Construction and Civil Engineering Issue 104 Final Edition

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M AGAZINE

FOR

IN DUST RIA L

LE ADER S

FINAL 104

CONSTRUCTION

&CIVIL Engineering Baufritz wants to become the number one supplier of eco homes News: Report published on women’s under representation in construction NeWs: £4 billion programme announced for London’s road network

The

third

dimension

The International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA) is encouraging and promoting the use of subsurface space See page 25

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Parry-Jones, Chairman of Network Rail, confirmed as speaker. stop Richard Network Rail to use Railway Strategies Live 2014 to launch its new s s e r p Product Acceptance process for the first time in an open forum.

Conference to offer visitors access to Terence Watson, Chairman of the newly created Rail Supply Group.

RAILWAY FOR SENIOR RAIL MANAGEMENT

Live

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz S T R A T E G I E S

2014 Network Rail

Hosted in association with

Thursday May 15th 2014 Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR

l

The Supply Chain of the Future l Finding the Right Route to Market

Platinum Sponsor

Gold Sponsors

SPEAKERS Terence Watson – CEO, Alstom Transport UK & Ireland, Chair of the RSG Martyn Chymera - Former Chairman, Young Rail Professionals Rob Wallis - Chief Executive, TRL Chris Rolison - Founder, Comply Serve David Clarke - Director, FutureRailway Enabling Innovation Team, FutureRailway, hosted by RSSB Richard Holland - Vice President, TBM Consulting Group Europe Inc Colin Flack - CEO, Rail Alliance Jim Carter - Head of Procurement, Network Rail Richard Parry-Jones - Chairman, Network Rail Colin Flack, CEO, Rail Alliance, Roger Moore, Senior Process & Change Specialist, Network Rail For further details about exhibiting, email Mark Cawston: mcawston@schofieldpublishing.co.uk, for delegate enquiries, email Maxine Quinton: mquinton@schofieldpublishing.co.uk, telephone: 01603 274130 and ask for Mark or Maxine, or visit: http://www.railwaystrategies.co.uk/eventbooking.php?id=574

CONTENTS FEATURES Chairman Andrew Schofield Group Managing Director Mike Tulloch

SPECIAL FEATURE 2 The work currently under way at London Bridge will deliver a stunning new railway station, but this is significantly more than just a station building programme

2

ASSET MANAGEMENT 8 How an effective asset management strategy can help petrochemical complexes maintain their facilities

Editor Libbie Hammond

libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Art Editor Jon Mee

JAPANESE KNOTWEED 10 Why Japanese Knotweed needn’t always be feared, provided customers take time to choose their treatment specialists responsibly

Advertising Design Jamie Elvin Jenni Newman

8

Staff Writers Matt High Jo Cooper Steve Nash Andrew Dann

41

Editorial Admin Emma Harris Head of Research Philip Monument Editorial Researchers Laura Watling Gavin Watson Mark Cowles Karl Riseborough Elizabeth Szabo Tony Wright

44

Sales Director David Garner Sales David King Mark Cawston Office Manager Tracy Chynoweth

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

ENVIRONMENT 14 Detailed analysis and modelling is required to assess CHP feasibility and to ensure that it is sized and specified accurately for maximum efficiency SKILLS & RECRUITMENT 18 So what are zero hours contracts and why are they perceived to be so bad, asks Mark Leach CASE STUDY 20 A new system is the first installation of its kind anywhere in the UK that harvests naturally stored energy from the River Thames EQUIPMENT 22 An irregularly shaped culvert, with a varying diameter and protruding connection, has been made structurally sound with a liner solution FOREWORD 25 Over the four decades the International Tunnelling Association has been in existence it has witnessed many changes, in areas including technology, learning and safety COMPANY PROFILES

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Š 2014 Schofield Publishing Ltd

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.

Elasto Plastic Concrete (EPC) 28 LNS 32 KTC Group 35 Domoferm 38 Tuchschmid 41 Baufritz 44 OQC 47 Victor Buyck Steel Construction 50 Doosan Bobcat Manufacturing 53 Al Ghurair Construction 55 Selwood 58 Bonar 64 Plannja 68 Bostik 71

Construction & Civil Engineering 1

Network Rail

SPECIAL FEATURE

London Bridge

transformation The work currently under way at London Bridge will deliver a stunning new railway station, but this is significantly more than just a station building programme. Gay Sutton talks to CHRIS DRABBLE of Network Rail who explains how it will unlock the bottleneck of central London and enable Thameslink trains to pass though the central core at 24 trains an hour during peak times – the frequency you would expect of a metro system

Tooley Street

O

pened in 1836 London Bridge station is London’s oldest railway terminus station, and has undergone many changes is its history. It is laid out on a Victorian brick-built viaduct and was developed over time by combining two independent stations originally constructed by separate railway companies. The layout currently comprises the Southern Rail terminus with nine lines, and a series of passenger platforms serving seven through tracks. The northern three lines carry traffic from the south east to Cannon Street, the rest carry Thameslink through traffic to Blackfriars and beyond whilst also

2 Construction & Civil Engineering

carrying traffic from the south to Charing Cross. “Without London Bridge station, Cannon Street and Charing Cross could not operate,” explained Chris Drabble, senior sponsor, Network Rail.

London Bridge station handles the footfall of some 52 million passenger journeys a year – approaching the adult population of the UK – while a grand total of 117 million passenger journeys pass on through by train.

However, this historic infrastructure is struggling to cope. At peak traffic times only one Thameslink train an hour is able to travel through the station on to central London. This simply does not fulfil the Thameslink vision for a smooth flow of passenger traffic between north and south

directly across central London.

The bottleneck this construction project aims to tackle is twofold.

Firstly there is a spaghetti junction of lines crossing each other just to the south east of the station at Bermondsey, and at peak times it is impossible for Thameslink trains to cross the busy existing tracks. The solution is to remove as many of those crossings as possible and free up the traffic flow by constructing the Bermondsey Diveunder – a huge feat of engineering that will create a grade-separated junction on the eastern approach to the station, taking the Thameslink lines over the Kent lines so trains are not impeded in their approach to the station.

The second impediment

London Bridge station handles the “footfall of some 52 million passenger

Network Rail

journeys a year – approaching the adult population of the UK ”

to efficiency at peak times is congestion in the station. Without the redevelopment, when platforms are heaving with passengers, subsequent trains may be held outside the station until the platform has safely cleared.

At peak times the effect is a traffic jam with tailbacks and delays. To solve this problem London Bridge station has been redesigned, and is progressively being rebuilt to handle a projected passenger flow of more than 100 million passengers a year comfortably and efficiently.

Making it happen “Although extremely complex to design correctly, the relatively easy part was deciding what to build,” Chris said, “actually doing it

while maintaining rail operations is the difficult part. We will be reconfiguring the station so there are nine through lines and six terminal lines, all at viaduct level. At the same time we’re building a massive new passenger concourse at ground level, opening up a people-friendly link between Tooley Street and St Thomas Street. It’s going to be the largest concourse in the country – the size of the Wembley football pitch.”

So how is this being achieved with the minimum of passenger

larger 12-car trains. The remaining phases will create the required nine through platforms.

“We started by taking out the southernmost terminal platform at the viaduct level, and then we cut vertically down to street level to create the space where we will be constructing the new passenger concourse. We then built bridges over the top of this space to take the new platforms and tracks. At the end of phase one at the end of March this year, we handed these back to the passengers and then

disruption? The work is scheduled in nine main phases. The first three will create a new six-line southern terminal section with longer platforms capable of handling the

moved on to take out the next two platforms and repeat the process until we’ve completed the first three phases.”

With all this work hidden behind

Construction & Civil Engineering 3

hoardings passengers will see very little of it, but the impact is likely to be noticeable. “There is bound to be some passenger disruption at all stages, and we’re being as honest and clear as we can with customers.

Our research and experience with the Olympics shows that if we give people the right information they understand what we’re doing and accept a degree of disruption.”

By the time this phase is completed the first through platforms will be in operation, and the southern section of the new concourse beneath will be opened to the public. “We then begin to work from the north completing the last three phases in a similar fashion.”

Network Rail

SPECIAL FEATURE

The station design When completed, the station will be an impressive piece of architecture, paying tribute to the Victorian viaducts that surround it while satisfying the forwardthinking, modern vision for an area of London that already plays host to the spectacular Shard of Glass, the glittering More London business area and City Hall.

Four major criteria lie at the heart of the design. The first is accessibility: lifts and escalators are strategically placed to ensure that passengers with reduced mobility can access all areas of the station. Ease of wayfinding is

Network Rail

St Thomas Street

4 Construction & Civil Engineering

the second. The station is a huge building and many subtle features as well as the obvious signage have been incorporated into it to ensure passengers can find their way around quickly and efficiently.

The third is connectivity. Until now, the enormous Victorian viaducts have acted as a dam separating the

modern business area to the north from the more intimate and beautiful Bermondsey to the south. “One of the Council’s aspirations was for the station to be a wide open area that would invite people to walk through, replacing the dark tunnels that are there at the moment.” The final element was ease of use of the

platforms. Twelve-car trains will run on these lines, and they are a quarter of a kilometre in length. To reduce the distances passengers have to walk between carriage and concourse, escalators are located approximately one third of the way from either end of the platform.

Outside, the Tooley Street façade is completely modern with a large expanse of glass that looks out over the More London business district. The St Thomas Street façade is completely different. “We are retaining part of the original 1860s viaducts, and they can be seen all the way down the street,” Chris explained.

“However, with the Shard next door we’ve tried to pay respect to the original viaducts and to link them with the modern design of the Shard.

We want to fit the station to the environment and make it work for the next hundred years or so.”

Not an easy task. The new design approaches this by employing arches similar in size and shape to the old viaduct, matching the brick as closely as possible, but edging the arches with cleanly outlined concrete rather than ornate brickwork. Between the arches there are expansive modern glass windows and doors. “We are also refurbishing the old arches and opening them up into shops,” Chris said “Bermondsey is one of the most densely populated parts of London for creative and artistic people, and there are many creative businesses here. So we will be offering them a number of affordable business units.

We believe this will all help towards the regeneration of the area.”

The old and the new

The railway system

Two of the most impressive design features to come from this process are the dramatic undulating canopy roof, incorporating expansive areas of window. In addition the concourse below is a completely enclosed and weatherproofed public area. The roof is a series of parallel canopies that slope upwards on the north-facing side to resemble a sequence of eyebrows, or waves approaching the beach. The tall windows beneath the eyebrows not only shed natural light onto the platforms but also flood the concourse beneath with light via the concourse-wide escalator voids.

Even the undulating contours of the canopy are purpose designed to signal the location of the escalators and the doors into the station.

The station is of course merely the most visible part of the railway system. All the existing track and signalling is being replaced in what is believed to be Network Rail’s largest resignalling project. “Our aim is to create a robust and reliable service coming into the city and make the system maintainable for the future,” Chris said.

Currently some 60 per cent of the work on the Thameslink project has been completed, including delivery of the new Blackfriars station, the Thameslink element of the vast new interchange at Farringdon station and expansions to many of the outlying stations enabling them to handle the longer 12-car trains. Two new through lines into London Bridge station

have also been constructed. “This was a hugely complex project,” Chris explained. “We have literally stitched a new viaduct through The Borough Market area to carry the two Charing Cross lines.” It’s a very congested space and also one of the oldest parts of London, where the Romans originally crossed the Thames.

Throughout the construction programme, Network Rail has worked very closely with the archaeologists.

“During our work we discovered what the archaeologists think may be a pier dating back to Roman times, possibly contemporary with the Roman Barge uncovered at Guys Hospital,” Chris enthused. Other discoveries elsewhere have required sensitive handling, and these include a number of bodies outside the cathedral walls that have now been reinterred in consecrated ground.

Future The new timetables for Thameslink services will come into operation on the project’s completion in 2018, the same year as the new Crossrail services. “Farringdon, where the two lines cross, will then become one of the most important interchanges in the country. These services will be central to how passengers move around London, and will be very different to how it’s done at the moment.”

A new generation of trains, Siemens Desiro City Class 700, are currently being built for the Thameslink service and the first is due to go into operation in 2016. In 2018 when the new timetable begins, drivers will simply switch from manual to automatic for passing through the London core, enabling the line to reach a full operational capacity of 24 trains an hour. That’s one train every two and a half minutes.

“When we reach this stage, the result will be a massive alleviation of crowding and movement of passengers around London,” Chris concluded. “So the impact of this on the transport system will be significant throughout the city and beyond.” m

Construction & Civil Engineering 5

NEWS

There’s an app for that Trimble announced a mobile business management app designed for small site and utility contractors - Trimble Contractor. Trimble Contractor brings the office to the field, giving contractors an affordable and easy way to manage common office tasks on a smartphone or tablet.

The announcement was made at ConExpo 2014, one of the world’s largest international exhibitions for the construction industry.

“Smaller contractors don’t have a lot of time to do paperwork, which can lead to delayed or missed revenue opportunities,” said Scott Crozier, segment manager for Trimble Heavy Civil Construction. “Trimble Contractor helps companies minimise paperwork, automate processes and organise their business more efficiently from the field.”

Trimble Contractor is available for Android and iOS mobile devices, allowing employees and owners to create, send and track quotes, purchase orders, change orders and invoices directly on their smartphone or tablet. The mobile app helps improve communications with customers, while providing accurate material charges, proof of changes or variations, and invoice payment tracking - which can have a positive impact on a small construction company’s bottom line.

Pump it up A Bredel APEX15 hose pump from Watson-Marlow Pumps Group has been installed at Thames Water’s Mogden sewage treatment works (STW). Thanks to the APEX15, final effluent samples can now be collected automatically before transfer to the lab for testing.

Mogden STW in Isleworth, Middlesex, serves around 2.1 million people. In 2013, Thames Water completed a £140m upgrade to extend the site’s sewage treatment capacity by 50 per cent. Later that same year, Thames Water also wanted to update its effluent sampling process.

“There was a clear business need to replace the manual method of collecting treated effluent samples,” explains Mike Westbrook, SES project engineer. The Bredel APEX15 hose pump is now used daily to take a final sewage effluent sample at 6m suction lift for laboratory testing. The flow rate is two litres per minute.

“The APEX15 was specified by the Thames Water sampling team as they had used it successfully at Long Reach STW in Dartford, Kent,” continues Mike. “Its robust selfpriming and dry running capability suits our application. The pump

6 Construction & Civil Engineering

has performed well since it was installed in November 2013.”

The Bredel APEX15 is designed to suit all dosing, metering and transfer applications from 2.8 1200 litres per hour flow across a broad range of applications.

Unlike other pump types, APEX hose have no expensive wearing components such as seals, valves, membranes, stators, rotors or glands. Subsequently, they are ideally suited for handling ‘difficult’ fluids – abrasive, corrosive, viscous, shear-sensitive, crystallising or even fluids presenting a combination of these properties.

Membrane installation For what is the largest office development currently under construction in Europe, Grace Construction Products’ Preprufe waterproofing membrane has been specified to provide reliable, practical and unrivalled standards of below ground waterproofing protection at an iconic new office complex in Warsaw city centre.

Winner of the Architectural Design Award at the Eurobuild Awards, the Warsaw Spire Development has been designed by Jaspers & Eyers Architects of Belgium and Dublin based Bakkala Consulting Engineers for developer and contractor Ghelamco. Located in the Wola district, the complex includes a 180-metre high tower building and two lower buildings, each of 55 metres in height, which together will provide approximately 100,000 m2 of office space.

With five levels of underground parking below the development and foundations that reached a depth of 55 metres, the contractor had to construct one of the deepest diaphragm walls in Poland requiring a high performance membrane to provide fully bonded waterproofing, zero water tracking and exceptional concrete protection.

With the basement area subjected to 18 metres of hydrostatic water pressure, Preprufe waterproofing membrane proved the ideal solution, offering the perfect combination of outstanding watertightness, proven performance and a simple application process.

Celebrating women in construction

Bridging the challenges Teams from Balfour Beatty, working as part of the Network Construction Alliance with United Utilities, recently undertook the replacement of a footbridge with a difference in the North West.

As well as taking two designated public footpaths across the River Croal at Farnworth, near Bolton, Wilson’s Bridge also carries a major 600mm sewer pipe, transferring flow from the Farnsworth catchment area to a wastewater treatment works at Bolton.

The bridge has been closed since 2008 after it was found that its supporting abutments had slipped, potentially making it unsafe for use and posing a significant risk of pollution to the River Croal from the sewer pipe.

After years of extensive planning between United Utilities, Bolton Council and the Canal and Rivers Trust, Balfour Beatty engineers used a 500-tonne crane to undertake the painstaking

installation of a brand new 35-tonne, 48m pre-fabricated footbridge to replace the old crossing. The new bridge sits on odex piled foundations, making it much more stable in the long term than the current stone abutments of the old bridge.

