Construction & Civil Engineering Issue 120 October 2015

ISSUE 120 OCT

From old to

new One advantage of converting an existing building is gaining access to prime town or city centre space See page 16

Sky high swimming

Plans for ‘sky pool’ linking residential buildings in London unveiled

First for UK

Solar carport installed on the top of floor of multi-storey carpark

Storm ready

New drainage system for luxury apartments in Kensington

contents Chairman Andrew Schofield

FEATURES

Editor Libbie Hammond

libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Art Editor Gerard Roadley-Battin Advertising Design Fleur Daniels

2 OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION

16Cover story

Is the time right for the construction industry to embrace innovative timber technology and offsite techniques?

6 NEWS Updates and information from the construction and civil engineering market

Staff Writers Jo Cooper Andrew Dann Ben Clark

8 UNDERFLOOR HEATING

8

Operations Director Philip Monument Research Managers Wayne Campbell Editorial Researchers Steve Spurgeon Nick Bochmann Mark Cowles Tarjinder Kaur D’Silva Keith Hope

34

Sales Director Joe Woolsgrove

Production/ 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

A luxury apartment development in Kensington is benefiting from an innovative drainage system

16 BUILDING CONVERSIONS The pros and cons of a conversion compared to a new build project

19 Hartela

37 Sandvik Construction

22 Lancashire Double Glazing

40 Spie Fondations

Hartela has established itself a strong and reputable position in the Finnish construction landscape Lancashire Double Glazing’s reputation sits atop a delivery portfolio of over a million manufactured and installed frames

Sandvik Construction holds an unwavering commitment to health and safety Spie Fondations continues to deliver innovative solutions to a range of high profile projects 44 Aalborg Portland

27 Eastern Concrete

Eastern Concrete is a strong position in the current market, thanks to a commitment to customer service and self-sufficiency Burnside Eurocyl’s success can be attributed to a high level of innovation but also the high level of service and customer focused quality that is delivered 32 DSP Supplies

DSP Supplies’ main goal over the next few years is to secure the future of the company 34 Menzi Muck © 2015 Schofield Publishing Ltd

The 170 metre One Blackfriars Tower Concept is going to join a sequence of landmarks along the Southbank of the River Thames

company profiles

29 Burnside Eurocyl

@cce_magazine

10 MAJOR PROJECT

13 CASE STUDY

Business Development Director David Garner

Sales David King Mark Cawston

A central consideration in delivering greener and more efficiency living should be utilising more underfloor heating practices

Aalborg Portland is a leader in cement production and is always looking at sustainable solutions 48 BRC

BRC has been a major driver of innovation into complying with the UK’s BIM programme 52 Al Ghurair Construction Readymix

Al Ghurair Construction Readymix is part of a Group with a rich heritage of success 56 Moulded Foams

Moulded Foams has reached the significant milestone of insulating 25,000 homes

Menzi Muck’s spider excavators deliver exceptional performance in difficult terrain

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.

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offsite construction

The time is

right Is offsite construction the perfectly timed solution for the construction industry?

T

he call for a quick and sustainable solution to the current housing shortage has created an opportunity for offsite construction to become a key building method to meet the demand in the housing industry.

By 2030 we will be looking at a shortage of around two million homes in the UK, if current factors such as population growth remain the same. In order to prevent this and rectify the current shortfalls, modern and innovative methods of construction must be adopted to provide quick, sustainable and energy-efficient homes.

Kingspan Timber Solutions’ Business Unit Director, Ian

2

Loughnane, offers his perspective on the offsite construction in the housing industry: “Back in February 2013 the Offsite Housing Review was published by the Construction Industry Council with the help of research partners from across the sector and Government. The most striking aspect of the investigation was the broad level of agreement amongst experts that the solution to the shortfall in housing stock would require the extensive use of prefabricated building techniques.

The timber frame industry can certainly answer that call when it comes, which surely it must. The impetus required will undoubtedly be Government led but it’s not just

about the numbers. As a nation we need affordable, well designed and energy efficient homes that address the significant issues of fuel poverty and climate change.

This combination of requirements plays to the strengths of timber frame and structural insulated panels (SIPS), which deliver the sustainable solution.

“Energy efficiency doesn’t mean an explosion of high tech, expensive and ultimately obsolete eco-bling. The industry has invested heavily in getting fabric solutions that deliver high performance without the future maintenance costs that non-fabric solutions entail. This approach, synonymous with

offsite construction, focuses on the delivery of an airtight building envelope to achieve sustainable and energy efficient new homes, reducing CO2 emissions, energy consumption and associated costs. With Government targets for reducing CO2 emissions fast approaching, the importance of developing energy efficient and low carbon homes is becoming a central concern, particularly to providers of social housing, house-builders and homeowners across the UK. “In the two years since the publication of this report we have come a long way. Offsite construction technology delivers a predictable performance level,

with fewer construction defects or wasted materials. We are able to provide a marked decrease in the build time with a marked increase in the standard of build.

This combination of requirements plays to the strengths of timber technology, which offers a lowenergy design as standard.

“The more recent Construction 2025 Strategy sets out a vision for how the industry and Government will work together over the next decade to radically transform the UK construction industry. This strategy sets out some bold joint ambitions for 2025 including a 33 per cent reduction in both the initial cost of construction and the whole-life costs relating to the building, together with a 50 per cent reduction in the overall build time from inception to completion. I believe this will act as a driving force for change and those who adopt offsite construction methods will deliver volume and meet building regulations far easier than those who don’t.

“The construction of a house maximising offsite technology typically takes four to six weeks, which is nearly a quarter of the time taken by traditional methods with an average timescale of around 20 weeks, providing weather conditions permit. Offsite methods reduce the potential impact of bad weather on buildtimes and swift weatherproofing of the structures diminishes delays for follow on trades. This makes offsite construction the most viable option when working to meet the recommended increase from 100,000 homes per annum to 230,000. From a cash flow perspective shortening the cycle from outlay to sale means that ramping up volume can be achieved without the same capital employed as traditional means.

“The compounded problem of lack of delivery of housing stock during the recession is now reversing to a large pipeline of

activity where the pressure is building and the tap is about to be opened. Research finds that there are no regulatory barriers to the increased use of offsite methods and it is predicted by industry professionals that at some point there will be a ‘sea-change’ that will see offsite components increasingly being used in place of traditional site-based construction methods.

“House builders have concerns over the declining levels of traditional skills, however as a timber frame manufacturer and supplier, I recognise that new skills are required for offsite construction and gaining the right skills will offer employment opportunities for many.

“Currently the majority of house builders see no commercial reason to build in energy performance beyond meeting Part L of the Building Regulations. Indeed there is always a flurry of plot registrations to avoid the next round of increased Part L performance. Many purchasers have no clue that their new home may be five years out of date as far as energy performance is concerned. The need to bring these matters to the fore is why the BRE developed the customer facing Housing Quality Mark scheme, which includes energy performance. The sooner the house buying public begins to look at home energy running costs in the same way as car buyers look at MPG the better.

Yet to deliver improved levels of thermal performance and associated air tightness is cost effective with offsite construction and offer the potential of commercial benefits to those who wish to promote the advantages to the market. Nevertheless the trajectory of regulation sends a clear message to developers, investors and house builders that the homes of tomorrow must be sustainable.

“It is not just the housing sector

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offsite construction

that is looking to exploit the benefits of offsite construction to meet current demands. The education sector is also facing a shortage of almost 900,000 school places and the government has pledged an investment of circa £2 billion to refurbish and rebuild 277 schools. The speed and ease that offsite construction provides is crucial to fitting in with the timeline demands that are unique to schools and the academic year. That is why offsite is becoming the choice method of building in the education sector, matching similar requirements to the housing industry.

“The market is definitely showing higher levels of optimism amongst the timber offsite solution suppliers, with more positive signs of investment and an increase in activity levels.

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According to the findings of a recent survey by the Structural Timber Association, 74 per cent of the UK’s contractors, developers, architects and registered providers revealed they plan to increase specifications of structural timber due to benefits such as thermal, acoustic and sustainability performance, together with speed of build.

“The transition to a lowcarbon economy presents our industry with great opportunities for growth. Environmental considerations will transform how our buildings are constructed, what materials are used and the methods employed. I believe that we are now on the cusp of the predicted ‘sea-change’ and that the time is right for the construction industry to embrace innovative timber technology

and offsite techniques to develop better buildings at a rapid rate to enhance lives, minimise the environmental impact and reduce energy costs for occupants for many years to come.”

Kingspan Timber Solutions will be presenting a range of innovative solutions developed to deliver high performance buildings at a series of Explore Offsite events. Explore Offsite will bring together technology leaders to discuss the opportunity present for offsite construction to play a major role in the coming years. These events are aimed at attracting construction professionals and clients together with architects, surveyors, engineers; facilities managers; building product manufacturers and suppliers.

For more information please visit:

www.kingspantimbersolutions.co.uk/events.

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news

Wash away your worries Trying to find the perfect shower temperature before getting in is a morning ritual for many of us, while avoiding the temperature fluctuations when a cold tap is turned on are a frequent aggravation. However for those in the market for a premium showering experience, these worries can be washed away thanks to the use of the latest valve technology from Bürkert, which has been integrated into a shower control system to provide the ultimate in active temperature and pressure control.

The premium design manufacturer of high-quality fittings for bathrooms and kitchens Aloys F. Dornbracht GmbH & Co. KG has worked with Bürkert to design a unique control system for its showers, which makes up part of the Ambiance Tuning Technique (ATT). At the centre of the ATT technology is the eValve, which is an electronic thermostatic valve that provides very accurate control of both water temperature and pressure. This advanced valve allows a fast response time for controlling the water flow to independent outlets, giving the customer the ability to maintain different temperatures and pressures for the various water streams within the shower.

The designers at Bürkert worked closely with Dornbracht to develop a bespoke product, which would deliver the accuracy and reliability demanded by its customers.

Sky high swimming Plans for a breath-taking, suspended swimming pool named ‘Sky Pool’ have been unveiled for Embassy Gardens – the residential heart of London’s newest neighbourhood, Nine Elms on the South Bank.

The stunning outdoor pool will link two residential buildings at the 10th storey – a world first – and allow residents to swim from one building to the next. The sky deck at the top of the two buildings incorporates a spa, summer bar and Orangery for residents to relax and take in the views of London icons, which include the Houses of Parliament, London Eye and new US Embassy located next door. The pool is entirely transparent and structure free, 25m long, 5m wide and 3m deep with a water depth of 1.2m. Designed by Arup Associates, with specialist input from Eckersley O’Callaghan and aquarium designers Reynolds, the experience is intended to be more akin to an aquarium than a pool, with glass that is 20cm thick.

The pool is the vision of Sean Mulryan, Chairman and CEO of Ballymore Group, working with the scheme’s architects Arup Associates. Ballymore are responsible for the development of Embassy Gardens with their development partners Eco World. Together they are developing the second phase as Eco World Ballymore.

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Groundbreaking facility University College London Hospitals (UCLH) NHS Foundation Trust has awarded Bouygues UK, a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction, a contract worth €257 million to design and build a new stateof-the-art hospital dedicated to advanced cancer treatment and surgery services in central London.

Designed by architects Scott Tallon Walker in association with Edward Williams Architects, this treatment centre will be one of the first facilities of its kind in the country. The proton beam therapy facility will be located underground, and there will be five additional floors above ground offering care and treatment of blood cancer and short stay surgery. The works have already begun and the centre is expected to begin treating patients in 2019.

Construction contract survey More than 60 per cent of construction workers polled by constructaquote.com admitted that they didn’t have an employment contract and a further 20 per cent said that they weren’t sure whether they did have a contract or not.

Lyndon Wood, CEO of constructaquote.com, added: “Our survey reveals that zerohour contracts are customary in the construction industry.

