Construction Manager June 2019

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2019 | WWW.CONSTRUCTIONMANAGERMAGAZINE.COM

JUNE 2019 For members of the CIOB

ROBOTICS

RISE OF THE ROBOTS

HOW WILL AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS CHANGE CONSTRUCTION?

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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2019 CONTENTS

06/19

Switchboard +44 (0)20 7490 5595 Editor Will Mann 020 3865 1032 will.m@atompublishing.co.uk Associate editor Neil Gerrard 020 3865 1031 neil@atompublishing.co.uk Production editor Sarah Cutforth Art editor Heather Rugeley Community editor Nicky Roger Redesign art director Mark Bergin Advertising manager Dave Smith 0203 865 1029 Key account manager Tom Peardon 0203 865 1030 Credit control Eva Rugeley Managing director Stephen Quirke

In this issue

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Circulation Net average 31,509 Audit period: July 2017 to June 2018 Subscriptions To subscribe or for enquiries, please contact: Subscription team Tel: 020 7199 0069 Or go online at: https://constructionmanager.isubscribe.co.uk Or write to us at the address below: Construction Manager Published for the Chartered Institute of Building by Atom Publishing, 3 Waterhouse Square, 138 Holborn, London EC1N 2SW Tel: +44 (0)20 7490 5595 firstname@atompublishing.co.uk Editorial advisory board Mark Beard FCIOB, Ann Bentley, Ian Eggers, Peter Caplehorn, Harvey Francis, Professor Jacqui Glass FCIOB, Paul Morrell, James Pellatt, Nick Raynsford, Richard Saxon, Andy von Bradsky, Phil Wade 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 The Wyndeham Group. 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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News 04 CIOB appoints Gumble CEO 09 Data: Output bounces back 10 Digital Construction Summit 16 Aecom’s David Barwell

26 32 36

Legal 44 Resi and adjudication

Opinion 20 Mace on platform DfMA 21 Net zero carbon buildings 22 Housing quality after Grenfell 24 Charles Egbu on wellbeing 25 Feedback: Readers’ views

Technical The rise of robotics UCL Student Centre Health and safety polls

Working at height 38 Safety and digital tech

BIM & Digital 42 Why COBie is not dead 43 CITB digital funding

Community 46 Global student challenge 47 Members’ Forum line-up 48 West Midlands awards

Training & Recruitment 58 Diversity in the workplace

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NEWS JUNE 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

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News News in pictures

CIOB appoints Caroline Gumble as chief executive The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has appointed Caroline Gumble, the former chief operating officer at Make UK, as its new chief executive. Gumble’s appointment comes following the retirement of Chris Blythe after 19 years. She will take up her new role in August.

Gumble has extensive business experience gained in the UK and overseas. Her experience covers several of the CIOB’s key operating areas, including management of apprentice and technical training and open course and bespoke training programme development.

Gumble said: “I'm looking forward to taking up the role of CEO. The CIOB has a long and proud history in an important industry. I want to continue upholding the institute’s public benefit mission and promote best practice and high quality in building and construction.”

Skanska’s 3D-printed tree planters

New designs for the temporary House of Commons chamber which will house 650 MPs and staff while the Palace of Westminster is refurbished have been revealed. It has been designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) which is working with construction consultant Lendlease, and will be located in Richmond House on Parliament’s Northern Estate. The wider masterplan for the £1.4-£1.6bn Northern Estate is being led by BDP.

AHMM

Design for MPs’ temporary home unveiled

Skanska is using 3D concrete printing (3DCP) to create tree planters on a highways project in Lincolnshire. The robotic arm of the printer reads CAD information to create the curved planters (above), typically 800mm deep.

“We think 3DCP is useful for printing items with complex geometry,” said Skanska innovation director Felipe Manzatucci.

“The concrete elements can be created without using falsework and form-work. Concrete is pumped through a nozzle which is guided by the robot to form a predetermined shape.”

More details, p28.

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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2019 NEWS

Swedish helmet safety firm MIPS has teamed up with industrial safety firm Guardio to offer the Armet hard hat – the world’s first with a MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) brain protection system.

For daily updates on the latest news, go to constructionmanagermagazine.com

News in quotes

Colas uses solar on 97% emissions-free site A project led by Network Rail and Colas Rail has used solar lighting and power generation to achieve 97% diesel-free operation on a major rail renewal project at Llanwern, south Wales.

The initiative used solar and battery technologies from Prolectric instead of diesel generators to save a claimed 6,000 litres of fuel, and more than 15 tonnes of CO2 during a 14-day project.

“Crossrail damaged public value” A National Audit Office (NAO) report has concluded that Crossrail has “driven unnecessary costs and damaged public value” but that it won’t be possible to determine the overall value for money for taxpayers until the Elizabeth Line is open.

“Fantastic and well-paid career opportunities” The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) set out the virtues of a construction career as it launched a nationwide recruitment campaign.

“I have no intention of halting work on HS2.”

Transport minister Nusrat Ghani has indicated that the government remained fully committed to the high-speed rail link in her response to calls from fellow Conservative MP Dame Cheryl Gillan to stop work on the scheme.

Self-driving dump trucks trialled

by Highways England

Notre Dame reimagined with rooftop farm Parisian firm Vincent Callebaut Architectures has designed an energy-positive plan to restore the firedamaged Notre Dame cathedral. The “Palingenesis” project envisages combining the stone nave, roof and spire in a continuous structure, with a frame of crosslaminated timber beams and pre-stressed carbon-fibre slats, to hold stained glass. The glass would contain a layer of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen to absorb light and transform it into energy. The roof would host an urban farm in planters, and aquaponic basins feeding plants with fertiliser from fish.

VINCENT CALLEBAUT ARCHITECTURES

Highways England has launched a £150,000 trial of self-driving dump trucks, in a bid to speed up roadworks. The technology on the new truck, being used in partnership with earthworks contractor CA Blackwell, has previously been tested in Australia and are now being used on the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon. The truck is programmed remotely to follow a pre-determined route and has the capability to detect obstacles.

“We have now agreed a final settlement.”

A dispute that started when bolts began to fall off the Cheesegrater tower in London in 2014 is finally over. Structural steelwork contractor Severfield announced that it has reached a final settlement with developer Leadenhall following “extensive negotiations”.

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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2019 DATA

£200m

The total fund the government has made available to remove and replace unsafe cladding from around 170 privately owned high-rise blocks, where building owners have failed to do so. Communities secretary James Brokenshire said he would call time on “reckless” building owners who have failed to take action.

120 SOURCE: ONS

Data

Output bounces back in Q1 2019 Construction output appeared to bounce back in the first quarter of 2019, rising 1% compared to the previous quarter, and by 2.9% against the same quarter a year before, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. That was despite a decline in output of 1.9% in March on February.

However, the rise in Q1 2019 was against a very subdued Q1 2018, when sites were blasted by the Beast from the East.

The increase in output in Q1 2019 was driven by the repair and maintenance sector.

However, growth in new work was flat over the period, at 0%.

£21bn

110

The combined wealth of construction figures in the Sunday Times Rich List 2019. Highest, in 33rd position, in the list of the UK’s 1,000 richest people, was JCB chairman Lord Bamford, who with his family is said to be worth £4.15bn.

100

90

20%

80

– Monthly indexed – Quarterly indexed 2015 Mar

2016 Mar

2017 Mar

10 most expensive cities for construction London is among the world’s top 10 most expensive cities to build in, according to the latest International Construction Costs report, published by Arcadis.

According to the study of comparative construction costs across 100 global cities, London is the sixth most expensive city in the world for construction, beaten only by the likes of New York

(first), San Francisco (second) and Hong Kong (third). By contrast, the 10 least expensive cities for construction are predominantly in Asia.

The comparative cost assessment of 100 cities is based on a survey of construction costs undertaken by Arcadis covering 20 building types. Costs are representative of the local specification used to meet market needs.

Index 2016 = 100 2018 Mar

2019 Mar

1. New York City 2. San Francisco 3. Hong Kong 4. Copenhagen 5. Geneva 6. London 7. Macau 8. Zurich 9. Tokyo 10. Boston

SOURCE: ARCADIS

1

10

5

The proportion of homes in which housebuilder Barratt has committed to use some form of modern methods of construction (MMC) by 2020.

350

The number of jobs Galliford Try is preparing to cut after it revealed it could potentially close its infrastructure business in Scotland. In April, it warned that full-year pre-tax profit would be £30m-£40m below analysts’ expectations.

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News in numbers

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The number of firms in the sector suspended from the government’s Prompt Payment Code. They were: Balfour Beatty, Costain, Engie Services, Interserve Construction, Kellogg Brown & Root, Laing O’Rourke and Persimmon.

An eighth, John Sisk and Son, was removed from the scheme completely.

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NEWS JUNE 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

DIGITAL CONSTRUCTION SUMMIT Faster, better quality, more profitable – Willmott Dixon on BIM CONTRACTOR REVEALS BENEFITS OF DIGITAL CONSTRUCTION IN PANEL DISCUSSION WITH KEY CLIENTS

Gary Fannon, head of BIM at Willmott Dixon

Willmott Dixon has gone public on the many benefits BIM has brought to its clients – and urged fellow contractors to share their success stories to encourage wider digital adoption.

Garry Fannon, head of BIM at Willmott Dixon, was chairing a panel debate with several clients, looking at their perceptions on BIM challenges and benefits.

He said that while early adopter clients did not need to be convinced about the

benefits, the “early majority” wanted data, and business cases.“We need to share our stories to make some impact and create some momentum,” he said.

He highlighted Willmott Dixon’s own comparison of BIM and non-BIM projects (right) over the past three years. “Other contractors need to start showing more because if you don’t show it, our customers will not make the changes,” he urged.

Fannon was chairing a panel session with Willmott Dixon clients Ralph James, FM & technical services manager of the Met Office, Richard Draper, BIM and digital assets manager, and Elena Simcock, information manager, at the University of Birmingham, and Richard Baggeley, project manager of the iMET Building at Cambridgeshire Regional College, who spoke positively about their BIM experience.

Simcock said: “Yes there is a lack of understanding of what BIM is – for those clients that haven’t used it – but also

delivery teams need to assess the client needs properly. We are interested in building projects on time and on budget but ultimately we are interested in the bigger value that BIM can add to our process during operation.”

In another session, Andy Smith, senior manager, partnership head office facilities at John Lewis Partnership, said many clients still didn’t understand the benefits of the information they could receive. “The agenda still talks too much about the process of construction and not necessarily how we use the building,” he said.

He pointed to the benefits John Lewis has enjoyed at its head office in London’s Victoria, where the company has gradually built a BIM model of the building, layering in information every time there was an interface with the building.

This has allowed it to save money on surveys for refurbishment, and made maintenance easier, he explained. ●

60%

Average improvement in cost of error compared with non-BIM projects.

1

One day is the average increase in speed to deliver £100,000 of turnover compared to non-BIM projects.

1.2%

Average improvement in retaining margin compared to non-BIM projects (thanks to reduced defects).

Source: Willmott Dixon (projects measured from April 2016 – April 2019)

Willmott Dixon’s Garry Fannon chaired a panel of clients (l-r): the University of Birmingham’s Richard Draper and Elena Simcock; the Met Office’s Ralph James; and iMET’s Richard Baggaley

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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2019 NEWS

More news and views from the Digital Construction Summit at www.constructionmanagermagazine.com

Aecom’s David Philp chaired the panel discussion with CIOB digital SIG members (l-r): Atkins’ Neil Thompson; Government Property Agency’s Roy Evans; PCSG’s Dr Jennifer Macdonald; Middlesex University’s Dr Noha Saleeb; Skanska’s James Daniel

Data ‘core’ to built environment business strategies BIM AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT NOW CENTRAL TO DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF ASSETS, STRESSES CIOB DIGITAL SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP Digital information management should now be a core component of organisations operating in the built environment sector. That was the message from David Philp, global BIM/IM consultancy director at Aecom, chairing a panel discussion with members of the CIOB’s digital special interest group (SIG) at the Digital Construction Summit.

Philp said: “We are starting to see our built environment beginning a completely new relationship with how it uses technology and data. BIM and information management are becoming a central plank in how we design, construct and operate our assets.”

He said the SIG was looking to fuse technology and innovation, using data to create value not just during construction but during the asset management phase.

“The real innovation will happen when we change the commercial model, moving from a world of capital

expenditure to a world of service provision. We can start to think about how we use data to look at demand in real time and use our assets better,” Philp said.

Roy Evans, client solutions lead at the Government Property Agency, added: “Clients are no longer purchasing just a building, we are purchasing the information that is associated with it.