The project has faced significant planning challenges to get to this point. The East embankment of the bridge is located within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and on contaminated wasteland.

The project has seen a number of parts of the Balfour Beatty Group come together to install the new bridge, including programme planning and design from Balfour Beatty – Gas & Water; civil engineering construction works from Balfour Beatty Regional Civil Engineering; and structural bridge design, geotechnical and environmental advice provided by Parsons Brinkerhoff, the Group’s professional services business.

Fixing software fischer fixings is launching a brand new ‘next generation’ software solution to help engineers and building designers plan and specify anchors for specific projects more effectively.

‘Fixperience’ (www.fischer.co.uk/fixperience) is the result of three years extensive research, development and stringent testing. Building on fischer’s hugely successful, tried and tested, COMPUFIX software programme, ‘it delivers everything and more the construction industry needs to select anchors on building projects – no matter how big or small – as accurately, reliably and cost effectively as possible’.

The Smith Institute, a leading think tank, has published a hard-hitting report on women’s chronic underrepresentation in construction and how to overcome it. The report was commissioned by Construction Youth Trust, which is simultaneously launching a yearlong drive celebrating the achievements of women in the sector and urging industry leaders to inspire more young women to follow their lead.

The Trust’s female-focused drive - under the banner Celebrating Women in Construction - is a constructive and positive response to the Smith report, Building the Future: women in construction, which shows women to be woefully under-represented in the industry, accounting for only 11 per cent of construction workers and just one per cent of those on-site.

The Building the Future report argues that the construction industry should use a looming shortage of skilled workers as a spur to address the gender imbalance and encourage far more women into the sector.

The authors put forward a number of suggestions to break down current barriers.

These include: leaders within the sector doing more to champion the business case for change, an increase in mentoring and peer support to help reduce isolation and increase retention rates, Government providing specific funding and programmes to support women take up of nontraditional trades, and better careers advice and less gender stereotyping in schools.

Construction & Civil Engineering 7

ASSET MANAGEMENT

Protecting your

assets

Mike Anderson explains how an effective asset management strategy can help petrochemical complexes maintain their facilities without compromising production

I

n common with many other hard-pressed UK industrial sectors, the petrochemical industry faces the twin challenges of managing ageing assets under an ever-increasing burden of safety legislation, while trying to guarantee and maximise continued production. A number of high-profile incidents in recent years, including the explosion at the Humber Refinery in 2001 and the fire at the Buncefield oil storage terminal in 2005, have highlighted the need to manage the integrity of facilities and assets carrying dangerous or toxic products.

To achieve this, petrochemical businesses are increasingly investing in a robust Asset Management (AM) strategy, enabling them to achieve the optimal balance between cost, risk and performance throughout the lifecycle of their facilities.

The philosophy behind AM is to identify, align and develop tools, technologies, and techniques

8 Construction & Civil Engineering

for assessment, diagnostics and prognostics that enable management during the lifetime of an asset.

The approach also allows users to minimise unwanted events that can arise from system, sub-system or component faults; or failures due to damage, degradation or environmental impacts at any time.

This holistic approach means that the owner of an asset can manage key phases and unexpected abnormalities more quickly and easily than conventional methods allow.

It also means that the effects of changes to operations – which might include higher or lower pressures or temperatures, different environmental conditions or process changes – can be assessed and their effects on the life of the plant accounted for.

Proactive maintenance The AM methodology also enables the assessment and diagnosis of events that could detrimentally affect the safe and productive operation of

the asset. This includes estimation of event severity, Remaining Useful Life (RUL) and confidence parameters for the affected system or systems.

Maintenance workers, safety personnel, maintainers and logisticians can take advantage of the estimated RUL and appropriate profiles to allow proactive and pre-emptive, rather than reactive, maintenance. It can also be used for improving the real time picture of an asset’s status to give advanced visibility on-site or from a remote location.

Creating an effective strategy To make decisions regarding AM, input is needed from a variety of sources including design and usage requirements, asset degradation processes, human factors and legislative or environmental compliance.

However, to be truly effective, an AM strategy needs to be considered

Fig 1

during the design, procurement and construction phases of a complex.

Also, as fig 1 shows, the strategy should involve the continuous feedback of gathered operational knowledge throughout the life of the facility. In this way the AM strategy can evolve to an optimum level and cope with changing circumstances.

Fig 1 Above: Risk based inspection Asset Management can also be linked to Risk Based Inspection (RBI) techniques, as shown in fig 2, to enable a robust data acquisition and decision making process.

Fig 2 Right: The fundamental premise here is that the ‘through-life safety and reliability drivers’ are identified and understood. The sensitivities to cost and the degradation mechanisms affecting these drivers also need to be understood. It is then possible to predict how the plant will degrade over time and therefore define an inspection regime to maintain safety and reliability.

The final part of the picture is to use the gathered data on the state of the system to make AM decisions and to implement any future improvements that would yield significant safety, cost or reliability enhancements.

AM in practice A good example of the application of AM in petrochemical complexes is in dealing with pipework systems.

These often suffer failures as a result of poor design which can lead to vibration and thermal fatigue.

Flow-induced vibration (the vibration of pipework caused by process flows via mechanisms such as vortex shedding, turbulence,

Fig 2

pulsation and acoustic resonance) is one particular problem that is notoriously difficult to design against. Usually designers would follow guidelines from, for example, the Energy Institute, to screen-out problems. However, these are not always comprehensive and where flow-induced vibration does occur, detailed Computational Fluid Dynamics calculations are needed to diagnose the problem. Once the vibration has been eliminated, an AM programme should be put in place to monitor the pipework and other similar connections to prevent any further problems.

Not managing the integrity of petrochemical complex effectively could have serious consequences.

An integrated AM strategy provides operators with the insight and understanding they need to monitor key risks to assets and develop maintenance and inspection regimes with minimal impact on production.m

Mike Anderson is a technical authority for structures at Frazer-Nash Consultancy.

Frazer-Nash is an independent systems and engineering technology consultancy, employing over 500 permanent staff in the UK and Australia. Frazer-Nash’s key markets are defence, nuclear, power & energy, civil aerospace, rail, marine, petrochemical and industrial.

For further information, visit:

www.fnc.co.uk

Construction & Civil Engineering 9

JaPANESE KNOTWEED

Under

control David Layland explains why Japanese Knotweed needn’t always be feared, provided customers take time to choose their treatment specialists responsibly

10 Construction & Civil Engineering

J

apanese Knotweed has long dogged the commercial construction sector, but awareness of the problem has steadily increased in recent years prompting a growing need for better guidance on different treatment techniques and where best to source them.

On more and more developments, Japanese Knotweed is proving a difficult and expensive burden for the construction industry. It is not just a prolific and resilient grower

but an invasive plant that can cause significant damage to any construction work. It has the power to grow through tarmac, paving stones, brickwork and cement and, through cell expansion, the plant can find the smallest gap or joint and force its way through, cracking the already damaged structural material.

Not all infestations are that serious, but, left unchecked, knotweed growth can be a ‘ticking timebomb’ and the complexity

“An invasive plant that can cause significant damage to any construction work. It has the power to grow through tarmac, paving stones, brickwork and cement. ”

of the plant, which reproduces and grows quickly and strongly through its underground rhizomes and roots, means that eradication by the average layperson will be difficult. It can, however, be effectively managed in a controlled manner and without prohibitive cost, providing there is early identification and protection of the site, and the work is carried out by a competent and professional treatment specialist.

But therein lies one of the

main problems. As knotweed contamination has become more widely recognised, one unfortunate consequence has been that everyone suddenly has a view on how best it should be treated.

How then do developers and contractors choose a reputable and reliable specialist when the marketplace is awash with hundreds of so-called industry ‘experts’, including a great many that are untrained, under-qualified and simply not up to the job?

In the competitive construction industry, expedient project completion can easily tempt some companies to ride roughshod over an issue as apparently peripheral as Japanese Knotweed treatment.

However the ‘tick box’ appointment of a random treatment company without thoroughly researching its credentials and track record could only be storing up much greater problems down the line with serious financial and even legal implications.

There are, of course, a number of recognised treatment methods for Japanese Knotweed, as well as other non-native invasive species such as Giant Hogweed and Himalayan Balsam, all of which have their respective merits depending on the scale and location of the infestation.

Physical removal could include excavation and removal from site, known as ‘dig and dump’, or it could be screening the soil to remove the knotweed rhizome, thus reducing the volume of material taken off site. Chemical treatment could involve a foliar

spray programme over a number of years, or the more successful stem injection, which involves delivery of a measured dose of herbicide into the centre of the plant rather than just the surface. This is an increasingly popular method because it targets only the plants injected and there is no environmental risk, spray drift, run-off, or contamination of watercourses and other sensitive vegetation.

Weeding out the cowboys In choosing a treatment specialist, the golden rule is to thoroughly check a company’s industry accreditations and legislative

Construction & Civil Engineering 11

JAPANESE KNOTWEED

With knotweed treatment often “ involving the use of heavy machinery and commercial herbicides, up to date health and safety compliance is also essential.”

compliance before appointing them to start the work. There’s many a treatment ‘cowboy’ hiding behind a dynamic website or a glossy brochure. The critical consideration for anyone looking for a contractor should be that they are Amenity Assured and BACCS registered, which means they have the minimum requirements to work, and preferably hold ISO 9001 accreditation from the British Standards Institute (preferably UKAS approved).

The Amenity Assured scheme, first launched six years ago, has been developed by several key trade bodies which have the responsibility to address the concerns of government, local authorities and many other amenity organisations with regard to amenity weed control.

The scheme involves three totally independent and separate audits being carried out annually on each contractor, including an unannounced on-site assessment, a full audit of a contractor’s premises,

12 Construction & Civil Engineering

records and certification and an end-of-season check with clients to ensure treatments have been successfully completed to their satisfaction.

Paul Singleton is chairman of the Amenity Assured scheme and a consultant to BASIS Registration Ltd which runs it: “Involving a comprehensive annual audit, this scheme is increasingly recognised as a true indicator of a contractor’s viability. Amenity Assured spraying contractors are now approved by well over 200 UK local authorities, and are being specified by Network Rail to treat over 18,000 miles of main line tracks as well as on countless other projects such as utility works and golf courses.”

Insurance backed Another minimal requirement should be some credible warranty backed insurance cover on all work undertaken. Inadequate insurance cover continues to undermine many treatment programmes with some guarantees at best misleading and

at worst not worth the paper they are written on.

Many companies have simply diversified into treating Japanese Knotweed from their traditional landscaping and weed control practices but are still operating with the same standard insurance cover as before. This specialist work does however require a bespoke insurance policy that addresses the very specific risks of knotweed within the commercial sector and avoids any serious liabilities if a treatment programme does go wrong.

With knotweed treatment often involving the use of heavy machinery and commercial herbicides, up to date health and safety compliance is also essential.

SAFEContractor accreditation, for example, a process which involves the annual assessment of a company’s health and safety arrangements and risk management, can be another good indicator of a professional company.

To summarise, always check a company has compliance to the very latest technical, environmental and health and safety standards and has a current dated Amenity Assured certificate to show standards have been maintained.

For added assurance, always be prepared to ask your treatment specialist for references and testimonials from satisfied construction industry customers. m

David Layland is joint managing director at Japanese Knotweed Control. With extensive experience across a range of commercial sectors, Japanese Knotweed Control offers comprehensive, cost-effective and ecologicallysound solutions for eradicating Japanese Knotweed, Giant Hogweed, Himalayan Balsam and many other non-native invasive plants.

Construction industry clients include Delta Simons, Seddon and Morgan Sindall as well as several local authorities and housing associations throughout the UK. For further information visit:

www.japaneseknotweedcontrol.com.

NEWS

£4 billion roads programme

Tough roof Innovative insulation manufacturer, Jablite has developed a new insulation that can be bespokedesigned to create drainage falls on flat roofs. Jablite Invincible combines the benefits of a highly performing thermal insulation material - EPS (expanded polystyrene) - with a tough facing which protects the insulation and is highly resistant to damage.

“Our customers were telling us they want to use our A+ rated EPS roof insulation. But, because it can

be damaged by solvents it does not offer the flexibility they need on site,” says Richard Lee, managing director of Jablite.

“We developed Jablite Invincible to meet that need; it has a tough facing and can be used with solvent and PU adhesives. Invincible also works well with mechanically fixed single ply and cold applied bituminous systems – I hope we have created an insulation that gives contractors and specifiers the flexibility they require,” says Richard.

Solar installation Eight thousand solar panels have been installed on the roof of Wolseley UK’s National Distribution Centre (NDC) in Leamington Spa, capable of generating enough electricity to power around 450 homes a year.

The installation, carried out over a six month period, is set to produce two megawatts of electricity per year and could generate £6.5 million over 20 years under the government’s Feed In Tariff (FIT) for commercial buildings.

At full capacity output the system will completely power Wolseley UK’s National Distribution Centre as well as creating a ten per cent energy surplus. The payback period of the installation is 6.8 years, which means the NDC will receive free energy after seven years. Wolseley UK will also achieve carbon savings of around 1280 tonnes per year, helping to improve the Leamington Spa site’s environmental performance, which is already rated by BREEAM as ‘very good’.

Steve Ashmore, managing director, Wolseley UK said: “As a business, we are committed to sustainable building, and we are continuing to lead the way by investing in the technology that we advocate. We are already seeing some fantastic environmental and cost savings from our PV installation and I hope that our success will inspire our customers into adopting green energy solutions, due to the significant results they can achieve.”

Dozens of locations across the capital are set to be transformed in a £4 billion programme as part of the largest investment in the capital’s road and street network in a generation.

In response to the recommendations of the Mayor’s Roads Task Force, which last July unveiled a bold new vision to radically improve London’s roads, streets and public spaces, a total of 50 projects are now underway.

Alongside the transformation of 33 of London’s biggest and nastiest road junctions announced as part of the Mayor’s cycling programme, there will also be more than £200m of additional far-reaching improvements at 17 major locations across the capital.

One of the other key schemes to benefit is one of London’s biggest regeneration projects - the redevelopment of the northern roundabout at Elephant and Castle. The radical plans, which will create 5000 new homes and 4000 jobs, will vastly improve the facilities for road users and local residents.

Dedicated cycling facilities will also be created. The IMAX roundabout at Waterloo will also be redeveloped, creating better interchange facilities at Waterloo station as well as improved facilities for cyclists.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Smarter design of our roads and public spaces, exemplified by our radical plans for Elephant & Castle, will play a key role in ensuring that London remains the best big city to live, work and invest.”

Construction & Civil Engineering 13

ENVIRONMENT

What to consider when specifying CHP.

By Chris Marsland

W The

perfect combination 14 Construction & Civil Engineering

herever there is a large heating/ cooling demand over extended periods, the benefits of combined heat and power (CHP) are difficult to match.

This applies equally well to new build or retrofit projects. It is an ideal choice when looking to replace existing boiler plant or as an addition to new or existing boilers.

You can also configure CHP units to provide off-grid resilience to improve energy security.

CHP also offers excellent tax saving opportunities, including reduction or exemption from the Climate Change Levy; qualification for Enhanced Capital Allowances; preferential treatment in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme; exemption from business rates and exemption from the proposed Carbon Price Support Levy.

In the right circumstances, CHP can yield a return on investment within three to five years providing impressive cost savings over a typical 15 years+ product lifecycle.

“ CHP can yield a

return on investment within three to five years - providing impressive cost savings over a typical 15 years+ product lifecycle.�

Is CHP the right technology?

Detailed analysis and modelling is required to assess CHP feasibility and to ensure that it is sized and specified accurately for maximum efficiency - both in the short and long term, where energy demand patterns might change.

The first step is to gain a detailed understanding of overall building energy consumption. In conventional power and heating applications, plant capacity is

usually dictated by maximum demand, meaning that the system operates predominantly at part load. For CHP to be viable, high utilisation is required. Hence, there is a need to understand both the minimum and maximum energy demands during the running period, factoring in seasonal variations.

Carry out an energy audit first to gain an accurate picture of the baseload. This might involve installation of temporary metering or monitoring equipment.

In new buildings, estimate heat and power demand profiles using a combination of: building design data; simulation modelling of building; benchmark profiles from comparable buildings; occupancy patterns, and data from energy models.

Future changes in consumption patterns must also be considered, such as the introduction of energy efficiency measures, expansion or contraction of facilities, changes in processes, operation or occupancy.

Integration with other low carbon technologies may be a further consideration, particularly in new buildings, where it is necessary to factor in competing supplies and the total impact on demand.

Assessing the feasibility of CHP With your accurate baseload data gathered, you can conduct a twostage feasibility study. This would start with technical evaluation to consider the capacity of the potential CHP plant to match heat and power demands. Economic options appraisal can then be completed.

