Construction Ireland V17N04

V17 N04

Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital A new unit at an orthopaedic hospital, that has been described as the first of its kind in Ireland, has been completed Read more on page 14

Construction Joints Ltd

Over 40 years providing construction solutions to the Building Industry in the UK and Ireland Read more on page 3

RMS has been set up in south Donegal to cater for the small to medium size mechanical services projects on commercial and industrial buildings. These services include but are not limited to the following: • Oil or gas boiler replacements • Oil or gas boiler maintenance, cleaning and repair • Mechanical ventilation (supply and installation) • Ductwork/pipe work cladding • Air conditioning • Kitchen extract canopies • Metal fabrication to include fire escapes, --railings and gates • Plumbing and heating solutions • Mechanical controls Collectively, the directors of Rathmore Mechanical Services have 55 years experience with a broad range of end users including, Schools, Universities, Hotels, Retail, Factories, Hospitals and recreational facilities.

RMS is members of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), Construction Workers Pension Scheme (CWPS), Construction industry of Ireland (CIRI), Safe T Cert Qualification.

RMS has currently a work force of 10 direct employees and sub-contractors between 10 to 20 personnel and wide variety of plant and equipment.

Please feel free to request a no obligation quotation for any of the above items.

40 Dartry View, Kinlough, Co.Leitrim

Tel/Fax 071 98 43837 Mob 087 286 2510 / 087 263 1951 Email:rathmoremech@gmail.com

CONSTRUCTION JOINTS LTD – 4OTH BIRTHDAY Since our inception in 1974, Construction Joints Ltd. has been jointing, coring and sawing all over the UK and Ireland.

Over the years, we have taken on some very major works such as 11 miles of jointing in the Belfast Metropolitan College, Specialist waterproofing treatments in the Titanic Quarter, Building Conversions in Belfast City Centre from Vaults to Restaurants – to name but a few.

Part of our staying power in the industry is our ability to expand into new areas of business and with this in mind; we have branched out to the innovative world of specialist surfacing using Grouted Macadam. This new finish turns previously badly spalled yard areas into a tough new finish suitable for use by heavy traffic 24 hours after laying – ideal for service yards.

Grouted Macadam is proving to be a great success and we have just completed three prestigious contracts in Birmingham, Lisahally and Navan.

Recently, we have been instrumental in the restoration and repair of a number of Schools and other Public Service Buildings in the province – the concrete repair and other more general repairs ensures that these old buildings have a new lease of life – making them fit for purpose for many years to come.

Our ability to successfully carry out many different tasks is in no small measure, attributable to our well trained, experienced and very loyal workforce. From our longest serving employee, who has been with us for 36 years, to our newest member, everyone in the Company is dedicated to carry out works to the highest specification, with minimum fuss, ensuring that our Clients return to us time after time.

Construction Joints continually strives to offer our clients up-to-the minute methodology, new ideas, and new products meeting customers’ needs, with the best possible service and value for money.

CJ’s – the seal of approval

CONSTRUCTION JOINTS LTD. UNIT 12 FORTWILLIAM BUSINESS PARK, DARGAN CRES, BELFAST. BT3 9JP TEL: 028 90779022 FAX: 028 90779021 www.constructionjoints.co.uk email: enquiries@cjltd.com

NEWS - 8 COMMENTS 14

41 KR Moeller - Niklas Moeller

PROFILE 38 Euro Services Contracts 43 Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service

HEALTH 14 Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital

CIVIL 19 Riverstick Wastewater Treatment Works 30 Kilkenny Wastewater Treatement Plants 46 Costelloe Regional Water Supply Scheme

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ESTIMATING & VALUATION SOFTWARE

The ConQuest Cloud is making a real difference to the industry We asked Tony Day, the owner of Conquest Ltd, about the reasoning behind the ConQuest cloud based enquiry system and why they give it away for free.

Tony explained: “Firstly it has to be free because subcontractors will, on principle, refuse to pay even a penny to submit a speculative quotation.

We have made it free to all our existing enquiry management customers because we want a universal uptake so the system can make a real difference to the industry. Of course we hope this will result in further sales of the main estimating product as well.

“The compilation and sending of enquiries has always been a thorn in the side of estimators.

Things have improved since we (largely) stopped killing trees by sending everything on paper but there has never been a consistent approach across the industry.

“Some contractors attach documents to emails, others use drop box or one of the many other file sharing systems. In any given week, a subcontractor could receive enquires via a dozen different systems, often having to remember a different log-in and user name for each one. He will also have to remember how to navigate around a dozen different menu structures.

“This has led to subcontractors being frustrated and, in a significant number of cases, simply not even bothering to look at the enquiry. If they do look at it their misery is often compounded, because they have to wade through hundreds of documents they aren’t interested in, to find the ones that they need to see.

“I have spoken to a great many subcontractors and the message is loud and clear. They want ONLY what they need in a consistent and easy to access format.

“Obviously the main contractor’s estimator doesn’t set out to make life difficult (despite what some subbies may think). That is not going to help him get quick responses in and get his own tender in on time.

But given the lack of any single system designed to create concise trade packages, most are forced to just send everything to everyone and let the subbies sort it out. Don’t get me wrong, some contractors go to a great deal of effort to produce targeted packages, but it is a great deal of effort and takes a lot of time, often using several software packages which don’t really talk to each other very well.”

ConQuest OLE (On Line Enquiries) is a cloud based application completely integrated with the main estimating product. Tony explains: “We could have quickly cobbled together a solution by linking different packages together but I quickly decided it had to be designed and built from scratch and be 100% inside the main product to be really slick. After five years of design and development, the reaction from ConQuest users and subcontractors alike indicate that it was worth the effort.”

So what does it do?

Tony gave us a synopsis: “Contract documentation can be loaded into ConQuest from anywhere in any format. Trade packages are created so easily people often laugh when they see for the first time. If you have a BoQ in ConQuest, the system will create fully formatted and formularised trade bills in excel or PDF. Trade specific invitations to tender are created by mail-merge. One copy of each document is then loaded onto the ConQuest cloud.

“The system contains, or is connected to the main subcontractor database. You can create multiple lists of subbies by area, trade, etc. OLE also has its own purpose-built email server which sends messages in batches of any size to your selected subcontractors. No documents are attached to the emails. The subcontractor receives an email with a secure link to the ConQuest cloud where he can view and download documents very, very easily.

“The automated tracking system lets you know when they have viewed or downloaded documents in real time and enables them to indicate whether or not they intend to submit a price. Chase up and thank you emails can be sent automatically in a few seconds.”

Numbers sometimes speak for themselves.

• 200,000

enquiries have been sent on the system.

• 73%

of subcontractors have clicked to view the documents. Remember the 27% that don’t are largely sent to people who have moved, died or emigrated.

• 91%

of subcontractors who visit the ConQuest cloud download the documents.

Furthermore, ConQuest users report saving days of time and a steady improvement in both the speed and quantity of positive responses from subcontractors.

So what are you waiting for?

01204 669689 sales@conquest.ltd.uk

THE ESTIMATING SOFTWARE PEOPLE

NEWS CI

Senior’s Hybrid systems ‘critical’ to project’s success The multi-award winning Airfield Evolution building in Dublin, which has a whole host of environmentally friendly features, has benefited from Senior Architectural Systems’ fully recyclable timber and aluminium Hybrid curtain walling, door and window systems.

Airfield Evolution, which is part of the Airfield charitable organisation, utilises Senior’s Hybrid systems, which architects Solearth Ecological Architecture were full of praise for.

Mike Haslam, Director at Solearth, said: “Senior’s Hybrid curtain wall system fitted the bill in terms of aesthetics and performance and is a critical part of the overall success of the project.”

Airfield Evolution is located on a 42 acre working farm in Dundrum and is open to the public for educational and recreational purposes.

The award winning building is an extension of the original Airfield project, established in 1998, and contains a new shop, restaurant, and demonstration areas to

enhance the learning experience of visitors.

Also on-site are gardens and a heritage experience, offering visitors the opportunity to learn more about the natural world.

It is therefore fitting that environmentally focused Hybrid systems from fenestration systems designer and manufacturer Senior were specified for the £7M building, which was designed by Solearth, who specialise in innovative sustainable design.

At Airfield Evolution, Senior’s Hybrid Series 3 curtain walling was installed along with Hybrid Series 1 casement tilt and turn windows, Hybrid sliding folding doors, Hybrid lift and slide doors and Hybrid swing doors.

Senior’s Hybrid systems offer an aluminium external profile providing exceptional performance, long life and low maintenance with contrasting engineered timber internally to provide an ideal combination of aesthetics, high insulation properties and strong environmental benefits.

Not only are Hybrid’s timber and

aluminium profiles responsibly sourced and fully recyclable, they also help to improve the thermal performance of a building and improve natural lighting once installed. These properties help to conserve energy, cutting carbon and costs in the long term and improving the health and wellbeing of end users.

No doubt Senior’s Hybrid systems therefore contributed to Solearth’s recent accolades for Airfield Evolution. The design won in the Best Cultural Project and Best Sustainable Project categories at the Irish Architectural Awards 2014 and scooped the Green Building Award at The Green Awards 2014.

Installing Senior’s Hybrid systems is now an aesthetic and environmental choice specifiers can make in confidence knowing that the project in question will see an improvement in environmental performance and be protected with a stunning facade for years to come, which bodes well for future generations.

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Minister confirms start of Northway widening scheme Work on a major £1.1M carriageway widening scheme on the Northway in Portadown has started.

Transport Minister Danny Kennedy said the contract for the capital scheme, which will involve the widening of 1.9km of carriageway to two lanes in each direction from the Seagoe to Kernan Loop junctions, has now been awarded to Gibson (Banbridge) Ltd. The scheme is expected to be completed before the end of the year.

Danny Kennedy said: “This is a significant capital investment in the road network in the Craigavon area. The scheme will help improve the movement of the 27,000 vehicles a day that use the route which is a critical link to and from the M1 Motorway.

“Road improvements such as this will inevitably lead to some disruption and I would ask the public for their cooperation and patience during the construction works.”

Every effort will be made during the work to minimise disruption for the travelling public.

In order to achieve this and carry out the

work safely, it will be necessary to prevent vehicles from turning right both into and out of the Seagoe Road. This work will also require a lane closure restricting traffic to a single lane in each direction with a temporary speed limit of 30mph along this section of the Northway for the duration of the works.

The contract will also focus on completing works at the Kernan Loop junction as

early as practical in order to reduce delays.

The scheme will improve road safety and traffic progression along this section of the Northway by upgrading this section from a three lane carriageway to a four lane carriageway including junction improvements. This important work will accommodate existing and the expected future traffic growth in the area.

McCausland welcomes new homes for East Belfast Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland has cut the first sod of a new £3.7M social housing scheme on the Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast.

The development is being built on a site previously occupied by a former car sales forecourt and when completed will comprise of 32 two-bedroom apartments for families and the active elderly. The scheme is being developed by Helm Housing with part funding from the Northern Ireland Executive, through the Department for Social Development, and is due for completion in October 2015.