The majority of those we polled told us that they did not receive any sick pay or paid annual leave – which I think is a worrying statistic as many of our tradespeople are out in all weathers keeping the UK economy ticking over.”

New software solution TERRAM, the leading geosynthetics brand, has enhanced its GEOCELL range, launching a new pre-design software tool to aid users in selecting the correct product for erosion control and retaining walls. Entering application information into the user-friendly pre-design tool will define the product code and the pin density needed to ensure a stable structure or the correct product to build a retaining wall.

TERRAM GEOCELL is a 3D cellular confinement solution ideal for use in construction and civil engineering projects for erosion control, soil stabilisation on flat ground and slopes, load platforms, tree root protection, channel protection, and structural reinforcement for load support and earth retention.

“The new pre-design software will assist engineers by giving fast,

New solutions at BRE

specific information regarding the suitability of our products,” Russell Thomas, technical sales manager TERRAM, comments. “We believe that this new software, combined with the versatility, strength and cost effectiveness of the permeable and lightweight range, will influence more users of TERRAM GEOCELL’S advantages and continue to strengthen our market presence.”

First for UK SunGift Energy has crane-lifted the first ‘solar carport’ frames onto the roof of Exeter City Council’s Mary Arches car park. It is believed to be the first solar installer in the UK carry out such an installation on the roof of a multi-story car park.

Once the frames are completed, the 540+ solar panels will then be installed. More will then be lifted onto the roof of the John Lewis car park. Previously, cars that parked on the top levels were ‘out in the open’, but when the work is completed they will be covered by solar panels, which will generate 285,227 kWh per year of free electricity and save more than 150 tonnes of CO2.

“Solar car ports in a situation of this complexity have never been done before in the UK,” said solar specialist Gareth Walton from SunGift Energy, “and it’s an exciting move for both us and Exeter City Council.

The top floors of the car parks are perfectly placed for making the most of the sun’s free energy, as we’ve been able to optimise the angles of the solar panels on the car park deck. This means that the panels will generate the maximum amount of energy, while providing a benefit to the car parks. It is a great example of where solar can be used to deliver dual benefits and it’s also an indication of where the industry is heading.”

Housing decision-makers across the UK will be able to explore the affordable, energy-efficient, and quick to build volumetric housing solutions brought to market by Üserhuus AG and Tigh Grian Ltd at the BRE Innovation Park in Watford.

They will demonstrate the ultimate in super-efficient, factory-finished, configurable dwellings built to the Scottish Building Regulation Gold Standard, with one unit having a completely buildingintegrated photovoltaic roof.

At the heart of the project is the volumetric unit, comprising a single-bed apartment or a combination of units forming houses of up to four or five bedrooms.

Manufactured in Wales using a structural insulated panel system (SIPs), the 4.9m x 11.4m modules can be assembled into units of up to five storeys in detached, terraced, tenement, semidetached and four-in-ablock configurations giving occupants and housing associations a low-cost, energy-efficient solution without compromising on good design and comfort.

With Üserhuus’ input, there is also the option to replace the tiled roof with an entire photovoltaic ‘terra cotta’ roof and part of the façade as demonstrated at BRE (a world premiere). The basic house types aim to deliver very low annual energy bills (estimated at £300-500 per annum for energy and space heating); with the addition of Üserhuus’ technology they could even produce supplementary energy.

The concept has already been commissioned for use in Scotland.

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underfloor heating

topic A hot

Malcolm Jaques discusses how underfloor heating technology solutions offer the potential for significant energy savings

Malcolm Jaques, Commercial Manager of Warmafloor

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W

ith recent figures showing that British customers are in debt to energy providers to the tune of half a billion pounds1, achieving maximum efficiency from buildings is of growing importance to customers and building managers across the UK. Economic pressures are however not the only causes of the drive for energy efficiency now present in the public and private sectors. Recent EU and UK Government legislation is increasingly compelling companies to reduce carbon emissions and with the Conservative Government’s pledge to offer every household a Green Deal on energy efficiency, it is sure to be at the forefront of numerous policies. Relevant initiatives include the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive and the introduction of stringent

energy reduction targets, as set out in the Department for Energy and Climate Change’s Carbon Plan, which imposes a 2050 deadline for the UK to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent. The construction industry has also been subject to specific legislation of its own, with Building Regulations Part L demanding careful analysis of carbon emissions and energy use in both new and existing buildings.

A central consideration in delivering greener and more efficient living should be utilising more efficient underfloor heating and cooling practices.

This is one of the quickest and simplest means to deliver a more sustainable building which benefits from both cheaper operating costs and legal compliance. However, the ability of flooring systems to provide an efficient and comfortable solution for transferring heat into a building is often overlooked by end-users. It is also not generally appreciated that underfloor heating and cooling systems can reduce energy consumption by 1520 per cent compared to even the most efficient of traditional wet central heating systems or warm air heating systems.

The technology behind heating and cooling is becoming more important because it is essential to have an effective interface in place between the user and the technology to realise all the efficiencies on offer. In order to meet these needs, Warmafloor, the leading underfloor heating and cooling specialist in the UK, has developed a new underfloor heating and cooling control technology, called TICS Modular (standing for Total Integrated Control Strategy). This new solution is giving building managers across the UK the ability to achieve higher energy efficiency and reduce their overall carbon footprint through precise and intuitive control.

The TICS Modular solution is versatile, intelligent and simple to use making it an attractive system for building developers. Its user-friendly touch-screen control system allows building managers to operate a property’s cooling, heating and hot water systems from one central location. As well as having manual controls, the TICS Modular system has the intelligence to ensure that the least expensive available heating and cooling sources are used first, thereby keeping costs to a minimum. Furthermore, it has the ability to control up to 30 separate zones whilst also monitoring and displaying the amount of energy consumed in each area.

The Proportional-Integral Device logic (PID) integrated in the system allows TICS Modular to identify all of a building’s energy sources, including boilers, solar panels, heat pumps and air conditioning units, and make an instant assessment as to which of these is best suited to match the energy requirement at any given time.

TICS Modular can combat this via ensuring that heat or cooling is delivered at the most cost effective price where it is needed the most: in the bottom two metres of the room, creating a comfortable atmosphere for people to work and move around in. This, in turn, contributes to the overall energy efficiency

of the building, producing an effective ‘steady state’ building all year round.

The current trend for building developers is that energy efficiency is steadily being moved up the agenda and with it comes a demand for new and innovative ways to achieve this via the latest energy saving technologies.

Initiatives such as the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) encourage end users to become more aware of the benefits of making their homes more energy efficient.

Underfloor heating and the RHI scheme complement each other as many of the renewable heat sources available under the RHI scheme are compatible with underfloor heating. If a property has both a renewable heat source and underfloor heating installed, not only will the homeowner receive payments through the RHI for generating energy, but they will also be able to reduce their energy bills.

TICS Modular recognises that buildings are often multi use spaces each with their own variable needs for heating and cooling. This matches one of the key design objectives of the system: to effectively manage the complex multi-use environment efficiently and effectively so that maximum satisfaction is achieved for the various users of the building. The accuracy of the new technology is unique, with the

solution able to operate to within 0.5°C, as opposed to the industrystandard 4°C. This allows the system to function at minimum cost as when the temperature is lowered by just one degree, heating bills can be cut by approximately eight per cent.

Despite only being a recent technological development, TICS Modular already has a proven track record across a range of new buildings in both the public and private sectors. In the residential sector, the solution has been chosen by Land Securities and British Land, the two largest property developers in the UK, for a number of their major projects in London, including Wellington House (Land Securities) and Regent’s Place (British Land). TICS Modular has also recently been installed by Berkley Homes in their new residential development in the City of London, Goodmans Field.

As financial and legislative pressures continue to increase, intelligent control solutions are now becoming the prerequisite for delivering both commercial and residential energy efficient buildings. The TICS Modular underfloor heating and cooling solution offers significant energy savings coupled with improved satisfaction levels of the users’ total comfort levels, delivering a truly efficient building.

International Business Times, “Britain drowning in £507m of energy debt as power firms rake in cash”, June 3 2015.

1

Malcolm Jaques is Commercial Manager of Warmafloor. Warmafloor was established in 1986 and is a recognised market leader in the design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of surface heating and cooling systems for commercial and industrial projects. Warmafloor completes at least 500 projects per year. Typical contracts include large industrial buildings, museums, offices, hospitals, schools, universities, leisure centres, hotels, government buildings, libraries and large apartment buildings.

For more information, please see

www.warmafloor.co.uk.

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blackfriars tower

Letting in the

light SimpsonHaugh and Partners used generative design to shape the One Blackfriars Tower Concept

L

ondon’s leading property developer, St. George South London, retained SimpsonHaugh and Partners to fulfill a vision for mixed-use development at the junction of Blackfriars Road and Stamford Street at the head of Blackfriars Bridge in the central London borough of Southwark. The award-winning practice, ranked among the largest and most influential in the United Kingdom by Architects’ Journal, designed the signature skyscraper One Blackfriars using GenerativeComponents, Bentley’s parametric modeling software, to set out the curved geometry of the building form, and define the relationships between internal and external facades. The 170metre tower joins a sequence of landmarks along the Southbank of the River Thames, where its minimal footprint and slender profile allow it to rise skyward without overshadowing its neighbors.

One Blackfriars presents 74,925 square metres of prime space for a 152-room boutique hotel and 274 luxury apartments, as well as retail shops, restaurants and

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bars, a health and fitness center, community viewing lounge, and underground parking. The site also makes space for a landscaped public piazza. Targeting ambitious performance standards for sustainability and energy, the tower was designed to Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH) Level 4 whilst the hotel was designed to Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) Rating Very Good.

Being a good neighbour In an age of austerity and popular criticism of the contemporary tower form, the introduction of another sculptural skyscraper to the Central London skyline could have been controversial. One Blackfriars achieved the balance between form and function to earn its place on the cityscape, but not without a struggle.

Conceived in 2004 as a hotelled tower, the concept for One Blackfriars eventually earned community approval and planning permission, having been tested during a public inquiry in 2008 where they were responsive to public feedback.

To stand the test of time, the

tower design needed to address form, scale, proportion, as well as deal with the recurrence of element repetition. Moreover, it had to provide a contextual response to the particular place.

The number one challenge was to establish a base at the bottom of the tower on the site without obstructing the daylight of neighboring properties. At the same time, SimpsonHaugh had a responsibility to fulfill numerous functional pragmatics of the original program. Finally, the building had to be beautiful from every aspect.

The final tower design marks the southern bridgehead of Blackfriars Bridge and is a gateway to Southwark.

SimpsonHaugh conceived a thin form with ‘shoulder blades’ on the east and west elevations that reduce its apparent width. To develop the design for this flaring shape, SimpsonHaugh developed a set of innovative tools based upon existing applications such as GenerativeComponents, Bentley Architecture (now AECOsim Building Designer), and other software that integrated with the core Bentley applications. The aim was to use the technology

to deliver the scheme with fewer people, in less time, and with fewer errors due to reworking or inaccurate co-ordination.

Building within a building SimpsonHaugh benchmarked its existing processes, team structures, and uses of technology against best practices in architecture, engineering, and other industries. For example, the design and manufacture of boat building and luxury yachts inspired the development of the building canopy. Bentley applications provided a solid platform for parametric modeling and building information modeling (BIM). SimpsonHaugh customised and enhanced the available scripts and tools to push the boundaries of what could be achieved.

The design created a doubleskin façade, where the outer leaf is a substantially transparent glass surface that traces the curved geometry of the envelope.

The solid elements of the more orthogonal inner leaf are coloured to overlay the interior volumes with a subtle variation of rendering that lightens as the building extends skyward.

The building-within-a-building concept resulted in an outer skin comprising 5496 panels – each one different from the other – including flat, single and double curved. The inner skin provided thermal lining and opacity. The building breathes through the

skin, so ventilation and solar gain had to be quantified and accommodated.