It is about bringing the supply chain on a journey and making sure that clients have the expertise to engage with it. Organisations like CIOB and its members are key in joining up clients’ demands with what happens on site.”

Dr Jennifer Macdonald, senior BIM consultant at PCSG, said data was being handled differently as BIM matures. “In the past, there has been a focus on trying to push clients into buying whole new platforms, but now we are moving towards trying to utilise the data that we have got, helping clients use their existing legacy systems to get new insights,” she said.

James Daniel, Skanska’s head of digital engineering (infrastructure services) stressed the value of data to his business: “Skanska Infrastructure Services looks after 14,000 structures, 270,000 streetlights and 42,000km of highway network.

There is a lot of information inside those assets and that is just 14 % of the highway network. You cannot deliver suitable service delivery objectives to your clients using pen and paper.” ●

Contractors ‘must adapt’ as tech disruptors move in Contractors need to adapt to become more like the innovative disruptors in other sectors if they want to avoid extinction, Jaimie Johnston director and global head of systems at Bryden Wood Jaimie Johnston has warned.

“If you look at what the contractor of the future would look like, they would be good at data, good at supply chain procurement, and good at logistics – they would be Amazon. I am not saying we will see Amazon entering construction but we know some of these major firms are watching construction with interest. If the big incumbents don’t get their act together, someone else is going to,” he said.

Meanwhile Sam Stacey, challenge director at Transforming Construction (part of UK Research and Innovation), highlighted the career opportunities.

He said: “We need to bring a manufacturing approach to construction as well as changing the mindset from this obsession with the capital cost to thinking about the user benefits of what we are creating.

“Construction is going to go through an exciting phase in the next few years. It is the last great unreformed industry. There are so many exciting jobs to be had.”

UKRI is poised to launch a competition for another £36m of funding for research and innovation projects in the construction sector.

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“Manufacturers can facilitate the golden thread by bringing information back to a managed, structured database.”

Alex Small, BIM and digital platforms manager, Tata Steel

Major housing client slams contractors over asset data PEABODY TECHNICAL HEAD CRITICISES CONTRACTORS’ INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IN PANEL DEBATE ON HACKITT’S ‘GOLDEN THREAD’ The head of design at a major housing association has blasted contractors for their inability to provide information.

Jack Ostrofsky, head of design and technical at Peabody, was in a panel discussion on the digital implications of the “golden thread” advocated by Dame Judith Hackitt, in her independent review of Building Regulations and fire safety.

He recalled how, when working for another housing association, he was involved in eight latent defect claims against contractors over social housing blocks found to contain dangerous aluminium composite (ACM) cladding in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

Ostrofsky said: “Not a single one of the contractors for those eight buildings had accurate records. In many cases, the ACM cladding was substituted. There were discussions with their lawyers and my lawyers about whether it was legal or not but once I opened up the buildings,

ActivePlan’s George Stevenson; Pinsent Masons’ Anne-Marie Friel; BIMplus’s Denise Chevin (panel chair); PRP’s Scott Sanderson; Peabody’s Jack Ostrofsky; BAM’s Andrew Pryke

I had no problem proving latent defect claims because the workmanship in every case was appalling. The main contractor generally doesn’t know what the subcontractor is putting on the building that I am buying.”

Acknowledging that Peabody was “ahead of the curve” as a client, Ostrofsky nonetheless expressed concern about the construction sector as a whole.

He added: “We are all aware of the golden thread, but what is missing is the people in the supply chain to populate that information. Since about 2010, we have had a dramatic increase in the complexity in residential construction – and there are things that we don’t know that we don’t know.”

Scott Sanderson, partner – technical & BIM at PRP Architects, said: “I do think the industry is massively challenged to translate good process concept into day-to-day behaviour, and a new culture of quality. I am really hungry to see the conversation around quality of information, clarity of brief, clarity of process and quality control delivered and becoming meaningful in our projects.”

Andrew Pryke, managing director of BAM Design, explained how BAM was developing a systems operation and maintenance “golden thread”, which it recently put it into place when retrofitting Wharfedale Hospital in Leeds. ●

‘Risks mounting’ for contractors with poor digital records

Contractors who can’t show accurate digital records face mounting reputational, contractual and regulatory risks – and could eventually end up being in breach of the law.

That’s the warning from AnneMarie Friel (pictured), partner at law firm Pinsent Masons, who highlighted how contractors not in the process of adopting digital information models capable of fulfilling the Hackitt review’s call for a golden thread of information could find themselves on a burning platform.

She cautioned: “Maintaining the status quo of poor records and poor information on your assets is actually risky and it is only getting riskier. This is regardless of the new regulations that are likely to come post Hackitt report. However, for some buildings affected by potential new legislation, it may even become illegal.

“Some of you might think [the coming regulations] only apply to high-rise residential buildings.

Think again. In all likelihood this is going to apply to all more complex buildings and who knows what else in the future.”

Friel predicted that more stringent requirements from insurers, regarding the information contractors had to disclose about their projects to obtain project indemnity insurance, was likely to drive the uptake of BIM further.

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Funding for digital transformation: CITB reveals details on how businesses can apply at www.citb.co.uk/ levy-grants-and-funding Steve Radley on digital skills, p43

Below: Around 150 built environment digital professionals attended the summit at Pinsent Masons Auditorium in the City of London

“Collaboration is key to success. I would like to see a project where software vendors and industry actors get together to work out an end-to-end data flow and whether we can have some sort of minimum viable product.”

Paul Surin, global lead for BIM and digital construction, IBM

‘This is utterly transformative’ SMART SENSORS, DATA ANALYTICS, DFMA IN 3D ENVIRONMENTS… A ROUND-UP OF THE KEY QUOTES AND IMAGES FROM THE DIGITAL CONSTRUCTION SUMMIT

“It is absolutely essential that construction improves its productivity if it is going to deliver anything close to what the government wants to build. Technology will make a huge difference to what we build, how we build it, and how we manage those assets in operation.”

“In the past, buildings haven’t performed nearly as well as we said they should. Feedback was the great impossible. But now that sensors and analytics are cheap and cheerful, we can expect a huge amount of feedback. This is utterly transformative.”

Richard Saxon, associate director, Deploi BIM Strategies (above)

Graham Robinson, global business consultant, Pinsent Masons (below)

“There is a UK BIM pipeline of over £160bn. That should give you the confidence to commit on this journey.”

Alex Lubbock, head of digital construction the Infrastructure & Projects Authority

“DfMA means design and construction issues can be viewed in 3D and resolved within the model rather than on site.”

Above: Delegates tested out CITB’s VR headsets during the networking sessions

Jason Colcombe, product specialist, CADS Software

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Interview

‘TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS ARE TRANSFORMING OUR INDUSTRY’

As far as Aecom is concerned, construction’s digital revolution is already on the doorstep.

That’s why the firm’s UK and Ireland chief executive David Barwell is hard at work preparing the business and its workforce for the changes it will bring.

“The impact of recent technological advancements is transforming our industry, with new digital tools helping to increase productivity and create efficiencies throughout the design and construction process,” says Barwell. “Recognising the significance of these technological advancements in bringing about new ways to optimise project delivery, improving our employees’ digital skillsets is a priority for our business.”

He has overseen a shift in mindset that ensures everyone at Aecom – which recently announced that it would stop bidding for tier 1 contracting jobs in the UK in favour of providing construction and project management services to delivery partners – considers the advantages of digital technology from the very beginning.

PHOTOGRAPHY: MORLEY VON STERNBERG

YOUNG WORKERS ‘REVERSE MENTORING’ THEIR OLDER COLLEAGUES, DESIGN DRIVEN BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND MORE INCLUSIVITY IN THE WORKFORCE – JUST SOME OF THE MEASURES AECOM UK AND IRELAND CHIEF EXECUTIVE DAVID BARWELL IS INTRODUCING TO PREPARE THE BUSINESS FOR CONSTRUCTION’S BRAVE NEW DIGITAL WORLD. NEIL GERRARD REPORTS

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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2019 NEWS

The thinking falls under what the company calls its “digital healthy start” initiative.

Barwell explains: “It is applied to projects as they mobilise to ensure we’re introducing the right digital tools to optimise delivery from the very start, and upskill the teams where needed.”

Enhancing digital tools Meanwhile, Aecom has been investing heavily in the tools themselves, including the artificial intelligence (AI) used in its design anomaly detector (DAD) digital tool, which improves productivity in the design reviewing process by automatically identifying potential design enhancements.

“We’re working with world-leading AI practitioners to help the DAD develop its capabilities and it’s getting smarter with every project. The more designs the algorithm is exposed to, the better it is getting at correctly spotting opportunities and we’re really excited about how this will transform the design review process going forward,” says Barwell.

In addition, Aecom is working to expand its use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) tools. The firm is already well known for its use of VR on the Serpentine Pavilion in Hyde Park, London, where its design team created a 3D digital model of the structure and brought it to life using VR headsets.

Barwell enthuses: “I’m really excited about how these immersive technologies are increasingly becoming an integral part of the design process – this approach has been pioneered on the Serpentine Pavilion.

“Also, through the use of immersive technologies during the design stage on the Japoma Stadium project, for example, we were able to accelerate the design and construction of a new 50,000-seat stadium in Cameroon, drastically reducing the programme of delivery from three to two years.”

Of course, the application of this new technology requires a workforce capable of

David Barwell on...

…Social value “Our social value policy and established regional social value champions coordinate activities in our business locations.

For example, Aecom’s Birmingham office supports Hive College, an educational establishment for students aged 19-25 with learning difficulties or disabilities.” …Inclusivity “Building a more diverse and inclusive business also means making a difference for the women already in our workforce.

getting the best out of it, and so it’s no surprise that one of Aecom and Barwell’s other key priorities is training.

Within Aecom, there is a programme which employs its digital transformation team to look at how it can upskill everyone in the business. In addition to including a strong digital line in its graduate and apprenticeship programmes, the company is set to introduce what it calls “reverse mentoring” which, unusually, will see new apprentices and graduates transmit their digital skills to existing workers following a successful pilot programme.

University partnerships Meanwhile, the firm partners a number of universities to develop teaching and learning that is attractive to industry and tailored towards accreditations with professional bodies. In fact, both its graduate and apprentice training have undergone recent investment that has seen both groups brought together in 2018 for the first time under the company’s Advance programme.

Explaining the thinking, Barwell says: “By combining our graduate and apprentice development programmes, we’re demonstrating that we’re invested in everyone’s learning and development regardless of their level of education when they join us.

“Apprenticeships play a vital role in addressing our industry’s persistent skills gap and as a company we value them equally with full-time college and university courses as an education route. While technical competence is a vital component of apprentice and graduate career development, there are also wider business skills we want our people to possess, including negotiation, commercial know-how and collaboration.

Through Advance, we’re investing in additional training that will complement work to develop their technical expertise and help our graduates and apprentices quickly grow into accomplished professionals.”

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NEWS JUNE 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

43% …Aecom’s USP “The range of projects we deliver provide opportunities for our employees to work all over the world and receive on-the-job training – from transport, water, environmental services, place-making to advanced buildings; we understand the entire design and delivery process.”

The make-up of those professionals in Aecom’s workforce is changing too, as the company makes efforts to mirror the communities it serves by increasing the levels of diversity among its staff. Barwell claims “great results” when it comes to recruiting more female employees, particularly at entry level.

Aecom has changed the way in which it promotes graduate positions to place a greater emphasis on inclusivity, and that has led to an increase in the number of female graduates in its annual intake to 43% in the UK and Ireland in 2018.

Returners programme T h e c o m p a n y h a s a l s o i n s t i t u te d a returners programme to help increase diversity at the same time as addressing the skills shortage. Aimed at people with midto senior-level experience, the programme supports both men and women back into the workplace following career breaks, helping their transition back into work.

Aecom hopes that by recruiting individuals with higher levels of experience, it is tapping into a pool of highly qualified professionals that previously hasn’t been well exploited.

“While I’m proud of the progress we’re making towards gender equality in our business, we won’t stop until we are fully satisfied our workforce represents the communities we serve,” Barwell says.

“I attended an event recently organised by our staff that discussed diversity and

inclusion, and a key takeaway for me was the importance of training line managers on understanding and encouraging diversity in its many forms.”

Working flexibly Looking beyond recruitment and training, Aecom is also examining how its people work.

That means opening itself up to employees working more flexibly than has traditionally been the case.

Last year, the company launched a programme called Freedom to Grow, in the UK and Ireland, which empowers people to find the working style that suits them best.

“Time and place are two elements of Freedom to Grow and we’re challenging the notion that 9 to 5 are core hours of work. We hold the view that people need to work the hours required to perform their role – and this can be to suit early birds, night owls and everything in between. While we recognise the importance of having an office as a primary location of work and we know the importance of face-to-face collaboration, we also know that work can happen anywhere,” says Barwell.