Speaking on-site, Minister McCausland said: “One of my key objectives as Housing Minister is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to access good quality accommodation. These new homes once completed will be a real, practical outworking of that commitment.

“In an area where there continues to be a high housing need, these apartments will take families and the active elderly from the social housing waiting list and provide them with a new modern home.”

The Minister continued: “Helm Housing is to be congratulated for constructing these new homes and bringing this vacant site back into use for the benefit of the community. I look forward to returning next year and viewing the completed scheme.”

The two- and three-storey blocks will be built to high energy efficiency levels with Lifetime Homes and Secured by Design accreditation in place. One block will provide 20 apartments for the active elderly with the other block consisting of 12 apartments for families.

Michael McDonnell, Chief Executive Officer of Helm Housing said: “Helm Housing’s development at Upper Newtownards Road will provide housing for 96 people, including elderly, families and individuals in 32 purpose-built apartments. With a total investment of nearly £4M, construction is expected to be completed by October 2015 and the project is being funded jointly by the Northern Ireland Executive, through the Department for Social Development, and private finance sourced by Helm Housing.

“The project is one of a number of new developments at various stages of planning and construction across Northern Ireland which underline our organisation’s commitment to the creation of thriving and empowered communities.”

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny opens new Guinness Brewery at St James’s Gate An Taoiseach Enda Kenny was joined

by Diageo PLC CEO Ivan Menezes to officially open ‘Brewhouse No.4’, the e169M state-of-the-art brewery at St James’s Gate, Dublin. The new brewhouse is one of the most technologically advanced and environmentally sustainable in the world, and is also the largest stout brewery in the world.

St James’s Gate is one of the oldest industrial sites in Ireland and Brewhouse No.4, with a centre for brewing excellence combines tradition and modernity at the 255 year old site. Currently Diageo exports more than e1Bn in product from the site to over 130 countries while the Guinness Flavour Essence which is produced in St James’s Gate enables further brewing of Guinness in 50 countries around the world.

The Taoiseach said: “I’m delighted to open the new Diageo brewery at St James’s Gate. Ireland has a worldwide reputation for quality food and drink production and this new e169M investment in the heart of Dublin will help contribute to our export led recovery. St James’s Gate has a long history of supporting local jobs while sending

iconic Irish brands around the world. The Government’s plan for recovery will see continued support for our indigenous export orientated food and drink sector which provides jobs across the island of Ireland.”

Brewhouse No.4 is 10,000sq m and was the largest construction project in Ireland in 2012, equating to 2,000,000 man hours.

It uses state-of-the-art technology and processes to minimise energy consumption and greatly reduce environmental impact, ensuring that Diageo remains an industry leader in the area of sustainability.

Paul Armstrong, Diageo Supply Director Brewing, International Supply Centre, said: “Diageo is very proud of its long history in St James’s Gate. 255 years ago when Arthur Guinness signed the nine thousand year lease at St James’s Gate he did so to secure the future of Guinness.

Today with this progressive brewery we are securing the future of brewing in Ireland. I am very proud that we remain true to our history, our heritage and our craft and that St James’s Gate will continue to be the home of brewing innovation for Diageo long into the future.”

Turner & Townsend fulfils cost management duties on landmark building Acting as cost managers, Turner & Townsend’s duties included; assessing landlord contributions and assisting in the procurement of furniture and furnishings as well as audio visual equipment. Full CDMC services were provided, both pre- and post-contract.

Andrew McKeown, Senior Cost Manager for Turner & Townsend, stated: “We are proud to have been part of this major project, ensuring the working environment at Pinsent Masons’ new office is second to none.

“Throughout the project we provided regular cost plans and reports, and using our expertise and foresight within this sector we ensured the project was completed within budget.”

9

Turner & Townsend, the global programme management and construction consultancy, has completed one of the largest office fit-out projects in Belfast to date – for international law firm, Pinsent Masons LLP’s, prestigious new offices.

The consultancy was appointed to provide cost management and construction design management coordination (CDMC) services for the fit-out of the third and fourth floors of the iconic Soloist Building, which has created new parameters for the modern working environment. The new accommodation includes a state-of-the-art client suite with over 100 workstations, meeting rooms with break-out spaces, kitchen facilities and support areas.

NEWS CI

President cuts ribbon on 75 new Dublin City Council Homes in Inchicore The President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, has officially opened the e16.9M Dublin City Council development - Thornton Heights, part of the regeneration of St Michael’s Estate, Inchicore.

Covering two acres of a 14 acre site, Thornton Heights is a 75 unit mixed apartment and housing development, comprising of ten terraced houses and 65 apartments in four blocks, varying in height from three- to six-storeys. The scheme also includes a creche with adjoining playground and a state-of-the-art community facility.

Three additional playgrounds will cater for different age groups, set in a secure courtyard formed by the apartment blocks and houses. In keeping with sustainable development, photovoltaic panels on the roof take energy from the sun to provide power to illuminate the common areas and storage areas in the scheme.

The process of regeneration of St Michael’s Estate began 12 years ago. Developed

and designed by Dublin City Council, BAM Builders Ltd commenced the construction of Thornton Heights in 2010, completing the scheme in August. Funding for this redevelopment was provided by the Department of Environment, Community & Local Government. The opening of Thornton Heights is the culmination of many years of hard work and a close collaboration between Dublin City Council and the St Michael’s Regeneration Board, chaired by Finbarr Flood.

Circle Voluntary Housing Association has been chosen by Dublin City Council to provide the social housing and facilities management services to this scheme.

Dublin’s Lord Mayor Christy Burke welcomed the opening saying: “Thornton Heights is a great example of what can be achieved when the local community through the Regeneration Board and Dublin City Council work in partnership for the greater good of the community. I would like to commend

everyone that has been involved for their effort and commitment to the project.

Communities are the building blocks of our city and our society so I would especially like to thank the residents for their patience and co-operation during the building works”.

Circle Voluntary Housing Association Chief Executive Justin O’Brien said: “We are delighted to be providing the social housing and facilities management services for this scheme. We have worked in partnership with Dublin City Council to select the tenants, all of whom had high housing need - some were living in overcrowded and substandard accommodation, some in insecure private rented accommodation and some were homeless. All the tenants are enthused with the quality of the accommodation provided to them and their children. We have also worked in partnership with the local statutory agencies and community groups in the Inchicore area and look forward to continuing those good relationships.”

Belfast has its say in Future City debate

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Residents of Belfast and beyond have got behind a new vision for Belfast city centre, presented at a major conference in the city.

Pop-up coffee shops and restaurants, quality street food, investment in the river corridor, night time markets, and more family friendly areas, are just some of the suggestions that have been shared with Belfast City Council since the ‘Future City’ conference got the conversation started.

Leading urban planner Joe Berridge presented his visionary report which highlighted key priorities and projects which could help promote the ‘Belfast brand’ on a European and global stage, and members of the public have been having their say on how they’d like to shape the city.

Buzz generated by the conference

in Belfast’s Waterfront created a lot of social media traffic as people joined in the discussion.

And now that feedback is being used to shape a final report which will be presented in the autumn by Urban Strategies, commissioned by Belfast City Council to produce the city centre regeneration and investment plan.

Report author Joe Berridge said: “Belfast has already been transformed in recent years as it has emerged from a period of conflict, but it is still a city in transition.

“Historically, Belfast has had an economy with strong links to manufacturing and industry, but all that is changing and this is the challenge for many similar European cities that are now having to focus on a

‘knowledge economy’. What this document sets out is a vision for taking Belfast forward, and the areas which will need attention as Belfast City Council prepares to take on planning responsibilities in 2015.”

The plan looks at the physical space in the city centre from pedestrian areas to street furniture, tree planting and parks.

It will also look at transport infrastructure from bridges, car parks, and cycling, to the planned Belfast Rapid Transit system.

In addition, the future framework will consider market and economic analysis of the city centre’s office market and retail offer, as well as priorities for tourism development and job creation.

Its ultimate objective is to create a long term strategy for a thriving city centre.

Saint-Gobain launches Passivhaus courses Saint-Gobain UK and Ireland has announced the launch of its Passivhaus Tradesperson Course, enabling tradespeople to gain international accreditation for one of the world’s most efficient energy standards.

The course will enable the UK to meet the growing demand for Passivhaus Standard buildings and towards meeting the 2020 energy efficiency target. According to Build Up Skills UK, 250,000 UK blue-collar workers require training in energy efficiency, so the course tackles this growing skills need.

Delivered by experienced personnel from the Passivhaus Academy in partnership with Saint-Gobain, the first course will run in November at the new Passivhaus Workshop in Saint-Gobain’s Technical Academy in Erith, Kent. The course will not only educate tradespeople on the principles of Passivhaus building, but it focuses on

providing high quality practical experience that other course providers may not have the facilities or resources to be able to offer.

With a combination of classroom lectures and presentations and a significant amount of time spent on practical hands-on training over a duration of five days, attendees will gain an in-depth understanding of Passivhaus principles and learn specific techniques such as detailing correct airtightness testing and treatment, interpreting data from Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP) and outlining the building methods to employ to avoid thermal bridging.

Stacey Temprell, Residential Sector Director for Saint-Gobain UK and Ireland, said: “The course has been developed to offer trades people vital skills and knowledge of Passivhaus to help the UK meet the growing

demand for Passivhaus buildings. What makes the Passivhaus course so unique is the focus on practical, hands-on elements enabling sub-contractors, consultants and architects to gain the necessary skills and professional development to achieve the Passivhaus standard on-site.”

On completion of the course, participants will sit an exam to receive international accreditation from the Passivhaus Institute as a certified Passive House Tradesperson, and will have gained a breadth of knowledge to put into practice that complies with trading standards and regulations to build for a sustainable future.

For more information and to book your place, visit www.saint-gobain. co.uk/products-and-solutions/ passivhaus-tradesperson-course.aspx

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CITB NI are evolving, celebrating 50 years supporting the local construction industry The Construction Industry Training Board, established in 1964, are celebrating 50 years of leading the way in identifying the skills and training needs of the local construction industry.

The organisation has changed significantly over the past 5 decades and has served the industry during both the high boom times and the low recessional times. With this in mind, the organisation, more recently known as CITB-ConstructionSkills NI, will now revert back to its original trading name, CITB NI in order to help celebrate the successes of the past 50 years and also reflect better the work with local employers.

Barry Neilson, Chief Executive, CITB NI said, “Our 50th Anniversary is quite an achievement and we are proud to have supported the development of our most valuable resource, our people during this time. Over recent years we have concentrated our efforts on supporting the industry to help it survive the economic downturn. We have worked with the sector to improve their capabilities in strategic planning and performance improvement at senior management level whilst also working to develop a qualified workforce at craft level. The economy in NI is levelling out and we are looking forward to the future with a confident and more capable workforce able to embrace the opportunities arising as our industry regenerates.”

“We may be changing our name but we are not changing our organisation, we will continue to work in partnership with CITB in

Contact

Great Britain and the Construction Industry Council as ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for Construction. As an Industry Training Board and Sector Skills Council, our vision is to have a construction industry were skills and competence are at the core of every business plan and a training culture where skills are at the heart of each construction company, no matter how large or small.”