Consideration of cooling requirements and the requirement

Construction & Civil Engineering 15

ENVIRONMENT

for heat driven chillers is best addressed once viability is proven.

Cooling demand is unlikely to determine CHP capacity, so the general approach would be to assess how much surplus heat is available in summer months and whether this matches the cooling demand. It is also necessary to estimate the baseload cooling demand profiles for optimum efficiency of the absorption chiller.

Model the costs and savings An operating model is also required to evaluate potential costs and savings. This should factor in variations in site energy demands.

It is rare to achieve a continuous match in heat and power demands, so the planned operating strategy may require additional heat from conventional boilers, or a heat rejection facility, scope to import or export power and modulation of CHP output. Various operating strategies should be considered to achieve perfect optimisation, e.g. is part-load operation or heat rejection preferable to exporting power? Is night time operation worthwhile? Is thermal storage beneficial?

Implementing ‘good quality’ CHP To gain access to attractive fiscal incentives for gas generated CHP, schemes must be certified as ‘good quality CHP’ under the Combined Heat and Power Quality Assurance programme (CHPQA).

To achieve ‘good quality’ certification schemes must achieve or exceed the threshold criteria.

These criteria are a Quality Index (QI) rating of 100, and power efficiency of greater than 20 per cent. These ratings are achieved by examining data for fuel used, power generated and heat supplied.

The thresholds are also designed to meet the requirements of the European CHP Directive.

16 Construction & Civil Engineering

Museum of Liverpool Energy Centre by ENER-G

CHP in action at Museum of Liverpool ENER-G installed a combined heat and power trigeneration system at the prestigious million Museum of Liverpool, guaranteeing annual energy savings by the museum of more than £500,000.

The CHP system is split between a plant room in the new building and the historic Great Western Railway Goods Shed - part of the famous Pier Head on Liverpool’s waterfront.

ENER-G has converted the Goods Shed into a state-of-the-art energy centre with sophisticated remote monitoring (SCADA) and diagnostic facilities.

The energy centre incorporates two 385kW bio-diesel CHP units, two 768kW natural gas CHP systems, two 850kW boilers, a 1000kW absorption chiller and a 998kW conventional compression chiller.

Challenges faced included preserving the GWR building exterior in line with planning conditions and designing the energy centre to operate independently of the utility electrical supply.

The CHP system provides the

lead power supply for the site, meeting all of the Museum’s daily requirements for heating, cooling and power. The utility grid supply provides additional back up, if required. m

Chris Marsland, BEng (Hons) CEng MIET, is technical director for ENER-G Combined Power Ltd, which is Europe’s leading provider of small scale CHP systems.

ENER-G’s unique combination of in-house technology and services means it is a single port of call for any business looking to implement any cogeneration system and associated technology.

For further information visit:

www.energ.co.uk/chp.

NEWS

Tallest tower Danfoss technology is going to be used in the Shanghai Tower, which will be the tallest in China and the second largest in the world.

Shanghai Tower will comply with the strictest environmental requirements – and Danfoss technology will help achieve this.

The company has won more orders for Shanghai Tower, including an order for 6700 valves to control the cooling and heating systems in the 632-metre high building. It is the highest number of these valves that

Danfoss has ever delivered to a single building.

The Danfoss products will contribute to making Shanghai Tower one of the world’s greenest buildings.

Shanghai Tower has already earned the American Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold certification and the Chinese ‘Threestar green building’ award, which is the highest standard that can be achieved in China.

Christian Overgaard, president of Danfoss in China, says: “In China, there is more and more focus on constructing and renovating buildings so they use the least possible energy and reduce pollution. And here our energy-efficient products can really make a difference. The huge orders for Shanghai Tower are important milestones for Danfoss in China and make a good case, which can inspire others.”

For the heating and cooling systems, Danfoss will also deliver 660 variable speed drives that will ensure that the pumps, compressors, and fans never run faster than is necessary to secure the right temperature. This will contribute to additional savings of 20-40 per cent compared to running without this technology. Moreover, pressure transmitters and filter driers from Danfoss will boost energyefficiency in the air-conditioning system.

Game-changer Construction collaboration and technology developer Asite aims to change the way civil engineers communicate with the launch of Adoddle 17 – the latest upgrade to its award-winning collaborative cloud-based platform.

Adoddle is a mature and full-featured content management system used by major clients and projects such as Crossrail, Environment Agency and Balfour Beatty. The new launch offers improved mobile support, enhanced whole life management and superior user experience.

Described as a ‘game-changer’ by chief operating officer Nathan Doughty, Adoddle 17 will be augmented by Apple iOS and Windows 8 apps with Android versions to be added after the launch.

With HTML5-supported technology and better offline capabilities, it also provides improved access ich can y damage wh stl co e th of n to Asite’s full service offering to deliver greater integration. sio ry An artist’s impres tected water leak in an art galle ed by an undeexplains, “Our customers deserve the simplicity of the web and Asite’s COO Nathan be causDoughty mobile apps they use at home in the tools they use at work. Adoddle 17 is revolutionary simplicity. ” Encouraging users to upload, share, collaborate and action – Adoddle 17 enables construction professionals from all over the world to deliver the truly joined-up thinking which will set them apart from the competition in a highly competitive industry.

Station suite Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC) has announced on behalf of its shareholders, the installation of a new marketing suite on the roof of The Power Station in preparation for the Phase 2 sales launch on 1 May. The marketing suite will sit on the Annexe of The Power Station overlooking the River Thames with views spanning from Chelsea Bridge across to The City. The unique structure was hoisted into position using one of the largest mobile cranes in the construction industry. The suite will be fully fitted out over the following months and open in time for the May launch.

Rob Tincknell, chief executive officer of Battersea Power Station Development Company, commented: “Boasting a stunning riverside London view this suite will offer our potential purchasers the opportunity to see a creative vision of how these unique apartments will actually look and the views they will have across the site, river and London. It will be a wonderful way to give people a glimpse into the future of the homes we are creating and really bring the building to life.”

Construction & Civil Engineering 17

Skills & recruitment

Zerohours Zerofans?

So what are zero hours contracts and why are they perceived to be so bad, asks Mark Leach

18 Construction & Civil Engineering

Z

ero hours contracts have taken a bit of a bashing recently. A series of media horror stories in mid 2013 led to damning comments from the TUC, a pledge by the Labour party to outlaw them and, late last year, the launch of a coalition consultation exercise, the public consultation element of which ends on the 13 March 2014.

Zero hours contracts can mean different things to different people.

However, the usual understanding of the term is a contract between an employer and a worker under

which the employer does not guarantee any work for the worker and, in the event that work becomes available, the worker does not guarantee his or her availability to work.

Less balanced contracts can tend to penalise a worker who turns down work, some require a worker to be available to work even though no work is guaranteed and some contracts reputedly even prevent a worker from carrying out any work from any other employer.

It is this inequality of bargaining power that fuels the bad publicity of zero hours contracts. They are

seen by some as a product of a one sided economic recovery, exploiting the most vulnerable areas of the workforce; those who are low paid, unskilled and so transient that there is unlikely to be any element of trade union presence, whether recognised or not.

Of course the flip side to all of this is the organisational and economic benefits that zero hours arrangements can bring. ‘Banks’ of workers are not uncommon and given the project-based and sporadic nature of construction work, these contracts are potentially of real benefit to employers in the construction industry.

These arrangements can work well for individuals too; perhaps looking to retain skills without regular work and/or looking to supplement income during parenthood or on retirement for example. Now that the heat arising from the adverse publicity of last year has died down, more measured views on zero hours are being heard.

So, what should employers have regard to when contemplating the use of zero hours contracts?

Perhaps most important is a reminder that zero hours does not mean zero rights. Minimum wage legislation, working time regulations (including holiday entitlement) and discrimination legislation all apply. The Part Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 will apply to ensure that (in the absence of a good reason) the zero hours workers receive, on a pro rata basis, the same pay and benefits as a full time worker carrying out the same work.

Cases are already being brought by lawyers acting for large numbers of zero hours workers and zero hours arrangements are bound to be scrutinised more closely in the months to come following the publication of Government’s consultation exercise and the first legal judgments on the zero hours

Part Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) “TheRegulations 2000 will apply to ensure that (in the absence of a good reason) the zero hours workers receive, on a pro rata basis, the same pay and benefits as a full time worker.

”

cases currently working through the employment tribunal system. It is essential that employers ensure that their arrangements with zero hours workers honour these existing rights.

Forward-thinking employers may also want to look at the impact that it is anticipated will come from legislation. Andy Sawford, Labour MP for Corby has just introduced a private members bill in an attempt to speed up the process of change, notwithstanding the current consultation exercise (and perhaps out of concern that consultation might mean little more than kicking the issue in to the long grass).

This bill asks that zero hours contracts are outlawed where one or more of three specified features are present in the contract. These are unlikely to be controversial and may well form the basis of future legislation, whether through this private members bill (which is unlikely) or a later governmentsponsored bill. One feature that the bill asks to be outlawed is where the worker has to be available for work even when work is not guaranteed. This is likely to be seen by most reasonable employers as exploitative and unnecessary.

The second feature is a requirement for the worker to work exclusively for one employer. Most zero hours arrangements would not require this at all, although the Bill provides for exceptional circumstances where exclusivity may be necessary. The third requirement is for an employer to provide a written contract to a so called zero hours worker who has been employed for 12 consecutive weeks and for that written contract

to set out the worker’s regular hours.

This is perhaps the most difficult of the three features and would require more consideration but again, in principle, is unlikely to be controversial in many instances.

The questions asked in the current consultation exercise indicate that these three areas are up for further consideration in any event.

The consultation exercise also seeks to address a concern that some individuals are unclear on their employment rights within a zero-hours contract, and might even be unaware that they are not guaranteed work. The Government proposes to improve the content and accessibility of guidance on this issue amongst other measures.

In the meantime, employers in the construction sector who do engage zero hours workers (or are considering it) may want to review their contracts and arrangements.

Contracts may contain these features even though the employer has no real desire for them to be there and in those circumstances the employer may be willing to remove them.

Contracts may also unwittingly fall foul of existing legislation. Zero hours contracts will stand the test of time, a possible change in government and the potential for legal challenge if they are well balanced, well drafted and reasonable. m Mark Leach is a partner in the Employment team at national law firm Weightmans LLP. Weightmans is a top 50 multi-disciplinary firm with over 1300 people across offices in Birmingham, Dartford, Glasgow, Knutsford, Leicester, Liverpool, London and Manchester. Weightmans is dedicated to providing results for its clients and success for its people. For further information, visit: www.weightmans.com.

Construction & Civil Engineering 19

CASE STUDY

In River Suction Filter approved by Environment Agency for the protection of small fish and elvers

The River Thames location of Kingston Heights Kingston upon Thames

Harvesting

energy

River water filtration is a first for thermal energy installation at ‘Kingston Heights’

I

ndustrial Purification Systems (IPS), leading commercial water filtration consultant engineers, has provided a ‘first’ for the construction industry by designing innovative energy efficient filtration technology for the stateof-the-art Open Loop Heat Pump

20 Construction & Civil Engineering

system installed at the prestigious development ‘Kingston Heights’, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey.

The system will deliver under-floor heating and hot water throughout the development and was officially switched on in the Autumn of 2013 by the Rt Hon Edward Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.

Kingston Heights is a £70 million mixed-use development in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, south-west London owned by NHP Leisure Developments. It consists of 56 affordable homes, 81 private

apartments and a 145-bedroom hotel due to open later in the year.

The Open Loop Mitsubishi based Heat Pump system is the first installation of its kind anywhere in the UK that harvests naturally stored energy from the River Thames to provide thermal energy for an entire development. As the world faces a possible energy crisis, this has been heralded as being the solution to effectively managing and saving energy resources in the future.

IPS director, Andy Evans, explains: “The Open Loop System

works by using pumps in the plant building to extract water through intakes placed in the River Thames at a level where the water temperature remains constant.

After passing this water through heat exchangers connected to heat pumps to extract the energy from the water, the water is then returned to the river with the minimum of heat gain. This minimises the impact on overall river temperatures and water dissolved oxygen levels.

“This process is traditionally done utilising bore holes similar to projects we have carried out for the Royal Festival Hall and the Tate further down river. However abstracting from a river source is the ‘new concept’ in establishing levels of thermal energy efficiency for large scale developments which significantly produces zero on-site carbon emissions.

“In contrast to bore hole extraction, river water is a much more difficult process as the solids levels are much higher and also uncontrolled. The filtration plant therefore has to be considerably more robust and presents much more of a technical challenge.

“The particular filtration system we have developed at Kingston Heights comprises two-off in-river automatically backwashing filters which had to meet the exacting demands of the Environment Agency. These are designed to run at optimum efficiency by only backwashing when conditions demand rather than continuously, as is typical of in river filtration.

“The water, when first extracted, is filtered to 1500 micron and at an exceptionally low filtration velocity even when partially blocked and requiring cleaning. This ensures that elvers and fish fry are protected from being sucked into the water abstraction system.

“The water is then passed through secondary filters. These are designed to protect the heat exchangers connected to the heat pumps and are oversized for the

Rt Hon Edward Davey gets a close up of the AMIAD self cleaning screen filters from IPS

The Open Loop Mitsubishi based Heat “Pump system is the first installation of its kind anywhere in the UK that harvests naturally stored energy from the River Thames to provide thermal energy for an entire development.

”

application to ensure effective operation even under flood conditions. Future proofing of the filter design means that they can be upgraded to protect the system from Zebra mussel seed.

These filters incorporate the latest precision driven cleaning heads for effective filter cleaning at low micron grades. This is paramount when dealing with a combination of heavy solids loading and very fine filtration.

“To ensure cost efficiency in terms of maintenance and long operational life the filters are constructed from 316 stainless steel.

In addition, intermittent cleaning means longer service operation before they need to be removed from the filter bed for routine maintenance.

“The filter systems are fully integrated within the building management system so their operational condition can be monitored at all times.”

IPS worked closely with the Environment Agency and Fisheries Department to ensure that the in-river automatic filtration was optimised to protect the

susceptible junior fish and young migrating eels. It was also important that the filters enabled the return of clean water back into the River Thames that varied by no more than three degrees from the abstracted water.

Chris White, managing director of White Associates and the mechanical engineering consultant for the Kingston Heights development, said: “A renewable system such as this has the potential to provide a significant amount of our future energy needs at a fraction of the cost. However, this is a largescale change in thinking, which will take years, if not generations, to implement. But, from little acorns mighty oaks do grow – and I hope that, through the system installed at Kingston Heights, we have planted the seed in people’s minds that this can be done.”

IPS worked closely with B&V Group, who engineered and built the complete water abstraction system for the development, to guide them through the filtration design process to ensure the best technology was adopted.

Andy Evans said: “There is huge pressure on businesses and communities both here in the UK and internationally to address energy use. We are extremely proud to have played such an important part in being able to demonstrate without a doubt that efficient water filtration technology makes a significant difference to energy use and cost.” m

For over 30 years Industrial Purification Systems Limited (IPS) has developed experience in the field of industrial and commercial water filtration.

Its broad product range of filters enables the company to offer equipment solutions that are not only the best technically, but also commercially and environmentally acceptable. The varied filtration solutions that have been applied world-wide across all business sectors include commercial, industrial, manufacturing and public and private utilities.

Visit for further information.

www.industrial-purification.co.uk

Construction & Civil Engineering 21

EQUIPMENT Lanes Group Leamington culvert reline plan

Clever thinking Lanes had to apply lateral thinking when tasked with relining an oddlyshaped culvert

I

t is good to have access to all the latest technology.

But sometimes a drainage project comes along that needs ingenuity – let’s call it lateral thinking – to combine modern techniques with excellent traditional skills. That applied to the solution put together by Lanes Group to rehabilitate a 47-metre culvert along one of the busiest commuter streets in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.

Lanes Group reline director Francis Cole said: “This project illustrates some important lessons for us. As a company, we want to be on the forefront of innovation, using the latest relining techniques and equipment.

22 Construction & Civil Engineering

“What also counts, is the ability to bring to bear strong traditional skills, in combination with cutting edge technology to overcome significant challenges, without compromising a client’s need to complete projects in tight timeframes.”

The fundamental challenge of this project for Severn Trent Water, was the culvert’s irregular shape.

Its diameter constantly changed between 570mm and 650mm along its 47-metre length.

In fact it was the first time Lanes Group, one of the most experienced underground pipe rehabilitation specialists the UK, had attempted to reline such an irregularly-shaped culvert with one liner.

The culvert, 1.1m underground,

was hewn roughly out of rock, had a flat bottom and a brick roof, though it was in bad repair with many bricks missing. It also had eight lateral connections, one of which was a cast iron pipe that protruded into the culvert.

