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VISIT M BS.CO CIOBJO E THE R WHE ATES ANDID BEST C HE BEST FIND T ES ROL
Agenda
Nov/Dec 15
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Chinese firms win £3bn contracts
Three contractors win deals in Lodnon, Salford and Croydon. Leeds plans robot repairs New funding for university scheme to create “self-healing” city. CIOB premieres Building Tomorrow Film unveiled at International Inspiring Construction conference. Year of achievement for CIOB Institute highlights benefits ahead of membership renewal date. Plus Chris Blythe says we should acknowledge true professionals. Feedback Letters, comments and readers’ views on BIM representation at Construction Manager of the Year. Comment There is life after feed-in tariffs, says Joanna Morgan.
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Cover Story Taking the stage
Dennis Wilson wins the 2015 Construction Manager of the Year Award for his work on Lendlease’s National Theatre project. More CMYA winners Find out more about the people and projects that won the gold and silver awards in each category. 10 ways to boost housing output Innovative construction techniques and encouraging custom build are among the ways we can build more. Technical Birmingham’s revamped New Street station is looking to the future, but can’t quite escape its concrete past. CPD: Improving thermal performance of flat roofs Businesses start to square up to the demands of the minimum energy performance standard. Project of the month Over-60s housing, Greenwich.
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Screening for skills gaps
An information-sharing initiative is using Linked Open Data to open up a new era of transparency for skills. BIM bytes The latest part of the government’s BIM strategy – the NBS BIM Toolkit – leaves its beta evaluation stage. BREEAM or SKA? Which environmental assessment tool is going to be the best fit for your fit-out? We deserve better than BIM lite Pinsent Masons’ Chris Hallam industry feels the use of disclaimers is undermining the effectiveness of BIM.
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60-71 All the latest news and reports from CIOB members and branches
CM’s website has a new CPD portal, for modules from the magazine and additional study topics. Register at www.construction-manager.co.uk/cpd/ CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 | 3
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News
China contractors win £3bn of work Wave of deals over past month includes schemes in Salford, Croydon and Royal Albert Dock
Middlewood Locks
Royal Albert Dock
Croydon’s One Lansdowne Road
Chinese contractors have secured more than £3bn worth of UK private sector contracts in the past month, entering the market in the wake of Chinese development and investment companies. A wave of deals was announced to coincide with the state visit of Chinese president Xi Jinping in October, confirming that Chinese investment and construction capacity will have an increasing impact on the UK built environment sector. With UK construction high and output growth forecast to run at around 4% a year, the contract wins demonstrate that the additional output could end up in the control of overseas contractors — a trend forecast in the October issue of Construction Manager. KPMG’s head of infrastructure, building and construction, Richard Threlfall told CM last month: “It’s exactly as you would
expect, we’re seeing a huge amount of interest from overseas contractors. A number of UK contractors are in poor shape, while the Far East and China see a significant programme of work with programmes like HS2.” The new contract wins are: ● The Beijing Construction and Engineering Group (BCEG) has been appointed as main contractor for the £700m Middlewood Locks regeneration project in Salford, Manchester, being developed by a Chinese-UK partnership. The 24-acre brownfield site has outline planning consent for a large mixed-use community, with the first phase expected to comprise 550 homes and 29,000 sq ft of commercial space. It has been appointed by UK developer Scarborough Group, which signed a £1.2bn investment deal with Chinese developer
“A number of UK contractors are in poor shape, while China sees a significant programme of work” Richard Threlfall, KPMG
Hualing Group in July. Their link-up is also due to a £400m scheme in Leeds, and the £40m Sheffield Digital Campus. ● China Building Technique Group (CBTG) has been awarded the “primary contractor” role on Croydon’s mixed use £500m One Landsdowne Road Tower. It has been appointed on a construction management basis with the works carried out by local labour and subcontractors. ● Chinese developer ABP has engaged Chinese contractor CITIC Construction for phase one of its £1.7bn Royal Albert Dock development, in conjunction with a yet-tobe-appointed UK-based joint venture partner. It has been reported that CITIC is being encouraged to team up with Mace, Brookfield Multiplex or Laing O’Rourke. ABP chairman Xu Weiping has indicated that he is also looking at opportunities in Oxford, Cambridgeshire, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh. As well as these contract wins, Chinese developers are already prominent investors in UK development projects, a trend likely to continue as China’s economic downturn means that companies seek overseas opportunities. Chinese developer Greenland is investing in a £1bn scheme at the old Ram Brewery in Wandsworth, and a 67-storey residential tower at Canary Wharf, while Dalian Wanda is backing the massive Nine Elms development in London’s Vauxhall. During Xi Jinping’s visit, the UK and Chinese governments released a joint statement, committing the two sides to “creating a fair, transparent, positive and business-friendly policy environment for two-way investment and addressing business concerns regarding market access and regulations. They will work together to protect intellectual property of Chinese and British companies in both countries.” In an example of UK expertise being exported to China, BRE is advising Chinese property developer Evergrade on its £200m sustainable research programme. Under the deal BRE and Tsinghua University will develop a number of demonstration projects across China.
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News
Leeds builds robots and drones for city repairs
ALAMY
Funding for university project aims to create a city with self-regulating infrastructure within 20 years
Drones will be able to perch on structures at height and carry out repairs to street lights
Leeds University has won £4.2m of funding to develop small robots that can act autonomously to identify and repair problems with pipes, street lights and roads. The aim of the project is to turn Leeds into a “self-healing city”, in which problems can be fixed with minimal environmental impact and disruption to the public, by 2035. The grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), which is funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), will be matched by a number of “major infrastructure companies and robotic suppliers”, that are partnering on the £7.8m project. Phil Purnell, professor of materials and structures at Leeds University, who is leading the research, explained: “This is about creating systems that can repair themselves. Often people talk about the city as an organism, but what is missing is the ability to heal itself. We are taking the next step towards making this possible.” Purnell was keen to emphasise that the study will actually be creating prototypes: “This is a science project but it is totally focused on real-world applications. We are not studying theory on this project: we are building robots.” “Our long-term goal is for there to be no disruptions in Leeds due to street works by 2035, but in the short term we want to create demonstrable systems. Prototypes
“We are not studying theory on this project: we are building robots” Phil Purnell, Leeds University
already exist that can survey pipes, we need to make these autonomous and active,” he continued. The research will focus on three major developments: drones that can perch on structures at height and perform repair tasks, such as mending street lights; drones that can inspect, diagnose, repair and prevent potholes in roads; and robots that will operate within live utility pipes, performing inspection, repair, metering and reporting tasks. Although these will work within the city’s existing infrastructure, some material changes will need to be made. For example, perches will have to be built on
lampposts to allow the drones to operate and light fittings may need to be updated. “We are designing a drone that can be automatically alerted when a bulb is broken and replace it,” said Purnell. “It may mean a small modification to the existing infrastructure so that it can be replaced by an autonomous system, but it’s crazy to send a cherry-picker and three blokes to change a lightbulb.” To identify defects, the drones and robots will need access to digital as-built versions of pipes and roads to compare with what they scan. For new buildings and infrastructure this will be obtained directly from a BIM model. “The robots need to know what a pipe building is supposed to look like so they can identify if something is wrong,” said Purnell. “They can then compare a schematic with what they can see and fix it if they need to. Ideally they will take data from multiple sources, and information from BIM models will be invaluable.” Purnell said that constant surveying of pipes will mean that issues can be resolved at an earlier stage: “Much of our focus will initially be on the maintenance of pipes, as that is a nasty problem.” He added: “Most problems start as small defects and if our robots can find these and spray something onto them to solve them, then we shouldn’t constantly be digging up roads and disrupting the city.”
Government’s 2016 BIM mandate takes shape The BIM Task Group has provided further details on implementation of the government BIM mandate, including a “stretch target” that will require departments to electronically validate BIM data from suppliers by October 2016. At the ICE BIM conference in October, Task Group member Terry Stocks announced that all centrally funded departments will need “the capability to electronically validate BIM information delivered from the supply chain” by 3 October 2016, and will need to be “making progressively more use of supply chain data for key business activities” by this date. They will also have to provide “clear and complete Employer’s Information Requirements (EIR) with all contracts” by 4 April 2016. The BIM Task Group’s Mark Bew explained that the target on data validation was in place to boost the
quality of data gathered by the industry. He told the conference: “As we move to BIM Level 3 and beyond, reliability of data is key.” But the news raised questions for some. Rob Jackson, associate director at architect Bond Bryan, said: “Whilst I applaud the need for validation, it seems an unrealistic target for industry to respond without clarity now about what will be required. Whilst we have BS 1192-4:2014 (COBie) as a basis for validation, what else will be required? The announcements apparently followed a meeting of the Construction Leadership Council. According to a spokesperson at BIS, there is to be a further announcement detailing the requirements of the mandate in the “near future”, once the outcomes of this meeting have been signed off. Stocks also announced that a new website – www. Level2BIM.org – will be online by the April deadline.
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CIOB News
CIOB premieres Building Tomorrow film at International Inspiring Construction
Delegates at the CIOB's International Inspiring Construction conference will be among the first to see “Building Tomorrow”, a special co-production between the CIOB and ITN. A 15-minute abridged version of the full 90-minute programme will be screened midway throught the conference, after which the full version will be available on both the CIOB and ITN websites, where it can be viewed and shared. “Building Tomorrow” examines today's industry with a focus on the shifting trends that will take the industry forward into a more technologised and digital era. The film aims to showcase the breadth and depth of the industry's contribution to life in the UK, with broadcast-quality production values giving it the authority of “the ITN news”.
It is introduced by CIOB chief executive Chris Blythe with ITN host Natasha Kaplinsky, who also hosted ceremonies at this year's CMYA event in October. A total of 20 organisations have partnered with the CIOB to produce the landmark programme, including Willmott Dixon Energy Services; Autodesk, and the British Ceramic Tile Association. In each of the 20, three-minute segments, an ITN reporter visits a location to find out more about the subject, investigating background issues and interviewing partners' expert commentators. The collaboration with ITN has also resulted in five shorter films, examining the links between the construction industry and the military; women's careers in the industry; innovations and new technologies.
In the fourth film, dedicated to Minecraft, Ian Eggers, former managing director of Mace and now an independent development consultant, talks to young Minecraft enthusiasts about taking their passion into a career in construction. A segment on the linkages between the construction sector and the wider economy features contributions from economists at Barbour ABI. ITN Productions' UK director of programming, Simon Shelley, said: “We’re excited to embark on this project to engage with and inform professionals from the industry.”
A total of 20 organisations have partnered with the CIOB to produce the landmark programme.
Vox pop: what’s on the agenda at the conference? Ahead of the CIOB’s International Inspiring Construction years ago, working on PFI and BSF schemes initially, largely within London, to one that is now working on conference, we asked four of the speakers for a over 100 projects, delivering high-quality housing, preview of the insights they’ll be sharing: commercial, construction and regeneration schemes up Dr Jianxi Cheng and down the country; from Birmingham to Brighton Wanda One UK and Southampton to Swansea. The UK is one of the most popular destinations in Europe for Chinese Thomas Wilson investors, for its well established regulation Partner, Squire Patton Boggs system and yet pragmatic and flexible approaches to The Middle East is a region experiencing foreign investment. I will discuss how UK and Chinese both unprecedented turmoil and companies can work together so that mutual benefits unprecedented demand for construction services. and ultimately investment success can be achieved. A fast-growing population and ever-expanding I will also reveal how to overcome small cultural infrastructure needs are pitted against sustained differences, such as managing a meeting, strategic low oil prices and political uncertainty. Navigating decision-making and forming the right partnerships. the cross-currents of this dynamic market has never Arnaud Bekaert been more difficult. Managing director (Construction At the conference I look forward to providing London), Bouygues UK market insights based on my eight years as a construction lawyer in the region and to discussing I will be sharing our experiences and strategies for success in this always challenging yet talking about Bouygues UK’s journey as rewarding construction market. a company that started out here in the UK some 20
Munish Datta
Head of Property, Plan A and offices FM at Marks & Spencer With the launch of Plan A in 2007, Marks & Spencer set itself the ambitious target of becoming the world’s most sustainable retailer. I’ll be describing the evolution of our strategy and processes over the past eight years, and the steps that we have taken to achieve a cultural shift, both internally and with our construction partners. I’ll also discuss the new M&S property ethical auditing policy for our UK-based Tier 1 contractors, which will ultimately benefit the entire supply chain. The International Inspiring Construction conference takes place on 24 November at the QEII Conference Centre, London. To book a place at the conference, or the accompanying CPD stream, please visit inspiring.ciob.org
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CIOB News
Chris Blythe Professionals in the industry deserve a degree of recognition
A watershed year for the CIOB Institute highlights high profile projects as renewal date nears Members will be receiving their renewal notice for CIOB subscription for 2016, following a year when the CIOB has been at the centre of the debate in key topics facing the industry amid changes to its grade structure and boosting its corporate membership scheme - all geared at improving professionalism in the industry. The initiatives of the past 12 months demonstrate that the CIOB has laid the foundations for implementing its five-year corporate plan, which sets a target of raising the institute’s profile among employers and stakeholders, demonstrating a commitment to everyone who works in the industry, and continuing to grow the membership of the institute. The past year has seen the fulfilment of high-profile projects for the CIOB, including: ● On 1 July, the CIOB implemented changes to its grade structure, smoothing the path of new and existing noncorporate members towards full MCIOB status and closing the ACIOB and ICIOB grades to new members. Anyone joining the CIOB will be known as a Student or Applicant, indicating that they are working towards chartered membership. ● Contributing to a better understanding of our industry through research. In the summer, the CIOB published Modern Slavery: The Dark Side of Construction, an examination of exploitative labour relationships in the industry both in the UK and the rest of the world. ● Extending the institute’s reach
The initiatives of the past 12 months demonstrate that the CIOB is on the road to implementing its five-year corporate plan
internationally, via a partnership with the New York City Department of Design and Construction. The link-up encourages wider take-up and recognition of MCIOB membership in New York and the north American construction sector. ● In October, the CIOB unveiled the revised standards, as well as updated branding, for the Chartered Building Company and Chartered Buidling Consultancy scheme. The relaunch is targeting a boost in membership of at least 10%. ● Working with ITN Productions throughout the year the CIOB has created a series of films that promote the value of the construction industry to clients, government and society at large. . As a result of the grade review, there has also been a change to the subscription renewal system compared to previous years. Rules around re-instatement have been tightened so that if a member (or their employer) misses the deadline at the end of February it is highly likely that their membership will lapse. Under the new rules a costly and time consuming application for re-admission is required. To avoid this the CIOB is urging members to renew early and online, ahead of February, when the subscriptions team is at its busiest. To pay your annual subscription, log into the members’ area of the website www.ciob.org and use the secure online payment facility to support the institute and take full advantage of your member benefits.
Higher Apprenticeship piloted at Welsh colleges The CIOB Higher Apprenticeship in Construction Site Supervision is now being piloted at Coleg Sir Gar, Pembrokeshire College and Coleg Ceredigion, before potentially being rolled out across Wales. With output in the Welsh construction sector set to grow by an annual average rate of 5.8% over the next five years — three times the average UK growth rate — there is huge demand for more construction supervisors. The CIOB and CITB, alongside training providers and employers, have joined forces with the Welsh Government to develop the model. The qualification will provide a supportive and smoother route to the role of supervisor and potentially manager, so that apprentices have
a clear route to develop their careers. The new higher apprenticeship is targeted at: learners with relevant construction qualifications at level 2 or above; workers with five years’ experience working in the industry; and candidates who already have supervisory duties. Bridget Bartlett, CIOB deputy chief executive, said: “The industry has a long history of enabling people from all backgrounds to fulfil their potential and this apprenticeship is another example of that.” Mark Bodger, strategic partnerships director for CITB Cymru Wales, said: “The new higher apprenticeship model will give those who already have construction experience the training they need to take their career to the next level.”
The construction industry is unique in one respect: it is the most socially mobile industry in the country. This has been the case for a long time. CIOB founder Thomas Cubitt (1788-1855) was the son of a Norfolk carpenter. He built the homes of the aristocracy and his son George became a politician and hereditary peer known as the 1st Baron Ashcombe. Not bad for two generations. Construction’s capacity to still act as a vehicle for social mobility was confirmed in a report produced for the CIOB: Understanding the Value of Professionals and Professional Bodies. It highlighted that it is possible even today to go from the tools to the boardroom, from a trade apprentice to a chartered professional and industry leader. I see evidence of this all the time. The winners in this year’s Construction Manager of the Year awards are as diverse as you can get: former tradesmen up there with graduates, people in the early stages of their careers and others coming towards the end, but all sharing the respect of their peers. This government is clear that it wants us to be an aspirational society. That success comes not from the chances of birth but the ability to apply talent and skill. The challenge for professional bodies as standard setters is simple. Are the standards there to exclude, as a barrier, or to enable and encourage? There is a realisation that the New Labour target of 50% of 18-year-olds going to university perhaps missed the point that people are different. It also had the effect of creating graduateentry only professions. Degree-based apprenticeships go some way to putting variation into the offering, but in the end still reinforce graduate-only entry. Recent developments have tried to go further. The government is trying to ensure even non-degree apprentices can make the transition to a chartered-level professional qualification. The CIOB already has such routes but the new apprenticeships the government is promoting should have this progression. There is no doubt that chartered qualifications are equivalent to a first degree – and, coupled with practical experience, probably a long way above that. If we want a society where we reward effort, perhaps those who have earned degree-equivalent qualifications should get a “degree” as a result. If you already have a degree perhaps it does not matter, but for those who took a different route it does. I would like to be able to staple a degree to a chartered professional certificate if it is appropriate. It is another way to level the social mobility playing field.
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Views
Market failure needs a political response REMEMBER THE BARKER REVIEW? It was
commissioned by the Labour government in 2004 in reponse to rising house price inflation (by far the highest in Europe), and declining affordability in the wake of historically low housebuilding levels. As well as recommending that output be scaled up to 260,00 homes a year to keep pace with household formation, Barker also pointed to the drag on economic growth that results from an undersupply of housing. As well as representing a missed opportunity to benefit from more development and employment, it also creates an overall brake on the economy due to decreased labour mobility. Eleven years on, it's really quite depressing that all the problems that were in such clear focus over a deacde ago are still very much with us now. Of course, a severe downturn intervened, wiping out the modest gains in housing output in England that had been achieved 2004-7. But even so, many of the fundamental difficulties of 2004, such as the sluggish supply of consented land and lack of cross-border co-operation between urban and rural authorities, have proved remarkably consistent and resistant to planning policy changes. That issue, in turn, seems to have frustrated many other worthwhile initiatives since 2010 that have sought to diverisfy supply and bring new players to the market. These include Build to Rent, custom build, and efforts to reengage SME housebuilders that left the development market as their risks escalated in line with land values.
And it's also meant that measures that concentrate on the supply side of the industry, such as shifting to more offsite production, or adopting new types of solid wall construction, have found it difficult to make headway in a market that's been consistent in size, business model and management approach. So with a new Housing and Planning Bill on the horizon and a national conversation on the issue, are we finally in position to lift output to 200,000 homes a year, or more? There would be few in the industry who'd stake money on it: the housing sector is a veritable oil tanker with long lead-in times from planning to hand-over, and a whole host of vested interests resistant to change. Our arrested levels of housing output are a clear example of market failure. But the market has failed because it has intersected with public bodies, the local authorities and public sector land-owners, that lack incentives to co-operate, or a big picture overview that only regional or national government can bring. Where we do have examples of promising growth strategies, such as in Cambridgeshire or Hampshire, it's when regional authorities have chosen to cooperate across borders for the common good. Perhaps, then, the trend towards city devolution offers the greatest hope for accelerating housebuilding levels. Let's hope that's true, for the sake of future generations. Elaine Knutt, editor
More Construction Manager online and on Twitter Our twice-weekly newsletters give you breaking news, and online-only content, including more coverage of skills shortages and the carbon agenda, and fresh perspectives on the week’s news. Sign up at www.construction-manager. co.uk. For news from CM and other sources as it happens, join our 8,500+ Twitter followers @CMnewsandviews.
Feedback
Factories need to fly onto sites Robert Alvarez, via website "Flying factories" (Skanska's flying factories take off in Slough, CM, October) are a brilliant idea, but there is a way to bring even greater efficiencies – by dropping the factory into the construction site itself. Where there is space a temporary structure can bring even greater cost savings. The margins achieved from having that clean, safe, secure space on site and under your control – less transport, less time, smaller project staff, shared security – can make the difference to profit margins where every incremental improvement in time and first-round build quality will be felt. De Boer’s temporary commercial structures are incredibly robust and flexible and can be adapted perfectly to the modular, controlled construction approach showcased by Skanska and Laing O’Rourke.
Get ready for something seismic John Eynon, via website With several majors struggling to build out loss-leading legacy projects, is the writing on the wall? (When margins are this low, it's a sign we need a new approach, CM, October). Something will have to give soon. As the baby boomers retire to their beach huts, it will leave a slowly dwindling skill base and labour pool. I think we're due for a seismic shift soon, but I'm not sure where it will land or where from. The BRICs economies? ICT businesses? Google? Aliens from the Planet Zarg? One thing IS for certain - we will not be able to continue just as we are –an array of external drivers will ensure that. Big changes ahead, batten down the hatches!
No justice over blacklisting Scott Milne, via website Good. This whole insidious practice (Blacklisting contractors admit liability in revised defence strategy, online) quite literally ruined peoples lives. It is a shame those who have passed on will not get the justice they deserved.