So far, the feedback from Freedom to Grow has been positive, with many Aecom employees taking the opportunity to adopt a new approach to working. Barwell hopes to persist with the programme, arguing that it allows people to play to their strengths.

As far as his own style of working is concerned, Barwell likes to think that he is open and honest with his employees and sees it as key to communicating effectively.

He concludes: “I am genuinely interested in their opinions and their ideas for making us better as a business. One piece of advice I often give when speaking to new recruits is to always remember the bigger picture in their work and the difference they are making to the world around us. Often, this is about seeing through our clients to the wider community so that we can help them achieve better outcomes.” ●

Aecom’s emphasis on inclusivity means female graduates made up 43% of its 2018 annual intake

David Barwell CV l Began his career

in 1987 as an engineer working for DHV Consulting before moving on to become a chartered engineer at Halcrow.

l Moved to Australia

in 1995 as a project manager for Maunsell Australia in Sydney, later becoming a transportation manager in New South Wales for the same firm.

l Joined Aecom

in 2000 as national manager for rail in Australia and New Zealand before becoming regional managing

director for Queensland in 2003. l Promoted in 2007

to chief operating officer of Aecom for Australia and New Zealand.

l Moved to Abu

Dhabi in 2009, becoming chief executive of the Middle East business in 2009.

l Became chief

executive, cities, in Europe, Middle East, India and Africa in 2016.

l Appointed

chief executive of Aecom’s UK and Ireland business a year later.

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HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT TEST

We’re making changes to the HS&E test

It’s about protecting people – it’s that simple. We are updating the HS&E test on 26 June 2019 to ensure it remains fair, valid and reliable.

Updated revision materials are now available to purchase and download from the CITB shop.

To find out more about these changes, visit citb.co.uk/HSEtestdev

26 JUNE 2019

OPINION JUNE 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

20-22

Opinion David Rumsey Mace

P-DfMA plans must address pipeline and IP concerns FOR PLATFORM-DFMA TO BE A SUCCESS, THE GOVERNMENT MUST ADDRESS QUESTIONS OVER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, PIPELINE AND PROCUREMENT, WRITES MACE’S DAVID RUMSEY

After years of flat productivity growth, the technology and manufacturing capabilities are now in place to deliver a revolution in how we build across the UK. In the Industrial Strategy, published last year, the government put forward a vision of the future. It announced a policy that would favour offsite manufacturing on all publicly funded construction projects from 2019.

This was intended to kickstart a revolution in offsite construction by providing a ready-made pipeline of work that would help to drive investment and adoption by the private sector.

However – 18 months on – have we really seen much impact? Or do we also need a procurement revolution now to kickstart the adoption of new technologies? How can we deliver the real revolution?

Transitioning over to a new methodology just isn’t going to happen overnight – risk-averse contractors, clients, designers and project managers will need to be carefully convinced of the value of a new approach before they will consider adopting it at scale. It all begs the question: what will it actually take to transform UK construction?

In early 2019, the government published a call for evidence on P-DfMA, its new approach to delivering modular construction across the UK, employing a more standardised approach to the components used in construction projects.

The ambitious vision laid out in the paper is undeniably positive and could well begin to move the dial in delivering a UK modular revolution.

But will it work?

In response to the government’s consultation, Mace carried out a detailed piece of research exploring how a platform approach could transform delivery, and what level of pipeline and investment it would take to deliver.

Who owns the intellectual property?

We came to two main conclusions.

Firstly, the government needs to be clear about the intellectual property model it wants to promote, and it needs to stick to it. The government’s paper makes it clear that its current preferred approach is the creation of a series of open source standards that will encourage competition among consultants and designers.

If this is done correctly, it is possible that it will foster an ecosystem of offsite products and services across

Mace’s “jump factory” on the East Village development in Stratford, London used manufacturing principles

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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2019 OPINION

Julie Hirigoyen UK Green Building Council

“The government needs to be clear about the intellectual property model it wants to promote, and it needs to stick to it” a range of different providers of different sizes in the UK sector. By keeping the government platform and product-agnostic, bigger companies cannot capture the market and smaller entrants are able to continue to create new ideas and compete.

At the moment, however, that doesn’t reflect reality. There is an arms race across the sector to develop commercially viable modular and component construction products for specific sectors without reference to open source standards.

As the first large-scale DfMA competitors emerge and the market matures, innovation is likely to accelerate. If this competitive energy is diluted and the available market to capture is limited, the bigger firms may not see any reason to continue to invest.

Both options have risks, but the riskiest option by far is not to convincingly adopt either position, leaving market entrants confused about the right approach and risking the wider adoption of any P-DfMA technology or approach.

Long-term support and investment Secondly, we need to ensure that there is a long-term, sustainable pipeline of work in place for the sector to deliver. From past experience, we

can be relatively certain that private sector clients are unlikely to adopt new methodologies wholesale until there is a proven delivery model.

The government’s commitment to adopting P-DfMA offers us a real chance of creating that pipeline – but to do so we need to convert that momentum into something more tangible.

Mace is already working with a number of government departments on their approach; and we’ve started to see real progress – but it would be very easy for that energy to dissipate, particularly if there was a change of government.

Stronger, more vocal – and, crucially, cross-party – voices shouting about the importance of transforming the sector would likely give more assurance to those putting their investments at risk.

Making the vision a reality Beyond those two points, there are a number of other significant decisions that could be made to further drive this growth, from the mild to the genuinely radical.

These include optimising the planning process to encourage P-DfMA approaches, encouraging the growth of enterprise zones for construction manufacturing through a network of regional technology hubs and completely rethinking the RIBA process.

Whate ve r d e ve l o p s f ro m t h e government’s consultation, it is energising to see such a proactive stance from the state; and that energy now needs to be matched by industry if we’re going to see real progress. ● David Rumsey is director for public sector consultancy for London and the South East at Mace.

How to make new buildings truly zero carbon With time running out to address the challenge of climate change, Julie Hirigoyen sets out the UK Green Building Council’s new framework to help government and businesses achieve a net zero carbon built environment Climate change is undoubtedly the greatest challenge of our times. We need to take urgent action to almost halve global emissions by 2030 and eliminate them completely by the middle of the century.

It is in this context that the term “net zero carbon” has started to enter the mainstream. Businesses, government and civil society are all grappling with how it can be achieved in practice.

In the UK, the operation of buildings accounts for around 30% of emissions, mainly from heating, cooling and electricity use – while, for a new building, the embodied emissions from construction can account for up to half of the carbon impacts over its life cycle.

The term “zero carbon” has a particular connotation in recent years of UK government climate policy.

However, we want to open a distinctly new chapter.

Now the UK Green Building Council has produced a report, Net Zero Carbon Buildings: A Framework Definition, that aims to make sense of this for the construction and property industry and build consensus about the actions needed to achieve a net zero carbon built environment.

Whereas historical “zero carbon” policies focused only

on operational energy and modelled performance in new buildings, our report very clearly expands the scope to in-use performance and to encompass the whole-life carbon impacts of both new and – crucially – existing homes and buildings.

It contains an overarching framework of consistent principles and metrics that can be integrated into policy, but primarily can be used as a tool for businesses to drive the transition to a net zero carbon built environment.

The report is intended as a first step towards delivering buildings that are in line with the aims of the 2016 Paris Agreement – namely net zero carbon across the whole life of a building. In practice, such an ambition would be challenging to deliver today without more accurate emissions data.

So, the framework refers to two definitions for net zero carbon buildings – one for in‑use operational energy and one for emissions from the construction process.

This is a complex and emerging discipline for built environment professionals, but together let us demonstrate that our industry can lead on achieving net zero carbon.

Julie Hirigoyen is chief executive of the UK Green Building Council.

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OPINION JUNE 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

As we approach the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire, it’s a good time to reflect on what progress has been made in the way the sector deals with safety and quality – not just in refurbishment of tower blocks, but across the housing sector more widely.

The message from members of the Housing Forum seems to be: some, but not enough.

Post Grenfell, landlord organisations have made good progress in inspection and remedial programmes. However, a Housing Forum survey of our 152 member organisations from across the housing and construction sector show that only 54% of respondents think quality is somewhat improved in the past two years, with 40% saying it is still the same and 6% believing it has got worse.

Given the context, this perception is concerning and we need to ask ourselves why.

Our experience is that most organisations involved in the design and delivery process have taken steps to assure quality. But only 24% perceived any change in clients focusing more on quality than cost when tendering contracts and only 29% have seen an increase in quality standards in Employers’ Requirements.

Compromised standards There is still the sense then that the link between cost and quality is lost in the drive to build the maximum number of homes with a finite amount of money. This approach inevitably leads to minimum quality standards, which are often compromised further in the construction phase.

And without a change in this mindset there is concern that the implementation of Hackitt recommendations, while driving up safety standards, will have a negative impact on overall quality. The cost of ensuring compliance – which we support 100% – could be traded off against the standards employed on the rest of the build. Members await the imminent announcement of the proposed legislation in the knowledge that it is likely to prove both challenging and costly.

Shelagh Grant Housing Forum

Why there’s still work to do on housing quality AS WE APPROACH THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE GRENFELL TOWER DISASTER, SHELAGH GRANT TAKES STOCK OF THE PROGRESS THE HOUSING SECTOR HAS MADE ON DEALING WITH SAFETY AND QUALITY

Some of the changes made to regulations are already having unintended consequences.

For example, the amendment to Regulation 7 now casts doubt about the use of steel frame solutions above 18m. This is leading to reported delays on schemes while clarification is sought from the government.

Recruitment drive So what are effective remedies? Respondents to our survey identified several which are having a positive impact on quality. Some of these are technical solutions: BIM, offsite construction, increased standards and the use of digital photography to evidence compliance.

But just as important are those factors that are more value-led. These include organisational culture-change programmes, the use of contracts that facilitate a more collaborative approach, and clients who place a greater emphasis on quality.

We are at the start of an exciting drive for growth in housing supply, but at a time when the existing skills base is shrinking due to an ageing workforce and uncertainty over the supply of migrant labour. We believe there are two solutions which can ensure we are able to deliver on this. The first is a recruitment drive to attract young people of all backgrounds to the industry – something we believe government would do well to invest in.

Linked to this we strongly believe that the use of modern methods of construction (MMC) can play a major part in making the sector more attractive to young people and contribute significantly to the delivery of more and better homes. Government support to accelerate growth in SME manufacturing businesses and encourage a faster adoption of MMC by affordable providers would be welcomed.

We need to place more focus on the value of great homes and places and less on a relentless drive to reduce costs, pass on risk and simply deliver the numbers. ● Shelagh Grant is chief executive of the Housing Forum.

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15/04/2019 14:55

OPINION JUNE 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

Professor Charles Egbu

President-elect CIOB

Comment

Why we need to promote leadership, ethics and wellbeing STRONG LEADERSHIP AND A FOCUS ON PROFESSIONALISM ARE KEY TO NURTURING GOOD MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING AMONG CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, ARGUES PROFESSOR CHARLES EGBU

Leadership is critical for success in any industry. It is arguably more important in the construction industry than in any other as there are literally lives at stake.

Leadership is about setting out a vision and providing objectives and direction – and getting people to follow willingly in meeting those objectives. Great leadership is also about leading from the front and setting good examples and high levels of professionalism and ethical behaviours. The industry needs to promote and show off good examples, and

make these pervasive, especially when it comes to how we address the mental health and overall wellbeing of our personnel.

Leaders in constr uction, those on construction sites and in the head offices, must take proactive, positive stances on mental health and wellbeing policies. Implement these, promote them widely and showcase good examples and practices. Most of us take on leadership roles at different levels and in the different tasks that we perform. We all have a responsibility to engender a positive and supportive environment, where mental health and wellbeing of construction professionals are of greatest concern and consideration.

Good leadership should also promote professionalism and high ethical behaviours.

In our procurement practices, human resources planning, work allocations and communication plans, we need to be minded of the wellbeing of our construction personnel.

The very high level of mental and welfare issues in our industry means that we need to do things differently. We also need to be ready to reach out to others (individuals, organisations, sectors) where support and additional resources can be obtained.

The current poor mental health and wellbeing status of the industry calls for boldness and a new way of doing things. We need to be ready to challenge the “bad side” of the so-called “macho industry”, where construction personnel find it difficult to communicate how they feel, and at times their mental wellbeing position is

ignored altogether. We also need to challenge the extremes of poor site conditions and facilities. We need to improve the quality of communication with our personnel, especially around mental health and wellbeing. This is part of what professionalism is.