Over the past 50 years, the construction industry has changed dramatically with significant changes to local city skylines, technology and construction methods.

Barry continued, “Construction is a historic industry. It has built our homes, our hospitals, our schools, our roads, our railways, our workplaces, our airports, our greatest cathedrals and historic buildings. These buildings and landmarks that have been developed will be here long after the construction process has been completed. They have allowed us to make our mark on the landscape. Through training grants, mobile training units, funded training initiatives and a major focus to qualify the workforce, we are looking forward to the next 50 years and support the industry in developing the people it needs to meet the challenges now and in the future.”

Interested parties can keep up to date with the progress of training opportunities in the local construction industry at www.citbni.org.uk or by ‘liking’ CITB NI on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CITBNorthernIreland or joining the discussion on Twitter @CITBNI

www.citbni.org.uk www.citbni.org.uk

HEALTH CI

Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital Benefiting from work provided by Clancy Construction A new unit at an orthopaedic hospital, that has been described as the first of its kind in Ireland, has been completed.

As well as this new Central Decontamination Unit (CDU), the project has resulted in extra space for an outpatient unit following refurbishment of one floor.

Funded by the HSE, Cappagh Hospital Foundation and Zehnacker Ireland Healthcare, the CDU, which is now larger, was developed in a bid to achieve a higher sterilisation output of surgical equipment.

The outpatient department was developed to increase the number of consultant rooms, which will allow for an increase in patient consultations in the future.

These are welcome facilities at Cappagh

Hospital, which is Ireland’s major centre for elective orthopaedic surgery.

It has long since been a pioneer of orthopaedic surgery in Ireland and is now the biggest hospital dedicated as such in the country.

The hospital began life as a voluntary hospital in 1908, founded under the care of the Religious Sisters of Charity.

It was renowned for its open air wards and for its surgical treatment of children with TB from the 1920s.

Over the years, the growth has been marked, with 160 beds now available, 11 of which are semi-private.

The hospital provides the full range of orthopaedic services including major

joint replacement, spinal surgery, primary bone tumour service, paediatric orthopaedics and sports injuries.

The orthotic unit produces artificial limbs, braces and other aids for patients from all over the country.

It has links with Beaumont Hospital, Children’s University Hospital on Temple Street, Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Mater University Hospital, St Vincent’s University Hospital, St Michael’s Hospital in Dun Laoghaire, St Columcille’s Hospital in Loughlinstown and St James’ Hospital.

In terms of the new development, the CDU is vital to the hospital’s operations, making sure reusable invasive medical devices used in Cappagh’s four operating

14

Images courtesy of Clancy Construction

devices - introduced in 2011.

This means that all medical devices processed in the new unit will be decontaminated to the most current Irish and European requirements.

Managed by Zehnacker Ireland Healthcare, the unit was specifically developed to allow other healthcare facilities avail of the decontamination process, which is a common concept in most European healthcare settings.

At the official opening of the unit, John O’Carroll, CEO of Zehnacker Ireland Healthcare, said: “We see the practice of sharing state-of-the-art facilities between hospitals as the cornerstone for ensuring quality and achieving cost savings.”

Refurbishment work of the first floor at the existing outpatient department has resulted in extra space for this department.

Some internal demolition was required before work could begin on increasing the size of the department and the extra building was designed so it matches the existing facilities, although the link bridge is insulated coloured render.

As with any project of this type, work didn’t pass by without some challenges.

The CDU required air tight pressurised rooms, which had to be delivered by the Main Contractor on-site, Clancy Construction.

Those were achieved though, ensuring that the necessary specification was adhered to.

In addition, the Company was able to achieve clean room status at the CDU despite the difficulty of this process.

It was important for Cappagh Hospital to find the very best construction team to carry out the work on this live site, and in Clancy Construction they found exactly what was needed to ensure the project was a success.

An Irish-owned company, Clancy Construction offers a full range of contracting services as well as design and build services, with particular strength in leisure, restoration, commercial and medical projects.

With a workforce of approximately 100, the Company has been running successfully since 1947.

Operating out of three offices, the Company has steadily grown over the years and now constructs large scale projects nationwide for both public and private sector clients.

Clients are safe in the knowledge that their developments will be taken care of by employees with the best experience and training.

Indeed, Clancy provide a range of inhouse and external training above and beyond what is required by the industry.

Staff are constantly kept up to date with industry regulations such as health and safety, building and other efficiencies that can be gained from technology.

For their part, the Company work closely with the Built Environment Department of Waterford Institute of Technology and regularly exchange knowledge that will help all employees.

It is a place where young professionals can flourish and as a result, has a number continued on page 18 >

15

theatres and other departments throughout the hospital are sterilised.

It represents a significant investment into the future of Cappagh, transforming the CDU into a world-class facility that conforms to the highest European standards.

Hannah McMahon, CDU Manager, spoke about the improvements that the new unit will bring.

“While sterilisation and decontamination of instruments has always been done to the highest possible standards in Cappagh, the new unit is purpose built so will give us greater space, state-of-the-art equipment and greater capacity,” she said.

“We’ve built our clean rooms to the same standards as operating theatres.”

Another huge benefit to patients at the hospital is that the new CDU will mean better planning of sterilising equipment in line with case mixes scheduled for theatre. The result of this is that more patients can be treated, and quicker too.

Hannah added: “We will get more vital instruments back into circulation on the same day, therefore more operations can be carried out.

“The unit must operate efficiently otherwise we risk surgery being cancelled.”

Financially, the unit could also benefit the hospital, by using the additional capacity to supply a service to other hospitals and clinics on a contract basis.

The unit is fully compliant with European standards, ISO standard 13485 and HSE standards for the decontamination of invasive medical

Our Offices: Cork l Dublin l Thurles

Commercial & Retail ● Education Hospital & Medical ● Leisure & Recreational Residential ● Restoration & Conservation ● Specialist Works Clancy Construction has been involved in construction and development since the 1940′s. Originally a family business, the company has grown steadily over the years and now constructs large scale projects nationwide for both the public and private sectors through our offices in Dublin, Cork and Tipperary.

As the construction industry experienced significant contraction in 2009, we reacted quickly and decisively by putting strategies in place that allowed us maintain our core competencies, retain and indeed enhance our ISO 9001/2008 Quality Management System and our Safe T Safety Certification. These strategies have seen our turnover stabilise and has resulted in the awarding of some significant projects such as the design and build of the new Cardiac Unit for Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children Crumlin, New Theatre Extension to Nenagh General Hospital, the design and build of the first phase of The Limerick Regeneration Programme at Cliona Park, Moyross along with further major social housing projects at Southill and Vizes Court Limerick.

In 2013, Clancy Construction reached another milestone in its development with the appointment to the Board of Directors of John Corcoran as Finance Director, Declan Fitzpatrick as Contracts and Quality Director, Chris Chambers as Dublin Regional and Safety Director and Nigel Cooke as Surveying Director. John O’ Shaughnessy has been appointed to the position of Managing Director as a successor to Pat Clancy. These changes bring a wealth of expertise and energy to the company as it continues to develop in extremely harsh trading conditions which will ensure we are well placed within the industry with a highly motivated professional team to ensure continued sustainable growth into the future.

Clancy Construction is one of the leading Construction companies in Ireland. Based in Tipperary, we develop large scale construction projects nationwide across all sectors.

The company has vast experience in commercial, public sector, and residential development and we are proud of our reputation for the dedicated attention to detail within our project management and the quality of our work. We strive to infuse every aspect of our business with a focused commitment to safety and quality standards.

Public sector projects are a core area for growth in the future, through both traditional tendering and Public Private Partnerships.

We have particular expertise in managing projects from inception, design, pre-planning, project management, right through to build and facilities management through our wholly owned facilities management company.

Head Office: Drangan, Thurles, Co. Tipperary

Tel: 052 91 52166 | Fax: 052 91 52280 Email: build@clancyconstruction.ie | www.clancyconstruction.ie

QUANTITY SURVEYING

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

MMP provide a comprehensive service to clients in the key areas of construction cost management, contract procurement, construction economics and cost consultancy.

We utilize bespoke cost planning techniques and value management interfacing with Building Information Modeling (BIM). This ensures delivery of best value for money. We have a track record spanning over 60 years in Public and Private Sector projects.

MMP have project managed many projects from inception to completion. Our experience is broad-based and MMP adopt a pragmatic and pro-active approach focusing on Client requirements and project outcomes.

M&E COST MANAGEMENT

STRATEGIC ADVICE MMP welcome the opportunity to become involved in project appraisal at the earliest stage to maximize the economic benefits of our advice for the Client. We provide advice for distressed projects and other incomplete building sites in relation to Cost Programme, Procurement, Health & Safety and Master Planning.

Bank of Scotland Ireland Fit-Out

RISK EVALUATION MMP are experienced and qualified to undertake independent risk evaluation reports on a range of construction projects. We provide supports for project Risk Management, Risk Evaluation and Risk Assessment.

PROJECT FUND MONITORING MMP provide due diligence and project monitoring, drawing on our experience and comprehensive cost data base, to numerous financial institutions on construction related lending. Recent projects include some recession affected construction projects in Ireland.

FIT-OUT

MMP provide a dedicated Mechanical and Electrical Cost Management service. We offer comprehensive advice on all aspects of mechanical and electrical services cost control. As buildings become more complex, sophisticated mechanical & electrical services now account for a much greater proportion of the value of the overall works. Accurate measurement and cost control is essential for a successful project.

MMP ASSOCIATED WITH CAPPAGH NATIONAL ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital

MMP have particular expertise in Fit-Out projects. We have been involved with many high profile developments in the Financial, Institutional, Commercial and Retail sectors including entire branch networks. MMP have also worked extensively on the Fit-out of Government and Local Authority Headquarters Projects.

For many years MMP have been involved in various refurbishment and extension projects including New Operating Theatres, Ward Refurbishments, CDU and OPD projects.

CONSTRUCTION HEALTH & SAFETY MMP Health & Safety Ltd. was established in 1997. Since its formation, and as the body of occupational and environmental health and safety legislation continues to grow, MMP Health & Safety Ltd. continues to develop and expand its services.

Blackrock College

Today MMPH&S acts as Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP) on many different projects. In certain instances it has acted as Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS) also.

It has provided expert advice to dispute resolution of construction contracts on both civil engineering and building projects.

MMPH&S provides assistance and advice to those with responsibility for ghost estates and other derelict building sites providing construction health and safety advice.

Willow Park Junior School

Shelbourne Hotel Wellness Centre

of students currently undertaking masters degrees in relevant courses that will ensure they can learn from and have a successful career with Clancy.

The Company is currently working on a range of projects, including Priory Hall and a number of design & build projects ongoing.

Recognised as an industry leader in BIM, regularly contributing to CITA talks, Clancy only work on design & build projects with teams that are fully BIM enabled. This undoubtedly improves the quality of the finished product.

Every contractor will promise to provide the very best quality at the end of a development, but where Clancy sets itself apart from other companies is the relationship it builds with clients.

Clancy specialises in building strong relationships with both new and existing clients - a core part of its business strategy.

Part of this is in no small part due to the Company’s staff and the relationships they strike up with the clients they work with.