SimpsonHaugh quickly realised that the parametric model could be used to provide more than the initial building form. Development of the model allowed the team to explore the relationship between the inner and outer glazing systems, internal spaces, structural column positions, and other systems. For example, SimpsonHaugh used the model to investigate and rationalise the geometry and manufacture of the outer façade, the colouring of the glazing schemes, and the size of the shadow gaps between façade panels.

From the base geometry, SimpsonHaugh developed five modules for the external and internal façades, structure, residential areas, and the 3D surface model. External components included the tower cap, mechanical ventilation, purge ventilation, panel type drawings, setting out drawings, unwrapped elevations, and schedules. Internal components comprised unwrapped elevations; panel type, setting out, scoping, and rain screen drawings; panel wall division; and set out colours. The structure involved slab set out drawings, column set out, clash detection, slab openings, and an analysis model. Residential areas required matrix drawings, apartment types and views, area labels, and accommodation schedules.

Model exchange Panel types, analysis model, and façade zones were entered into the 3D surface model. The analysis model of the structure – comprising points, lines, and meshes – was imported directly into analysis software used by the project’s structural engineers, WSP Building Services. The results were then fed back into the parametric model, which ensured consistency and accelerated the collaborative process.

Aret Garip, WSP Building Services, said: “Bentley 3D modeling tools enabled efficient exchange of information between architectural and structural models. We were able to directly import complex building geometry into our structural analysis packages with ease.

It helped us to explore many structural solutions quicker than other methods. It also provided an effective co-ordination tool among our teams.”

The parametric model was also imported into the building information model in Bentley Architecture, allowing the team to generate detailed schedules and general arrangement drawings.

In addition, the parametric model was used to draw, annotate, and dimension the elements related to the façades and the setting out of the structural slabs and frame.

The team used MicroStation to develop details and assembly drawings based on dynamic views

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blackfriars tower

extracted from the model.

The 3D model of the external façade contained crucial information on the façade zones, panel geometry, curvature, warp, inclination, skew, stack joint group, stack joint deviation, glass wastage, and pinstripes.

This information was then made available to contractors as editable files, which helped to explain the complexity of the design.

One particularly challenging aspect of the tower design was the tower cap, where façade mullions lie on a plane defined by the façade joints. The transom planes were set on a best-fit geometry segment by segment, so that they are nearly perpendicular to the glass surface.

Productivity gains By integrating a parametric workflow within traditional BIM and 2D processes, SimpsonHaugh was able to investigate and resolve a number of unique design issues and respond quickly to client requests and requirements.

Bentley’s parametric tools significantly increased project team efficiency and productivity, while ensuring project delivery exceeded client expectations.

Many innovative design options explored within the virtual environment would never have been considered, much less developed for buildability.

Complicated tasks that might have been insurmountable in the past were not only completed but delivered within very short timeframes. For example, it took just two days instead of weeks to

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produce visuals for viewing angles from each and every apartment.

As the main collaborative tool for the key disciplines on the project, the parametric model saved both time and money by simplifying data exchange and producing a model format that could be easily imported into various analysis packages. This completely eliminated redrawing and double handling of data shared among design disciplines.

Façade delivery Using Bentley’s generative design software allowed the project team to deliver a complex façade system that might not have been possible otherwise.

GenerativeComponents allowed SimpsonHaugh to fine-tune the façade to reduce the number of panels and minimise the number of double-curved panels. These measures had a direct impact on cost savings.

Architects Matt Smith and Ralf Lindemann, SimpsonHaugh’s computational designers, noted that GenerativeComponents gave them the ability to: • Describe and analyse the complex form of the tower and its panelisation.

• Quantify all the panel characteristics in order to test them against industry criteria.

• Study all conditions of a particular detail and rationalise this to a minimum number of variants.

• Test ventilation results for all apartments by quickly varying the parameters.

• Quickly quantify overall proportions of solid to void

for the whole building for the SAP calculations and Building Regulations/Part L testing.

• Respond swiftly to client requests for information on quantities of a material.

• Quickly transfer data within the design team, allowing for highly interactive design development, space planning, and the structural grid development.

• Quickly study alternative design solutions for the random internal panelisation and colour gradation across the entire tower.

Toby Clark, a member of the Arup Façades engineering services team, said: “The team at SimpsonHaugh delivered one of the most comprehensive documentation packages we have seen. Taking our advice, the façade was modeled, detailed, and documented to clearly show the complexity of this unique building using the latest in parametric tools and BIM software. One Blackfriars is a truly outstanding job that will set a new benchmark in delivering complex façades.”

Though some were skeptical that One Blackfriars would be built, the groundbreaking ceremony in October 2013 marked the start of construction, which is expected to be completed by 2017. With a mix of residential, commercial, and retail properties, One Blackfriars represents a significant investment by the developer. The 50-storey tower is now being marketed worldwide.

www.bentley.com

case study

Storm ready

A luxury apartment block needed a unique drainage solution

A

brand new luxury apartment complex in London’s Kensington has been fitted with two EcoBloc Flex stormwater tanks from Graf UK – providing a highly effective drainage system that reduces the loading on the public sewers and complies fully with official runoff requirements set by the local authority and Thames Water.

Set in an area of landscaped gardens that stretch from the south side of Holland Park to Kensington High Street, the Hollandgreen development includes three residential blocks, comprising 54 apartments.

Developed by real estate company Chelsfield, the apartments share the development land

with the new Design Museum site (formerly home to the Commonwealth Institute) – a Grade II-listed building boasting the largest parabolic copper roof in the world.

Given the museum roof’s undulating design, rainwater collects at two focused locations, so a siphonic drainage system is in place to discharge this water instantaneously and avoid buildup on the roof. Flow rates into the siphonic outlets can be as high as 180l/s – and to meet criteria set by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the flow rate of surface water being discharged from the new development and the Design Museum roof to the public sewer network must stay within strict lower limits. As part of its overall engineering remit,

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case study

With extreme weather and flooding becoming increasingly commonplace in the UK, demand for sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDs) is steadily on the rise.

consultancy Arup was tasked with finding a safe, sustainable stormwater management solution for Hollandgreen.

Arup’s public health team (led

by Dan Costelloe) specified two bespoke EcoBloc Flex tanks from Graf UK. Mike Carter, project director for Arup, explains: “The parabolic roof of the Design Museum at Hollandgreen presented a unique drainage challenge for Chelsfield. Our task was to find a solution that would not only limit the discharge to the public sewer to 30 per cent of the instantaneous run-off rate – and manage excess stormwater safely and effectively – but would also fit with the design and layout of the luxury development. Together with the team at Graf UK, we were able to design a completely tailor-

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made system to do just that. Made up of two individual EcoBloc Flex tanks, it meets the project’s exact

size and shape requirements.

“As the ground we were working with was clay-heavy (typical of London), we specified attenuation tanks (rather than infiltration) – allowing for ultimate control of water release back into the sewage system. What’s more, Chelsfield was originally informed the site would need up to a system of 315m3 – but thanks to the detailed analysis we carried out with Graf UK, combined with the use of compact, space-maximising EcoBloc Flex tanks, we were able to fulfill requirements with a reduced storage capacity of just 212m3. This resulted in significant financial savings and overall instantaneous discharge reduced to 70l/second.”

EcoBloc Flex can be made to

any shape or size and can be positioned as shallow or as deep underground as required, without taking up valuable surface areas.

It has a heavy-duty lorry bearing capacity of 60 tonnes – a must for the Hollandgreen development, as one of the main EcoBloc storage tanks is located on the direct approach to the Design Museum loading bay. Even under extreme loads, it boasts a storage coefficient of 96 per cent. EcoBloc Flex tanks are also designed with straightforward maintenance in mind, with Vario shafts and inbuilt inspection channels providing easy access for advanced camera technology. These cameras are used to periodically check for any silt or gravel build-up – ensuring optimum performance for the lifetime of the system.

Mike continues: “As well as ultimate ease and speed of installation, EcoBloc Flex offered us a hassle-free future maintenance solution – making it ideal for this forward-thinking development. Its flexible, modular design also meant we were able to make it fit seamlessly with the existing drainage network by positioning it exactly where we needed it: lower than the water flow, but higher than the outlets into the sewers. The Graf UK team was similarly flexible – working closely with our design team to make sure the system ticked all the boxes, while keeping within the project’s tight timeframes.”

Hollandgreen’s water systems have been designed to Code for Sustainable Homes Level Four standards, and also feature grey water re-use for irrigation, WC flushing and façade cleaning. In addition to the apartments and the Design Museum, the complex also includes a luxury spa with swimming pool, a fitness centre, studio space and treatment rooms, and an entertainment area including a cinema, golf simulator and children’s playroom.

Graf UK’s national specification manager, Kevin Reed, adds: “We’re delighted to have had

such an important part to play in this exciting and innovative project. Hollandgreen’s new, custom-designed stormwater attenuation system showcases the true versatility of our EcoBloc Flex modules – and is a perfect example of how they can be used to overcome a whole host of drainage challenges.

With extreme weather and flooding becoming increasingly commonplace in the UK, demand for sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDs) is steadily on the rise. At Graf UK, we’re proud to offer cutting-edge solutions that not only meet this demand now, but are also fit for the future – designed with simple, ongoing maintenance and quality, longterm performance in mind.”

Graf UK Ltd (a subsidiary of Germanbased Otto Graf GmbH) is a European market leader in the water management sector. The company provides innovatively designed rainwater harvesting, stormwater and wastewater management systems that are manufactured in Germany at one of the world’s most modern and sustainable production facilities.

For more information visit

www.grafuk.co.uk.

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building conversions

From old to

new Stuart Thornhill explores the pros and cons of a conversion compared to a new build project

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s project management experts we have experience of working on both conversion and new build projects.

For developers, there are pros and cons to both options, so when we are asked for a definitive answer to whether one option is more cost effective than another, our answer is that it depends entirely on the individual project.

If you have a greenfield site, with no ground contamination, then it can work out cheaper to simply put in the footings and build it. However, the cost of building on a brownfield site can escalate, due to ground contamination and unstable ground issues, as you may need to carry out ground remediation and up the spec of your foundations.

Working on the conversion of an existing building can be a

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cheaper option, but it depends on the level of alterations required, especially if you are considering change of use. And the conversion of a listed building can be a lot more complex and costly.

Typically, space in the centre

of town or city is limited, and so comes at a premium. This means that one of the advantages of converting an existing building, instead of going for a new build, is that it provides you with an avenue into prime town or city centre space.

One of our latest project management jobs is an ideal example of a successful, and cost effective, conversion project.

Property investment company St David Group tasked us with managing the conversion of two floors of a former office building to provide student accommodation. Majestic Court, in South Wolfe Street, Stoke, was converted into 28 self-contained studio apartments.

Planning and design Experienced at handling this scale of project, we were enthusiastic to give a new lease of life to an

old, disused office building, which had stood empty for a number of years and had become obsolete.

The development would help to breathe life back into an area in desperate need of regeneration.

Since the Government relaxed the planning rules for change of use from commercial to residential, it’s resulted in a much needed increase in the supply of housing. With the Majestic Court project, the apartments have been designed to meet the demand for student accommodation in the area.

Our first task was to assess the viability of the project; this involved an initial feasibility study to work out how many apartments could be built within the existing structure, to make sure that the development was viable.

We were also responsible for gaining planning permission and building regulations approval,

writing the full specification for construction, tendering it to three local contractors, and overseeing the project – from initial design to completion – to make sure everything remained on track.

Originally, planning permission had been granted for a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO), but the design was for the more traditional student accommodation with communal areas.