In addition, we need to take more seriously the signs of mental ill health, which include: extreme mood changes (of high and low), reduced ability to concentrate, confused thinking, excessive worries and fears, absenteeism, withdrawals from colleagues and work activities, tiredness and low energy.

We all have a responsibility and an active role in helping to positively address the issue of mental health and wellbeing in our industry. As colleagues, we need to look out for one another, and take the mental wellbeing of each other more seriously than is currently the case. Leadership has a role to play, and professionalism and good ethical behaviour should support the cause.

Improving the culture, and the development of a conducive environment to address mental health and wellbeing issues, can only take place if each one of us takes a more positive stance and really want this to happen. We can achieve this. ● Professor Egbu is president-elect of the CIOB and pro vice-chancellor (education and experience) at the University of East London. He will be giving his inauguration speech at the CIOB’s President’s Dinner in Edinburgh on 27 June. Further details can be found online: https://membersforum. ciob.org/presidents-dinner.

Outgoing CEO awarded honorary CIOB fellowship Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) past presidents, directors and other industry luminaries gathered at the Waldorf Hilton in London last month to mark the retirement of long-serving chief executive Chris Blythe.

At the event, he was presented with an honorary

fellowship of the CIOB by the institute’s current president Chris Soffe.

Blythe, who retired from the role of chief executive after 19 years in May, was joined by many of the past presidents he has worked with during the past two decades (pictured).

Back row (left to right): John Trussler, Chris Soffe, Keith Pickavance, James Wates, Professor Roger Flanagan, Bob Heathfield Front row (left to right): Peter Jacobs, Paul Shepherd, Chris Blythe, Rebecca Thompson, Paul Nash and Professor John Bale

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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2019 OPINION

Working at height: How digital tech could reduce the number of falls on site, p38

MPs are looking into how to recruit and retain women in construction

A selection of readers’ comments about news and issues in the industry from www.constructionmanagermagazine.com CM 29/04 Payment code

CM 09/05 £200m cladding fund Steve Frizell

This seems to differentially prejudice those responsible private owners in favour of those not so responsible and put the burden on the taxpayer. This seems fundamentally inequitable.

If the government feels that it is right to mandate the replacement work across the private sector as well as taking action in its own public sector, then it could provide a positive incentive (such as a temporary tax break) while also wielding a stick against those who neglect their responsibilities, right up to compulsory purchase.

Chris Pateman

Let me get this straight: landlords can’t attempt to recover the cost of remediation from their leaseholders. Government is going to make £200m available for 170 projects.

That seems like good value procurement.

How many contractors who are capable of undertaking this task, and have professional indemnity insurance (PI) in place to permit them to do so, are currently sitting around twiddling their thumbs?

Landlords are expected to take reasonable steps to recover the costs from “those responsible” for the cladding being there in the first place. Will “reasonable steps” include asking leaseholders to bear the costs of taking a complicated case to court, then?

RoyA

Why should the taxpayer foot the bill? It is my understanding that the freeholder was responsible for the structure/fabric of a building, and therefore it should only be a loan to these companies who quite clearly won’t accept their responsibility.

They should foot the bill and take it up with their insurers, their advisors and specifiers under latent defects or professional negligence.

DAVID BLEEKER

Feedback

John

Years ago, the QS I sat next to had a phone call from a worried subcontractor, who was being asked to sign that he had been paid when he hadn’t, so a main contractor could then be paid and he could then pass that on to the subcontractor.

The QS’s advice was to the point: “I can’t advise you what to do.” The subcontractor signed, the contractor got his money, then promptly went bust.

You can have any measure of schemes, but it relies on people not being manipulative and strongarming those in a weaker position into complying, with no consequences.

Unless there are criminal penalties for individuals, and not just firms, only the already honest will comply with the rules.

Ian Robertson

Not carrying out our duties to others short term will destroy all types of relationships and business long term. Payment practices need to change.

CM 24/04 Recruiting women Dorothy Lynas

Unconscious bias is rampant in construction. Middle-aged white males employ other middle-aged white males or females, leading to dull, onedimensional people running the industry and ensuring the status quo remains.

The cost to the industry is huge in terms of recruiting a diverse workforce. I have worked in the industry for four years and experienced this first-hand. I have seen bright young people full of energy and enthusiasm being put down and humiliated by people who do not have the ability to manage people and are unconsciously incompetent.

Social skills are not valued and until this changes, and mentoring and coaching skills are seen as important, the industry will keep losing good people. It’s a shame.

Sheila

Great plan. Can it please include Scottish women?

CM 25/04 Scaffolding safety Chris Thompson

I am a site manager and the number of young labourers who help a half-trained scaffolder is alarming. Also, the training on scaffold systems needs to be better.

David Ford

Scaffolding labourers must not be allowed to erect any type of scaffolding. They are permitted to lift and shift and are only allowed on a working platform if the platform is fully complete. If you see this on site, take action and stop it or it will continue.

The skills shortage will allow some employers to attempt to pass untrained operatives off as skilled workers. Don’t fall for it.

Carry out checks at pre-let and site induction and complete random checks throughout the construction phase. Check, check and check.

Provide your own feedback on latest industry issues by posting comments online at www.constructionmanagermagazine.com or by emailing the editor at construction-manager@atompublishing.co.uk

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TECHNICAL JUNE 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

“Our current focus is connecting our CAD systems to robotics, so the robot can understand and have the autonomy to execute tasks itself” Felipe Manzatucci, Skanska

THE RISE OF CONSTRUCTION ROBOTICS HOW QUICKLY – AND WIDELY – WILL ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION BECOME PART OF CONSTRUCTION PROCESSES? STEPHEN COUSINS LOOKS AT THE ROBOTS ALREADY IN USE IN THE INDUSTRY – AND THE R&D PROJECTS THAT COULD SOON BRING NEW AUTONOMOUS TECHNOLOGY TO A SITE NEAR YOU

Self-driving vehicles, computercontrolled manufacturing robots, largescale 3D printers, drones – just a few of the machines promising to take over traditional construction activities like materials handling, packing, cutting, bricklaying and rebar tying and quality control.

R o b o t ic s a n d m a c h i n e - b a s e d automation align closely with the drive to digitise the industry – and deliver projects faster and more cheaply.

The high precision enabled by robotics helps eliminate waste – 3D printers create components only using the material required with no offcuts – while continually reducing price and size of technology, coupled with developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, mean potentially huge efficiency gains.

Neil Thompson, director of digital construction at engineering consultancy SNC-Lavalin Atkins, tells CM: “It’s amazing the sheer spectrum of applications today, where before robots were reserved for large industrial processes like tunnel-boring machines and autonomous plant in mines.

“Manufacturers are focused on creating easy-to-use interfaces so that robots are easy to program, which makes it easy for innovators to build a credible business case to implement robotics in our sector.”

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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2019 TECHNICAL

Hadrian X’s joint venture with Brickworks involves the materials firm providing masonry blocks optimised for use by robot

There is also the potential to link robots with digital models, so they do not need pre-programming by humans.

“Our current focus is connecting our CAD systems to robotics, so the robot can understand and have the autonomy to execute tasks itself,” explains Felipe Manzatucci, innovation director at Skanska (see box, p28). “The right data capture from the CAD systems will be an enabler of AI. That link is an important step in making digitalisation an enabler of industrialisation.”

But this emerging field also raises challenges. Most robots are prototypes with technological shortcomings and do not comply with current Building Regulations or health and safety requirements. Use of robots on sites has serious implications for employment – the World Economic Forum predicts that automated machines will handle half of all workplace tasks by 2025.

Meanwhile, converting the industry to a mindset that embraces digital design, manufacture and assembly will be tricky, given procurement practices and a historic resistance to innovation.

Learning to embrace innovation “Robo-tech” has hit the headlines over the past few years. The bricklaying robot Hadrian X showed last November that it could build the shell of a house in just three days. Its creator, Australian firm Fastbrick Robotics (FBR) recently formed a 50/50 joint venture with building materials supplier Brickworks to start building homes down under.

TyBot is the creation of US-based Advanced Construction Robotics, which automates tying of steel reinforcement bars. The system uses a robotic arm rigged to a gantry crane to locate rebar junctions then tie them together before a concrete pour. Its inventor says TyBot

can match the speed of a team of about six to eight site workers with only one worker required to supervise.

Kier is one of three international contractors that have trialled a robot designed to trundle around sites at night to automatically capture daily progress.

The four-wheeled machine, developed

by Scaled Robotics, manoeuvres around obstacles and records detailed 3D survey scans and panoramic photos.

Online software compares the as-built information against BIM to identify any discrepancies, helping contractors keep tabs on quality and progress.

Significant hype around 3D printing is starting to transition into live examples.

The first 3D-printed house in the EU was fabricated by a modified manufacturing robot in Milan’s central square as part of the city’s design festival last year. The one-storey prototype home, developed

A Kuka Titan robot, at the Manufacturing Technology Centre, can work with a metrology scanning system to accurately position facade panels

by CLS Architects, engineering consultancy Arup and printing specialist CyBe Construction, is designed to be dismantled and reused. The walls were printed directly onto the pavement in 33 separate modules by a 5-axis robot fitted with a custom extruder.

Giving robots the ability to move around to print structures opens up the potential to build at virtually any scale. Researchers from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore recently demonstrated two arm-type robots on wheels that printed a concrete structure in tandem. The entire sequence was automated and controlled using bespoke software.

In Spain, a massive new hybrid machine has been developed to produce complex metal parts and structures for construction projects. The Large Additive Subtractive Integrated Modular Machine (LASIMM) was funded under the EU’s Horizon 2020 research programme and features metal additive and subtractive capabilities.

The unit combines a modular configuration of industrial robot arms, used for the additive manufacturing of aluminium and steel, with a specialised milling robot, that machines away surplus material to provide the final finish. The machine’s developers claim it will reduce time and cost expenditure by 20% compared to the 27

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TECHNICAL JUNE 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

Skanska’s robot vision Felipe Manzatucci, Skanska’s new innovation director, talks to CM about the contractor’s robot strategy

traditional hybrid manufacturing of large engineering parts. Prefabrication and offsite manufacturing also offers potential for automation.

The “flying factories” concept was pioneered by Skanska, where robots assemble components in temporary, mobile assembly plants. Now, Danish tech firm Odico has created its own Factory on the Fly, a mini-manufacturing unit shipped to projects inside a standard shipping container. The system is able to custom-fabricate products, including formwork , insulation, reinforcement or tiles.

The product is based around Odico’s signature robotic manufacturing system designed to produce complex double-curved formwork moulds for concrete, recently used on a Zaha Hadid project, the Opus Tower in Dubai.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), whose construction partners include Skanska, Kier and Willmott Dixon, is a research facility in Coventry focused on bringing manufacturing system solutions to construction. It received a share of £72m in government funding at the end of last year.

Neil Rawlinson, strategic development director at MTC, says: “A lot of companies come to us because they want to be the next big thing in additive manufacturing, or the next big thing in

“We are working with various government departments that have committed to offsite to educate them on how to be better buyers of manufactured systems” Neil Rawlinson, MTC

Skanska has been at the forefront of construction robotics development, its UK strategy previously led by former innovation director Sam Stacey, who departed for Innovate UK last year, and now by his successor Felipe Manzatucci.

The contractor works with its supply chain to develop the equipment, rather than being a manufacturer itself.

“What is important to us is to develop information transfer platforms where construction teams can instruct autonomous robots on specific tasks,” Manzatucci says. “The capability of the robots to carry out specific activities is something we leave to the experts in our supply chain. We collaborate with supply chain partners via Innovate UK projects.”

An example of this is the Collaborative, On-Site Construction Robot (COSCR) project, with Hal Robotics, ABB and Skyjack.

It aims to develop a mobile construction platform equipped with a robotic arm.

It differs from earlier Skanska projects, usually employed in “flying factories”, in that these machines would be capable of delivering repetitive activities on site.

“We want robots to be able to collaborate among each other and work as a collective, performing a number of different tasks,” Manzatucci explains. “For this, a reconfigurable robot is necessary.”

Another Skanska Innovate UK project completed in April, called CAMBER (Concrete Additive Manufacturing for the Built Environment using Robotics). The project identified areas where 3D concrete printing (3DCP) could be applied.

“Again, our focus is for the robotic arm to read and understand the CAD information,” says Manzatucci. “We think it can be very useful for printing items like highway crash cushions, kerbs, bus stops, footbridges, where the asset has complex geometry.

One advantage of using 3DCP is that concrete elements can be created without using falsework and formwork. Concrete is pumped through a nozzle which is guided by the robot to form a predetermined shape.”

Skanska is now using 3D printing for bespoke tree planters in Stamford, Lincolnshire. “These are 3D-printed offsite, then delivered to the street, and are of curved geometry, typically 800mm deep and 1.5m across,” says Manzatucci.