The challenge for the Lanes engineers was to find a solution to reline the culvert. Because the road was so crucial to the free-flow of traffic through a congested town centre and because extensive excavation would be both hugely expensive and disruptive for other underground services, it had to be a no-dig solution.

Because of the culvert’s particularly erratic shape, a laser profiler Lanes uses to survey

Leaming to

n culvert

survey im

age - bri

ck roof

age ert survey im ington culv

ipe

protuding p

Leam

survey n culvert ce to g in m la Lea liner in p image -

culverts and pipes, could not gather any usable data.

So a man-entry was carried out, to measure it by hand.

This established that a 600mm diameter liner would be the best fit. As the liner material will stretch up to 18 per cent, it would accommodate the largest size.

The contractor and client agreed to accept the possibility of minor creasing where the diameter was smallest.

The next issue was the eight lateral connections. They are not usually a problem. But one — a 150mm diameter cast pipe — entered through the culvert roof, not just at an angle, but protruding by 500mm. Lanes could not reline over it.

Lanes had hoped to cut the protrusion back using a KA-TE robotic cutter. But there was a problem, as Gareth Parry-Jones, Lanes Group project manager, explained: “Because of the changing size and shape of the sewer, and the fact that it became comparatively narrow, we had to use the small KA-TE set up.

“But that meant the cutter couldn’t reach high enough, because the cast pipe was at the highest point overhead. We even imported a special Prokasro cutter, designed for egg-shaped sewers.

By fitting an extension, it can reach

higher than the KA-TE, but it was still not enough in this case.”

After further discussions with the contractor, it was agreed that a mini excavation would be required to cut the pipe out.

This was timed to be done just before the liner was installed. That meant that the combined system pipe could be left open, and once the liner was installed, the connection could be cut open and the pipe cemented back in place.

With everything ready, enabling works complete, materials, plant and equipment in place, installation was scheduled to take place over one weekend, to minimise impact on commuting traffic.

The 12mm thick liner went in smoothly in the allotted timescale on the Saturday. After the liner had cured, the KA-TE robotic cutter was sent into the relined sewer. But, because of the culvert’s irregular shape, it could only be used to

reopen three of the remaining connections.

So, it was back to basics, with another man entry. A Lanes engineer – ironically one who was 6ft 5 inches tall – was sent in to work his way along the culvert and cut the openings using air tools.

All health and safety procedures were followed, a safe system of work agreed, and appropriate documentation, including method statements and risk assessments, was completed.

The upstream manhole was capped off. Though the weather was dry, precautionary over-pumping was set up. On the Sunday, the Lanes team was ready to open the final four laterals.

Once all the laterals were opened, a final post-line survey showed that the liner was successfully in place, to the quality required by the client and contractor. The irregularly shaped culvert, with its varying diameter and protruding connection, was once again structurally sound. m

Lanes Group is the largest independent supplier of specialist underground pipeline repair and rehabilitation services in the UK, with 23 depots across the country.

Telephone: 0161 788 2266 Email: sales@lanesgroup.co.uk

Construction & Civil Engineering 23

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FOREWORD ITA

The

third

dimension

When it comes to encouraging and promoting the use of subsurface space, the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA) is the world’s most experienced resource

E

stablished in 1974 and celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the ITA was created to support the use of the subsurface space for the benefit of public, environment and sustainable development and to endorse advances in planning, design, construction, and safety construction of tunnels and underground spaces.

Formed by 19 countries, today it has 71 member nations and 310 corporate or individual affiliate

Olivier Vion: executive director of the ITA

members. As Olivier Vion, executive director of the ITA explained, these members take the form of associations, where each association represents a country.

“We function as a UN body, with UN status, and that means each country gets one vote, regardless of the size of the population they represent,” he said.

One of the major benefits of being a member of the ITA is access to an enormous range of information and experience. Said Olivier: “Our main purpose is to

share technical knowledge between different parties and countries. This can be from places that have been building tunnels for centuries to ones that are just beginning or even haven’t built any tunnels yet. This knowledge exchange is facilitated through technical working groups that cover different topics, and can include members from any member country.”

Another benefit to members is that the entire supply chain of tunnelling and underground space is represented through ITA

Construction & Civil Engineering 25

membership, from design and economics all the way through to planning, engineering, contracting and supplies, and all these roles participate in working groups.

Furthermore, member nations can create a working group on a subject that is particularly of interest or relevance to them, or one on which they are looking for an international perspective.

Soren Eskesen, ITA president, noted that while some of the topics for these working groups have stayed the same since the

26 Construction & Civil Engineering

ITA was established, some have finished and new ones started “There is no limit to the number of working groups we can introduce, except practically,” he said “At the moment there are 14 active working groups, and in addition we now have committees, and these differ because the participants are companies rather than countries.

We have four committees: safety, training, the use of underground space and new technology.”

While of course safety is a top priority, Olivier highlighted the

Soren Eskesen: ITA president

fact that training and recruitment are getting a lot of scrutiny at the moment and this is likely to continue, especially as the amount of global underground projects continues to grow: “Many countries lack enough skilled people in this area and we have seen that in the UK on the Crossrail project, where they have had to create a lot of training programmes, and that will continue with HS2. Indeed, this is the case in many countries as the total market for underground work continues to increase.

“The main market is China, but Europe, the US and South America are all seeing a lot of projects on the horizon and to deliver these we need to have more skilled people such as engineers, but also blue collar workers.

“This is why we are so actively working on our committee on training, and why we are organising training sessions all over the world.”

Since it was established, the training committee has reached several milestones, including the creation of the concept of the ITA University Network, aiming to facilitate training and education actions, the exchange of students and professors, and the interaction of research; the creation of Training Sections (short-courses), the endorsement of Professional Master Courses on Tunnelling at international and national levels; and the creation of a task force on Training and Education to study the perspectives of these actions for the future of the ITA and how to implement and co-ordinate them.

It is clear that the ITA is a

FOREWORD ITA

highly regarded and influential organisation, and the findings and conclusions of its working groups and committees have far reaching effects. Olivier noted this was especially true in the safety arena: “Our safety working group is recognised worldwide for producing guidelines that are used by many countries,” he confirmed.

“ITA COSUF is the Centre of Excellence for worldwide exchange of information and know-how regarding safety and security of underground facilities in operation.”

Design challenges As cities become more congested and the population increases, underground tunnelling and the use of subspace offers designers and planners an option of expansion that is sustainable and can offer better quality of life. Soren noted: “When you move areas like traffic

place to not only visit suppliers at the exhibition side, but to network and learn from colleagues and new contacts: “At our conference the papers and technical solutions are often presented by designers, but the reason our conference is so successful is because it brings these people and contractors and owners together in a very useful knowledge exchange,” he said.

Over the four decades the ITA has been in existence it has witnessed many changes, in areas including technology, learning and safety. As Olivier highlighted: “Thanks to an incredible evolution of equipment and technology, it is now possible to build facilities and tunnels that could not have been constructed 30 or 40 years ago.” Soren agreed: “It’s true to say that the ‘easy’ tunnels have already been built,” he added. But as evolving nations start to create their own underground solutions, and first world countries share the wisdom of their experience, the next 40 years of tunnelling and subspace look set to be as exciting and innovative as those that came before. zz

ITA’s next event is the World Tunnel Congress 2014

underground you also move the noise and dust. It can also help to continue a growing economy as if a city gets too congested it may not be able to expand where it needs to – one solution to this is to consider the underground space.”

This inevitably brings design challenges, but this again is an area where ITA has a vast repertoire of experience and is one often discussed at the Association’s annual conference. Soren explained that this event has become an ideal

(WTC2014), which will be held in the city of Foz do Iguaçu/ Iguassu Falls, Brazil, from May 9th to 15th, 2014. Focusing on ‘Tunnels for Better Living’, WTC 2014 will discuss and illustrate the importance of tunnels, especially in big cities, as solutions for traffic jams, flooding, transportation, environmental conservation and also for saving surface areas for nobler uses, such as leisure and human relations.

WTC 2014 will host a large meeting of the Brazilian and international technical community, involving a spectrum of participants – public managers, builders, designers, equipment suppliers, engineering service companies, professors, professionals and students. Together, tunnel experts will discuss and put forward solutions that are most appropriate and used on a global scale.

WTC will also be the place for many ITA activities, meetings of WGs and Committees’ activity groups, and the ITA General Assembly, which is also going to see the launch of a Young Members Group, designed to attract a younger audience to the ITA. For more information on WTC 2014, visit:

http://www.wtc2014.com.br/.

Construction & Civil Engineering 27

PROFILE: Elasto Plastic Concrete

Concrete success

EPC has pion ee developmen red the t of fibre technology

ating reinforced se EPC BarChip ungary’s H elements at ium ad Debrecen st

Elasto Plastic Concrete (EPC) develops safe-to-use, durable, high performance reinforcement for concrete and shotcrete

T

he relationship between steel and concrete has long been regarded as a major stepping stone in modern construction.

Concrete is strong in compression but weak in tension and brittle in nature. To compensate for this steel is added to provide crack control in such scenarios. While this system has been successful for many years there are a number of associated drawbacks.

Steel is expensive to purchase, transport and store. The placement of steel consumes significant time, adds labour costs and often requires placement in difficult and dangerous locations. Most serious of all, steel is highly subject to corrosion. This commonly leads to concrete cancer, which is extremely expensive to repair and can lead ultimately to the early demolition of the structure.

Designers and engineers could see that there must be a better solution to these problems and started looking for alternatives to traditional steel reinforcement.

Several options were explored,

28 Construction & Civil Engineering

and by the 1970s steel fibre reinforcement had started to be explored as a viable alternative.

Steel fibre however still suffered a multitude of problems associated with steel based technology and research continued until the first viable macro synthetic fibres were developed in the early 1990s.

Elasto Plastic Concrete (EPC) was founded at this time, and is a pioneer in the development of structural synthetic fibre technology. EPC’s BarChip fibre range is the highest performing and lowest cost per joule fibre in the market. One of the first widespread adoptions of macro synthetic fibres occurred when EPC introduced its EPC BarChip structural synthetic fibre to the Australian mining industry. EPC’s BarChip eliminated the problems associated with steel fibre reinforcement and delivered significant benefits, including: l Price reduction l Corrosion free, long-term durability l Post crack load capacity equivalent to SL82 mesh at regular dose rates

EPC BarChip Reinforced ‘A3 Hindhead’ Road Tunnel was one of the first to use a permanent sprayed concrete lining

l Improved concrete ductility l Significantly improves shrinkage and temperature crack control l Eliminated bending, cutting and placement of steel mesh, increasing efficiency and productivity l Safer and lighter to handle than steel l Delivered to site ready mixed from the concrete plant l Reduced carbon footprint Garry Martin, tunnelling and precast manager gave some more details about how EPC operates: “The company works closely with a Japanese polymer manufacturing specialist, Hagihara Industries,” he began. “Together the two companies combine their expert knowledge of materials and concrete engineering to come up with a wide array of structural synthetic fibre products that provide increasingly effective solutions to concrete reinforcing.

But we are more than just a fibre supply company. When you work with EPC you can expect expert advice in shotcrete and concrete, reinforcement technologies and design and engineering.”

rced EPC BarChip reinfo s ing lin el nn tu segmental EPC’s synthe ti fibres are ev c en distributed ly th the concrete rough mix

Since the introduction of EPC’s BarChip fibres onto the market in the late 1990s continual improvements have been made to the material properties of the polymers and the mechanism by which the fibres bond with the cement matrix. “EPC’s BarChip fibres take into account the type of concrete or shotcrete in which they will be functioning, as this determines the type and blend of polymer that will be used for the fibre,” added Garry. “The level of stiffness of the fibre and how easily it can be finished, or if it will pass through a shotcrete hose and nozzle without blocking up the pump lines, will all be considered.”

Not content to just focus on the properties of the fibres themselves, EPC also takes into account the packaging of the fibres. It offers two types of solutions: soluble paper bags, that come in different pre-dosed amounts so that end users can easily add the fibres into the concrete mixing cycle at any point in a ‘bag and all’ solution; and a big bag, packaged puck system that combines with a dosing system for larger jobs.

“Basically, wherever there is concrete that requires reinforcement, EPC has a fibre to meet the need or is in the process of developing one,” Garry highlighted. “And from our base in the mining industry, EPC continues to develop the range of fibres on offer, based upon ever more demanding testing requirements. It has now seen fibres being deployed in many different types of tunnels, including road tunnels, water tunnels, metro tunnels and so on.”

All fibres that are used in concrete within the European Union are subjected to rigorous testing and need to comply with

re Reinforced EPC Synthetic Fib Concrete ed Permanent Spray Tunnels Linings for

the testing performance criteria of a CE marking programme.

EPC’s BarChip range of fibres are included within the category known as structural synthetic fibres under EN 1889-2 and in order to satisfy the requirements have to satisfy a rigorous examination of the factory environment in which the fibres are manufactured, the management systems and quality controls of the fibres themselves, to measure consistency of fibre length, tensile strength and elastic modulus. “In recent developments, EPC has been able to include actual testing data from different types of concrete and differing dosages of fibres and use these as inputs into Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software. This means we can model the performance of different types of concretes with our fibres extremely accurately, so that we are able to offer clients an optimised fibre dosage and keep costs to an absolute minimum at the earliest stages of design,” Garry explained.

EPC has invested significantly in the use of FEA based design, which is a big leap forward in the industry. “The use of such accurate materials models enables us to not only provide the right type of fibre, or to provide our product engineers with insights into future fibre development requirements, but also to actually improve the structures we are reinforcing and optimise concrete strengths and actual physical constructs. We can combine the non-corrosive nature of the product for longer lasting structures, but also within structures themselves that can contain the least cement possible for strength and for minimum concrete thicknesses.”

Another benefit of EPC BarChip technology is that it allows clients to reduce their carbon footprint through the use of R50 and R65 structural synthetic fibres. “The R symbology in EPC’s BarChip range of fibres indicates the use of a percentage of recycled materials within the fibres,” said Garry.

“However, this use of recycled materials is just a small percentage of BarChip’s green credentials, as all our fibres offer a carbon footprint saving of at least 70 per cent when compared to steel reinforcing.”

Considering how many clients draw on EPC’s experience and utilise its products, it is only natural that EPC’s BarChip fibres have been used in major projects around the world. “One of these projects is the Hindhead road tunnel in the UK, where for the first time, a single shell approach was taken to the design of a fibre reinforced road tunnel in this country,” said Garry. “That meant that the primary ground support lining was taken into account for structural purposes and thus when combined with the final lining, meant that the total amount of concrete could be significantly less than would otherwise have been needed.”

Geoff Sedgman, EPC’s international marketing manager added: “More importantly, as high profile projects such as this, the Global Seed Bank and the Ryfast tunnel in Norway use EPC’s synthetic fibre, overall product knowledge will increase, leading to enhanced product uptake in the infrastructure, commercial and residential markets.”

EPC’s focus on fibre development has ensured that

Construction & Civil Engineering 29

44 Construction & Civil Engineering

PROFILE: Elasto Plastic Concrete

EPC currently supplies fibre to every major market sector of the construction industry across more than 30 countries. However, as Geoff highlighted, the organisation believes that anywhere concrete is being used EPC’s synthetic fibres should be reinforcing it.

“Like the mining industry in the early 2000s, the international tunnelling community is now reaching a tipping point of product knowledge. While hesitant initially, EPC has proved to designers and engineers that synthetic fibre is the best choice for concrete and shotcrete reinforcement. EPC has worked tirelessly with industry and government bodies to have synthetic fibres included into standards and codes. We believe that within the next decade over 90 per cent of tunnelling projects will incorporate synthetic fibre reinforcement,” he continued.

One such organisation with which EPC is working closely is the International Tunnelling Association (ITA), as Garry explained: “The ITA is a body that represents the interests of the tunnelling industry on a national representative level.

However, it was decided that in order for there to be more participation and innovation in the working group dynamic that the ITAtech working groups would be established and allow companies to directly take part and put forward their products as solutions and not mere generic product offerings.

Being seen within the industry as a leader in our field EPC have been invited to join two of these groups.

The first is a group looking at the early age strength gains of fibre reinforced sprayed concretes and how fibres can be used to reduce cycle times and allow for quicker and safer continued excavation.

The second focuses on fibre reinforced segmental linings.

“The fibre reinforced segmental lining group is of particular interest. It has seen designers, fibre manufacturers and specialists involved in all aspects of segment

res are used to EPC’s synthetic fib ercial and mm co in el ste replace applications industrial flooring production and handling working together to offer new, state-of-theart advice to professional users. By being able to satisfy the strictest testing requirements of the industry in terms of fibre performance comparative to steel cage and steel fibres, EPC has been able to establish EPC’s BarChip fibres as offering equivalent, if not superior performance to steel based options.