However, Tony Davies, managing director of St David Group, wanted to invest in high-end, self-contained studio apartments. He believes that the size and specification of accommodation demanded by students has been rising steadily, and many now see a tiny room in a cluster flat as inadequate. The property investment company feel there is a strong demand, particularly from overseas, mature and post-graduate students for this type of accommodation and that the private sector is increasingly looking to supply this end of the market.

Gaining planning permission can be complex and you need to make sure that you have reasonable grounds for change of use. Planners will always take a practical approach, so our planning team made sure that the development had access to local amenities and bus

routes and that there was no issues with excessive noise in the surrounding area. There is no demand for office space in Stoke and the town’s proximity to Staffordshire University makes it an ideal hub for students. We spoke to the planners and they were keen to regenerate the area, so an increase in the number of students living in the town would give it a much needed boost.

Project challenges Externally the building was given a complete facelift, including concrete repairs to the front, a new roof and exterior doors.

Internally, it was totally stripped back to a shell with all non-load bearing walls removed.

The Majestic Court development was not without its challenges.

There were several design challenges with the conversion.

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building conversions

Firstly, there was the issue of drainage. The original office building had all of its toilets at one side of the building, but we needed waste connections spread out across both floors, in order for every studio apartment to have its own bathroom. Another barrier was the fact that the first floor had a concrete deck. Overcoming this challenge was essential to the success of the build. The solution was to put in a false floor that would allow us to put drains underneath. Luckily the building had the head-height needed to pull it off.

There was a further design challenge around the requirement for smoke ventilation. With interior corridors, building regulations

state that you need 1.5 m2 of clear space, if it’s going to be naturally ventilated. Mechanically operated ventilation was not feasible for the development, due to costs, so during the design process we had to expertly shoehorn a shaft going from the first floor up to roof level, all in the tight constraints of an existing structure.

A big challenge on the construction side was the lack of space. The entrance was directly off the pavement, leading to the lobby and up to the first and second floor. There was no external space for the building contractors, Kettle & Talbot, to store materials. Deliveries had to be unloaded at the pavement, taken straight upstairs and stored onsite. They had to work around the materials as the project progressed, moving them from one area to another. It was not ideal, but it had been factored into the initial design.

The new student pad JCA’s design director, Eve CullenCornes, was responsible for the interior design. In line with our brief, the new studio apartments at Majestic Court are very much aimed at students who aspire to a home that is smart and stylish with

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fresh designs and a high-end finish.

Young people don’t want to spend their time at university living in grotty student accommodation.

They are focused and career driven – the precursor to the young professional. Equally, their parents want them to have the best. They’ve invested in their education and want to provide them with the opportunity to enjoy their university years, living in an environment that’s safe, clean and ultimately feels like a home.

Several of the properties are being offered for sale, fully furnished, to investors.

For more information, visit

www.stdavidgroup.com.

Stuart Thornhill is one of the directors at Jonathan Cornes Associates (JCA), chartered building surveyors and project management experts. Jonathan Cornes Associates was formed by Jonathan Cornes in 2003. Jonathan is a qualified RICS chartered building surveyor with over ten years’ experience in the surveying industry, specialising in professional services in particular dilapidations advice and large scale construction project management.

For more information, visit

www.jcassociates.co.uk.

profile: Hartela

heart Innovation at the

With decades of experience behind it, Hartela’s approach to innovative and high profile construction projects has seen it become a leading player in the Finnish construction industry

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ith a history extending back 73 years, familyowned Hartela has established itself a strong and reputable position in the Finnish construction landscape. Founded in Turku and with a group operating across the Southern, Western and Oulu regions of Finland, the company has grown into a 300 million euro company with a number of high profile projects under its belt.

“Hartela provides construction and project development services,” explains MD of Hartela Oy, Hanna Kolehmainen. “We mainly build residential and business premises and also industrial structures.

For example, at present we are

building apartment buildings, assisted living buildings, shopping centres, offices, schools, hospitals, factories, wastewater treatment plants and nuclear waste sites.”

With a local focus, Hartela’s strength has flourished from the well-connected networks and relationships the company has established with regional authorities and clients. “We also have a really good brand, which with a long history behind it, is well respected,” adds Hanna. “This is then supported by the extensive technical knowledge and experience we have built up over time with a number of diverse and complex projects.”

One particular recent project that demonstrates Hartela’s competence and high regard in

the Finnish construction industry is the Logomo Project in the city of Turku. “In 2011 Turku became the European Capital of Culture and to facilitate this and mark its occasion, the city wanted something that would remain permanent after the year was up, and to create a hub for creatives and artists,” highlights Hanna.

“As a public-private-partnership project owned by both the city of Turku and ourselves, it really strengthens the Hartela brand.

This PPP ownership structure is a unique one and can have its challenges but it has blossomed into a really positive relationship between us and the city.”

Renovated from an old railroad workshop, the Logomo centre has been developed into a central conference and culture centre, coming into the public attention for a number of events during the city’s year as Capital of Culture, including hosting a national TV talent competition.

The centrepiece for the building is its main hall and lobby, which perfectly demonstrates both the innovative construction managed

by Hartela and the flexible and adaptive environment offered by the building as a whole. The main hall sits upon a rolling stand with air bearings, which can be moved

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profile: Hartela

to allow the space to create three sizes for different events. As a result the space can host small functional dinner events to 3500 strong concert audiences.

In a process of ongoing development following 2011, the Logomo centre has steadily grown into an economic centre of creativity. As such in 2013, 5000 square metres of open office space were completed with space for up to 60 individual companies and over 300 employees. Dubbed Byrå, the centre forms a lively economic hub for the creative industry to encourage open discussion and synergies. In Spring 2015, Byrå was accompanied by an additional office space, Konttori, which currently hosts round 25 businesses and 200 professionals.

Significantly, the construction of the business centre, which sits inside the old industrial building, is modular and flexible to encourage a process of continuous evolution.

In addition to the Logomo Centre, Hartela has also demonstrated its project skills in the recently completed Kangasala Art Centre, which was in the shortlist of five for the Finland Prize for Architecture 2015. Also serving as a cultural centre, the building is a striking multipurpose space, clad in iron oxide treated concrete to give a rust like appearance. Other ongoing work

by Hartela includes the Keilaranta Tower Espoo Keilaniemi, which

when completed will be the highest office building in Finland.

In its progress towards becoming a leading construction company in Finland, Hartela has recently trained its focus on its health and safety programme. “We have been actively working with this subject for about four years now,” says Hanna. “Health and safety is crucial to us winning and completing these high profile and iconic projects, and we are constantly striving to improve our record. We believe this happens through effective leadership, open communication and measuring results.”

Despite a stagnant Finnish economy, Hanna is confident that opportunities exist for the

Positively, with a number of widely recognised, innovative and iconic projects constantly being added to Hartela’s portfolio the company sits on strong foundations to being able to secure this.

As part of a wider group, the outlook of Hartela is very much focused on taking collaborative steps towards an even more successful future underlined by growth and innovation.

“Historically, the daughter companies in Hartela have been very separate and independent,” notes Hanna. “Whilst we are focused on maintaining our local presence and making sure decision making is also kept local, at the same time we want to increase networking within the group. For the first time in 73 years we are putting together a strategy for the whole group.

This involves dividing the next five years into two separate periods as in 2017 we will be celebrating 75 years of Hartela and 100 years of Finnish independence. Until that time we will be focusing on profitability and the ‘We are Hartela’ theme. Over the coming years we will consolidating our presence within markets and in the longer-term we want to be the partner of choice.”

Akukon Logomo Hall is an acoustical miracle. Its versatility in both shape and size with fully controllable acoustics makes it a truly multifunctional space that accommodates any kind of event without compromise.

The Akukon Ltd consultants have created an acoustically dry hall, even though Logomo’s visual appearance with glass, steel and concrete surfaces strongly suggests otherwise. A Meyer Sound Constellation virtual acoustics system with hundreds of microphones and loudspeakers transforms the non-reverberant venue into a world class acoustical concert hall whenever needed. construction company and sees a particular path to further growth in the Tampere region of Finland, the second largest market area after Helsinki in Finland, where the company’s market share is currently relatively small.

Hartela www.hartela.fi Services: Family owned construction company specialising in both residential and industrial construction 21

profile: Lancashire Double Glazing

success Framing

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s the North of England’s largest home improvement company and leading doubleglazing company, Lancashire Double Glazing (LDG) offers a complete solution to its consumer and commercial customers.

Having acquired aluminium fabricators, Formes Alutek, in 2013 the company has developed an extensive range of services that allow it to provide unrivalled packages at competitive prices and lead times. So far the company’s reputation sits atop a delivery portfolio of over a million manufactured and installed frames to over 225,000 customers.

The acquisition of Formes

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Alutek was a significant point in the LDG Group history. “The company is not only known as a specialist in the bending and curving of aluminium but it can also manufacture almost any specification to service all clients,” explains Senior Contracts and Projects Manager, John Simmonds, illustrating the level of flexibility it brings to the group. As a group LDG’s offering is exemplary, as John goes on to outline the strong capabilities it demonstrates: “We can offer the whole package from the one company,” he says.

“We have our own welding and pressing department, which can manufacture brackets, pressings and panels to our client’s

individual specification. We then have our own powder coating plant and manufacturing glass plant, which means we can offer a better service with reduced lead times. As such, we can turn something around within a 24 hour period if the need arises, instead of waiting much longer like our competitors.”

With such an offering available, the LDG Group is in a strong position to serve a growing construction market in the commercial, trade and residential sectors. “We have seen vast growth in the current market, especially with the increased government spending on student accommodation,” continues John.

“This is an area we have a lot of

Currently experiencing a strong period of growth, Lancashire Double Glazing is proving itself to be a leader in the UK framing and glazing industry experience in from many years at both LDG Contracts and Formes Alutek.”

With Formes Alutek based in Ellesmere Port and LDG in Preston, the group’s manufacturing facilities are logistically well placed to serve the North of England.

Furthermore the group is a CE Marked manufacturer and installer and holds all the relevant accreditation in line with British Standards to ensure that the highest quality is met. However, John goes on to explain that the company’s commitment to quality does not stop there: “We pride ourselves on continuous improvement in research and developments, technical design,

manufacturing and installation using the latest machinery and technology available,” he says. “We also ensure that we continually train our staff to make sure we have a multi-skilled workforce.”

With these strengths in mind it is no surprise that LDG has been chosen to take on some high-profile projects. Of present significance is the work on the Tower Wharf office development in Birkenhead, which commenced in February and is soon due for completion. “This contract is very important to us, as it is the beginning of the Birkenhead Coastline regeneration process,” discusses John. “We have been carrying out this work for one

of our best clients, Eric Wright, for whom we have worked many times in the past and hopefully will continue to for a long time to come. With the speed and efficiency that this has been manufactured and installed to, and its high specification, we hope to achieve more of these prestigious contracts in relation to the programme in the near future.”

In addition to this, the company has recently won a one million pound contract in Wythenshawe, Manchester which commenced in July 2015. “This consists of seven different systems with an impressive glass walkway to link two buildings,” he notes.

John is aware of the challenges that face the company as it grows and takes on more and more large contracts. Yet he also remains confident that the comprehensive service range and resources available to the company across two manufacturing sites will help LDG face the challenges head on as it moves forward.

“Our manufacturing capability means that we can meet the tight deadlines and demands we sometimes have to achieve to service our clients and work within what I would sometimes describe as impossible programme times,” he expresses. “However, this is where I can honestly say I am proud of our achievements, our staff and our work ethic. No job is too big or small and the most important thing for me is to ensure that we service all our

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profile: Lancashire Double Glazing

Comar – Advanced Windows The Comar 5P.i Advanced Window System uses the latest thermal break technology to produce windows for the next generation of solutions.

