Construction and Civil Engineering Issue 114 Early Edition

TH E

M AGAZINE

FOR

IN DUST RIA L

LE ADER S

ISSUE 114 EARLY

CONSTRUCTION

&CIVIL Engineering

Reconstructing Overcoming a combination of challenges on the history reconstruction of a Grade II listed bridge

See page 2

The cost of business

It is critical that public sector procurement policies are reviewed to consider their impact

Device advice

Green walls

How to manage ‘Bring your own Device’ security without alienating users –at all levels of the business

Vegetated retaining walls or embankments can offer key advantages over traditional hard armour systems

CONTENTS

Chairman Andrew Schofield Group Managing Director Mike Tulloch

FEATURES

2Cover story

Case study 2 Balfour Beatty’s £4.8 million reconstruction of a Grade II listed bridge faced challenges including the worst winter floods on record

Editor Libbie Hammond

libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

NEWS 5,11,15 Updates and information from the construction and civil engineering market

Editorial Design Jon Mee

PFI/PPP 6

Advertising Design Fleur Daniels

8

Staff Writers Jo Cooper Steve Nash Andrew Dann Editorial Admin Matt High

16

Head of Research Philip Monument Research Manager Laura Watling

Innovative vegetated wall systems are becoming an increasingly popular choice with contractors and civil engineering consultants

Equipment 12

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 16 Richard Blandford discusses how to manage BYOD security without alienating users

18

Sales Director David Garner Sales David King Mark Cawston

Affordable housing 18 People are looking not just to use affordable housing schemes, they are also looking to make it more affordable by sharing with friends or family COMPANY PROFILES

Production/Office Manager Tracy Chynoweth

© 2015 Schofield Publishing Ltd

Environment 8

A new raft of legislation has been released that is vital for anyone using a ladder to be aware of

Editorial Researchers Keith Hope Tarj Kaur-D’Silva Mark Cowles Tony Wright Michael Coleman

Schofield Publishing Cringleford Business Centre, 10 Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, U.K. Tel: +44 (0)1603 274130 Fax: +44 (0)1603 274131

How do we ensure that the cost of procurement does not put off the best engineering and construction firms from tendering for the most important public sector building contracts?

67

AB A.HÄGGBLOM 20 MILBANK CONCRETE PRODUCTS 23 KOMATSU MINING GERMANY 27 HELÉNS ROR AB 30 SEVERFIELD 34 WIRTGEN 37 WILLOWBROOK PLANT SERVICES 41 KONE 46 CIMC MODULAR BUILDING SYSTEMS 49 JOSEPH ASH GROUP 52 MARTIN GRANT HOMES 55 ROBERTSON TIMBER ENGINEERING 59 BMSE 62 KELLY FORMWORK 64 STIRNIMANN 67 ACTIVE TUNNELLING 73

Please note: The opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Schofield Publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Construction & Civil Engineering 1

CASE STUDY

Reconstructing

history Balfour Beatty brings a Grade II listed Victorian bridge into the 21st century

F

or what has been one of the more technically interesting rebuild projects and one that has faced a challenging combination of logistics, site conditions, restricted access and the worst winter floods on record, Balfour Beatty’s £4.8 million reconstruction of a Grade II listed bridge, between Whitchurch-On-Thames in Oxfordshire and Pangbourne in Berkshire, has ensured an important

2 Construction & Civil Engineering

river crossing is safe, viable and truly fit for the future.

One of only two privately owned toll bridges across the Thames and used by about 1.8 million vehicles per year, The Whitchurch Bridge was built in 1902 but was closed for reconstruction in October 2013.

Managed by Oxfordshire County Council on behalf of The Company of Proprietors of Whitchurch Bridge and with designs by Atkins, the toll bridge reconstruction has been completed by Balfour Beatty.

The work on this distinctive bridge was proposed in order to remedy the structural deficiencies that have arisen as a result of the age and increased traffic loads on the existing structure, which has led to serious deterioration of the existing structure and reduced the safe load capacity of the bridge to 7.5 tonnes.

Balfour Beatty was appointed to partially demolish the existing bridge and reconstruct a new bridge in the existing location that would comply with current Highway

Bridge Standards. With the existing bridge being a listed structure which necessitated maintaining the original aesthetics, there was the requirement to retain the existing white lattice girders for re-use on the sides of the new bridge as well as the brickwork capping stones and wrought iron railings into the new structure.

A logistical challenge Access was an issue to the bridge as it was restricted by a low

railway over-bridge which had an 11 foot headroom on the south Pangbourne approach, and limiting road widths and a steep hill on the north approach in Whitchurchon-Thames. The site was also in close proximity to a busy medical centre, an adventure centre and the Thames Footpath, which had to be temporarily diverted around the works compound.

Working over a live waterway also led to Balfour Beatty sourcing alternative specialist plant and equipment, including pontoons from Holland, a 120t crane from Ireland and a heavy-duty barge kit from Poland, to maintain safety zones around the navigation channel.

With continual movements of pontoons and workboats across the width of the river, the Environment Agency stipulated that the bulk of the reconstruction work take place over the winter period from November through March, when a river closure could be granted.

The loss of use of the bridge

structure over the period of the reconstruction meant a temporary bridge had to be constructed adjacent to the existing structure so that pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcycles would be able to cross the river between the two villages.

In addition, a number of existing utility services including high voltage electric and telecom cabling as well as water that were located on the existing bridge had to be temporarily diverted across the river by suspending them beneath the temporary footbridge. Once the temporary bridge was in operation and a temporary support system was installed on the existing structure in order to provide stability, the demolition of the bridge could commence.

The original design The 80 metre span steel bridge has four 20 metre spans supported by three sets of piers within the river with brickwork and concrete abutments on each riverbank. Each pier consists of

Construction & Civil Engineering 3

CASE STUDY

two diagonally braced steel columns screw driven into the bed of the river.

The top of each pier column had a cast iron capitol, which takes the loads of the main bridge girder spans.

Following a series of trial holes in the existing carriageway, it was revealed that the existing carriageway was constructed differently than the information detailed in the historic drawings. This raised concerns over the reliability of the historic drawings on which the demolition sequence was based, so further checks and investigative works were undertaken including an underwater dive survey to re-check the condition of the existing pier supports in the river bed.

Bernie Van Hoek, project manager, Balfour Beatty said: “Safety was our paramount concern during demolition which led to special measures including removing the dead load on the surface of deck in a piecemeal chequerboard pattern to avoid overstressing sections of the structure.”

The big flood But then as the demolition approached completion in December 2013, the River Thames experienced the worst floods since records began and the river rose to such an extent that all works were suspended for approximately 12 weeks. Once the flood waters receded and the river channel reopened to traffic in April 2014, Balfour Beatty tabled a revised work programme which involved short term river closures, night-time work and a heavy lifting scheme utilising larger floating plant and equipment from Ireland and Holland, which had greater lifting capacities and thus allowing work to proceed without obstructing the re-opened river channel.

Following the return to work, removal of the old lattice girders was completed and they were transported off-site for refurbishment.

The dismantling also revealed that the existing pier capitals, which had remained covered for 112 years were unable to be separated from the piers due to corrosion, and had to be

4 Construction & Civil Engineering

refurbished in-situ using cold stitchwelding techniques rather than refurbishing off site. Specialist piling equipment was used to drill a total of nine new piles at depths of up to 20 metres down into the bedrock to provide the support to the new bridge.

Further work involved the reconstruction of the north and south abutments, the erection of new structural steelwork, the casting of a new reinforced concrete bridge deck using 528 tonnes of concrete, and the re-attachment of the refurbished lattice girders to outside of new bridge deck.

With the new services diverted back across the new bridge, road surfacing, waterproofing and lighting completed the restoration.

A recycled bridge “One hundred per cent of materials on the existing bridge were recycled or recovered,” added Bernie Van Hoek. “All the existing sub-base and concrete was re-processed, all the steel support arches and transverse girders were cut into sections for recycling and the four existing capping stones and wrought iron railings were carefully removed for re-use.”

The eight existing edge girders that give the bridge its distinctive character were shotblasted and repainted off-site, but due to the age

of these girders a number of badly corroded sections have had to be cut out and replaced.

A bridge is reborn Faced with a constrained river site and the worst floods in recent memory, the success of the work is testament to the construction methods employed, which will ensure this iconic Grade II listed toll bridge will stand the test of time.

Geoff Weir, the company secretary of the Whitchurch Bridge Company said: “Our bridge is an important route over the Thames for local people and we are delighted that it has reopened after its reconstruction.

The Balfour Beatty site team has done a great job for us.”

Neil Patterson, Balfour Beatty regional managing director, said: “This has been a challenging project with the worst floods in recent memory and restrictions on the river affecting the programme. However, through close working with the Whitchurch Bridge Company and liaising with key stakeholders we have been able to minimise the impact and deliver a reconstruction which is sympathetic to the original design and stronger, allowing for its use through the 21st century.” m For further information visit: www.balfourbeattycsuk.com or www.balfourbeatty.com.

NEWS

Love TOM PHS Orwak, part of the PHS Group, has launched TOM - the latest in hi-tech Waste Compaction Systems for public spaces.

TOM which was developed in Sweden is the newest member of the Orwak family and offers up to seven times more capacity than a conventional waste bin, but in a unit of equivalent size. TOM features hands-free operation and intelligent self-management making it ideal for use in areas with high footfall such as restaurants, cafés and cafeterias; airports, railroad stations and other transportation hubs; arenas and theme parks; recycling centres, supermarkets, shopping malls and other retail centres.

Martin Hewitt, commercial director, at PHS Orwak Environmental said: “TOM is a remarkable feature-rich waste compaction system that offers huge benefits for managers of busy facilities. Not only does it allow for up to seven times the waste to be deposited before the bag is full and needs to be changed, but the system can communicate when it’s reached its capacity, so that you can proactively switch bags. This has huge implications for making site management more efficient. It means staff are not wasting time checking if bins are full.

“TOM also means fewer full bags compared to conventional bins which results in less volume to transport, less frequent and lower transportation costs, as well as lower CO2 emissions. It is the modern way of dealing with high volumes of consumer waste.”

£130m contract Bouygues UK and its property development company, Bouygues Development, both of them British subsidiaries of Bouygues Construction, are launching the second phase of the Hallsville Quarter project in the Canning Town district of Newham (East London). The contract is worth approximately £130 million.

The second phase is a major part of the Canning Town and Custom House Regeneration Project, which consists in providing a new town centre for this emerging area of East London, linking in to the existing facilities on Barking Road.

Designed by John McAslan + Partners, Hunters and Associated Architects, the project will provide additional shops, restaurants, a hotel and residential flats providing approximately 350 new homes (home ownership, private rental and social housing).

Olivier-Marie Racine, chairman and CEO of Bouygues Bâtiment International, said: “We are now looking forward to beginning the next phase of the Canning Town Regeneration project as we are currently in the process of handing over the first phase. Providing new housing, a hotel, public spaces and streets with shops and businesses, Bouygues Development is creating a dynamic and vibrant new district which will breathe new life into Canning Town, creating new opportunities for the local community.”

Works are currently getting under way and handover is scheduled for 2017.

A great cause Leading cancer charity Macmillan Cancer Support, Travis Perkins (one of the largest suppliers to the building and construction industry) and Benchmarx (a specialist kitchen and joinery company) have announced a new charity partnership that aims to raise £3 million for people affected by cancer, over the next three years.

This is the first time that two businesses under the Travis Perkins Plc brand have joined forces to support a charity partner together in this way, with such an ambitious fundraising target.

Andrew Harrison, divisional COO, said on behalf of Travis Perkins and Benchmarx: “We are delighted to be working with Macmillan, and even more so to see two great Travis Perkins Plc businesses joining together for the first time in this way. We look forward to the next three years of partnership, and working hard building the foundations of great cancer support, together.”

Call for submissions The London Festival of Architecture (LFA) is calling for participants to explore and engage with the changing landscape of London through this year’s central theme, ‘Work in Progress’.

Proposals are being invited for Associated Projects and Open Studios, in partnership with RIBA London. The deadline for submission is 10 March 2015. Selected projects will be included in the London Festival of Architecture programme, alongside events by London’s leading cultural and academic institutions.

For further information visit: www.londonfestivalofarchitecture. org; or email: info@ londonfestivalofarchitecture.org.

Construction & Civil Engineering 5

PFI/PPP

The costof

business?

Stuart Parker discusses issues within public sector procurement, specifically where private sector companies are engulfing costs that could be avoided

T

he spend on UK public sector infrastructure projects amounts to tens of billions each year and is understandably an area of fierce competition for businesses working in the engineering and construction space. The fact that these projects are subject to OJEU procurement procedures, almost invariably leads to a lengthy and time consuming process.

Firms tendering for either framework or individual projects are

6 Construction & Civil Engineering

Stuart Parker

required to invest significant sums in the procurement process; indeed the costs can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds or millions for investment related opportunities. For firms that are successful, these costs can often be justified and recovered.

However, successfully securing a place on a framework is no guarantee of success. In fact, we’ve found many to be ‘empty boxes’.

So how do we find the right balance and ensure the ‘cost’ of procurement does not put off the best engineering and construction

firms from tendering for the most important public sector building contracts?

Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs) are contracts where the private sector funds public sector infrastructure in return for longterm returns through rental and maintenance revenue streams.

For each project within a PFI, three companies are generally shortlisted; in order to win the contract, all three companies are required to produce a design taken to a specified design stage, usually

‘‘

Successfully securing a place on a framework is no guarantee of success. In fact, we’ve found many to be ‘empty boxes’

stage three. Inevitably with two companies losing out the cost to the industry can run into millions of pounds.

One possible way of reducing this cost and the pressure on the private sector is for these schemes to choose a preferred bidder at an earlier stage in the design process.

This would require less investment from those companies competing for the business. On the face of it, reducing the choice-set may seem a high-risk strategy, but looking at previous, and relevant, successful

experience, it is a proven way to mitigate this risk.

There is also a perception that tender outcomes would reinforce the fact that market management is prevalent. For instance, no single organisation won more than one Priority Schools Funded Programme (PSBP) revenue-funded batch. This means that companies invest in multiple bids with only a real chance of success in one.

Not enough onus or resource is allocated to research into a firm’s previous experience, and it is often the case that arbitrary examples of previous experience are required in tender documents, without an intelligent assessment of how the experience relates to the proposed works, or even if it was successful.

A thorough look at previous experience will also highlight service levels; it is important, for example, to consider not just a company’s technical capability, but also its ability to deliver projects in the required timescale - a factor critical to project budgets.

Payment schedules, particularly within hub framework agreements, are another area where the private sector is having to bear an unnecessary cost burden. Very often, no payment will have been

made until a company is so far down the design stage that 60 per cent of the fees have already been spent, with what can be a damaging impact on a company’s cashflow.

As the recession has eased, there are an increasing number of private sector projects where procurement practices are more considerate of bidding resource and investment.

It is critical, therefore, that public sector procurement policies are reviewed to consider their impact, in order that they continue to attract the firms that lead the way in the latest technologies, best practice and environmental efficiencies. m

Stuart Parker is business development director at Morgan Sindall Professional Services (MSPS), the multi disciplinary design consultancy. MSPS is a sustainable engineering and design consultancy that specialises in complex infrastructure, process and built environments. The business offers engineering and design consultancy across the full project life cycle. Cost and risk are reduced by applying their technical expertise in a fully BIM compliant environment.

For further information visit:

www.professionalservices. morgansindall.com.

Construction & Civil Engineering 7

ENVIRONMENT

Green walls 250 riverfront apartments at Carrow Quay in Norwich, believed to be the largest scheme in the UK designed to Passivhaus principles

With contractors and civil engineering consultants continuing to seek more environmentally friendly and cost effective engineering solutions, innovative vegetated wall systems are becoming an increasingly popular choice.

Mike Bailey explains

A

s consultants and contractors demand greater value and increased dependability from their engineering solutions, so they are starting to pay more attention to sustainable infrastructure principles. One example of this is the continuous development and innovation of geosynthetic technologies and the impact this is having on the use of traditional concrete. The

8 Construction & Civil Engineering

current use of geosystems has become exceptionally diverse and now reaches into many areas of the civil engineering sector, with applications including retaining walls, steeped slopes and drainage as well as the construction of earthworks, highways and pavements.