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Vox pop With only one CMYA medal citation mentioning BIM, are we failing to realise its benefits at the construction stage? Martin Chambers Director of Shaylor Group We are not yet getting the full benefits in the construction phase – as with all change it takes time to filter through. We will only really see the benefits once the site is digitised – when it is the norm for foremen to carry tablets. We've crossed one hump by getting the designers on board and are also beginning to see BIM being used in refurbishment. But the real hard work is getting the benefits on site. It will take time before we have evidence of the full benefits. Once we have elements of projects that can be compared to historical data, such as curtain walling systems, and we can prove the benefits of using BIM on site, progress will rapidly increase.
Garry Fannon Head of BIM, Willmott Dixon We try to measure the number of projects that are using BIM Level 1 or higher and at the present time at Willmott Dixon it is only around 25%. So it doesn't surprise me that so few CMYA citations mention BIM, as it may not have been utilised on those projects. The industry is on a journey. Many of the designers were early adopters and are now seeing efficiencies – we need to tap into that to get the benefits on site. As a business we have an incremental plan to increase the use of BIM as it is not efficient yet. We have learnt lots of lessons but it takes each team a couple of projects to really get to grips with BIM. To really get the efficiencies in the construction phase we need to push this
Take it back to basic principles Patrick S Brady FCIOB, MCIArb John Edwards quotes BS 7913 Guide to the Conservation of Historic Buildings as a guide to managing quality and control of poor workmanship (Quality counts, CM October). The "joined-up"approach he aspires to can be fully addressed by implementing the requirements of ISO 9001 (Quality management systems - requirements), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management
to the SMEs and subcontractors that end up doing a lot of the actual work.
Peter Gracia Director of Gracia Consult No matter how good a tool BIM might be, the benefits do not seem to be transferring down to the actual end users of the buildings. There is a reality gap between the potential that BIM has and what we are seeing on the ground. BIM will not improve the industry's tendency to offload the real design work down the supply chain to specialists. It is the specialist subcontractors actually doing the works on site and individual engineers will make judgment calls when they encounter a problem. What the construction industry should be concentrating on is not how many bits of data we can collect about a building but actually delivering buildings that work for the client. There are lots of buildings out there with complex M&E installations and building management systems that cannot figure out how to keep the occupants warm or cool enough. I would love to see where the money is being saved by BIM as all I keep seeing is gigantic air-handling units and equally gigantic M&E consultants' fees.
Rebecca De Cicco Director of Digital Node We are seeing the benefits of BIM throughout all stages of projects and this will only continue in positive ways to provide better clarity and more efficient and coordinated information for all those involved in building and construction. The benefits of BIM during design are
Systems - Requirements with Guidance for Use) and ISO 19011 (Guidelines for Quality and/or Environmental Management Systems Auditing) in any business or project. These cover design control, staff competencies, training and inspection processes, to name but a few. Further to this, the management of the totality of the risks inherent in a project are managed if the precepts of ISO 31000 (Risk Management - Principles and Guidelines) are implemented throughout.
Lombard Wharf, Battersea, London designed by Patel Taylor for Barrett London
obvious. But BIM is not only valuable during design but as we move into construction, allowing clearer and coordinated information between all project participants. We are seeing BIM processes become more effective during construction, using such technologies as laser scanning and reality capture, which can aid in quantifying project design information against the construction process to then hand over a very clear and realistic picture of the project at completion.
Andy Sneyd
“We will only really see the benefits once the site is digitised – when it is the norm for foremen to carry tablets" Martin Chambers, Shaylor Group
Contact us Do you have an opinion on any of this month’s articles? Email: constructionmanager@atom publishing.co.uk
Design and engineering director of Portakabin Group BIM is not yet generating benefits at the design or construction stages but is most commonly being used for the basic capture of digital data for the asset management – an extra activity that can add cost during the construction phase of an asset’s life. BIM is certainly not driving innovation or cost savings in the way projects are designed, procured or constructed. Construction is still incredibly inefficient. Offsite construction addresses some of the issues, however, building designers tend not to think about procurement or construction even though these elements should be intrinsically linked. To realise the true benefits of BIM at the design stage, the wider supply chain must be involved.
I come from a traditional background where the first inspection was performed by the tradesman doing the work – if it was wrong it was fixed. Pride in the work was part and parcel of a tradesman's training. In the intervening years all manual work has been viewed as semiskilled and the industry has suffered. I have brought the same principles I was taught as an apprentice into quality management. Plan, do, check, act – we were doing it years ago.
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Comment Joanna Morgan
Rays of hope after feed-in tariffs The government’s proposal to slash solar subsidies need not spell the end for solar energy, providing we can switch to new business models, says Joanna Morgan
THE DRAMATIC CUT to feed-in tariffs (FiTs) by
up to 87% from January 2016, recently proposed in a government consultation, sent shockwaves through the UK solar industry. How can it possibly survive such a decision? Well, it can and it will, but it will need a different business model, positive messages to consumers and a better understanding of the benefits associated with installing solar energy on buildings, regardless of the FiT. The proposals are already affecting the industry, with several local authorities announcing cuts to their solar installation programmes and predictions that this could cause a reduction in the UK’s renewable generation capacity by 6GW by 2020/2021; it is also likely to result in a significant number of job losses. Significantly reduced uptake But we do have some control: we are presented with an ideal opportunity now to prevent the drop in FiTs from meaning the end of the UK solar industry. FiTs were never meant to last forever and have served their original purpose in raising awareness, increasing uptake of photovoltaics (PV), growing the UK economy and driving down the cost of PV. The impact on businesses is down to the way FiTs have been reduced – not gradually to allow them to adopt new models, but dramatically, in a short time period. Hence the impact has been a massive uptake in PV before the end of the year, putting huge strain on businesses, to be followed by a significantly reduced uptake in January, which many won’t survive. The industry would stand a much better chance if the drop had been more gradual. So, a swift campaign of awarenessraising is now needed to highlight to
consumers the many positive reasons to install PV, such as savings on electricity bills, payments for exporting electricity to the grid (export tariff is not yet affected) and the security of supply benefits, as well as the wider environmental pay-off. There is a common misperception that FiTs are the main benefit to installing PV, but they are only part of the picture. The reduction in FiTs paves the way for new business models and opportunities, enabling sensible decisions to be made on technology choices and the optimisation of self-consumption – such as the Buildings as Power Stations concept that SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre1 at Swansea University has pursued since it was set up four years ago – where the vision of buildings that generate, store and release their own energy, allowing building owners to manage their energy, with a security of supply and significantly reduced energy costs, can now be realised. And for the government and distribution network operators, battery storage technologies could alleviate the cost of upgrading the existing electricity grid network, which will be necessary if we continue to generate energy from renewable sources without the help of storage. Diverting spending
“If the drop in feed-in tariffs could be combined with the introduction of grants for energy storage, the impact on UK businesses will be far less“
to storage instead costs less in terms of both capital costs and costs incurred from the disruption of vast infrastructure works, which will surely win more political favour. Looking to Germany Could the government also perhaps consider awarding grants for energy storage, as has been done in Germany since 2013? The cost of solar energy in Germany has now fallen so significantly that mains electricity costs twice as much as solar power, and batteries are used to secure against rising electricity prices, as well as relieving grid stress during peak feed-in periods by exporting electricity into the grid at optimum times. While batteries are still relatively expensive in the UK, the drop in FiTs could help force technology to improve and drive prices down, as FiTs have done for solar energy. However, we need to act quickly if we are to prevent the decline in installers, projects in development and planned investment in training. If the drop in FiTs could be combined with the introduction of grants for energy storage, the impact on UK businesses will be far less than without encouraging storage. Some take the view that FiTs have stifled the storage industry, so this hiatus could be a chance for it to catch up. Is there life after FiTs? Yes, of course there is, but also a stronger case for storage of energy both for use at the point of source and for better grid management at a UK scale. Joanna Morgan is an architect and building integration manager at SPECIFIC, an industry-academic collaboration at Swansea University.
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Feature CMYA winner
STAR OF THE SHOW Dennis Wilson’s flexible approach enabled a major renovation of the National Theatre while the actors continued to perform – and won him the title of Construction Manager of the Year. Elaine Knutt reports
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PHOTOGRAPHY: WILDE FRY
Feature CMYA winner
WHEN CONSTRUCTION MANAGER of the Year Dennis Wilson MCIOB goes walkabout at his former project, there’s a sense of a muchloved actor returning to a favourite stage. Escorting Construction Manager around the revitalised National Theatre, the Lendlease operations director is greeted warmly by Johann the restaurant manager, Duncan the front of house manager, and Gordon from the security management team. Considering Wilson was responsible for delivering a project that disrupted the lives of National Theatre staff for two and a half years, it’s a remarkably warm homecoming. But Wilson appears to have made the personal and cultural shift from construction world to arts world, adapting working methods to the theatre’s culture and becoming a valued part of its unique community. With his straight-downthe-line open communication and calm responses to complex problems, his guidance of a “once in a lifetime” project gave the world-class team at the NT the reassurance that they were in the hands of an equally capable professional. In fact, his initiation to the theatre’s world began shortly after the project started, with a conversation with the National Theatre’s executive director Lisa Burger, later to back his nomination for the CMYA award. She advised him to see a show, picking first world war drama War Horse, in order to fully understand the workings and ethos of the NT. As Wilson recalls: “I took the whole family to see it and it was just amazing. I said to Lisa, ‘I get it’.” In Wilson’s award citation, Burger described him as “a pillar of strength”,
“For the first three weeks we tried to apply normal construction logic, but when we had spoken to people we had to rethink how to do it”
while the judging panel noted that he had pulled off a challenging project while in the public eye and without affecting a single performance. Wilson beat 69 other finalists to the trophy: the stories of 19 medallists are featured on the following pages. The National Theatre’s £48m NT Future project, delivered by Wilson’s team of 12 and a total of 2,500 operatives, was a lowkey transformation that has nevertheless equipped the institution for the coming decades. Working to sensitive designs by architect Haworth Tompkins, the project delivered new facilities, workshops and performance space to complement Sir Denys Lasdun’s Grade II*-listed 39-yearold masterpiece. In fact, the re-ordered spaces and new additions, such as the undercroft “Understudy” bar, although considerably altered from the original, feel reassuringly authentic. Lendlease secured the project — with Wilson forming part of the bid team — in autumn 2012, establishing an onsite presence in December 2012. But it was six months before work actually started, with Wilson and his team investing considerable time upfront in formulating the right programme that would address the theatre community’s needs. “When we first started, I walked around the site and had preconceived ideas about how to approach it,” he explains. “For three to four weeks after we were appointed, we tried to apply normal construction logic, but then when we had spoken to people here we really had to rethink how to do it. So we spent the next three months having a real engagement period with the National Theatre, talking to all the departments and the individuals.” As an example of what you might call the “method acting” school of construction management, Wilson placed his services manager Cary Wood in the theatre’s maintenance team for six months, before creating the project methodology. “It was invaluable. Cary was able to develop a very detailed M&E services schedule to enable us to carry out all the isolations and various M&E intervention works to allow us to keep the National Theatre running while we cut and carved the building.” Phase A centred on the new Dorfman theatre, a rebuild of the former studiostyle Cottesloe theatre that involved expanding seating numbers and installing a new hydraulic stage, as well as new >
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Feature CMYA winner
> air-conditioning and cooling systems. This phase also included back-of-house areas and workshops, converting former store rooms to office space and creating new digital suites — to allow new producers to develop work using the theatre’s resources There was also the addition of new catering facilities, with theatregoers’ sandwiches and interval snacks now being prepared in a new basement kitchen in the former car park. This was followed by Phase B, which concentrated on the front of house areas seen by visitors and theatregoers: the new foyer and entrance layout, restaurants, bars and public realm, and also the new planting on the riverside terraces. Within these two broad phases, smaller subphases were sectionally completed and handed over. Throughout, Wilson took considerable care to head off any cultural clashes between the NT’s creatively driven staff and construction managers with a getthe-job-done mentality. Liaison with client representatives took the form of monthly meetings with the heads of department, or HODs, when Wilson’s team would outline the plans for the next six months and make sure there were early warning signals of any “issues”. But the key group to influence, Wilson recognised, were the trade contractors’ site supervisors. “They all went on a backstage tour so they would understand how the theatre worked, so they’d automatically understand the constraints — like the hours the prop department worked, or the carpentry department,” he recalls. A fundamental rule communicated to all operatives and staff was that they
should behave as if they were “a guest in someone’s house”. But, happily, the hosts also reciprocated with the personal touch. “The National Theatre wanted to make it as pleasant as possible for staff, so the construction team was served the same food given to the actors, staff and members of the public.” In addition, he and Burger devised a health and safety incentive scheme so that as many team members as possible could see NT shows. “We had some fantastic thank-yous from people who’d never been to the theatre before,” he says. The result was a bilateral commitment that saw the project through testing times, with the project straddling the NT’s 50th birthday celebrations and a visit from the Queen. “I can’t stress enough how fantastic the team were: they were very dedicated. Because the National Theatre didn’t want anything to disrupt the shows and audience experience, the team would respond 24/7. None of this could have been achieved without them.” One example came when an external broadcast TV crew couldn’t transmit because the crane’s jib was in the line of transmission — the crane operator had to come out on Saturday evening. Overall, the programme must have had the strategic complexity of a chessboard, with a night-works programme that involved 300 operatives on site every night from 11pm to 7am for 18 months, across as many as 30 or 40 different workfaces. “If you had to walk the job it would take three to four hours to get round all the little packets of work,” Wilson recalls. He also had to contend with a less fortunate legacy of 1960s construction:
Stage management: Phase A included the creation of the new Dorfman Theatre (above) Phase B of the project concentrated on the new foyer and entrance area (below left)
“If you had to walk the job it would take three to four hours to get round all the little packets of work”
70 tonnes of asbestos. Exposed structural steel beams in the backstage areas had been covered in “limpet spray” asbestos as a fire-retardant measure, which needed to be removed in controlled conditions with special pellets and high pressure water spray. Similarly, asbestos rope was found in the 1960s rooflights. The National Theatre project marked a stage in the upward progression of Wilson’s 18-year career at Lendlease, joining Bovis Lend Lease in 1997 as a building services manager. Other notable projects included Morgan Stanley at Canary Wharf, the BBC project at Broadcasting House and new Rothschild HQ in the City, where he became a CMYA finalist in 2012. Although Wilson didn’t win a medal, the achievement led to him putting himself forward for MCIOB membership. Wilson, who was born in London with Jamaican parents, left school at 16 to take O-Levels at college and later embarked on an apprenticeship as an electrician, following his dad’s advice to “get a trade”. Although he says his teenage self looked no further ahead than completing the apprenticeship, he is now helping other young people to map out long-term careers by managing just under 100 dayrelease and graduate trainees working in the Lendlease construction business. CMYA category and overall winners often become of interest to rival businesses and recruitment consultants, with tales of LinkedIn invitations flooding in-boxes and a furtive trade in winners’ mobile numbers. But a career move doesn’t appear to be on the cards. “The beauty of Lendlease is that we have our own development department, construction department and investments throughout the world, so any opportunities within the Lendlease business has lots of challenges,” Wilson says. It’s bad news for potential poachers, but good news for a company that’s nurtured a true construction talent. CM
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CMYA 2015
Presented by CMYA Winner 2014 Lee Hutchinson MCIOB, construction director, Mace
Residential up to six storeys GOLD
GOLD Joe Edwards Denmark & White PROJECT: The Rifles
phase 1, Enfield, London: construction of seven three-bedroom houses, completed in 46 weeks VALUE: £1.43m HAVING PROJECT-MANAGED a previous scheme with distinction for this client, Joe Edwards secured the repeat business that is often the definition of success in construction. And, just like the client, he put his trust in his own tried and tested team, bringing back the site manager from the previous job, who had been with him for 15 years, and a highly valued site foreman familiar from previous contracts. Openness and honesty were key in gaining the trust and goodwill needed to make a success of a financial engineering exercise. Having been tendered and awarded at a time of low demand in the housing market for labour and supply, this contract for seven houses and a retained facade for a historic building had become financially challenging.
SILVER Scott Dunbar Hill Partnerships The Avenue, Saffron Walden, Essex: construction of 76 homes, completed in 176 weeks VALUE: £10.3m PROJECT:
REPETITION OF TYPE is the iron law of UK housebuilding, which makes Scott Dunbar’s project about as unique as they come. He didn’t just progress a couple of prototype buildings amid a standardised mass, he delivered a score of prototypes in a scheme of 76 homes, every one of which was different. This was an extremely complex development with many different design details. Three clients each brought their own specifications and expectations. All the homes had a different settingout facade and there were six types of cladding. Frameless twin-aspect windows at corners, recessed porches and flush eaves were among the unusual detailing.
With the site bordered front and back by rivers, potential flooding was the big technical challenge. Edwards judiciously interpreted the effects of a subsequent raising of the finished floor levels to make changes to the levels of the footpaths, walkways and parking areas, and to step the ground beams around the building footprint so the site team could work from existing levels out to the site boundary.
Edwards’ drive for quality was shown in the way he expedited construction of the show house to provide a quality benchmark for trades – and made sure that he and they always kept it in focus. He encouraged site workers to report any faults they spotted with such success that the houses were handed over defect-free and met with praise from client and purchasers.
Other Finalists
Dunbar worked hard to speed up the build. He introduced spandrel panels above garages to eliminate party-wall scaffolding and save three weeks on programme. He streamlined bathroom designs and tailored detailing to suit an end-user group with which he had considerable experience. He also showed outstanding attention to detail by snagging and inspecting all through the build rather than just at the end. Dunbar often pre-empted quality issues, bringing them to the attention of
the design teams as well as onsite. He refused to let utilities contractors dump their materials in his parking bays. And if the bespoke nature of the homes wasn’t challenge enough, Dunbar also dealt well with the constant safe access required by a neighbouring school, which had sold off some of its land for the development. His forward planning and communication with neighbours, as well as site staff and professionals, ensured a highly successful scheme.
Craig McKenzie
Ian Burgess MCIOB
Willmott Dixon Construction, Craven Park, Neasden
Owen Broadway ICIOB
Bellway Homes (now with Taylor Wimpey), Repton Gate, Woodford Bridge McCarthy & Stone, Holmes Place, Crowborough
Ian Wilson
CCG (Scotland), The Observatory, Glasgow
SILVER
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CMYA 2015
Category sponsored by
Residential over six storeys GOLD Jamie Street MCIOB Project manager, Berkeley Homes PROJECT: Ebury Square,
Belgravia, London: construction of 71 apartments in sevenstorey tower, completed in 162 weeks VALUE: £100m CONTRACT: Construction management IT WOULD HAVE BEEN easy to be overawed.
Jamie Street MCIOB had to build a highquality seven-storey block in a constricted London site on top of a Tube tunnel so near that the building was designed to be wholly supported by 600 individually tuned heavyduty industrial springs cast into the groundfloor slab above a three-storey basement to suppress the vibration of the Underground trains. “Complex” doesn’t begin to do justice to the technical demands of the project. Street willed people along to the finish line in the face of considerable negativity. Enmeshed in the design, he knew the details would work. After each setback, he regrouped, came up with a plan, communicated it to all, then moved on. His calm enthusiasm took the team with him. Street quickly built up a remarkable relationship with London Underground. By gaining its trust, he was able to obtain
without difficulty or delay the many agreements needed for constructing a slab just a metre above the live tunnel. With the site bordered on three sides by powerful neighbours, he took personal control of the weekly residents’ meetings. Striking excellent relationships with the council, Street managed the feat of securing loading bays, gantries and accommodation on all four sides of the busy central London site. And he delivered on his own part of the logistics bargain by putting time into checking materials and progress at the suppliers’ premises, having them taken to a holding area for delivering in small quantities to site. The many setbacks included a late demolition phase, caused by tenants not leaving on time, and slower than anticipated frame erection. Street responded by starting blockwork and drylining as soon as the decking was removed, and reserving the tower crane for the frame by securing two cantilever cranes and moving them up the building to load out blocks and plasterboard. When one subcontractor after another went into administration, Street remained positive, putting the time in for acquiring the correct materials from suppliers, finishing off the drawings, bringing in new labour and installing to the right quality and programme. And with such a
GOLD
high-end scheme, there was a vast range of materials to bring from workshop and quarry to installed position. When apartment prices range from £2m to £25m, the purchasers can have pretty much what they want – and they did, with 90 different types of bathroom using six variants of marble and bespoke brassware, and some 400 variations during the scheme.
Other Finalists Patrick Egan FCIOB
United Living, Kingston Heights
Iain Scorgie MCIOB
Midgard, Kingston Riverside
Russell Hill MIGHTILY IMPRESSED by Leanne Broderick’s
SILVER
SILVER Leanne Broderick Contracts manager, John Sisk & Son PROJECT: Rathbone
Market phase 2, Newham, London: construction of 165 apartments, completed in 90 weeks VALUE: £29m CONTRACT: Muse bespoke
performance in building 271 homes for phase 1 of this mixed-use development, the client awarded phase 2’s 165 homes to Sisk on condition that she lead it. It’s easy to see why. Inheriting a whopping delay of 26 weeks on the client’s enabling works because of the stalled relocation of a live substation in the middle of the site, Broderick still delivered phase 2’s first two blocks on time and with minimal cost consequences. Her management of professionals and the site team was outstanding, matching a composed approach to managing the supply chain with high-energy leadership from the front. She didn’t shirk from dealing with difficult individuals and her knowledge commanded respect. Broderick drove the value-engineering proposals with huge success. Among the £535,000 saved, the biggest items were £200,000 from redesigning the piling and another £200,000 from changing the
residential blocks’ steel frame to posttensioned concrete. Broderick constantly sought to challenge and improve. So when the original drainage design had to be abandoned, she replaced it with a “blue roof” that swapped storage tanks in the basement for an attenuation system on the roof. Likewise, she changed the structural design to put in extra columns down to the basement to eliminate the need for steel angle support slabs connecting to phase 1 buildings and remove the inconvenience to plot 1 residents already in occupation. En route to a successful handover, she dealt with such serious setbacks as two major subcontractors going into administration. And in the same way as her phase 1 performance won the phase 2 contract, and with it her first lead contract manager role, her performance on phase 2 has won phase 3 of the contract for another 215 homes.