Integration is the key factor that underpins this solution, which is the latest new product launch from Comar Architectural Aluminium Systems. Its market leading Comar 9P.i Framing system offers fast-track semi-unitised construction for floor to ceiling glazing, allowing tilt/turn or casement windows to hang direct from the Comar 9P.i Frame as well as rebated doors. With the addition of thermal foam and triple glazing Comar 9P.i offers U-values down to 0.77, creating a future proof solution for their architectural, contractor and fabricator partners.

Comar 5P.i Advanced key features include: • Testing to BS 6375 • Casement 750Pa Water Tightness, Air Tightness 600Pa, Wind Resistance 2000Pa, • Safety Test 3000Pa • PAS 24:2012 clients with a quality product on time, every time.”

The forward outlook for LDG is clearly marked by further growth whilst remaining true to its core values of servicing the client’s needs. “LDG Group will continue to do what it has always done – striving for continuous improvement in all areas, as this is what has made us so successful today and allows us to be competitive in the market,” says John. “The focus from now on will be to ensure we continue to strengthen and grow on this, to produce a specialist and quality product at the most competitive price and to continue to grow at the same pace we have been experiencing. Longer term, we wish to increase our client base, working with more and more ‘blue chip’ companies and to become a market leader in the manufacture and installation of architectural contracts. Ultimately, Formes

Alutek and LDG Group are a force to be reckoned with and we are more than ready to prove our rightful place as one of the top and best aluminium architectural specialists in the country.”

Lancashire Double Glazing www.lancashiredoubleglazing.co.uk www.formesalutek.co.uk Services: Manufacture and install a range of framing and glazing solutions

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ALLEN NEWPORT LTD Suppliers of high quality sand & gravel to the local construction market.

We are delighted to be associated with Eastern Concrete Ltd and wish them continued success.

Contact us: Tel: 01638 718392 E: enquiries@allen-newport.co.uk Or ďŹ nd us at: Marston’s Pit, Cavenham, Suffolk, IP28 6SE

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profile: Eastern Concrete

Strong

foundations

Focused investment and continued growth throughout the recession have enabled Eastern Concrete to take advantage of improving conditions in the construction industry

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ased in Stowmarket, Eastern Concrete has established itself as a competitive player in providing site-mix and ready-mix concrete to the local market. Current MD Tom Baker founded the company with one volumetric mixer after spotting a gap in the market.

“I worked in the construction industry and identified a need to have smaller loads of concrete delivered as it was very difficult at that time to have loads as small as a metre cubed or less delivered,” he explains. “The mixon-site vehicles are an ideal way of getting around this issue and that’s how we started.” Serving predominantly small builders and domestic clients at first, Eastern Concrete has been able to grow steadily with its clients to reach the position it occupies today.

“By doing this we began to gradually create a market for ourselves,” says Tom. “Traditionally the small loads were not as important to the national ready mixed businesses as they concentrated on large volume.

By providing a bespoke small load service, we gradually took on the mini mix concrete market.”

Illustrating the level of growth experienced by the company, at the start of the business, these small builder clients accounted for 60-70 per cent of sales, now it only stands at 15-20 per cent, but as Tom assures, these customers are still a very important part of the client base. Another early opportunity for the company was a nighttime highways project, delivering concrete to the highway Area 6 maintenance contract.

“Our site-mix vehicles are ideal for this as to open a ready-mix plant and to supply concrete on demand at night is very difficult and expensive,” adds Tom. “This has also pushed us into achieving BS8500 registration, so all of our

concrete is quality assured.”

In such a demanding market, the pillar of Eastern Concrete’s success is in its customer service.

“When people call up, they don’t speak to a call centre, they speak to someone who knows and understands what the customer needs,” highlights Tom. “We continue that commitment with our drivers by selecting not purely on the experience in the concrete industry but also on how they handle themselves in front of customers as they are our ambassadors. The building and civil engineering industry is a very demanding market, particularly when you’re delivering concrete, which the customer often needs at short notice. We strive to offer this consistently but it can be difficult.

Therefore, over the next 12 months we are really focusing on improving how we interact with our customer by investing in new IT technology.

This will enable us to track and monitor vehicles and plants, so that the shipping desk has all the information to advise customers on their order’s progression.”

Part of what has enabled Eastern Concrete to grow into a successfully operating company in today’s market is its approach

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profile: Eastern Concrete

Danfords Danfords Ltd was contacted by Eastern Concrete with their requirements for a compact wet batch low maintenance Concrete Plant. As Danfords Ltd design and build Concrete Plants they were able to produce the idea solution. The Concrete Plant installed is capable of 60m3/hr of concrete which is premixed through a twin shaft 1.5m3 mixer with 160 tonne aggregate storage hoppers and two 80 tonne upright cement silos - this enables Eastern Concrete to fully service their market. to investment and diversification.

“All the way through the recession we continued to grow and invest in the business and this is paying dividends at the moment,” expresses Tom. “I knew that the recession couldn’t last forever so felt that we need to focus on expanding the business and in 2012 we were fortunate enough to be approached by a ready-mix company, which we subsequently acquired. There is only so much business you can do with a fleet of mix-on-site trucks so I knew that one day we would need to bring ready-mix into the offering as well, and the acquisition was a great spring-board into this.”

As a result, as the economy emerged out of recession in 2013, the company’s work started to pick up dramatically, particularly in the ready-mix segment, and a new period of growth has ensued.

The opening of a new site in Wymondham within an existing quarry has accelerated growth.

This site not only helps expand the company’s Norfolk presence but by eliminating aggregate transportation, also improves the efficiency of concrete production.

In 2015 the company has so far invested into seven new vehicles to add to its fleet including three ready-mix trucks, two volumetric mixers, a 39-metre boom pump and a tractor unit to collect aggregate. This followed a

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£500,000 investment during 2014 into a mobile ready-mix plant to facilitate specific on-site jobs. “This way we can bring aggregate to site and give the customer a better service,” says Tom. “We’ve done two jobs to date at a mushroom

the underinvestment in mineral production and planning during the recession, which has lead to a chronic material shortage that plagues the entire construction industry. However, Tom believes that the same underinvestment by

farm in Littleport and at Sizewell B Powerstation. Without the site plant being there, the type of mix they wanted would have been extremely difficult to deliver on conventional trucks from a remote plant. Going forward, this plant offers us opportunities to handle specialist projects where the customer requires high quality concrete at will.”

Eastern Concrete is in a strong position in the current market as it looks towards achieving its vision to become the ready-mix producer of choice in the Eastern region. Challenges exist with

larger national concrete suppliers has left a gap in the market that can be filled by the quick decision making and heavy investment programme that are both central to the owner-managed Eastern Concrete. Bring these opportunities together with the company’s commitment to customer service and self-sufficiency and its future looks solid.

Eastern Concrete www.easternconcrete.co.uk Services: Supplier of site-mix and ready-mix concrete

profile: Burnside Eurocyl

Rising

up Ireland based hydraulic cylinder manufacturer Burnside Eurocyl is battling off competition with an unrivalled approach to product quality, customer service and innovation

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urnside Eurocyl is a manufacturer of hydraulic cylinders serving a range of markets and industries across the world.

Founded in 1974 by Anthony and Tom Byrne in Carlow, Ireland, the company has grown to include 200 highly trained employees and produces 250,000 cylinders every year. Eurocyl is one of four plants in Carlow under the Burnside group of companies that collectively produces around 750,000 cylinders a year. “Our main clients are OEMs in the construction, automotive and agricultural sectors,” begins Joint Managing Director Anthony Byrne. “We supply some of the best known manufacturers in the world such as Volvo, Komatsu, JCB, Thwaites Dumpers, Nifylift, Kubota, Neuson, Caterpillar and the Wirtgen group. Whilst Germany is our biggest market, we supply companies right across Europe, the US and Canada, India and Korea.”

Being part of the Burnside

group brings with it a number of competitive advantages, especially when considering the volume of manufacturing undertaken at the plant. “We can harness the purchasing power of the complete group and can therefore source our raw materials at a very competitive price,” says Anthony. “We are also able to employ the very latest technologies in the production processes, including robots and a large selection of specially built machines, which we build ourselves to meet our specific manufacturing requirements.”

However, the strengths of Burnside Eurocyl are not exclusive to being part of the Burnside group and it is the company’s unfaltering focus on service, flexibility and value that has awarded it with the global reputation it enjoys today.

The names in its client portfolio are known for placing quality product and customer service as paramount to doing business with suppliers, which only serves to illustrate the level of service offered to its customers by the Irish company.

One particular area where its service excels is in its highly flexible and bespoke manufacturing capabilities. “One of the biggest advantages we have over our competitors is the extremely strong emphasis we place on working with our customers at the initial design stage to deliver according to the specific demands and requirements of the customer’s individual machines,” highlights Anthony. “As such, 90 per cent of all our cylinders are designed in-house by our engineers who work closely with our customers at all times.” With such knowledge and experience behind it, Burnside Eurocyl is thus able to stock a range of standard products as well as offer a highly competitive customisable service to the broad range of applications demanded by its markets. Alongside this, quality and on-time delivery

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Its our mission at Slaney Precision to make anything our customers require, we can manufacture a wide range of components.

We can manufacture with: • Steel • Stainless steel • Brass • Phosphor bronze • Aluminium • Plastics • DelrinTM • Nylon • Copper info@slaneyprecision.ie

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profile: Burnside Eurocyl

remain crucial to completing a cycle of unparalleled service.

In order to operate in such a flexible and customer-focused manner, the company has established a suitable production facility with a keen focus on efficiency cost-effectiveness.

Anthony explains: “With great flexibility in mind, we operate a just-in-time system with cellular manufacturing. Therefore, we have our production divided into eight production lines, which allow us to be very flexible and handle both small and large quantities easily.

This also allows us to produce cylinders within very short lead times.” To accommodate the challenges posed by such a varied and demanding operation the company assigns members of the production team to communicate directly with its customers to ensure that the requirements are met and strong relationships are maintained.

The ability to put this responsibility in the hands of its employees is a very valuable asset for any company and Burnside Eurocyl’s approach to its workforce is exemplary in this respect. “We are proud of the fact that we have a very highly skilled and dedicated workforce with very low levels of staff turnover,” explains Anthony. “We place great emphasis on team work, a can do attitude and spend a lot of time on quality awareness and training for a

URANIE Thalachrome: Quality + reliability The evolution of Uranie's products has followed the requirements of the market. Thanks to customers such as Burnside Eurocyl with which Uranie has developed a trustful partnership over almost 20 years, Uranie has developed a product range suitable for use in different environments. The Thalachrome SE range has proved its efficiency in terms of corrosion resistance, not only in the salt spray cabinet but also in the field. Uranie hard chromium plated bars are a real reference in terms of quality and reliability for hydraulic cylinders manufacturers and OEMs.

number of opportunities. We also have a very flat management system, which we believe helps to keep costs under control and also ensures that everyone can keep in touch with the really important issues of customer service and productivity.”

Despite such a strong service supporting a growing company, there are a number of challenges currently facing the industry. “I see the ever increasing competition from suppliers in Eastern Europe and China as an ongoing problem, especially as the present demands of customers to cut costs in order to offer better prices to their markets, continue to grow,” outlines Anthony. “This is then exacerbated by the increasing demands put upon us for increased quality levels.” With this in mind, Burnside Eurocyl’s traditionally strong commitment to innovation is more important than ever.

“We see innovation as being of crucial importance in the battle to stay competitive in the market places,” he continues. “This is both to find better ways of manufacturing and to ensure increased levels of quality performance. To make sure we maintain this we have a fully resourced R&D division where we are constantly finding new ways of improving set up and manufacturing methods that are necessary to stay ahead of the game.”

With this in mind it is no surprise then that the company is experiencing a strong level

of growth at the moment with a number of large contracts recently awarded to the company by new customers. As such Burnside Eurocyl is looking to invest in expanding its facilities.