A retaining wall, for example, made of poured concrete can be expensive, time-consuming and often requires specialised equipment to construct. Concrete

block systems can go in cheaper than poured walls but many have common structural and finish issues.

Vegetated geotextile-based wall systems use the same globally accepted principles of mechanically stabilised earth (MSE) that builders rely on for making massive retaining walls. With enhanced engineering stability, durability and loading capabilities, this proven geosynthetic technology allows the construction of retained walls

Geobag embankment construction

stallation

Flex MSE in

and embankments in a reliable, much faster and more economic way; geobag walls have been built as high as 75 ft tall with great success.

When it comes to embankments requiring erosion control or stabilisation, or where near-vertical green structures are needed, flexible segmental geotextile systems are ideal. They can flow over existing foundations and adjust to site irregularities such as trees, roots or unexpected

bedrock, and allow contractors to create large, strong, naturally resilient geomodular structures.

The environmental advantages of these systems should not be underestimated either. Traditional civil engineering materials, for example concrete or steel in their structural form, contribute greatly to the carbon footprint of any construction project. The avoidance or minimisation of these materials by instead using an engineered system can help to significantly

reduce the embodied carbon of a project. Furthermore, this reduction can be enhanced by a facing that allows the use of site-won or locally available soils, not normally suitable for ground engineering. The re-use of these on-site materials also reduces trucking and landfill waste.

Geomodular systems also naturally lend themselves to designing for de-construction. They often contain recycled post-industrial materials, are inherently recyclable, and their component parts can usually be re-utilised, another environmental benefit.

Aesthetically, unlike concrete or other solid structures, vegetated geomodular wall systems can reduce any negative visible infrastructure impact. In a rural application, the vegetated wall system can blend seamlessly with the surrounding countryside and enhance the natural landscape; in an urban application it provides a low-maintenance, graffitifree greenspace.

These systems are also able to accept almost all types of vegetation.

Depending on the application and desired aesthetic, this can include pre-seeding and hydro-seeding with native grasses and flower blends, or live planting and staking of perennial ground covers, shrubs, grasses and flowers to achieve an instant, fully customised vegetation finish.

Construction & Civil Engineering 9

ENVIRONMENT

Flood protection Another area of growing concern for engineers and contractors, in both the private and public sector, is flood protection. The severe storms and floods of last winter and early spring 2014 again highlighted the vulnerability of coastal and low lying communities and it is increasingly recognised that the building and maintenance of erosion prevention and protective embankments are critical considerations.

Geotextile systems offer an ecofriendly flood defence and erosion control solution. They are ideal for any application where land meets water, for example on culvert headwalls, channels, unstable stream banks, groins and weirs or flood protection schemes. With very high settlement tolerance and rapid drainage, geotextile technology has the ability to withstand strong water flow, and even complete submersion, without breaking down.

Whilst gabions are perhaps widely regarded as the forefather of modern geotextile systems, there has, over the past couple of decades, been an increase in new

10 Construction & Civil Engineering

products in this sector. Our own latest introduction into the UK market, Flex MSE, simplifies the geomodular approach even further.

Comprising just two engineered components, soil-filled geotextile Bags and spiked interlocking Plates, Flex MSE can typically be installed twice as quickly as concrete wall systems and yet, with an anticipated lifespan of 120 years (ASTM (System Life) Long Term Design rating*), will last almost twice as long. Additional savings in complex installation equipment, materials, skilled labour and transportation also help to keep project overheads down with all-in costs generally some 60 per cent of comparative concrete block systems.

On a typical retaining wall installation or river embankment, Flex MSE’s Bags will be laid tightly end-to-end with an interlocking Plate placed over every Bag joint in a row. Successive layers are added in a standard brick and mortar running bond pattern to engage the interlocking Plate and provide inherent system strength.

This process is repeated until the wall’s desired height is reached.

The installation is then vegetated within six months of installation, and inspected yearly.

When it comes to selecting a vegetated retaining wall or embankment as part of ecofriendly civil engineering design, Flex MSE’s extended lifespan expectation, reduced carbon footprint, recycling of materials and greening of urban spaces are all key advantages over traditional hard armour systems. *ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), is a globally recognised leader in the development and delivery of international voluntary consensus standards. m

Mike Bailey is sales director of Ambrose exclusive UK distributors of Flex MSE. Flex MSE is a unique soft building material that exhibits hard material qualities. It weathers events that would ruin other systems, and only gets stronger and greener as time goes on. For further information vist:

www.flexmse.com or www.flexmse.co.uk

NEWS

Working together An agreement has been signed by Nottingham Trent University and Mace, the international consultancy and construction company, to explore ways of working together.

With a shared interest in Building Information Modelling (BIM) the two organisations have signed a memorandum of understanding which will see them explore ways to collaborate on research, shared lectures, placements and more.

Peter Westland, dean of the university’s School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment, signed the agreement with Simon Dale, director of Mace. Mark Holmes, chief operating officer for consultancy at Mace, said: ‘We are excited about strengthening our relationship with the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment at Nottingham Trent University, one of the UK’s leading

Field of dreams

university departments providing key education for our industry.

“This is an important step in building our profile with undergraduates in order to ensure we build our talent pipelines. This also complements our passion for innovation by providing a platform to increase Mace’s engagement with the latest technical developments in Construction and Civil Engineering.”

First £1m contract LDG Group has secured its first £1m contract. The prestigious building, due to be located on the outskirts of Birkenhead on the River Mersey, is perfectly located for LDG’s Ellesmere Port manufacturing plant.

Appointed by Eric Wright Construction LTD – one of LDG’s major clients, Tower Wharf is part of a massive development on Wirral Waters Enterprise Zone which will form what is being labelled as ‘Ocean Gateway’ starting at the Mersey estuary and continuing through to Trafford, Manchester.

The initial Tower Wharf project – the starting point of the land mark development developed by Longmeadow Estates and designed by Falconer Chester Hall, partly funded by European Regional Development Fund will comprise a four storey commercial office building with a flush glazing façade and impressive glass to glass corners – the very top end of architectural cutting edge design incorporating aluminium Toggle screens using the Comar Aluminium System.

The building, which is expected to provide accommodation for around 800 new jobs, is the first of its kind to be started within the Wirral Waters Enterprise Zone.

Work is expected to start spring 2015 and due for completion October 2015.

Warmafloor is developing a bespoke underfloor heating system at the prestigious Berkeley Homes Goodman’s Field mixed-use seven-acre development in the City of London. Once complete, the project will feature almost 1000 apartments.

At Goodman’s Field, Warmafloor was commissioned to develop a bespoke underfloor heating solution that can integrate a cooling system to deliver comfort to residents for all 182 apartments of the first phase. Of key importance was a simple control solution in every room that would fit in with the elegant design of the apartments.

On site, Warmafloor fitted underfloor heating and a Danskin Acoustic timber flooring system. By installing innovative and unique floor build up and Total Integrated Control Strategy (TICS) Modular control units in every room, Warmafloor ensured that Berkeley would receive the latest technology of underfloor heating, while at the same time allowing building users complete control of their apartment’s temperature with the click of a button. Other key benefits of the system include reduced installation costs and lower building weight, as well as energy savings of up to 60 per cent compared to traditional heating systems.

In close co-operation with Berkeley, Warmafloor’s experienced team created detailed designs to maximise efficient installation and help to deliver the project on time and under budget. All apartments of phase one have already been sold, and the next phase of the Goodman’s Field project is due to start soon.

Construction & Civil Engineering 11

EQUIPMENT

The

stakes of

ladders 2014 was an important year for people who work on ladders. A raft of new guidance was released that it is vital for anyone using a ladder at work to be aware of – most notably, the new, simplified guidance from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE)

L

adders can seem like such a simple piece of equipment, but there is plenty of evidence that they are not used and understood properly by people within a surprising range of industries. Myths about ladder use are nothing new – just a few years ago false rumours about them not being fit for use on construction sites meant the message that ‘ladders are not banned’ had to be heavily promoted.

The cost of this type of

12 Construction & Civil Engineering

misinformation is high. Not only are falls from height the number one reason for deaths in the workplace, they are also a leading cause of injuries. RIDDOR statistics have shown that a major proportion of these falls are from low-level work.

All ladder users, then, can be just as much at risk of a life-changing fall as those using equipment at higher levels. It is for this reason that updated guidance is vital, and that the latest guidance mentions training as a solution.

Last year’s Ladder Exchange, the

scheme originally launched by the HSE which allows people to trade in their old and potentially dangerous ladders for a discount on a new one, has offered the latest sign that many of the people who work on ladders every day could benefit from training. As part of the Ladder Exchange, an annual ‘Idiots on Ladders’ contest is run on Facebook, which asks members of the public to send in pictures of the worst examples of ladder use that they can find. 2014’s campaign had more entries than any previous year.

Given the wide range of unsafe use shown by these pictures, and the fall from height statistics confirming that low level falls are a significant danger, it is vital that everyone using a ladder is fully aware of both the risks and the solutions.

Examples of unsafe users of ladders pre-use check should be carried out. This involves the person using the ladder checking its stiles, feet, rungs and any locking mechanisms.

If a stepladder is being used, the platform and steps or treads must also be checked. All of this should also be done when something changes, like the ladder being moved from a dirty area to a clean one, or being dropped.

New guidance for winter

What does the HSE say?

After a rigorous review of work at height, the HSE established that any issues were not with the regulations themselves but with the supporting guidance. It is from this review that the new guidance, ‘INDG401: Working at height – a brief guide’ was created.

The most important fact the guidance starts off with is that ladders ‘can be a sensible practical option for low-risk, short-duration tasks’. A good guide to what types of tasks this actually applies to is the half hour rule – if the task would require someone to stay up either a leaning ladder or a stepladder for more than half an hour at a time, different equipment is recommended.

Before thinking about the time, however, risk should be the first thing to consider when deciding whether to use a ladder. Most importantly, ladders should only be used if the conditions allow them to be used safely – in a place that will keep them level and stable and, typically, where they can be secured.

When actually using the ladder, the most important rule to bear in mind is that three points of contact should always be maintained – typically two feet and a hand – except for very brief periods such as when knocking in a nail.

Longer periods without a handhold

mean other methods should be in place to prevent or minimise the consequences of a fall, such as securing a leaning ladder or using a stability device.

The guidance also emphasises that the person using the ladder must be competent to do so. Those regularly using ladders may be best served by a half-day training course. Accredited courses of this type around the UK are listed on the Ladder Association website.

On this subject, the guidance specifically says that ladder users should ‘have had instruction and understand how to use the equipment safely’, adding that ‘appropriate training can help’.

Finally, prior to using the ladder at the start of the working day a

Winter requires some extra care from ladder users. Not only are some people using ladders who would not usually do so – like people putting Christmas decorations up at home – but the conditions for workers outside are harsher.

For these reasons, new guidance has been released which tackles issues specific to winter ladder use. These ‘Five Festive Tips’ cover which ladders to use for which jobs, how to inspect a ladder, positioning to minimise the risk of slipping, alternatives to cutting corners, and the dangers of overreaching.

These tips can be viewed in full on the Ladder Exchange website (ladderexchange.org.uk). The new HSE guidance can be found for free on the HSE website (hse.gov.uk), while more ladder guidance and details of various ladder training courses are available from the Ladder Association site. m

The Ladder Association is the trade body responsible for advancing safety and best practice in the ladder industry, and oversees the delivery of national training. Formed in 1947 by leading ladder manufacturers, the Ladder Association has since expanded to welcome members from every part of the access industry, playing an integral role in promoting the highest standards of ladder design and manufacture, and advancing best practice in ladder use.

For further information visit:

www.ladderassociation.org.uk

Construction & Civil Engineering 13

NEWS

Preserved heritage Colmore Tang Construction (CTC) has started work on the redevelopment of an existing curtain factory in Birmingham City Centre, formerly known as the Harrison Drape building. Work on the £30 million redevelopment will see part of the existing factory demolished, converted and extended while a further three buildings will be constructed to provide a total of 313 apartments.

The site had been the home of curtain track maker Harrison Drape since the 19th century, but was brought by developer Seven Capital in 2012. CTC was awarded the construction contract on the prestigious £30 million development in 2014 following a four-way tender process.

Important proposals

Construction Director of CTC Andy Conroy said: “The old curtain factory has a great legacy with the local community and we wanted to make sure we maintained as much of the original features as possible to preserve its heritage.

“As a result we are retaining the façade of the building, which will be converted into 118 apartments, a combination of studio and one and two beds. The remaining 195 apartments will be split across the three new blocks we are building.”

Floating observatory Following on from the enormous success of the Exbury Egg in 2013, timber and panel products distributor, James Latham has agreed to support another initiative

by SPUD (Space, Placemaking & Urban Design) which offers opportunities for artists to engage with specific areas of our environment and the landscape.

The entire project, which has been funded by the Arts Council England has seen a team of five graduate architects from London practice, Feilden, Clegg, Bradley utilise a number of timber materials supplied by James Latham to create the Observatory, which is a sculpture, a workspace, a shelter and a look-out, for 12 artist residencies over two years and will reside in four UK locations.

The materials included Western Red Cedar and Larch, which was charred and used for the external cladding as well as a consignment of Accoya, the long-life, high performance wood, Medite Tricoya Extreme and Smartply, which the designers used for the external edging as well as the front and back frames and all the doors and windows. Interestingly the team have used the latest wood preservation technology in the form of Wood Acetylation using Accoya and Medite Tricoya Extreme and Smartply and in contrast they have also used the ancient Japanese technique called Shou Sugi Ban (translates to burnt cedar board) that claims to be both rot resistant and fire resistant for the external cladding. The Architects involved will be using this experience as a part of their Technical Thesis for their R & I application.

Government and industry must collaborate to build at least 200,000 homes a year by 2020 in order to tackle the housing crisis, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

The call forms part of the FMB’s ‘Programme for Government’ that was launched at a high profile cross-party event in Parliament in January.

Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: “In England we’re only building around half the number of new homes required to meet the demand for housing.

Regardless of which party or parties take the reins in May 2015, the next government must work with industry to develop a robust housing strategy and commit to building at least 200,000 new homes a year by 2020. This is a realistic target and one that can be achieved if we remove barriers to small local builders.”

Berry continued: Key issues which must be addressed in the short and medium-term include improved access to finance for small firms and the importance of local authority planning departments having the resource they need to do their jobs properly.”

Berry concluded: “The construction industry, is vital to the health of the UK economy – for every £1 invested in construction, 92p stays within the UK. Construction is also central to delivering the Government’s key social and environmental aims which is why we hope policy makers take on board all of the proposals contained within the FMB’s ‘Programme for Government’.”

Construction & Civil Engineering 15

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Deviceadvice Richard Blanford discusses how to manage BYOD security without alienating users

I

t is now almost routine for individuals to bring their own mobile devices to work (BYOD). However, enabling BYOD has been much easier than understanding and managing its security implications. In many instances a technically aware user population are simply configuring their own remote and email access outside corporate IT security guidelines, and potentially storing sensitive corporate information on them.

I believe we need to find practical ways to support consumer

16 Construction & Civil Engineering

technology at work while maintaining control of sensitive information. BYOD requires a security policy, which is enforceable, realistic, acceptable to users and doesn’t violate personal privacy laws. There should be no ambiguity and all users should be clear on what is and is not allowed. Once everyone has been informed, the policy should be rigorously enforced.

Organisations that use contractors and temporary workers also need to ensure that they set up appropriate network security for these staff and ensure that they understand and

adhere to security policy.

I recommend that whoever is responsible for company IT encourages users to come to them for advice on using their device, so that they do not send information outside the organisation in an uncontrolled fashion. This applies at all levels in the organisation – the managing director with his or her new tablet is just as likely to accidentally breach security policy as the office manager.

The key principle for a BYOD policy is to minimise the amount of data transferred to or held on the

mobile device. There are three steps organisations can take: 1. Virtualise applications and stream them to the device.