This is particularly in terms of non-corrosion related failures and being able to negate the failure mechanism of embrittlement, which seems to dog the solution provided by steel fibres in high strength concrete mixes over time. The use of our advanced FEA solutions have also shown that minimal dosages of EPC’s BarChip fibres are able to perform within concrete segmental linings, in terms of demoulding, stacking, transportation and jacking (where engineers and segment designers agree most of the demands upon a segment are made) as well as satisfying requirements during service and through to ultimate limit state of design parameters.

“EPC has also invested heavily in setting up actual one-to-one scale testing of full size segmental lining rings in China, which have been used to verify our FEA based materials models with remarkable success. Hence, when the ITAtech working group publishes its findings, at some point in 2014, structural synthetic fibres, such as EPC’s BarChip will be clearly

positioned as not only a material offering equivalent performance to steel cage, but one that offers significant time and cost savings as well. It also offers the planet savings, thanks to the significantly lower carbon footprint of EPC’s BarChip versus steel.”

Participating in activities such as this is one approach EPC takes to educate the market to the advantages of synthetic fibre reinforcement industry.

“Like any construction product, synthetic fibre needs to be used appropriately, with the correct design based on accurate testing,” said Geoff. “The level of knowledge with regards to synthetic fibre not only differs amongst engineers from country to country, but also from sector to sector.

“I would guess that only 20 per cent of engineers fully understand the synthetic fibre reinforcement system, be it through lack of exposure of simple scepticism. It’s our goal to make sure 100 per cent fully understand how to design with our fibres.”

It looks certain that the synthetic fibre market can expect significant growth over the next decade. “Given the constantly upward curve of acceptance from engineers and designers and the ever growing list of job references and happy owners, contractors and applicators, it would seem that EPC’s BarChip structural synthetic fibres are here to stay,” concluded Garry. “It would not be surprising if in another ten years engineering students are asking their professors ‘why on earth were engineers recommending steel when everyone knows that EPC’s BarChip fibres are longer lasting, less expensive and good for the planet’?” m

Elasto Plastic Concrete (EPC) www.elastoplastic.com Services: Synthetic fibre concrete reinforcement Construction & Civil Engineering 31

PROFILE: LNS

Leonhard Nilsen & Sønner AS (LNS) is one of Norway’s largest contractors. The company specialises in solving demanding projects in areas that pose difficult logistics challenges

Overcoming the

challenge 32 Construction & Civil Engineering

T

he company’s core activities include road and tunnel construction, and mining – in fact, LNS owns several mines and also operates mines on behalf of several mining companies.

In recent years, LNS has been involved in several major projects, plus it also built the UN Global Seed Vault on Svalbard. The company

bly

TBM assem

Workers on their

way to work

TBM assem

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it decided to use a tunnel-boring machine (TBM). TBM has not been used in Norway for more than 20 years, and with this project, the company is bringing back the TBM knowledge to the tunnel industry in Norway.

LNS Group

Preparing for blasting has broad international experience, having completed projects on Iceland and Greenland, as well as in Antarctica. It has also established separate companies in Iceland and Chile, and is now completing a major tunnelling project in Hong Kong.

Over the years, LNS has taken a leading role in introducing new technology, and on its latest project in Norway, a hydropower project,

The company is part of the LNS Group, which has five core areas of activity: l Tunnels, rock caverns l Road construction l Mining contracts l Earth moving l Concrete production Within these areas, it employs approximately 900 employees and had a turnover of NOK 1.8 billion in 2012.

LNS was established in 1961 and since then the company has expanded to become a major global engineering group that includes 15 highly specialised companies.

The latest company established is LNS Saga, located in Iceland. The ongoing activities extend around the globe from the Antarctic and Eastern Europe, to South America, Asia and the South Pole.

Its key clients are predominantly mining companies, hydropower businesses and the Public Roads Administrations in Norway.

New projects that LNS is starting within 2014 are a harbour development in western Norway, a road- and tunnel construction in northern Norway and a road- and tunnel construction on the Faroe Islands. Recently LNS finished a research station built for the Norwegian Polar Institute on Bouvet Island. Bouvet Island is one of the most isolated islands in the world, and 93 per cent of the island is covered by glaciers.

LNS’ many years of operations in the Antarctic have also provided it with unique expertise in the areas of polar mining and logistics operations. The construction and mining industries are in a constant process of change and the demands placed on contractors such as LNS, continues to grow.

In order to meet these demands it has become increasingly important

Construction & Civil Engineering 33

PROFILE: LNS

to focus on a variety of forms of collaboration in order to achieve improved project coordination, faster problem identification and resolution. The objective is also to achieve stable, long-term relationships that yield better, more cost-effective outcomes. LNS has experience with many different forms of project collaboration which includes the forming of Public Private Partnerships (PPP), Joint Ventures (JV’s), strategic alliances and project collaboration with individual operators.

A recent example of the benefits of working in partnership with other specialists is exemplified by the company’s joint venture with Leighton Asia Ltd., which secured a contract worth NOK 2.1 billion for a major sewage tunnel project in Hong Kong. This extensive project is part of the Hong Kong government’s

A breakthrough

Harbour Area Treatment Scheme.

The project involves planning and driving a 7.5km tunnel with five shafts, each varying from 70 to 120 metres long through a busy

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Our supplier of fuels, lubricants, chemicals and customized solutions

for the road ahead

34 Construction & Civil Engineering

part of the metropolis and harbour and more than 160,000 cubic metre of concrete will be required.

This is because the tunnel runs partly below the sea and partly below office buildings in Hong Kong. The tunnel excavation will finish in November 2014 and the tunnel lining and the lining of the shafts will go on until autumn 2015. This project has given the organisation some challenges that it is not used to. There have been many regulatory requirements that are unusual for a Norwegian entrepreneur. This combined with the experience it has gained through the joint venture with Leighton has given LNS a better understanding to enter into new projects abroad.

Concludes Frode Nilsen: “The bottom line is that you have to find the optimal solutions and be as efficient, reliable and cost-effective as practicable. We are number one in the mining and tunnels sectors as well as being a major contender in all our other areas of activity.

This is thanks to our commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes at all times for our customers.” m

LNS www.lns.no Services: Road & tunnel construction

PROFILE: KTC GROUP

Team

builders

Structural Works to Casino Building at Integrated Resort

The KTC Group is one of Singapore’s leading civil engineering enterprises

East Coast Parkway Diversion

T

he organisation has achieved unparalleled expertise in largescale excavation, earth moving and civil construction works, and has developed close relationships with Singapore’s leading infrastructure developers and large contractors.

Thanks to the ready availability of critical earth moving equipment inhouse, huge capacity and seasoned project management expertise KTC’s clients are able to treat the company as a partner they can rely on for each and every project.

The Civil & Infrastructure segment of KTC Group is essentially the group’s flagship company – KTC Civil Engineering & Construction

Pte Ltd. Yeap Yu Kong is director of infrastructure at the company, and he highlighted that the organisation had grown from humble beginnings into the impressive corporation it is today: “KTC began in 1988 as an earth moving and haulage contractor,” he began. “Over the years we have grown and developed, and in 2007/2008 became very active in a more extended range of industries.

“We expanded into the design

and construction of expressways, and we are now active in the building of bridges, underpasses and substructures as well. Our focus is on transport related construction projects, and here in Singapore there is more than enough work to keep us active,” added Yu Kong.

“Over the past two years there have been 25 billion dollars worth of projects in the market and we have been actively participating in all many major civil engineering and infrastructure projects including the construction of a road between TPE and Yishun Avenue 6, and the EastWest Transmission Cable Tunnel.

“We are also involved with preparation work for a large rail depot in Singapore, which involves massive earthworks removal, as well as the construction of two very large bus parks or depot, for which we are responsible for preparing the ground and building the substructure and infrastructure.”

Yu Kong pointed out that KTC’s current work on a metro (mass rapid

Construction & Civil Engineering 35

PROFILE: KTC GROUP

transit) station is the most complex in the company’s history. “This is located in a densely built area of Singapore, and this means that managing noise and consideration for the environment and pollution are big challenges that need to be managed,” he said.

Meeting the needs of projects such as this requires investment and innovative thinking, and these are both areas where KTC is at the forefront of the market. “We monitor various key measures, and one of these is to constantly to look at the latest technology and how it can be utilised,” he said. “So items such as low noise machines, like silent generators and silent excavators are useful when working in residential areas, and we both buy and hire items such as this.

“We also spend a lot of time educating the workforce and site

Tampines Central

Station

management teams, and discussing issues with stakeholders, as well as encouraging new ways of working.

The skill set and mind set must also change with the times as well, otherwise a company can’t move forward and grow.” In fact, Yu Kong credits the drive and commitment of the managers and staff of KTC for the company’s market leading position: “Sometimes it is really the

team that make the difference,” he stated. “Commitment and dedication are key ingredients, and we have staff that have worked with us since we were founded in 1988 and we have been through the process of development together where the history and company culture are formed as driving forces.”

In order to continuously develop and maintain a high level of in-house engineering skills KTC also offers numerous scholarships at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels: “These are part of our succession plans,” commented Yu Kong. “There are presently four undergrad scholarships and two MSc scholarships, which were created because our company founder has always been very keen in investing in HR, he always believed that the right people at the right positions and good leadership

LEADING SPECIALIST IN QUALITY S COMMERCIAL AND DETENTION METAL DOORS Trussco is an established manufacturer and specialist contractor for high qual qu quality ua iti y detention and commercial grade doors complying with Singapore and other er International Standards. Customisation for cladded and acoustic doors are also available conforming to designer’s requirements. Our Security Door Products come with complete range of ironmongery and lockset complying with ASTM Standard.

Trussco Pte Ltd No. 33, Tuas Basin Link, Singapore 638768 Tel: +65 6273 9088 Fax: +65 6273 4336 Email: trussco@trussco.com.sg Website: www.trussco.com.sg

36 Construction & Civil Engineering

Seletar W est Link

Road Wid

Construction of

ening

Skypark

Realignment of East Coast Parkway

are essential for success. These study programmes highlight that we are prepared to plan for the very long term - ten to 20 years down the line - because we know that we can’t move on without young leaders and young engineers and managers. We need these to survive.”

He added: “Of course there are other ways of looking at growth as well as accumulation of skills and management knowhow, including business turnover and quality control and safety management.

In advanced markets such as the UK and US a lot of weight is put on safety so we are also emphasising this area in order to work to the same standards as these markets.”

For the rest of 2014 KTC has several major projects underway, and is actively involved in bidding on more underground and railway work. “We understand our strengths and do not see a need to diversify into other fields of construction immediately. That being said, there are investigations underway into the area of bored tunnelling, as this could be a

Resort ing at Integrated

on for MICE Build

cti Basement Constru

promising area to develop.”

With so many projects on the cards the Singapore market is becoming increasingly competitive and international companies are arriving to compete for contracts, which makes it even more important for KTC to remain innovative and at the top of its game. Raising the productivity with advanced technology and skilled labour force with new thinking at the management level will raise the company’s competiveness in the

industry. “This makes our willingness to embrace the new ways of working even more significant, as we have to change,” concluded Yu Kong. “We can’t stay with the old ways, we have to embrace the new while developed the existing skills to maintain our leading position.” m

KTC Group www.ktcgroup.com.sg Services: Civil Engineering Construction & Civil Engineering 37

profile: Domoferm

Doortodoorservice

When it comes to doors, Domoferm’s expertise and design led product range is second to none

T

he smiling sun is the trademark of Domoferm International, and the organisation aims for its service to echo its sentiments of sympathy, strength, reliability and energy. Since it was founded in 1960 Domoferm has grown to be one of the most successful mediumsized businesses in Europe. Today Domoferm is the leading European

38 Construction & Civil Engineering

manufacturer of frames and one of the leading European providers of steel doors and fire doors.

Strengthened by the professionalism of an entire group of companies, Domoferm International is a holding company that owns four manufacturing companies BOS (Emsdetten, Germany), BBE (Brilon, Germany), HSE (Humpolec, Czech Republic) and Domoferm (Gänserndorf, Austria) as well as five distribution companies in Russia, Poland,

Hungary, Croatia and the Netherlands. The entire group employs more than 1000 people with over 300 people working at the headquarters in Gänserndorf, Austria.

The frames and doors produced

by Domoferm provide strong benefits, starting with perfect design and going all the through the process to the variety of finishes that are available. With many equipment options on offer, they are ideally suited to any room and their steel construction offers the additional benefit of a long lifecycle.

Domoferm offers highly aesthetically appealing door sets, in accordance with the requirements of modern architecture: Clear lines, high-quality materials and surfaces combined with perfect function, and for safety, there are the options of fire and sound proofing, heat protection and burglar resistance.

The door elements are tested for fire protection to ÖNORM, DIN

and EN standards, but in terms of design they appear like other doors, and can be equipped with vision panels, attractive lever handles, individual colours or different surface materials.

The company also offers a comprehensive range of steel doorframes because it believes the frame completes the role of a door and gives it the necessary structure to be a fully functional product.

Domoferm frames are made to the highest quality standards, with a diversity of variations and options available, including modern, elegant finishes and easy care varieties – they create the frame standard of today.

Another product range available from Domoferm is sliding doors, and these are as varied as the projects in which they are utilised.

They can be created as a sliding door, telescopic sliding door or lifting door, and Domoferm is able to assist clients to find the optimal

solution to their requirements.

A very versatile choice, Domoferm sliding doors can be used to separate sections associated with fire requirements, as well as create multifunctional rooms.

All of the Domoferm sliding doors are tested according to ÖNORM and EN and in terms of design, they

as adaptable as its door ranges.

Also complementing its range of doors and frames, Domoferm can offer a range of glazing options, including those with fire, sound and radiation protection.

The wide range of products available from Domoferm are supported by its in-depth expertise, which has been acquired over a range of projects, such as the Thürnlhof in Vienna, Mercury Tower in Moscow, Eurovea Shopping Center in Bratislava, The Albertina Museum in Vienna and the Nitsch Museum in Mistelbach.

The Thürnlhof project involved the construction of 209 apartments, and for this project, a partner was needed to supply steel frames as well as steel and fire protection doors – the contractor turned to Domoferm. There was a big emphasis on light, and this can be seen in Domoferm’s installation of numerous special frames with fanlights and side glazings, which

Construction & Civil Engineering 39

profile: Domoferm

demand for flush door solutions in Central Europe has been growing.

Therefore, Domoferm developed the PREMIUM US6xx which meets the same functionality as the parent PREMIUM. It is clear from these examples that architects, planners and builders are keen to work with Domoferm products. As different as the individual planners, their aesthetic ideas and design assumptions, their methods of operation and construction projects may be, they are all united by one common theme - a belief in the high quality and performance of products from Domoferm. m not only provide light-flooded spaces, but allow, for example, that parents can observe their children playing in the play room from the laundry room through large glass surfaces.

In addition to the single and double leaf doors, special frames were used, and the thick rebated product group UNIVERSAL. This product has already been certified to the new European classification EI230.

Another very prestigious project that features Domoferm products is the Albertina, one of the most famous museums of Vienna. It houses one of the largest and most important graphic arts collections in the world, with exhibits ranging from the Gothic to contemporary art. The name ‘Albertina’ comes from its founder, Duke Albert of Saxony-Teschen.

Domoferm was challenged to integrate oversized doors with fire protection in the heritage listed building as inconspicuously as possible, without damaging the building integrity. The company utilised a number of Domoferm products that were discretely integrated into the museum, including the PRESTIGE UT6xx - a product for various openings and therefore ideal for the renovation of historic/artistic buildings. It meets all the necessary equipment options in the commercial sector

40 Construction & Civil Engineering

and meets the highest standards.

The PRESTIGE is widely used in applications where high functionality is required to exist alongside outstanding design.

Within the last decade the

Domoferm www.domoferm.com Services: Door and door frame manufacturer

PROFILE: Tuchschmid

Hurlingham Club

Tradition &innovation

For over 160 years Tuchschmid has provided industry-leading solutions for unique construction projects

T

he company is one of the most modern steel and metal construction companies in Switzerland. Considered a pioneer in the Swiss steel construction market, today the firm retains an outstanding reputation, which gives it a strong base on which to build its future.

Although Tuchschmid works as a specialist construction company, the key product that it sells is expertise. With a history of family ownership dating back to 1849, the company is able to demonstrate a catalogue of successful projects

and a universally regarded level of experience that distinguishes it from competing organisations.

“Tuchschmid has continuously developed and improved since it was founded, and we now are specialists in challenging steel and glass and metal projects at home and abroad,” confirms managing director Tobias Hohermuth. “One of our success factors has been to deliver innovative ideas and process solutions that address technical problems. We are very innovative and this was the key to success in the past and will be into the future. A pioneering spirit is embedded in our culture

and furthermore, as a cost-driven business we always try to do things more effectively and intelligently.”