Mace, 3 Merchant Square, London
Hai Truong
Bouygues UK, Abbey Road, phase 1
Paul Worrell ACIOB
Willmott Dixon Construction, Lighterman House, Poplar, London
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CITB are proud to support the CIOB Construction Manager of the Year Awards People are vital to construction and the economy. We want to inspire the next generation to join our industry. We’re putting people and skills first to make sure we can meet demand and deliver growth now and in the future.
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CMYA 2015
Presented by
New build and refurbishment up to £3m COLIN SANDERS’ responsiveness and
GOLD Colin Sanders Senior site manager, Bouygues UK Norbury Manor Primary School, London: construction of five-classroom extension, completed in 29 weeks VALUE: £1.83m CONTRACT: JCT 2011 D&B PROJECT:
willingness to contribute cost and programme solutions were key in opening this five-classroom extension in time for the new school year and within budget. The client took on board his proposals for reconsidering various areas of this logistically demanding project with a short programme. As a result, significant savings were generated that funded other areas and reduced the volume
GOLD
Other Finalists Robert Boyd
ISG Construction, Ysgol Nant Talwg, Barry
Neil Molloy MCIOB Wates Construction, Building 177, Boldrewood Campus, University of Southampton
Polly Priday ICIOB Mace, The Powerhouse, London
Darren Smoker ICIOB Kier Construction, Maypole Primary School, Dartford
of work that had to be carried out in the school holidays, which greatly assisted the build. With the new extension being built onto and over the existing school, one of Sanders’ big wins was to capture programme and interface advantages by maintaining the existing school roof. He then removed some sections from it so he could put in a new wooden floor strong enough for the new loads, creating a first-floor corridor that allowed the live school to continue to use the ground-floor corridor underneath. The extension was built at the back of the school, and access was shared with the building’s users as well as an adjacent nursing home and the general public. Sanders established the good relations with the users and local community required for any project to be regarded as a success. And he cemented those relationships with initiatives such as donating a bingo machine to the nursing home as a thank-you for its patience during the build, and absorbing unknown services diversion within the programme rather than claiming an extra fortnight extension of time.
Owain James ICIOB
Kier Construction, King’s Meadow Gypsy & Traveller Site, Powys
SILVER Stephen Booth Project manager, Kier Construction Exeter Mathematics School: restoration and conversion of grade II* building into a specialist maths school, completed in 34 weeks VALUE: £1.68m CONTRACT: JCT 1998, D&B PROJECT:
SOMETIMES THE NASTY surprises that pop up
onsite are even more of a blow to the client than to the construction manager who has to sort them out. On Steve Booth’s scheme to convert a 250-year-old listed building into a specialist maths school, his realisation that substantial additional works were required whose cost would far outstrip the project budget could have been nothing other than dismaying to the client. The extra work included major repairs to the roof, a fire and building control requirement for a new external staircase, and strengthening the floors and walls.
Not only did it zap the budget, it would take project completion 10 weeks beyond the start of the new academic term on which all was predicated. It was at that demoralising point that Booth made the calls that rescued the scheme. His early identification of the greater scope, and his openness in informing the client about it, gave him enough time to reprogramme construction to start 10 weeks earlier rather than finish 10 weeks later. He then provided value-engineering smarts on a tight budget where listed status brought no additional finance by making the external staircase an unheated and uninsulated enclosure within an exposed structure. The design offered a clear contrast between old and new that became one of the most appreciated features of the scheme. Booth reined in costs still further by calling in the supply chain and the conservation architect to make detailed surveys of the roof. They revealed that most of the slates could be reused and nearly all the lead retained.
SILVER
His effective management of the subsequent works, allied to his budget brainwaves and transparency in keeping the client fully in the picture, delivered the scheme on time and within the challenged budget. Successful delivery and that excellent working relationship with the client were further rewarded by the award of a subsequent £4.75m scheme, which Booth is again leading.
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CMYA 2015
Presented by Bridget Bartlett, deputy chief executive CIOB
New build and refurbishment between £3-6m GOLD
GOLD John Clarke Project manager, Brymor Construction
Smile Respite and Care Centre, Waterlooville, Hampshire: construction of short-break centre for disabled children, completed in 56 weeks VALUE: £3.3m CONTRACT: JCT 2011 with quantities PROJECT:
GIVEN THE TIGHTNESS of the site, the programme and the budget, you mightn’t have given John Clarke’s client much chance of achieving its ambition of an iconic and sustainable building. Yet Clarke gave his client precisely what it wanted: a high-quality short-break respite centre for disabled children and young adults in a hotel setting. He equipped it with sensory rooms, planted gardens and a meadow roof, as well as a slew of such cutting-edge sustainability features as ground-source heat pumps powering underfloor heating, computerised building management, and sun and wind catchers.
SILVER Gary Wilson Site manager, William Anelay PROJECT: Middleport Pottery, Stoke-on-Trent: refit of grade II*-listed pottery as visitor centre, workshops and offices, completed in 86 weeks VALUE: £4.5m CONTRACT: JCT 2011 without quantities GARY WILSON STEPPED into a time warp with
this project to regenerate a Grade II*listed Victorian pottery. He stepped back out to considerable applause, having consolidated the pottery – which had carried on its business throughout – into half the site and converted the rest into workshops, offices and a visitor centre. The 125-year-old building had never seen major refurbishment or maintenance works, and the long years of make do and mend presented real challenges in equipping it for the 21st century without overtly changing its appearance.
The landlocked site was surrounded by residential neighbours and a special needs school. Clarke dealt with the access and storage challenges by engaging subcontractors early so they could place materials at the back of the site before construction began. He dispensed with a crane, using the money to improve rates instead, which helped drive quality. He
Old fittings had to be left in situ and new ones made as unobtrusive as possible – it’s by no means apparent at first sight that the works included the installation of five lifts. One of the big difficulties was carrying out a major construction programme around the still functioning business. Wilson’s tasks included constructing a new electricity substation and integrating a new incoming mains supply into the existing infrastructure without any loss of factory production. Having established good working relationships with many of the subcontractors on previous jobs, he was able to gain buy-in to working around user needs, with evening and weekend working to minimise disruption. Wilson’s friendly, flexible and can-do approach was key to resolving issues. He prevented problems escalating, dealing with them at site level in an efficient and straightforward way. As a result, pottery production continued uninterrupted for the 16 months the works lasted. Wilson was unfazed by the works’ sheer diversity – the multitude of trades onsite
held regular residents’ meetings and ensured all deliveries were timed. With client funding permitting the award of the contract for the shell only at tender inception, Clarke ultimately offered a fixed-sum contract for the services and finishes. His open communications and great teamwork extracted value, with all gains reinvested in the building.
SILVER
Other Finalists Richard Bishop MCIOB
Morgan Sindall, King Richard III Visitor Centre, Leicester
Drew Gibson MCIOB
Wates Construction, Lloyds Register, Global Technology Centre, Boldrewood Campus, Southampton University
Lyndon Burrell
Wates Construction, Garston Manor School, Watford
Adam Cannon MCIOB
Wates Construction, Coleshill Leisure Centre
Andrew Oliver
Sir Robert McAlpine, Platinum Mall, Gateshead
Scott Sykes MCIOB
Greendale Construction, Blandford Brewery
and unusual structures as masonry bottle kilns and canal walls. His approachability helped apply vital buildability expertise for the new steel-frame lift cores and the lath and plaster ceilings. CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 | 27
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CMYA 2015
Category sponsored by
New build and refurbishment between £6-9m GOLD
GOLD Jason Giblett Project manager, Kier Construction Fencourt Building and Whittle Building, Peterhouse College, Cambridge: construction of 25-bedroom block and refurbishment of Grade II-Iisted building, completed in 113 weeks VALUE: £8.7m CONTRACT: NEC option C PROJECT:
WHEN A CONSTRUCTION manager describes his
project to build a Gothic-style quadranglecloser on a tight site in a live college requiring 20m-deep piling barely a metre from grade I and II-listed buildings on a budget that still needed £350,000 of value engineering to be found and in the teeth of a change-resistant architect as one that “had its fair share of high risks”, exaggeration is surely not his strong suit. But what Jason Giblett MCIOB does have, in spades, are organisational, communication and planning skills of the highest order. The logistics were challenging. Surrounded by live student facilities, not to mention those listed buildings and private dwellings, the tiny site shared its access road – a single-width carriageway with a 90-degree turn midway – with a four-star hotel 50m away. Giblett liaised constantly
SILVER
SILVER
Sean McNicholas MCIOB
Senior building manager, Willmott Dixon Construction PROJECT: Bishopsgate House, Darlington: construction of 4,000 sq m four-storey office block, completed in 54 weeks VALUE: £8.5m CONTRACT: NEC 3 option A, Scape framework
with the neighbours, with regular letter drops, and always advised on large deliveries. And, with site storage all but non-existent, those deliveries had to be called in from outside the city on a just-in-time basis, one vehicle at a time, right up to project handover. Giblett’s contributions to the crucial value engineering were superbly judged. Most notable was his complete redesign of the room layouts to retain many of the original features in the major refurbishment
of a Grade II-listed building on the quad. Even more remarkable was his ability to stay on top of the 873 project manager instructions, 350 requests for information, 371 hand-drawn sketches and 84 early warning notices issued during the contract. Given the completion of a high-quality project on time, on budget and with the whole site team and neighbours still talking to each other, that’s a marvel of effective management and programming.
THERE’S REALLY NO GREATER praise for a
faster, as well as preloading the floors with plasterboard and installing a hoist in a lift shaft to eliminate external scaffold loading bays and allow early completion of the envelope. His super-rigorous approach was so effective that McNicholas was even able to substitute clear for frosted glass on the ground floor as requested by the future tenant right at the end of the project without adding to the programme. And if the resulting five-week-early handover was not in itself a famous result, he also saw £196,000 of the £500,000 he offered in value-engineering savings taken by the client to allow the scheme to proceed. All of them sought to be best solution rather than cheapest option – such as the use of a “hot melt” bitumen-based self-healing roof covering to minimise the risk of failure from the fixings for the roof-mounted plant penetrating the surface.
construction manager than for the client to acclaim the project “a great success story”. The joy of the council client is understandable in the context of Sean McNicholas’s scheme to build a fourstorey office block in an eyebrow-raising 54 weeks so as to retain in the town an important employer before its lease of a different building ran out. Well aware that overrun would be relationship poison, McNicholas put his all into the programme. He redesigned the key interfaces of the external facade, prefabricated the lift shaft rather than build it from blockwork, and installed a GRP floor grating in the risers to provide a level working surface during the job. McNicholas improved the sequencing by installing rainwater attenuation tanks early so external works could start sooner. He put in a new scaffold handrail bracket so that roof construction could finish
Other Finalists Simon Atkinson
Willmott Dixon Construction, Greater Manchester University Training College, Oldham
James Day ICIOB Wates Construction, IRC The Verne, Portland
Craig Smith
Robertson Construction, Redwell Primary School, Alloa
Stephen Foster
Farrans Construction, Rabbsfarm Primary School, West Drayton
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REWARDING ACHIEVEMENT CELEBRATING SUCCESS Proud sponsors of the Construction Manager of the Year Awards 2015. We are delighted to be involved in a prestigious event that raises the profile of the industry and the talented professionals that have contributed to it this year. We are honoured to once again be the category sponsor for New Build & Refurbishment projects between £6–9 Million at the Construction Manager of the Year Awards. We would like to invite you to join us at this prestigious event to recognise the dedicated and innovative project managers and teams across the sector. Whether you’re looking to recruit or considering your next career move, we have the expert skills to help you. Contact Duncan Bullimore at duncan.bullimore@hays.com or call 07740 110800.
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CMYA 2015
Presented by Chris Blythe, chief executive, CIOB
New build and refurbishment between £9-12m GOLD
GOLD Stephen Brook FCIOB Project manager Kier Construction PROJECT: Sainsbury’s Portishead: construction of 2,800 sq m supermarket, completed in 22 weeks VALUE: £10.2m CONTRACT: JCT D&B STEPHEN BROOK made Kier’s success in winning this new supermarket project against the client’s Tier 1 contractor even more telling. His management delivered the challenging 22-week programme, zero defects and bags of innovation, earning him a 10/10 rating from the store manager in all six audit areas and a 10/10 rating overall (also recorded in 11 scored criteria) from the client project manager. An early initiative that won Brook the necessary trust and collaborative working ethic was to persuade the subcontractors, consultants and the client to join together to paint a local school. He sought feedback from the community and stakeholder groups as well as his client. His open approach generated a great relationship with adjoining businesses. Feedback sessions enabled him to re-sequence potentially disruptive works to minimise their impact.
SILVER
SILVER Robert Woolcock ICIOB Operations manager, Willmott Dixon Construction Queens Road Police Station, Bridgend: construction of two-storey custody suite, completed in 60 weeks VALUE: £10.1m CONTRACT: NEC 3 option A PROJECT:
ROBERT WOOLCOCK gave an excellent
demonstration of how taking the time and
As for the site itself, Brook brought an unusual degree of innovation given the brevity of the programme. He used a vacuum suction subcontractor to detect service locations without risk of damage. And he installed prefabricated plant rooms for M&E, the sprinklers and a biomass system. To save funds, he reduced the tarmac thickness in the car park and installed large-bore surface water pipes in place of retention tanks. He employed ground modelling to reduce fill and retaining wall heights, and rationalised
the numerous retaining wall types. Brook ensured efficient design solutions that respected the time pressure by selecting subcontractors and designers capable of finding them. This resulted in the relocation of a medium-pressure gas main, 300m of water main, and 33kVA power and telecom services in a 10-day period. And he made the early packages happen as scheduled – by, for example, installing his D&B manager in the steel contractor’s office to ensure that what was being reported was fact rather than fiction.
Other Finalists
trouble to stand in the users’ shoes and see a building from their point of view can move construction excellence forward. With a 42-cell police custody suite to build for a client with a poor experience of a similar project, Woolcock made three key moves, two of them exceptionally user-focused. The first, to switch from blockwork to precast concrete for the cells to avoid looming material shortages or delays, was a pure construction risk management initiative that cut the build time by five weeks, which could then be usefully spent on the finish quality instead. That first decision influenced the next. While precast sped up construction time, it also meant making much earlier decisions about light fittings and the electrics, since the concrete had to be designed to accommodate them. And this was a heavily serviced building, with more than 300 CCTV cameras and hundreds of alarms. To help the senior police officers visualise the effect of their decisions,
Woolcock built a 3D model of a cell that made decision-making more effective. He then went on to use the BIM model with end-users to value-engineer cell finishes too. By changing the lighting, ceilings, floorings and furniture, he saved the client £160,000, and reduced annual running costs by £5,000 by substituting LED lights for many of the original fittings. Woolcock’s third key decision involved the custody desk. Packed with IT equipment and monitoring screens, this was well on the way to design sign-off but, regarding £100,000 as a considerable risk on the basis of drawings alone, he decided to construct a mock-up first. Sitting at it, custody staff gave their opinions. The ensuing alterations appear to have succeeded in delivering the perfect custody desk. That, at least, is the conclusion drawn from the subsequent award of contracts from other forces, not to mention this client making Willmott Dixon its contractor of choice with another major project.
Steven Cheyne MCIOB
Nick Butler ACIOB BAM Construct UK, Somerstown Central, Portsmouth
Ian Williamson MCIOB
Willmott Dixon Construction Leys Leisure Centre, Oxford
Ryan Woolley
Galliford Try Woodland View, Alderwood, Chasewood, Cannock
BAM Construct UK Johnstone Town Hall, Renfrew
Gavin Williams MCIOB
Wates Construction, Debenhams, Oxford Street, London
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CMYA 2015
Category sponsored by
New build and refurbishment between £12-20m GOLD
GOLD Matthew Keefe Construction manager, Willmott Dixon Construction PROJECT: Gildredge House Free School
phases 2-4, Eastbourne: refurbishment of and extension to school, completed in 79 weeks VALUE: £12.1m CONTRACT: NEC 3 Scape 2 WORK SHOULD BE FUN, says Matt Keefe, with
the journey as important as the end result in motivating the team and gaining the extra mile. Yet his leadership of this major school extension project makes clear that he has steel as well as soft skills. With a budget so challenged that contingency was just a fond dream, Keefe insisted on the client and the whole team never shirking from telling each other “the brutal truth”, then finding a pragmatic solution. Arriving onsite to convert a Victorian building and 1960s offices into a school, build an interconnecting central atrium, and construct a sports hall, Keefe inherited a complex and hard-to-navigate programme over 1,000 lines long. He broke it down into seven separate mini-programmes for individual buildings and storeys, and then proceeded to business.
SILVER Gary Hills MCIOB Project/construction manager, Sir Robert McAlpine PROJECT: Eldon Square scheme 4, Newcastle: refurbishment of shopping mall, completed in 92 weeks VALUE: £17.7m CONTRACT: JCT 1998 D&B UNDER COVER of darkness and beneath
the vast shroud of the temporary works, Gary Hills brought the light of leadership to this 120,000 sq m shopping centre refurbishment. This penultimate phase of a larger £250m investment in a shopping precinct redevelopment involved replacing all the ceilings and lighting, significant elements of the M&E and two major rooflight structures, as well as rebuilding the
At least he would have done except for the funding agency demanding that the footprint be slashed. So three months went by in redesign before construction could start in earnest. Keefe was unflappable. Even during the redesign he had found the solution to keeping the budget-threatened sports hall with a modular building rather than a traditional design, responding to the planning committee’s rejection of it with the brainwave of installing timber brise-soleil panels offset by a metre to give it a softer feel and blend in with the landscape – so successful an initiative that it is now being considered for other school developments. On a budget without leeway, the only way to pay for unexpected costs, principal entrance as a two-storey feature. As the mall and its 150 shops with their 36 million customer visits a year would remain open for business, Hills’ works had to proceed largely by night, with all deliveries brought in from an offsite holding zone and everything cleared away for the resumption of trading every morning. He had to phase the works to keep that main entrance open, segregate the working area from the public, and still present a “front door” feel to shoppers. With one customer telling the client’s programme manager how much she liked the new mall when she was actually referring to the underside of a crash deck that permitted work on the mall ceilings to go ahead, he was clearly thoroughly successful in his efforts. Hills’ regular attendance at weekly meetings on the nightshift stoked team spirit, and he moved over to the nightshift completely for the six months when
such as the discovery of asbestos in the cavity closer, was a client-disappointing downscoping or Keefe-inspired value engineering. The latter kept the project near its envisaged ideal on the drawing board, and extended down to the smallest yet still important detail. Through talking to the drama teacher, for example, Keefe learned that carpet was better than a hard surface in the performance area – and put the resulting savings into more financially challenged elements of the build. The client is thrilled by the on-time completion, to budget, with no snags of note, while the user is delighted by the quality. For a project that could easily have slipped into the doldrums, that’s a result.
SILVER
Other Finalists Matthew Kemp MCIOB Willmott Dixon Construction, Novotel London Brentford
Aidan Smith MCIOB
Wates Construction, MTC: Aerospace Research Centre, Ansty
John Fowler
Vinci Construction, St John Bosco Arts College, Liverpool
Matt Heshmati MCIOB
Wates Construction, The Quest Academy, South Croydon
Bryan Garner
Willmott Dixon Construction, City Hall, Leicester
Sean Took
Sir Robert McAlpine The Core, Newcastle upon Tyne
works were at their most critical. With his relationships with tenants and the client being equally strong, combined with the very high standard of finish, he has won the contract to lead the final phase of this massive development.
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CMYA 2015
Category sponsored by
New build and refurbishment between £20-30m GOLD
Other Finalists
James McDermott
Jeremy Cripps
Wates Construction, South Hampstead High School, London
William Gingell ACIOB
Brookfield Multiplex Bridges Hall, White Knights Campus, Reading
Paul Ansell ACIOB
Hill Partnerships, The Scene at Cleveland Place, Walthamstow, London
Project manager Morgan Sindall PROJECT: Albion Square, Whitehaven: construction of two four-storey office blocks, completed in 79 weeks VALUE: £23m CONTRACT: NEC option C
SILVER Kevin Sykes
Tom Parrott
Lendlease BBC Worldwide Headquarters, Television Centre, London
Paul Avery
BAM Construct UK, Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham
A QUANTITY SURVEYOR by trade, James
GOLD
Project director Wates Construction PROJECT: Greenwich Hub,
London: construction of marketing hub with exhibition area, boardroom, cinema and show flats, completed in 49 weeks VALUE: £21m CONTRACT: JCT 1998 with CDP
has never been a popular job. Many a construction manager would dread telling a powerful client that the programme hasn’t a snowball’s chance of delivering an unmovable handover date. But after years in the industry, Kevin Sykes is adamant that there’s no point in being a yes man, and that fulfilling the promise to the client means being honest. So when he arrived on this marketing hub project, initially as an interim, just as the steel frame was going up, he made
BEARING BAD NEWS
McDermott started out on this project to build over 9,000 sq m of office space in two four-storey blocks as the commercial lead. Six months after site start, he took the construction manager role – his first – when the original project manager left the company. McDermott leveraged his commercial understanding to bring the scheme in 11% under budget. The robustness and accuracy of his priced compensation events the big call. He told the client that drastic and expensive (ultimately taking the budget from £13m to £21m) steps would be needed to hit that business-critical date. It wasn’t comfortable but it was true, and by the end of the contract Sykes’ straight-talking had turned discomfiture into a fine contractor-client alliance. Three months in, having rescheduled for timely completion, he repeated the act, when the client asked him to bring forward shell-and-core completion by six weeks so the fit-out contractor could finish in time. He recast the programme, maximised working hours, doubled shifts and added resource. Sykes planned each area separately, almost as standalone projects, to minimise the risk and keep the performance focus. He never let quality be elbowed aside, visiting manufacturers across Europe to ensure the bespoke features – the curved glass cladding, the resin flooring and the unique ceiling – were as required. He met the subcontracting supervisors regularly and walked the job with them fortnightly
also won confidence so effectively that the client gave him £5.3m worth of variations to execute, including the refurbishment of an adjacent car park, highway works and a substantial ICT fit-out. Taking personal responsibility for the client’s budget, he made notable valueengineering savings, including changing the light fittings from fluorescent tubes to wholly LED, resulting in better energy performance as well as £100,000 in savings. He heeded the client’s “no gold taps” stipulation, and constantly sought out best value in the base build and fit-out. McDermott overcame initial local negativity, several levels of stakeholder engagement, and a complex town centre site. He delivered innovation, incorporating biometric fingerprint site entry, BREEAM “excellent” (rather than the “very good” specified), super-efficient photovoltaic panels and cutting-edge cladding. His decision to go for an engineered facade and roof system brought rapid weathertightness and a continuous airtight envelope. He redesigned the composite steel/concrete frame to improve workspace flexibility by increasing the spans. And he used level 2 BIM tools to effectively visualise, sequence and programme with such success that the project completed nine weeks ahead of schedule.