2013, resulting in a step forward for The Company is no stranger to being the hospital and something that will be recognised for its high quality work in the instrumental in keeping it at the forefront healthcare sector having been nominated of patient care well into the future. in the category of Healthcare Project of the Year for work on a cardiology inpatient unit at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin.

Riverbank House, And this efficient Ballyboden Road, organisation Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 will continue to Tel: (353-1) 4930211 provide the highest Fax: (353-1) 4930215 quality of work Email: info@molonymillar.ie for all sectors that www.molonymillar.ie it focuses in.

Designed by ACMS Architectural At Molony Millar, we approach the structural aspect of a project in an innovative way, with ideas to provide simplistic design to support architectural creativity. We offer the client cost Services, work effective design with a consideration to the buildability of the project for the contractor on started on the site. We offer a high level of expertise in concrete, steel design, masonry and timber with project at Cappagh fresh ideas to enable the project to run efficiently. Our level of design analysis and drawing facilities is state of the art and our client base is ever growing.

Hospital in August 2013 and Our civil engineering team provides the client with an integrated and multidisciplinary service. We offer cost effective and aesthetically pleasing design. We support engineering was completed judgment with state of the art computer analysis. Our team supports the project from start in December to finish, giving a personal service and attention to detail and continuity.

P. J. Duffy & Sons Ltd. MECHANICAL SERVICES CONTRACTORS Providing mechanical services to the construction industry since 1967

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We look forward to continuing our long standing relationship with Cappagh Hospital 25 Lower Camden Street, Dublin 2.

T: 01 4753081 F: 01 4753753 E: info@pjd.ie w: www.pjd.ie

Our project management skills act directly for the client in planning, designing and executing the project. By integrating skilled design and effective management, we can give the client total control over the project’s direction, and ensure full client involvement in all key project decisions. We give full attention to the client needs and provide them with our substantial experience in this discipline.

CI CIVIL

Riverstick Wastewater Treatment Works New treatment plant

A new wastewater treatment scheme is under way to cater for the town of Riverstick and its environs in County Cork.

The Riverstick Wastewater Treatment Plant is being developed because the existing plant no longer performs to the required standards.

Located on agricultural land on a greenfield site, the project will provide a gravity influent sewer, gravity fed screening and grit removal system, inlet pumping station, phosphorous removal system, storm holding tank, SBR tanks, outlet balance tank, and tertiary sand filter.

Serving a population of 1,000PE, the plant is taking environmental considerations into account as an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) was carried out. Thankfully, no major concerns were found.

Situated downstream from the existing treatment plant, the Main Contractor for the project is EPS Group, who is responsible for the design, construction, supply, commissioning, installation, testing, plant equipment, ancillary items and materials necessary to complete the treatment plant.

Founded upon 45 years of operating experience, EPS Group has grown from a relatively small electrical and pumping

services business to an innovative, internationally exporting support services group, now focused on the water, wastewater and clean technology sectors.

The Company’s solutions range from the complex municipal and industrial projects to the single domestic units. Clients vary from homeowners to large multinational and municipal authorities.

EPS Group operates in Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe and currently export to more than 30 countries worldwide.

The flexible customer focus and innovative approach, coupled with a commitment to health and safety, quality and the environment, makes EPS Group a trusted and reliable partner for all water treatment and pumping related needs.

EPS Group specialises in the design, build and operation infrastructure and strives to deliver all projects on time, on budget and to a standard that all customers demand and expect.

With an annual turnover nearing e70M, a dedicated workforce of more than 400 people, components and products have been recognised for their performance and high quality by asset owners, operators and Tier 1 Framework contractors internationally.

When the contract was awarded, Councillor Tim Lombard of Cork County Council described the progress as significant.

“The development of this treatment plant will be of enormous benefit to the local community,” he said.

“It supplies an invaluable resource as well as the creation of jobs for the estimated contract duration.”

One of the main considerations before work commenced on-site was the undertaking of an archaeological investigation, which resulted in some minor findings that delayed the project by three weeks at certain areas of the site.

In addition, Japanese knotweed was found on-site, which also resulted in additional work and treatment for EPS Group.

It has added more pressure on achieving the original date of completion, but the e800,000 project is on course to complete as arranged.

The project started in March 2014, with the civil subcontractor starting work on-site three months later. The completion date including process commissioning is March 2015, but it is expected that the new plant will receive initial flows in December 2014.

ESK Plant Ltd is a Civil Engineering company formed in 1999. From our head office in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, the company aims to offer a service where quality, efficiency and value are key fundamentals.

ESK Plant Ltd operates high standards of workmanship, quality, commercial awareness, communication and safety & welfare. It is the intention of the company to employ a locally based skilled and experienced workforce. Currently we have 20 employees with a wide range of qualifications and expertise. We have gained respect from clients and have developed an excellent reputation for completing projects on time and to a very high quality standard.

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The areas of work undertaken by the company are: Civil Works for ESB Substation and ESB Pylon foundation & mast erection.

Civil Works for Water and Wastewater Treatment plants.

All Groundwork’s including drainage and underground services.

Site clearance and substructure work.

Slit trenching for ground investigation.

Reclamation of brownfield sites.

Recreational and sports facilities.

COMMERCIAL CI

Hewlett-Packard Galway New open plan office building at Ballybrit Business Park

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A new, state-of-the-art building is being constructed in County Galway to provide new services for Hewlett-Packard Galway.

Comprising three-storeys and 87,000sq ft, the new building will be bespokely designed to HP Galway’s office standard, which is an open plan layout.

The decision was taken to construct the new building because the existing one, which is adjacent, is over 40 years old and has become less suitable to the Company’s needs as well as more expensive to maintain.

The existing building will still be

used in some capacity, but most of the operations side of the business will reside in the new facility.

Because of the expense needed to heat and cool the old building, as well as the poor natural light, the sensible option is to move to the new building that will have an abundance of natural light.

Designed by Taylor Architects, the building will have three wings, so each floor of each wing will have a wide central corridor, then the desks and office accommodation will be either side of that central corridor.

This means all desks will be close to

natural light and the wide central corridor will be used for shared space, such as focus rooms.

It will result in a person’s office not just being their desk, but all the supporting space around it.

The core of the building meanwhile, near to the lifts and stairs, will have more formal conference rooms.

Demolition of a previously existing football pitch has taken place and as part of the contract, trees that had to be removed have been relocated.

Built by MJ Conroy Group, the building is of

on each floor, which allows staff to either relax from the strains of work, or quietly undertake any extra work if they choose to.

The beauty of having one on each floor means that each can have a different personality.

The building will be LEED Certified to a minimum of Silver, but hopefully higher than that.

Another environmentally friendly feature is a big water retention tank for drainage water. This planning requirement will ensure that the area is not flooded if there is a downpour in the area.

An interesting aspect to the project is that HP Galway is the client for the building, but in the long term MJ Conroy Group will own the building.

Founded in 1932, the Group has generated many business relationships through its unyielding effort and commitment; testament to which is the long-standing nature of many of these relationships today.

Because of its design, which is windmillshaped with the three wings, it lends itself to being subleased and going continued on page 24 >

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steel construction with external cladding, which is a complete unit with the finish on it. Therefore, the actual construction of the walls went through their weatherproof stage very quickly and without incident.

The acoustics of the building is of vital importance because it is needed in order for the building to be effective. Therefore, HP Galway has brought on board an acoustic consultant, who has modelled every single material that is being used to make sure the overall experience of the building is good for people.

Rest areas will be available for employees

LINNANE CARPENTRY SERVICES

We are pleased to be associated with MJ Conroy on the Hewlett Packard office development and wish all involved continued success 74 BOIREANN BHEAG, ROSCAM, CO. GALWAY

Mobile: 087 4118804 Email: linnanecarpentryltd@hotmail.com

Quinn Downes Limited is a mechanical services provider whose name is synonymous with high quality mechanical installations.

Formed in 1999, we have operated in the field of installation, commissioning and aftercare service of mechanical, process and H.V.A.C. systems with great success, as our client portfolio will verify.

We strive to offer a professional and reliable package to our clients.

This policy has consistently been rewarded with follow-on contracts from direct clients, consultant engineers, architects and facilities managers.

The company’s ambition is to grow steadily so as to put ourselves in a position to win larger and more prestigious contracts, whilst always

maintaining our fundamental policy of paying attention to detail and continuing to provide excellent support to all of our existing clients.

The experience that we have gathered over the years from the considerable variety of projects that we have been involved with, enables us to offer our clients a wide range of services from the inception of a design concept for a building to its final installation and subsequent aftercare.

Besides being directly involved in the installation of mechanical services for a particular project, we also employ specialist sub-contractors in many diverse fields to enable us to provide a complete package to our clients. We only employ sub-contractors whose dedication to quality is similar to our own.

We are pleased to be associated with MJ Conroy Group on the Hewlett-Packard Galway project.

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Unit 35, Canal Walk, Park West, Dublin 12

T: +353 (0)1 612 0962/3 F: +353 (0)1 612 0967 E: info@quinndownes.com www.quinndowneslimited.com

HEALY PLASTERING Plastering Contractors Healy Plastering is a family run business established three generations ago – with over 100 years experience in the art of plastering. We are professionally trained with skills and techniques passed down through master craftsmen. Tom Healy, who has more than 20 years experience alone, now runs the family business.

Innovative...Professional...Experienced

Nationwide Service

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Ballyglunin, Tuam, Co Galway Phone: 0879328530 Fax: 091737111 Email: tomhealy@thealyplastering.com www.thealyplastering.com

forward, there is space for another wing if HP Galway’s operations grow.

Work started on the project in February 2014 and will be completed in December 2014. The Company will move into the building in February 2015, though most equipment will

be in place by the end of this year.

For Mark Gantly, Managing Director at HP Galway, the new building is a statement of intent that will benefit employees in the area for years.

He told Construction Ireland Magazine: “It’s a very strong statement for HP’s future

plan in Galway. They’ve committed to a 15-year lease so if you are wondering what HP’s plan for the future was in Galway, this building is a very positive indication.

“It’s a huge boost to the employees here to see this building being constructed.”

J & H Grimes Ltd Suspended Ceilings & Partitions breaking new ground

IDA Business Park, Tuam Road, Galway, Ireland

T: +353 91 760 711 E: info@mavericcontractors.com

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www.mavericcontractors.com @MavericContract

Tel/ Fax 094-9542262 Mobile 087-2586375/ 087-2440011 Email jhgrimes@eircom.net

CI HOUSING

Queen Victoria Gardens Social housing for an area undergoing urban regeneration to be providing 22 new homes in an area where housing demand is high,” he said.

“We are confident that the regeneration of this area will have a positive impact on the local community and the ongoing regeneration.”

The consultation process before work started covered all aspects, from how the homes would be built to when work would start and finish.

It is important for the area. One of urban regeneration, the location has been deprived over the years but thanks to this traditional build, it has helped regeneration somewhat.

The community consultation was a requirement before the scheme could be planned - a requirement for all housing associations.

Before planning, local community groups were spoken to, with regular meetings taking place. These groups have been kept informed about the scheme throughout the whole process.