Another project under development is a welding robot with a fireproof arm, where Skanska is collaborating with fabricator Patera Engineering. “Through this project, Patera was introduced to ABB, and made a direct investment in two robotic arms,” Manzatucci says. “The welding arm will be used as part of their production line.”

Most of Skanska’s robotics projects are intended to work in systems such as its flying factories – a concept it developed with expertise from Tekla and ABB, and used on the A14 (precast bridge), Battersea Power Station (utility cupboards) and Astra Zeneca (MEP riser modules).

“For the River Great Ouse Viaduct, on the A14, manufacturing of the bridge components was automated through CAD, taking two months off programme and saving £4m,” says Manzatucci.

Skanska is looking at other ways to bring automation to infrastructure work.

On Project Visualise in Hampshire, where highways asset conditions surveys are uploaded to a cloud system, Manzatucci believes it will be possible to introduce AI into the system. “We scan the road, the software defines the condition of the asset, and automatically comes up with the solution for the issue,” he explains.

Manzatucci also wants to bring in ideas from the wider Skanska group.

“We are using semi-automatic processes to run one of our quarries in Sweden, with electric and autonomous Volvo machines,” he says. “Our digital agenda is at a global scale, sharing lessons learned between sister companies.”

The design of Skanska’s 3D-printed tree planters, which are being installed in Stamford, Lincolnshire.

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TECHNICAL JUNE 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

robotics, but what they mostly need is to look at their whole production system, including the design system that leads to production and the way they manage their data to use it more efficiently.

They get the biggest benefit from this whole system level perspective.”

An early example of this approach is the Seismic Consortium, set up by MTC, consultant Blacc, design practice Bryden Wood and offsite specialists Elliott and McAvoy Group, to transform the design and delivery of primary schools. The project will develop a standardised set of components and assemblies that can be produced by multiple offsite specialists to achieve unprecedented economies of scale.

This “structured product family architecture” supports the development of a web-based app to allow teachers to configure new primary school buildings in line with government requirements.

Seismic is focused primarily on designing buildings for a manufacturing system, says Rawlinson: “The ideal way to get a ‘product’ to market at volume is to understand the manufacturing process, then design components to fit your production facilities and production supply chains. Designers can then design within that framework.”

Several researchers are using robots from Chinese firm Kuka to introduce high-accuracy manufacturing processes into construction. One PhD researcher has fitted a robot with a custom effector to automatically imprint steel plates with 3D geometry to boost strength and rigidity. This could inform the development of a new facade panel that requires less strengthening, or a selfsupporting facade based on a “ribbed” design across multiple connected panels.

At a strategic level, manufacturingbased thinking will need to be

Crystal gazing: Robotics research at UCL East

TyBot uses a robotic arm rigged to a gantry crane to locate rebar junctions then tie them together before a concrete pour

“Skilled trades will not be lost, they will instead gain the skill of the programming cobots to help them with the bulk of their tasks”

Neil Thompson, SNC-Lavalin Atkns

embedded into an industry that is used to procuring projects as one-offs with a high level of bespoke design.

Rawlinson comments: “A building would be considered a prototype in the manufacturing sector, but in construction it is the finished product.

The way projects are currently procured doesn’t drive the manufacturing mindset, which is why we are working with various government departments that have committed to offsite to educate them on how to be better buyers of manufactured systems.

“That change in motivation should help drive different commercial behaviours down throughout the supply chain.”

Robotics and advanced automation remain nascent technologies that face technical challenges and barriers to market. For example, large-scale 3D printers remain far from compliant with EU building codes and are prohibitively expensive. Sites are also unpredictable environments and robots are not yet intelligent enough to work seamlessly alongside human counterparts.

The use of cobots – machines that work alongside humans – could become the most likely scenario, says Thompson: “Just as the industry progressed from using screwdrivers to power drills, in the future it will progress from power drills to the use of cobots. Skilled trades will not be lost, they will instead gain

Construction is only at the beginning of its robotics journey and many disruptive ideas and processes will emerge from ongoing research and experimentation.

A major proving ground is University College London’s (UCL) new high-tech research, robotics and testing centre at Here East in Stratford (pictured), developed by the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, the School of Architecture and the Faculty of Engineering Sciences.

In a sectioned-off zone, researchers from the Autonomous Manufacturing Lab, part of the UCL Robotics Institute are developing autonomous drones that work together to 3D print concrete structures.

A key focus is the sophisticated control and machine learning techniques required to enable the quadcopters to collectively “work out” how to perform tasks, rather than simply respond to instructions.

Peter Scully, technical director of B-Made, the acronym for The Bartlett Manufacturing + Design Exchange, comments: “The goal is not to tell the drones what you want them to do, but what you want them to achieve; then they ‘discuss’ how to sequence the work. For example, one UAV might have a low battery; when it returns to the charging station another unit could make the decision to take on its workload.”

the skill of programming cobots to help them with the bulk of their tasks.”

Understanding how robotics will affect site processes is one aim of a partnership between Balfour Beatty and Kelvinside Academy in Glasgow, where it is building a campus. It will provide space for students to work with academics and experts on a range of robotics projects, and is part of Balfour’s vision of reducing onsite activity by 25% by 2025. ●

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TECHNICAL JUNE 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

100%

Cornish Concrete could source china clay waste locally in the Duchy and achieve 100% recycled aggregate in the structural precast

Left: The Gordon Street facade features acid-etched and brick-faced precast panels Below: The internal exposed concrete was key to the project’s “fabric first” environmental strategy

In the heart of the Bloomsbury conservation area, a new modern building for University College London (UCL) students is setting new standards for sustainability.

The Student Centre is expected to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding rating, with concrete playing a central role in the design and construction. Extensive areas of exposed concrete contribute to the thermal mass properties of the building, while recycled material is used widely in both precast and in-situ elements.

Concrete also provides acoustic benefits, given the building’s hemmed-in location, and the elevations are largely constructed from architectural precast.

With a varying combination of exposed precast and in-situ concrete, matching all the different mixes posed considerable aesthetic challenges.

“Concrete was key to our ‘fabric first’ environmental strategy,” explains David Tompson, associate and project architect with Nicholas Hare Architects.

“Thermal mass is very important to the building, which has to operate 24/7, every day of the year.”

“But, as more than half of the concrete in the building is visual, our approach to specification was crucial.”

The Student Centre is part of UCL’s transformation of its Bloomsbury estate, and forms a focal point for student life,

SUSTAINABILITY HONOURS FOR CONCRETE AT UCL UCL’S NEW STUDENT CENTRE IS RAISING THE BAR FOR ENVIRONMENT PERFORMANCE, HELPED

BY EXTENSIVE USE OF EXPOSED CONCRETE TO BOOST THERMAL EFFICIENCY. BY WILL MANN 32

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with 1,000 study places. Mace was appointed from Stage 4 design to act as the main contractor and designer.

The centre was built between listed buildings, connecting Gordon Street – the east elevation – with UCL’s recently opened Japanese garden to the west.

“It is a challenging site with adjacent buildings that were in use throughout construction,” says Simon Allen, project director for Mace. “Early in the design phase, we used 3D modelling to investigate construction techniques ideal for working within a constrained site and reducing disruption. We worked alongside UCL Estates and stakeholders to schedule activity so that it had minimal impact on the neighbourhood.”

Hybrid structural frame The Student Centre is spread across eight floors, six above ground, and centred around an atrium, which is dominated by exposed concrete columns and soffits, while the stair stringer beams and balustrades span 10m across this space.

The structural frame is a hybrid. “An early design decision was to switch the columns from in situ to structural precast,” explains structural engineer Jeffrey Blaylock from Curtins. “3D modelling was used to plan the junctions between precast and in situ. The heads of the columns interface with the top of the slab to a depth of about 10mm.”

The concrete used splits into roughly equal thirds: the piled foundations, the precast elements and the floor slabs.

Broadly, the precast structural elements are vertical, including circular and blade columns – some double-height in the atrium – plus there are twin wall panels, stairs and sandwich panels where the Student Centre meets neighbouring buildings to north and south. The “blade” columns in the atrium have been aligned

Above: The upper three storeys of the Gordon Street elevation feature 12.5m high brickfaced columns, cast in Cornish Concrete’s factory

UCL Student Centre – project details Client: University College London Main contractor: Mace Architect: Nicholas Hare Architects Project management: Arcadis Cost: Aecom Structural engineer: Curtins Services engineer: BDP In-situ concrete contractor: J Coffey Precast supplier: Cornish Concrete Programme: October 2015 to February 2019 Construction cost: £38.5m

east-west, “to provide a sense of direction through the building”, says Tompson.

There are two in-situ stair cores, one in the north and one to the south.

To achieve the desired aesthetic outcome, the architect, engineer, Mace, plus concrete contractor J Coffey and precast specialist Cornish Concrete met to agree on a consistent approach.

“We discussed the materials to use, the formwork, trial panels, and our approach to ‘making good’,” explains Tompson. “The challenge was deciding the mix and finish to achieve consistency and colour match. In total, four different concrete mixes are visible in the central atrium space, although the untrained eye would find it hard to tell them apart.

“Coffey created two large sample panels and Cornish Concrete developed the same mix and brought samples to site. Full credit to Cornish and Coffey for the colour match.”

Cornish Concrete director David Moses explains the process: “I took a sample of the in-situ concrete away from site – prior to the main pour – and then created four precast patch samples in our factory. I returned to the site with these, and the designers picked the one they liked most. But it was a gloomy day. So we waited for a sunny day and then returned with the samples and the results were different. Light is everything with colour matching.”

“In total, four different concrete mixes are visible in the central atrium space, although the untrained eye would find it hard to tell them apart” David Tompson, Nicholas Hare Architects

The concrete mixes also had to consider the BREEAM Outstanding requirements, which meant replacing 50% of the cement with GGBS (ground granulated blast-furnace slag). The exception was the 10-tonne stringer beams. “It was such a vast exposed area that we didn’t think we could achieve a good enough finish,” says Moses.

Cornish Concrete could source china clay waste locally in the Duchy and achieve 100% recycled aggregate in the structural precast. “The 50% GGBS content coupled with 100% secondary content aggregates meant each cubic metre of precast was 90% secondary sourced material,” says Moses.

The finishes to the exposed concrete are “plain”, with some areas trowelled.

Cornish Concrete used a mixture of formwork: steel was used as the primary form, with edges in plywood held in place with magnetic falsework.

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Careful attention to the mixes and finishes of both in-situ and precast concrete create a consistent visual impact

The joints between the plywood sheets were filled and sanded down, before being coated in polyurethane so that the joint lines were no longer visible.

“The precast columns were poured flat as the finish isn’t as good when poured vertically,” explains Moses.

The design team decided on a “light touch” approach to making good, which mostly involved just a light rub down with sandpaper, says Tompson.

Lifting “eyes” on the precast stairs and stringer beams were filled with preformed, factory-made concrete discs, then grouted in. “The columns were propped by J Coffey using ‘soft collars’, thus negating the need for cast-in propping sockets,” adds Moses.

An aesthetic issue was the appearance of an orange stain on the soffits. “This was caused by rain, with rust dripping off the rebar and sitting on the shuttering,” explains Tompson. Coffey used a light sander to remove that surface stain.

The environmental considerations meant the services design had to be coordinated with the structural design from an early stage, says Blaylock. “Most of the services are exposed but there are cast-in cooling pipes which circulate water and go down 120m via boreholes into the aquifer,” he explains. “These sit within the 300mm thick floor slabs and required their own mesh to sit on.”

For the colonnaded top floor of the rear elevation, four precast fins, one cill and one head form a single piece.

Cornish Concrete created a full-scale trial at its factory

The stairs include concealed lighting in handrails, so conduits were cast in to the balustrades at Cornish Concrete’s factory before transporting to site.

Concrete also provides an important acoustic role on the north and south ends of the Student Centre, which are effectively party walls though detached from the neighbouring structures. “The building interfaces with the Bloomsbury Theatre and Georgian townhouses on the other side, so we fitted precast sandwich panels on both sides,” says Blaylock.

“This also provided advantages of no formwork and reduced site labour.”

Architectural precast cladding sections, along with brick-faced panels, have been used on both the front Gordon Street elevation and at the rear.

The front facade comprises white acidetched precast columns and spandrel panels, along with 12.5m, three-storey precast brick-faced columns. This required creation of a bespoke mould in Cornish Concrete’s factory, with the bricks set out according to the desired mortar beds and perpends.

Handmade Petersen Kolumba bricks were picked to fit in with the conservation area requirements. “The bricks at the edges of the building were laid in situ, and Swift Brickwork flush-pointed all brickwork to achieve consistency across the facade,” adds Tompson.