2. Allow access but implement a corporate policy to prevent the user downloading sensitive organisational data. If the organisation wants to allow data to be downloaded, it becomes the user’s responsibility if they lose the device, and they need to be made aware of the consequences and their responsibilities.

3. Take advantage of the remote wipe capability that most devices

have, using encryption to secure sensitive data, and ensure that the organisation’s BYOD policy mandates implementing Mobile Device Management (MDM) capability on the BYOD device.

Virtualisation can be provided in three ways. Option one is to run a hosted or virtual corporate desktop, which the user can access through their device, using software such as Quest, Citrix or VMware. All the device needs is the appropriate client software. This solution is largely device independent, so will work with everything from a user’s own laptop and all major tablet types to a Windows, Android or Apple phone. It needs appropriate back-end systems and network connectivity to deliver the desktop or application, and means that the user cannot work on corporate applications unless they are connected to the network. It can also be set up so the user can only access the desktop from known IP addresses. It is important to ensure that the device is reasonably secure and not infected, with appropriate virus protection.

A second option, particularly for laptops, is to install client hypervisors and virtual desktop check-in/checkout software on the device, such as MokaFive, Citrix Xenclient or VMware View offline. Windows 8 HyperV can also work in a similar fashion. This is a higher impact solution, as the IT team needs to configure the user device and install the client hypervisor to accept the virtual desktop. It works by creating separate, bootable desktops on the same device and partitioning the hard drive into business and personal areas. As this can be run locally, it is a good solution if the user needs to work offline. When they go back online the system checks back into the server (using a VMware/Citrix solution) or synchronises (using MokaFive/Quest). This solution is particularly good with laptops, but will not work with all devices as you cannot run a full corporate desktop on some tablets. It also creates more work for the IT team, who have to

‘‘

We need to find practical ways to support consumer technology at work while maintaining control of sensitive information configure the device and install the client hypervisor to accept the virtual desktop.

The third option is to repackage applications to be accessed through a portal (similar to iTunes). It requires either application streaming or the creation of lightweight clients (Apps) which can run on a smartphone or tablet, which have just enough intelligence to run basic functions, while most of the processing is carried out by the web-based back end. This becomes more difficult if the user wants to run ‘large’ applications such as SAP or Microsoft Office. This is where most people believe desktops are heading, with a web portal used to display available applications to the user accessible from a wide range of devices and operating systems.

BYOD is clearly here to stay, and each organisation needs to find a way to implement it that maintains data security while being realistic and acceptable to users. The list of considerations will differ for each organisation, but it is essential to ensure that corporate policy is made first before looking for technical solutions. m

Richard Blanford is managing director of managed cloud provider Fordway. Fordway has over 20 years’ experience helping large and medium-sized organisations, across all market sectors, realise the best from their IT infrastructure.

Fordway offers different IT infrastructure services depending on your organisation’s requirements.

For further information visit:

www.fordway.com

Construction & Civil Engineering 17

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Homegoal

Affordable Housing, or make housing affordable? By Andrew Boast

I

n a property market that is short in supply and high in demand, house prices have shot through the roof in 2014, with the average property price in England hitting £177,377.

One solution to combat this is to build and at a rate that meets with the current demand of 250,000 per year (60,000 per year in London).

However, with the limited credibility of the Government’s promises to meet this and developers currently building less than half this number, seemingly building enough merely to keep the demand and the prices high, first time buyers are forced to look at more affordable housing.

But with average yearly salaries of £24,648 falling far behind the growth of property prices, what housing is affordable?

Property prices have risen in England by 7.7 per cent since October 2013 however salaries have only increased by 1.7 per cent during the same period, meaning salaries are simply not keeping pace with these rises and a single

18 Construction & Civil Engineering

average earner is struggling to buy an averagely priced home.

With an average salary and the Council of Mortgage Lender’s average mortgage multiple for June 2014 being 3.47, the highest mortgage loan available would be £91,955. Unless you have a £85,422 deposit, buying an average home isn’t achievable for one person.

This coupled with a society that is marrying later in life, if at all, finds many singletons forced into rent or searching for some affordable housing solution.

Shared Ownership Schemes The leading providers of affordable housing for many years have been the housing associations via Shared Ownership Schemes. If your household salary is less than £60,000 (higher in London) and you are a first-time buyer then you can buy a share of a home and rent the rest from the housing association running the scheme. You can buy anything between 25 per cent to 75 per cent and the idea is that over

time you build up your share by buying more tranches from the housing association.

The downsides to the shared ownership scheme are that costs are often as much as paying back a mortgage on a fully owned property and you are limited as to what you can buy: it has to be leasehold and only from the stock they have available. The process is highly regulated limiting the overall control you have of your property; it can feel like you are still renting and only get to benefit from a small percentage of any property increase.

Another affordable housing solution is the Governments’ Right to Buy scheme, which allows most council house tenants the option to buy their home at a discount.

The discount starts at 50 per cent for flats and 35 per cent for houses and increases each year by two per cent for flats and one per cent for houses to a maximum of 70 per cent or £77,000 (London is £102,700). The main eligibility

At time of writing, 35,962 first time buyers have been helped by the Equity Loan scheme and 30,269 by the Mortgage Guarantee scheme. Although these are growing numbers they make up less than five per cent of first-buyers. Is this because Help to Buy isn’t advertised well enough? Or people don’t want the Government to be involved with their house purchase? Or is it simply people still can’t afford the five per cent deposit on a £200,000 house on their own?

The real issues

criteria is that you have been a public sector tenant for five years.

But what if you don’t live in a council house or want to buy with a housing association? In 2014 the Government launched its flagship solution to affordable housing – the Help to Buy scheme. Launched first in April 2013, the Equity Loan scheme helps first-time buyers with a five per cent deposit by providing a Government loan of 20 per cent to top up the 75 per cent mortgage.

Following on from this, the Government launched the Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee scheme in October 2013. This new scheme allows first time buyers with a five per cent deposit to apply for a 95 per cent mortgage of which the Government will guarantee up to 80 per cent. This scheme is outpacing the other in popularity and you can see why when you own your property in full and don’t have the added liability of a separate loan payable back to the Government.

The Government is obviously noting the issue faced by many first time buyers but the solutions they offer miss the real issue. It seems that instead of regulating the development of new properties to increase supply and reduce the cost of houses, the Government is offering new ways to structure buying houses at ever-increasing prices, which puts more people into a greater amount of debt. Perhaps this is why home ownership is on the decline for the first time and over nine million people aged 18 to 34 rent or live at their parents’ home; they simply can’t afford the affordable housing options available.

So how do you make housing affordable? Santander recently predicted that over the next two years 39 per cent of all house purchases will be between friends, family and unmarried couples. What this says is that people are looking not just to use affordable housing schemes, they are also looking to make it more affordable by sharing the all the costs of buying a home.

They are seeing that one average earner can only afford a mortgage of £91,955, but two can afford one of £183,910 and then new opportunities become available.

In the example above, a five per cent deposit on a £200,000 house is £10,000. If two people were buying together, that would be £5,000 each; if they then shared the stamp duty, buying costs, mortgage

‘‘

Property prices have risen in England by 7.7 per cent since October 2013 however salaries have only increased by 1.7 per cent during the same period repayments and living costs, it would make buying the house even more affordable. By buying with someone else and sharing the costs, you’ll be sharing costs you’d otherwise have to bear on your own.

It is important to ensure that when sharing buying a home, your legal interests are protected as there are a growing number of cases where joint owners are disputing their share in the property if the relationship deteriorates. Shareamortgage. com provides a full home buying solution for joint owners and a legal document to protect their share of the property and set down how the relationship will work.

Most first time buyers will always seek affordable housing in a market where property prices are left to escalate due to a lack of supply, but even paying a lesser sum is becoming harder. More and more first-time buyers are now moving towards collaboration in order to achieve their goal of home ownership, which gives them some fresh opportunities in an age commonly described as ‘generation rent.‘ m Andrew Boast is co-founder of Shareamortgage. com. Share a Mortgage is an online platform that allows members to search, chat and meet like-minded people who have been credit scored to protect members; with a view to teaming up, pooling their resources and buying a property together.

For further information visit:

www.shareamortgage.com.

Average House Price for £177,377 in October 2014 Land Registry Property price increase for England Oct 2014 to Oct 2013 – 7.7% Land Registry Average weekly wage £474 per week Office for National Statistics Help to Buy Statistics The Government

Construction & Civil Engineering 19

PROFILE: Ab A. HÄggblom Häggblom backhoe bucket for Hitachi EX3600

Ground breaking service From its humble foundation in a garage in Kokkola, Finland, 60 years ago, Ab A. Häggblom Oy has developed its expertise and services to become Northern Europe’s leading manufacturer of undercarriages for earthmoving systems

A

n expert in track and undercarriage technology for earth moving machinery and heavy-duty transport systems, Häggblom today is also one of the few European bucket and track application manufacturers capable

20 Construction & Civil Engineering

of providing a full package to its customers. Certified under ISO 9001, the company not only delivers a turnkey service, with the skills to provide any service from design to reliability maintenance, it also stocks the widest range of wearparts in Northern Europe.

Committed to constant innovation and continuous improvement, Häggblom’s buckets and undercarriages are designed to handle the most challenging and rough environments. In fact, the company’s design service is able to prepare structural drawings for the most complex steel structures and machine components through a fast and efficient design process that offers flexibility and quality

Komatsu PC5500 Häggblom bucket assembly

thanks to its well-qualified design team and the utilisation of the most up-to-date design software. Hightech equipment used by Häggblom includes SolidWorks with Simulation (FEM) add-in for 3D design and IGRIP UltraArc for remote programming of welding robots.

Within Häggblom’s workshops expert personnel strive to deliver a wide range of high quality services, such as flame cutting, welding, edging, machining and assembly.

The flame cutting line specialises in the processing of high-strength steel grade workpieces and the manufacture of wearparts for earth-moving machinery, which is done through flame-cutting the parts from wear-resistant Weldox,

Häggblom track frames Hardox and AR steel. Flame cutting equipment includes CNC-operated, state-of-the-art units, which have six-piece nozzles or four-piece plus a plasma arch torch. This equipment enables Häggblom to cut the thickest and longest steel plates with absolute precision.

The edging line works to turn steel into bucket bottoms and sections for use in challenging structural applications through

the utilisation of a CNC-operated 800 tonne edging press. Taking up a working area of six metres, the edging press bends steel into bucket bottoms and other sections for a number of uses; the business segment also boasts special tools for Hardox and other wear-resistant steels. Meanwhile, Häggblom’s machining department handles large workpieces with small tolerances and boasts a number of CNC column milling machines, a CNC lathe, a reamer, lathe and two radial drills. Furthermore, the company boasts five modern and efficient assembly lines that can turn small and large sub-assemblies

that have been constructed from in-house components as well as second-sourced parts into wholly completed products in a timely manner.

Using high-tech expertise, the company leads the way in manufacturing the largest and complex of buckets, with each product made to precise customer specifications according to the machine and its intended use.

Using its exceptional design and dimensioning skills and a complete knowledge of boom geometry, the company confidently makes backhoe and face showel buckets with capacities of five to 30 m3 and

Italtractor ITM Italtractor ITM is the Undercarriage Division of Titan International Inc. Since 1982 ITM has been not only a supplier but a strategic partner to Häggblom. Together they have developed important projects in the mining, construction and special application machinery field.

Well-known for the high quality and performance of its products, Häggblom is certainly a reference player in the Scandinavian region.

Thanks to Italtractor ITM’s extensive expertise in the industry and its commitment to constantly focus on its customers’ needs, this partnership will lead to further growth in the market.

Construction & Civil Engineering 21

PROFILE: Ab A. HÄggblom

Häggblom track system in a giant conveyor

wheel loader buckets with capacities of five to 20 m3. Moreover, through sturdy construction, efficient safeguards and replaceable Esco wearparts, Häggblom can offer significant service life extension to these expensive buckets, thus delivering both quality and cost efficiency. On top of this, buckets exposed to heavy-duty use are returned as good-as-new thanks to Häggblom’s highly efficient and effective maintenance services.

Benefiting from six decades of experience, the company has succeeded in creating a production and service system that offers vast improvements to the productivity of machine manufacturers and earthmoving operators. Furthermore, by generating long-term relationships with leading manufacturers of earth moving machinery across Europe, Häggblom has been able to develop innovations and gain advanced technical expertise, benefits that are then passed on to its customers.

The company’s impressive client base includes firms such as Metso Minerals, Junttan Oy, Mantsinen, Allu Finland; it also boasts a coveted list of first-rate parts suppliers such as Berco SPA, ESCO, SSAB and Bosch Rexroth. These complementary partnerships strengthen Häggblom’s own skills and major investments to ensure a high standard of quality as well as a superior level of customer service that is delivered across the globe.

To further strengthen its service to customers, the company has carried top-of-the-range tyre protection chains in its product

22 Construction & Civil Engineering

range; manufactured by Erlau AG of Germany, the chains significantly increase the service life of tyres used on wheel loaders that operate in mines. With these protection chains and large buckets required by the same operators, Häggblom is in an enviable position to increase its market share in the mining industry.

A recent major development for

the firm took place in 2014, when John Hagnas, CEO of Häggblom, retired from his role in June to become a senior advisor for the company, while Jukka Karhula was appointed the new CEO. Previously responsible for spare part and wear part sales at Haggblom, Jukka has the knowledge and expertise to move the company forward by focusing on strong customer relationships, close co-operation with suppliers and through retaining highly skilled, motivated and dedicated personnel.” m

Ab A. Häggblom Oy www.haggblom. fi Services: Designs and manufactures complex steel structures and machine components

PROFILE: MILBANK CONCRETE PRODUCTS

All star

cast Milbank Concrete Products is a family owned business widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading suppliers of high quality precast concrete products

A

trading history of more than 60 years has seen Milbank Concrete Products build an enviable reputation as one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of high quality precast concrete products. The business, which provides a broad range of precast concrete solutions to the construction industry and also offers design and technical support and delivery and installation services, is widely known for its quality, high levels of service and its unique approach to relationships with its clients.

“Our success is in large attributed to us ‘going

Construction & Civil Engineering 23

42 Construction & Civil Engineering

PROFILE: MILBANK CONCRETE PRODUCTS

the extra mile’ and this is a value that we really work hard to achieve and promote at all levels within the business. For example, as we’ve expanded our team in recent months our aim is to instil this idea in our new staff members. We think it’s really important to develop this idea as a cultural notion so that we pre-empt our clients’ requirements wherever possible and always ‘help our customers achieve success’,” says Andy Mayne, managing director of Milbank.

“Today we are recognised as one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of high quality precast concrete products and from our seven acre site in North Essex we design, manufacture and install a wide range of precast and prestressed concrete solutions,” he continues. “We’re a family owned business with a staff of over 160 people, and we are currently seeing an unprecedented demand for our services, primarily as a consequence of the current boom in the construction industry, but also because of our hard won reputation for quality and reliability.”

spectrum of products in its portfolio, which is bolstered by the knowledge and innovative spirit of its design and technical support team. Of course, while designed for a number of applications the products bring with them some key advantages thanks to their precast nature. For example, precast components are manufactured off-site in an enclosed, controlled casting environment that ensures consistent quality and avoids potential delays, precast floors and stairs allow immediate site access and finishing access following installation, the process is quicker than in-situ mould construction and pouring and products can be delivered to site when needed eradicating the need for on-site storage, and it has excellent longevity and sound

reduction qualities.

“In terms of products there are two main strands to our growth strategy in 2015, the first of which is our WarmFloor solution, which is a thermally insulated floor used to construct ground floors,” Andy highlights. “It’s a concept that is really gaining momentum because builders are looking to save construction costs and buyers are wanting lower heating costs.

WarmFloor delivers both lower costs and higher levels of insulation so we’re seeing increased uptake and gearing for expansion. We’ve also increased capacity in our precast stair production facility and our aim is to increase volume at the same time as delivering a higher quality product. We’ve recently invested in a number of new steel

Diverse range of clients In accordance with such a reputation, Milbank’s products are the first choice for a number of sectors. For example, while the majority of its output is destined for the construction industry the business has a diverse range of clients, and thus projects. “House builders form the bulk of our client base, and these range from the very largest national builders through to self-builders building their own homes or extensions. We’re seeing a resurgence of commercial property development as the economy strengthens and it’s a market that we are well placed to service. In addition infrastructure projects are gaining impetus, with us working on projects for rail, power and environmental clients, and we are also seeing a growth in sporting facility projects such as terracing for stadiums.”