SILVER
to flag any issues – and to give praise. His management style was vindicated in hitting that all-important handover date with such fine quality. A hugely impressed client has awarded further contracts.
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CMYA 2015
Category sponsored by
New build and refurbishment between £30-60m GOLD
GOLD Dennis Wilson MCIOB Project executive Lendlease Construction PROJECT: National Theatre, South Bank, London: refurbishment of Grade II*-listed building, completed in 101 weeks VALUE: £48m CONTRACT: Construction management agreement DENNIS WILSON ably contained the drama put on by this massive refurbishment of a Grade II*-listed theatre, ushering its challenges towards the exit and out. These were sizeable challenges. His root-and-branch refurbishment involved extensive asbestos removal – 70 tonnes of the stuff – demolition and fit-out in the huge backstage areas, and the installation of new entrances and a complete refit of the front-of-house areas. It all had to be done while the building and its three theatres remained 100% operational. That’s seven days a week for two years, during which the construction impact on 1,000 staff and an average of 2,000 visitors a day had to be minimised.
SILVER Ben Tominey Project manager Bouygues UK PROJECT: 71 Queen
Victoria Street, London EC4: refurbishment, extension and fit-out of eight-storey office block, completed in 97 weeks VALUE: £31m CONTRACT: JCT 2011 ACCESS WAS THE lifeblood of Ben Tominey’s project to rebuild and refit an eight-storey office block in the City. Directly above a Tube station and an electricity substation, and in the heart of London’s financial district, the site’s location was a big flashing alarm going off. And what gave that warning siren even more whoop was that the building’s existing cores had to be demolished while concrete foundations and a new steel structure were being simultaneously installed.
Wilson had just a three-hour window daily to undertake noisy works so as not to disturb the evening performances, the two daytime matinees each week and the daytime rehearsals in progress in six different locations around the building. That was just the regular stuff. He also had to work around a festival of celebrations to mark the NT’s 50th anniversary and a midproject visit from the Queen. Not surprisingly, Wilson had to schedule a great deal of work at night, juggling the
large cast of stakeholders responsible for the building’s day-to-day operations, while fitting 27 trade contractors around them. Managing, coordinating and harmonising different sets of people is never easy, but Wilson stayed calm under pressure. Never confrontational, he constantly searched for solutions. Able to see the bigger picture, he was a strong and motivational project leader whose success has earned a sustained bravo from the client.
The project team had reluctantly had to rule out using a luffing jib tower crane to erect the new steel frame because the site was so confined. At this point Tominey’s preconstruction input was of huge importance. He convinced the client team that a travelling rail-based crane that spanned the void created by the demolition of the floorplates was the best option. It was an excellent solution, allowing all deliveries to be manoeuvred directly into the main site entrance and straight under the gantry crane. It negated the need for road closures for deliveries. It guaranteed constant hook time. And it also meant that the whole building could gain the weather protection and programme acceleration conferred by a temporary roof, which went over the crane. Not only did Tominey have the technical nous – and the confidence and communication ability to convince the professional team – he also managed the conflicting pressures of integrating the new design while undertaking
major demolition with firmness and humour. His working relationships were supremely effective. He showed real skill in communicating with a diverse range of people – the site team, the design team and the hundreds of site workers – to get the very best out of them.
SILVER
Other Finalists Mike Trigg MCIOB Geoffrey Osborne, Kingfisher Court, Radlett
Jason Pink MCIOB BAM Construct UK, The David Hockney Building, Bradford
Christopher Carey FCIOB Turner & Townsend, Battersea Power Station Development
Steven Arthrell MCIOB
Skanska, South Essex College, Thurrock Campus
Lee Burnikell
Laing O’Rourke, Hopewood Park – Roker & Mowbray Dementia Unit, Sunderland
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CMYA 2015
Category sponsored by
New build and refurbishment over £60m GOLD
GOLD James Carpenter ICIOB Project manager Kier Construction PROJECT: Five Pancras Square, London N1: construction of 10-storey mixed-use community hub, completed in 140 weeks VALUE: £66m CONTRACT: JCT 2011 with contractor’s design JAMES CARPENTER showed skill in leading the team through real difficulties to deliver a community hub with dramatic multilevel entrances, upward displacement ventilation, a 10-storey atrium, two basement swimming pools, a gymnasium and a cantilevered central stairway. Through a cheerful management style he created a working environment where staff from different companies felt valued and meshed into a single delivery team. This played no small part in the project’s recovery from the insolvencies of two key subcontractors, putting 22 weeks of programme at risk. Carpenter’s innovative solutions pulled back 12 of those weeks. And when the first failed subcontractor’s suppliers began to struggle, he stepped in, saving the suppliers and ultimately
SILVER Alasdair Fernie FCIOB Project manager Brookfield Multiplex Construction Europe PROJECT: South Glasgow University
Hospital and Royal Hospital for Sick Children: construction of two hospitals with 170,000 sq m of floorspace, completed in 200 weeks VALUE: £600m CONTRACT: NEC 3 option C RIGHT AT THE TOP of the construction tree
come the £100m+ projects, where the construction manager needs a wealth of technical insight, industry experience and commercial acumen as well as soft skills galore to operate strategically and influence the key project drivers. So for a £600m monster project to build two adjacent hospitals – probably the biggest
the project. When the cladder too became insolvent he entered direct contracts with its suppliers, so orders would be fulfilled. His management of risk was excellent. He introduced precast columns to reduce working at height and crane requirements, and opted for 24-hour continuous slipform construction to gain programme certainty. He brought in first-of-a-kind anti-dust/ noise screens, and challenged his team construction site in the UK for each of the past four years – the client would obviously want someone a bit special. Step forward Alasdair Fernie. His calm, confident and mature performance in the tender bidding (while employed by another company) so impressed the client that it advised Brookfield Multiplex to get him on board to lead the scheme. On a four-year programme with around three million construction activities undertaken, the calls he had to make were huge – and paid off handsomely. He changed the planned jumpform construction of the central cores to slipform, gaining 12 weeks on the programme as well as commercial viability and safer construction. His early installation of lift and stair cores freed up the works onsite by allowing safe access to the workfaces. He captured programme advantage through modularisation and offsite fabrication. And he leveraged the approach by instructing a flat slab soffit to be
to design prefabricated service elements that saved 121,000 man-hours onsite. Carpenter’s value-engineering was invaluable. He redesigned the four-storey steel frame to drastically reduce temporary works. He switched to a category B fit-out that saved the client £100 per square metre. And he installed offsite manufactured joinery to enhance the look for half the cost.
SILVER
Other Finalists David Firth MCIOB Sir Robert McAlpine, The Birley Building, Manchester
Darren Stoker
Bowmer & Kirkland, Aberdeen Business Park
Deon Scholtz
VolkerFitzpatrick, Sainbury’s Daventry Depot
George Amy
Brookfield Multiplex, Aldgate Tower, London
designed across the project’s footprint. Fernie’s rapport with client, consultants and subcontractors was excellent. He pitched the relationship on honest and open communication, and went the extra mile. The result was a strong bond of trust and confidence in his ability to deliver a vast and highly complex project. As he did, five weeks early and under budget.
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1 Planning problems
ways to
boost
housing output With around 1.7 million people on waiting lists for affordable housing, but housebuilders and the public sector operating at the limits of their capacity, how can we build more homes? Construction Manager reports
In 2004, the Barker Review suggested that 260,000 new homes a year in England were needed to keep pace with the annual growth in household formation and depress housing market inflation. When the Home Builders Federation (HBF) reviewed that report in 2014, it calculated that the cumulative gap between Barker target and current stock was between 1,000,000 and 1,450,000 homes. The government is now targeting 200,000 completions a year; many commentators call for 240,000. But the highest annual total delivered in recent times, under a headwind of economic growth, was 177,650 in 2007. So how do we break through that ceiling? One key principle in government policy is attracting new market entrants to add to overall capacity. But even with Build to Rent, custom build, and “micro-flats”, all developers are competing for a scarce product: land with (or likely to secure) planning permission. At Wates Developments, which develops on its own account and acts as site promoter for others, managing director David Brocklebank says: “If there is more land available, new businesses will set up and get funding and be able to develop housing, entities other than house builders will be able to step into the market and then land prices might fall. “The lack of consented land has led to a very stifled development sector where it is very hard to get new entrants in play.” “We need alternative tenures to take hold to break the logjam,” agrees Tom Venables, a director of design and planning at Aecom. “But the fundamental problem is not enough sites and not enough incentives for local authorities to approve them.” Clearly, the policy, financial and mindset shifts needed to increase land supply will take a while to take effect. In the meantime, here are nine more suggestions.
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2 Letting HAs build more Housing Associations in England and Wales annually produce around 50,000 homes (across all tenures, including private sale), according to the National Housing Federation (NHF). That 40% share of output is roughly consistent with pre-2008 levels, suggesting that the sector has been resilient - and able to step up output in the right conditions. Adam Morton, policy lead at the NHF, says the sector badly needs an injection of public funds: although HAs are creditworthy and able to raise debt or bond finance, having more equity from public funds would increase borrowing capacity. And where grants are available, Morton says they are often split between several different “pots”, creating more bureaucracy and less certainty for applicants. He says that other regulatory changes could also boost their capacity to borrow and therefore build: HAs that have inherited ex-local authority stock are forced to value these homes at lower levels than stock that has always been in the HA sector. And what can contractors do to help? At London and south-east based Hyde Housing Association, development director David Gannicott is seeking upstream expertise. “There are opportunities to work together at a much earlier stage, on construction management, and spending more time on value engineering to make sure the scheme is at the minimum cost and maximum value output.“
3 Tackle skills locally It’s hard to quantify the impact of skills shortages on housing output, but Arcadis has had a go. In its recent report, People and Money, it calculated that it takes 1.5 worker years to build a house. To increase output to 230,000 homes a year, we would therefore need to train an additional 120,000 workers. At the Housing Forum, a cross-sector membership organisation, chief executive Shelagh Grant agrees that the issue of skills is “absolutely endemic”. “For housebuilders, with rising prices, the issue is, can you build quickly enough, can your price [to developers or public sector clients] be honoured? It’s all very pressurised and how you programme and project manage jobs has become critical.” That’s certainly the view at the London Borough of Southwark, which is building 1500 homes by the end of 2018 as part of an overall programme of 11,000 homes by 2043. Southwark will develop 500 homes for council tenants, 500 for intermediate rent and 500 for private sale, with the first of two contracts going out to tender this month. “It’s the same for all developers, whether council or private: inflation is a huge pressure so we need to increase the skilled labour force,” says councillor Mark Williams, the cabinet member for housing. “We need more coordination with other boroughs and Further Education colleges, and more help from government.” In particular, Williams wants to see the skills budget, sliced from the Skills Funding Agency’s budget under Local Growth Deals, which currently goes to Local Enterprise Partnerships and the Greater London Assembly, diverted to local authorities instead. “Councils can determine local needs, and we think the decisions are much better taken at council level.”
Above: Essential Living is developing this discount market rent scheme for the London Borough of Greenwich Below left: Housing Association, Peabody Housing ‘s Darbishire Place
“It’s difficult to get the viability to stack up in comparison with other forms of tenure.”
4 Private rented sector The private rented sector (PRS) has promised to bring diversification to the market, but has been slow make an impact: it was reported in March 2014 that housebuilders had lost interest in the HCA’s £1bn Build to Rent programme after the government launched Help to Buy, more geared to their sales-driven model. One issue is that developers often compete for sites against schemes for outright sale. As Ian Fletcher, director of policy at the British Property Federation, says: “The difficulty has been that it’s difficult to get the viability to stack up in comparison with other forms of tenure. But local authorities are now more supportive.” He estimates that the PRS sector will create the 5,000 new homes in London targeted by the Greater London Assembly in 2015, but said that the sector could expand output to around 9,000 homes in London with more government support. In Manchester, the Home Group housing association hopes to improve financial viability of PRS schemes with a “flexirent” concept. As some schemes stall because of councils’ expectations on Section 106 affordable housing, this approach swaps firm commitments up-front to a more market sensitive approach linked to rental values, helping reduce the risk for both sides. >
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Alex de Rijke says that a large part of the proposals is about achieving higher density while avoiding design defects. “Accommodation in London is ludicrously expensive and with spaces and windows that are too small, and at a lower density than cities with generous spaces,” he says.
6 Offsite and MMC
5 Ask the architects When New London Architecture crowdsourced ideas on boosting output, architects proposed “over-developing” on public buildings, floating canal homes, and allowing owners of suburban semidetacheds to develop their back gardens. More realistically, Pitman Tozer and de Rijke Marsh Morgan (dRMM) proposed stripping homes down to structure and services and taking 40% off the build cost. dRMM’s “Wood Blocks” makes use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) to build shells quickly and cheaply, with an option to add prefab bathroom, bedroom or kitchen pods. The product would be aimed at groups of residents, who might work with a developer, but who would embrace a bottom-up, DIY ethos, a system that has become popular in German and Austria. The firm and partner organisation Bright Forest are approaching local authorities to find out about self-build sites, and is looking at a pilot project in Kent. Meanwhile, Pitman Tozer has not put so much emphasis on the construction techniques, as the business and delivery model: it has teamed up with the London Borough of Enfield and Naked House, a group of housing activists who formed their own developer. They are now collaborating on a template scheme that would show how the concept would work. Director Luke Tozer says that 20 sites have been identified as possibilities, from which one was chosen to work up an indicative design for nine flats. “The proposal is based on the idea of a Victorian warehouse, a simple concrete frame and brick skin that can be divided up.”
Pitman Tozer’s Naked House concept design for a site in the London Borough of Enfield
“Offsite is about achieving better predictability when costs are fluctuating.”
The dawn of the offsite era has been heralded often, but the trumpets have been fainter since a string of insolvencies among offsite fabricators in 2010-12. The Housing Forum’s Shelagh Grant says: “What our members are saying is that they would consider modular and volumetric methods if there was a broader supply chain; they’re looking for supply chain security.” Solve that problem, and capacity could increase. But there are signs offsite is regaining momentum. New suppliers are arriving, including north-east based Orca, a specialist in light gauge steel. Laing O’Rourke is investing in a new Advanced Manufacturing Facility for offsite housing next to its existing plant in Steetley, but another recent convert is Barratt Developments, which in July announced it would deliver up to 20% of its programme, or 3000 homes, using offsite techniques. Oliver Novakovic, technical and innovation director at Barratt Developments, says it has examined up to 150 offsite solutions, selecting 15 to trial in pilot projects at live sites, including prefabricated utility cupboards, roof cassettes and light gauge steel frames. “It’s about achieving better predictability where costs are fluctuating, and there are also materials and skills shortages, but it’s definitely also about stepping up output,” he explains. “I think we are slightly ahead of the market, but others will look to follow us, perhaps 6 to 12 months behind.” Novakovic believes that, despite perceptions it is struggling, the offsite supply chain does has the capacity to help boost output. That view is shared by the University of Salford’s Professor Mohammed Arif, adviser to the Modular Allianz consortium, a group of around 20 northwest housing associations and Manchester City Council which is seeking offsite suppliers for a programme of at least 500 homes. The idea is to stimulate an industry that
has focused on schools, hotels and prisons rather than much-needed housing. Arif says that the US experience shows that set up and running costs for offsite manufacturers are less than perceived. “If you look at a basic manufacturing facility in north America, you can establish a factory with about £0.5m and have it up and running in two to three months – it’s not that onerous.”
7 Custom Build Since the downturn, custom build has been touted as the route to bring new developers to the market and now, with new legislation supporting the concept, it could be time for a breakthrough. “Custom build has the potential to increase the volume quite quickly. We now have an Act of Parliament: local authorities need to keep a register of land suitable for self build, using websites such as custombuildhomes.co.uk,” explains Andy Frankish, new homes director at the Mortgage Advice Bureau, who believes that custom build could deliver10,000 to 30,000 units a year in three to five years. “Custom build gives landowners another option: they can sub-divide a plot into sections that would be sold to different ‘enabling developers’ within an overall outline of what can be built.” In the coming years, Frankish says custom build could form part of councils’ Local Plans, and tie in with the requirement to provide “affordable” housing via Section 106 agreements. He also sees it as a way of getting SMEs back into the market by assisting cashflow. And if adopted widely, it could help rebalance the housebuilding economy. “It puts the consumer in charge and takes out the profit margins the big developers get, which in turn drives land to value ratios. That results in a more affordable product.” Carillion is already building 150 custom homes at Trevenson Park, Cornwall, in a joint venture with developer Igloo (below). >
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Wall Solutions
Get ahead of the game.
Feature Housebuilding
8 Strategic planning The new Housing and Planning Bill is to force local authorities to produce and adopt a local plan by 2017 or cede control of their housing future to central government. The National Planning Policy Framework, introduced in March 2012, was supposed to accelerate local plan production, and therefore planning consents, but it hasn’t quite happened that way: according to a survey by Savills in March 2015, only 25% of council have adopted an up-to-date plan post-NPPF. Savills said that a significant proportion of out-of-date plans were found in south east districts where housing need and demand is greatest, and in major urban areas such as Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Portsmouth and Southampton. This and other measures in the Bill including a new register of brownfield land, and allowing housing schemes linked to major infrastructure projects to apply for planning permission via the Planning Act have been welcomed, but Aecom director Tom Venables urges more action. “We need strategic allocation of sites, a sensible look at the green belt, and including housing in the remit of the newly-formed National Infrastructure Commission,” says Aecom director Tom Venables. As Venables says, Crossrail lacked a strategic planning link between housing intensification and the new line, and the limited remit of the new NIC could be a missed opportunity to address housing when looking at Crossrail 2 and the Northern Powerhouse. But there are other problems with the planning system, Venables says. ‘One problem with the London market is that the plan stops at the GLA boundary.There needs to
Above: Barton Park in Oxford is a town extension project by Grosvenor and advised by Aecom Right: Hyde Housing Association is building 204 homes in the forth block at Kender Triangle, New Cross, London
“We need strategic allocation of sites, and a sensible look at the green belt”
be more linkage with the rest of the south east.” This is an example of problems with authorities’ “duty to co-operate” on housing provision across borders, a requirement of the Localism Act 2011. But it’s a duty without incentives, leading to stand offs between authorities with different aspirations: Labour controlled Stevenage District Council and Conservative North Hertfordshire have been at odds for at least 15 years. However, the Housing Forum’s Grant points to good examples of local authorities working together, such as Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council forming a development partnership to build at the southern edge of the city.
because of the “observer effect”, issues were identified. “Current solutions are tricky around the window heads and lintels, where it gets quite complicated to get the sequencing right. Or you might get the insulation in, then it gets wet overnight before the windows go in,” says Lang. Lang will conduct detailed interviews with the bricklayers before making recommendations on what the experiment suggests should be the future default. But what about those bricklaying robots we keep hearing about? “There are so many ways to speed up the process, just by simplifying the details, so why go to the other end of the scale?” he asks.
9 Speeding up traditional construction Discussions on accelerating site-tooccupation time often centre on offsite. But, given that the bulk of the sector is using traditional brick-on-brick methods, shouldn’t we be accelerating these instead? It could shorten programmes, or release labour to new sites sooner. “Offsite is part of the puzzle, but unlikely to always be the right way to do it,” says Ron Lang, studying for an engineering doctorate at Loughborough University. His research, sponsored by Aggregate Industries, is looking into methods of solid wall construction. “It’s about increasing delivery, and delivering to high quality: around 20% of claims under NHBC warranties are linked to problems with the external walls,” says Lang. For his research, he asked an experienced bricklayer and apprentice to build six different types of wall, filming them to carefully analyse the effort needed and the efficiencies possible. The wall types covered brick cavity walls, proprietary thin joint systems, standard block-built cavity walls with render, and solid walls with external insulation. Test walls were built over the course of a day to the height of one storey, up to joist-bearing level, including a window, and to a length of 3.5m with a one-metre return. “We asked the pair how long it would normally take them, we tried to make the test as realistic as possible,” he says. Although it’s likely that the bricklayers worked more carefully than usual
10 Ditch the contractor
Traditionally, HAs have contracted or procured through design and build contracts to mitigate risk: with a fixed price contract they know the outturn cost. Hyde Housing Association is one of a growing number of HAs exploring construction management as a procurement route: essentially, it’s going directly to the supply chain to procure around eight different packages. In one scheme nearing completion, for around thirty two to three-storey homes in Chichester, Hyde thinks it can demonstrate a 15% saving against what it would have cost going down the D&B route. “It's relatively simple scheme, which limited the risk and encouraged us to try a new approach,” says development director David Gannicott. “The rationale behind it is that 50-60% of the cost of providing a dwelling is a the build cost so anything we can do to reduce those costs whilst maintaining quality, means less borrowing for us, or that we can produce more homes. “The key to it is legendary organisation, putting in extra advance planning time, and picking schemes at an early stage with detailed risk analysis to ensure the savings are delivered.,” he concludes. CM
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Open data sharing to plug the skills information gap A new technology initiative looks set to open up access to skills data, says SkillsPlanner project director Rebecca Lovelace THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED National Infrastructure Plan for Skills has raised fears about the industry’s ability to deliver major projects. Infrastructure UK’s report, published in September, forecast a demand for more than 250,000 new construction workers as well as over 150,000 engineering construction workers by 2020, with a shortfall of nearly 100,000 additional workers by the end of the decade. This is not just about new young recruits. Critically, Infrastructure UK identified that 250,000 of our existing workforce will need to retrain and upskill over the next 10 years. Increased use of BIM, offsite fabrication and onsite automation are just three areas where we are already demanding new skills, and as our working lives grow longer, further areas will no doubt grow in importance. Moreover, Infrastructure UK highlighted
“a lack of detail on demand and supply — particularly within regions — coupled with fragmented approaches to skills planning and high levels of bespoke training limit the effectiveness and efficiency of labour market mobility.” The report continued: “This makes it harder for skilled workers to move easily between sectors and projects, exacerbating key skills shortages for key projects and programmes.” During the Conservative Party conference, chancellor George Osborne announced plans to invest in the UK’s infrastructure, as well as appointing Labour’s Lord Adonis chair of the new National Infrastructure Commission. Lower profile, but perhaps no less important, the same week saw the launch of SkillsPlanner, an initiative that could help support the government’s ambition to be “the builders” by resolving construction skills shortages.
