higher, as demonstrated by the former high-profile failure headlines, which we are all sadly aware of.

We owe no less an obligation of rigorous and cost-effective oversight and regulatory compliance to clients and building users.

Oireachtas Committee Recommendations The recommendations made by the Oireachtas committee in the ‘Safe as Houses’ Report are far-reaching.

While welcoming any proportionate initiatives that improve the operation of the Building Control system while maintaining and enhancing a ‘fit for purpose’ system that provides safeguards to protect our building stock and the public against unacceptable risks, regrettably, I believe the recommendation to shift the risk to the state is disproportionate and unworkable.

It was proposed, as part of a tender framework agreement, to set up a register to appoint only state authorised/licensed assigned and designed certifiers for a defined period.

I believe this is prone to risk and potential pitfalls, removing choice from clients and builders, and this is likely to be excessively costly, while causing confusion and delays and distortion to normal market conditions.

Legal Exposure Many key industry players now fear that, while their legal responsibilities have not changed from that imposed in the 1990 Act, the transparency provided by statutory and related ancillary certificates exposes them to greater future potential legal liabilities as they are clearly identified in certifying compliance of their works and buildings leaving them open to a charge of the tort of ‘negligent misstatement’.

7 2 | Construction Management | June/July 2018

Some have proposed a significant dilution of the key components of the BCAR system and, in particular, changing the wording of the statutory certificates to reflect a lesser exposure to designers and certifiers.

I believe this will do nothing to address the gross inadequacies inherent in the former system up to 2014 and will not give any real comfort to victims of building failures in the future.

Latent defects Insurance will not in itself be a ‘silver bullet’ as a return to less optimal practices is a recipe for future redress problems and any significant dilution of BCAR is likely to drive up insurance premia.

Professional Indemnity insurance is required by the professional institutions for members providing professional services to clients and its affordability in the future is contingent on a rigorous BCAR oversight process.

Building Control Intervention The decision to designate Dublin City Council as the Lead Building Control Authority to oversee the national and regional network of Building Control Authorities is welcomed.

To be effective meaningful targeted risk-based inspections should be stepped up in most regions and relate to the risk areas identified in the Code of Practice for Inspection and Certification of Buildings.

Notional targets of 10 to 15% are open to soft interpretation and these should be firmed up and regularly followed up. There should be an oversight group to regularly evaluate and validate its operation.

CIRI CIRI is the missing link in a trinity of enabling instruments to ensure regulatory compliance.

1) It provides on-going evidence to end users of the collective competence of the key primary players and is supported by a rigorous Code of Conduct and on-going training requirement and should go a long way to restore confidence in a much-maligned industry.

2) It supports BCAR in underpinning

the registration and delivery of a quality construction product and identifies a clear supply chain of specialists and suppliers.

3) Local Authority technical oversight is assisted by the Quality Assurance provided by the more focused categories of competence

BCAR as a model At the end of the day, BCAR is a framework and not intended as a straitjacket. It is regularly reviewed by the C.I.C. subcommittee and improved and tweaked.

BCAR compares very favourably with the other EU Building Control Systems and provides an innovative system that encapsulates a very thorough framework involving all the Industry players in a regulatory framework BCAR has already been diluted by the introduction of a discretionary Opt-Out provision under SI 365 statutory Instrument and this was opposed by the Construction Industry Representative bodies as SI365 provided for the exemptions for new single dwellings, on a single development, or a defined domestic extension.

The CIC bodies cautioned against this exception and questioned the rationale and wisdom of this action which had been rejected by all the Professional Institutes.

To dilute SI 9 would be tantamount to throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

LEFT: Kevin Sheridan EurBE MSc CEnv FSCSI FCIOB MICE FIBCI FRICS FCABE

Kevin is Secretary General and Past President of the Association of European Experts in Building and Construction. He is Chairman of the NSAI Construction Standards Consultative Committee overseeing the Construction Sector Standards Program 2018 – 2022.

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