The business provides a broad

Construction & Civil Engineering 25

PROFILE: MILBANK CONCRETE PRODUCTS

moulds to replace our older timber moulds, meaning that we can offer a much higher standard of finish (Type B) on our standard stairs.”

As well as standard stairs, Milbank has added spiral staircases to its portfolio, as Andy explains. “The growth of our curved and spiral stair production continues and it looks likely that we will soon need to increase our capacity with a new mould to complement our current system. To our knowledge our existing Construx stair mould is unique in the UK and we have gained considerable expertise over the last two years in the design and production of these complex units.

“The main attraction for our customers is that our curved stairs offer a level of solidity and quality that is unequalled by any other material,” he continues. “This is particularly important to the owners of prestige properties, which often feature swept and curved stairs in their designs that make use of generous spaces offered in large houses. Conversely, the same stair technology allows us to build one piece ‘winder’ stairs, which make the most of restricted spaces and work very well in town house construction.

For example, we recently secured a contract to produce 40+ winder stairs in a prestigious West London development with the first stairs due to be delivered in Spring this year. Spiral stairs are surprisingly economical when compared to an insitu solution, so they add significant value for money and appeal to the moderately priced house also.”

Complex stair designs In regard to investing in new moulds the company is expecting delivery of a new adjustable steel mould from the continent which, when installed, will greatly expand its production capabilities. It will enable the business to offer some of its more complex stair designs, which are currently manufactured using timber moulds, in a steel mould.

“The upshot of this,” says Andy, “is that we will be able to respond more

26 Construction & Civil Engineering

quickly to orders and deliver a first class finish. It means that we can also incorporate customised stair recesses and nosing, which is something that our clients have been repeatedly requesting.”

Thinking on their feet Although Milbank manufactures its products in its own facilities, the delivery and installation phase of a project presents numerous challenges. For this reason the business has its own dedicated delivery and installation teams that travel to the site. “Safely installing any precast concrete unit takes great skill, which is why we have 11 directly employed teams who are responsible for installing our products,” Andy comments. “The experience of these individuals often makes the difference to the success of an installation and they are often required to think on their feet to overcome unexpected challenges in a safe and professional manner. They work alongside our installers and with our clients to co-ordinate the logistics required, and by reacting quickly to changing circumstances they often save the day by overcoming unforeseen obstacles.

We actually regularly receive positive feedback from clients who have been impressed by their resourcefulness and willingness to help.”

Naturally, with the inherent dangers of installation health and safety is of paramount concern for

Milbank. One of the main dangers on construction sites is falls from heights, and as Andy explains, it is a danger that Milbank takes very seriously. “We provide our Passive Fall Arrest System, which is deployed during our installations. We own and operate the system ourselves and it is part of the complete service we provide to clients. Essentially it consists of giant air bags that are inflated below the work area and is designed to prevent injury in the unlikely event of a fall. In conjunction we also have a unique gantry system designed in-house and tested externally for unloading our products to ensure our teams are safe in all operations.”

As the construction industry steadily recovers from years of uncertainty, there remains reason to be confident for the coming years for Milbank. As Andy concludes, the business will continue to develop and invest in order to maintain its leading position in the market. “The outlook for 2015 is certainly encouraging, and we’re seeing an uplift in the level of inbound enquiries and the strong finish to 2014 has given us the confidence to make significant investment in new infrastructure and capacity. The future for Milbank is very much about us building steadily on our core strengths. We are programming substantial upgrades to our production facilities over the next year, which will deliver greater capacity and efficiency. We’re also making a significant investment in technology with the roll out of a new company wide IT operating system that will join up all our departments from sales to invoice along with delivering highly detailed project costing. Lastly, our new website went live at the beginning of this year, offering more up-to-date content and functionality, and the reaction so far has been extremely positive.” m

Milbank Concrete Products www.milbank.co.uk Products: Precast concrete products

PROFILE: Komatsu Mining Germany

Insidescoop Driven by innovation, Komatsu Mining Germany’s (KMG) success as a leading manufacturer of large hydraulic mining shovels stems from its ability to listen to the needs of its customers and adapt to market demand

W

ith a history dating as far back as 1907, the Dusseldorf headquartered Komatsu Mining Germany GmbH (KMG) was officially established as Demag Komatsu, a joint venture between Mannesman Demag and Komatsu Ltd Japan, in 1996 to develop, manufacture and market large hydraulic mining shovels. “As a division of the worldwide business

player Komatsu Limited (KLTD) of Japan, KMG is part of the mining business unit, and mother plant for super large hydraulic excavators.

With more than 39,000 employees worldwide KLTD have design and develop centres in Germany and Japan to develop the products and technologies for tomorrow. Komatsu is responsible for the development, production and marketing of super large excavators for international open pit mining. The brand KMG is a worldwide synonym for top quality, achieved through continuous product development and innovation combined with reliability,” begins Jens Klopmeier, manager of product marketing, planning and application at KMG. Since it was renamed and reregistered as Komatsu Mining Germany in 1999, the same year Komatsu took full control, the company has witnessed steady growth. Notable developments

include the company’s shovels being re-identified with its parent company’s PC series and super shovel designation to compliment Komatsu’s existing excavator range in 2000; the delivery of the 50th PC 8000 super large hydraulic mining shovel to a customer in Brazil in 2005 and the 100th PC8000 in 2013 to a customer in the United States. Moreover, the innovative firm presented the first PC5500 with a Tier II EPA engine at the MINExpo in Las Vegas in 2008 and later redesigned its whole product line to fulfil Tier II requirements in 2012.

Aiming to design and produce machines with optimal productivity, low running costs and reliability, KMG and its parent firm’s product range includes, 15-16 m3 buckets, which are used on PC3000 hydraulic excavators, 22 m3 buckets, which are used on PC4000s, 29 m3 buckets, which attach to PC5500s and 42 m3 buckets, which attach to PC8000s. Keen to ensure its products are environmentally friendly, Komatsu’s engines meet international emission regulations, while extended oil change and filter replacement intervals minimise damage to the environment.

Engines are available in either single or twin drive, depending on the size of the hydraulic mining shovels and offer fuel tank capacity that is sufficient for continuous operations of 24 hours. Another option is electric driven machines, with 6600/7200 V and 50/60 Hz motors available; the optimised electrical design meets all international standards and the squirrel cage motor offers a soft start function.

Depending on a customer’s mine set up, KMG has a front shovel attachment and backhoe attachment available as well as a broad selection of buckets to meet all requirements. On top of this, KMG delivers large, comfortable and safe cabs for operators thanks to an integrated FOPS structure in accordance with ISO 3449, an internal floor area of approximately 4.2 m2, large impact resistant

Construction & Civil Engineering 27

PROFILE: Komatsu Mining Germany

windows, a pressurised cab to prevent dust admissions and cab noise levels between 74 and 77 dB(A) in accordance with ISO 63096. The cabs also offer whole body shock absorption in line with the standards of EN ISO 7096, cab heating and air conditioning and a comfortable multi-functional operator seat with internal heating.

“KMG’s shovels are working all over the world, operating day and night under the toughest of conditions.

Tyco Fire Protection Products Tyco Fire Protection Products with ANSUL Fire Detection and Suppression Systems help protect Komatsu mobile equipment.

Fires pose one of the greatest safety threats to businesses. Harsh environments and extreme temperatures require a fire suppression solution that keeps crews safe, equipment secure and operations running.

Working in partnership with Komatsu, Tyco Fire Protection Products offers an extensive global network of trained and authorised ANSUL Distributors who provide design, supply and maintenance solutions for a full range of mobile equipment fire protection needs.

28 Construction & Civil Engineering

Currently, the product portfolio consists of four different shovel types with operating weights between 250 metric tons and 760 metric tons. Depending on the shovel size bucket capacity varies from 15m³ to 42m³. Principally, a customer can choose between a diesel or electro drive as well as between a backhoe or a front shovel attachment. Besides our standard scope of supply we offer a variety of tailor made solutions,” explains Jens.

Committed to continuous product improvements, Jens notes that the company recently redeveloped and relaunched the PC4000 super-shovel: “The updated PC4000 boasts a number of new features and design changes to improve its reliability and productivity. For example, the electrical system has been

completely revised and simplified using a ‘lowest cost-per-ton approach’, reducing the number of electrical parts like controllers, relays and circuit breakers by up to 59 per cent.

“The choice of technology used in the PC4000 has been driven for further reduction in downtime and increased availability while not neglecting quality and serviceability.

The new PC4000 has additional improvements such as hose routing for reduced wear and longer life leading to lower cost and improved uptime. With the latest PC4000 model a new generation of KomtraxPlus, Komatsu’s remote condition and health monitoring system, was launched. New features as well as additional data storage allows instant monitoring of the machines condition and performance.” Data is directly

transferred via the ORBCOM system, which allows for a better schedule of maintenance and operation. In addition, the remote diagnostic functionality is easily integrated into additional tools such as Modular Mining’s MineCare system, for long-term analysis.

Key to the ongoing growth of KMG is its constant drive to develop world-leading equipment for the mining and construction industries through working closely with clients and supporting customer efforts to reduce costs while improving performance. “One of Komatsu’s key aspects is the DANTOTSU philosophy which means that Komatsu always wants to have a superior product available for its customers,” says Jens. “Since 2012, the mining industry has been experiencing a decrease in commodity prices. As a result of this miners are looking for opportunities on how to reduce cost or increase their production in order to achieve stable revenues. Either way miners choose to go, we are able to support them. For us at Komatsu, we have the understanding of being a partner rather than a supplier.

Our distributors have created a culture of customer support, through both knowledge and experience, supported by a senior management team that cares. The quality of our personnel is evident to support mine sites around the world to reduce MTTR and increase machine availabilities as well as MTBF.” Keen to provide solutions and services to mine site owners and support their business, KMG will continue to use its innovative strength to provide further value through adaptation of its business model and the development of cutting edge technology, as Jens concludes: “By facing the difficulties our customers have we can better understand how to adjust our products and services to our partner’s requirements.” m

Inter Control INTER CONTROL is a leading supplier of control solutions for mobile machines like excavators and cranes. As a pioneer on the field of mobile electronics, INTER CONTROL stands for innovations, which define technical market standards.

The CAN-node ICN-VV from INTER CONTROL has been designed to control hydraulic valves.

The up to 32 outputs can supply a current of 4A each. The maximal total current is 80A. Up to 16 outputs can be configured to be used as PWM-outputs with current control, additional 16 outputs are carried out as digital outputs that can also be configured to work as digital inputs or counter inputs. Beside these I/O’s, 8 additional inputs are available which can be configured to work as digital or analog inputs.

At applications with a lower I/O-requirement an ICN-V with up to 16 outputs and 4 inputs in identical distribution should be considered as an economical alternative.

All CAN-nodes of the ICN-V family are suitable to be used in mobile working machines with 12V or 24V power supply. Because of the aluminium enclosure which is protected according to IP6K9K, the extended temperature range of -40 to +80°C as well as the shock- and vibration proof design, a mounting without an additional electrical cabinet, directly at the vehicles body and thus nearby the hydraulic valves, is possible

Komatsu Mining Germany www.komatsu-mining.de Services: Manufacturer of large hydraulic shovels

Construction & Civil Engineering 29

PROFILE: HELÉNS ROR

Focus on the future T

Heléns’ warehouse handles more that 100,000 tonnes of tubing every year for clients within the construction, engineering and processing industries

he company was initially founded in 1927, but it was not until the late 1950’s that it received a financial boost, spearheading the company into the successful position it holds today. The purchase of Heléns by the German organisation Benteler has provided a financial strength that was initially very important, and an association that connects the business to engineering clients and industry across many levels.

“That was in essence the change that started us as a tube distributor to the Swedish industries, becoming involved in welded precision steel tubes, seamless precision steel tubes, carbon hollow bars, welded circular hollow sections, special sections, cold

30 Construction & Civil Engineering

formed sections, energy, hydraulics and stainless, selling those products into Sweden,” says Stig Rex, sales director. Since that time the business has progressively grown from being a traditional stockist, forming closer working relationships with industry, resulting in the investment and development of its own internal production. “Instead of bringing in tubes and logistic services, we started to develop in house production, creating more value for our customers,” he adds.

Belonging to a family owned company, Heléns benefits from a structure that offers quick decisions, and the freedom to control its own destiny, continually delivering results. Today, its processing operation has become a major

part of the business, which as Stig points out has been advantageous: “We were quite early to leave the traditional stock business and I think that has been very successful for us.” Expanding from its initial operation in Sweden, its trading envelope encompasses much of the Nordic region such as Finland, Denmark and Norway, as well as the Baltic States and Russia, with local representation and stocks in each area.

The target markets are segmented into three main areas, as Stig highlights: “The biggest segment for us is mechanical engineering, which encompasses the mining industry, the agricultural industry, drilling works, and yellow goods. In general, it has been a very tough year, with

Construction & Civil Engineering 47

PROFILE: HELÉNS ROR

significantly less consumption over the last 12 months. However, we are also working very closely with the Swedish automotive industry with manufacturers such as Volvo and Scania, with the car sector having achieved an all time high in 2014.

The domestic construction market also maintains a heavy share of our

32 Construction & Civil Engineering

total volume, and we have noticed an improvement in the building sector, with continued strengthening forecast. This has been driven by planned and important investments in infrastructure, and the building of private dwellings for individuals.�

A global reputation has certainly provided the business with an uncompromised strength, and belonging to a group that is active outside of Nordic countries, it too is effectively represented around the world. Working with the likes of Volvo Construction, actively manufacturing big wheel loaders, excavators, haulers, and yellow goods, it is clear the level of respect it has gained in the industry.

Additionally, clients such as Sandvik Mining and Thule place further

emphasis on that standing. “One of our major strengths is the mix of products that we have, holding the broadest and deepest stock of tubes for industry, covering all the different types of welded products, seamless tubes, hot rolled bars, and stainless materials, focused strongly on tube solutions for industrial customers.

“The in-house production service has also been developed to meet more specific demands, ensuring that the service is delivered in accordance with customer agreements. We have a sales force

that is composed of 50 people, with 13 working externally, visiting the customers at sites, and identifying new buyers and new customers.

That focus on the customer is essential, and by participating in different exhibitions, we have successfully built a customer stock of close to 2000 buying customers in Sweden,” says Stig.

One problem in high cost countries, such as the Scandinavian market, which has been well voiced, is the little growth in the consumption of steel. The forecast is leveled, and as Stig highlights:

“We cannot depend on growth for the future, instead we must depend on ourselves. By increasing the attractiveness of our service, and increasing that drive towards customers and customer solutions, we hope to make the necessary gains.” Since the collapse of the financial market in 2008, the industry has failed to recover to the comfortable levels previously experienced. However, businesses are still active, and competition has increased quite dramatically, particularly with companies from the more heavily affected areas such as Southern Europe, entering the regional market. “This is why it is important that we grow, more in added value, than in volume.

“Having recently reviewed our five-year plan, we work towards the increase of our part of the added value drive, as well as expanding our business with certain products.

We are an old and well established organisation, with a high market share for several of our products, so we have to look into the products where we have a lower market share, and review how we can grow on that to increase our volumes, particularly with focusing more on stainless tubes and bars,” concludes Stig. m

Heléns Ror AB www.helens.se Services: Steel tubes Construction & Civil Engineering 33

PROFILE: Severfield (Design and Build) Limited

Heartof

steel With its sights firmly set on the future, sustainable growth and upholding its position as the largest structural steelwork contractor in the UK, Severfield plc is a must read success story

S

everfield plc has three UK companies, Severfield (UK), Severfield (NI) and Severfield (Design and Build).

Severfield (UK) is prominent in the top end of the structural steel sector.