“Linked Open Data lets us access large volumes of anonymised data that can be aggregated and presented via a web interface”
Awarded £827,000 funding from Innovate UK, the SkillsPlanner Linked Open Data platform will enable different groups in the industry — including contractors, clients, further education colleges and training ”brokerage” organisations — to share data on skills supply and demand. This will facilitate collaborative planning, training and brokerage to meet the industry’s needs. A two-year research and development project will focus on London, which needs an estimated 180,000 new skilled entrants to deliver projects in the capital and the south-east by 2019. Ethos, the lead body, will work with technology lead Seme4 and project participants including Tideway, Crossrail and supply chains, local authorities including Westminster, Camden and Islington, training providers and industry bodies. Participants will share skills supply and demand data related initially to major projects and rail, but also to smaller businesses. By drawing together this diverse group, we are aiming to overcome the fragmented structure of the sector. Our aim is to make skills supply and demand data visible, via a live, accessible and user-friendly platform that will enable collaborative action in order to better inform the provision of training that meets the needs of industry. Tailored to industry needs SkillsPlanner will use Linked Open Data technology to provide both a focused understanding and a broad overview of what, where and when skills are needed, and becoming available. Linked Open Data lets us access large volumes of anonymised data from disparate sources that can be aggregated, summarised, and presented via a web interface tailored to industry needs. We believe that this approach will result in skills data that is far more visible and far more connected. We are testing this through four projects, focusing on industry, training, councils and brokerage. The industry group, for example, involves Tideway and Crossrail, with nine main contractors from their supply chains, plus Morgan Sindall, Network Rail, HS2 and the London Construction Training Group, coming together to share and standardise skills demand data, and to advise on development of the platform. The lessons and data from this group will be shared with: the training group,
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BIM bytes: Beyond beta: unpacking what the NBS BIM Toolkit has to offer which is focused on skills supply data from FE colleges, universities and private training providers; the brokerage group, which is seeking to add value and develop new collaborative and data-led employment and skills activities; and the councils group, which will be using planning obligations to connect industry, training and brokerage through data. Our ambition is that: ● skills providers can define existing provision and develop demand-led training ● businesses can benefit from more sustainable procurement of local labour, reduced resource and HR costs ● local authorities can collaborate on the design and delivery of local skills provision ● local job brokerage initiatives can operate more efficiently and effectively; and ● individuals and organisations can learn about trends in future skills needs. In other words, we hope to provide real visibility as to the training on offer — who does what, when and where — and the training that is needed by employers. Construction employers can more easily understand what the local skills base looks like, and training providers will have greater opportunity to react to industry demand. Councils can continue to mandate the use of local labour through planning obligations, but with a far greater awareness of the reality of local residents having the skills that industry needs, and an improved opportunity to collaborate with providers to develop these skills. There is an opportunity to join up the dots between the many Department for Work & Pensions and council-led job brokerage initiatives, and having data to underpin existing activities means SkillsPlanner can bring real value to what already exists, or work collaboratively to develop something new. Maybe it is time for a pan-London industry-backed job brokerage powered by data? We are also focusing on education and future skills, so are collaborating with Class of Your Own and BIM2050, with a view to formalising new research groups over the coming months. SkillsPlanner is hugely ambitious and challenging, but the sheer number of collaborators joining us is testament to the need for knowledge and action.
“Construction employers can more easily understand what the local skills base looks like”
The NBS Toolkit is a software tool to assist users in drafting the contents of the Employer’s Information Requirements and the various documents — BIM Execution Plan (BEP) and Master Information Delivery Plan (MIDP) — that map the stages of production of BIM for a project. It is one of the last pieces in the jigsaw of products in the government BIM strategy to assist the industry in achieving standardisation of the process we now refer to as BIM Level 2. Included in the toolkit are digital plans of work that can be linked to the seven RIBA stages of a project and definitions of level of detail and level of information that can be used to specify the content of the BIM information (deliverables) required at each stage. The intention is to provide a standard “who does what when” plan that applies to all BIM participants. The toolkit has just completed its beta evaluation stage. Its output is a set of documents in electronic or hard copy form that define the tasks to be performed and the information and/or deliverables required at each stage. Users can add (or delete) tasks to the standard menus and allocate responsibility to a participant at each stage. Deliverables are the model/ information deliverables and can be searched for against the Uniclass database. For each deliverable the “level of detail”, which specifies geometry, and “level of information”, which specifies other information, must be selected. Who will use the toolkit? The toolkit is part of the larger suite of online solutions that the RIBA has developed and it is anticipated that users will refer to the NBS BIM library for BIM objects and possibly drag and drop an object of the required level of detail and level of information into their model.
Potential users of the toolkit are anyone who has responsibility for defining or providing what is required in terms of BIM. That means the whole supply chain, from the client defining its requirements to the supply chain participants responding in detail with what they will provide. It is an ambitious aim. One of the main concerns is that the multiple users make for a more complex solution than might be needed — and one in which participants may struggle to understand how the toolkit applies specifically to them. Contractual responsibility By using the standard plans of work for the participant roles (including design) it is clear that what is being dealt with is not simply tasks that relate to the provision or management of BIM or deliverables but also the core roles of the participants. Design delivery and information delivery are both addressed and it will be for the user to separate those roles if desired. The toolkit is not just documenting the roles and responsibilities of the project’s participants. It also refers to stage completion dates and contract price and other contract information. But it includes little guidance on how its output will be included in contracts or how to tailor the obligations to different contractual routes. Crucially, it does not define the contractual status or liabilities that flow from the information it is creating. Lawyers and other professionals will still need to carry out that task, working closely alongside those using the toolkit or reviewing its output. The toolkit does allow participants to be added and adding your lawyer may be a sensible decision. Tim Willis is a consultant in Trowers & Hamlins’ dispute resolution and litigation department.
BIM project insights Read about the latest projects and interviews with key industry figures, including Stephen Holmes at Foster + Partners, which used BIM to design Tocumen Airport in Panama (below). Go to the award-winning BIM+ website: www.bimplus.co.uk
Rebecca Lovelace is project director of SkillsPlanner. CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION MANAGERMANAGER | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | JULY/AUGUST 2015 2015 || 45 45
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BREEAM or Ska: which is the right fit? Choosing the environmental assessment tool for a fit-out can make a difference , says Joe Croft THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT the fit-out industry
and its supply chain are making progress when it comes to building sustainably. However, it still remains unclear to some clients and end users as to which environmental assessment tool, BREEAM or Ska, is most suitable for fit-out projects. With the updated BREEAM scheme – the BREEAM UK Non-Domestic Refurbishment and Fit-Out (RFO) tool was launched last year – this is becoming a popular debate and it is important for clients to have a good understanding of what they want to achieve and where the key differences lie. The new RFO 2014 scheme, in operation for exactly a year, has been tailored to the requirements of fit-out projects and to reflect the split between tenant and landlord responsibilities. It is split into four categories: fabric and structure; core services; local services; and interior design. Projects can assess themselves against a single category, all four or any combination. Arguably, the introduction of a specific refurbishment and fit-out BREEAM scheme is the result of the increasing use of the Ska scheme, launched in 2009 by RICS. It was originally developed by fitout contractor Skansen which recognised that the standard BREEAM and LEED methodologies on fit-outs, especially on existing buildings, were unsatisfactory in terms of costs and relevance. Increase in assessments Over the past six years, we have seen an increase in the number of BREEAM and Ska assessments, as well as a general increase in projects seeking an environmental assessment. In 2009, 90% of our environmental assessments were BREEAM; this year it is a near 45% split between BREEAM and Ska, with several LEED jobs making up the numbers. One of the main difficulties with assessing projects using the fit-out criteria within the previous BREEAM Offices 2008 scheme was the lack of flexibility. Projects that made extensive efforts in design and implementation
stages were often restricted by the base build. While the new four-part system that RFO employs allows for greater flexibility, it still remains less flexible than Ska. If your project doesn’t fit neatly within one or more of the RFO’s four parts you may end up being marked against criteria outside the project’s scope. It is important to highlight the substantial rise in benchmark requirements in the RFO scheme. The benchmarks hadn’t changed since BREEAM Office in 2008 so by 2014 there had been a big jump in expectations. For example, in 2008, all resource efficiency credits could be achieved by producing less than 4.7 tonnes per 100 sq m gross internal floor area. The equivalent under the 2014 RFO scheme is now 0.4 tonnes per 100 sq m – a 90% reduction. On the face of it, this seems incredibly difficult to achieve and it is an example of how the raised benchmarks are forcing the industry to rethink its approach. On our first RFO project, we put a huge amount of effort into the reduction of waste, challenging subcontractors to consider how they brought materials to site. This resulted in a final resource efficiency of 1.4 tonnes per 100 sq m – an achievement, but still not low enough to secure all the resource efficiency credits. When considering the two schemes, I am regularly asked about the cost implications of each. For both, assessor fees are dependent on size, complexity, time-frame and the rating targeted. Ska assessor fees can range between £3,000 to £10,000 while BREEAM RFO assessor fees are typically between £9,000 to £25,000. Additionally, BREEAM can sometimes require more external consultants – from ecologists to acousticians. These costs can be difficult to justify on small fit-outs, which is why Ska is frequently the preference on smaller projects.
“A successful assessment delivery is tied directly to the knowledge and understanding of the team”
by research showing an impact on rental values. As time passes, I expect organisations commissioning research will consider Ska too and it will be interesting to see how the two schemes compare. In terms of delivery, it is never too early to consider the environmental assessment options. The BREEAM RFO scheme ties several actions to RIBA stages, forcing early consideration of environmental and sustainability issues, while Ska is also easier to achieve if considered from the initial project development. Though it helps, it is not enough to just have a good assessor – a successful assessment delivery is tied directly to the knowledge and understanding of the team. The best projects I have worked on had consultants who embraced the scheme from the start, as well as a contractor with experience of collating evidence to the necessary detail and quality. There are benefits to both schemes and the choice of scheme will ultimately come down to the specific nature of the project and desired aspirations of the client. At the end of a project, no matter which assessment you have used, it is important to communicate how the methodology drove design and delivery decisions, and what this means to the occupants. Joe Croft is head of environmental and sustainability at Overbury.
Weigh it up from the start For clients refurbishing Cat A space to rent, there is a trend towards choosing BREEAM, which has been backed up
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Construction Professional
Disclaimer: this project is ‘Level 2 lite’ Is the spirit of BIM being scuppered by avoidant employers? Chris Hallam asks around A CLIENT RECENTLY ASKED me for a view on
the increasing prevalence of disclaimers in tender documents with regard to the use of BIM models, notwithstanding that the client had mandated BIM use. Examples included: “Model content is not verified and cannot be relied upon for accuracy.” “BIMs are for information only and 2D graphical information (eg drawings, schedules and specifications) issued with the tender will take precedence.” My thoughts on this were all well and good, but they were just my thoughts and clearly there would be many different views out there. As a fan of social media, I thought this would be a good subject to crowdsource some responses, so I posted a question on a BIM discussion board. Despite a bit of ranting here and there, the post generated a plethora of informative comments from a wide range of contributors, including engineers, architects, digital strategists, BIM managers and even some fellow lawyers. My post asked about the use of disclaimers by clients with regard to use of BIM models by their contractor, while at the same time mandating the use of Level 2 BIM by that contractor. Among the responses, a few themes did stand out. Many of the disclaimers encountered in the field seem to originate from professional design practices, generally to protect against a concern that their models and information will be used for purposes for which they were not intended. Several designers pointed out that they often “overdeliver” – providing information in BIM models when models are not a deliverable, or where the relevant contractual documents, protocols or execution plans are not in place. They also correctly point out that the designers are usually the first professionals involved in the construction process. This is perfectly reasonable concern and, as one contributor noted, is “no different to stamping drawings ‘Not For Construction’”. That said, in the context of a project where BIM is mandated by the employer, the purpose for which information can be
used really ought to be covered in the BIM execution plan or BIM protocol. As that contributor went on to say: “Until the industry as a whole is willing to use information only for what it was issued, things won’t change. Suggesting that parties want to protect themselves in an environment where other parties don’t play by the rules is at odds with the purpose of BIM and misses the real problem. Collaboration and co-operation require trust. The Level 2 PAS 1192 process creates an environment where you can trust other parties because fair behaviour is contractual obligation.” And quite right too, but is this happening? This inevitably leads us to the role of the client. If the client wishes to use BIM on his project, he needs to be dealing with this stuff at the outset, so that designers do not need to caveat their documentation and everyone knows which information can be used when and for what. This is pretty much the raison d’être for the CIC BIM protocol. Employers need to deal with BIM use, protocols and responsibilities in their contractual arrangements at the start of a project. But are employers doing this? The popular consensus was that they are not. Nor was it felt that there is a great deal of clarity in Employer’s Information Requirements (EIR) documents, or as one respondent put it: “There is often a lack of EIRs, full stop.”
“As one respondent put it: There is often a lack of Employer’s Information Requirements, full stop”
The discussion then moved on to existing forms of construction and engineering contracts. One contributor noted that current forms of contract “do not cover the use of BIM… and vary between different team members as to what they have to deliver”. This is essentially true, albeit with one notable exception in the form of the barely used CIOB Complex Projects Contract. Of course – and as was pointed out in the discussion thread – this is “directly at odds with the BIM Task Group’s statement that Level 2 process should be achievable with current contract forms supplemented by the CIC BIM Protocol”. As the respondent said, “The reason it breaks down is because the controlling party, often the main contractor, chooses to make things up as they go along rather than taking the time to understand and use the Level 2 process, resulting in the a sort of ‘Level 2 lite’ that allows the risk to be skewed in their favour and current adversarial working practice to continue.” Ouch. While it’s true existing contracts tend not to specifically deal with BIM right now, that is not to say that they won’t do in the future. Indeed, I’m aware that several of the publishers of standard forms are actively looking into ways of creating more collaborative contracts which will almost certainly include much more detail with regard to BIM. It is an inevitability that, with the continued and better use of BIM in the industry, contracts will need to reflect the working practices of what is likely to be a more collaborative and connected construction team. It’s still in the future, but watch this space, as change is afoot. And as the discussion – and the original query – suggest, the industry could benefit from contracts in black and white rather than disclaimers that paint things a wishy-washy shade of grey. Chris Hallam is a partner at Pinsent Masons specialising in infrastructure, construction and engineering transactions.
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Technical Refurbishment
SHOCK OF THE NEW
The gleaming £750m station that has emerged from Birmingham’s gloomy New Street has been a triumph of logistics. But is it the icon the city was hoping for? Tom Ravenscroft reports
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Over the past five years Mace has transformed the UK’s second city's central station. Internally, an entirely new concourse was built in the complex’s former car park and an atrium carved out of the existing slab to finally allow light into the building. Underground, the 12 platforms have been rejuvenated, and the entire building has been wrapped in polished steel cladding. Described by Mace as Europe's biggest refurbishment scheme, the impressive feat was completed while the station continued to operate at full capacity, with 140,000 passengers a day passing through the site and a train arriving or departing every 37 seconds.