The Architect for the project is McAdam Design. At a cost of £1.93M, work commenced at the end of March 2013 and will be handed over in the middle of October 2014.

RAFFERTY ROOF TRUSSES Manufacturers of

ROOF TRUSSES ECO-JOIST FLOORING SYSTEMS Best wishes to Apex Housing Association and Dixon Contractors Aghadowey, Coleraine Tel: 048 7086 9060 Fax: 048 7086 9061

The Gates and Railings Specialist

51A Abbeyview Road, Crossgar, Co Down BT30 9JD

t: 028 4483 0961 m: 07774 289653 www.abbeyviewengineering.com

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A new £1.9M social housing scheme at Queen Victoria Gardens in Belfast is due to be handed over this month.

Located on a site that was transferred to OakleeTrinity Housing by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE), the scheme will consist of 22 homes.

Part-funded by the Department for Social Development, the scheme will consist of nine three-bedroom houses, 12 twobedroom houses, and one three-bedroom bungalow adapted for wheelchair use. The site used to be occupied by old Victorian terraced housing which wasn’t fit for purpose and therefore was demolished.

All of the houses have their own back gardens and all are built to Lifetime Homes standard and Secured by Design. Built by Tal Ltd, the homes comprise of brick and render traditional construction as well as concrete roof tiles and uPVC windows. In terms of sustainability, solar panels are being used on the roof, with photovoltaics incorporated to achieve the 25% improvement that is required for the building control regulations.

Speaking at the launch of the new homes, former Social Development Minister, Nelson McCausland, said: “One of my key objectives as Housing Minister is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to access good quality accommodation.

“These new houses developed in consultation with the local community will ensure that tenants receive that. I look forward to returning to view these new homes when they are built.

“This continues to be an area of high housing need and this new scheme, once completed, will provide 22 much needed homes to families on the waiting list.”

When the project was confirmed, OakleeTrinity Housing Board member, Ian Kirkpatrick, spoke about the positive impact of the scheme. “OakleeTrinity is delighted

EDUCATION CI

Belvedere House

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Refurbished building for Belvedere College This month will see the completion of a project that has upgraded a protected building in Dublin.

It will result in complete refurbishment of Belvedere House, a four-storey project that will also see conservation works undertaken.

Previously, the building had been underutilised because of its state of repair and low structural capacity of the floors, while the ceilings and water ingress in areas of the building needed attention.

The main works included the structural upgrade of all the floors and ceilings, repair of the stonework and railings on the facade, along with fireproofing upgrade.

On the decorative ceilings, cleaning, stabilisation and decoration of the plasterwork on the first floor has also been part of the project, and on the second floor, partitioning has been removed to revert that particular floor back to its original space plan.

As well as upgrade on the joinery, the fireproofing - carried out in conjunction with a consultant - will ensure that the building meets and achieves the necessary fire ratings.

The existing building is an old solid wall construction with brick and stone, and a

roof with slates, which were installed later than when the structure was first developed.

Completely covered in render, the building also has a small area of flat roof.

It dates back to 1770 and it is believed that it started as a residence of the Earl of Belvedere.

Initially undertaken by Robert West, the house was completed by Michael Stapleton in 1776, who is responsible for the decorative plasterwork in the interior.

Belvedere House has formed part of the Jesuits school since 1841 and has been used for residential as well as school purposes.

These educational needs included school meetings and functions until recently.

Each floor of the building will have a different use. In the basement, there will be a kitchen, storage and ancillary facilities and above this will be offices and board meeting rooms.

The function rooms will be found on the first floor, with teachers’ work and break-out area on the second floor.

Finally, guest accommodation will be located on the third floor.

The new building will be a superb addition to the school, which teaches students from a diverse social and economic background.

Its Social Diversity Programme supports ten percent of the college intake by providing bursaries for students from a financially and socially deprived background.

Many past pupils have become leaders in medicine, politics, law, finance, academia, as well as in the arts, drama and literature.

Being an effective team member as well as developing the skills to be a team leader is an important feature of Belvedere College.

The college is committed to ensuring that students are enabled to achieve their academic potential, as well as teaching them to care for each other.

It is an establishment that has received favourable reviews from its most recent inspection.

From this, the board of management was described as ‘effective’ and shows great commitment to the school, while senior management was recognised for providing strong leadership and working as an effective team.

Teachers engage in continuing professional development, which allows for a high level of care regarding student welfare.

At a college where a range of academic subjects are offered, the quality of continued on page 28 >

St. Mel’s Cathedral, Longford

Belvedere House

St. Mel’s Cathedral, Longford

Belvedere House

St. Mel’s Cathedral, Longford Since it was established in 1978, our company has been specialising in the conservation and restoration of lime plaster and stucco. For over 35 years we have worked on a wide variety of projects, ranging from plain external and internal renders and decorative plasterwork to in situ run mouldings and the reconstruction of the most elaborate hand modelled period stucco ceilings, figures, etc.

Based on a comprehensive knowledge of traditional techniques and materials and excellence in the required traditional skills, we offer a quality of execution that only many years of experience can provide.

Historic architectural detail will be painstakingly conserved and where

required, we offer the possibility of creating new stucco decoration to match existing historic models and specification.

We are dedicated to the care of our Irish built heritage and have been involved in many restoration projects throughout this country, most notably the restoration of St.Mel´s Cathedral in Longford and Belvedere House, Dublin both of which are near completion.

We offer the same level of care and attention to detail to smaller projects as we do to the restoration of important heritage buildings.

George O`Malley

George O'Malley Plastering 3 Ballywaltrim Business Park Bray Co.Wicklow Telephone: +353 1 211 6706 Fax: +353 1 202 2708 Mobile: +353 (0)87 259 7439 Email: info@omalleyplastering.com Web: www.omalleyplastering.com

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teaching ranges from good to exemplary, so students can be safe in the knowledge that they will receive the best education.

Designed by RKD Architects and David Slattery Conservation Architects, the refurbished college building will comprise of 1,350sq m, and has completely refurbished or replaced sash windows.

Some pieces of stone were in-filled so as to replace pieces that were either missing or damaged.

This was a thorough process, with two or three samples of stone tested to make sure that they matched the original, or at the very least, making sure the shading was as close as possible to what is already there.

Work on the floor has seen the construction team try to use what was originally used, which in itself is a huge challenge.

Joinery repair on the doors, frames, skirtings and picture rails is another feature on this unique building that has different detail in almost every room.

Part of the strength of this development is the choice of Main Contractor Kelly Builders

(Rosemount) Ltd. The Company is highly skilled at restoration work and has a lot of experience in this field, with previous projects including churches, as well as many educational and religious institutions.

The expertise of Kelly Builders has been key for the development on what is a challenging and very restricted site.

Movement of vehicles within the courtyards always has to be supervised because of the nature of the site and its live status.

With no holdings at the front, the railings at the basement have been used to define the site boundary while at the back, the hoarding line is four feet from the back boundary wall, which has proved difficult to manage.

It means that anything brought on-site that is not immediately used might have to be moved a few times, just because of how little space there is to work in.

A challenging aspect of the project has been having to open up the floors in order to carry out the structural support work, which saw the incorporation of new

timber joists with a flat steel sandwich between two to support floors.

It’s a task that was made more difficult because of the ornate and expensive ceilings above. Therefore, work had to be meticulously planned and carried out in a methodical and careful way.

But the construction team have worked well with the school, liaising to make sure work did not disturb examination times, and all heavy works and small deliveries took place outside of school hours.

This sensitive approach, which involved various specialists for the different elements of work, will result in a completely refurbished, yet historical building for the college.

The project started in September 2013 and will be completed in October 2014, costing e2.5M.

CIVIL CI

Wastewater Treatment Plants

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Three projects as part of wider regeneration for Kilkenny County Council Three wastewater treatment plants in Ireland are being updated to provide up-to-date facilities.

Work has been necessary for the treatment facilities currently in the villages of Freshford, Goresbridge and Johnstown because they are no longer able to treat wastewater to the required standards, and the construction of new treatment plants and associated works will result in both an increased treatment capacity and an increase in quality so that the sewerage system for these villages will meet the requirement for effluent standards.

It is another step towards improving the wastewater infrastructure in Kilkenny, while at the same time maintaining and improving environmental standards.

At Freshford, the work will consist of a treatment plant on a greenfield site, pumping station, storm water holding tank and storm overflow pipe, and a treatment effluent outfall pipe.

The Johnstown/Goresbridge works will consist of the construction of a wastewater treatment plant on each of the sites.

Work will allow the villages to develop both economically and demographically while preserving the quality of the river network and the wider environment.

Funding for the scheme - approximately e3.6M - was approved at the end of last year by the Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan.

Chairman of the Freshford Heritage and Development Group, John Barnville, said that the works would encourage

further development into the village.

He said: “We have been calling for this for years - there is a great need for it. The development groups have been heavily involved in pushing this forward along with the now defunct Freshford 2020 group.

Gerry O’Reilly was one of the main drivers and was instrumental in pushing it through.

The Minister welcomed the funding, describing it as ‘an opportunity for residential and business growth.’

“The three villages currently have treatment facilities which are no longer able to treat wastewater to the required standards,” he said.

Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Pat Dunphy, congratulated all those involved and praised them for their commitment in ‘driving the project forward and making it happen’ and thanked Director of Services Philip O’Neill and Joe Crockett for all their hard work.

Councillors Catherine Connery, Mary Hilda Kavanagh, John Brennan, Maurice Shortall and Pat Millea also all welcomed the announcement and local parish priest Father Pat Comerford said that it was a good news story for Freshford.

Councillor Kavanagh added how the works would allow Johnstown to develop as a village.

He said: “Fortunately we escaped the excesses of unfinished estates and ghost estates, but you still need a critical mass of houses to keep shops going and the infrastructure will allow this.”

Work on these three plants is part of wider and unprecedented funding for water services in Kilkenny of over e35M. Water mains will be repaired or replaced at locations in Thomastown, Piltown and Kilmacow, John’s Quay Talbots Inch, Leggettsrath, Castlecomer Road, Graiguenmanagh, Beline and Freshford.

As well as the three treatment plants mentioned, Stoneyford, Castlecomer and Urlingford will also benefit from the same development.

In addition, there will be upgrades to the Outrath reservoir and to Purcellsinch, where capacity will be quadrupled, therefore putting an end to water shortages in the south of the city.

Projects completed in the past two years include treatment plants at Thomastown and Coan, along with strategic water supply upgrades at Gowran/Goresbridge/Paulstown, as well as repairs to the Radestown reservoir.

All of this will provide modern sewerage and sludge treatment facilities that will cater for current residential and commercial needs in Kilkenny, as well as setting a platform for future development needs.

In the next three years, Kilkenny will have the cleanest water in the country.

The Main Contractor for the wastewater treatment plants at Freshford, Johnstown and Goresbridge is Response Engineering.

All three plants are due to be complete by September 2015.

Response Group is a leading provider of expert solutions to the water and wastewater treatment industry in Ireland and the UK. We have a proven track record of successfully delivering a wide range of projects from large scale municipal and industrial projects down to small scale domestic projects. Response Group currently operates more than 70 treatment plants and pumping stations around Ireland. Our Head Office is in Cork and UK office in Manchester.