“Our biggest focus over the next year will be the completion of another extension to the manufacturing area, which will add another 2000 square metres to the current 200,000 square metres currently operated in. This will allow us to put in some extra robotic machines and allow us to increase production by another 20 per cent.”

The success so far achieved

by Eurocyl can be attributed to a high level of innovation but also the high level of service and customer-focused quality that it prides itself on delivering and these factors are visible in the company’s future outlook. “Our medium term policy is to grow the company by 15 per cent every year with a particular strategy in place to increase our market share in the US and Canada,” concludes Anthony. “We also plan to move into the market segment for larger cylinders and especially into the sector of intelligent cylinders that are fitted with sensor and feedback devices, where demand is really growing.”

Burnside Eurocyl www.burnside-eurocyl.com Services: Hydraulic cylinder manufacturer 31

profile: DSP Supplies

Growth

supplies Norfolk based DSP Supplies focuses on expanding its production capacity as demand continues to grow in a revitalised market

D

SP Supplies Sheringham is a sand and shingle quarry situated on the North Norfolk coast and supplies aggregates to local construction, farming, landscaping and DIY sectors,” begins General Manager, Shane Clark. “Opened in 1947 the annual production of material at the quarry has varied over the years to suit local demand with around 70,000 tonnes per year produced at its busiest period.” With a successful history behind it, recent years for the company have been defined by diversification and expansion, and in 2011 the company opened a small builder’s merchant on site that offers a wide range of building products and materials to trade and general public. “This allows DSP to be a one-stop-shop for a range of building materials,” Shane adds.

Core to the company’s success in the region are the quality of its products and a committed focus on delivering excellent customer service levels. DSP’s product offering ranges from a variety of sands and shingles, whole stone and hoggin to recycled materials such as crushed concrete, tarmac “

32

and screened soil. “We supply a wide range of customers from small local builders to the larger national house builders, ground workers, ready mix concrete companies, farmers and DIY enthusiasts,” outlines Shane.

Such an offering, coupled with the strong relationships the company has established with its customers on a local and national level, means that recent business for DSP has been positive. “From the middle of 2014 onwards the company has experienced a growth period as the local construction industry began to recover from the recent recession,” continues Shane. “The increase in local business coupled with several new contracts to supply

large quantities of aggregates to large sites and manufacturing firms meant that we had to look at different ways to fulfil our orders.

To overcome these challenges we have increased our fleet of delivery vehicles, our workforce and have built up a strong and reliable network of sub-contracted labour that we can call on as and when required.”

A major part of this growth came from a supply agreement with another East Anglian firm, Lignacite. Based in Brandon, Suffolk, Lignacite is a national leader in manufacturing sustainable concrete blocks, which have been used in a number of high profile construction projects including London 2012 Olympic sites. “Set up in 2014, this is an agreement to supply specially blended sand for their concrete block production,” explains Shane.

“This demonstrates that we have the capability to not only supply outside of our local area but also to adapt our products to suit a customer’s needs.”

With this recent success in mind, DSP Supplies is focused on ensuring it is able to keep up with growing demand in the market and to do this is investing heavily

into increasing its capacity. “We have just placed an order with CDE Global for a new washing and screening plant,” says Shane. “This plant will replace a barrel type plant that was installed in 1969 and will give us the opportunity to increase our production and efficiencies as well as continuing to produce the quality products that we are known for. Once the new plant is installed, and by increasing our production, we will have the capability to supply material to new projects.”

As DSP grows, it is working carefully to manage its expansion and this is a particular focus for Shane and his team over the next year. “For the next 12 months, our main focus will be on production and delivery,” he notes. “With the new plant on the way it is important that we

focus our efforts on working this into our operations in the most efficient way as we take our products to market.” As with any expansion, challenges arise and DSP’s location in the North of Norfolk is one of these: “The quality of our local road network can make haulage a challenge, however we feel that this can be overcome if it is managed correctly using both our own fleet and sub-contract haulage,” adds Shane. This location challenge is also offset by a second branch in Norwich, which boasts improved infrastructure links and provides many of the same products and services as in Sheringham.

DSP Supplies demonstrates a confident yet considered approach to a market. A smart outlook on carefully managing growth is arguably critical in order

to ensure long-term success in today’s booming construction market, and this attitude is evident as the company looks forward.

“The main goal over the next few years is to secure the future of the company,” concludes Shane. “This will be achieved by our recent investments and by opening up new areas of the quarry to ensure a continuous supply of material.

The improved efficiency that is expected from the new plant will allow us to remain competitive in the market place whilst also continuing to produce good quality products.”

DSP Supplies www.dsp-supplies.co.uk Services: Aggregate supplier and builder’s merchant

33

profile: Menzi Muck

Unrivalled

performance Through a process of innovation, Menzi Muck’s unique spider excavators continue to deliver unrivalled performance to an ever-growing market

S

tarting life as the invention of Ernst Menzi in 1966, the Menzi Muck range of spider excavators has forged out a significant and unique segment of the market. Displaying a four-legged spider chassis, the Menzi Muck excavators possess the ability to perform in

34

extreme terrains inaccessible by conventional excavator platforms.

“A remarkably high degree of motorisation and unique stability results in a machine that can be used on difficult terrain like steep mountains, swamps, and places where the ground is unstable,” explains Menzi’s Managing Director, Hansjörg Lipp.

“This is major differentiator from

other machines on the market and is used across our markets for a range of applications in the forestry, construction, civil engineering and water industries.”

The company currently markets two lines, the M3 and heavier M5 range, which are each available with a number of customisable choices to suit individual applications. “There are several

options to choose from in terms of chassis, drive configurations and so on,” notes Hansjörg. “In spite of a low machine weight of only around 12 tonnes the Menzi Muck excavators have a hydraulic and engine performance comparable with conventional 24 tonne machines. This provides the ability to cope with extreme terrain demands and has also lead

to our newest configuration, the Menzi Master M515. It uses a well engineered caterpillar chassis alongside the established Menzi Muck cabin and power unit. A low weight of only 14.5 tonnes and the superior performance transforms the Master M515 into a more capable and robust machine.”

Over the last five decades, Ernst Menzi’s invention has undergone a process of continuous development to

discussions and ideas together with them. They bring their ideas of what the machine could and should do, and we take these and develop them into our product.

This is often a very practical process with a lot of prototyping and testing.”

A highlight of Menzi’s development process is the triennial Bauma show in Munich, the world’s leading trade fair for construction and civil

improve its offering to the market. “Originally, there were only mechanical possibilities to adapt the machine to different applications,” highlights Hansjörg.

“However, now we have a lot of hydraulic possibilities and our machine has about 19 hydraulic cylinders compared to about three or four on a normal excavator.” To continue this drive for innovation the company’s base in Switzerland employs a team of dedicated development engineers responsible for working closely with the customers to meet the growing demands in the market. “Every six or seven years we bring out a complete new line or version but we are constantly bringing out small developments and innovations in the intervening period,” outlines Hansjörg. “Often the contacts we work with at our customers’ are technical experts as well, so we actively look for

engineering machinery. “This is where we launch all of our major developments and we will be introducing our new product in Spring 2016 here,” says Hansjörg.

“This is going to be a much lighter, smaller machine that can be transported in a few pieces by helicopter so that it can reach higher mountains and more remote areas.”

Enhancing Menzi’s market offering is its stamp of Swiss quality and the company runs a strict quality assurance programme to ensure that this standard is met. “Quality is more important to us than low cost,” says Hansjörg. “We have quite a strong quality department that checks every machine before it leaves our facility. We also carry out robust checks on our suppliers and partners, and have established some strong, collaborative relationships with

35

profile: Menzi Muck

them. We only work with the best as we bring in hydraulic pumps, motors, valves and other components from all over Europe and hence assemble with the best components.” As for its steel requirements, Menzi has a 100 per cent owned subsidiary based in Slovakia that undertakes everything to do with the steel work. “This way we can ensure the quality of the steel components, but in a more cost effective way than manufacturing them in our home facility. All assembly, software, testing, adjusting and finishing takes place here in Switzerland,” he adds.

The market for Menzi at the moment is positive, as Hansjörg points out there are still many potential market opportunities to take advantage of, particularly in new regions such as North America, Scandinavia and East Asia where the company’s presence is not as well felt as in

other markets. “One challenge we are finding at the moment, however, is finding the right operators,” he says. “The machines are not the easiest to drive and they require some experience to take onto difficult terrains safely.

Therefore, if we enter new markets we have to find the operators and the skilled people who can service them. We do offer training, and will be running seminars and

36

take a bit longer to break into these new markets.”

However, with exports currently only accounting for half of Menzi’s revenue, the company is confident that the market opportunities exist and exploiting these will be its focus as it moves forward.

“The next year or so will be about building up dealerships across these markets to establish sales and service centres and introduce potential clients to our products,” Hansjörg concludes. “We will of course also be focusing on bringing our new product to market in 2016.” training weeks to support this further, but it still requires some extended experience to use the Menzi Muck on more difficult and rough terrain, which could involve dangerous situations. So it can

Menzi Muck www.menzimuck.com Services: Manufactures mobile spider excavators

profile: Sandvik Construction

Cutting

edge

Sandvik Construction undoubtedly occupies a position of world beating proportion with its unfaltering commitment to innovation, health and safety and sustainability

W

hen last featured in November 2014, Sandvik Construction’s focus was set firmly on continuous innovation and product development. Nearly a year on and the same story is true. “Sandvik possess a proud history of engineering excellence, which, when combined with a long standing emphasis on R&D and a global focus on our customers’ real requirements, has enabled us to bring new products to market rapidly in the last 12

months,” begins Senior Manager within Sandvik Construction, Pekka Nieminen. “Each of our product lines has seen some great new additions to our offering including the CH550 and CH540 cone crushers, DX drills, DG drills and rock tools, as well as new generation impactors, mobile screens and breakers. We have also placed great emphasis on being at the forefront of health and safety issues. For instance, a new rig safety standard, EN16228, came into force in December 2014 with its implementation being given top priority.”

Innovation is at the heart of Sandvik and a customer focus is central to driving this forward. “The basic demand has not changed for us,” says Pekka. “That is to produce more with less cost and to improve the overall excavation process.

Consequently, this is fuelling our

R&D work, making innovation the corner stone of the business.” As if to demonstrate this ongoing commitment, in May 2015 the company launched a new tunnelling jumbo, the DT922i.

This is a fully automated electrohydraulic two-boom tunnelling jumbo with new articulated carrier and offers unique intelligence, true power and ultimate versatility to handle any tunnelling job demanded of it.

“The brand new cabin of this machine is a good example of our continuous R&D work to create more comfortable and safe working environments. The new cabin comes with improved ergonomics and maximised safety as the new design delivers 25 per cent greater visibility, reduced dust levels and provides more operator space,” outlines Pekka.

“Most importantly, it keeps the noise levels under 69dB at all

37

profile: Sandvik Construction

times. It also has a new user interface with touch screen, which is easy to work with and displays comprehensive diagnostics with all drilling and carrier parameters split into logical subsystems on one display.”

Another important driver for Sandvik is health and safety.

“From our point of view it is essential to be able to bring high quality products to market that comply with, or exceed safety standards in all areas,” explains Pekka. “However, we don’t only want to comply with these standards, instead we want to be proactive in their development.

Thus we have set up a special team that is responsible for the safety engineering during product development.” Demonstrating this adherence, when the EN 16228 standards were introduced in

38

December last year, Sandvik took appropriate steps to embrace the new advancements by introducing safety cages around drilling beams and reducing the risk of fire by fitting protective sleeves over hydraulic hoses in coolers and the power pack.

Moreover, true to its vision, the company has taken its commitment one step further with the introduction of a full

radio remote control option for its Ranger DX and DQ series surface top hammer drill rigs. “This results in a modern outlook, improved drilling efficiency with lower fuel consumption and enhanced safety even in the toughest of terrain,” notes Pekka. The new and highly innovative radio control feature, which was launched at the start of 2015, has been designed specifically with safety in mind.