NETWORK RAIL
Going underground For anyone who has travelled to Birmingham in the past 10 years the need to rethink the UK's busiest station outside London was obvious. Built in 1968 to replace a bomb-damaged Victorian train shed, the strange concrete beast was constructed at a time of declining passenger numbers and when the need for natural light was obviously a low priority. The 1960s strategy to push the tracks underground and cover them with a huge 2.8 ha concrete slab, upon which the station sits, created dark enclosed platforms. Meanwhile, the decision to sell the air rights above the station to create the unmissed and unloved Pallasades shopping centre exaggerated the cramped feeling, leaving the dim concourse sandwiched between two heavy concrete slabs. This utilitarian station was only designed to handle 60,000 passengers a day, but by the time the refurbishment started more than double this number were passing through. In simple terms, it ARRIVING AT BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET you now was entirely unfit for purpose. catch a glimpse of the shiny piece of urban “The station physically couldn't cope bling that is the revamped station before with the footfall,” explains Carol disembarking on a clean and bright platform Stitchman, Network Rail's head of design and progressing into a bright airy station for the Birmingham Gateway Project. “The concourse. Its former cluttered and dingy constantly increasing pedestrian numbers 1960s concrete confusion is such a distant were placing a strain on the station, memory that visitors may be forgiven for which was being forced to implement thinking that the building is an entirely new crowd-controlling measures, and even structure. The station, however, retains close the station doors at busy times.” almost all of the bones of the original The refurbishment had twin aims. While building, with several additions – most Network Rail wanted to dramatically notable being the attention-grabbing improve the customer experience of its cladding – and a great many subtractions. current users and futureproof the station
Train times: the new station (left) follows in the tracks of the first 1854 station (above) and the concrete 1960s rebuild (right)
“Even without keeping the trains running, the scale of the demolition and construction would have made this an extremely complex build” Paul Dalton, Mace
so that the anticipated growth in passenger numbers can be handled, the council had grander ambitions to banish the memory of the existing station and create a landmark for the city. Network Rail and Birmingham City Council discussed a range of options, including a complete rebuild – an option dismissed due to the cost and the impact that closing the station for two years would have on the city. The decision was made to carry out a £750m refurbishment that would allow it to remain operational throughout. But working in a live station environment was in some ways the least of Mace’s problems, although it meant that the operators’ train timetables in effect determined the programming of the build. “Even without keeping the trains running, the scale of the demolition and construction, amount of asbestos and lack of detailed drawings of the 1960s frame would have made this an extremely complex build,” says Paul Dalton, senior project manager at Mace. Beyond improving functionality, Birmingham City Council saw the redevelopment as an opportunity to boost the city’s reputation and rejuvenate the city centre. Stitchman explains: “After we submitted the initial planning application the council suggested that we look again at the facade and atrium again to create something more iconic.” While Atkins retained its role for the design of the station proper, this desire to create a landmark led to an RIBAorganised competition to design an eye-catching facade to wrap around the >
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Old to new: concourse-level plans New Street Station: 1964-2010
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Car park Original concourse Train operators’ offices Original east entrance Original south entrance Retail Offices
New Street Station 2015
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New concourse New escalators to platforms (36 in total) Escalators to shopping centre New north entrance Widened east entrance Widened south entrance Ticket office Retail units Offices
> station’s existing concrete frame, along with a new atrium. The contest was won by Foreign Office Architects and after the winding up FOA, taken on by practice partner Alejandro Zaera-Polo. The result of this contest - a shiny steel facade – has grabbed much media attention as a love-it-or-hate-it piece of architectural marmite. However, it is behind this facade, in the heart of the building, that the most significant changes have taken place. Most noticeably, the once-cramped concourse has been expanded to almost three and a half times its original size – it is now five times larger than that of London’s Euston (see plans, left). This atrium is accessed from three extremely wide entrances to the north, south and east of the station. The addition of an access point to the north connects the two sides of the city that were divided by bulk of original building and successfully wires the station into the fabric of the city. “The way the station operates is fundamentally important to Network Rail,” says Stitchman. “Getting passengers moving efficiently into and through the station was the main priority, but the through routes are also important for Birmingham City Council's regeneration strategy.” Identifying pinch points Internally, the design focuses on reducing the time passengers take to reach their platforms. Pedestrian flow analysis was used to identify pinch points that could create bottlenecks, such as the original narrow entrances, connections to the platforms and columns in the atrium. Stitchman explains: “The original concept for the atrium had thin versions of the Stansted Airport columns. However, we found that each column could add three seconds to a journey, so these were removed to create a free-flowing space. The biggest thing was legibility. We had to manage the approaches and create a hierarchy of information. Information needs to be very clear when you are rushing to get a train. “The station has been designed for a maximum capacity of 350,000 passengers a day, to futureproof it until 2035, so that's why everything looks wide at the concourse level,” she continues. The dramatic increase in the size of the main concourse has been achieved by expanding into a car park that originally occupied almost half of the footprint of
The mirror-polished stainless steel clad exterior
the concrete slab above the tracks. This move unlocked the site. Before the old station was touched, an entire fully operational concourse was constructed in this space alongside the original station. As Mace's Dalton explains: “We removed a mezzanine level to create a double-height space that required complex strengthening of the existing concrete structure, then did all the internal finishes to create a functional concourse. Without the car park there would have been a high likelihood of disruption to station operations.” Working directly above the tracks meant Mace had severe restrictions on vibrations and the load that could be placed on the slab. Although the base could be used to work from, it could not support the 10 tonne pieces of concrete being removed from the mezzanine level. During the 65-week demolition process, rails were run the length of the building to support a gantry crane so that a “track and hover” system could be used to keep weight off the slab below. Once this concourse was complete, the original one was closed and overnight passengers were transferred to the new building, allowing phase 2 – refurbishment of the original station – to begin. In the refurbishment phase Mace's major task was carving out the building's main architectural event: the central atrium
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that allows daylight into the building. The original 2.8 ha slab was built in a grid of nine segments with the central section removed to accommodate the new atrium. Work started from the top and moved downwards. First a tubular steel frame supporting an ETFE domed roof was constructed directly from the roof slab. Demolition of this slab then took place under the new roof and finally the slab dividing the shopping centre and the station was removed. To complicate demolition, a public walkway had to be maintained through the site, as although the concourses had been switched, the original stairs still had to be used for half the station traffic to access the platforms. As demolition could not take place directly above this temporary structure, it had to be moved halfway through the build. To make this possible, Mace developed a tunnel from prefabricated modular sections, with plug-and-connect M&E, which was then moved in 57 hours over a bank holiday weekend. Adding the roof and removing a large volume of concrete, as well as hanging the new facades from the existing structure, changed the loads throughout the building. This required a global structural analysis to establish where strengthening needed to be undertaken. Dalton says: “The load paths changed significantly throughout the building, both due to the demolition and the
“The station is designed for a maximum capacity of 350,000, to futureproof it until 2035” Carol Stitchman, Network Rail
Work on the dramatic central atrium (above) was carried out from the top down, with the tubular steel frame (below left) constructed directly from the existing station’s roof slab, while passengers continued to travel
addition of a lot of dead loads. By the end of the build we have almost balanced out what we had put on and what we had taken out. But during the build the weight had dramatically increased, necessitating complex temporary works solutions.” A large amount of work has also undertaken place below ground. Although the platforms are still devoid of natural light, the design team has done all it can to improve both their capacity and the passenger experience. “We got rid of all the clutter and rationalised the platforms, removing waiting rooms, smoke lobbies and the former post office ramps. A comprehensive refurbishment was also carried out – with an enhanced smoke and fume extract system installed,” says Stitchman. It was below ground that Mace's planning had to be most accurate, as platform closures needed to be booked 18 months in advance. To allow the station to operate at full capacity, Mace tackled one platform at a time, with trains using the “closed” track to remove waste and to deliver materials. To increase efficiency while not being used, this train was parked at the platform so that the wagons created a safety barrier. New connections were punched between the enlarged concourse and the revamped platforms – relieving a previous major pinch point. In the original station there were only two points of access to each platform. This has been increased to five, and the organisation rationalised so lifts, stairs and escalators are located in the same place on each platform. In total, 15 new lifts and 36 escalators were installed. “The five means of vertical circulation from the concourse to each platform is the major change in the building,” says Stitchman. “By spreading the means of access throughout the station, you can now get people down to the platform efficiently and at the right place.” Although the dire state of New Street
meant that any attempt to refurbish would have been an improvement, Mace and Atkins (with Zaera-Polo's input for the atrium), have created a fresh and bright station that operates extremely efficiently and surely fulfils, if not surpasses, Network Rail's ambitions and expectations. Shiny steel facade Whether the building has achieved the landmark status that Birmingham City Council demanded is a harder question to answer. This question hinges on your opinion of Zaera-Polo's new 16,000 sq m cladding. The shiny steel facade is formed of 5,000 panels, of which more than two-thirds are unique shapes, supported on a secondary steel structure attached directly to the existing concrete frame. The mirror-polished stainless steel certainly gives the station much-needed visibility, clearly marking its location in the city. Unfortunately, the facade looks exactly like what it is, a clunky attempt to dress a tired old building in shiny new clothes. Zaera-Polo dissociated himself from the project as he believed that aspects of design – in particular the connection between the concourse columns and the atrium roof canopy – were being negatively impacted by Mace's value engineering. He may have a point, but it’s more likely that a concept that looked stunning as a visualisation hasn't really translated to reality. Perhaps this is a warning of the pitfalls of trying to commission an icon? On the inside the building is a lesson in modern station improvement. However, from the outside there is no escaping the fact that it has simply redressed the existing concrete box. Given that it was built as a destination station, is completely integrated with the revamped shopping centre and has a direct link to the city's first ever John Lewis, maybe the best advice for those arriving at Birmingham New Street is to stay inside the station. CM
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Continuing Professional Development Improving thermal performance of flat roofs • Buildings will require an EPC of E to be rented after 2018 • Effective roof insulation can help improve thermal performance • A thermographic survey can identify problem areas
Insulating business from a colder future As firms start to gear up for compliance with the 2018 minimum energy performance standard, the roof can be the best place to start. Steven Cookson explains
Thermographic image of the Scottish Parliament
than previously expected. And two planned shake-ups to the EPC rating system itself mean an even greater percentage of buildings could fall into the lower EPC ratings, possibly making the impact of the MEPS regulations even greater. The financial impact of MEPS cannot be underestimated: when the legislation comes through the impact will be felt far and wide. It will leave many buildings unlettable and have a severe impact on a portfolio’s value for the ultimate owner. With just over two years before the proposed regulations come into force, many property owners are anticipating the change and upgrading their portfolios to meet an EPC rating of E or even better. Of course, this presents a huge opportunity for contractors.
CPD
WHEN IT COMES to thermally upgrading an existing roof, what is the best approach to specification and compliance particularly in light of the proposed minimum energy performance standard (MEPS)? The MEPS, introduced under the Energy Act 2011, is part of the government’s drive to reduce the UK’s CO2 emissions by at least 80% from the 1990 baseline before 2050, by encouraging owners to improve the quality of the fabric of their existing buildings. From April 2018 it will be unlawful to let properties that fail to achieve a prescribed minimum energy performance standard until qualifying improvements have been carried out. The MEPS regulations mean that landlords will not legally be able to rent a building that has an F or G Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating. According to data from the national EPC register, 18% of all UK buildings fall into these categories. The detailed regulations are currently being considered by parliament, with many commentators believing that the government is going to go even further
From the top down Although some buildings may be unable to achieve the anticipated E rating required, for most there will be a range of upgrades and refurbishments to consider and the roof is a great place to start. Heating
and lighting systems have often already been upgraded, while planning consent is usually required to make changes to the external walls and windows of a building. For many commercial properties the roof can be vastly improved, with little disruption or negative visual impact, while the building remains occupied. Savings of between 10-35% can be achieved depending on the current roof make-up and chosen specification. There are many considerations when upgrading a building to ensure it performs to the correct thermal standards. For buildings with a flat roof it is possible to leave the current build-up in situ and bond new insulation and waterproofing to the existing substrate, to remove the costs of replacing the whole roof. To do
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Continuing Professional Development Improving thermal performance of flat roofs
Following a survey the felt roof of Eden Park Primary School Academy was replaced with a Sika liquid waterproofing membrane
Quality and innovation are just two of the characteristics replicated throughout Sika Liquid Plastics – visible in its products, manufacturing processes, and research & development. Since 1963 we have produced an extensive range of high performance, technologically advanced coatings and membranes for the protection and waterproofing of roofs and balconies. These products are leaders in their field because of their unique properties and ability to outlast and outperform traditional counterparts. Also available is a complete range of cold applied built-up roofing systems including warm roofs, inverted roofs, and green roof finishes. As a member of the Sika worldwide group, the demand for our products stretches across the globe and many successful projects have been completed in the Middle East, USA, and Europe. Sika Liquid Plastics is leading the way with innovative products for the future, as the construction industry evolves towards safer applications and protection systems with design lives as long as the building itself.
this, however, it is vitally important to ensure the existing insulation is checked to ensure it is performing to the expected standards set out in Approved Document L - Conservation of Fuel and Power. A roof system that is operating well should contain little or no water. However, when a leak develops water will enter the assembly and will remain in the structure for a long time – sometimes for the life of the roof. Depending on the type of insulation used, system moisture is either absorbed by the insulation or runs to the cracks between the nonabsorbent insulation. Moisture compromises the thermal integrity of the insulation and its location needs to be identified before developing a strategy to improve the energy-efficiency
When a leak develops water will remain in the structure – sometimes for the life of the roof
of the building. In the past the roof inspection would have required a very time-consuming grid-type contact search using multiple core samples and stripups. Of course this is financially costly. Non-contact and non-destructive infrared technology can now be used to highlight the extent of what needs to be replaced and how the current status is affecting the thermal integrity of the building. A scientific approach A specialist thermographic survey can be used to quickly and cheaply identify not only where leaks exist but also the extent of moisture ingress. As the materials in flat roofs have relatively low thermal capacitance compared to water, dry roof insulation heats up and cools down faster
than wet roof insulation. This means that the temperature of the roof after dark can be used to determine moisture with a thermographic photographic survey exposing the temperature differential between wet and dry roof insulation. Areas of damp or saturated insulation will reveal themselves on the images as hot spots, looking red and yellow. This is due to two factors. First, wet insulation is not as effective as dry insulation and, second, the thermal capacitance and emissivity of water is very high, meaning water is excellent at retaining and radiating energy. The cameras can detect temperature differences down to 0.07 degrees C, so areas that may seem dry, even to the touch, can be identified with a high-end thermal camera. >
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Continuing Professional Development Improving thermal performance of flat roofs
> A survey is carried out at night, to minimise the effects of reflected radiation, either by an operative on foot or, if access or health and safety is an issue, using a remote-controlled drone. The surveyor then uploads the images to the office for analysis and quantification. Infrared roof surveys are appropriate for the majority of flat roof types, including: ● built-up roofs with polyisocyanurate insulation ● roofs that include membrane systems ● roofs with rigid insulation boards ● solar chipped felt roofs.
Any roof can be thermographically surveyed if the waterproofing can be seen. But one type of roof that does not lend itself to an infrared survey is an inverted roof membrane assembly, where the waterproofing layer is beneath the insulation, instead of above it as in other forms of roofing. For inverted roof insulation, boards are loose-laid on top of the membrane and then weighted down with paving slabs or gravel ballast. For these roofs to be surveyed successfully the client needs to be willing and able to clear
Sika’s interactive carbon dashboard allows users to move sliders and see potential savings on three “speedometers”
If health and safety is an issue the roof survey can be carried out by a remotecontrolled drone
The flat roof of this shopping centre shows no outward signs of moisture to the naked eye (top). However, an image of the same area (above) taken during a thermographic survey of the roof reveals the extended areas of saturation, showing as yellow and red, spreading from an air-conditioning unit that shows on the photograph as white.
areas back to the waterproofing. Where this cannot be achieved, infrared surveys can be undertaken internally, provided the underside of the deck can be seen. However, care must be taken to ensure the survey is not simply imaging deck deflections and standing water. Best practice would be to always survey externally when possible. Cold roofs, where the insulation is placed below the structural deck, also present a problem as the cameras can only see the temperature on the surface of the roof. The three steps to calculating the return on investment of a roof upgrade are: 1. Carry out an initial infrared survey to establish the current performance of the roof insulation and any areas of concern 2. Analyse and quantify the data to arrive at the correct roof specification 3. Re-survey once the project is complete to ensure the energy saving is as expected. The surveying process delivers highquality images of defects to help all parties see the problem and the need for the refurbishment. By adding values to normal infrared images, the impact of the roof defects can be calculated in terms of kilowatts, carbon and cash. “Monetising” the images in this way can help to convince the client of the need for the refurbishment in the first place. To help with step 2, Sika has developed an interactive carbon dashboard (see above). This is essentially a simple website where users can move sliders and see savings on three clear “speedometers”. For building owners upgrading to meet MEPS requirements, this analysis will show the likely impact of the retrofit on the EPC rating of the building. Then, by commissioning a second infrared survey in step 3, the client can rest assured that they are getting what they paid for, that they are futureproofing the building and that they have chosen a specification that is fit for purpose. The >
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WITH NEW, LOW ODOUR DECOTHANE ULTRA
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Decothane Ultra is truly the next generation of liquid waterproofing. It offers the same key benefits you have come to expect from all flat roofing systems by Sika Liquid Plastics, such as cold application which is completely seamless but now with proven low odour. During the development of Decothane Ultra, Sika Liquid Plastics has worked closely with Odournet, a team of independent consultants that manage and deliver top level expertise in sensory analysis. Decothane Ultra offers systems that protect for up to 25 years, installed by our Quality Assured Contractors and backed by our single point guarantee, offering you complete peace of mind. For more information visit www.decothaneultra.co.uk alternatively, call 0800 112 3826 or email decothane.ultra@uk.sika.com @LiquidPlastics
Continuing Professional Development Improving thermal performance of flat roofs
CPD online. Your new home for learning.
A valuable lesson in energy loss
Working in collaboration with an infrared company, Sika Roofing – which comprises Sika Liquid Plastics and Sika Sarnafil – recently surveyed a primary school in the north-west of England and discovered that its 1,100 sq m roof revealed large regions of poorly maintained waterproofing as well as ponding water. To help determine the extent of the trapped moisture and damaged insulation, thermal imaging and refurbishment calculations were carried out, which were based on bringing the properties up to current building standards. The survey revealed the extent of damage and the roof’s real condition. While the roof was in better condition than expected with 660 sq m in good condition, a further 253 sq m had 50% saturation of insulation and
> after-survey is the final touch which means that no one will have to sit through a “blame game” meeting about the roof. The combination of the best specification and a thermographic report will offer best value to the client, reducing the performance gap, contributing to environmental targets and helping the buildings’ tenants to reduce their operating costs. The ever-changing world of specification has created a performance gap for building owners. There is an assumption in the industry that if you read the drawings in conjunction with the specification, then you know what the building is made of and can measure its theoretical lifespan, value and maintenance cost. But clients are
the remaining 187 sq m had 100% saturation of insulation. The estimated total energy use for this building based on the original construction would consume 317 kWh/ sq m per year. The survey identified 440 sq m of damaged insulation, meaning that the building would consume approximately 330 kWh/sq m per year. By overlaying the existing waterproofing and adding an additional 90mm of insulation - the new roof system would reduce the yearly consumption to 265kWh/sq m or 20% per year. For the school this meant a potential saving of £28,600 over 10 years, and an improvement of the EPC grade from E to D. This was an operational saving that was most welcome to the client and shortened the return on investment for the roof itself.
often expected to make bold investment decisions on information that is unverified, a dangerous and risky position. Business doesn’t like risk – it’s a well worn cliché. But a business that owns a multi-million-pound portfolio of buildings underwritten by long guarantees on the fabric could be about to realise that, due to legislative changes, the portfolio could halve in value and be impossible to let without investing tens of millions. This may well be the reality in 2018. It is an issue that hasn’t yet been properly quantified – and one that is likely to catch out many property managers if they remain unaware. CM Steven Cookson is technical services manager at Sika Liquid Plastics.
A combination of the best specification and a thermographic report will offer the client best value
The CIOB has a dedicated CPD portal on the Construction Manager website, featuring CPD modules from the magazine, as well as study topics from a wide range of industry experts. To complete the questionnaire below, and access the free CPD content, go to: www.constructionmanager.co.uk/cpd
CPD test paper
Improving thermal performance of flat roofs 1. When will the MEPS regulations start to apply to UK commercial buildings? ● April 2017 ● January 2018 ● April 2018 ● September 2018 2. By at least what percentage does the government aim to reduce CO2 emissions from their 1990 baseline before 2050? ● 20% ● 40% ● 50% ● 80% 3. Which of these is not a feature of a thermographic survey? ● It is carried out at night ● It may be carried out by an operative on foot or a drone ● Best practice is to carry it out internally ● All of the above 4. Which roofs are not suitable for an infrared roof survey? ● Roofs including membrane systems ● Roofs with rigid insulation boards ● Inverted roofs ● Solar chipped felt roofs 5. The survey cameras can detect temperature differences down to what level? ● 0.007 degrees C ● 0.07 degrees C ● 0.7 degrees C ● 7 degrees C
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Contact Contact THE CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF BUILDING MEMBERS’ NEWSLETTER ISSUE 137 NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2015
IN THIS ISSUE
61-65 ON THE RADAR
All the latest news and developments from the CIOB at HQ and in your area including the chance to become a Trustee and taking construction to school
66 CBC IN PROFILE
The Chartered Construction Company scheme is being relaunched
66 ONE TO WATCH
Chris Armstrong from Faithful & Gould
68 IN GOOD COMPANY
SDC’s Maxwell Centre for the University of Cambridge aims to promote free-flowing ideas
70 MEMBER BENEFITS
Take advantage of exclusive member offers
71 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Key events by region for the month ahead
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ON THE RADAR
Contact | Nov/Dec 15
thought leadership
Professional bodies add huge value to society, states report
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A new study from the CIOB has found that professional bodies play an unsung role in promoting trust in British society and creating value in ways that score high on the current political agenda, such as productivity and social mobility.
The Institute’s latest report, Understanding the Value of Professionals and Professional Bodies, surveyed more than 2,000 members of the public and over 150 MPs for their perception of professional bodies. The polling of the public found that 61% agree that professional bodies can help guide government on relevant policies. And polling of MPs found that 48% score professional bodies at 4 or 5 on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest) for effectiveness in supporting good policy making in their industry. But there is clearly work to do in communicating the value of professionalism in UK society. While four in five Britons (80%) have heard of professional bodies, only 41% say they know something about them, suggesting that membership institutions are unsung heroes in contributing to society. The report finds that professional bodies in the UK offer significant value to society in five areas that top social and political agendas: • PRODUCTIVITY – through increasing the capability of the workforce by promoting best practice and sharing the latest advancements; • SOCIAL MOBILITY – by providing routes to entry for all and in providing trusted qualifications that remain open to individuals at any point within their career; • GOVERNANCE AND ETHICS – by setting standards for behaviour and competence and sanctioning those who contravene them;
A new CIOB report surveyed reveals that Professional Bodies are “unsung heroes”
• INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT – by exporting qualifications and professional services via growing international networks; • POLICY FORMATION – by undertaking research which advances understanding of important issues and by sharing specialist knowledge with decision makers. But perhaps the greatest value of professional bodies lies in the promotion of trust in society. Public polling found that a vast majority of those who know something about professional bodies agree that they would trust a professional more if they knew that they were a member of a professional body. And the MPs polled on balance believe professional bodies are effective in promoting robust standards of
compliance, governance and ethics in their industry. “This study shows that so much of the value professional bodies provide goes unnoticed,” said Chris Blythe, chief executive at the CIOB. “For instance, a remarkable fact is that the structure of high level professional education and qualifications has developed over many years with little, if any, taxpayers’ money. With the changes that have taken place in education and training over the last 50 years, professional bodies have tended to provide a consistent benchmark. The CIOB launched the report in front of MPs and industry members at both the Conservative and Labour party conferences. A copy of the report is available to download at www.ciob.org/management.
industry
CIOB BACKS RIBA INITIATIVE ON CLIENT/ARCHITECT COLLABORATION The CIOB is lending its support to a new initiative from the Royal Institute of British Architects that aims to enhance the relationship between architects and clients and promote better collaboration.
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The CIOB was invited by RIBA to take part in its Client Liaison Group. This group is gathering evidence from different sectors and regions, with the aim of identifying the tools that architects need
to improve their service to clients. A report was launched at a formal event in September at RIBA and coincides with the CIOB’s own report highlighting the value of professionals within the
built environment and the professional bodies that represent them (see above). A copy of RIBA For Clients can be downloaded from the RIBA website at www.architecture.com
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trustees vacancies
Influencers and leaders needed for Trustee posts
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ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION NOTICE 2016 Your annual
The CIOB has undergone some exciting changes in recent years having successfully introduced the title Chartered Construction Manager, and moved to new headquarters. These changes will continue in 2016 with a move from the existing London office to larger, more modern premises in Kingsway, London. The Institute’s global influence continues, and this is demonstrated by its growth and influence on issues such as workers’ welfare. None of this is possible without well-educated and highlytrained construction professionals working to the current global construction agenda.
subscription payment is due on 1 January 2016; therefore you will be receiving your subscription renewal notice this month. The quickest and easiest way to pay is by logging into the members area of the website www. ciob.org and using the secure online payment facility. Concessionary rate Becoming a Trustee offers the opportunity to shape the direction of the CIOB
These challenges would not be achievable without the leadership and guidance of the Board of Trustees who govern and determine the long term direction of the Institute. With some Trustees now reaching the end of their three-year term, the search is on for a new crop of strategic thinkers and influencers who can join the Board and carry on the work of their predecessors. This is a chance to shape the future of CIOB, setting its course for the coming decades. It’s also an opportunity to give something back to the industry, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations. Trusteeships last for three years and applications are welcome from Chartered
applications must be received by 31
members based anywhere in the world. Being a Trustee takes dedication and commitment, but past and present Trustees report that they found the experience very rewarding: they’ve raised their profile; worked with inspirational colleagues from a variety of backgrounds and taken some tough, challenging decisions that have benefited not only CIOB, but the wider construction sector. In June 2016, three Trustees will be stepping down and the CIOB is recruiting to fill these positions. Two of these vacancies will be elected to the Board of Trustees through a ballot of members; the remaining Trustee will be selected by the Board.
The application process for 2016 commences on 2 November 2015 and the closing date is 8 January 2016. Visit the CIOB website to learn about the application process or apply for a position and to learn more about the role of a Trustee as well as view a video of past and present trustees talking about their experiences.
January 2016. Log into the member’s area of the website for details.