OUR EXPERTISE At Response Group we have the capacity and experience to deliver large scale Design, Build & Operate turnkey water and wastewater projects as well as smaller scale pumping and domestic treatment applications.

Our main areas of expertise are as follows:

Railway Road, Charleville, Co. Cork, Ireland

Tel: +353(0)63 33400 Fax: +353(0)63 33401 www.response-group.ie

Design, Build & Operate of pumping stations Design, Build & Operate of water treatment plants Design, Build & Operate of wastewater treatment plants Containerised treatment plants Operations & Maintenance Capital Replacement Repairs and Maintenance Preventative Maintenance Instrumentation, telemetry and SCADA systems Consultancy and Design Leachate Treatment Industrial Effluent Product Sales / Supply Process Expertise Utilities Management Sludge Management and Treatment

CI COMMUNITY

Aghagallon Community Centre New scheme ready to be celebrated with family open day meeting rooms, ancillary accommodation, stores, kitchens and a creche.

The old community centre was not fit for purpose according to SDLP Councillor Joe Nelson, so it was decided to create a new centre, and funding has made it possible.

Consisting of three-storeys, the community centre has a steel frame on reinforced pad and strip foundations.

The external skin is traditional masonry block, plastered and painted.

Structural floors were made up by PC slabs and stairs, while the roof is natural slate on timber rafters fixed to the steel roof frame with PVC fascia and soffit.

The internal masonry is a mix of decorated blocks and coloured architectural clockwork, and floor coverings are a mix of vinyl, carpet and sports flooring on a mix of

sand/cement screed on the ground and liquid flo-screed to the upper floors.

New utilities were required, which included an upgraded water pipe supply.

New car parking was also included and some landscaping has been provided with new timber fencing and gates installed.

Designed by HBK Architects, the Main Contractor was P+K McKaigue. Work started on the project in July 2013 and was complete in May 2014.

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A new, state-of-the-art community centre has now been completed in Co Amagh, and it will have an official open day next month.

Based on Aghalee Road, Aghagallon Community Centre is located next to the local St Patrick’s Primary School and church, and the opening day, on 10th August, will have indoor activities for all the family.

It will include a bouncy castle, cow pat competition and arts and crafts for the children to enjoy.

Costing ÂŁ550,000, this publicly funded project was successfully delivered under an NEC short contract.

The project included demolition of the existing community centre to make way for the upgraded facilities, which provide the community with a multi-use hall, toilets with disabled facilities, office and

EDUCATION CI

Scoil Nioclais

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Primary school extension A relatively new primary school is undergoing a further extension to increase its facilities.

On behalf of Scoil Nioclais in Cork, the work will add to the building completed in 2004, which provided a 16-classroom school that was built on a greenfield site.

The existing general purpose hall has entrances at either side of it and acts as an orientating element in the scheme.

As part of the extension, the other half of the general purpose hall is being built, as the original building was essentially split by the hall.

Once completed, the school will have an extra two classroom blocks linked to the existing school by a new foyer, and the other half of the general purpose hall is being developed.

The lightweight linked foyer, connecting three wings, will be a glulam beam structure.

The two-wing extension is being built because the project began as an eight-classroom extension but within two years it had already expanded to a further eight classrooms.

These new classrooms are needed because of the growing population within the catchment area of the school.

At the present time, the school has 870 pupils in 31 classes, with the number of girls and boys very similar.

Each wing of the new extension is typically a cavity wall construction over two levels with a combination of both pre-cast and in-situ concrete floors and the roof comprises of standing seam aluminium.

Comprising two-storeys, the extension is similar to the existing building in terms of style and the roof materials used, although the render is different.

Internally, the layout is different but the general purpose hall is almost identical.

The external facade is a stone chip, external render finish on the original building, while the new build is a Sto render with a protective coating.

Roofs are low pitched and the same as the original building, except for the general purpose hall which has a flat roof.

On the new build, the foyer is a significant feature which links the original wing and the two new ones, while also relating to the hall.

Each wing has its own identity; one is the dominant feature with a lift that is treated like a feature lift, with double height spaces and natural light.

The second wing is essentially a splayed corridor with a bridge at one end which links out into a play court.

Each wing deals with the significant level changes across the site. For that reason, this foyer and the bridges are the main features of the design.

The foyer and hall are single-storey, and it’s typically all natural ventilation.

Both wings

have their own unique identity based on when they were designed.

Disabled facilities will be incorporated. As previously mentioned, there are lifts and the building acts as the device for going between the levels on the site externally.

The site is fully secured and lighting will be provided throughout the site.

In relation to fire, it has the standard protection given within the building and also surrounding it.

Staff car parking is provided by a nearby suburban road, but there is vehicle

access to both sides of the site.

The Architect for the project is Reddy Architecture - a firm of design professionals providing a comprehensive range of design services from its offices in the UK and Ireland, as well as associated offices in Poland, Romania,

the Middle East and the USA. MMD Construction is the Main Contractor for the ÂŁ4.5M development.

Work started in June 2013 and will be completed in December 2014.

Owers Electrical Ltd has been trading for over 30 years throughout Cork and our electricians have experience in all aspects of electrical contracting, including industrial, commercial, agricultural and domestic projects. Our electricians operate all across Munster, including Cork, Limerick and Waterford.

At Owers Electrical Ltd, our electrical contractors are dedicated to providing the highest standard of workmanship in all areas of the electrical sector, to the maximum safety standards. Our electricians are friendly, dependable and 100% committed to our customer satisfaction guarantee. Our professional electricians will guide you through the consultation, service-installation, maintenance and aftercare processes. Owers Electrical Ltd is fully insured and C2 registered.

Dunsfort, Midleton, Co Cork 33

Office Number: 0214632615 Email: info@owerselectrical.com www.owerselectrical.com

EDUCATION CI

Stanhope Street Convent Primary School New three-storey development

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Construction of a brand new threestorey primary school building was completed in Dublin last month.

The new school has provided the students of Stanhope Street Convent Primary School with 23 general classrooms, one special needs classroom, one general purpose room, one library and resource room, one staff administrative office, and other associated works were carried out too.

Located on a confined city centre site, the school is bounded on two sides by busy streets and is in the grounds of a functioning primary and secondary school.

Stanhope Street Primary School had been using temporary accommodation to teach the students, but they have now been relocated to the new building, and phased construction was used to minimise disruption to the existing school activities.

Prior to the start of construction, some demolition was required. This saw the destruction of three buildings - the 1911 block, 1897 block and part of the 1867/72 block - all located on

the north west corner of the site.

The new school is built on this site and comprises of two north-south blocks.

Both blocks are linked in the central area by a glazed corridor.

The southern block adjoins the modern western wing of the pre-existing school complex, and all work was completed within the curtilage of a protected structure.

This protected structure is the stone archway on Manor Street, on the school boundary, which is used for pedestrian access to the school.

With an approximate area of 3,250sq m, the new development comprises a combination of brick and rendered block externally, with a natural slate pitched roof and double glazed windows. Curtain walling has been added to both main entrances.

Work was carried out in three phases, the first of which saw the demolition of the three blocks. Phase II saw the construction of the new school facilities and the final phase allowed the team to remove the temporary buildings that were being used.

Disabled facilities have been installed up to the standards required and the leisure activities at the school have been increased thanks to the landscaping.

Hard and soft landscaping took place, which provided grassed play areas, hard surface ball courts, a car park and internal roads.

Work has had to be carefully managed due to the fact that the site was so tight to build on. Given that it’s a live site, it meant traffic management was a particular issue due to ongoing primary and secondary school activities, but everybody responsible for the project ensured that it caused no problems to the students or teachers.

The Main Contractor was Purcell Construction and the project was designed

by CJ Falconer & Associates. Key members of the design team also included TJ O’Connor & Associates, who was the Civil Engineer for the development.

Work started in May 2013 and was completed in September 2014.

O'Keeffe Civil currently carries out general civil engineering groundworks, roads & sewers and other associated works for Private Developers, Main Contractors and various other

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CI HOUSING

Leighlinbridge Housing Association Ltd

New residential and community facilities for the elderly Unit layouts have been designed to take The project benefits from landscaping, account of aspect, orientation, space with planted spaces provided to the front requirements and recommended room sizes. and rear of the units and community building. It provides pleasant sheltered Disability access has been fully open space for the residents. considered and all units are planned to Part M of the Building Regulations.

Designed by Paul Keogh Architects, As the development has been designed the Main Contractor is LJM Ireland.

Work started in January 2013 and to be suitable for senior citizens, and the units meet the Lifetime Homes standards, was completed in July 2014. as published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

The scheme was designed to match the existing site levels, and has Electrical Contracting contemporary Commercial, Industrial and Domestic architectural treatment.

Fire Alarm Installation, Materials chosen Emergency Lighting Installation & Services consist of a range of quality natural materials, with blue/ Monaughrim, clonegal, co. wexford black tiled pitched roofs, rendered Tel: 059 9155 715 Fax: 059 9155 591 external walls and Mobile: 087 2512120 email: whelanelectrical@eircom.net double glazed composite windows.

WHELAN ELECTRICAL LTD

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Leighlinbridge Village has added to its housing portfolio with residential properties that deal with the needs of elderly people in need of accommodation in the area.

Built for the voluntary organisation, Leighlinbridge Housing Association, the project is located on St Lazerian’s Street.

Carried out within a single phase of construction, the scheme consists of two single-storey terraced housing blocks aligned along the existing site avenue, with the community facilities building centrally located between the terraces.

There are a total of 15 two-bedroom single-storey dwelling units, each measuring 68sq m. The community facilities building measures 115sq m.

The additional bedroom can be used as a guest room, study, or for a live-in nurse or carer.

Communal facilities comprise of a community room and kitchenette, meeting room, laundry room, office and general ancillary accommodation.

All units have been designed as dual-aspect apartments, looking onto the existing site avenue, and all are level access, in compliance with disability regulations.

EDUCATION CI

Grangegorman Urban quarter in Dublin A multi-million pound scheme that will provide education, health, and social facilities is taking shape in Dublin.

Grangegorman, which is the site of the new Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) campus, has been in planning for a number of years and when it is completed, it will be the largest investment in third level education in the history of the state, and will provide DIT state-of-the-art facilities to accommodate the thousands of dedicated students who already attend the college.

The Grangegorman campus will also include an impressive student centre, high quality student accommodation, international standard sporting facilities, many social areas and premier academic facilities that will all be situated in the heart of Dublin City and connected by many bus routes and the new Luas Cross City line.

As well as the many different buildings on-site that will be used by DIT, significant work will provide facilities for the HSE, which has already seen the relocation of residents and staff to an award winning new mental health facility - the Phoenix Care Centre.

A residential healthcare building, primary and elderly care building, and community and continuing healthcare building will all be located within the HSE campus of the site, which will have the Primary Care Centre at its core.

Along with DIT and HSE facilities, another major consideration for the redevelopment is to provide public recreational and amenity resources that will comprise of; co-located DIT and public libraries, a new primary school for Dublin 7 Educate Together, playgrounds, and public sports facilities which will include access to sports pitches for local teams and schools.