Covering the London market and significant landmark structures and bridges it has successfully delivered numerous projects such as the Shard, 2012 Olympic Stadium, Paris

34 Construction & Civil Engineering

Jim Martindale

Philharmonic and Baltic Millennium Bridge. Based in Northern Ireland, Severfield (NI) is the equivalent of its UK counterpart, however it also operates very successfully in mainland Britain. Severfield (NI) competes very successfully in the next tier down from Severfield (UK), in the London market on commercial office and residential developments.

With its headquarters in Sherburn, North Yorkshire, Severfield (Design and Build) was established back in 1949 by two brothers, Frank and Wilf Ward and traded as Ward Bros, initially supplying farm buildings.

“The business grew and became a prominent structural steel fabricator in the construction sector both for the home market and also exporting structural steel

all over the world in the 1980’s and early 90’s,” explains Jim Martindale, managing director. That business was bought by Severfield plc in 2005, and under the new ownership and further investment the business has secured a position as the market leading structural steel group.

Severfield (Design and Build) concentrates on distribution warehousing and buildings for the manufacturing sector, in addition to serving the retail sector, supermarket stores on stilts and out of town retail developments.

The business offers a full range of services, from design through to completion to ensure that projects run smoothly, priding itself on its inhouse capabilities.

“We are a customer focused organisation, and over a long period of time we have specialised

in the production of warehouse steel frames, growing to a greater efficiency and higher standard than anyone else,” says Jim, adding: “We have a large in-house technical department, which has refined the art of optimising the design and a production team that consistently delivers products on time, fulfilling the intensive site programmes we provide. Our main driver for repeat business is delivering on time, every time.”

The group covers all UK market sectors, something that has proved to be a valuable asset. One of Severfield’s major differentiators is in fact its flexibility, and as various sectors move and change, the business is able to move with them.

With an unrivalled level of expertise in structural steelwork, that flexibility is something well appreciated by its clients. Severfield recognises that

its 1200-strong workforce is the future of its business. Dedicated to achieving its strategic growth objectives, the business continues to attract, retain and motivate the best people in the steel industry.

A string of successful projects is testament to the calibre of its staff, whether engineers, erectors, designers, or any of the numerous other positions within the organisation. Jim joined the business back in 1995 as a trainee design engineer, at a time where the majority of designs and drawing work undertaken involved manual calculations and drawing by hand.

As the industry in general faces

a shortage of specific skills, Jim reflects on how the industry has changed, and the importance of a complex understanding: “Inevitably technology has moved on and both design and drawing work is now computerised with 3D design and drawing models.

“However, the traditional hand drawn approach is a very good discipline and there is still a case for a technical trainee to start on a drawing board so they truly understand how a building goes together, as it is a good way to focus the mind on designing for manufacture with standard straightforward details.” Holding

WS Transportation WS Transportation was set up in April 2014 with a fleet of standard flat and trombone trailers. Its drivers are fully trained and equipped to carry high, wide and long loads.

WS Transportation enjoys a close partnership with Severfield plc and forms a vital link within its supply chain. With every Severfield load being time-critical, deliveries must be made safely and efficiently and WS Transportation clearly demonstrates this commitment and capability.

Construction & Civil Engineering 35

PROFILE: Severfield (Design and Build) Limited

the recruitment and training of apprentices as fundamental to business development, the business takes on at least ten apprentices each year as a means of ensuring that it has all the desired skill bases available in the future.

“For Severfield (Design and Build) the projects that really stand out are the 35 metre high bay warehouses we have built. These projects enable us to show our structural design capabilities and they reverse the rules slightly as the main consideration affecting the design is the build sequence and temporary stability. Generally, buildings up to 20 metres tall are designed for the permanent condition and then checked for the construction scenario,” explains Jim. A promising future is bolstered by a strong list of potential projects combined with a

36 Construction & Civil Engineering

good work mix, that includes several distribution warehouses, a 40 metre tall high bay and two factories with overhead travelling cranes. “The crane supporting structures are always a test of good design details to ensure that we achieve the tight steel erection tolerances on site,” he adds.

Working towards a future where the company is recognised as a world-leader in structural steel, its ambitious and innovative leadership is certainly fuelling an already fast moving business, as Jim highlights: “We would like to see continued growth in markets and improved margins.”

Not afraid to get down to basics, key importance is placed on understanding customers requirements and meeting their aspirations through innovative thinking and a flexible approach to deliver successful outcomes. m

Severfield (Design and Build) Limited www.severfield.com Services: Structural steel design and engineering

PROFILE: Wirtgen Limited

Pavingtheway

As a wholly owned subsidiary of Wirtgen Group, Wirtgen Limited specialises in the sale and servicing of equipment, vital to the construction of roads throughout the UK

T

he business was started

by Reinhard Wirtgen in 1961 and remains a passionate, family owned enterprise whose roots were planted in the back yard of its owner as he began developing cold milling and planer technology. It was during the 1970’s that the business first paved its way into the UK market, establishing itself in Lincoln, where it continues trading today.

Initially operating as a contracting business, the company gradually began selling greater quantities of milling machines, eventually dropping

its contractor status. Wirtgen Limited was officially formed in 1995 targeting sales, servicing, repairs and overhauls of road construction equipment.

Over the last 12 years the Wirtgen Group has acquired several more brands such as Vögele, Hamm, Kleemann, and most recently Benninghoven, incorporating manufacturing specialisms in paving, compaction, crushing and screening equipment, and asphalt plant. “We have effectively added on those brands in the UK, establishing and developing each one within

our market,” says Paul Holmes, managing director. The successful acquisition of Benninghoven completes the circle of offering from Wirtgen Group as he explains: “Being able to produce everything related to road construction has put us in great stead to gain on, and maintain our market position. Through Kleemann we process minerals, which can go into the Benninghoven plant to be made into asphalt, to be laid by the Vögele paver, before final compaction with the Hamm range.

The Wirtgen milling machine

Construction & Civil Engineering 37

PROFILE: Wirtgen Limited

is then available to recycle the pavement and go back through the circle.”

As diverse as its product range is its extended customer base, ranging from individual SME contractors, through to local authorities, large quarrying companies and

38 Construction & Civil Engineering

contracting organisations working on major highways, quarries and airports. “We have the benefit of German engineered, market-leading products, and we constantly strive to develop that technology, holding our status as market leader in milling and planing, in pavers,

and compaction. Furthermore, the new diesel electric MC 110 EVO jaw crushing machine that we have recently introduced has had a dramatic impact, doubling our market share. This will soon be followed by a more compact MC 100 R EVO jaw crusher, which should appeal to recycling contractors.

“Part of our philosophy is striving to provide exceptional customer service, offering support with technical issues, spare parts and application technology, our aim is to be approachable and straightforward. For our customers, their machines are their livelihood, so the whole business is focused on servicing the customer to the best of our ability,” says Paul. In 2015 Wirtgen Limited launches two new milling machines into the UK market, welcoming the W 100 CFi, one metre front-loading track machine, available from March. Already well received by contractors at a factory open day, it boasts Tier 4 final compliant technology, and focuses on providing a faster and easier operation. In addition to the

W 100 CFi, the new series of onemetre machines also includes two further, innovative models – the W 120 CFi and W 130 CFi – with working widths of 1.20 m and 1.30 m, respectively. With these three new front loaders, the new generation of small milling machines now comprises a total of five models, following the successful launch of the W 50 Ri and W 60 Ri half-metre milling machines. These rear loading machines benefit from the same level of technology, offering greater maneuverability for a wide range of applications.

With the indicated spend in infrastructure investment, clients are recognising that after years of maintaining their existing fleet, now is the time to replace old for new, and gear towards the future. As a business, it has doubled in size

in the last 18 months, with most of that coming from gaining market share. Such growth has ultimately led to the increase in staffing levels, achieved through laying the seeds for its own grass root talent, as Paul highlights: “Getting people in place with the speed of the growth is challenging. As a result, we are investing very heavily, employing close to 25 people in the last 12 months, and through acquisition we have doubled staff numbers to 115 in the UK. We very much believe in an apprenticeship programme

and we continue to invest in this way, with apprentices helping us to overcome the lack of specialist engineers. We are big promoters of bringing people through the business, developing strong product knowledge and the ethos of the company.

“Having increased our mobile engineer workforce by 60 per cent we are now introducing a new 24/7 workshop capability, enabling a faster turnaround in service, maintenance and repair.” As the business seeks to expand the size

GP Logistics When Wirtgen, a leading supplier in road construction machinery were looking for a partner they chose GP Logistics. With 40 years’ experience in the industry GP Global Logistics are able to provide machinery transportation within the UK and to and from Wirtgen’s four manufacturing plants in Germany. GP Global Logistics provide management of transport through a range of hauliers; controlling costs and ensuring that hauliers work to strict guidelines in accordance with Wirtgen’s safe working practices and code of ethics; maintaining communication links between Wirtgen operations, sales staff and client base before during and after the transportation has taken place.

Construction & Civil Engineering 39

PROFILE: Wirtgen Limited

of its premises it remains focused on the needs of its clients. The full time appointment of an in-house trainer allows Wirtgen Limited to provide operator and engineer training for its customers, opening its premises to customers to use and learn

40 Construction & Civil Engineering

about the machines in a safe and controlled environment.

Developing the business to provide the full spectrum of road and mineral technology equipment, plays key to it is future, as Paul highlights: “Simply put, we want

to be the market leading provider of road and mineral technology equipment, remaining close to our customers and focusing on products that satisfy the needs of our customers. It is a question of how can we help customers deliver these projects. It is clear that finding a skilled workforce and providing the amount of training required is an immense task, given the planned government infrastructure investment. Ultimately as the ones that are producing the infrastructure, we offer our clients support as a partner, delivering our service to ensure they are able to deliver theirs.� m

Wirtgen Limited www.wirtgen.co.uk Services: Road construction equipment

PROFILE: WILLOWBROOK Plant Services

Playingheavy In the middle of 2008, whilst many companies were experiencing hardship, a small group of engineers saw an opportunity to offer their service expertise in the world of construction equipment, establishing Willowbrook Plant Services

W

illowbrook Plant Services Ltd entered the market at a very challenging time on the financial calendar, yet clients jumped at the opportunity to have access to the knowledge and experience of the company’s founders, as they sought alternative solutions to purchasing new machinery. “We have built the business on the strength of our service and parts background that has grown its reputation by employing highly skilled staff with experience and vision. Not a lot of people were buying machines, so repair demands were much

greater. Operating as a service and repair outfit, we were quickly able to establish links with some of the bigger clients in the country,” announces sales director Brian Conn.

As demand saw the business quickly triple the amount of engineers on the road, in 2009 the company secured its role as a sales dealer for the Takeuchi mini excavator range.

Complementing the new path, it was soon after, in 2011, that Willowbrook was awarded a similar contract with Hyundai, further bolstering its strengths. The product range has been so well received that customers are now leaving other brands to benefit from its initial cost savings, fuel efficiency, lower maintenance,

Construction & Civil Engineering 41

PROFILE: WILLOWBROOK Plant Services

cab ergonomics, and all round performance.

The combination of sales and service has seen turnover rise from £230,000 in its first trading year to a massive £16 million predicted for 2015. “We have really driven through the success of the sales, and built on the service experience that the guys brought across when the venture was first established. It has been a meteoric rise, we have obviously had a lot of growing pains in between, but we have been fortunate by the fact that we got in with the right brands at the right time,” says Brian.

With a steady stream of service and repair work, the agreements with the Takeuchi agency and the Hyundai agency accelerated the business. Takeuchi, with the brand that it has in the market place has always been a strong seller, so as Brian explains: “It was always a case of just sticking with it, keeping in contact with the customers and progression would be inevitable because the product almost sells itself. Securing the

42 Construction & Civil Engineering

Hyundai contract in 2011 took us onto yet another level, because not only are the machines priced correctly, but they compete now with what’s perceived as the best in the market. So we have built on that, growing our engineering capacity with more engineers, and gradually been awarded more area by the manufacturers, based on the success we have had in the past.”

It was during 2014 that further developments in its growth were made, with the company signing an agreement with Maximus Crushing and Screening Equipment.

Geographically, the company is responsible for the sales of

the equipment for much of the country. “The early days have been successful, selling a handful of the units so far, and we hope to increase that to about 20 units this year. Over the last 12 months we have seen everybody who has held off for the last few years get back into buying mode. All manufacturers have been selling machines, but of course, when that happens, competition can become fierce, prices get tighter and deals get tighter. Certainly now the market recognises our presence and sees that we are a true contender, matching to the likes of Hitachi and JCB in our areas,”

Coupler Safety Redefined

THE UK’S NO. 1 TEFRA was designed to protect our customers from the imminent arrival of Global Standard ISO 13031.

Protect your business from future changes. Buy once, buy TEFRA!

To learn more about how our unique approach to safety can help you, and to discuss our TEFRA range, contact us today: Call: 028

3025 2555

Email: enquiries@hillattach.com

| www.hillattach.com |

Construction & Civil Engineering 61

PROFILE: WILLOWBROOK Plant Services

explains Brian.

As the company continues to grow, it looks to future recruitment through two main channels, recommendation from within the industry and personal connections, ensuring that the business is able to continue to grow a team that complements the well established close knit community that it has for so long used to maximise its full potential. “We also have two apprentices employed, one which is finishing next year and the other has two years to go. They have both proved well worth the investment, and it is definitely the way to go forward,” Brian adds.

In 2014, sales of the 14 tonne Hyundai unit amassed a 50 per cent share of the business, as Brian points out: “There is a massive market for this size of machine

44 Construction & Civil Engineering

and we have taken great success from it. Priced correctly, it is a true competitor to the likes of CAT and Volvo. Either side, sales of our eight tonne range, and 20 tonne range have also amassed to a substantial amount.”

In time, and in line with the growth of the business, a depot down in the M25 region or one further North may be established, depending on how much area it gains from current contracts.

“There has always been talk of regional expansion, and this will inevitably lead to the requirement of another depot.

But as we look towards the future we are searching for a telehandler contract, with the likes of Manitou or Merlo, as well as another dumper agreement such as one with Bomag or Thwaites. Bolting such additions onto our offering would certainly be a great enhancement to the portfolio,” he concludes. m

Willowbrook Plant Services Ltd www.willowbrookplant.com Services: Dealership and service provider for construction plant

Strickland Direct As a leading supplier ofbuckets, quickcouplers and attachments, Midlands based, Strickland Direct Ltd attributes its continued growth to its customer focused sales team.

The combination of having Europe’s largest stock of finished buckets and attachments and our experienced sales team gives us the ability to react quickly offering next day delivery on the majority of orders placed. With a new purpose built factory and five acre site being due for completion in April 2015, Strickland Direct plan to further invest to cope with future increases in demand.

Visit us at Plantworx at Block 44 8E4

Construction & Civil Engineering 45

PROFILE: KONE

flow

Gowiththe Kone is the global leader in the lift and escalator industry, providing an extensive range of industry-leading lifts, escalators, passenger conveyors and industrial and automatic building doors, as well as innovative solutions for modernisation and maintenance

F

ounded in 1910 the company remains dedicated to providing the best ‘People Flow’ experience by developing and delivering solutions that enable people to move smoothly, safely and in comfort, and without any waiting in buildings in an increasingly urbanised environment.

The company is committed to

46 Construction & Civil Engineering

understanding and implementing the needs of its customers such as builders, building owners, facility managers, and developers across a range of industry sectors including residential buildings, hotels, office and retail buildings, medical buildings, leisure and education centres, infrastructure, and medical facilities. Presently KONE operates through more than 1000 offices worldwide, spanning around 50 countries. It has seven global production sites, eight global R&D centres and authorised distributors in its key market areas, giving it the ability to serve thousands of clients across the globe.

In the UK, KONE Great Britain provides the full range of lifts, escalators and autowalks, doors, maintenance and modernisation services in the KONE portfolio. In keeping with the KONE vision the

business is responsible for delivering a performance edge to its customers through the creation of the best user experience gained from ‘People Flow’ solutions. As a leader in its field the company has been involved with many prestigious projects in the UK, including The Shard, 122 Leadenhall Street, 20 Fenchurch Street, Cannon Place, 30 St Mary Axe and Broadgate and 201 Bishopgate buildings, Emirates Stadium, Brunel University, Citigroup, The Co-operative Group HQ, The Jubilee Line Extension, St. Georges Wharf and Heathrow Aiprort Terminal 5 & 2.