Technical story for CM? Email will.m@atompublishing.co.uk

“The building interfaces with the Bloomsbury Theatre and Georgian townhouses on the other side, so we fitted precast sandwich panels on both sides” Jeffrey Blaylock, Curtins

The acid-etch finishing took place in the factory, using what Moses describes as “a giant pressure washer”. The level of etching – to a depth of 0.5mm in the case of the Student Centre – is regulated by the ratio of acid to water in the wash.

The Japanese Garden elevation also features acid-etched precast columns and spandrel panels, with a colonnade effect on the top floor, which also provides solar shading. “Given the complexities of the temporary works required to hold the fins in place, we carried out a full-scale trial panel,” explains Moses. “The result was four fins made with one cill and one head in one piece. This meant a quicker, simpler and safer installation on site.”

The centre opened in February, and UCL hopes the sustainability features will keep its operating costs and carbon footprint low. As well as the borehole cooling system, the building includes 400 sq m of photovoltaics panels, windows which open automatically and a green roof.

“We worked with UCL Estates to ensure the building would work at its most efficient with minimal impact on the environment,” says Allen. “This includes a projected 35% reduction in building carbon emissions compared to Building Regulations requirements and 50% reduction in water use compared to equivalent buildings. Use of durable materials should also minimise maintenance costs.” ●

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In association with

WHAT ARE CONSTRUCTION’S BIGGEST SAFETY CHALLENGES? CM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HILTI AND TRAVIS PERKINS, HAS BEEN RUNNING AN INITIATIVE TO EXAMINE AND HIGHLIGHT KEY HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES IN THE INDUSTRY. THE RESULTS OF OUR RECENT ONLINE POLLS ILLUSTRATE THE CONCERNS OF CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS

In the May edition of Construction Manager, we hosted a round table that looked at the key health and safety challenges facing the industry.

The event, Consigning Poor Health and Safety Practices to Dust, run in conjunction with supply chain partners Hilti and Travis Perkins Tool Hire, brought together leading experts from across the industry – including major contractors, SMEs, trade associations and the HSE – to discuss what impact new technology and innovation will have on health and safety practices.

To support the discussion, we ran four online polls to get the views of the wider industry, and the results give interesting insights into where the sector stands today, as well as a glimpse into the future.

We asked whether construction is doing enough to tackle dust on site, with 84% saying more needed to be done and 16% believing the issue is in hand.

We also asked what were the biggest

issues in controlling dust on site, what technology-led initiatives would make a difference and the biggest challenges construction faces to improve its performance in health and safety.

However, the discussion doesn’t end there. Since the round table event, the HSE has announced a consultation on proposals to implement amendments to the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive (2004/37/EC). This introduces or revises occupational exposure limit values for a number of carcinogens including hardwood dust. The directive also classifies respirable crystalline silica (RCS) as a carcinogen where it is generated as result of a work process. ● CM will continue to monitor this area, but in the meantime the conversation continues online. Join the discussion on Twitter with #ConstructTheFuture and to read the full whitepaper report from the round table, visit: www.hilti.co.uk/constructthefuture

According to HSE statistics, occupational lung disease accounts for 12,000 deaths per annum in the UK alone.

Do you feel construction as an industry is doing enough to manage dust exposure on site? n 84% Progress is being made but more focus is needed to address the issue n 9% No, there isn’t an issue and

no further action is required n 7% Yes, the industry is aware of the issue and managing it correctly

In our recent poll on managing dust exposure on construction sites, 84% of respondents felt progress is being made but more focus is needed to address the issue. What is the biggest challenge in controlling dust on site? n 39% Lack of knowledge about the risks of dust inhalation

n 2% Industry culture and management policy

n 11% Lack of access to the proper equipment

n 48% All of the above

Which technology-led initiatives do you expect to have the biggest impact on health and safety in construction in the next three years? n 35% Hazard detection (eg drones, smart sensors, artificial intelligence) n 35% Product innovation (eg reduced vibration, dust removal systems, alternative methods)

n 13% Training (eg virtual reality, QR codes, appbased learning) n 10% Wearable devices and data monitoring (eg exoskeletons, GPS, heart monitors) n 7% Automation/ robotics

What poses the biggest challenge for contractors looking to improve their performance in relation to health and safety? n 43% Ineffective onsite management and monitoring n 31% Inconsistent coordination/ communication of policy

n 26% Availability of effective training and skills

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WORKING AT HEIGHT JUNE 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

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Working at height

CAN DIGITAL TECH REDUCE FALLS FROM HEIGHT?

Balfour Beatty has six Civil Aviation Authority-trained drone pilots who carry out inspections, stockpile measurements and aerial progress reports

FALLS FROM HEIGHT ARE STILL CONSTRUCTION’S BIGGEST KILLER. NEIL GERRARD TALKS TO EXPERTS ABOUT HOW TO MAKE WORKING AT HEIGHT SAFER, AND HOW DATA AND TECHNOLOGY CAN PLAY A ROLE The UK may enjoy some of the lowest workplace fatality and serious injury rates in the European Union, but falls from height were still the single biggest cause of fatal injuries to workers between 2013 and 2018.

Figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that over the past five years, falls from height accounted for more than a quarter (26%) of workplace deaths, ahead of being struck by a moving vehicle (18%) and being struck by a moving object (13%).

“The nature of construction – and more broadly across support services – is such that falls from height are often seen as a risk that will always be with us and to an extent that is obviously true; after all, what goes up has a habit of wanting to come back down again,” says Gary Carvell, health, safety, quality and environment director for Vinci Construction UK. But that doesn’t mean that concerted efforts aren’t being made to further reduce the number of falls from height that occur in the sector, addressing not just the way in which the way in which the work is planned, carried out and regulated, but in some cases harnessing new technology to take the risk out of the process altogether.

“We believe the best way to reduce falls from height is to eliminate the risk in the first place. This means collaboration

TRY

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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2019 WORKING AT HEIGHT

“The best way to reduce falls from height is to eliminate the risk in the first place. This means collaboration with designers, clients and contractors throughout the pre-construction process” Heather Bryant, Balfour Beatty

with designers, clients and contractors throughout the pre-construction process,” says Heather Bryant, Balfour Beatty’s health safety environment and sustainability director.

Using data to improve safety The fact that the issue remains high on the agenda can be seen from the conclusion of an inquiry by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Working at Height, led by Alison Thewliss, which has recommended a series of measures to drive down accidents, including enhanced reporting through RIDDOR (at a minimum recording the scale of a fall, the method used and the circumstances) and the creation of a new independent body to oversee confidential and digital reporting of the causes of near misses.

The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), one of the organisations to give evidence to the inquiry, sees better collection and interpretation of data as key to improving safety.

“IPAF already employs many of the recommendations from the APPG inquiry, such as the reporting of accidents and near misses in order to learn more about the causes of falls from height, as well as promoting safety campaigns to help employers raise awareness around safe working at height,” says IPAF UK market general manager Richard Whiting.

His colleague Andrew Delahunt, director of technical and safety, cites the example of how data gleaned in such a way revealed to IPAF that accidents involving mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) usually involved poor planning, which helped it to inform a targeted safety campaign.

IPAF also strongly advocates using the correct equipment for the job, which is a point that Steve Coppin, associate technical director at Arcadis who also sits on the BIM4Safety group, reinforces. “Making work at height equipment a legal requirement on all new buildings and redevelopment projects, with a minimum standard set in Building Regulations, would significantly impact on these entirely preventable incidents,” he says.

“Of course, this would impact budgets and as such it would also be sensible to offer tax relief for businesses actively involved in work at height equipment to protect their personnel,” he adds.

Reinforcing competencies For Gary Walpole, health, safety and environment officer at the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC), it’s not just a matter of equipment but of competency.

According to Walpole, one of the key issues is not that the regulations themselves are not fit for purpose to prevent accidents, but that there isn’t enough awareness of who is qualified to work at height. “Commercial clients and building owners need a better understanding of their legal responsibility when selecting suitable contractors for works at height,” he says.

To this end, the NFRC has developed the RoofCERT accreditation which proves to clients that they can carry out work safely, and it claims to have won

The International Powered Access Federation sees better collection and interpretation of data as key to improving safety

“Making work at height equipment a legal requirement on all new buildings and redevelopment projects, with a minimum standard set in Building Regulations, would significantly impact on these entirely preventable incidents” Steve Coppin, Arcadis

support from some tier 1 contractors and housebuilders, although Walpole admits that the challenge is most acute when it comes to domestic work.

Meanwhile, the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) is launching scaffold awareness training for other trades, to offer them advice on how to work at height safely.

The move comes partly in response to a “blip” in the number of accidents among 39

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NASC is launching scaffold awareness training to teach other trades to keep safe at height

“Commercial clients and building owners need a better understanding of their legal responsibility when selecting suitable contractors for works at height” Gary Walpole, National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC)

its members in the sector in 2018, after years of improving levels of safety. While there were no fatalities among NASC members for a sixth year in a row, there was a 27% increase in total incidents to 113.

That was partly down to an increasing number of contractors operating in the sector but a spokesman also warned that while its members tended to work very safely on scaffolds, other trades were less aware of the dangers.

“Our scaffolding operatives know how to work at height safely but do other trades like bricklayers, plasterers or window fitters? We often find that our scaffolders will put a scaffold up and come to review it and find that other people have made alterations. That is why we want to promote general training for how to work at height safely,” he says.

New technology In the civil engineering sector, Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) chief executive Alasdair Reisner sees workers as less susceptible to the dangers of working at height than those in other areas, saying that infrastructure projects are generally better planned.

Nonetheless, CECA is supporting the work of the Managing Risk Well working group – part of the HSE’s Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC) – to produce enabling documents aimed at enhancing the level of information

made available to a range of stakeholders who work at height.

Reisner is keen to see the adoption of new technology as a means of driving down the number of falls. “Automated and remote-control working is becoming more common and these methods can be used where previously personnel would have to operate. The use of building information modelling (BIM) can also be used to help identify risks that are not always obvious and risk mitigation measures can then be implemented early on,” he adds.

Reisner also advocates the use of drones for inspection and surveying work in difficult-to-reach areas, as well as virtual reality training to introduce the workforce to potentially hazardous scenarios in a safe environment.

Balfour Beatty is using drones for inspections (see box), as well as BIM to create models and mock-ups of its works locations at various stages of the construction. “We can then use BIM models to identify where work at height risks exist. As this technology develops, we will continue to embrace it and apply it everywhere it’s applicable,” says Bryant.

Vinci is using drones for inspection work too but Carvell is also keen to emphasise how attention to behaviours on site can reap rewards, not just when it comes to working at height but in all aspects of health and safety. The company has introduced a new programme,Think Again, which concentrates on individual decisions to drive better outcomes.

Similarly, Balfour Beatty has a behavioural safety programme called Make Safety Personal, as well as its own bespoke working at height permit-towork initiative, which is used to prohibit, reduce and monitor certain types of work that are potentially hazardous when carried out at height. It is due to launch

Drones support Balfour Beatty Balfour Beatty has six Civil Aviation Authoritytrained drone pilots within the business, allowing it to carry out bridge and building inspections, quicker stockpile measurements and aerial progress reports.

“The use of drones allows us to inspect things without sending people up at height, preventing potential injuries,” says Heather Bryant.

Recently, the company has been using the technology on the construction of a 13.6-mile section of smart motorway on the M6 between Coventry and Coleshill.

Balfour has been trialling new drone the Phantom 4 RTK on the scheme, using supplier Heliguy, for mapping, aerial shots, and measuring earthworks and stockpiles at its recycling depot on junction 2.

“The drones help unbelievably with health and safety, taking people out of dangerous situations,” says Wayne Hughes, the firm’s principal UAS (unmanned aircraft system) pilot. “It means that we haven’t got people climbing over stockpiles.

Instead, the drones can fly over the site and generate a model afterwards, which we can review in the office.”

its Make Safety Personal+ programme shortly, which will roll out a development programme for all frontline supervisors.

Carvell concludes: “Human behaviour is a complex thing and understanding why people choose to work unsafely is fundamental to understanding how those choices can be influenced. If we can use technology on top of that to influence human behaviours to minimise risk then so much the better.” ●

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John Ford Galliford Try

WHY COBIE IS NOT DEAD WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF ISO 19650, THE ROLE OF OPEN SOURCE DATA HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT IN FACILITATING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT SECTOR’S DIGITAL GOALS, SAYS JOHN FORD When construction completes and the 20% costs – capital expenditure (capex) – that apply to the whole asset value close out, the 80% operational expenditure (opex) costs then start to apply.