The masterplan for the site that stretches

over 73 acres was won in 2007 by Moore Ruble Yudell Architects, whose Principalin-Charge, James Mary O’Connor, is working on an Irish-based scheme for the first time, and he was delighted to be given the opportunity to work on such a prestigious project, especially so close to where he grew up.

He said: “I’d never built anything here and it seemed like a site that was frozen in time. I grew up very near to Grangegorman and used to pass through it all the time so I felt like I knew it intimately.

“In addition, I’d studied at DIT, so the project really appealed to me.”

Once completed, the development will unite 39 buildings consolidated onto one campus, and will cater for up to 20,000 staff and students. DIT has five colleges.

This grouping of buildings are amongst the 11 protected structures in Grangegorman, which also includes the old Roman Catholic Church, the former Mortuary, now renamed as Orchard House, the former Special Care Units, now renamed as Rathdown House, and the male and female Infirmaries, renamed as Glassmongue and Bradogue respectively.

They will be added to by various new facilities and the many retail shops, restaurants and DIT cafes that will be provided along St Brendan’s Way, which will run straight through the hub.

Roadbridge Ltd and Purcell Construction are both providing work on the Student Hub. The site infrastructure and public realm (SI&PR) contract covering the entire site, which Roadbridge have, ise26M. The Adaptive Reuse of the protected structures which Purcell Construction have is a separate contract.

Work on the Student Hub has provided

more than 200 construction jobs since the first sod was turned in December 2013.

Redevelopment at Grangegorman and the jobs it is expected to provide is a key part of the Government’s Jobs Stimulus Plan and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Mr Brendan Howlin TD, visited the site earlier this year and emphasised the importance of the Grangegorman development.

“To supplement that Stimulus Programme, I looked once again at alternative ways to fund development that would both create jobs and meet additional infrastructural requirements,” he said.

“In 2012 I was able to announce the recommencement of our PPP programme with a package of e1.5Bn of measures announced.

“In advance I took the opportunity to visit the Grangegorman site to see first hand the potential of this project not just for the local area but for the city and country as a whole.

“Some e180M of this is going towards the Grangegorman project, with e300M to be invested in it overall by the Government up to September 2017.”

Construction of the Central and East Quads through Public Private Partnership (PPP) are part of this stimulus package and work will commence in September 2015.

Upon completion, it will see a further 10,000 students and staff arrive at Grangegorman.

Broadstone Gate will be the new main gateway for Grangegorman, which will include a new Luas stop as part of the Luas Cross City Initiative.

The gate will open in 2017 ready for 10,000 DIT students to arrive and it will be the beginning of St Brendan’s Way, which is the main thoroughfare through the site.

Grangegorman promises to bring a whole host of benefits for years to come.

Plants and Planters Ltd was established in 1989 to offer a unique approach to interior plants in the commercial sector. We have achieved a reputation since opening our doors, for supplying a wide variety of high quality plant arrangements and containers.

36

In 2001, following an increase in demand, Plants & Planters Landscape was born to facilitate the landscaping needs of the commercial and private sector.

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As Ireland’s premier exterior and interior landscaping company, Plants & Planters Landscape Ltd offers its clients a complete landscape package at competitive rates and our consultants are trained to ensure that the right arrangements are installed to enhance their surroundings.

We pride ourselves on providing clients with a friendly service that is fast, efficient and reliable.

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Dublin | Cork | Derry | Limerick

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Kedington is Ireland’s largest LAN structure installer. To date, we have designed, supplied and installed in excess of 3 million data ports with over 250 million meters UTP cabling and 3 million meters of fi bre. In addition to the passive cabling business, Kedington’s active portfolio includes Voice, LAN Switching, Wireless (WiFi), and power protection solutions from Blue-Chip global partners.

We also offer expertise on Intelligent Buildings, Carbon Control, Intelligent Lighting Control and Intelligent Patching Systems.

Unit 70 | Baldoyle Ind. Estate | Dublin 13

www.kedington.ie

PROFILE CI

Euro Services Contracts

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Meeting the needs of the industry Established in 1988 by Emmet Quinn, Euro Services Contracts is a civil engineering and trail building company that provides a full range of cost effective services, solutions and products for clients in the public and private sectors.

Situated in Camlough, the Company is ideally located to carry out contracts in Northern and Southern Ireland.

A range of activities are undertaken which help the Company’s turnover. This includes road construction and reinstatement, river culverts, general site works, installation of road restraints, plant hire, trenchless technology, trail construction and maintenance, installation of sewers and watermains, emergency responsive works, and plant hire, amongst many other services.

In recent years, Euro Services has specialised in both utility infrastructure and trail construction, investing heavily in resources of personnel, plant and machinery to meet the needs of the industry.

The Company’s success is highlighted by the range of clients who have used its services. This includes public sector clients like NI Water, Irish Water, Coillte, Down District Council, Belfast City Council, NIHE and Louth County Council.

With a workforce of 40, the Company provides training to help continue professional development of all employees.

Indeed, there is a commitment to developing skills of all personnel.

As such, a training policy is in place which sets out all objectives.

Training provided ranges from national vocational qualifications for plant operators and signing, lighting and guarding at road works.

Health & safety is another area of importance and Euro Services uses the Construction Skills Register (CSR) One Day Health and Safety Course as the benchmark for its basic health and safety training.

This allows the Company to ensure that its training is consistent and that all employees benefit from the same level of training.

In addition, other health & safety courses provided by Euro Services include confined spaces, manual handling, abrasive wheels and first aid.

Projects include a BMX track in

Dublin for Fingal County Council. engineering works throughout the This facility is the largest of its kind in Ireland whole of Ireland, assisted by a vast range at approximately 360m long. The track is of suitable plant and equipment. designed and constructed to be challenging for all ages, flowing downhill from a five metre start hill with steep tarmac berms.

A safety starting gate system is incorporated, as are starting pens and safety rails.

Completed within four months, the track is now used for the All Ireland national BMX CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS championships.

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROJECTS INCLUDING Euro Services will ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND SURFACING, continue to provide FORECOURTS AND DRIVEWAYS the quality that PRODUCERS AND SUPPLIERS OF customers require HIGH QUALITY AGGREGATES and, moving ford, HIGH QUALITY ASPHALT PRODUCTS the Company will focus on all areas of civil

CI EDUCATION

CREST Pavilion New R&D facility at South West College A new development has been completed for South West College.

Located on the college’s Technology and Skills Centre campus on the Killyhevlin Industrial Estate in Enniskillen, the development has provided the Centre for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technologies (CREST).

The CREST pavilion comprises demonstration and R&D facilities primarily targeted at SMEs in the region to inspire and develop new renewable energy and sustainable technologies.

South West College is lead partner in the CREST project and is involved in a number of other European projects.

With five campuses spread over Counties Tyrone and Fermanagh, it currently has 17,500 student enrolments, 900 staff and a budget of £37M. The college has strong links to business and academia, ensuring that it is ideally placed to support the development of sustainable enterprise across Northern Ireland and the Border Counties.

The CREST pavilion is constructed on a

brownfield site that had remains from a building that was previously used as the college’s skills centre before new facilities were built on an adjacent site.

Situated between Castle Coole and the River Earne, the Main Contractor, PJ Treacy & Sons, set about removing the foundations and levelling the remaining part of the site before construction could commence.

The single-storey development has an initial reception area that leads to a main lecture hall for 80 people, a small kitchen and wide corridor to two demonstration halls featuring the latest in renewable and sustainable technologies.

There is a spacious plant room with viewing space, three external demonstration/ testing pads for renewable energy and sustainable technologies that are being tested, and the pavilion comprises high ceilings in parts – the highest points of which will be in the demonstration halls.

Sustainability is an important part of the build and therefore rainwater harvesting will supply greywater for flushing toilets.

A leak prevention system is being incorporated in toilets, using sensors to detect when the room is empty and turn off all water into the facility.

Comprising mainly of structural insulated panels, glulam beams and cedar cladding, the building has been designed to maximise the amount of winter solar gains and minimise summer gains.

This will be achieved partly through the orientation of glazed areas and by ‘overhangs’.

The roof has a variable pitch, with zinc covering on a plywood backing affixed to structural insulated panels, while the windows will be triple glazed aluminium.

Hard and soft landscaping is being around the pavilion including concrete demonstration pads and although there are only four spaces for cards linked to the building, there are almost 150 spaces available that are associated with the Technology and Skills Centre adjacent.

Designed by Paul McAlister Architects, the pavilion and centre opened in September 2014.

P.J. Treacy & Sons Ltd have, over the past fifty five years, been at the forefront of the construction industry in both Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland, successfully delivering projects to all their clients whilst creating significant local employment. The Company has a very experienced workforce in all divisions of their business, assisting them in creating seamless project management procedures within the organisation.

P.J. Treacy & Sons Ltd have a very creditable track record spanning over fifty five years in terms of quality workmanship; on budget and programme delivery, whilst maintaining stringent Health & Safety measures on all its contracts.

P.J. TREACY & SONS LTD.

Building and Civil Engineering Contractors

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Tempo Road Business Park, Tempo Road, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh BT74 6HR Telephone: +44 (0) 28 6632 6747 / 6632 8100 Fax: +44 (0) 28 6632 6145 Email: info@pjtreacy.com Web: www.pjtreacyandsons.com

COMMUNITY CI

Brookville House Contemporary extension of a Dublin convent Image courtesy of Five Sever Architects

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A convent in Artane, North Dublin, has benefited from an extension.

The project involved the construction of a two-storey, 22 bedroom extension to the existing convent building which is a Protected Structure dating from the 1820s.

The development is for The Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary - an order of missionary sisters who work mostly in Africa and South America. The project arose from the need of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary to make provision for an increasingly elderly community and to provide suitable accommodation for Sisters returning home from overseas to retire in Ireland.

The extension has provided 22 bedrooms and ancillary facilities such as tea rooms, sitting room, activities room, laundry and storage areas. The existing convent building also boasts offices and a large dining room with seating for 70 people as well as a commercial kitchen, and a small amount of staff accommodation.

The objective is to provide comfortable residential accommodation, suitable for the elderly, which is lifetime adaptable.

Built by Glasgiven Contracts, Brookville House’s extension has added to what was already a place with many support facilities.

The path to this project being completed was a long one: a previous project to provide accommodation on the site, in

partnership with a Housing Association, fell through as the recession meant that funding was cut and therefore the planned development wasn’t viable. But in 2011, the client signalled their interest to have a smaller extension built.

One of the main challenges in the design of the building was to meet the clients’ requirements for a simple, lowmaintenance building whilst also ensuring that the new building represented an appropriate addition to the Protected Structure and met the approval of the Local Authority Conservation Section.

The agreed approach was one of making the extension to the building contemporary in style.

The use of brick – a distinctly different material to the roughcast render of the original house – gives contemporary expression to the extension and clearly delineates it from the Protected Structure.

The accommodation is arranged around a central courtyard allowing the bedrooms to have a more private aspect onto external gardens. Within the courtyard, the emphasis is on creating

simple elevations and maximising daylight penetration into the building.