The latter work at London Heathrow airport has been a significant and lengthy range of projects for KONE, which has been working at the site since 1990. The business was involved in the construction and development of Terminal 5, providing autowalks, escalators and

lift solutions. The main building, T5A, consists of eight levels under a single span roof making the logistics of effectively transporting up to 30 million passengers per year a considerable challenge, and calling for an innovative mix of lifts, escalators and autowalks that would enable passengers to traverse the complex in an intuitive manner.

Using its ‘People Flow’ approach, KONE provided 103 escalators, 54 lifts and three autowalks in T5A and T5B, successfully delivering and installing everything on time and fully operational.

Following this KONE was awarded a five-year contract for all five terminals at Heathrow Airport in 2001, work that encompassed more than 700 units of lifts, escalators and moving walkways. The contract included work at the T2B satellite

building to Heathrow’s Terminal 2, which opened in 2014, and involved the supply of 40 lifts, 18 escalators and 12 autowalks.

More recently, in 2014 the company secured a five year extension to this contract to maintain equipment for people and goods movement at

all Heathrow Airport terminals, meaning that KONE will ultimately be responsible for the smooth and efficient flow of around 72 million passengers per year at the airport.

The contract extension highlights Heathrow Airport’s recognition of KONE as a service provider of choice, selecting the company due to it consistently delivering and excellent people flow experience for passengers and a 99.7 per cent equipment availability rate.

Speaking at the time of this development Michael Williams, managing director for KONE in Great Britain said: “I am proud that our long-term partnership with Heathrow Airport continues. It is a magnificent achievement to be awarded the contract to maintain all the equipment. Heathrow is internationally renowned for being

Construction & Civil Engineering 47

PROFILE: KONE

one of the busiest transportation hubs in the world. To be assigned the service provider of choice and to help passengers move around efficiently and comfortably is a huge credit to our team.”

The business is well renowned for its work at UK airports, with the KONE name being synonymous with quality and innovation in moving people efficiently and effectively.

In addition to its work at Heathrow Airport the business has completed a series of projects at Gatwick Airport, most recently (December 2014) securing a four-year contract to maintain its lifts, escalators and autowalks. KONE will be responsible for providing around-the-clock maintenance service as well as being Gatwick’s modernisation partner for associated equipment.

The company’s ongoing success

relies on its dedication to moving people in an innovative and highly effective manner. Its products are industry leading and eco-efficient, providing best-in-class solutions for customers. Its escalators and autowalks for example set the standard for eco-efficiency, safety

and visual design, providing high quality and reliability combined with a low total cost of ownership. As they are tailored for each individual client requirement they are idea for any number of applications.

For KONE, innovation is key and this was recently recognised when business magazine Forbes named the company as one of the world’s most innovative companies. In summer last year KONE was ranked 42nd out of the top 100 most innovative companies in the world, and was ranked sixth of all European companies listed. It was also the only lift and escalator company features on Forbes’ list. Since its inception the company has been at the forefront of its industry with a number of ‘firsts’, including in 1996 when it was the first company to introduce machine-room-less lifts More recently it has developed highrise lift-hoisting technology, KONE UltraRope, which will enable lifts to travel heights up to one kilometre – twice the current possible distance.

“It’s a great honour to be recognised among the world’s most innovative companies for a fourth consecutive year,” said Henrik Ehrnrooth president and CEO of KONE Corporation. “Innovation and technological advancement have been at the core of our company for decades and will continue to be moving forward.”

Indeed, moving forward there is little doubt of continuing success for KONE. The business remains entirely dedicated to innovative methods of ensuring effective ‘People Flow’.

The company understands the importance of ensuring that people are able to move smoothly and efficiently and through continued development it will strive to make the elevator or escalator ride as safe, comfortable and efficient as possible for users all over the world. m

Kone www.kone.com Services: Lift and escalator manufacturer 48 Construction & Civil Engineering

PROFILE: CIMC Modular Building Systems

Contained growth F

ounded in Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China, in 1992, China International Marine Containers (Group) Ltd (CIMC Group) has diversified its services over the last three decades to become one of the leading global manufacturing groups. From its relatively humble beginnings as a container business, CIMC Group today operates in sectors such as modular building systems, vehicles, energy, chemical equipment, food equipment, offshore facilities, track equipment, logistics equipment and financial services. Boasting a global network that operates throughout North America, Asia, Australia and Europe, the massive organisation has more than 150 subsidiaries and 70,000 staff.

With an innovative design and patented building technology, CIMC Modular Building Systems (MBS) has found a solution to clients requiring speed of construction, enhanced quality and early return of investment Under the helm of its parent company, CIMC Modular Building Systems (CIMC MBS) has enjoyed impressive growth since its foundation in 2004, becoming the world-leading provider of modular buildings and modular building systems in just over a decade. With an enviable list of global clients, from

internationally recognised hotel operators to global resource firms, CIMC MBS has developed a strong reputation as a unique provider of profit driven solutions.

From its four manufacturing facilities based in three locations, and its five branches that serve customers on a global scale, CIMC MBS provides its high quality services to a broad range of sectors such as hotel and hospitality, apartment and workforce accommodation and student accommodation. Benefiting from the experience of the CIMC Group in areas such as project development, design, construction and operation, CIMC MBS works with its clients’ teams to ensure designs are constructed safely,

Construction & Civil Engineering 49

PROFILE: CIMC Modular Building Systems

efficiently and cost-effectively.

To strengthen its foothold in the construction of modular buildings, CIMC MBS established regional offices in Europe in 2014 and Australia in 2009. CIMC MBS UK, located in London, UK, is responsible for all projects in the UK and Europe and also has technical input into V system projects across the globe. With the knowledge and experience to take clients from A to Z during a project, CIMC MBS UK assists with everything from design to delivery. Furthermore, the team works with architects that need assistance and welcomes close and open discussions with architects, engineers, developers and contractors to help deliver successful projects. Meanwhile, CIMC MBS Australia is responsible for all projects throughout Australia and New Zealand. The team is capable

50 Construction & Civil Engineering

of delivering products into all major ports and also provides a holding yards service if needed.

Retaining its values to provide performance-driven results on time, to budget and with optimum safety,

CIMC MBS consistently delivers and exceeds expectations. Moreover, the company can support projects thanks to its extensive funding resources either via internal funds, through strategic partnerships with international banks, legal firms and accounting and leasing consultants across the globe.

Available to customers is a onestop-shop package of debt finance, which covers modular purchase, construction costs and project costs.

Focused on volumetric modular construction, CIMC MBS constructs a building off-site in controlled plant conditions; although it uses the same materials and designs to the same standards as conventionally built facilities, CIMC MBS’s way of creating modular buildings offers a number of benefits to clients.

These include a high level of quality and repeatability, up to 60 per cent reduction in construction times and a 70 per cent reduction in onsite labour; furthermore, modular construction reduces overall capital costs by ten per cent to 30 per cent as a result of greater design, delivery and onsite management efficiencies.

The company’s product range includes the V system, which is perfectly suited for hotels, student accommodation and departments.

The V system can be stacked up to 16 levels without the need for

additional structures, is designed to be shipped anywhere and have superior acoustic and fire isolation as each module is separated by an air gap and internal linings are fire rated. Benefiting from container technology, each module is tailor made to meet the clients’ needs in terms of room size and internal specification. Meanwhile, the T system is a singular module that is supplied complete with external façade and roofing. The modules are typically supplied with a single point of entry for services and come commissioned with air-conditioned rooms and hot water systems. CIMC MBS also provides customers with the flat pack option, which can be used in a number of ways, such as a temporary office, accommodation and or sanitary room. Four units can be packed as 1x20 metre containers for convenience and cost saving.

Having provided modular buildings to customers such as InterContinental Hotels Group, Hilton, Travelodge and Premier Inn, CIMC MBS is currently working on a £15 million contract that uses its converted container system to create a new on-site hotel at Bristol airport.

As the company’s modular system is still relatively new to the UK, this contract gives it ample opportunity to show the benefits of using this system.

As CIMC MBS continues to showcase the advantages of modular construction to the conservative UK market, the company naturally anticipates increased demand from UK customers over the coming years.

However, as an organisation that doesn’t rest on its laurels, CIMC MBS is also looking to establish itself in other markets that show opportunities for growth. m

CIMC Modular Building Systems www.cimc-mbs.com Services: Modular building construction specialists Construction & Civil Engineering 51

PROFILE: Joseph Ash Group

to A Zinc W The son of a renowned chemist, Joseph Ash established the business to provide steel finishing services to UK industries, with initial expansion through the railway sector leading to a dominating position in the construction industry

52 Construction & Civil Engineering

ith sister companies in France and the US, Joseph Ash Group is part of one of the world’s largest galvanizing companies. The galvanizing process is a must have for corrosion protection on steel items, and after 158 years of trading, the company has secured a wellearned standing. “As a business we are heavily dependant on the construction industry, an industry that was hit hard by the recession.

However, it is definitely a reviving market, and there are positive signs

that it is picking up,” says marketing manager Mick Jackson. In line with the expectancy of a buoyant future, 2014 proved to be far busier than 2013, boosted by predictions of a 19 per cent increase in structural steelwork market levels by 2018.

“First and foremost we are a hot dip galvanizer offering corrosion protection, but also shot blasting and powder coating facilities. We provide an additional shipping service using our own transport fleet of both rigid and articulated vehicles, based at our numerous plants across the UK,” Mick points out. With clients operating on a countrywide basis, the

undertaking projects that can range from pipe work and tubing to lighting columns, motorway barriers and street furniture.

Second to that is a healthy interest in the agricultural industry, both buildings and equipment such as gates and troughs. Beyond its

standard options, if customers have a special requirement such as marking, stenciling, bundling, export packing, containerisation, or simply room to trial erect its products before site, then Joseph Ash endeavours to offer it. “It is a combination of these added services that provides our strength,” says Mick.

From a compliance perspective, certification is of key importance to customers today. As well as holding vital British and ISO Standards, the company is the only steel finisher in the UK to be granted approved galvanizer status by Akzo Nobel. The plant that holds this status, in Sittingbourne, Kent, was acquired in 2013, and as Mick highlights: “Being able to quote and highlight such awards puts us in a great

location of the businesses facilities provides the ideal spread to reach its customers. “Since the outset, we have been driven to become a company that offers more than the normal galvanizer, going that extra mile to help our customers in what they require. We are able to coat anything that is made of, or fabricated in steel, which opens up a large market, and as one sector becomes quiet, another sector may be slightly on the rise, be that agricultural, infrastructure, transport, or general engineering,” adds Mick.

Construction and infrastructure are the company’s biggest markets,

Construction & Civil Engineering 53

PROFILE: Joseph Ash Group

position that is further supported by our RoSPA Gold Award for Health and Safety, as well as holding the international occupational health and safety management system specification OHSAS18001, a first for the UK galvanizing industry.”

The acquisition of the southernbased Medway plant enabled the business to close its operation in Poplar, which had suffered since the migration of its main customer base to areas outside of the main M25 conurbation. “The majority of customers that were trading with the London division have been retained, but furthermore, we have been able to make large savings on transport costs. Relationships to any business are the Holy Grail, we don’t look at our customers as just a revenue stream, we actively want to engage with them, and build up a trading relationship, whether through a multi million pound contract or a £150 minimum charge order,” says Mick.

From its head office the business provides a technical support division, which is manned by technically experienced personnel, positioning it ahead of the many businesses relying on the Galvanizers Association

54 Construction & Civil Engineering

Aldershot

for answers to the most complex questions. “We are able to answer any queries or provide technical information that customers require on galvanizing or specification, with just one call. We want people to be happy with the service that we offer, and we want our name to spread across the market place, building on the reputation that Joseph Ash is the must go to galvanizer in the UK,” Mick explains.

Conforming to the latest environmental conditions such as emission and control, investment into plant and equipment is ongoing, working to ensure it operates in line with the integrated pollution prevention control (IPPC) directive. The process of galvanizing is completed using Zinc – a naturally sourced product, but importantly for the environment, Mick highlights: “Depending on the application, once an item of steel has been galvanized, it can be forgotten for the next six

decades in regards to maintenance.”

The growth of volumes and margins, and the provision of unbeatable quality and service remain the underlying focus for the business.

Capital projects are expected to provide opportunity for expansion, with new services and facilities being added to a number of the company’s sites. “Investment into capital projects will continue with the expected recovery of the UK economy, particularly within the steel sector. Our fixed plants provide ample coverage of the bulk of the UK, and capital projects will ensure that we have the capacity to continue winning new business and going after new business,” concludes Mick. m

Joseph Ash Group www.josephash.co.uk Services: Steel finishing services

PROFILE: Martin Grant Homes

Homemade

Penrose Park

Since its inception in 1978, privately run family business Martin Grant Homes has developed a strong reputation as one of the major house building firms in the South of England thanks to its ability to create premium specification homes in prime locations

U

pon founding Martin Grant Homes nearly 40 years ago, Martin Grant focused on making the firm a leading developer in the South East by maintaining strong family ethics and close working relationships with his staff. Dedicated to not just building houses but building homes, Martin and his team set a standard for delivering meticulously planned and constructed properties alongside lasting connections with both those that built them and the customers who live in them. Today the company

Chris Hamilton

is still under the leadership of a Grant family member, who ensures the great work and exceptional standards of Martin Grant continues through the provision of sustainable homes that ensure customers expectations for lifestyle, opportunities and safety are fully met. “Martin Grant Homes (MGH) predominantly operates in the South East of England from its head office location in Abinger Hammer, Surrey. The company prides itself on its strong family beliefs and close involvement with the operations team and external supply chain.

Developments, past and present, extend from Chichester on the South Coast to Northampton in the Midlands and from Newbury in the West to Chelmsford in the East. With our well-appointed apartments and starter homes in the home counties we capture the first-time buyer market; we also create executive family homes in and around the London commuter belt,� begins Chris Hamilton, managing director at Martin Grant Homes. “As a premium housing brand we plan our homes to meet client

Construction & Civil Engineering 55

PROFILE: Martin Grant Homes

Greencroft

expectation. We spend a lot of time reviewing the interior design and specification for each development schemes to ensure our homes are appointed to the customers’ needs, taking full consideration of quality, fashion trends, functionality and practicality, sustainability and security.” Boasting a broad portfolio of projects that reflect the needs of its clients, MGH is proud to combine well thought out designs with classic touches, which results in extraordinary homes.

However, this is only one segment of MGH’s strategy for success; the long process actually starts with the Strategic Land team identifying and acquiring suitable land to develop from the planning phase to construction, development and beyond. The small team strives to deliver a personal, tailor-made service of superior quality to landowners, which thus gives them confidence to put their sites in the hands of a known and trusted experts that are available at all stages of development.

Meeting market needs As the government continues to find solutions to the UK housing crisis, which will not only provide new homes but will also boost the economy, MGH, with its solid record of building homes in popular developments that are attractive, high quality and spacious, is fully capable of meeting this need in the market.

“MGH are currently involved in two major housing development schemes, one in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire and one in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. These are both significant housing schemes and carry with them huge contributions to the local community including primary and secondary education schools, train stations, major trunk road and distributor road improvements, community centres, commercial centres, district parks and open spaces and employment areas,” confirms Chris.

56 Construction & Civil Engineering

Penrose Park

Located on the outskirts of Aylesbury, MGH is a member of the Berryfields MDA Consortium and over the course of the development will be creating in excess of 500. new homes. Just one hour away from London by train, within the 181-acre area of leafy parkland MGH is delivering a mix of two, three, four and five bedroom high-specification homes that are in close proximity to three schools and a gym. There are also recreation areas nearby, with cycleways, bridleways and footpaths. Known as Berryfields, the new community incorporates local independent shops and services and is at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, an idyllic beauty spot with a number of country pubs and grand country houses.

Penrose Park is also within 35 minutes of Kings Cross, London, for commuters.