Tuchschmid is renowned for the capabilities that it offers across several different areas. “Our skills in metal and glass reflect that we are not a basic construction company, but nor are we an engineering company, we are somewhere in between,” said Tobias. Its competencies include planning, production, installation and maintenance, which cumulatively have enabled the company to deliver stunning steel and glass structures, skylights, halls, bridges

Construction & Civil Engineering 41

PROFILE: Tuchschmid

and even artworks and several other developments.

Within the UK the company has participated in many high-profile projects. A few examples in London are at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew as well as at the former Millennium Dome (now the O2 Arena) and the entrance to the crypt of St. Martin in the Fields at Trafalgar Square. This was a technically challenging project as it called for the construction of a pavilion comprised of two intersecting glass circles, which formed the structural base. The crown of the pavilion was a ten-ton stainless steel double domed roof that was solely supported by the 4.59 metre high curved glass wall below.

The execution of projects involving some of the UK and Europe’s most prestigious public spaces naturally requires first-rate engineering and

Pedestrian Footbridge Liverpool

architectural knowledge. With this in mind Tuchschmid works in close association with engineers and architects to ensure that all of the materials and techniques that it supplies are suitable and properly installed. “We always work with our clients to ensure there is a full

understanding of what they want,” says Tobias. “We work with the architect or engineer to help develop structures and are respected by them because they know that we have experience and bring added value to the project. There are often very many specific fabrication challenges associated with the design that we are able to address, so together we can develop some very impressive, unique structures.”

These projects reflect the turnkey nature of the services that Tuchschmid is able to supply as Tobias is quick to point out: “We work with steel and architectural metal, steel is more closely related to the load bearing elements of the structure while architectural metal is more on the cladding and decorative side. Most companies can offer either one or the other of these services but we can offer both to a

Alpine House HQ Reiss Fashion House

42 Construction & Civil Engineering

Park House Lens

very high standard. This provides a huge advantage to the client as they are avoiding the complication of dealing with multiple companies for the same project.”

As well as its excellent track record and extensive portfolio of landmark projects, Tuchschmid maintains an uncompromising eye for quality to ensure that its clients are satisfied first time, every time.

All of its planning, fabrication and installation teams are based in its facilities in Switzerland. When the time comes for products to be installed at the project location, the company will send its own team to carry out the work. “We have a very keen interest in doing everything ourselves,” says Tobias. “We believe that projects should be carried out in-house as this reduces the need for interface between multiple contractors, and this means we can operate much more effectively.”

Shirley Sherwood Gallery Kew Gardens As 2014 draws on and the construction industry begins to recover from the impact of the global financial downturn, Tuchschmid is ready to recover the ground that was lost post-crash as Tobias concludes: “Today the volume growth is looking good and the trends appear to be positive.

We sell in a niche market and this means that the increase in

construction in general may not reflect what projects we will be asked to participate in. But there are definitely more projects on the market now and we would be very happy to build more in the UK!” m

Tuchschmid www.tuchschmid.ch Services: Steel & metal construction Construction & Civil Engineering 43

PROFILE: Baufritz

Natural growth With well over 100 years of experience throughout Europe as the premiere provider of luxury timber homes, Baufritz GmbH&Co.KG has earned a well-founded reputation for delivering ecologically friendly, bespoke structures

S

ylvester Fritz founded the company during 1896 as a group of carpenters to build roof constructions, churches and agricultural buildings from its base in Erkheim, Bavaria.

Baufritz delivered its first timber houses during the 1930s and

44 Construction & Civil Engineering

today has grown to employ 280 personnel, while retaining its family heritage and as a fourth-generation company headed by Dagmar FritzKramer. Today Baufritz remains true to its roots as a supplier of bespoke designed, ecological and healthy homes and boasts numerous awards and accolades

Production

Assembly

Baufritz showroom

House Kieffer that differentiate the company as a leading name in timber construction.

Since the turn of the millennium Baufritz has continued to define itself as a leading specialist in ecological timber construction, reaching several important milestones between the year 2000

and the present day. During 2006 the company founded a British subsidiary named Baufritz (UK) Ltd together with its managing director and export director Oliver Rehm, which today has completed as many as 50 individually designed homes for satisfied clients throughout the UK. Furthermore following the continued success of Baufritz within Germany and the UK, Dagmar Fritz-Kramer was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year 2008 by the Bavarian SDP and in only one short year later in 2009 the company was named ‘Germany’s most sustainable company’, an award given under the patronage of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Baufritz retains its original Bavarian headquarters, which has evolved from a relatively small workshop into a state-of-the-art, contemporary manufacturing facility covering 14,000 square metres. Also located at the company’s headquarters are its show rooms and comprehensive design facilities, which form the heart of the business. “The design process begins with customers meeting one of our designers, who are usually architects, surveyors or engineers,” Oliver explains.

“They are specially trained to work with the Baufritz building system and this means that are able to understand the way we work with timber as a building material and to know how to use it in the best, most economical way.”

From the opening stages of designing a unique bespoke

home for its clients through to procurement and construction, Baufritz offers a complete turnkey solution and is on hand to guide customers through every stage of the project from conception to completion. Once a client has an approved building plot and the design process is started, the company’s architects can draw on around 120 years of experience to follow every project to its conclusions. “We deal with all of the standard work stages that an architect normally goes through, with sketch design, planning and with the actual submission of a planning application,” Oliver elaborates. “During the process we run costing exercises so that a customer knows exactly how much the construction will cost and this is a huge advantage for them.

Our business has all of the skills available in design and costing because these areas have to go hand in hand for a project to be successful.

“Once the customer has been granted planning permission, the project will move to the next stage of design. We start work on drawings and technical calculations, thermal calculations, building regulation approval drawings and the customer can also come to see us at our headquarters and showroom in Germany where they can specify the material finishes and the final specification of the house. The customer is guided by interior designers and the project manager

Construction & Civil Engineering 45

PROFILE: Baufritz

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46 Construction & Civil Engineering

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to make all of the final aesthetic decisions and once all of these decisions have been made we can procure all of the materials that are needed and begin the manufacturing process.”

During the course of its long history Baufritz has continuously refined its production processes by incorporating new technology, while remaining true to its core value of providing ecological and environmentally safe homes. Its unique insulation material made from wood shavings was recently awarded Cradle to Cradle gold status by the Technology Innovation Institute, which marks it as a unique and industry leading technology. “It is all-natural and the fire protection and the anti-fungi protection preservatives are all natural too.

This is unique in the world and we are very proud of that,” says Oliver.

“We have been developing this since the 1940s and it has been used in thousands of homes, we are very excited that it has finally been awarded to such a high standard.”

Although Baufritz has developed a strong reputation as an industry leader within its native Germany and throughout Europe, the company is keen to further enhance its reputation and also to expand into exciting possible future markets. “We want to really become the number one supplier of eco homes, especially in the UK for private homes and also small-scale developers,” says Oliver.

“Furthermore two years ago we set up a new entity called Baufritz International, we are looking into all international markets and are looking to build into new regions that are not our traditional markets, we are looking at new areas like Canada, New Zealand, Australia and even Africa. These are long-term considerations because we want to be kept busy for the next 100 years!” m

Baufritz www.baufritz .com Services: Luxury timber homes

PROFILE: OQC

Building a reputation

Established 13 years ago in the Habshan oilfield in the western region of Abu Dhabi, UAE, Obaid Al Qubaisi Transport and General Contracting (OQC) is today a leading oilfield contracting company

W

orking in the areas of construction, plant equipment, transportation and accommodation services, the company is owned by sole proprietor Obaid Mhd Fraih Khalfan Alqubaisi. Mohamed Alragheb, the company’s commercial and financial manager gave a bit more

background: “Obaid’s decision to establish his business at Habshan was because he wanted to invest in business opportunities that were related to the development plans of the ADNOC Group,” he began.

“Over the business’ first five years, when it was providing heavy transport services for oil fields, OQC increased its fleet from five to 40 and expanded its facilities to include

staff accommodation for around 300 personnel.”

Mohamed continued: “Starting in 2007, OQC expanded its services to include civil works. Such expansions required recruiting additional engineering and HSE teams to gain ADNOC approval to handle the works.

“In 2010, OQC was awarded ISO 9000, ISO 18000 and ISO 14000

Construction & Civil Engineering 47

PROFILE: OQC

and became an approved ADCO & GASCO contractor for industrial civil works and oil field services.

With 700 workers, a very significant vehicle fleet, three camps and a total capacity of 2500 workers, OQC set a benchmark in the field of construction. Since these accreditations were awarded, in addition to working in transportation and accommodation services, OQC has worked as a civil subcontractor.

This is undertaken jointly with the leading oil and gas contractors such as SK Engineering & Construction, Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Bechtel on major development projects in Abu Dhabi oilfields.”

OQC’s dedication to achieving international quality standards has been rewarded with valuable contracts, and a blue-chip client list, that includes recognised companies such as GASCO, Punjlloyd, ALSA,

48 Construction & Civil Engineering

Prezesio, Siemens, Schlumberger, National Drilling Company and mostly recently McConnell Dowell.

Mohamed noted that the company offers a full package to these customers: “OQC has been

able to build a reputation with the major companies that work in Abu Dhabi, by being a qualified and approved vendor of the ADNOC group. We have the location, facilities, resources and successful management to operate efficiently and effectively to support any oilfield project,” he said.

He went on to explain how the company can provide minimal startup costs to its clients: “To start any project in an oilfield, you require budgeting for its mobilisation cost, in addition to the time and effort needed to execute the project,” he said. “OQC can provide the required facilities and equipment at the minimum cost and reduce the efforts of acquiring, maintaining and disposing of facilities at the end of the project.

“Moreover, ADNOC and the Abu Dhabi Government are continuously updating their standards and requirements especially in the term of health, safety and environment, so OQC’s proven record of successfully managed HSE requirements gives it another competitive advantage.”

He gave an example of a successful project where OQC provided its services: “In 2009, SKEC was awarded an EPC contract for the ADCO Bab Gas Compressor Project, which was its first project at AD Oilfields. It sent staff to plan the mobilisation and site construction works, and they found the tough

regulations difficult, which could have delayed the project for at least six months.

“OQC offered SKEC total support and undertook the challenge of creating site facilities within three months from the date of acquiring the land. During this period it accommodated SKEC’s staff at its offices and camp, and upon successful handover of the facilities, SKEC awarded OQC further accommodation and transportation services agreements. At completion of the project in 2013, OQC received an appreciation award from ADCO for its contribution to the success of the project.”

These accommodation services have become a significant offering from OQC, as providing high quality lodging services in remote areas is a challenge itself. “Because only portable buildings are allowed in oilfields as per regulations, OQC has to efficiently maintain the basic utilities itself (electricity, water, drainage and waste systems). It has assessed all the risks involved in operating camps in deserts and successfully achieved very high levels of client satisfaction.

“The company’s accommodation service includes workers’ requirements for all categories including recreation facilities (indoor and outdoor), dining facilities operated by global caterer SodexoKelvin, laundry facilities and security and maintenance teams.”

Having now been operating in this market for over a decade, OQC has seen several changes and since the 2009 recession, has experienced increased competition from local companies. “OQC has now decided that working directly with project owners is the best approach and in 2014 it has upgraded its classification at ADNOC and now it is bidding directly with the project owner,” explained Mohamed.

“Moreover, it is working on some partnerships/joint ventures with multinational EPC contractors to cover the mechanical part of major development projects. This is being

done with a view to becoming one of the major local EPC oilfield contractors in UAE so it can expand its business overseas.”

Abu Dhabi is planning to spend more than $70 billion on its oil, gas and petrochemical sector over the next decade. As Mohamed concluded, this will offer plenty of opportunities to OQC for the future: “The company is continuously

working to gain ADNOC’s trust to prove it is ready and qualified to play a major role in these further developments,” he stated. m

OQC www.oqc.ae Services: Oilfield plant construction services Construction & Civil Engineering 49

profile: Victor Buyck Steel Construction

Uyllander Bridge (Diemen – Netherlands, 2700 tonnes)

Menof

steel Victor Buyck Steel Construction (VBSC) has a long history of delivering world-class steel construction projects that has led to its involvement in some of the world’s most iconic buildings, including London’s Swiss Re ‘Gherkin’ building

T

he road that would eventually lead to VBSC leaving its mark on the skylines of the world’s most impressive cities began in 1927 when the company was founded in Belgium predominantly focusing on the construction of agricultural machines. Since its inception the company has remained a family business, but has greatly shifted its focus to become what is today one of Europe’s leading construction firms. During 1945 VBSC moved from agricultural machines to steel construction activities through the development of several hangars and industrial buildings, which was the first step in a journey that would see the company continue to expand and develop, as project director

50 Construction & Civil Engineering

Ghislain van Tieghem elaborates: “During 1956 John Buyck, son of Victor Buyck, joined the company and over time the size and nature of the steel constructions provided

by VBSC grew steadily. When the company took over a production plant in Ghent near the Ringvaart canal, it was able to deliver much larger constructions up to 1500 tons and 140 metres long.”

The momentum generated by the move continued and allowed VBSC to expand internationally with projects in Germany, France, Holland, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom. Later during the mid-1990s VBSC expanded beyond it European boarders and built a factory in Malaysia, allowing the company to accommodate projects within the Middle Eastern

market. Today VBSC remains a well-respected international steel construction company based in Belgium and Malaysia with a proven track record in both public and private steel contracting markets.

Victor Buyck Steel Construction delivers a fully turnkey package of services to it clients including, project management, engineering, production, corrosion protection and erection solutions. The company boasts several production facilities throughout Belgium that enable it to achieve a manufacturing capacity of approximately 45,000 tonnes per year. Furthermore, a dedicated team of project managers is present wherever needed supporting all of its manufacturing and erection projects to ensure projects are

Junglinster Bypass Viaduct (Junglinster - Luxemburg, 2500 tonnes)

Weir beams on Grand Canal of Alsace (Kembs – France, 900 tonnes) Office build

ing in Paris

tors, client EMA nary Wharf Contrac

© Icade

Ca 8000 tonnes for

executed exactly to the client’s specification and to establish a close working relationship.

“Our project management team concentrates all of the available knowledge of VBSC and is at the service of our clients throughout their challenging projects,” says Ghislain. “VBSC has also developed its own engineering department, which means that we can assist the customer during the pre-engineering phase as well as deliver workshop and erection drawings. Our engineers use the latest calculation, planning and drawing software and use fully implemented CAD-CAM stations, which are directly linked to the computers in the factory and to those of the clients via an interchange.”

© SOM

architect

s

We are prou d our first proj to have completed ec office build t in Switzerland, an ing designed by in Geneva for JTI SO of about 60 M. With a cantilever m demanding eter, it was a very job.

Our first proj ec office build t in Switzerland, an ing designed by in Geneva for JTI SOM.

In terms of fabrication, VBSC is able to do almost everything in-house with three major workshops in Belgium and a further manufacturing plant in Seremban, Malaysia that each contributes to the company’s overall production capacity. VBSC has four

units in place for plate cutting and two automated lines for profile work including sawing, drilling notching and blasting.

Additionally, the company operates four fully automated welding units for the assembly of decks and welded profiles and all of its facilities are set up to be suitable for a wide range of projects from beams to large structures.

As a leading international steel construction company, VBSC places great importance on its culture of ingenious solutions and an enthusiastic organisation.

It is through these values that it is able to contribute to the success of its client’s projects by combining know-how, commitment and inventiveness

Construction & Civil Engineering 51

profile: Victor Buyck Steel Construction

company looks to the rest of 2014 and beyond it will work to develop its presence in Scandinavia and Africa as well as expanding to carry out more projects within UK by further taking advantage of its proximity to waterways allowing it to ferry large, pre fabricated structures.

Concluding on what will differentiate as VBSC as it moves into the future Ghislain says: “Client satisfaction is essential for us and clients with several projects do come back to us, which creates a mutually beneficial relationship for all.” m

Bakenhafen Bridge (Hamburg – Germany, 2,500 tonnes)

in the implementation of complex buildings. “At Victor Buyck we cherish our values,” Ghislain says.

“These values are the basis of our long-term relationships with our clients, civil contractors and with our employees. We like to be proud of what we deliver and our approach focuses on solutions and results. We strive for constant improvement through innovation and as such, VBSC stands out as a company that rises to the challenge.”

Although the global economic downturn has led to significant cut backs in construction projects for both government and a publically funded projects, VBSC is cautiously optimistic that the market in the UK is in the process of livening up. Furthermore, the company has delivered projects to Belgium, France, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Germany and the UK in recent years, including the BP4 building at Canary Wharf in 2013. Outside of these traditional markets, VBSC has also delivered projects in Switzerland, Trinidad, Jamaica, Africa, Quatar, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia. As the

52 Construction & Civil Engineering

Victor Buyck Steel Construction www.victorbuyck.be Services: Steel construction projects

profile: Doosan Bobcat Manufacturing

Onescooportwo?