Also bringing productivity benefits to the range, the control system allows the operator to handle tasks from a safe distance away, thereby improving the productivity as the operator possesses clear visibility of the undercarriage and winch control at all times.

As the number of innovations and product developments under Sandvik’s belt grows, so too does

its project list. The company recently announced that 13 of the 19 roadheader units required for the NorthConnex highway tunnel project in Sydney, Australia will be supplied by Sandvik. It has also delivered three new nextgeneration DI550 drill rigs to BAM Ritchies’ UK drill and blast operation to be used on a number of major quarrying contracts throughout the north of England

job everyday for our customers and make sure we are not missing out on chances to serve growing pockets across our markets.

Vitally, we are keen to improve levels of service to our existing customers who have proven to be very loyal even during the toughest times.”

With a continuous drive for innovation in safety, quality and

sustainability defining Sandvik’s success up to the present day, the long-term vision is unsurprisingly modelled on carrying this tradition on to become a truly world leading and modern company. “Our focus is to create the right product and service packages that help our customers to maximise their business performance, be it productivity, cost efficiency or profitability,” concludes Pekka. “If we manage to continue with this and it is met with customers’ acceptance, we feel that growth will come from our in-built customer focus.”

Sandvik Construction www.construction.sandvik.com Services: Leading producer of specialist mining and construction equipment

and Scotland.

“The global economic condition is still in many ways challenging, but we believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” says Pekka, commenting on current market conditions. “European markets have stayed relatively flat, but the recovered US market has created demand for our products. With this in mind, our focus over the next 12 months is to do a better

39

profile: Spie Fondations

Future

foundations

As a subsidiary of Spie Batignolles, Spie Fondations continues to deliver innovative solutions to a range of high profile projects and its current UK operations perfectly illustrate this

L

ast featured in Construction & Civil Engineering back in December 2014, Spie Fondations has continued to demonstrate its leading ability to deliver innovative and demanding solutions to a

40

range of high profile projects around the UK. Discussing the past year, Adrian Mercer, Business Development Manager for the UK, highlights that the company has been very busy tendering lots of major projects and sees a number of opportunities to pursue.

As Spie continues to look forward towards major infrastructure projects such as Thames Tideway and HS2, its current and recent activities in the UK are perfect demonstrations of its ability to perform on complex construction and civil

engineering contracts. In particular, following on from its previous successful contract to upgrade the foundations of 91 electricity pylons on the Bedford to Sundon Line the company has recently completed further work in Lancaster for the Energy Alliance. “This was a project to connect the Walney wind farm development into the National Grid,” explains Adrian.

turnkey package is a significant differentiator for Spie’s market offering in the UK. “A lot of our competition in the UK would provide either the piling or the caps, not both, and this is one of the reasons we initially won the contract,” notes Adrian.

“Offering this is very beneficial to the client and can help our competitiveness because it

the whole, the leading French construction company employs over 8000 people across Europe and the Middle East, and is currently involved in contracts at the Port of Calais and the new Paris Metro lines. “We have extensive experience and knowledge in carrying out these types of major infrastructure projects,” says Adrian. “We have

“National Grid required a couple of new pylons and a temporary pylon whilst they completed the diversion. We were contracted specifically to do the piles and pile caps for the pylons. Therefore, we delivered a turnkey package, which included fitting the stubs – the steel angles off of which the rest of the tower is built – that have to be in exactly the right position and at the right angle.”

Offering this complete

means one less interface and one less subcontract to manage for the client. It also places the liability for the entire foundations with us, which clients prefer.”

Of course, this is not the only strength afforded by Spie Fondations in the UK, as a great amount of its competitiveness comes from the high level of resources and expertise afforded to it by being part of the global Spie Batignolles group. On

a wide variety of techniques from diaphragm walls, grouting and piling works and a large fleet of different rigs and equipment to deliver these. An example is our in-house developed cutter, the Rotoforeuse©,for excavating diaphragm walls into rock and other hard materials.

“We actually have the capability now to do 40 metre deep CFA piles with our new Llamada rig and have also developed our own

41

profile: Spie Fondations

in-house cage vibrator, which enables us to push cages more than 20m into CFA piles in the right ground conditions. This gives us an advantage when piling in east London where the dense Thanet sands are out of reach of conventional CFA rigs but we can reach them with our Llamada rig

42

and benefit from the high bearing capacity of the Thanets.

“Our diverse plant resource is supported by an in-house design team and a very experienced and well-trained workforce. Some of our guys have been with us for over 20 years. Delivering projects’ safely is always top of our agenda and Spie Batignolles have their own training school where we instil the philosophy of Zero Accident working to the whole workforce and management teams.”

With these strengths behind it, Spie is able to drive its knowledge into complex projects and employ innovative solutions to overcome potential challenges. An apt example of this is the ongoing project on the Jersey International

Finance Centre in St Helier. Adrian explains: “This is another project for a local firm called Camerons to install the bearing piles and a piled retaining wall for the basement excavation for a five-storey commercial office development.

Due to an existing granite seawall we have had to innovate here by building a composite retaining wall.

“The sea wall was buried below the ground and our piles had to go through it, so we designed and constructed a composite seawall using CFA piles and drilled micropiles with steel casings. The CFA piles went down to the top of the old seawall and the micro-piles were drilled through the granite wall and into the rock below so they can provide the ground support.”

designed and constructed the piled foundations back in 2008, is only just being completed after it was left as a concrete skeleton for a number of years due to the 2007/8 crash. However, Adrian is also aware that the UK’s boom brings its own challenges in the

form of European competition and a shortage of skilled workers.

A strong reputation for innovation and a growing portfolio of major projects form the foundations of a busy and successful future for Spie in the UK, and continued focus on securing more high profile projects is key to building on this.

“Looking forward our immediate focus will be on securing the Thames Tideway projects,” concludes Adrian. “As well as continuing to scout for other opportunities within the market.”

Spie Fondations www.spiefondations.fr Services: Specialist in major project foundations

The current project on Jersey is on the first of five buildings, which will eventually make up the finance centre, and Adrian is confident that Spie’s involvement with the contract will continue throughout the complete cycle.

The opportunities for Spie in the current UK market are obvious as the country’s construction industry picks up and the government continues to invest heavily into infrastructure projects.

“The major opportunities are the Thames Tideway project, HS2 and the vast amount of residential high-rise developments currently being implemented throughout London,” notes Adrian. One such development, Eagle House on City Road, for which Spie

43

profile: Aalborg Portland

A concrete

hold

In a recovering market, Danish cement leader, Aalborg Portland, is demonstrating exemplary levels of environmental responsibilities to compete in an ever demanding industry 44

A

alborg Portland can trace its roots back to 1889, when cement factory producer FL Schmidt & Co established the company. In 2004, the company was bought by Italian Group Cementir Holding, enabling the

parent company to secure a wider international footprint.

Today the two core product streams for the company are in grey and white cement, which enable Aalborg to occupy leading positions throughout Europe and the US. With the soft chalk, which underlies much of the country’s

Director, Export, Henrik Hougaard.

“In the late 90s we established a new factory in Egypt to cover the Middle East, and have since established production in Malaysia and China and have set up a joint venture in North America.”

Through a combination of smart business and strong backing, Aalborg Portland has established itself as a very financially sound company. “Going through a crisis this is a massive strength as we are robust enough to make big changes to maintain growth. Therefore, we were able to continue investing into and growing the business through the downturn,” highlights Henrik. “Our logistical expertise and capabilities are big advantages as well, as we have the quarry, production facilities and private port all based on one site. This way we have very integrated operations from quarrying through to dispatch.

Aside from this our history has given us expert capabilities and technologies both in terms of production competence and in R&D.” The company’s product range varies accordingly to meet a number of requirements across the relevant sectors. “We basically supply the whole palette of demands with about six or seven products in our grey and white lines. We supply all segments of the market: Precast elements,

paving and masonry products, drymix mortars/renders/grouts and readymixed concrete, asphalt and special applications,” Henrik outlines. “We also supply producers of high strength concrete products.” Denmark and its surrounding countries are Aalborg’s major markets for grey cement where the company holds a leading market share; elsewhere it is white cement that secures the Danish firm’s success.

With regards to the market Henrik is pleased to see conditions improving as Denmark begins to emerge out of the economic crisis that has overshadowed Europe for the last few years.

“We haven’t reached pre-crisis levels as yet,” he notes, “but it is definitely showing sustained levels of growth. To a great extent this is being driven by a number of large projects around the country such as an ongoing extension of the Copenhagen Metrolink. For white cement it is a much more scattered picture across our markets, we see our best growth in Poland, the UK and to some extent Sweden where demand is really increasing in line with growing economies. Elsewhere there are still some challenging markets. We are also seeing really positive growth levels in the USA where we are partners in a jointventure established back in the early 80s.”

landscape, forming the raw material for its products, Aalborg is the only cement producer in Denmark and has established successful distribution channels for white cement across the world. “On the worldwide scale we are the largest producer of white cement,” explains Sales

45

The flexible supplier of transportation, stevedoring and contracting.

Randers Stevedore: Is a young, dynamic and all-round business that offers a broad variety of transportation and logistic solutions within handling of goods, discharging, inland transportation and shipping. We are specialized in adapting stevedoring- and transport solutions to each of our customers’ needs. We offer all-in-one solutions, as well as individual solutions in stevedoring and transportation.

www.randersstevedore.dk Randers Stevedore A/S, Tronholmen 49, DK - 8960 Randers SĂ˜

46

Phone: +45 86 42 36 38 Mail: r-s@os.dk

profile: Aalborg Portland

Perhaps compounding the economic challenges that still exist across Europe for Aalborg, is the state of material demand.

“Apart from the UK where the market is having to look at importing grey cement, there is a surplus of capacity across Europe.

This of course is creating a lot of competition in the market,” expresses Henrik. “This competition is magnified further due to new environmental levies and taxes placed upon heavy industry, these tend to be isolated market-bymarket rather than being European wide and Denmark is leading the way so it makes it even harder for us to compete with other producers in Europe.”

However, one way Aalborg is working to secure its competitiveness in the market is in its exemplary responsibility to environmental considerations.

“Customers are starting to become more aware of the CO2 impact, so we are working hard to either meet these environmental requirements or publicise that they are already in place,” says Henrik. “Innovation is of significant importance as we look to find alternative raw materials to use in our products whilst maintaining quality, and alternative fuels to power what is a heavy industry that has traditionally relied on coal and oil.

We are extracting surplus heat from the white kilns and providing that to the district heating system in the local area to heat over 25,000 homes a year. We would like to increase this system. We are

also currently looking at installing wind turbines to generate power for the facility here and we are working in co-operation with the local community to set up a cooling system from our quarry lake to cool the machines that will be installed in a newly built hospital nearby.”

With a wealth of high profile

supplier contracts under its belt including London 2012 Olympic sites and the newly built world’s tallest residential building in Manhattan, the quality of Aalborg’s product and service is unrivalled on a global scale. The future for the company will be focused on maintaining the market leading positions and looking at product development and innovation to increase its competitiveness and ability to lead the heavy cement industry into a new age of green production.

Aalborg Portland www.aalborgportland.com Services: International cement and concrete supplier, global leader in white cement

47

profile: brc

Solid

support UK leader BRC continues to achieve unrivalled success through its commitment to safety, innovation and sustainable compliance and remains at the forefront of the industry

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A

fter gaining a patent for electrically welded mesh fabric, John Hall founded the British Reinforcement Company (BRC) in 1905. With a focus on customers’ needs the company pursued a programme of continuous product and service development, and BRC has grown to become a market leader in supplying UK CARES certified steel reinforcement products and accessories to

the UK construction market. Its products range from rebar and standard fabric, through specialist products for applications such as ground stabilisation, to customengineered formwork, masonry reinforcement and bespoke industrial welded wire mesh. As of today the company has supplied to some of the largest and most iconic construction projects in the country such as Wembley Stadium, the Olympic Village, the Dartford Crossing and has ongoing supplier contracts in the

Crossrail programme.