For the public sector, these costs are staggering and unsustainable in current business models. This is why the UK government implemented BIM Level 2, a means of delivering better value from the building and management of built assets (total expenditure), using industry standards dedicated to better information management through digitisation and information modelling.

The big barrier holding back opex value was that seamlessly good, complete and timely data was required from the start. This often never happened. Many asset managers just wanted a register that listed the main assets, where and what they were and key data linked to them that helped them plan preventative maintenance

for kit sometimes worth tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of pounds.

Issues included: l Many asset managers were not appointed early in the design and construction stage so couldn’t influence the contracts requirements that asked what contractors should deliver; l Many asset managers could not influence the format or type of data required.

So, although operations and maintenance (O&M) and employer information requirements demanded asset registers, specifics were always missing; and l Asset managers did not have an asset management technology solution, or used a different system which required different formats or data to work to optimum potential.

So, a solution by the UK government was COBie. This satisfied the issues above, as COBie , within its specification, provides a standard default set of requirements for assets and their data

“Currently, there is still no better ‘open standard’ solution that beats what COBie has to offer”

attributes that could be placed into contract requirements with little or no knowledge expected of the client.

Then, as clients gained more experience with COBie, the standard allowed them to get more specific answers to the customisable three questions: l Classification; l Additionally excluded assets; and l O&M properties.

There was a problem, however. The UK’s approach to mandating COBie was sudden, lacked clarity and even tried to change some aspects of a well written standard to support objectives with little knowhow to back it up.

With the introduction of ISO 19650 and withdrawal of PAS 1192-2, many may feel COBie has been withdrawn from the government’s objectives.

This is not the case. Currently, there is still no better “open standard” solution that beats what COBie has to offer and, through there are still problems in adapting data to its standard, there is ongoing research in design, construction and maintenance organisations to improve the flow.

My own COBie experience includes experimenting with an early version in late 2008 on the first UK project to use it, and recently contributing to COBie inventor Bill East’s upcoming books on how the standard during construction can help lean out the handover process.

Demystification of COBie and its processes can help add value – if there’s a willingness to understand information management right down to its core roots. Wherever an organisation is on the journey, it is still our best bet in delivering standardised data to aid asset management cost reductions. ● John Ford is BIM and digital information lead with Galliford Try.

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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2019 BIM & DIGITAL

Steve Radley CITB

In association with:

CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES NEED TO BECOME ‘DIGITAL ORGANISATIONS’ CITB HAS LAUNCHED ITS DIGITAL LEADERSHIP COMMISSION, AND IS INVESTING £1M TO GIVE CONSTRUCTION LEADERS THE SKILLS TO DIGITALISE THEIR BUSINESSES. STEVE RADLEY SETS OUT THE KEY DIGITALISATION CHALLENGES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND DETAILS ABOUT HOW BUSINESSES CAN APPLY FOR FUNDING Digitalisation has huge potential to transform construction – both in its performance and its attractiveness as a career. The industry has been slow to take advantage of it but is now starting to take action. New technologies including AR/VR (augmented/virtual reality), automation, drones, immersive learning, BIM and 3D printing can help construction to become more efficient, productive, profitable and sustainable.

C I T B ’s e x te n s i v e re s e a rc h i s summarised in two recent reports, Unlocking Construction’s Digital Future: A Skills Plan for Industry and Evolution or Revolution?. We are also working with the Construction Leadership Council on its future industry report.

CITB has set up immersive learning summits, funded VR plant simulators and committed £7m to help industry get the skills it needs to modernise through investments in offsite, digital skills and immersive learning.

Construction needs a workforce tooled with the knowledge, skills and experience required to unlock the full potential of digitalisation. To do this we need to demonstrate to potential employees that construction is growing, changing, and becoming more inclusive. However, recruiting, retaining and upskilling a workforce with the most suitable technical skills is not the only issue.

CITB’s extensive research has identified two key challenges for the construction industry: lA lack of understanding of the business opportunities that digital transformation brings; l The leadership required to spell out why the investment is needed, identify and adapt digital technology for their business, and to make it happen.

Without digital leadership, construction companies could struggle to keep up with technological advances and to compete with their rivals. The people

Use of digital technology such as drones will be key to unlocking the industry’s potential

who will change the face of the industry must be able to unlock the potential that digital transformation brings.

That’s why CITB’s Digital Leadership Commission invites bids from companies for funds to help construction leaders implement digital transformation. This commission is the first of three to help the industry embrace digital change.

In particular we welcome bids from: l software development companies; l management consultancies with digital business change expertise; l leadership think tanks with digital business change expertise; l federations and trade associations; l higher education institutions with expertise in working with companies to develop digital leadership skills; l local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) which have an innovation lead or innovation programme; and l non-profit organisations with digital innovation programmes.

Successful applicants will be able to demonstrate the business case for digital change in their company, as well as being equipped with the skills and knowledge to implement digital technologies, processes and competencies. CITB also welcomes bids from organisations that wish to partner, but not lead a project. ● Steve Radley is strategy and policy director of CITB.

How to apply Applying to CITB’s Digital Leadership Commission is a two-part process. First, register your interest by completing the expression of interest form on the CITB website. This will close at 5pm on Tuesday 18 June 2019.

The funding team will review your expression of

interest and contact you.

If your idea matches most if not all the criteria for this commission, we will guide you through the application process.

The deadline to submit applications is 2 July 2019.

Visit the CITB website for more information: citb.co.uk.

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LEGAL JUNE 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

Legal That Pinto was unaware of section 106 of the Construction Act did not matter, ignorance of the law not being a defence.

Anjon Mallik Partner, Gordons

Resi occupiers and contractors: rules on adjudication A RULING BY THE TECHNOLOGY AND CONSTRUCTION COURT CONFIRMS THERE IS NO BLANKET RESTRICTION FOR DISPUTES BETWEEN CONTRACTORS AND RESIDENTIAL OCCUPIERS TO BE REFERRED TO ADJUDICATION. ANJON MALLIK EXPLORES THE CASE When the Technology and Construction Court (TCC) ruled in favour of contractor ICCT, in the recent case of ICCT Ltd v Sylvein Pinto (2019), it gave a clear signal that it will not stand in the way of disputes between contractors and residential occupiers being referred to adjudication, if the contract provides for it.

The project itself was not particularly complex or pioneering. Pursuant to an oral contract, occupier Sylvein Pinto engaged contractor ICCT to seal leaks in the basement of his residential property. After ICCT had performed the works, Pinto alleged the works were defective and refused payment.

ICCT alleged that Pinto, in doing so, had terminated the contract and referred the dispute to adjudication.

It has been well established that the adjudication procedure set out in the Housing Grants Construction and Regeneration Act (as amended), known as the Construction Act, does

“Will residential occupiers seize upon this process and refer complaints about defects or incomplete works to an adjudicator?”

not apply to a construction contract with a residential occupier.

Pinto had raised this objection himself, one working day before the enforcement hearing – stating that as a residential occupier, pursuant to section 106 of the Construction Act, adjudication could not apply to him.

In response, ICCT argued that section 106 did not specifically state that adjudication in relation to contracts with residential occupiers was unlawful.

Indeed, residential occupiers are free to agree to adjudication and many standard form contracts intended for works for residential occupiers include adjudication clauses.

By engaging in the adjudication process, the TCC said that Pinto could not subsequently resist enforcement of the adjudicator’s decision. An ad-hoc jurisdiction had arisen as a result, and by not reserving his rights, the occupier had waived any jurisdictional objections.

Impact of the case This ruling makes it clear that there is no blanket ban on adjudication concerning work to a residential dwelling. This will come as news to some contractors who thought otherwise and had historically tried to resolve their disputes through a sometimes lengthy court process.

Will more and more contractors now be tempted to include express adjudication clauses in their contracts with residential occupiers? The practicalities of doing this would be easy. For example, a contractor could include a provision for adjudication within its own standard terms and conditions on the reverse of a quote. If the quote was accepted and formed the basis of the contract between the parties, the contractor’s terms and conditions would apply – and the right to adjudicate would arise.

Any contractual right to adjudicate must, though, be afforded to both parties.

So, the key question for contractors is whether the advantage of being able to refer its claims to adjudication is enough of an attraction. Most claims by contractors will relate to non-payment of monies, where adjudication is tempting as it will be far speedier to get a resolution than through the court process.

On the other hand, will residential occupiers seize upon this process and, at the first sign of a dispute, refer any issues and complaints they have about defects or incomplete works to an adjudicator? In which case, contractors could be faced with a plethora of claims from disgruntled occupiers. ● Anjon Mallik is a partner and construction specialist at law firm Gordons.

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COMMUNITY JUNE 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

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Community

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL BODY

Last year’s winning team was George Brown College from Toronto

Event

Teams vie for top spot in Global Student Challenge TOP SIX FINALISTS FOR THIS YEAR’S COMPETITION HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED International

CIOB signs MoUs with Middle East construction bodies QATAR AGREEMENTS OFFER ‘MUTUAL COOPERATION’

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Finalists for the 2019 CIOB Global Student Challenge have been announced.

Now in its sixth year, the competition sees teams from universities across the world act as a board of directors running their own construction company. This year’s finalists include six different institutes from six countries and four continents.

The top six – the only teams now remaining of the 39 who entered – are: l Kanigara Banu – Universitas Indonesia l KLMN Construction Group – George Brown College, Canada l Resilient Construction – Glasgow Caledonian University, UK l Toomer Oaks Construction – Auburn University, USA l Hotpot Crew – Chongqing University, China l Design & CurStruct – Curtin University, Australia

The CIOB’s president, Chris Soffe, has signed two memorandums of understanding with construction organisations in the Middle East.

On a trip to Doha in Qatar in April, he signed MoUs with the Qatar Green Building Council and the Public Works Authority (Ashghal).

The agreements are intended to establish “mutual cooperation and sharing of expertise” in education and training and recognition of professional management in

WEST MIDLANDS AWARDS DERBY MARKET HALL MEET A MEMBER LEEDS STUDENT HOUSING SETTING FINANCIAL GOALS Teams are full-time students studying a degree in the built environment.

They battle through a series of stages from January when they learn how to play the game, running a virtual construction company in a simulated environment using MERIT software.

Kanigara Banu, a first time entrant, has been at the top of the leader board for the whole competition, but the George Brown College team will be seeking to recapture the title its predecessors won last year. Glasgow’s Resilient Construction is also in serious contention as the “home” team.

The winners, who take home a £2,000 prize, will be announced at the CIOB President’s Dinner in June. ● Tickets are on sale for the President’s Dinner on 27 June in the Signet Library, Edinburgh. Information can be found at: https://events.ciob.org/ ehome/200186455

construction and projects for the benefit of industry, clients and society. They will also support collaboration on joint initiatives.

Soffe signed the Public Works Authority MoU with Mohammed Masoud Al Marri (right), infrastructure affairs director, on behalf of Ashghal president Saad bin Ahmad Al Mohannadi.

Also present was Ajay Sharma, British ambassador to the State of Qatar. The QGBC MoU was signed with QGBC director Meshal Al Shamari.

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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2019 COMMUNITY

Story for Community? Email Nicky Roger nicky@atompublishing.co.uk

Notice of meeting

The CIOB Benevolent Fund AGM WILL TAKE PLACE IN EDINBURGH ON 24 JUNE Notice is hereby given that the twenty-seventh ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of The Chartered Institute of Building Benevolent Fund will be held at The Hilton Carlton Hotel, Edinburgh on Monday 24th June 2019 at 0900hrs for the purposes set out below.

By order of the Benevolent Fund Board Frank MacDonald, Secretary May 2019

Edinburgh

Member’s Forum: a packed line-up CATCH UP WITH CIOB FOR FIVE DAYS OF DEBATE AND NETWORKING The programme for this year’s Members’ Forum is shaping up – promising discussions around some serious issues along with opportunities to network, exchange ideas and catch up with the CIOB team.

The forum runs from Sunday 23 June until Thursday 27 June. It begins with a registration and an ice-breaker, followed by an evening reception at the Hilton Edinburgh Carlton.

Day two (Monday 24 June) sees the CIOB AGM and the opportunity to thank outgoing president Chris Soffe FCIOB for his hard work and commitment over the past year. It also sees the first workshop of the forum, where industry leaders will update delegates on the work of the CIOB’s Construction Quality Commission and recommendations for next steps to promote the importance of quality.

A day-long session on Tuesday 25 June will include presentation of the corporate plan 2020-2023 and a review of the papers submitted by the CIOB Boards and regions to reflect on achievements and identify challenges for the coming year. The evening sees a performance of On Edge, a play sponsored by and developed with the CIOB to promote understanding of the impact of modern slavery in the construction industry.