ERROR John Edwards is the lead author of BS 7913 and not Jeremy Williams as
If you have any questions regarding the role of a Trustee, please contact Samantha Teague, at trusteerecruitment @ciob.org.uk. All enquiries are treated in strictest confidence.
stated in Contact p57 October. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this error.
site visit
CIOB News
DUBLIN WASTE FACILITY ON COURSE TO BE SUPERIOR SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION
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Members attend site visit
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The Eastern Centre of CIOB in Ireland together with guests from CIOB London Branch recently visited the Waste-to-Energy Incinerator facility in Dublin. With a total investment of €500m, the facility will
have a capacity to deal with 600,000 tonnes of waste per year and will have an output of 58 megawatts. When complete, the project will generate clean renewable energy to supply 80,000 homes, reducing Ireland’s
reliance on imported fossil fuel and has also been designed with technology and infrastructure to provide enough heat to meet the equivalent needs of over 50,000 homes if a district heating system is implemented in the future.
Completion is targeted for late 2017. The client is Dublin City Council and the visit was facilitated by the PM Group the project’s design, project and construction management; and P.J. Hegarty and Sons, the main contractor.
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HAVE WE GOT YOUR CONTACT DETAILS CORRECT?
• If you have moved or changed any of your details recently, don’t forget to tell
us. You can update your details online – simply log in to “members area” of the website www.ciob.org. Or email us at memenquiry@ciob.org.uk or call our membership customer services team on +44 (0) 1344 630706 for further help. If you would rather post your details send them to: The Chartered Institute of Building, 1 Arlington Square, Downshire Way, Bracknell RG12 1WA, UK
novus
news in brief
Novus Challenge 2015 puts competitors through their paces
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The Novus Challenge 2015 was a great success with eight teams from seven branches competing for the title. The competitors were from a variety of backgrounds and ages, and included students, business owners and managers. Some of the challenges proved harder than competitors expected. Archery saw a few bruised arms and egos, as hitting the target proved harder than it looks. The assault course looked like an adventure playground, but was deceptively tough. Many were left battered and breathless, incurring numerous penalties for errors with only one of the 16 competitors making it round faultlessly - James Corbett from the North West team. The tunnels were a pitch black, underground maze of intersecting dark spaces. Each team had to enter, find the hidden Lego set, and build a Lego house to a very specific set of criteria, before finding the exit. The climbing wall saw many competitors fall to the wayside, but quite a few managed the impressive feat of making it all the way to the top. The human spider monkey, Chris Jelfs, from the London team impressed with a time under one minute. At the end of the day it was the hard work of Will Tomlinson and Andy Ash from the South West team that saw them come out victorious. The tie for second place was broken by an additional challenge, and the outcome gave team North West
Archery was one of the challenges on Novus event
the title of runners up; with the London team in a respective third place. After a vote, Micheal Butcher from the East of England team, was given the Fair Play Award – for his positive attitude and team spirit. Teams then relaxed on a cruise down the River Thames. The visiting teams had the chance to see the London skyline at dusk and into the evening, with many seeing St Paul’s Cathedral, The Tower of London, Big Ben and The Shard for the very first time. Micheal Butcher from the East of England team said: “The Challenge is a great event and is important as a method of encouraging networking between all of the Novus groups.” As the winners, the South West Team will be organising and hosting Novus Challenge 2016.
> YOUNGEST EVER FCIOB
Noc Dewhurst has become the youngest ever Fellow of the CIOB at just age 27. Dewhurst is is director of Dewhurst Consult and an active member of the London branch of CIOB and Novus. Dewhurst started his own building maintenance company age 16. He now runs a Chartered Building Consultancy based in London, servicing high net worth individuals predominantly on prime-spec developments. He is a keen supporter of various charities and commits time to student development. > SUMMER GARDEN PARTY
CIOB Aberdeen along with AACE, ASA, RICS and WiP hosted its first property and construction industry summer garden party within the grounds of Meldrum House. The countryside retreat provided an ideal setting for an afternoon of food, drink and entertainment. CALA Homes was the main sponsor for the event which was attended by 115 people. Supporting sponsors included ACG Contracts Ltd, Andrew
Cowie Construction, Blackadders, Cameron & Ross, CHAP, Dulux, Robertson, Safety Scotland, Savills and William Lippe Architects. A charity raffle held on the day raised £435 for charity Cash for Kids. > POLYSTYRENE BLOCKS SOLVE ACCIDENT BLACKSPOT
Newcastle City Council, working with contractors Colas, are on track to infill accident hotspot, Cowgate junction. Work to fill in the pedestrian subways was completed in August and the site has been excavated and the base prepared ready for large polystyrene blocks to be precisely placed in a half-bonded block paving pattern in three layers on top of each other. A layer of compacted stone is then placed over the polystyrene to bring it up to the existing surrounding ground levels and the new road will be built on top. The infilling of the roundabout has seen an investment of £4m from the Council. Improvements to Cowgate roundabout are due to finish by the end of the year. Watch a time lapse at https:// youtube/2enA9yyx-Jo
event
Members enjoy hands on experience of traditional construction skills
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The Gloucester Centre recently put on an essential CPD event with an added twist to inject some fun into the often dry subject of CDM. Members attending the event had the chance to try their hand a country crafts – getting a (dirty) hands-on experience of
stonemasonry and plastering in a field in the Cotswolds. Attendees were helped by experts Paul Selway, with 30 years’ experience of natural stone walling; and Neil Condliffe, an avid promotor of lime-based mortars and renders, assisted by a team
from PlasLime. Martin Herbert Gloucester Chair introduced the evening. A hog roast and drinks rounded up the evening, with colleagues, committee members and the exhibitors gathering around an open fire watching the sunset.
CIOB News
MEMBERS TRY THEIR HAND AT SPECIALIST SKILLS IN CPD EVENT WITH A DIFFERENCE
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ON THE RADAR
Contact | Nov / Dec15
education
members
CIOB reaches into Scottish classrooms to promote construction CIOB WINNERS RIDE AWAY WITH NOTTS UNI PROJECT
The DEC! initiative is being added to Scottish schools qualifications system
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The CIOB has given a boost to Class of Your Own recognition within Scottish education. The race to attract the next generation is showing no signs of letting up as industries bid to switch on younger audiences to the career opportunities that exist in their sectors. The Institute has been a long-standing supporter of Design Engineer Construct (DEC!), run by Class of Your Own, which applies pure academic subjects to the latest construction industry practices at Secondary School level. Following a proposal supported by the CIOB, ‘Design Engineer Construct’ units and qualifications will now be evaluated and given an official ‘credit rating’, providing parity with other existing mainstream qualifications in Scotland, and enabling DEC! to be added to the Scottish Credit
and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). Throughout Scotland the CIOB has worked with Class of Your Own to connect ‘Design Engineer Construct’ with schools, employers and career advisors. Enabling industry professionals to work in partnership with schools is key to the programme, to help students and teachers see the huge range of built environment careers. Alison Watson, managing director at Class of Your Own said: “At its heart, the DEC! programme sees young people managing a digital construction project and developing a range of skills demanded by a modern technological industry. The programme is already producing fantastic results in England, and given the appetite for DEC! across Scotland, both by schools and universities, I can see great success for Scottish children and their teachers.” Read more at http://designengineerconstruct.com
Construction company Woodhead – winner of last year’s CIOB East Midlands Contractors of the Year Award – is set to begin work on a brand new £4.7m business innovation hub on the University of Nottingham’s Jubilee Campus. The Technology Entrepreneurship Centre (TEC) will be the latest addition to the University of Nottingham Innovation Park, and forms the basis of the University’s successful application to be one of the first University Enterprise Zones in the country. Following on from previous successful projects completed for the University and a number of other educational establishments across the East Midlands, Nottinghamshire based Woodhead was selected to deliver the 11 month scheme. Designed to reflect the local industrial heritage of the Innovation Park, the building’s architecture honours the Raleigh cycles factory, which started manufacturing bikes in the area during the late Victorian era. The factory dominated the site throughout the 20th century, employing more than 8,000 people at its height. The building will include a range of different office spaces for start-up technology businesses, as well as communal catering facilities, seminar rooms and meeting rooms. It will be built to meet BREEAM ‘excellent’ standards. Work began on the project in September and is expected to complete in Summer 2016. The project is being co-funded by the Department for Innovation and Skills, University of Nottingham and the Haden Green Trust.
novus
CIOB News
KENT CONSTRUCTION KARTING CUP CAREERS INTO ANOTHER SUCCESS
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Karting event provides fun
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Bayford Meadows in Sittingbourne was once again the host for the Kent Construction Karting Cup (KCKC) in September run by Novus in Kent. For the third year running, contractors
from all over the South East competed in the 90-minute endurance race in twin engine karts. The event is an opportunity not only for networking but to raise the profile of the Novus in Kent group.
Thirty-six people raced from organisations from around the region including Bam, Berkeley Homes, AQ Construction and Ashford Borough Council. Chair of the South East Branch, Peter Smith, presented
the winners Ashford Borough Council with their trophy. To sponsor or attend the 2016 event please contact Beverley Lawrence at blawrence@ciob.org.uk
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The CIOB Sustainability Scholarship is now open for entry. Successful candidates will receive a £3,000 research grant. The closing date is 18 December. See www.ciob.org/scholarships
training
ciob benevolent fund
Qualification now on offer for energy efficiency retrofit
PLEASE LET US HELP…
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CITB’s National Construction College has teamed up with building consultancy Edwards Hart to develop training for the UK construction and property industry in energy efficiency retrofit. Upon satisfactory completion participants will receive a Level 3 award in Energy Efficiency Measures for Older and Traditional Buildings (QCF). The Edwards Hart team is led by John Edwards, chartered construction manager, formerly of English Heritage and Cadw, who initiated and led the Welsh Government’s first live energy efficiency research project involving traditional buildings. The project was initiated by the Construction Industry Training Board who spotted a gap in knowledge and skills in retrofitting traditional buildings. Project manager Bill Brown explains: “With a quarter of our building stock traditionally built we owe it to the country to make sure that we are equipped to properly treat this valuable resource and make sure that retrofitting is money well spent”. This course is unique in that it provides a qualification at the end of it, independently accredited by the Scottish Qualification Authority. It is also supported by the National Trust, who are responsible for many of the UK’s finest mansions but also thousands of small dwellings. The programme is designed to appeal to a wide
CITB to offer course in retrofitting energy efficiency
range of occupational groups which includes architects, contractors, consultants and clients as well as conservation officers, building control officers and others. The course covers understanding of traditional buildings of different types and age, it will also cover thermal performance as well as energy and efficiency assessments, the impact of installing energy efficiency measures and the range of energy efficiency systems and measures available. This course is only available through the Environment Study Centre and will be delivered in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. For further information visit www.environmentstudycentre.org
The CIOB Benevolent Fund is a service for members and their families. If you are under financial pressure which threatens your ability to pay your membership subscription, there might be some options available to you. Don’t risk losing your CIOB Membership for want of taking action! The CIOB can sometimes offer a Concessionary Rate of Membership to members with MCIOB or FCIOB designation. Details regarding the qualifying conditions for Concessionary Rates will be set out on the Members section of the CIOB Website. The CIOB Benevolent Fund is here for all members. If you need advice or assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are aware that many members are under pressure and while the CIOB Benevolent Fund cannot pay membership fees, it can often help in other ways.
HOW WE CAN HELP:
• Advise and support
Members facing difficulties at work • Advise on health and welfare, accidents and injuries • Guidance when dealing with personal debts; advice and help • Financial assistance if facing hardship through ill-health/ unemployment • Grants to help with short-term, skills based training • All advice and support is given in total confidence • Full information about the Benevolent Fund together with an application form on which to apply for financial assistance is available on our webpage:
www.ciob.org. uk/about/ciobbenevolent-fund Contact: Frank MacDonald 01344-630780 email: fmacdonald@ ciob.org.uk CIOB Benevolent Fund….we’re here for you
awards
CELEBRATING CONSTRUCTION’S YOUNG ACHIEVERS
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There are five categories to enter: • C onstruction Delivery • D esign, Planning and Architecture • E ngineering • P roject Management • S urveying One of the category
winners is chosen as Overall Winner. Judges will be looking for young people who have not only achieved excellence in their careers, but who have had to overcome barriers or social disadvantage to get to
where they are. They also look for those who go the extra mile by being involved with initiatives that benefit the community or the industry. Each winner will receive a cash prize and a one year mentoring
programme. The deadline for entries is 6 November. Awards will be presented in spring 2016. For more information and how to apply visit www. constructionyouth.org.uk/ awards
Opinion
Charity Construction Youth Trust has launched its fifth annual awards scheme The Duke of Gloucester’s Young Achievers Scheme 2016. The scheme is for young construction professionals under 30.
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CBC
CHARTERED BUILDING COMPANY
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MARK OF EXCELLENCE
CIOB CBCs
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The CIOB Chartered scheme for businesses has introduced new rules to keep the status at the forefront of industry and as a recognised badge of professionalism. The CIOB has relaunched its Chartered Building Companies/Consultancies (CBC) Scheme. The new rules have been developed by the industry for the industry to give greater recognition and relevance. Members of the Chartered Institute of Building have been putting their stamp on Chartered construction businesses for more than 20 years; challenging perceptions about the industry through their professionalism, skill and credibility. Their commitment to training and development has seen Chartered Building Companies and Consultancies (or CBCs for short) deliver a vital pool of talented professionals into the industry. Just as individuals work towards Chartered grades of MCIOB or FCIOB, organisations can also become Chartered. As a Chartered Building Company/ Consultancy, a business demonstrates to clients and the wider industry, that the organisation is committed to promoting best practice, ethical standards and professionalism. The status strengthens an organisation’s position in the industry. To keep the scheme at the forefront of best practice the CIOB asked industry representatives from major contractors, employers, sole traders and clients to redraft the rules, to ensure CBCs remain the kite mark of excellence and the corporate membership scheme of choice. Chris Blythe, chief executive at the CIOB said: “CBC members can feel proud of what they have achieved. They are setting new standards of professionalism
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in construction businesses across the UK and beyond. That recognition is in no small part having a positive impact on constructions overall image and reputation. Against a backdrop where the general public too often hear about the worst in class rather than the best. “Our members share the same ambitions as we do - to create the very best industry we can delivering exceptional projects and providing careers that are both fulfilling and rewarding. These new rules make sure CBCs remain at the cutting edge of today’s industry.” To qualify for the scheme a percentage (normally half) of the individual board members must hold Chartered status. More than 500 businesses, from small to international size, have joined the scheme since its inception. Those companies and consultancies joining the scheme will be assessed for membership through regular audits as well as evidencing best practice on sight of policies and references. The CIOB is offering support to any current CBC scheme members who may need it as they transition to the new rules. All current CBCs have until 1 October 2016 to fit the new criteria. THE MAIN CHANGES ARE: Two years minimum trading is required to qualify for the scheme Commitment to the learning and development of the workforce. This could be through CIOB Training Partnerships Evidence of policies on Health & Safety, Quality, Environment, Equal Opportunities, CSR must be provided on application Demonstration of positive relationships with clients and
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• • •
New criteria for the CBC scheme will give the status added kudos
the supply chain to be evidenced via references Parent company consent is required for divisions of a company
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Helen Patel, CBC manager says she is proud of the new scheme. “This makes membership not just desirable, but essential. It is the natural home for a professional construction company/ consultancy.”
> Further information about the CBC scheme can befound at:www.ciob. org/companymembership
26/10/2015 09:34
ONETOWATCH Chris Armstong Trainee building surveyor, Faithful + Gould
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Chris Armstrong is trainee building surveyor at Faithful + Gould and won the North East CIOB Student of the Year award earlier this year.
“CBC members are setting new standards of professionalism in construction. These new rules make sure CBCs stay at the cutting edge” Chris Blythe
Q How did you feel winning the Student of the Year award? To be awarded such a prestigious accolade meant a lot to me. I was extremely honoured and grateful to be recognised for the work I’ve done as part of my HNC Construction Management. It was a brilliant evening at the awards ceremony; I was accompanied by many of my Faithful+Gould colleagues, the support they gave me on the night is something I will remember for a very long time. Q Why have you chosen a career in construction? From a very young age I have been interested in all aspects of construction, from design and new build to restoration and old buildings. I have always wanted to know more about buildings.
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> To join an elite group of Chartered organisations who already enjoy the many benefits that Corporate membership provides please contact the CBC team on cbcinfo@ciob.org.uk or call 01344 630746
> Look out for profiles of CBCs in forthcoming issues of Contact.
Q What have you found to be the toughest challenge as a construction professional? The thing I find most difficult is the balance between being a part-time student and a full-time employee. It requires a lot of planning and sacrifices, although I’m more than happy to continue taking this challenge. Being employed in the industry and studying complement each other very well in terms of technical and practical knowledge. Q What’s your most embarrassing work moment? Thankfully, I haven’t had any embarrassing moments at work, however, recently during a Northern League football match, at which I was an assistant referee, I did trip and fall in front of approximately 300 people! Q How do you relax when you’re not at work? In my spare time, I enjoy football and regularly officiate in adult’s football. I was recently promoted to Level 6 County Referee and I am now working towards my Level 5 Senior County Referee. I enjoy travelling around the North East and meeting new people and being involved in a good standard of football. Officiating football is something I have been passionate about from the age of 14 and plan to continue for many years to come.
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CIOB MEMBERS
She adds: “Backed by the CIOB’s global brand, CBCs are the kite mark of quality and excellence, which makes it valuable as a means of building trust with clients, contractors and suppliers. This is demonstrated by the ever-growing number of Chartered members. The new rules ensure that CBCs remain at the cutting edge of today’s industry and represents what the CIOB stands for in the workplace and in the business community.”
Q What would you have done if you hadn’t chosen to work in construction? I never really had a ‘Plan B’ in terms of an industry or profession. I have always been focused on what I wanted to achieve and the profession I wanted to work in. If I had to choose, I would of liked to have gone traveling and discover different cultures, however,
this ambition is still possible as Faithful+Gould provide plenty of opportunities to travel globally.
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INGOODCOMPANY >
the maxwell centre
sdc builders ltd
Appliance of science SDC is on the verge of completing a unique centrepiece building for the University of Cambridge that will help pioneer ‘blue sky’ research and
C
onstruction of the £26m Maxwell Centre, named after the eminent physicist James Clerk Maxwell, commenced in July 2014 and is expected to be completed in November 2015. The state-of-the-art facility will house 230 people across four floors, with lower ground floor laboratories accompanied by seminar rooms, interactive spaces and offices across the remainder of the building. The new venue will allow scientists from the research and development (R&D) industry to occupy laboratory and desk space alongside Cambridge-based study groups. It is hoped that this day-to-day liaison will lead to unique research opportunities and expose promising early career scientists to the challenges they are likely to face upon entering employment.
Space for free-flow thinking
Case study
With the end use of the building centred on creating scientific partnerships between academia and industry, a key aspect of the brief was to create a sociable internal environment that would encourage occupants to collaborate. ‘The building will affect how we work together and promote the free-flow of ideas’, according to Sir Richard Friend, who will be the first Director of the Centre, so it is essential to ‘provide the right sort of meeting places for people to generate innovative research.’ As such, the building features large open plan office spaces, laboratories that can be altered to suit the demands of different sized projects, and numerous social areas. Striking examples of the latter can be seen through the inclusion of
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impressive meeting rooms that overlook the Cambridge skyline and a large southfacing terrace. In addition, the venue is set to house various Centres for Doctoral Training, each offering graduate programmes that will assist students in preparing for life outside of academe.
In zinc The Maxwell Centre, which is an extension to the Physics of Medicine building on JJ Thomson Avenue, was constructed using a steel frame and precast concrete floor planks above a ground bearing slab and piled foundations. The envelope comprises a combination of curtain walling, zinc cladding and timber soffits to complement the existing structure, while the building is topped with a zinc standing seam roof. Spanning from the height of the adjacent William Gates building to the north, the roof arches down to meet Physics of Medicine to the south while also lifting in the south-east corner to open the Maxwell Centre to views over Cambridge. Due to the complex geometry associated with this curved arrangement, the roof structure was modelled using BIM software to establish the most efficient design, before a sample panel was built on site to determine a suitable construction sequence. Internally there is a dual ventilation strategy for the 5,000 sq. m space, with the laboratory areas being air conditioned and the ambient temperature of the upper floors maintained by natural ventilation. This has been made possible by the inclusion of a central atrium, which spans between the ground floor and an ETFE rooflight, to create a ‘stack effect’,
FACT FILE
• Funding for the project from the nongovernmental sector was raised partly through philanthropic gifts and matched by industrial contracts with a very wide range of industries, including those collaborating with cognate departments such as Materials Science and Chemistry. • The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is providing a significant contribution to complement the non-governmental sources of funding for the programme.
although the natural ventilation strategy is supplemented by phase change materials and thermal mass from the concrete floor planks to prevent overheating. A BREEAM rating of Very Good was originally targeted by the client, but a score of Excellent is set to be achieved.
Future research Initial studies in the Centre will build upon innovative work currently being undertaken in Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory, in which research since 2011 has been on how physics can be applied to renewable technologies in order to reduce the global strain on natural resources.