Sensitive to the fact that new housing developments can be a controversial issue for communities,

MGH is committed to working with local people and local community groups as well as councils and local planning authorities to ensure that the development of any new housing area is beneficial for all

The best specifictions Meanwhile, Biggleswade’s new Penrose Park community, which forms part of the new King’s Reach development, boasts a collection of elegantly presented two, three, four and five bedroom family homes. Offering the very best specifications, the homes have perfectly planned kitchens that are complemented with stainless steel appliances, while the carefully presented bathrooms and ensuites offer a sophisticated feel.

Strategically located within close proximity to three schools and a gym as well as recreation areas,

Construction & Civil Engineering 57

PROFILE: Martin Grant Homes

involved. For example, houses will be created with optimum care to ensure they are energy efficient and incorporate environmental performance schemes such as BRE EcoHomes and the ‘Code for Sustainable Homes’; furthermore, homes will be created in a way that protects, preserves and enhances the features of the natural site through close working relationships with organisations such as the Environment Agency and Natural England as well as local wildlife groups.

In fact, the company has worked on particularly sensitive development areas with great success, as Chris notes: “For these kinds of projects we have been required to place particular emphasis on local features because of local conservation restrictions. The designs have been

out-sourced to architects that have local connections to ensure that the development briefs are adhered to in order to create a development that blends in with the

surroundings.”

As either the owner or controller of land that is capable of providing 10,000 potential homes over the next ten to 15 years, the financially strong MGH is in a coveted position to meet the demand for homes in the UK, as Chris concludes: “The MGH land bank affords the business a fantastic opportunity over the next five years. If the market stays consistent over the period with modest inflationary growth then the business is superbly placed to expand from the current base of a £75 million annual turnover on the delivery of 150 new homes to £150 million from 350 new homes.

“The long term investment in strategic land over several decades has started to materialise with substantial planning gains in recent times providing MGH with sizable sites in excellent locations.

Sites such as these will allow the company to organically expand its development portfolio in areas where sites are difficult to find and secure. This places the company at a significant advantage over its peer group of similar developers.” m

Martin Grant Homes www.martingranthomes.co.uk Services: House builder 58 Construction & Civil Engineering

PROFILE: Robertson Timber ENGINEERING

The

wonders

of

wood Part of the Robertson Construction Group, Robertson Timber Engineering has been providing precision engineered timber frame solutions for more than 25 years

A

s Barry Armstrong, technical sales manager, explained, the Robertson Group is comprised of several different divisions, including construction, property, facilities management, civil engineering, mechanical and electrical, and house building, and as such offers a multidisciplinary service to clients.

Focusing on the Timber Engineering side, Barry noted that the factory was originally created to feed timber and joinery solutions into the house building division of

Robertson, but it soon expanded and evolved into a specialist in providing precision-engineered timber frame solutions for clients from a variety of sectors. “We are now one of the market leaders, and have a very strong brand and name within the industry,” Barry confirmed. “We not only supply our own in-house products to our construction and house building divisions, but we also do a lot of work with external contractors, large construction companies and national house builders as well.”

These blue-chip clients turn to

Robertson Timber Engineering because its products offer a range of benefits, one of which is particularly topical at the moment, as Barry noted: “If you look at our competition in brick and block, there is a huge demand for materials and not enough capacity to handle it, so house builders are looking for alternatives to bricks.

A lot of builders have also been forced to go down the route of timber frame due to the lack of bricklayers and labour available, and what we are finding is that once they have used our solutions,

Construction & Civil Engineering 59

PROFILE: Robertson Timber ENGINEERING

they embrace it and wonder why they didn’t do it years ago.

“These clients can also now appreciate the further benefits of timber framed solutions, such as the fact they are made off-site, under controlled factory conditions, and are therefore extremely accurate and can be erected very quickly.

They offer a very low CO2 footprint, better air tightness, better insulation, and there are lesser defects on a timber frame house as well.

“Our timber buildings also have the same life span of masonry buildings, but they have lower running costs over that time,” he added. “So while there is still an element of reluctance in England about timber frames, especially when you compare it to the world market where 75 per cent of all houses are timber framed, I think it is a bit of a mind set and a fear

60 Construction & Civil Engineering

of change, and with our superior products we are starting to transform this.”

As Barry highlighted, many of the benefits of Robertson’s timber solutions stem from the fact that they are created in a state-of-theart factory. “Our facilities utilise a lot of automation, and this saves both time and increases accuracy – in

fact, our factory manager is a real stickler for quality and detail.”

Robertson controls the process from sale to production, and the company is keen to partner with clients at the early design stage: “The earlier we are involved, the longer we have to plan out the job, iron out any problems and that makes everyone’s life easier,” said Barry. “Our process has been carefully created to ensure that our products are of the highest quality and our clients and installers frequently comment that they are the best in the industry.”

Indeed, such has been the recent success of the products that the company is planning on extending its capacity, through the re-opening of another factory. Said Barry: “This was purpose-built by us around four years ago, but we had to cease production for a couple of years while the construction market recovered from the recession. It was a huge investment for us at the time and it is still one of the most state-of-the-art factories in the UK, featuring some very sophisticated equipment. It covers an area of around 40,000 sq ft and is located in a position that has excellent access to the motorway and distribution network. The reopening of this factory will bring numerous new jobs to the north east of England, so we anticipate our workforce significantly increasing from its current level of 42.”

The impetus to re-open this factory has been partially based

on the success Robertson Timber Engineering has seen in the hotels sector. “Over the last year or so we have worked on 14 or 15 hotels, for a range of clients,” said Barry. “The advantage for these projects is our speed of build – for example a 100 bed hotel can be ready to accept guests in just six months from first putting a spade in the ground using our solutions, compared to nearly double that with traditional, masonry, steel or concrete techniques. We just supply the timber frame, and work in partnership with other companies on these projects.” m

Robertson Timber Engineering www.robertson.co.uk www.timberkit.co.uk timber@robertson.co.uk Services: Engineering timber frame solutions

Construction & Civil Engineering 61

PROFILE: BMSE

FromstarttoFinnish In a market that has seen the rise and demise of many businesses throughout the years, BMSE has been born from a recycled strength and expertise, providing comprehensive precast construction solutions to businesses on a global scale

B

etonimestarit Oy was established in 1988, trading as a pre-cast manufacturer with just ten employees. During the first decade of its operation the company invested in new factories, machines and devices, and through the employment of professional

62 Construction & Civil Engineering

and qualified personnel, utilised its advantages to grow into one of the biggest in Scandinavia.

This business, which continues to trade in the region, delivers pre-cast elements and finished construction solutions to clients throughout the local markets of Finland, Sweden and Norway. In 2009 Betonimestarit Oy established BMSE, producing and delivering comprehensive precast construction solutions. As a service concept, the company has been responsible for the establishment of pre-cast factories and the training of personnel far beyond the market in which its roots are still planted.

“BM Group has established in total 11 precast factories and at

the moment it owns four of those totally and partly a fifth one, from the factory placed in the West of India.

As a result the organisation has been able to develop an in depth knowhow of the processes, methods and techniques,” says Juha Soilu, director, continuing: “We don’t just develop and deliver solutions or machinery, but since 2009 we have been using that knowledge to generate a profitable business for third parties.

Our full-service solutions include profitability analysis for production and factories, planning, production planning, organising equipment procurements and logistics as well as precast installation at construction sites.”

The popularity of precast construction within Finland has been high for a number of decades, and as a result, it is not only businesses but also society as a whole that has developed a thorough understanding of the construction method. By placing high value on education and training the region has ensured such a skill set remains in trend, and

this backbone has proven to be behind BMSE’s success. “We begin by analysing the clients needs and addressing the specific elements so that we may draw up a production plan, ensuring that the correct degree of precast machinery is included in order to generate the most profitability for the client.

Every factory has a different purpose and a market to which they are supplying, so ultimately the process is always different.

“We design factories with consideration for engineering, architecture, and production machinery, calling upon our years of experience. Once infrastructure and production systems have been installed, we are able to provide factory management, enabling the business to get the best start,” says Juha. As the construction market picks up pace on a global level, BMSE has made this service available to both new and existing factories that seek to enhance profitability as well as introducing new product lines. It is the experience of manufacturing large quantities of precast products in Scandinavia that has given the business the capacity to teach it to people in emerging markets.

“In respect to ongoing business support, we have developed programmes dedicated to business management training and running a complex factory, as well as focusing on operatives and production staff,” he adds. The business is also a key provider of safety training in precast production, valuable to the industry.

A successful contract close to Mumbai, India has led to involvement in contracts in Africa and the Middle East. “The speed of development within these countries is fast moving, and there is a need to be able to provide comprehensive solutions and services. The focus is to be able to equip business and employees with the skills to grow successful precast businesses,” points out Juha. The varied scope of services provided by the business has resulted in it working with a

number constructors, developers, and factory owners. “From solutions for large residential areas to developing systems that will speed up smaller scale projects, for years we have been heavily involved in the production and delivery of all concrete build elements. It is easy to assume there is little variation, but solutions depend greatly on factors such as the building type and length of span, it depends on the type of machinery, the design of products, as well as the design of the projects,” he continues.

As the fourth biggest company of its type in Finland, outsized only by two major inter-global players and one other Finnish business, innovation has of course played a very important role, as Juha explains: “We have been responsible for some key innovations, particularly with

pre-stressed columns and slabs.

Development of our methods/ molds has resulted in quicker production time, and with greater productivity.” Targeting the next few years, Juha explains his immediate focus is the successful completion of the two large, and concurrently running projects in the Middle East and Africa, concluding: “Improvement in turnover is something we are working towards, and specifically I am aiming to take the BMSE division and the global interests of the business to be greater than what we are currently achieving in Scandinavia.” m

BMSE www.bmsengineering.fi Services: Pre-cast manufacturer and total business service provider

Construction & Civil Engineering 63

PROFILE: KELLY FORMWORK

K

elly Formwork (UK) Ltd is a wellestablished civil engineering and construction company with a wealth of proven experience and expertise. Established in 2005, the company owes its success to a combination of both the 25 years industry experience of its managing director and founder Daryll Kelly, as well as its hand selected, skilled employees.

The leading contractor in the field of civil engineering projects has undertaken some of the biggest and most prestigious works in the UK, whilst maintaining a health and safety record second to none, introducing value engineering, and always achieving programme goals.

Promoting a `hands-on’ style of leadership, the company ensures the highest level of workmanship and the attention to detail, which its clients have come to expect.

Concentrating on formwork, steelfixing and concrete, it services cover a variety of substructure activity from groundwork and bridges to substations and top down construction. Beyond that, a heavy involvement in superstructures has seen the business develop an expertise in reinforced concrete frames, office blocks and high-rise apartments to name just a few.

To successfully operate a business in the industry today, recognition must be paid to a number of sensitive factors such as the environment and the wellbeing of its employees and the public.

As such the company maintains a full commitment to sustainability, deploying the highest standards of health and safety, corporate responsibility and reducing environmental impact. Local communities surrounding any site are important to Kelly Formwork and there is a strong focus on corporate and social responsibility.

Health and safety compliance is regarded as a top priority within the company, which has become

64 Construction & Civil Engineering

Crossrail Thames Tunnels: The works comprise of pouring 1st stage concrete track bed to the floor of the installed tunnel rings in the four tunnels. Kelly has managed to pump a record 1.4km distance using only a single pump

Delivering promises As a family owned business, Kelly Formwork has grown from relatively small beginnings to its position today, boasting an enviable client list renowned for its extremely safety conscious approach, deploying the highest standards of health and safety across the entire business.

By operating a continuous training programme in-house, it ensures that the workforce fully understands and implements the principles of safe working practices. Maximum compliance with existing and planned legislation is achieved through the constant review of methods and procedures. Not only are operatives trained to the highest

standard, but also all are CSCS / CPCS NVQ assessed. The value the business places on training is further supported in its commitment to the ever-developing supply chain sustainability school.

Diligently striving to maintain the highest health and safety standards, Kelly Formwork has achieved one million ‘man hours worked’ without a reportable incident at its Crossrail Bond Street project to-date. The contract, which forms part of Europe’s largest construction project,

Crossrail Bond Street – Falsework: A view of the falsework in operation casting the decks within the station incorporates two new ticket halls at Bond Street. The first of the two to be completed was the western ticket hall, which saw the business utilising top down construction techniques to achieve a 25 metre deep reinforced concrete structure.

Despite the numerous challenges encountered due to the site’s location, requiring careful planning of all material deliveries and the constraints on formwork design due to craneage not able to be utilised in the top down mode of construction; the phase of the project was delivered six weeks ahead of programme, within budget, to specification and satisfaction.

This substantial reinforced concrete substructure comprises five floor levels deep, with floor heights of 4.5 metres and floorplates of 30 metres by 60 metres enclosing a floor area of 1800 square metres per floor level, with the basement levels finished to a high specification concrete finish.

The scale and complexity of this project offered Kelly Formwork a fantastic opportunity to innovate, develop job specific techniques, and to record the lessons learned and experience gained during

its construction. This was in line with the company philosophy of self-delivery and ensuring that it maintains the highest level of expertise in-house, allowing it to always be able to offer its clients‘ unrivalled knowledge and innovation on projects.

Resulting from its reputation of providing innovation on complex sites, the business has already seen itself engaged by other contractors to consult on best practice and add value to the client offering.

With a growing market share and reputation, Kelly Formwork has excelled at a time when market conditions have been at their toughest. The delivery of works for a new eastern ticket hall consisted of the construction of a capping beam to the perimeter of the site plus two shafts going down five

Paddington New Yard - New Agggregate Bins

Construction & Civil Engineering 65

PROFILE: KELLY FORMWORK

on the 1.2km Thames Tunnel from Plumstead to North Woolwich.

Appointed by HMJV to complete the 1st Stage Concrete works in two phases spread over four tunnels, the first phase of the project required Kelly Formwork to complete all first stage concrete works in tunnels one and two. This consisted of installing compliant UTX and Drainage ducts within very strict tolerances, installing reinforcement and pouring concrete and upstands with a single line pump over one of the longest distances recorded in the UK. Kelly Civils Ltd received a lot of media attention with both Crossrail, the client, Schwing Stetter and NCE Magazine. This was the first ever first stage concrete works Kelly Civils undertook for Crossrail and was a complete success. m

Crossrail Paddington New Yard – Deck Pour: This is the first of 12 elevated deck pours varying from 600m2 to 800m2. The concrete is up to 850mm deep with 600mm void formers fitted below for future noise attenuation

storeys using top down construction.

Much of the works were constructed on a 24/7 programme basis, dramatically fluctuating labour requirements to suit the needs of the programme and availability of work.

Despite works commencing late, the contract achieved completion early.

Another significant project underway for Kelly Formwork is for its client Costain and required a different approach. The £5m Paddington New Yard contract consists of two separate jobs with two separate clients, the first of which is the new tarmac concrete batching plant, consisting of 16m high aggregate bins and various different one off structures in order to support the conveyor. The conveyor starts from a top down structure called a Bottom Discharge unit, which is being constructed under the bus deck.

The second stage to the scope of works is a seven metre high level 8000 sq/m bus deck. The deck is set up on all different levels of ground including a cobbled ramp, the soffit of the slab is on a longitudinal and cross fall. This is made up of longitudinal beams sitting across primary beams. The deck is supported by high-level

66 Construction & Civil Engineering

Crossrail Bond Street: A shot demonstrating the ‘top down’ method of construction the new station

radius columns, which sit on top of three metre high walls. On top of the deck Kelly Formwork will be installing 30t pre cast parapets units, which stitch in to the slab.

Whilst work commences across this very narrow but long site, access has to be maintained to Tarmac’s concrete plant.

KeKelly Formwork is also working

Kelly Formwork www.kellyformwork.co.uk Services: Civil engineering and construction contractor

PROFILE: Stirnimann

A

powerfulpartner Stirnimann offers crane hire, sales and service on a wide range of cranes and related equipment

C

elebrating a century of business in 2015, Stirnimann operates from three sites in Switzerland, which cover the Swiss market, as well as a relatively new office in Austria that was opened in 2013.

As Fritz Oschwald, CEO, explained Stirnimann AG is active throughout Switzerland and its customers include big-name companies from areas such as the building trades, transport, industry and the public sector. “We have a wide variety of customers ranging from small family-operated companies to the most important construction companies in Switzerland,” he said.