On the front elevation of the extension, a screen detail forms a visual break between the extension and the existing building, while also providing a privacy shield for the bedrooms on the front elevation.

Vertical fins provide privacy but don’t impinge on the view from within the rooms.

All bedrooms are more than just that, with dedicated study room as well and structurally, the building is a steel frame with ground supported slab at ground floor level and precast wide slab at the first floor.

The project was originally started by Gerry Cahill Architects, who planned and designed the project but the Practice ceased trading last year and it was taken on by Five Seven Architects, who fully understood what was required and have been integral in the successful completion of work.

info@nordan.ie Ph:1890 455 555

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CI COMMENT

The recipe for speech privacy and noise control

By Niklas Moeller To create an effective work environment, acoustic professionals typically use a three-pronged approach called the ‘ABC Rule’, which involves absorbing, blocking and covering noise.

In the last decade, various design trends have eroded many of these time-honoured methods, despite the fact that reports such as Gensler’s What We’ve Learned about Focus in the Workplace (2012) show that most employees still spend more than half their time on individual work that requires concentration.

Given that the work environment sets the stage for performance and also plays a role in absenteeism and retention rates, a review of the ABC Rule seems appropriate.

Absorb Noise

‘A’ stands for adding absorption, which reduces the energy and, therefore, the volume of noises reflected off various surfaces back into the space, the length of time they last and how far they travel.

To meet this requirement, invest in a good acoustic ceiling tile and ensure consistent coverage throughout the facility. Also, limit the lighting system’s impact on the ceiling’s performance by selecting an indirect system. Minimize the use of hard materials, such as glass and metal. Use absorptive workstation partitions and install soft flooring, at least in high-traffic areas.

Block Noise

‘B’ is for blocking noise using walls, doors and workstations partitions.

Workstation partitions are often the prime casualties of today’s design trends, dramatically impacting acoustic performance, particularly over short distances. Though some workplaces still use low partitions, it is important to note that those lower than 60 inches (1.5 meters) are about as acoustically effective as using no partition system at all.

The office layout can also be used to block sound; for example, by locating noisy office machines and high-activity areas, such as call centers, in remote or isolated areas.

Cover Noise

appropriate etiquette, such as using a reasonable voice level within an open plan.

However, people always generate noise as they work and the remainder of the acoustical burden has to be borne by the design.

About the author

Niklas Moeller is the vice-president of K.R. Moeller Associates Ltd., manufacturer of the LogiSon Acoustic Network sound masking system (www.logison.co.uk).

He also writes an acoustics blog at soundmaskingblog.com.

Niklas Moeller

A Powerful Combination

Each of these methods contributes differently to overall acoustic performance, and it is preferable to discuss their use during the design phase in order to take advantage of the ways they complement each other. For example, floor-toceiling walls and sound masking can often replace slab-to-slab construction for private offices, reducing the cost of the initial build and future changes.

If an organization is unhappy with the acoustics in an already occupied space, implementing ‘cover’ might not be the only improvement necessary, but the only feasible choice. Budget pricing for sound masking is low relative to retrofitting other treatments and installation can be handled with only minor disruption. In addition, this technology can be applied to both open plans and closed rooms.

Reduce Noise

Though not included in the ABC Rule, noise reduction is also important. It involves removing noises that simply do not need to be there, such as those caused by improperly designed ventilation, as well as adopting

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‘C’ stands for covering unwanted noises by using a sound masking system.

This technology consists of a series of

loudspeakers installed in a grid-like pattern in the ceiling, which distribute a comfortable background sound most often compared to that of softly blowing air.

Adding more sound to a space runs contrary to most people’s understanding of how to achieve effective acoustics. Indeed, many believe the goal is to make the facility as silent as possible. However, due to improvements in construction materials, as well as quieter office and mechanical equipment, the ambient level in the majority of offices is already too low, leaving employees trying to work in library-like conditions in which they can easily overhear conversations and noises are very disruptive.

By raising the ambient level, sound masking covers up noises that are lower in volume and reduces the impact of those that are higher by decreasing the degree of change between baseline and peak volumes in the space. Similarly, conversations are either entirely masked or their intelligibility is reduced, improving privacy and further decreasing the number of disruptions to concentration.

PROFILE CI

Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service Working to make people safer

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Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Services (NIFRS) serves an area of over 5,500sq miles - the entire population of Northern Ireland - which encompasses a population of 1.81 million, providing a range of fire and rescue services.

Firefighters work as wholetime (full-time) or retained (part-time) firefighters. Wholetime firefighters are based at fire stations in larger towns and cities throughout Northern Ireland and are organised into shifts to crew fire stations 24 hours a day.

Retained firefighters live and work in their local town or village and respond to emergency calls in their area, when alerted by a beeper, by making their way to their local fire station to meet the rest of the crew and respond to the incident.

These retained firefighters have other jobs but live and work within five minutes of the fire station, which enables them to respond to emergency calls within minutes.

NIFRS is divided into four operational command areas: northern, southern, eastern and western.

The area commanders, each responsible for one of the four area commands, manage

operational activity on a day-to-day basis and report to the deputy chief fire officer.

The four area commands are supported by 14 districts, strategically placed across Northern Ireland and which create a community focus for NIFRS activities.

District command are responsible for the fire stations in their district.

Throughout Northern Ireland, there are 68 fire stations that serve the local communities and the NIFRS headquarters is situated in Lisburn, Co Antrim, while the Fire & Rescue Training Centre can be currently found at Boucher Crescent, Belfast.

The NIFRS Board is responsible for the strategic leadership and implementation of the significant changes that came from the Fire & Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and to also ensure that the Organisation meets its challenges.

The Board, comprising a Non-Executive Chair, Chief Fire Officer and ten NonExecutive Members, is also responsible for providing fire and rescue services across the province and is funded by the Department of Health, Social Services & Public Safety.

Facilities in the country continue to improve

and last month saw the opening of a new community fire station in Omagh.

Based on Killybrack Road, the state-ofthe-art headquarters represents a £4.4M investment and includes on-site facilities for firefighter training and transport and engineering workshops, as well as a dedicated community engagement facility with a strong focus on fire, road and community safety activity.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, where in fire service tradition the Public Safety Minister rang the bell to declare the new station officially open, Edwin Poots said: “This is a great day for Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service and indeed for everyone here in the local community.

“This £4.4M capital investment is an investment in keeping this community safe from fire and other emergencies.

“There are acute financial pressures facing all public services at this time and we must face these challenges head on and remain committed to prioritising a Capital Investment Programme that will ensure that we have a modern fire and rescue service with purpose built fire stations and the

specialist rescue operations and a new flood response capacity to ensure it can meet its new statutory duties in relation to a range of specialist rescue and flooding emergencies.

It was launched by the Belfast Lord Mayor, Councillor Nichola Mallon, at Central Fire Station in Belfast.

The Service has enhanced its Specialist Rescue Team (SRT) with the addition of 12 highly trained personnel, enabling the team to operate a full-time specialist rescue operational response right across Northern Ireland.

With a 28-strong team, services can be called upon 24/7, 365 days a year to a range of specialist rescue emergencies such as major transport incidents, significant building collapse, confined space rescue, rope rescue and flooding incidents.

The Fire & Rescue Service has also developed a new flooding response capability based at Whitla Fire Station in Belfast, with specially trained personnel to provide an emergency response to serious widespread flooding incidents across Northern Ireland.

Chris Kerr explained: “We have enhanced our operational capabilities to ensure we are better prepared to meet our statutory responsibilities and protect the public from a range of complex specialist rescue incidents and serious flooding incidents.

“It is not just public safety that will be strengthened, but also importantly, firefighter safety when responding to incidents.”

Launching the new public safety resources, Nichola Mallon paid tribute to the work carried out by NIFRS officers across the city and beyond.

She said: “Their dedication and commitment deserves our recognition

and I applaud their contribution.

“The enhancement of this SRT is great news and provides important public safety reassurance.

“Belfast City Council works well with its various partners - including NIFRS - and this is particularly beneficial at times when emergency incidents, such as flooding, require a coordinated and robust response.”

Meanwhile, the NIFRS signed a unique agreement in August to help protect disabled people from fire.

The agreement is with Leonard Cheshire Disability NI (LCD) - a potentially lifesaving partnership.

Both organisations have signed the agreement that will see LCD, the leading charity supporting people with disabilities in Northern Ireland, collaborate with local firefighters to identify and prioritise free home fire safety checks for this vulnerable, at risk group.

In high risk cases where a disability affects a person’s ability to be aware of fire or escape it in their home, LCD will consider funding new assistive technologies such as portable mist systems, vibrating smoke alarms or cooker shut-off systems, to provide enhanced protection and reduce the risk of fire occurring in the first place.

Dale Ashford, Assistant Chief Fire Officer at NIFRS said: “Targeting and prioritising our community engagement work, based on those most at risk and preventing emergencies from occurring in the first place is a key area of work for us.

“This partnership with LCD provides us with direct access to one of our most at risk groups within our community, to ensure they have taken all the necessary fire safety precautions to protect themselves from fire.”

43

most up to date equipment and appliances to carry out valuable life-saving work.”

The station also includes an incident command room that will be used during major or protracted incidents and can also be used as a multi-agency facility where a co-ordinated response is required, such as for major incidents and weather-related incidents.

It will also be used for multiagency resilience planning and emergency training exercises.

In addition, the station has a dedicated transport and engineering workshop that is utilised by all 20 fire stations in Western Area Command.

There are 34 retained and whole time firefighters based at the new fire station.

The Omagh District Headquarters with a team of 13 district management and administration personnel for Omagh, Castlederg, Newtownstewart, Dromore, Strabane and Fintona Fire Stations is also based within the new facility.

Chris Kerr, Chief Fire Officer, Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service, said: “Omagh Community Fire Station is a flagship facility not just for our firefighters and personnel, but also for the local community they serve and protect, as well as for our partner agencies involved in emergency response.

“I would like to thank again the local community, and particularly the residents living close to the building and Omagh District Council for all the support they have given us both before and during the construction phase.

“We look forward to involving everyone in helping shape this important community facility, as well as protecting them.”

Last month also saw NIFRS launch enhanced

info@bafe.org.uk

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CIVIL CI

Costelloe Regional Water Supply Scheme

46

Guaranteeing water security in the area Work is underway in Galway on the first phase of the Costelloe Regional Water Supply Scheme.

Confirmation of funding for the project was announced in February 2013 by Mr Phil Hogan, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.

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The Costelloe scheme includes the development of a new water supply to guarantee the water security for an extensive area of South Connemara.

The project will apply sound technical engineering principals in order to

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Work on the Costelloe Water Supply to maximise the other attributes of the Scheme - which will cost just less than lake and catchment including fishing e2.5M - started in July 201 and will management and flood risk management.

When completed, it will guarantee water be completed in January 2015. security for Carraroe and its environs.

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Established in January 2008, the Company specialises in providing design, construction, We are pleased to be associated with the Costelloe Regional commissioning Water Supply Scheme and wish all involved continued success and operation and maintenance services within the water and Bothar Bill, Carraroe, Co. Galway wastewater sector.

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