The brands of Doosan represent a proud history and worldwide growth with international recognition across the construction industry. The business has continuously strived to support the requirements of its customers by providing the next generation of construction equipment

S

ince its founding in 1977, Doosan Infracore Construction Equipment has focused on heavy construction equipment, achieving substantial growth through its commitment to the development of its own equipment products and its investment in building a global business model. Today it is a global leader within the industry, a status confirmed by the significant expansion in its business size and product line-up following a merger with Bobcat in 2007.

For several years, Bobcat has built a reputation of having the world’s highest level of competitiveness in the field of small heavy construction equipment. The roots of Bobcat date back to 1947, with the major milestone being reached in 1958 in the US when the company started production of Bobcat M-200, signifying a new chapter in the history of compact machines. The multi billion-dollar acquisition in

2007 was the largest overseas acquisition in Korean history.

Looking to hold its position as one of the top three companies in the global construction machinery industry, it strives to be the best partner possible in supporting its customers. Working towards this vision, the business set up the Doosan – Bobcat factory and training centre in Dobris, Czech Republic where it manufactures, sells and distributes the Bobcat Compact and Doosan Heavy products.

Engaged in the development of compact construction machinery, loaders, excavators, telescopic handlers and associated accessories, the business develops machines for the European market. From this location it employs more than 90 staff operating in the development department, performing activities from CAD design and computer analysis, through to building and testing prototypes and production.

The range consists of top-quality products that have received strong support and backing from clients, promoting the guarantee of quality and reliability. Customer satisfaction is the main goal and drives the continual improvement of services, providing the fundamental basis to

a well-functioning operation. With commercial service centres located throughout the Czech Republic, its trained sales representatives and more than 45 skilled technicians, provide sales, customer service, training, spare parts and accessories to more than 1900 customers.

The sales and service network are important factors that have contributed to the continuously increasing client base and annual demand for its products.

Doosan medium and large hydraulic excavators deliver dependable power and exceptional performance in various applications.

The world-class cab and great fuel efficiency has assisted customers in transforming landscapes. Offering a complete range, the earth can be moved utilising its wheel loaders that have powerful, fuel-efficient engines that are kind to the environment. With straightforward maintenance and world-renowned cab comfort, major projects can be undertaken with ease. Its articulated dump trucks can add value to any contract, built for a long working life, the unique design and outstanding fuel efficiency promotes it as a highly competitive asset. For customers that have a requirement

Construction & Civil Engineering 53

profile: Doosan Bobcat Manufacturing

to handle and lift heavy materials, its high capacity telescopic handlers provide the solution. With the ability to tackle demanding jobs with power, straightforward control and valued performance demands are easily met.

Customers that purchase new or used machines have the option of several forms of financing, as well as part exchanging older models. For its customers that use equipment on a more sporadic basis, it provides both shortterm and long-term leasing of machinery and equipment. Of great importance to all customers are the technically exceptional machinery and a fast and reliable service that enhances the quality. Additionally to regular services, the business provides customised service contracts that offer peace of mind at a competitive rate.

Expanding on the product range, the DX235NLC and DX380LC crawler excavators and the DT70 and DT160 telescopic handlers have proved very successful. The overall width of the DX235NLC at only 2.54 metres, appeals to contractors and users where the narrow width is an important feature that saves on transport cost from one job site to another. With only a few scoops of the bucket, the DX380LC is able to load an articulated dump truck.

In a demonstration at a recent event, a loaded Doosan Moxy MT41 articulated dump truck navigated around a circuit of soft, uneven terrain, demonstrating clearly the design features, which enable the truck to negotiate its way through the most challenging terrain.

Released in February 2014, the new generation of Bobcat offers significantly improved visibility,

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54 Construction & Civil Engineering

more space and a lower noise level. The position of the cabin and the larger door allows for easier entry, and the new design and construction provides maximum performance and efficiency at work. The innovative design of the vertical stroke has achieved greater resilience and uptime of the machine, improving the overall performance with more powerful hydraulics, simplified service and a more comfort. The newly designed arm can lift heavier loads to higher heights, and is ideal for most applications in the construction industry and in landscaping. m

Doosan Bobcat Manufacturing S.R.O www.doosan.com Services: Supplier of excavation and compact equipment

PROFILE: Al Ghurair Construction

A solid base

In the quarter century since Al Ghurair Construction’s inception it has successfully delivered more than thirteen million cubic metres of readymix concrete to construction projects in Dubai

A

l Ghurair Investment is one of the largest diversified industrial enterprises in the Middle East, with global reach and business roots stretching back half a century. The Al Ghurair name is synonymous with the UAE and the company is proud of its rich heritage. With a history of pioneering innovative businesses built upon excellence, trust and responsibility, it has a deep commitment to enhancing life within its community.

The core focus for the business is on construction, foods,

resources and properties, with additional sector participation in energy, printing, retail and education, further emphasising its level of diversity within the B2B and B2C sectors. As an industry leader in all key areas of construction, a global foods manufacturer, an international printing and publishing house, an education provider, and a retail franchise it oversees world-renowned brands.

Al Ghurair is based in Dubai and directs operations spanning 20 countries on four continents

from vital human needs of nutrition to housing and energy to education. The original Al Ghurair Corporation was founded in Dubai at the beginning of the 1960’s and remained a single-family entity for more than three decades. In the 1990’s the corporation evolved into two unique yet complementary businesses.

Construction & Civil Engineering 55

PROFILE: Al Ghurair Construction

at a completely independent laboratory. Washed sand is tested for chlorides, sulphates and silt content by Dubai Municipality who provide approval before the sand is used. Despite all incoming raw materials being subjected to such rigorous examination, the outgoing concrete is tested with similar scrutiny. All loads leaving the plant are checked for correct slump and workability.

Concrete cubes are prepared according to BS 1881, cured indoors in special curing tanks and then tested for compressive strength. All results are registered in order to monitor and study the concrete’s performance.

Such attention to detail over

Dubai Metro

Its reputation and success is based on strong values and an unwavering commitment to every enterprise that it undertakes.

The values are, as the business describes, embodied in its diamond square symbol, fluid yet formed, both stable and dynamic in equal measure. The diamond reflects resilience and the quality that the business constantly strives for, with the square denoting the focus it brings and the merged image represents the unity of purpose.

Quality, commitment, unity and focus are the values that have shaped the company’s past and the same values continue to shape the future.

The production and supply of ready mix concrete for infrastructure projects has been a core focus of Al Ghurair’s construction activity since 1985.

With a leading presence in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar it has a production capacity of more than 1000 cubic metres per hour and 1.8 million m3 per annum. The Al Ghurair Construction Readymix LLC plants are fully computerised and the most sophisticated of their kind

site

in the Gulf. Computer printouts are given to customers as delivery notes, indicating clearly the batched weights of all ingredients, providing complete peace of mind.

Production and quality control are paramount at Al Ghurair Construction, particular in the production of ready mix. All incoming raw materials for ready mix are tested to the most rigid standards. Water is tested to BS 3148 and cement is subjected to monthly physical tests and chemical analysis to ensure consistent quality and compliance to BS and ASTM standards. Aggregates are checked daily for grading and other important properties to the same standards.

Many other physical and chemical tests are carried out weekly and monthly in its fully equipped laboratory, and at frequent intervals

many years has earned the Al Ghurair Construction ready mix operations ISO 9001 certification for design, production and supply of ready mix concrete, as well as the trust of the customer. The company also holds ISO 14001 for Environmental Management System and OHSAS 18001 for Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series.

Between 2005 and 2013 the business supplied over two and a half million cubic metres of readymix to its customers on a variety of projects that included the Dubai Metro. Based on the good relationships that the business has built with suppliers and customers, it has already in three months of 2014 supplied over 3000 cubic metres of the ready mix product. As the region continues to be a busy market for Al Ghurair Construction, there are a number of ongoing projects with several in the pipeline, which positions the company in good stead for the months ahead. zz

Al Ghurair Construction www.al-ghurair.com Services: Producer and supplier of readymix concrete Construction & Civil Engineering 57

PROFILE: SELWOOD

Proud to

deliver

With a history dating back to 1946, Selwood Ltd has a proud history of delivering high-quality pump and plant equipment within both the direct sales and hire markets

58 Construction & Civil Engineering

S

ince emerging in postwar Britain during a time of enormous rebuilding and development, Selwood has endured as a leading name within the manufacturing and plant hire sector and is considered to be only the second plant hire business established within the UK. As such the company can rightfully claim to

Floods

have entered the market at ‘ground level’ and has since diversified to match the trends and demands of an ever-evolving marketplace.

Selwood is currently headquartered in Eastleigh, Hampshire and today enjoys a yearly turnover of around £50 million and has expanded to include eight locations dedicated to plant-hire and a further 20 locations dealing with pump hire in

addition to its manufacturing facility, which employ around 420 personnel across the business.

Today the business er Bristol Wat is organised into three separate divisions that offer targeted services to the company’s chosen sectors within the UK and abroad. The pump sales and manufacturing division for example, produces pumps and sells them within the UK and to the wider export market. Although Selwood enjoys a strong presence within the UK around 75 per cent of the pumps that the company produces are exported globally via its worldwide distribution network.

“We exported to in excess of 50 countries around the world last

year,” managing director Chris Garrett elaborates. “The traditional bases are with major European markets but equally Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

A key market for us is the oil industry where Selwood products are applied to the environmental protection side of the industry specifically. We can deliver our pumps to anywhere they are required.”

Furthermore Selwood has developed long-standing relationships with clients at home and abroad during its long history, which in turn have established the Selwood name as a highly trusted brand and a mark of quality as Chris further explains: “We have two relationships that date back

Construction & Civil Engineering 59

PROFILE: SELWOOD

to the 1960s and 1970s in South Africa and the Netherlands, so in this respect Selwood products have been around the world for many years and therefore clients know the product. We also take part in exhibitions around the world to demonstrate Selwood products as well.”

The range of pumps supplied by Selwood includes solids handing pumps, drainer pumps, high-head pumps, positive displacement pumps, hydraulic submersible pumps and super silent pumps as well as a full range of accessories and the patented Selprime selfpriming system, which encompasses an environmentally friendly design that has none of the associated drawbacks of oil vapour emissions and oil emulsification that can be associated with other designs. All pumps are produced in association

60 Construction & Civil Engineering

with trusted contractors within the UK and Selwood constantly works to ensure that its standards remain high and that its designs remain innovative and market leading. The company’s hire operations focus

Enigma Telematics Enigma Telematics has been helping businesses to track, trace and monitor their valuable mobile assets since 1992.

Enigma’s flagship product is Skyline, an industry leading, fleet management and security system. Skyline uses GPS technology and GSM/GPRS wireless communications to provide companies with real-time data from their fleet vehicles, construction plant and other remote assets, as well as instant visibility to enhance security.

Skyline has enabled Selwood to improve security and driver performance, resulting in significant savings. With over 220 fleet vehicles now equipped with Skyline, Enigma is proud to be Selwood’s chosen telematics provider.

Plymouth Art College

on the UK market where it has established itself as the leading provider of pumps, plant hire equipment and accessories. “We assemble the pumps on site, they are all cast in UK foundries and machined within the UK before they

come to us to be put together. We obviously own all the patterns and associated tooling, so we operate more of an onsite assembly facility with all work sourced in the UK. We also have an engineering section that makes modifications

to existing products for bespoke options and development. The most recent changes to be undertaken are on tier changes to engines where we are moving to tier four, which has meant a lot of design work to package the new engines onto the product. Equally we have just launched a new range where we have revisited our H range of

high head pumps and that was during 2013 and there are a few new products in this range that are still in the pipeline.�

The H range of pumps currently encompasses the H80, H100, H125 and H200 and includes capacities of between 95 m3/hr (H80) to 950 m3/hr (H200); the H design also includes mechanical shaft sealing

Construction & Civil Engineering 61

PROFILE: SELWOOD

Tees Barrage May 12

that provides leak-free operation.

The most recently launched model is the H200, however general manager Tony Killick believes that the H150 offering a maximum capacity of 450m3/hr including solids of up to 38mm – will possibly be the H

62 Construction & Civil Engineering

range’s strongest selling variant.

“This is purely based on usage and enquiries,” he says. “It is good for the UK market in the quarrying sector and we are shipping a lot of these [H150] to Australasia, including Indonesia and Australia.

Canada has also had some of the H150 body units.”

The Selwood pump hire division

Thwaites Thwaites has a long association with Selwood ‘built up’ over many years. Selwood are the Thwaites distributor for the central southern region, including the Isle of Wight. Selwood run Thwaites dumpers in their national hire fleet and recently placed orders for over 50 new dumpers which maintains the fleet as one of the newest in the industry. Thwaites and Selwood continue their close relationship by ensuring that their joint customer needs are always satisfied with the latest products.

and plant sales division and hire fleet are both focused on the UK marketplace, operating nationally as trusted partners in various applications. Selwood pumps can tackle clean water, water with fine and larger solids, sludge, slurries, oils and hydrocarbons screened and crude sewage, while the company’s plant equipment has applications within construction, earth handling and civil engineering. Although Selwood offers its clients a diverse range of products, its main focus is on providing first-class service and addressing the needs of its customers as Chris further explains: “We have segregated our rental business in the UK so that it is specialised. We have specialist plant and pump hire facilities so that the two do not become confused.

The company’s personnel come to work and have one thing to focus

on, we are not trying to run mixed locations and drive cost synergies out of the business. What we are focused on is giving the customer exactly what they need and that is a key strategy of the business.”

Although the global recession spurred a slowdown in construction projects within the UK and around the world, Selwood has remained strong and used the experience of weathering the economic downturn to increase the efficiency of the business and ensure that it is well placed to meet the needs of a resurgent market. “We see a continued recovery in the UK construction industry and we are looking at that positively,” Chris concludes. “We have supply frameworks with eight out of 11 of the UK’s water and sewage companies and that is obviously a key part of our market, however we

have also established a team who are focused on developing work away from the water industry. There are of course, huge opportunities overseas be that directly or through distributors. I think that over the next three to five years the plan is to stay true to the company’s missions and values. Obviously we focus on sales and numbers for the longevity of the business but I think service is what really drives our business forward.” m

Parker Hose and Fittings Parker Hose and Fittings have a long trading history with Selwood, supporting all branches throughout the UK with fully tested and certified hoses from leading manufacturers.

Supplying a range of industrial and hydraulic assemblies to meet there on going requirements.

PHF would like to wish Selwood continued success for the future.

Selwood Ltd www.selwood.co.uk Services: Sales and hire of punp and plant equipment

Construction & Civil Engineering 63

PROFILE: BONAR

Fire protection

Thefibreprovider Bonar today is an accumulation of decades of experience from a large group of talented individuals. The combination of individual enterprises together promotes a complete and complex service

T

he complete merger of Colbond and Bonar Technical Fabrics was announced in January 2013, beginning operations as the global company Bonar. Positioned as a subsidiary of Low and Bonar, a multinational group of producers and suppliers of performance technical textiles operating worldwide, Bonar is a leading producer and supplier of nonwovens and synthetic woven fabrics, three-dimensional polymeric mats, fibres and composites to a broad range of end markets including civil engineering, interior, transportation, agriculture, building and industrial applications. The company’s production facilities are

64 Construction & Civil Engineering

based in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, UK, US, Hungary, and Slovakia.

The former company Colbond, in the Netherlands, brings with it innovative product development and manufacturing expertise in extrusion, spinning, fleecing, and moulding of various synthetic materials. Bonar Technical Fabrics, in Belgium, with its history of supplying woven and non-woven fabrics and fibres to a broad range of end markets specialises in civil engineering with geo textiles, agriculture with agro textiles, industrial applications with industrial fabrics, and the construction industry with construction fibres.

Adfil Construction Fibres are

manufactured in Zele, Belgium, and in the UK with many innovative developments that strengthen an already extensive range.

The combining of the businesses further strengthens its firm stance in the industry, as product manager Martin Willis explains: “The Low and Bonar Group made the decision that the two companies, having seen a great deal of synergy between both, would ultimately work together as a formidable force in the production of performance technical textiles and fibres for the civil engineering, interior, transportation, agriculture, building and industrial markets.

We wanted to get closer to our customers and really understand the market in greater depth than ever

Product application

Enkadrain

Enkamat

before. The merger has helped us organise this activity and enabled us to get the right people together to create strategic initiatives for solid growth in the coming years.”

Continuing with the growth plan, the business recently acquired Texiplast, a Slovakian company.

Texiplast produces an extensive range of woven and knitted geosynthetic products, used for the construction and maintenance of retaining walls, landfills, roads, highways, airports and railways.

The company is mainly active in central European and former Soviet markets, but also has an established customer base in South America, Africa and Australia.