“With our dedicated staff, we offer a full-service package of the highest quality that is tailored precisely to our customers’ needs. Whether sales, rentals or service – as a general agent for leading global brands we are a strong and competent partner for our customers,” he added, continuing: “We foster long-term relationships with internationally well-known construction equipment manufacturers such as Grove (since 1969) and Potain (since 1986), both part of the Manitowoc Group, as well as JLG (since 2004). Today we are a leading provider for construction cranes in Switzerland.”

The range of products available from Stirnimann is extremely wide – its rental fleet comprises 400 units, to give some idea of scale. Fritz gave some more details on what the company can offer: “With our technically competent and well-trained personnel as well as a modern infrastructure, we can provide a comprehensive and fast service. We live our slogan ‘Power at your service’ by offering a full-service to our customers

Construction & Civil Engineering 67

PROFILE: Stirnimann

including: after-sales, erection, crane inspections, maintenance, equipment revisions, repair work and so on.

“Potain offers a range of more than 60 different models of tower cranes from ten tonne-meters up to 3600 tonne-meters. The Grove line of mobile telescopic cranes ranges in capacity from eight tonnes to 450 tonnes (8.5 USt - 550 USt),

68 Construction & Civil Engineering

with patented technologies like the MEGATRAK suspension system, the TWINLOCK boom pinning system and the MEGAFORM boom design - all to keep Grove cranes at the top of the market.

“When it comes to lifting platforms we offer a wide variety of scissor lifts, boom lifts, telehandlers and telescopic work platforms together with JLG and other partners.”

In fact, Stirnimann’s relationship with Manitowoc, the manufacturer of Potain and Grove equipment, has remained close and fruitful over the quarter of a century, and a contract undertaken in September 2014 highlighted the complicated projects in which the company’s cranes are used.

Stirnimann rented three Potain MD 560 B tower cranes to main contractor Implenia, for use in the construction of an office complex in Geneva, Switzerland. The 25 tonne

capacity Potain MD 560 B cranes were erected on custom-made ten metre wide bases to allow easy access for other equipment within the congested jobsite, saving time and expense on the 200 million euro project.

Stirnimann said the highcapacity crane was surprisingly

JLG Industries Through dedication and commitment, Stirnimann is a successful distributor in Switzerland for JLG access equipment and telehandlers. Over the past decade, Stirnimann has earned an excellent reputation in the market for its after sales, service and technical knowhow on JLG’s products. The company has also been at the forefront in terms of adapting to JLG’s new products in Europe amongst which are the 1500SJ and 1850SJ telescopic boom lifts. JLG congratulates Stirnimann on its 100th anniversary and wishes the company many successful years to come.

REACHING OUT | 1850SJ

Telescopic Boom Lift

GO WHERE NO BOOM HAS GONE BEFORE

WITH CONFIDENCE AT 56.6M NIMANN IR T S S E T A L U T A R G N O JLG C RSARY E IV N N A H T 0 10 S IT ON INTRODUCING THE WORLD’S TALLEST SELF-PROPELLED BOOM LIFT. The new 1850SJ has more reach, better stability and a larger work envelope than any lift in its class. Get up to 19 stories of working height and an innovative chassis that can be extended front and back. Featuring 450/230 kgs platform capacity, the 1850SJ is the most powerful boom in the industry.

Transport with ease in a regular size trailer - no oversized load permit needed. Learn more at http://goo.gl/mE6ikW

www.jlg.com JLG International | Polaris Avenue 63 | 2132 JH | Hoofddorp | The Netherlands | europe@jlg.com

0115JLG_0001_ADV_1850SJ_210X297_ENG_0602_v3.indd 1

26/02/15 17:10

PROFILE: Stirnimann

compact for its size, as Fritz explained: “We worked in central Geneva near the United Nations, where space was limited and the project had a demanding schedule,” he said. “We needed a crane with a compact footprint that could handle demanding loads. We designed the portal base to ensure site traffic could flow freely, so the crane gave us optimal reach and capacity without an encumbering size.”

The three Potain MD 560 B arrived in April 2013 and worked at the site for 18 months. They were fitted with portal bases at Stirnimann’s workshop in Olten before being erected at the congested jobsite. The tower cranes, which stood at heights of 48 metres, 68 metres and 88 metres, were building the new headquarters of an international company.

The cranes worked 11 hours a

70 Construction & Civil Engineering

day, six days a week. They were predominantly used to lift formwork and pre-cast concrete structures. As the project progressed, the cranes placed much of the 5600 t of steel and 16,500 m2 of glass needed for the structure and façade of the nine-story building.

This project illustrates the technical capabilities of the products that Stirnimann is able to supply, and as Fritz noted, this is enhanced by its relationship with Potain, Grove and JLG: “We have

long-term relationships with all three companies,” he confirmed. “These are leading brands in their sector, internationally successful and with wide networks. They are offering top quality products that keep pace with technical innovation for a good value.”

Having operated successfully in Switzerland for several decades, Stirnimann made the decision in 2013 to open an Austrian division, Stirnimann GmbH, which offers sales and rentals as well as assembly

Compresso Connect

Detect a problem before it becomes a big problem

The Compresso Connect is a new precision pressure maintenance system with unique remote access functions and standardised connections to BMS systems. This means that you not only monitor the status of the pressure in your system, but also receive alarms when you most need them. You can be the ďŹ rst to know if your pressure maintenance needs attention.

Find out more www.imi-hydronic.com

System Analysis & Data logging

Remote Commissioning Support

Standardised connections to BMS

Remote access possibility

Engineering GREAT Solutions

PROFILE: Stirnimann

/ disassembly and service of construction cranes under the Potain brand in close co-operation with Stirnimann AG. This new division allowed the company to reinforce its co-operation with Austrian clients and to strengthen its position with suppliers. “We started with our expansion into Austria by being a distributor for a part of the country,” said Fritz.

“Since January 2015 we have been a general distributor for Potain cranes in the whole of Austria and thanks to this subsidiary and a stable international network, we can offer flexibility and reliability in a fast-moving market. We haven’t planned any more new divisions, as we are continuing to focus on the sustainable growth of our existing locations.”

In all areas of its operations, Stirnimann strives to be the best.

As it moves into the future, Fritz has a firm strategy in place to maintain its success: “We are going to focus on keeping our market position in Switzerland,” he concluded. “We are also continuously developing our service and ensuring comprehensive occupational health and safety for all our employees. Furthermore, we will also be strengthening and developing our market position in Austria.” Whether clients require a tower crane or scissor lift, a mobile crane or container solution, the organisation can draw on years of practical experience and continuous development in order to be able to deliver whatever its customers might be looking for. m

Stirnimann www.stirnimann.ch Services: Crane hire 72 Construction & Civil Engineering

PROFILE: Active Tunnelling

Anactivesolution

Founded in 1994, Active Tunnelling has earned a reputation as the UK’s leading and most experienced independent tunnelling contractor specialising in micro-tunnelling, auger boring, shaft sinking, pipe jacking and traditional methods

H

aving celebrated 20 years in operation during 2014, Active Tunnelling is able to demonstrate a proven track record of delivering specialised trenchless tunnelling solutions and shaft sinking.

The company was founded by John Doherty who had

previously been involved in the tunnelling industry since he was only 17 years old and was subsequently involved in the Channel Tunnel as a leading miner and tunnel boss. The level of experience present within the business has enabled Active Tunnelling to complete over 500 major projects over two decades within the industry.

Vac Flush Self Climbing steel shutter and working platform innovatively designed and fabricated by ATL

Installation of a 28x24m deep shaft including vac flush

Construction & Civil Engineering 73

PROFILE: Active Tunnelling

TBM machine called Hannah being placed on rails prior to launch out of 15m shaft and received into a 3.05 dia shaft

Active Tunnelling’s expertise in delivering a range of tunnelling and associated services, is backed by one of the UK’s largest selections of specialist plant, including a fleet of micro-tunnelling, auger boring and pipe jacking equipment and machines in various sizes that are capable of traversing through any ground condition; hydraulic rams capable of pushing from 250-500 tonnes each; vertical hydraulic grabs capable of reaching a depth up to 25 metres; excavators ranging from three tonnes to 30 tonnes; crawler cranes ranging from 5t to 90 tonnes as well as many smaller items.

Active Tunnelling provides a turnkey solution through its proprietary fleet of vans to low loaders that ensure that clients can rely on efficient mobilisation. To ensure that the quality and level of service offered by the company is never compromised, Active Tunnelling continually invests in new plant and machinery. Its plant yard employs 12 permanent members of staff and is testimony to the company’s strict maintenance programme and fast response time in the event that its site teams should encounter any problems.

74 Construction & Civil Engineering

With a broad scope of services and its extensive portfolio of plant equipment, Active Tunnelling has carried out hundreds of successful projects throughout the UK and Ireland. These have included shaft sinking operations during the construction of a detention tank as part of works at the Blackburn Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW) during 2013 / 2014. The client for the project was KMI+ Limited, working in partnership with United Utilities plc, while the purpose of the work was to resolve two unsatisfactory intermittent discharges located at the site.

Active Tunnelling was employed as specialist contractors to install a 28 metre diameter shaft at some 24 metres deep. The concrete base of the shaft was cast incorporating 106no ground anchors with the quantity of concrete in the base being 915m3 with a further 710m3 of benching being installed afterwards, with a central flushing column also being constructed, utilising a bespoke external column shutter designed and fabricated by its Specialist Plant Division.

The company’s Laser Guided Auger Boring techniques have

also been applied to high-profile projects, including the use of laser guided auger boring during the M25 widening scheme between junctions 16-23, which began during May 2009 and ended in May 2012. Active Tunnelling was awarded a contract to install cross carriageway drainage as part of the works and was initially expected to construct 16 crossings. However, the client, Skanska-Balfour Beatty, was so impressed by the benefits of trenchless technology that Active Tunnelling finally constructed 150 crossings between 300mm and 600mm in diameter, that necessitated an impressive 1.49 miles of auger boring.

Auger boring is one of the oldest methods of trenchless construction and has been in use since before the term ‘trenchless technology’ was introduced and is an essential technique when accuracy is required (within 25mm Line and Level). The adoption of trenchless technology saved vast quantities of materials and did not require huge earth movements to be carried out, whereas traditional open-cut

FP McCann FP McCann is a leading manufacture and supplier of precast concrete smoothbore tunnel and shaft segments, cover and landing slabs, caisson rings and jacking pipes. All products are BSI accredited to BS EN 9001 and comply with the British Tunnelling Society Specification and the Civil Engineering Specification for the Water Industry (CESWI).

As a key supply partner to Active Tunnelling the company has delivered precast concrete shaft and tunnelling products to a number of recent high profile schemes, including caissons and jacking pipe to Canary Wharf and smoothbore shaft segments to two 15 metre shaft builds in Ivybridge and Liskeard in Cornwall. FP McCann has developed its range of front and back-bolted smoothbore shaft segments to incorporate the requirements of all the current design and material codes in addition to paying detailed attention to the needs of health and safety on site when considering the handling and installation details.

Precast Tunnel and Shaft Solutions fpmccann.co.uk/tunnels-shafts -7 4J*HUU VɈLYZ H JVTWSL[L YHUNL VM ;\UULS HUK :OHM[ ZVS\[PVUZ PUJS\KPUN V\Y :TVV[OIVYL :OHM[Z MYVT T T KPHTL[LY ILZWVRL JV]LY ZSHIZ THKL [V ZWLJPĂ„JH[PVU M\SS YHUNL VM 1HJRPUN 7PWLZ MYVT +5 +5 HUK *HPZZVU 9PUNZ MYVT +5 +5 Contact Stuart Carson on 07850 234136 or 01455 290780 or email: scarson@fpmccann.co.uk

FP McCann is a growing company. The diversity of our people, their skills and abilities is the strength that helps us achieve our best. If you are interested in a career with us, please visit our website to view the latest career opportunities at www.fpmccann.co.uk/careers.

We also welcome speculative applications.

Precast Concrete Solutions.

Construction & Civil Engineering 39

PROFILE: Active Tunnelling

Underneath a wet dock using a 2.1 ID Herrenknecht slurry machine 9m deep x 45m long tunnel

pipe installation would have had a negative impact on the environment.

Active Tunnelling saved the client the procurement of materials amounting to 7,500 tonnes, 26,000 tonnes of Type 1 and muck away of 7813m3, weighing a combined total of 173,000 tonnes, which equates to 9611 loads; and 660m2 of tarmac. Auger boring is becoming increasingly popular with Active Tunnelling clients and the company maintains a fleet of auger-boring machines ranging from 150mm to 725mm in diameter.

Active Tunnelling is able to provide micro-tunnelling from 600mm diameter upwards using Iseki and Herrenknecht Slurry machines, as recently completed on a scheme in Ipswich for Balfour Beatty Construction Services on behalf of the Environment Agency. ATL sunk a 6mID and an 8.2m ID shaft with a 250mm fibre reinforced concrete jacket underwater to a depth of 26m and installed a 3m deep concrete plug underwater. It then carried out a 2.1m ID tunnel to link the 2 shafts underneath a Wet Dock using a Herrenknecht AVND2000AB Slurry Machine with a compressed air cushion to successfully install a 45m long tunnel.

Active Tunnelling also carries an impressive fleet of 1200, 1500 and

76 Construction & Civil Engineering

1800 Full Faced TBM’s that are used extensively throughout the UK and do not require the slurry process allowing it to work in tighter working areas with a fraction of the setup charges incurred with the slurry machines. ATL recently completed a scheme for Interserve on the Bathing Waters Projects in Ivybridge Devon.

ATL sunk a 15m ID segmental shaft 12m deep and a 3.05 segmental shaft 9m deep and then pipejacked 150m underneath an access road and the A38 Dual Carriageway in a moderately strong slate. The contract was completed on programme and to Line and level.

ATL recently completed the Royal Leamington Spa Phase 3 works for NMC Nomenca on behalf of Severn Trent. ATL successfully completed over 300m of 1200mm ID and 310m of 1500mm ID pipejacking in sandstone with our Full Faced TBM’s.

There was also a 9m ID shaft 15m deep and various sheeted cofferdams with the largest 11m x 8m x 9m deep for the CSO structure.

Active Tunnelling has used its 1800 Full Faced TBM on several projects, including during shaft construction and tunnelling works for Wessex Water in Western Super Mare.

The scheme was required as part of improvement works to Bleadon

Sewage Treatment Works for Wessex Water. Active Tunnelling’s part of the project involved the construction of three segmental shafts, varying in size from 6.5 metres diameter at 14 metres deep, 7.5 metres diameter at 23 metres and 10.5 metres diameter with a depth of 21 metres. Further to this the company created a 1.8 metre link tunnel between the 7.5 metre and the 10.5 metre shaft over 50m long with our 1800 TBM and designed and fabricated a 3.3 metre ID disposable Handshield to tunnel between the 7.5 metre shaft and an existing wet well. ATL also carried out extensive concrete finishing works along with reinforced concrete baffle walls and complicated benching works within the shafts.

Active Tunnelling installed all three of the segmental shafts using the caisson sinking method, through the use of its own vertical jacking rams. The company also used its own excavators and grabs which excavated the bulk of the shafts, through the soft clays & running sand into the soft limestone, down to the mudstone, approx 20m deep.

The hard mudstone, was then broken out via excavator & breaker, lowered into the shafts via 50 ton crawler crane. ATL also organised specialist dewatering prior to the works, mainly to deal with the water in the running sands.

With an extensive portfolio of completed projects, a well maintained fleet of plant equipment and an expert core of personnel, Active Tunnelling has a proven track record of effective project provision.

Its trenchless tunnelling technology enables Active Tunnelling to protect the environment and save its clients capital on costly materials, making it the go-to partner in micro-tunnelling, auger boring, shaft sinking, pipe jacking and traditional tunnelling methods. m

Active Tunnelling www.activetunnelling.com Services: Tunnelling contractor

Editor Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Sales Team

+44 (0) 1603 274130 Schofield Publishing 10 Cringleford Business Centre Intwood Road Cringleford Norwich NR4 6AU