“Safe and responsible production is at the heart of all of our operations, and we are working with the construction industry as a whole towards the goal of zero accidents,” begins Managing Director, John Collins immediately pointing out the company’s committed focus to health and safety. Quality products are central to BRC achieving this safety objective and as such it was the first steel reinforcement supplier to gain

BES 6001, OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001 as well as becoming a member of the Institute of Customer Service. “We have always been at the forefront of certification,” explains John. “By maintaining this leading status, we can provide all of the certificates our customer requires upfront to provide evidence to their client or main contractor.”

Also enabling BRC to stand out in the market are its wide offering and sustainability practices. John continues: “We combine our

cutting edge detailing solutions team, led by our new BIM (Building Information Modelling) Manager Maurice Hill, and UK wide production and distribution facilities to allow us to supply more steel reinforcement than any other supplier to any type of project or customer throughout the UK. Sustainability and responsible sourcing are also vital to our business, so we only buy steel that has been sourced and produced within the UK, this means our final product has a

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profile: brc

fraction of the carbon burden of steel that has been imported.”

Sitting at the heart of BRC’s defining value of continuous development is its approach to innovation. The company places emphasis on ensuring all departments can operate within a creative environment to foster an innovative and progressive culture.

This is implemented through robust Total Quality Management processes. “One exciting recent innovation is our True Cost of

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Reinforcement project that we are starting with some of our customers,” highlights John.

“This is a collaborative project looking at how we can help our customers save on-site costs to process the delivered product.

From the information collected, we can propose bespoke changes to our deliveries to ensure that the customer not only gets the highest quality of material but also a service that aids their construction plan and costs.”

Continuing its tradition of occupying a leading position at the forefront of the construction industry, BRC has been a major driver of innovation into complying with the UK’s BIM programme. The BIM project, which seeks to introduce a centrally led global digital construction technology for building modelling is currently at the cutting edge of construction planning and the UK’s booming construction market is the

perfect breeding ground for such a project to cultivate and grow. BRC has ensured it is part of this by investing heavily into its ability to provide the best 3D-BIM ready solutions to its customers. Maurice Hill, BIM Manager at BRC comments: “With the government’s BIM initative deadline of January 2016 looming, we have invested to ensure we are ready to interact with the supply chain in the advancement of construction technology. BRC has always been at the forefront of the steel reinforcement market and advancing in this area will continue to maintain that position.”

By reacting to such opportunities and maintaining its ability to push the construction industry’s envelope, BRC is operating positively to secure

its future success. In order to retain its market leading position as it moves forward, John lists some of the things the company will be focusing on in particular: “We will be looking at increasing our already leading supply capacity, continuing to invest in providing 3D-Detailed solutions

to our customers and their clients, and continuing to always purchase responsibly sourced and produced steel of UK origin.

Making sure we stay one step ahead of compliance and future developments is a key objective.

“At BRC we are proud to think of ourselves as the largest, greenest and safest steel reinforcement supplier in the UK and we will work hard to produce further innovative solutions to continue to supply safe, responsibly sourced and high quality products into the UK construction market.”

BRC Ltd www.brc.ltd.uk Services: Manufactures engineered steel reinforcement products

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profile: Al Ghurair Construction - Readymix

base A solid

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

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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 worldrenowned 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.

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 readymix 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 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, particularly in the production of readymix.

All incoming raw materials for readymix 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 the company’s fully equipped laboratory, and at frequent intervals 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. Procedures on order management, raw material and finished products inventory, dispatch, laboratory, and invoicing are automatically controlled by a SIMMA batching plant control system supplied by SIMMA Electronics for concrete management.

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 many years has earned the

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profile: Al Ghurair Construction - Readymix

PAC Al Ghurair Construction Readymix LLC & PAC Technologies LLC have had a long and successful business relationship since 2008, when PAC was given a chance to compete technically to develop a new concrete admixture product and tailor make it to the precise needs of Al Ghurair and to some stringent high end project specifications.

Since then, the business between both companies has excelled to develop further than the normal client-supplier relationship, moving more into a continuous and ongoing co-operation on the Research and Development for new concrete admixtures that are greener, compatible with all kinds of raw materials, competitive and above all, performing and complying to high international standards.

Consistency, close follow up and prompt delivery of products were PAC’s main objectives with Al Ghurair. Varying from the normal plasticisers to the supers and highrange hyperplasticiser based on Poly-Carboxylic Ether technology, PAC was able to fulfill all the requirements of the different mix designs requested by Al Ghurair’s customers and to their satisfaction.

At PAC, the client is king and the quality of services is of a paramount importance in any successful business relationship. Al Ghurair and PAC is a living example. PAC is pleased and proud of working with Al Ghurair Construction Ready Mix and wishes them all success in their current and future endeavors.

Al Ghurair Construction readymix operations ISO 9001 certification for design, production and supply of readymix concrete, as well as the trust of the customer.

The company holds ISO 14001 for Environmental Management System and OHSAS 18001 for Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series, and it has also achieved the DCL/Dubai Municipality’s Plant and Truck Conformity certification as per DMS 026 during early this year.

Between 2005 and 2015 the business supplied over eight million cubic metres of readymix to its customers in Dubai 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 the eight months of 2015 supplied over 380,000 cubic metres of the readymix product in Dubai. 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.

Al Ghurair Construction Readymix www.al-ghurair.com Services: Producer and supplier of readymix concrete 55

profile: Moulded Foams

Insulating

success A dedicated and exemplary approach to innovation and market awareness has led Moulded Foams to reach a significant milestone of insulating 25,000 homes and it shows no intention of slowing down

M

oulded Foams has been operating for over 30 years as a manufacturer of expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polypropylene (EPP) and expanded polyethylene (EPE) dynamic foams for the construction, OEM, pharmaceutical, automotive and food sectors. “We are a privately owned company focused on developing innovative foam solutions by working closely with our diverse client base to design, tool, mould and supply,” explains Sales Manager, Nigel Smith. “By utilising cutting edge CAD design, modern manufacturing methods and project management we embark on a journey of continuous innovation, developing bespoke and creative solutions for new and emerging markets. This is bolstered by unrivalled customer

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service and on-time delivery.”

Managing Director, John Thornberry continues: “We are a business built on selling the properties of what is effectively 98 per cent air and only a small amount of plastic. The properties of trapped air are very interesting on many levels from environmental and efficient use of resources to functional USP’s of insulation, buoyancy, cushioning, compression strength, water resistance and engineering accuracy. Expanded Polystyrene, or Airpop® as we like to call it, has endless applications and has captured my attention and

imagination for the last 30 years to find new problems to solve.”

Moulded Foams reacted quickly during the recession in 2006 to redirect its business focus towards new markets. With a high degree of foresight and investment, this move proved to be a key driver in the company’s rapid growth and success over the following years.

As such, the company’s focus on the construction industry has culminated in it reaching a major landmark achievement.

“We have seen a significant increase in our construction business, which is directly related to ever-changing building regulations and increases in newbuild construction,” continues Nigel. “As this market has grown with the introduction of new legislation in terms of insulation and air management regulation, so too have we created a number of insulation products that focus specifically on meeting these challenging demands.”

The first and most-significant product to have been developed

in accordance to these new demands is the Tdeck XT Thermal Flooring system, a BBA-certified suspended floor. The system is a lightweight EPS replacement for concrete blocks that were traditionally placed between concrete floor beams to provide insulation. “Our foam blocks offer superior insulation values in a suspended ground floor,” highlights Nigel. “They are able to lock tightly between the beams and are therefore much more thermally efficient than just concrete alone. They are also much easier to install and result in less waste on site compared to other systems.”

Working in conjunction with its partner, Litecast, a manufacturer of concrete beams, Moulded Foams deployed its dedicated design centre to create the innovative blocks. Thermal and compression testing was undertaken internally enabling the business to validate the impressive performance of this innovative system. The development culminated in the introduction of the patented interlocking toe system, which enables the

ground worker and architect to construct a floor where double and treble beams are used in the design. “This system has been designed to fit accurately around the pre-stressed concrete beam to ensure there is limited cold bridging,” says Nigel commenting on the importance of working closely with Litecast. “We have really benefited from the cross-mergence, synergies and experience of the two businesses working together which has resulted in this great milestone, of having supplied insulated ground floors for over 25,000 homes being reached.”

The development of Tdeck XT Thermal has been critical to Moulded Foams achieving its recent success and was a result of careful attention and an in-depth understanding of the changing construction market.

Nigel continues: “Essentially, in 2007 we identified a gap in the market that had formed as a result of new Part L Building Regulations, which effectively meant that concrete insulation in the floor was not going to provide sufficient insulation. We therefore engaged with Litecast, the concrete beam manufacturer to design and develop a system

to meet these building regulations and furthermore future proof it to ensure it met regulations beyond those already in place.

Compounded by a predicted rise in the new build industry and fuelled by the solution being supplied as a complete flooring system, rather than component parts, demand for this system has risen exponentially.”

As such, Moulded Foams has now reached this landmark achievement with the XT Thermal deck system installed in 25,000 homes. “This was the first projected milestone, which we have achieved in less than eight years and we see the next goal of 50,000 homes being met in a fraction of the time,” notes Nigel.

Taking a look at the company’s financial performance places this achievement into context. Since 2006 the company has seen annual double digit growth as these and other market sectors have grown with turnover for 2015 forecasted in excess of £15M. In addition to the Tdeck flooring solution, Moulded Foams compliments its portfolio of construction industry products with cavity wall insulation and an insulation solution for heat recovery systems and associated air ducting. “These insulation systems offer improved thermal, noise and vibration performance

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profile: Moulded Foams

We have really benefited from the cross-mergence, synergies and experience of the two businesses working together which has resulted in this great milestone, of having supplied insulated ground floors for over 25,000 homes being reached” and therefore promote a much higher efficiency within the housing envelope, resulting subsequently in lower running costs,” adds Nigel.

To reach these unprecedented results since 2006, Moulded Foams has placed particular emphasis on investment in order to continue developing and responding to growing demands.

“We have grown predominantly through continual reinvestment of profits into people, plant and technologies,” explains Nigel. “As part of this investment, we have recently relocated two of our four sites to brand new, 100 per cent owned greenfield sites to be closer to our key markets and keep up with the growing needs of the business. Both represent significant increases in capacity in order to meet ever-growing and future demands. We have also invested in new moulding

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machines, CNC CAD design stations and testing equipment to ensure that all our products meet the stringent regulations within the construction, automotive and packaging industries.

“Within the house building sector we have particular emphases to fully understand how our products perform in-situ, combined with other robust details,” adds John. “Our goal is to eventually educate the house owner and to create a more discerning buyer. At present the typical house buyer is unconscious of the elements, which make up the envelope of their home. This will change over time. It is probably the most expensive purchase they will ever make, yet they get better, more accurate information on the purchase of a Mars bar than a house!”

With a robust strategy of

continued investment and innovation in place the future for Moulded Foams reflects the fast moving and successful nature of the last eight years. “The vision from this point onwards is to consolidate ourselves as the largest independent manufacturer of construction, food and pharmaceutical foams in the UK, whilst looking for opportunities in new and emerging markets where we feel we can occupy a leading position,” highlights Nigel.

“We have our sights set on the next big land mark of 50,000 homes supplied, and we hope to achieve this through continuing investment into people, foam technologies and machinery.”

Moulded Foams www.mouldedfoams.com Services: Manufacturer of high quality, innovative cellular foams

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

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