Located in Ivanka pri Nitre, Slovakia,

the company employs 77 people, bringing with it a product portfolio that extends the existing Bonar geosynthetics product range with high tenacity products in the reinforcement segment.

Holding a rigid position in the industry, Bonar’s strength comes from its flexibility. “We firmly believe that our renewed customer focus, driven by the strategic initiatives from Low and Bonar in London, gives us a real competitive advantage. We have brought together a great team of people and have already made big plans to develop our activities in key strategic areas. For instance in our Construction Fibres business, our ability to offer the full range

Bonar product installation

of fibres is our real strength with many of our competitors offering just one type,” say Martin.

A key focus for the business has been in the development of its products within tunnels. Martin comments on the developments in this business: “For fire protection in tunnels we have developed micro polypropylene fibres to prevent explosive spalling of concrete in tunnel fires. The same type of fibre prevents cracking in concrete slabs and adds abrasion and impact resistance long term.

For the mining industry our new advanced macro fibre has excellent properties to reinforce shotcrete, with a significantly lower dosage compared to traditional

Construction & Civil Engineering 65

steel fibres. Some companies only have one type of polypropylene fibre, whereas we have the full set and manufacture all the products ourselves. We are building a new line for producing our macro synthetic fibres in Belgium, which is a product we see as strategically very important.”

As macro fibre speciality develops in performance capability year on year, Bonar is able to develop new uses, and commonly today its synthetic fibres are replacing steel mesh in concrete reinforcement. One of the biggest markets in Belgium has been the reinforcement of concrete slabs, designed with the elimination of steel mesh resulting in significant savings in the project. “Inventory is lower and there is no steel mesh to place, which means a big reduction

66 Construction & Civil Engineering

concrete duvet in back related injuries as well as an elimination of the common issue of badly placed mesh. Macro fibres are simply added to the concrete mix and no further reinforcement is required,” says Martin.

In addition to this important market the business has also

witnessed a huge upturn in demand for its fibre for reinforcing shotcreted walls in mines, as Martin points out: “The process is simple, we just add the fibres to the concrete mix and the mine walls are reinforced as the concrete is sprayed. Again much less of our macro fibre is needed compared to steel fibre which reduces the inventory and saves time and traffic on site.

“We have had a tremendous reaction to our new macro fibre and have already secured many prestigious projects worldwide. We have spoken to many of the main contractors in this sector and have received plenty of sample orders in addition to the business we already have. But what we have now is just the tip of the iceberg compared to the ambitious plans we have. The

PROFILE: BONAR

Macro synthetic fibre market interest we have seen is in line with our strategic analysis of the mining sector and we know that significant growth is afoot here if we plan our approach properly.

It has been the drive behind our investment in our new lines, people and technology.”

The micro fibres work through mechanisms, which Bonar refers to in house as ‘invisible magic’.

The presence of the micro fibres within concrete provide a three dimensional protection that is evenly dispersed throughout the mix. Effectively this helps relieve the increased pressure during a tunnel fire and thereby stopping the concrete from exploding, giving people vital minutes to escape from the tunnel safely and protecting the emergency services.

The tried and trusted mechanism is widely recognised throughout the industry and it is accepted that every new tunnel worldwide should have provision for micro fibres incorporated in the design.

Each fibre type has been developed and manufactured to provide optimum performance through dedicated research and development facilities, as Martin explains: “We have a dedicated facility for research and development in Arnhem, in the Netherlands, which constantly tests new ideas and products.

Innovation is very important to us.

We also have localised initiatives

Woven & Non Woven

Enkadrain on a smaller scale that reflects the innovative nature of Bonar, supported throughout by Low and Bonar. We encourage all our employees to consult with the local markets and look for new opportunities wherever they go.

This is then communicated to our global research, design and innovation teams who analyse the

market needs for these products.

We are sure that we are working on the most worthwhile projects all the time, and those with the best potential return for our customers.”

Bonar is a key player in major projects in tunnels, mines and civil engineering with an excellent reputation worldwide and is active in every continent. The excellent performance characteristics of both its micro and macro fibres have helped in strengthening the reputation. Following the merger in 2013, Bonar has been making continued major investments across all its product range such as geosynthetics, non wovens and construction fibres. Several new lines will be set up in the near future across Bonar in key locations worldwide.

“Looking ahead to the future we see that there will be challenges, but our new structure and customer driven ethos gives us confidence that we can overcome these hurdles.

Throughout the rest of 2014 we will be expanding our construction fibres business with the installation of a new line to produce macro synthetic fibres in Belgium, meeting the exponential increase in demand for macro synthetic fibres for the mining and flooring industry.

“Strategically, our ambition is to get closer to our customers and really listen to their needs. There is a drive across the group to be a company that produces new and innovative products, which our customers need, rather than producing new products that are easier for us in our laboratories. True innovation needs to be customer driven,” Martin concludes. m

Bonar www.bonar.com Services: Producer and supplier of nonwovens, synthetic woven fabrics and construction fibres Construction & Civil Engineering 67

PROFILE: Plannja

Plannja Flat sheet roof

Plannja Facade Cassette

Under

cover With deep roots in Scandinavia and steel close to its heart, Plannja has been refining thin steel sheet products since 1967

T

he business designs, develops and produces roofing, façade profiles and every imaginable accessory to add value and convenience to buildings. It creates its product range from thin steel sheet, as it believes that this is the ideal metal for creative expression. It can appear in any desired shape. Its versatile properties allow for nearly limitless possibilities - it can be corrugated,

68 Construction & Civil Engineering

pressed in various forms, blasted, perforated, galvanised, painted, raw and untreated, or used as flat sheet in narrower widths to enhance a building’s expression.

From a practical standpoint, sheet metal offers many advantages and efficiencies. It is lightweight for efficient transport and installation, includes systems of compatible fittings, has low maintenance requirements, and is 100 per cent recyclable. Sheet metal roofing

and façades can integrate solar panels, air conditioning systems, safety equipment and roof drainage.

Plannja’s sheet steel or aluminium roof and eaves gutter are made to cope with the Nordic climate, which means exceptionally high quality in every detail. The Nordic minimalist design and colour of its products are aimed at accentuating a building’s aesthetics.

To continue its position as a leading manufacturer, Plannja

SE Plannja Facade Cassette

Plannja Flat sheet roof

maintains a focus on three areas of value for its customers. Firstly, its aim is to continue as the leading roofing supplier in the thin sheet steel material category. Secondly the company has environmental focus in development of products and logistic solutions, and thirdly, it holds customer relations very closely, characterised by close collaboration at a local level.

Plannja’s success has been as a result of commitment, flexibility

and simplicity in all aspects of its business.

“Our main market is the Nordic countries and Poland,” begins chief executive officer Thom Mathisen. “Beside this we have a small business in Romania and some export interests. Our main competitors are Lindab across all markets, Ruukki in Finland and Pruchinsky and other companies in Poland. After some years of quite weak development in the market we can now see that the residential market is picking up in Sweden, Denmark and Poland, although at this stage is not a massive growth,” he continues.

A vision is usually described as an image of a future worth striving for.

Plannja’s vision is to create better buildings through total solutions based on thin sheet products and associated value-added services.

Plannja runs its business efficiently and frugally using a minimum of raw materials, energy and other natural resources. The company is

environmentally certified according to SS-EN ISO 14001:2004 and continual improvements are made to the environmental characteristics of the company’s products from a lifecycle perspective.

It is very probable that buildings constructed using Plannja sheet metal products will survive their builders and thus become part of the future. By making products with long lifetimes the company contributes to long-term, positive developments with consideration for the environment both in respect of customers, itself and society as a whole.

Plannja is a wholly owned subsidiary of SSAB, a world-leading producer of high-strength steels.

Its products, developed in close co-operation with its customers, create a stronger, lighter and more sustainable world. With employees in over 45 countries it operates production facilities in Sweden and the US. Although the market today is not at its strongest, it is certainly greater than 2013 and the outlook across most of the business interests is particularly promising.

Set to strengthen its portfolio, the business is in the process of acquiring Ruukki, as Thom explains: “It is our owner who is in charge of the acquisition and when the process completes, we will together form a new construction company within SSAB, separated from the steel interests which dominate the business.”

From Plannja’s perspective this is a very good match with potential to be part of a much bigger construction business. With Plannja and Ruukki complementing one other geographically, together they will have a broader portfolio of both products and services. “Being in the roofing business it is crucial to be close to our customers for many reasons. First of all to be aware of our customers needs, both when it comes to the different products but also to able to serve the customers with high delivery performance and short lead-times.

Construction & Civil Engineering 69

PROFILE: Plannja

The short lead-times requested from our customers means that we have to have production facilities with the ability to reach our customers in the main markets within a few days,” says Thom.

Local manufacture is Plannja’s motto. It brings many advantages for the environment and its customers. Product development and design is undertaken in conditions that the products will be exposed to such as the tough Nordic climate. It has manufacturing facilities and warehouses close to customers throughout Sweden, Finland and Poland. In addition it has a comprehensive local distribution network throughout the market where both private individuals and craftsmen can purchase complete Plannja roofs with all the necessary accessories,

fittings and safety products.

With a history of nearly 50 years in the market as one of the leading steel roofing suppliers in Northern Europe, the business has developed a strong brand. Thom points out: “This is one of our strengths, but

International Business Systems (IBS) International Business Systems (IBS) and Plannja are long time partners, and over the last years, Plannja further solidified its’ partnership with IBS, by standardizing on IBS Enterprise as it’s ERP platform across all operations – Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.

In standardizing on IBS, Plannja has seen significant value across its’ seasonal business: Shortened production lead times; Reduced warehouse carrying costs and Optimized inventory flow all while maintaining an industry leading high level of customer satisfaction.

Plannja Sinus Arla what is also important is that we are strive to develop our solutions with simplicity. We want customers to find working with Plannja straightforward and recognise the quality of our easily assembled products.”

Looking towards the future, Thom concludes: “Our main focus will always be to remain customer oriented throughout the entire company. On top of that we always need to develop our company according to customer needs, through the production of new products and services and given the future working together with Ruukki we see a good potential to be even better and faster in this development.” m

Plannja AB www.plannja.com Services: Roofing products & materials 70 Construction & Civil Engineering

PROFILE: BOSTIk

Stickingfast With 125 years of innovation and breakthrough development to its name, Bostik represents the biggest and arguably most experienced adhesive company in the world

I

ts products cover a vast range of market sectors from construction to industrial manufacturing, making Bostik a trusted brand throughout the world. The modern Bostik brand has evolved through the merging of Totalfina and Elf Aquitane in 2001 to form TotalFinaElf, which would later become TOTAL. Today Bostik is a globally recognised brand operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of TOTAL that enjoys a presence in 50 countries and boasts as many

as 4800 employees worldwide. The origins of Bostik date back to 1889 and the foundation of the Boston Blacking Company in Boston, Massachusetts, which was later acquired by United Shoe Machinery (USM). Following the acquisition Boston Blacking Company became the chemical division of USM and was subsequently renamed Bostik Chemical Group shortly thereafter.

The second ‘branch’ of what would become the Bostik group emerged in 1911 when Frank Findley purchased the Wisconsin Paste Company, which manufactured

Construction & Civil Engineering 71

PROFILE: BOSTIk

wallpaper and billboard paste and would go on to be renamed Findley Adhesives. During the years both Bostik Chemical Group and Findley Adhesives continued to evolve and develop through several mergers, acquisitions and divestments among the various adhesives companies and their owners until the merger of Totalfina and Elf Aquitane and the bringing together of their respective adhesive decisions. Bostik of Totalfina and Atofindley of Elf Aquitane formed Bostik Findley, which was finally renamed Bostik as it exists today in 2004.

“Today Bostik commands an impressive presence within the world’s adhesive industry with 49 manufacturing plants globally and 14 advanced research and technical centres around the world. The Bostik brand is recognised as a leading global adhesives specialist for construction, consumer and industrial markets,” explains Chief Marketing Officer, Phil Derby. Within the construction industry Bostik’s activity covers a broad range of applications including flooring, tiling, waterproofing, sealants, grab adhesives, decoration, assembly and insulation. The company introduced the first neoprene-based contact glue to stick floor and decorative coverings to diverse surfaces including cement, plaster, wood, glass and metal and additionally Bostik was the first to launch silyl

72 Construction & Civil Engineering

modified polymer (SMP) based elastic adhesives, which are now used in many high performance sealing, bonding and waterproofing applications.

Within the consumer market Bostik likewise develops adhesives that cover a host of applications ranging from stationery through to waterproofing and decoration. One product that is readily recognisable to many consumers is the Blu-Tack brand of removable putty, which was first launched by Bostik in the early 1970s. While the product was originally developed as a way securing various articles in place, it has since found more unusual uses including removing fluff and dirt from computer keyboards, preventing doors from banging and erasing pencil and charcoal marks.

Finally within the industrial

manufacturing sector, Bostik supplies bonding and adhesive solutions to many manufacturing sectors including, automotive, aerospace, rail, packaging, disposable hygiene, tapes, labels, flexible lamination, footwear, furniture and construction components. During the 1950s

Moorfield Industries Ltd Moorfield Industries Ltd is a business to business contract manufacturer providing a quality filling and packing service to customers throughout the UK and into Europe.

Moorfield have been supplying a blister packing service to Bostik Findley for nearly 20 years and their accreditation to ISO 9001:2008 quality management system ensures a quality product is delivered on time every time in line with Bostik Findley’s own high standards.

Bostik first began delivering adhesive, glazing and sealing products to the aerospace industry to build, seal and protect aircraft from the elements. Examples of this include the use of various products in the production of the Airspeed Ambassador aircraft including sealing compound numbers 1751 and 1790 for integral tanks and pressurisation, sealing compound number 1222 for pilot screens as well as Prestik Sealing Strip and Bostik ‘C’ adhesive for various sealing and bonding applications.

Recently Bostik released a revolutionary new grout, which is

Construction & Civil Engineering 73

PROFILE: BOSTIK

marketed under the Bostik TruColor brand. The product is a patented water-based urethane grout technology that offers unmatched performance in terms of flexibility and toughness for both residential and commercial tile installations.

TruColor is UV, chemical and stain resistant to provide ultimate performance in colour accuracy and consistency over time. It is highly resistant to cracking and never needs to be sealed and comes ready-to-use, requiring no mixing.

TruColor is available in several unique and vibrant colours, including glass and metallic effects that enable architects and interior designers to design the most striking interiors.

Furthermore, Bostik has continued to strengthen its constructionrelated portfolio with several new innovations that have emerged in recent times. These include

74 Construction & Civil Engineering

Bostik Ultra-Set SingleStep 2, a hardwood flooring adhesive that incorporates the firm’s advanced Axios Tri-Linking polymer technology. SingleStep 2 offers an all-in-one solution by combining a high performance adhesive and moisture vapour barrier with proven noise-reduction properties.

The product was recently unveiled at the Surfaces 2014 event in Las Vegas, USA. The Boscoseal PU polyurethane-based exposed waterproofing membrane has been developed for flat roofs and comes with a 25-year warranty and finally, Technis-R is a non-shrinking and fast setting floor screed that enables the installation of floor areas of up to 500m2 without the need for expansion joints. This was recently introduced in France.

This year will mark the company’s 125th year in operation and is

a huge milestone for Bostik. To commemorate this prestigious event the firm will roll out its ‘Bostik 125 Years of Innovation’ branding as well as a commemorative 125 Years of Innovation book, to be published in English and French. There will also be a host of promotional

Bathgate Silica Sand Ltd Bathgate Silica Sand Ltd has been established for over 60 years and is a leading producer and supplier of high quality silica sands for industrial and other specialised applications throughout the UK. Bathgate combines its substantial sand reserves, wealth of knowledge and extensive industry experience, ensuring the highest levels of product quality and customer service, and have been working with Bostik for many years delivering various grades of sand to their sites.

materials and advertising campaigns, including public relations events.

“Bostik’s sizable research and development resources are continuously looking to the future and applying technological advances to meet the demands and requirements of our customers all over the world,” says Phil. “In terms of construction related innovations, there are a number of systems nearing the end of development and will be unveiled shortly. These include a removable flooring bonding system, which brings obvious advantages in terms of time savings and sustainability.”

When it comes to defining what

Construction & Civil Engineering 75

PROFILE: BOSTIK

it is that has made Bostik a success for the past 125 years, the company adopts a unique approach in the market by combining innovation with a systems-based approach as Phil concludes: “Bostik pursues innovation just as vigorously as it has over the last 125 years. Our corporate strategy is very clearly built around innovation and the application of technology to develop adhesive solutions that will make whatever is assembled, built or constructed smarter and more adaptive to the forces that shape our daily lives. The Bostik name is synonymous with smart adhesives and bringing to market functional products that do more than just stick things together.� m

Bostik www.bostik.com Products: Adhesives 76 Construction & Civil Engineering

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