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“Due to the complex geometry associated with this curved arrangement the roof structure was modelled using BIM before a sample was built on site” 26/10/2015 10:15
The Maxell Centre in Cambridge is using steel, concrete, zinc and timber while inside a natural ventilation strategy will help to reach the target of BREEAM Excellent
Read more at www.cam.ac.uk/news/
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Case study
>
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MEMBER BENEFITS FULL CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP OF CIOB brings with it many benefits, not least the descriptors Chartered Construction Manager or Chartered Builder, the right to vote or to become a trustee. Being a member or fellow also gives you exclusive access to discounts and special deals on products and services that could enhance your professional development, help your business or boost your earning power. Products and services currently on offer from our special partners are listed below... IVE US CL BER X E M NT U MEDISCO
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ONLINE BIM DEMO OFFER Asta Powerproject BIM CIOB Member Benefits
BIM
As 2016 is now fast approaching, it’s crucial to ensure that you will be able to work at BIM Level 2 for the planning and control of your major construction projects in the public sector. Asta Powerproject BIM is an enhanced version of the Asta Powerproject scheduling software. A 4D-enabled application, it makes it easy to link your project plan and model together. Our short, online demo An Introduction to Asta Powerproject BIM demonstrates how this works in practice showing how you can quickly create your project plan directly from your IFC model file, compare planned and actual schedule plans, and manage large projects with the ability to save snapshot positions and more. Email enquiries@astadev.com and to view a demo visit https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/4002738363941721602
CIOB TRAINING CPD-approved courses Tel: 020 7665 2432 (quote WIZ1272) www.thomastelford.com
CIOB and VESOURCE Car Leasing Tel: 0845 052 5268 www.vesource.co.uk/ciob.asp
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EAST OF ENGLAND
Construction Skills Certification Scheme 10 November, 7pm, Mercure Hatfield Oak Hotel Contact: coh@ciob.org.uk Time and Delays in Construction 12 November, 6pm, Lancaster House, Norwich Contact: mrix@ciob.org.uk A Mystery Tour of our Built Environment 17 November, 6pm, Holiday Inn Orwell, Suffolk Contact: mrix@ciob.org.uk Visit to Trinity College Cambridge 18 November, 6pm, Trinity College Cambridge Contact: mrix@ciob.org.uk St. Pancras CPD 18 November, 6pm, ARA Sports & Social Club, Bedfordshire Contact: coh@ciob.org.uk Party Wall 19 November, 7pm, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford Contact: coh@ciob.org.uk
Construction Contracts – What you need to know 2 December, 6pm, Union Jack Club, Sandell Street, London Contact: bgrange@ciob. org.uk
NORTH EAST
Restoration and Conservation 24 November, 6pm, Darlington College Contact: nsilcock@ciob. org.uk
NORTH WEST
BIM – An Interactive Experience 10 November, South Cheshire College Contact: kpercival@ciob. org.uk NW Novus: six –year anniversary 12 November, Rain Bar, Manchester, Contact: bbrown@ciob. org.uk Mock Adjudication – joint with RICS 19 November, Liverpool Town Hall EAST MIDLANDS How Can Social Media Help? Contact: kpercival@ciob. org.uk 12 November, Yew Lodge, Build with Confidence: Leicester Aircrete – the Ultimate Contact: jnewton@ciob. Masonry Product org.uk 24 November, Leyland Golf Managing Stress in the Club, Leyland, Workplace. Contact: bbrown@ciob. 17 November, Yew Lodge, org.uk Leicester What is BIM? Contact: jnewton@ciob. 25 November, Irish org.uk World Heritage Centre, Zero Carbon Buildings Manchester 1 December, Holme Contact: bbrown@ciob. PeirrePoint, Nottingham. org.uk Contact: jnewton@ciob. org.uk SCOTLAND HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS IRELAND Eastern Centre Committee Highland Construction & Property Dinner Meeting 20 November, 7pm, 10 November Kingmiills Hotel ,Inverness Contact: mcoleman@ciob. Contact: r.more@robertson. org.uk co.uk McEvoy Site Visit DUNDEE CENTRE 12 November, Lisburn Christmas Lunch Contact: mcoleman@ciob. 21 November, 12.30pm, org.uk Apex Hotel, Dundee Northern Centre Waterfront. Committee Meeting Cost: £19.95 per person 7 December Contact: wmarshall@ciob. Contact: mcoleman@ciob. org.uk org.uk Eastern Centre Committee EAST OF SCOTLAND Christmas Lunch Meeting 11 December, 12.30pm, 8 December Venue TBC Contact: mcoleman@ciob. Contact: wmarshall@ciob. org.uk org.uk CIOB Dundee dinner dance LONDON Archaeology & Development 20 February, 7pm, Invercarse Hotel, Perth – Respecting the Past, road, Dundee Enhancing the Future Cost: £38.50 per head TBC 11 November, 6pm, Union Contact: wmarshall@ciob. Jack Club, Sandell Street, org.uk London, SE1 8UJ Pre booking essential Contact: chierlehy@ciob. org.uk
SOUTH EAST
How to Get Paid for Your Work! 24 November, The offices of Atkins, Epsom Contact: phazell@ciob. org.uk Annual Industry Question Time 2016 25 November, Wildern Secondary School, Hedge End, Southampton Contact: phazell@ciob. org.uk Inter-Professional Networking event 8 December, Potters Heron, Ampfield, Romsey Southampton Contact: phazell@ciob. org.uk Fire Protection 10 November, 7pm, Hadlow Manor Hotel, Contact: blawrence@ciob. org.uk Thames Tideway Tunnel (joint with APM) 12 November, 6.30pm, Holiday Inn London Gatwick, Contact: blawrence@ciob. org.uk Professional Review Workshop 23 November, 6.30pm, Holiday Inn, Rochester, Contact: blawrence@ciob. org.uk Kent Novus: Skittles and Pub evening 18 November, 7pm, Nevill Bull Pub, West Malling Contact: blawrence@ciob. org.uk Annual Building Quiz 1 December, 7pm, venue tbc, Surrey, Contact: phazell@ciob. org.uk
WALES
The Party Wall Act 17 November, 2pm, Pembrokeshire Archives and Local Studies, Prendergast, Haverfordwest, Contact: vcoxon@ciob. org.uk JCT Pitfalls & Collateral Warranties 18 November, The Oriel Hotel Contact: kpercival@ciob. org.uk Swansea’s Tidal Lagoon 7 December, evening, Cardiff School of Engineering, Cardiff, Contact: vcoxon@ciob. org.uk Networking event 9 December, 6pm, Peppermint Bar, Cardiff Email: vcoxon@ciob.org.uk
WEST MIDLANDS
BIM and the Design Manager 10 November, 6pm, Coventry University Contact: gfloyd@ciob.org. uk Eastside Locks Site Visit SOUTH WEST 12 November, 6pm, BIM Birmingham 10 November, 6.30pm, Contact: gfloyd@ciob.org. Taunton, Holiday Inn Contact: jward@ciob.org.uk uk Site Visit to Kings Hawford Annual charity quiz 11 November, 7pm, Slug & School, Worcester 16 November, 6pm, Lettuce, Bristol Worcester Contact: emma.bayliss@ Contact: jwebb@ciob.org.uk thatchers.co.uk Building Regulations Ecology & Japanese Update Knotweed 18 November, 6pm, 17 November, 6.30pm, Wolverhampton Bristol Golf Club Contact: jward@ciob.org.uk Contact: jwebb@ciob.org.uk Renewables YORKSHIRE 18 November, 6.30pm, CIOB Legal Update South Marston Hotel, Breakfast Seminar Swindon Contact: jward@ciob.org.uk 4 November, 8am, Sheffield Hallam University Lunchtime Meeting with Andrew Kilby, the new Built Contact: sgiles@ciob.org.uk Environment tutor from Guernsey CoFE. 26 November, 12.15pm, Guernsey Yacht Club Contact: sholborn@ciob. org.uk
find out more about events in your area go to www.ciob.org.uk/regions or > To look out for your electronic news and event updates from your CIOB branch or CIOB centre. To receive information from the CIOB visit www.ciob.org.uk and log on to the members’ area to input/update your details and preferences.
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Fire! 8 December 6.30pm, Marlborough Golf Club Contact: jward@ciob.org.uk Drones for Surveying 1 December, 6.30pm, venue tbc Contact: jward@ciob.org.uk Guernsey & Jersey Christmas Lunch 11 December, Jersey, Venue TBC It is proposed that this will be a lunch, an overnight stay and a site visit the following day. Contact: sholborn@ciob. org.uk
If you have a smartphone, iPhone or tablet, why not search your apps for a free downloadable QR reader and scan our details.
Contacts General Main CIOB telephone number +44 (0)1344 630700 Chief Executive Chris Blythe 01344 630701 Member Services Head of Member & Business Development 01344 630852 Change of Address 01344 630789/630731 Direct Debit Enquiries 01344 630831 Membership Certificates 01344 630720 Membership Enquiries/ Progression 01344 630706 Subs Enquiries (Members) 01344 630831 Training Partnerships 01344 630726 Certificate Ceremonies 01344 630785 SMTS Enquiries 01344 630742 Experienced Practitioner Assessed Programme (EPA) 01344 630887 Experienced Practitioner Assessed Report Route (EPAR) 01344 630887 Benevolent Fund 01344 630780 Professional Development 01344 630716 Library Enquiries 01344 630873/737 Head of Education 01344 630822 Adjudication and Dispute Resolution 01344 630732 Scholarship and Research 01344 630776 Chartered Building Company/ Consultancy Scheme Chartered Building Scheme Manager 01344 630746 Administrator 01344 630743
Publications Magazine subscriptions (non-members) 01344 630811 Construction Research and Innovation (CRI) 01344 630735 Construction Manager 020 7490 5636 Contact 07704 336835 Policy and External Relations Deputy Chief Executive 01344 630702 Press Office 01344 630766 Web Site Enquiries 01344 630738 CIOB International General Enquiries +44 (0) 1344 630791 CIOB Africa + 27 11 234 7877 CIOB Australasia +61 (2) 9816 4700 CIOB China East +86 21 2211 1556 CIOB China North +86 10 6528 1070 CIOB China West/South +86 23 3670 6360 CIOB Hong Kong +852 2543 6369 CIOB Malaysia +852 (603) 2284 5754 CIOB Middle East +971 (0) 4457 9107 CIOB Singapore +65 6334 4116 The views expressed in Contact are not necessarily those of the editor or the CIOB. The editor reserves the right to edit any article submitted for publishing. Printed on paper produced from a sustainable source.
CIOB Diary Dates
b.asp
DATESFORYOURDIARY
NOVEMBER TO DECEMBER 2015
The Chartered Institute of Building
The Chartered Institute of Building is at the heart of a management career in construction. Our focus is on those entering and already in a management career in construction. By delivering qualifications and certifications that meet the needs of a changing industry. We work with members, employers, academia and governments across the globe to drive forward the science, practice and importance of management in construction. OUR VISION: Built environment professionals making a difference OUR MISSION: To contribute to a modern, progressive and responsible construction industry, meeting the economic, environmental and social challenges of a global society OUR VALUES: • Creating extraordinary people through professional learning and continuing professional development. • Promoting the built environment as central to quality of life for everyone, everywhere. • Achieving a sustainable future worldwide. • Being socially responsible and advocating exemplary ethical practice, behaviour, integrity and transparency. • Pursuing excellence in worldwide management practice and technological innovation rooted in evidence based research. • To be the inclusive valued Institute of choice for built environment professionals. We have over 47,000 members around the world and are considered to be the international voice of the building professional, representing an unequalled body of knowledge concerning the management of the total building process.
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Recruitment TO ADVERTISE YOUR POSITIONS ON THESE PAGES, CONTACT TOM PEARDON ON T: +44 (0)20 7490 5595 E: tom@atompublishing.co.uk
Group Head of Procurement London or Oldham Competitive Salary and Benefits
The Guinness Partnership owns and manages nearly 60,000 homes, employs around 3,000 staff, and provides housing services for more than 120,000 customers across the country. They also provide care services to more than 10,000 people. Everything they do is about achieving their vision: “To improve people’s lives by providing as many high quality affordable homes as possible, and the housing and care services that their customers most need.” Purcon are currently exclusively supporting Guinness in onboarding an experienced and best-in-class Head of Procurement to lead their Procurement Team. We are looking for a hands-on leader and procurement expert, who will grow the function’s skill base and maximize the value it provides the organisation. You will
develop and deliver Guinness’s procurement strategy, targeting resource and effort at the areas of spend that represent the greatest opportunity to deliver cost reductions, as well as manage the wider procurement risks. Required technical and management experience: • Experience in procuring across a wide range of categories including FM and Asset Management • Demonstrable experience delivering strong commercial solutions • Team leadership and management • Experience of operating within the EU Procurement Directives • A relevant professional qualification Relevant sector experience: • Construction • Rail • Utilities • Facilities Management/Services • Property/Asset Management • Public Sector/Housing
If you feel that this exciting role would be a perfect next step, please contact Katy Wallace at Purcon by sending your CV and supporting letter to kwallace@purcon.co.uk. All applications must be received by Thursday 26th November. Purcon are exclusively handling all applications, there is no direct process so please do not try to apply direct to the Guinness team.
APPOINTMENTS APPOINTMENTS TO THE CITB COUNCIL 2016
Horbury Joinery is a part of Horbury Group which consists of six companies and provide a complete national service to the construction industry. Horbury Joinery as an all-inclusive joinery company, is quickly expanding in the region with numerous high valued projects being tendered, negotiated and successfully delivered. To sustain our further expansion and growth, we now require additional experienced managers to come on board in the capacity of;
• Site Supervisors • Site Managers • Project Managers • Contract Managers • Quantity Surveyors Applicants must have proven track record in managing high end, high value residential fit-out with experience in working with bespoke veneer panelling as an advantage. We offer a competitive package and bonus schemes and equally support progression to CIOB membership and provide training, CPD and career development. We are working in partnership with CIOBjobs.com to fill out these roles.
For all our opportunities, please visit: http://www.ciobjobs.com/ employer/798856/horbury-group
Classified
Members of the Council Do supporting CITB’s CITB’s Do you you want want to to be be part of the CITB’s governance, in supporting leading construction leading role role in in training training and skills development for the GB construction industry? industry? CITB (England, Scotland Scotland and and CITB is is aa multi-site multi-site organisation across Great Britain (England, Wales), derived from from Wales), with with an an annual annual income of approximately £275m, derived statutory also the the largest largest statutory industry industry levy and commercial activity. CITB is also apprenticeship apprenticeship body body in Europe. The Board in in its its strategic strategic The Council Council has has an an important role in supporting the Board leadership, across nations, nations, leadership, by by providing providing insight into industry challenges, across regions Trustees. regions and and sectors sectors and acting as a sounding board for Trustees. We have have vacancies vacancies on the Council for individuals from in-scope We in-scope employers. employers. Applications are are invited invited from each of the following employer-type Applications employer-type categories: categories: major contractors, contractors, specialist contractors, SMEs and Plant/Equipment. major Plant/Equipment. Applicants must must have have recent experience within the construction, Applicants construction, built built environment or or associated associated sectors, gained at senior level and environment and have have links links with with relevant trade trade associations/federations. associations/federations. We are looking for relevant for individuals individuals who who can can demonstrate aa consultative consultative and collaborative approach to partnership demonstrate partnership working, working, within the the Council Council and with the CITB Board. within The appointment appointment is for a period up to three years and is non-remunerated, The non-remunerated, although travel travel expenses expenses will be paid. There are 3 meetings although meetings per per year, year, which which are usually usually held held in in London. are Please download download an application pack from the following Please following website: website: www.citb.co.uk www.citb.co.uk Closing date date for for the receipt of applications: 12:00 hours Closing hours on on Tuesday Tuesday December 2015. 2015. 11 December CITB seeks seeks to to build build aa workforce workforce that that refl reflects CITB ects Britain’s Britain’s diverse population population and and welcomes welcomes applications applications from diverse from all all qualified ed and and eligible eligible candidates. candidates. Appointment Appointment will qualifi will be be based solely solely on on merit merit and and under-represented under-represented groups based groups are encouraged encouraged to to apply. apply. are CITB, CIC CIC and and CITB-ConstructionSkills CITB-ConstructionSkills Northern Northern Ireland Ireland are CITB, are working working as as ConstructionSkills, ConstructionSkills, the the Sector Sector Skills Skills Council for for Construction. Construction. CITB CITB is is registered registered as as a a charity charity in Council in England England and and Wales Wales (Reg (Reg No No 264289) 264289) and and in in Scotland (Reg (Reg No No SC044875). SC044875). Scotland
www.citb.co.uk www.citb.co.uk
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Specifiers’ pages TO SHOWCASE YOUR PRODUCTS ON THESE PAGES, CONTACT TOM PEARDON ON
T: +44 (0)20 7490 5595 E: tom@atompublishing.co.uk PLUG ‘N’ PLAY SITE BROADBAND FROM £50/WEEK
NEW MODULAR SITE CABIN FACILITIES
Starting a new contract is always tough, particularly without communications! Construction Managers need fast and reliable connections to operate efficiently. Our solution provides an unmatched service allowing trade-staff to communicate effectively which could include liaising with sub-contractors, ordering materials and emailing management based in the head office. Key Benefits are: • Plug ’n’ Play Installation. • Instant Always-On Connection. • Good download/upload speeds. • Used for VPN traffic. • Promotes Site Efficiency. • Cost-Effective against Satellite and other similar products. • Hardware adaptability when sites grow. • No Installation Costs. • No Maintenance Costs. • NO CONTRACT.
Tel: 01708 774420 www.tardis.london @Tardisplc YouTube Channel: Tardis plc LEVOLUX DELIVERS A SUPER SEVEN Levolux has delivered one of its largest and most challenging Solar Shading solutions for Chiswick Park’s Building 7 in West London. The solution comprises 525 motorised external ‘Super Louvres’, each measuring 1.2 metres wide, linked to an intelligent control system. It also included internal motorised Roller Blinds and manually operated Venetian Blinds. T 020 8863 9111 E info@levolux.com W www.levolux.com
The Premier Group, one of the UK’s leading modular building specialists, has launched an innovative range of pre-fabricated site cabins and facilities that will lower costs and improve conditions for site–based workers. The system, which is called Poly-Modular, is the ideal solution for providing cost-effective toilets, showers, changing rooms, offices and accommodation facilities. Their weather-proof construction with integral polyurethane insulation enables all-year-round use in the harshest of weather conditions. With a robust and adaptable design, quality construction and delivered to site ready to plug-and-play in a variety of configurations, Poly-Modular offers affordable solutions to the needs of site workers. Lewis Gopsill, Poly-Modular director, commented: “We can tailor the internal configuration for each and every cabin to meet the specific needs of our clients.” “Being modular, they can be supplied individually or fitted together in all types of combinations so, for example, there could be a site office with adjoining toilets and showers, or perhaps an accommodation block with wash facilities and leisure space. “The cabins are supplied with integral lifting hooks, making them exceptionally easy to transport and move around site. They just need a level base and any service connections such as power, water and drainage – or they can be run from tank systems that are also available.” The easy-to-clean finish surfaces can be supplied in any RAL colour or even with surface textures and vinyl wraps where required. All interior fittings – such as the porcelain sanitary ware, lighting and power meet relevant UK standards and units can also be supplied to fully comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. “We have had some clients that had restricted access to their site, so we can also supply them in flat-pack form for assembly on site.” concluded Mr. Gopsill. www.poly-modular.com
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 | 73
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Project of the month Over-60s housing, Greenwich
Switchboard +44 (0)20 7490 5595
Editor Elaine Knutt Deputy editor Tom Ravenscroft Online production editor Lucien Howlett
Advertising manager Dave Smith Key account manager Tom Peardon Credit control Eva Rugeley
Top: The pitched roofs give the terrace its character Above: The houses blend in to the urban context Above right: A glazed lantern allows light into dining spaces Far right: the houses are built on one of six rundown garage sites
storey dwellings that gives them street presence, helping them to sit comfortably within their urban context characterised by two-storey houses and three- and four-storey flats. Each 90 sq m house has two bedrooms, which means that one can be used as an office or a guest room for relatives or carers, making the homes practical and adaptable for residents. CM
Circulation Net average circulation 30,508
Subscriptions To subscribe or for enquiries, please contact:
Audit period: 1 July 2013 – 30 June 2014
Subscription team Tel: 01344 630831 subenquiry@ciob.org.uk
Managing director Stephen Quirke
Art editor Heather Rugeley
Or write to them at: CIOB 2nd Floor 1 Arlington Square Downshire Way Bracknell RG12 1WA
Construction Manager Published for the Chartered Institute of Building by Atom Publishing Clerkenwell House 45/47 Clerkenwell Green London EC1R 0EB Tel: +44 (0)20 7490 5595 Fax: +44 (0)20 7490 4957 firstname@atompublishing.co.uk
EDMUND SUMNER
KENT-BASED CONTRACTOR Newlyns has completed six bungalows to a Bell Phillips Architects design for the London Borough of Greenwich. The model homes for older people have been constructed on one of six rundown garage sites in the south-east London borough. The sites have been identified for development to fulfil a growing need for single-storey dwellings for people over 60. These six houses are the first to be completed in the £4.3m contract with the remaining 16 houses, based on the same design on the other five sites, due to complete later this year. Clad in brick, it is the houses’ zinc roofs, which pitch up at the back and front, that give the terrace of wheelchairaccessible bungalows its character. On the street side, a glazed lantern allows light into the dining spaces, while at the rear the raised roof provides more height in the bedrooms. As well as increasing light and space internally the raised roof gives the bungalows the appearance of two-
Construction Manager is published monthly by Atom Publishing. The contents of this magazine are copyright. Reproduction in part or in full is forbidden without permission of the editor. The opinions expressed by writers of signed articles (even with pseudonyms) and letters appearing in the magazine are those of their respective authors, and neither the CIOB, Atom Publishing nor Construction Manager is responsible for these opinions or statements. The editor will give careful consideration to material submitted – articles, photographs, drawings and so on – but does not undertake responsibility for damage or their safe return. Printed by Headley Brothers Ltd. All rights in the magazine, including copyright, content and design, are owned by CIOB and/or Atom Publishing. ISSN 1360 3566
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Asta Powerproject BIM – affordable 4D planning
By combining 3D models with scheduling tools in one application, Asta Powerproject BIM enables you to: Easily create your project plan from your model Drag and drop objects between the 3D view and Gantt chart Increase collaboration by making BIM more accessible
View an online demo to find out more: astapowerproject.com/webinars
astapowerproject.com/bim Asta Powerproject: The pow er behind successful projects
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