On day four (Wednesday 26 June) regional representatives meet to share best practice across the CIOB’s regional hub network and give delegates the

opportunity to discuss and review local hub successes and challenges. Running parallel to the Regional Reps meeting is a Board of Trustees meeting.

The afternoon will offer a site visit to Edinburgh St James, a landmark development, before attending the evening reception in the surroundings of Edinburgh Castle. The CIOB Policy and Public Affairs team will be joined

by Scottish parliamentarians and construction leaders to discuss the value of the industry to the local economy.

Day five (Thursday 27 June) sees the start of the second workshop session of the forum, the CIOB’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Debate. Chaired by incoming president Professor Charles Egbu FCIOB, the panel will include experts from mental health organisations to debate the impact on the sector and how the CIOB can help support members. In the afternoon, there will be a chance to find out about CIOB products and services, including training courses through the CIOB Academy and online CPD content.

In the evening, the forum will conclude with the CIOB president’s Inaugural Dinner, held in the Main Hall of the Signet Library, which will include the announcement of the winners of the Global Student Challenge. ● See more information at https:// membersforum.ciob.org, where there will be a list of Hub Committee representatives attending.

Events will take place around Edinburgh’s landmarks

“The afternoon will offer a site visit to a landmark development before a reception in the surroundings of Edinburgh Castle”

Note: Under the Articles of Association, any Corporate, Non corporate or Qualifying Member who has made a ‘suggested contribution’ to the Funds of the Association in the current Financial Year is a member of the Association and is entitled to attend and vote at the meeting.

Other CIOB Members, who have not contributed as outlined above, may attend the Meeting at the discretion of Members of the Association but may not vote.

Agenda 1. Notice convening the meeting.

2. Apologies for absence.

3. To confirm the Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting held on 26th June 2018 (see note 1, below).

4. To consider the Report of the Directors and Trustees for the year ended 31 December 2018.

5. To appoint Haysmacintyre as Auditors and to authorize the Board to agree their remuneration.

6. Election of Directors to the Board.

7. Any other business.

8. Date of the next Annual General Meeting – Tuesday 30 June 2020 (London).

Note 1: Copies of the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting held on 26 June 2018 will be available at the 2019 Annual General Meeting on 24th June 2019.

Any member who requires a copy prior to the meeting should apply to the Secretary of the CIOB Benevolent Fund at: 1 Arlington Square, Downshire Way, Bracknell RG12 1WA.

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COMMUNITY JUNE 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

Birmingham

West Midlands awards celebrate excellence COMBINED CEREMONY RECOGNISES REGION’S PROJECTS AND PEOPLE

The Celebrating Construction Awards – run in partnership with the CIOB and Constructing Excellence Midlands – joined forces with Midlands Generation for Change (G4C) and Constructing Excellence West Midlands Awards in April for a high-profile ceremony in Birmingham.

The evening was hosted by Mark Durden-Smith, while Professor Charles Egbu FCIOB, CIOB senior vice CIOB

MCIOBs sought to join employer committee and business board INSTITUTE INVITES MEMBERS TO EXPRESS INTEREST

The West Midlands construction community was out in force

president, welcomed the 500 guests to the ceremony with a short speech.

The Midlands G4C Awards recognised achievers in the industry under the age of 36, while the West Midlands Celebrating Construction Awards showcased innovative solutions and developments from across the region.

With over 150 outstanding submissions, G4C & Constructing Excellence Awards judges had a tough task. The night’s big winner was Midland Metro Alliance, with two Constructing Excellence categories – the People Development Award and the Integration & Collaborative Working Award – for its Transforming the West Midlands through Alliancing and Collaboration initiative.

Wesley Belle from WM Housing Group also took home two awards, one for Young Trainee of the Year – a category sponsored by CIOB Novus – and the second for Young Achiever of the Year.

G4C winners: l Apprentice of the Year: Ben Fenwick from Arcadis l Commitment to Training and Development: Willmott Dixon l Mentor of the Year: Karen Ryan from Stepnell l Student of the Year: Callum White from The University of Birmingham

The CIOB is seeking expressions of interest for four new places on its Employer Engagement Committee (EEC) and one on its Business Development Board (BDB), one of the three key operational boards.

Chartered members based in the UK or Ireland are invited to apply.

Applicants should have skills or experience from: working for a tier 1 or 2 contractor; working for or running an SME; public or private sector; overseas experience.

l Young Professional of the Year: Yasmin Nally from Lungfish Architects l Young Trainee of the Year: Wesley Belle from WM Housing Group

Constructing Excellence winners: l Client of the Year: Regal Property Group for The Bank l Innovation: Innovaré Systems for i-FAST the Next Generation of SIP Technology l Integration & Collaborative Working: Midland Metro Alliance for Transforming the West Midlands through Alliancing and Collaboration l People Development: Midland Metro Alliance l Preservation & Rejuvenation: WHG for Warewell Close l Project of the Year – Building Projects: Central Learning Partnership Trust for Heath Park School Art and Media Centre l Project of the Year – Civil Engineering: Cundall for Larkhill Service Families Accommodation Project l SME of the Year: Probuild360 l Sustainability Award: Wates Construction for The Bank l Offsite: IDP for St Clair Gardens – Recovery Mental Health Centre for Mind l Young Achiever of the Year: Wesley Belle from WM Housing Group ●

EEC members’ responsibilities include: overseeing development and implementation of the employer engagement strategy; monitoring the impact on engagement with employers; and encouraging synergy between Chartered Building Companies and Training Partnerships.

BDB members’ responsibilities include: overseeing business development opportunities arising from engagement with employers,

chartered members and training partners; and monitoring special projects linked to membership grade or direct entry routes.

The tenure for committee members is three years, with new recruits taking up their roles in mid/late August.

There are usually four meetings a year, in Bracknell and London.

Terms of reference for each committee are available on request.

Expressions of interest should be emailed to: hpatel@ciob.org.uk.

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●

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2019 COMMUNITY

ANNA LUKALA

Award

Education

Schoolchildren get hands-on site experience in Essex TWO SETS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS ENJOY GETTING TO GRIPS WITH REAL-LIFE CONSTRUCTION Pupils at Writtle Junior School in Chelmsford have designed and planned their own “learning pod” classroom over the past three years, in a project championed by CIOB past president Chris Chivers and Mike Bradburn MCIOB from Fairfield Holdings .

The build is in progress this summer term and the children have had to work through the whole project, engaging with architects, surveyors and lawyers.

Pupils from Bournes Green School try their hand at bricklaying

As a result of the project’s success, the headteacher is looking to launch a national competition for all primary schools to have the opportunity to construct their dream classroom, and to include it in the national curriculum.

Elsewhere in the county 15 pupils from Bournes Green School, Southend, joined Barnes Construction at its site for a new Havens Hospices In-Patient Unit. They were given a tour of the site and learned about the hospice as well as getting their hands dirty.

David Faichney, contracts manager for Barnes Construction, was on hand to help the children gain new bricklaying skills. He said: “It has been really great to get the kids involved and show them a few building skills, you never know a few of them may even pursue construction as a career.” ●

Construction ambassadors help get ahead of the game CIOB MEMBERS SHOWCASE INDUSTRY OPPORTUNITIES FOR FORMER FOOTBALLERS The Ahead of the Game careers event was organised by Life After Sport (LAPS), supported by League Football Education (LFE).

Over 300 people attended the event which included workshops, guest speakers and exhibition spaces and gave an opportunity for businesses, educational organisations and players to connect with and inspire each other. ●

FOOD WASTE PLAN SCOOPS PRIZE

Kris Martin receives his certificate

Careers

Two CIOB members were in action at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium recently, promoting construction as a career choice.

Bev Sexton and Dan Williams, both members of the CIOB, were talking in their capacity as CITB Construction Ambassadors to attendees at an event in April designed to help football players prepare for life after professional sport.

Hub member wins gold award for sustainability

Career possibilities were discussed at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium

A sustainability initiative from a London hub committee member has scooped an industry award.

Kris Martin, a project manager at St George, with his colleague Denis Moran, won a Gold Standard at the 2019 National Site Awards run by the Considerate Construction Scheme, for their canteen waste initiative on the Fulham Reach project.

The site embarked on a behavioural and infrastructural overhaul to divert food waste from landfill through an innovative food waste recycling system introduced by Matt Golding at ORCA Enviro Systems.

The certification cited the innovative ORCA technology as a contributing factor for the award as the site excelled in three key areas: onsite traffic management, protecting the environment and innovation.

Martin said: “The ORCA technology helps our business reach the commitment of net zero carbon for 2030 by removing all truck visits relating to food waste and has also eliminated the pest and odours relating to onsite food waste storage.”

ORCA is a 100% recycling solution, which recycles food waste by breaking it down into grey water which is then captured or repurposed by the existing wastewater infrastructure and treatment plant, ORCA’s effluent is fully recovered and recycled throughout its life.

To learn more visit www.feedtheorca.com

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COMMUNITY JUNE 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

Visit

Market day for members SITE VISIT TO DERBY HERITAGE PROJECT

Nottingham Hub members were treated to a site visit around the historic Derby Market Hall, courtesy of Wates Construction.

The Grade II listed building, opened in 1866, is home to a vibrant mix of bustling traditional and contemporary stalls. The plans to transform the market are part of the city centre masterplan and the improved market will be a key retail and community hub in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter.

Phase 1 is now under way, with the building fully enclosed by scaffolding, – internally and externally – which laid end to end would stretch 12 miles.

The evening was hosted by Phil Evans MCIOB, construction manager with Wates. ● Below: The 1866 building will be a key retail hub in the city’s Cathedral Quarter

Right: Scaffolding is in place both inside and outside the building

Event

CIOB accreditation helps to upskill members, says Winvic MD COMPANY LAUNCH BOOSTS EMPLOYEES ON JOURNEY TOWARDS MCIOB STATUS A new cohort of employees at Winvic Construction have embarked on their Chartered Membership journey.

The Northampton-based contractor held an event in April where managing director Dave Ward explained why it is beneficial for construction professionals to gain accreditations and why Winvic supports staff who want to achieve CIOB member (MCIOB) status.

Ruth Kennedy, development manager for the CIOB Midlands, discussed the different routes to becoming chartered

before current Winvic MCIOB members gave overviews of their personal routes and offered support to the new cohort.

Ward said he was pleased to see another wide selection of employees keen to develop their professional status.

“We want to employ professionals who can clearly demonstrate their engagement with the built environment, commitment to ethical working and promoting a culture of continual improvement so we fully support them in making that journey,” he said.

“I believe internationally recognised accreditations help to raise standards of construction management but I also see the training enhances passion, and that’s what makes our business work.”

Kayleigh Shaw, training development coordinator at Winvic, added: “We continually invest in training and development to help people achieve their full potential and we offer the accredited CIOB training free to our workforce.”

Winvic specialises in turnkey solutions for industrial, build‑to-rent, student accommodation and commercial projects.

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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2019 COMMUNITY

Lukasz Kisiel

Meet a member Lukasz Kisiel MCIOB, managing director of Kisiel Ltd Partnership

Morgan Sindall ‘adopts’ Torquay Academy

INITIATIVE IS PART OF DRIVE TO RAISE INDUSTRY PROFILE WITH PUPILS

Morgan Sindall Construction is helping to inspire students at a school in Torquay, Devon, to consider a career in the construction industry.

The construction company has “adopted” Torquay Academy as part of a drive to raise the profile and perception of the construction industry as a career choice with young people.

Morgan Sindall Construction will engage with pupils at the school over the academic year to promote the range of employment opportunities available in construction.

Constructing Excellence South West’s Adopt a School programme is supported by the Southern Construction Framework and aims to foster collaborative relationships between schools and construction companies.

Morgan Sindall Construction will work closely with teachers at Torquay Academy to link to the school curriculum and will invite pupils to take

Pupils at Torquay Academy will learn about career opportunities in construction

“Morgan Sindall will engage with pupils to promote the range of employment opportunities available in construction” part in engagement activities including visits to live construction sites.

Morgan Sindall Construction is currently delivering the second phase of a major development programme at Torquay Academy, which involves a £2.2m project to create a 300-seat new theatre and upgrades to dining and sports facilities, including two changing rooms and two PE classrooms. ●

EASTERN HUBS TALK MENTAL HEALTH The CIOB in the East of England is hosting two events on mental health in the industry.

The Lighthouse Charity, which provides support to members of the construction community and their families who have suffered an injury or long-term illness, is giving a presentation in Norwich on 6 June.

Bill Hill, the charity’s CEO, will speak at the event which will also be filmed and available online. It takes place at 6pm at the Aviation Academy.

Later in the month, Stephen Haynes, the head of programme at Mates in Mind, will give a talk in Cambridge on health issues in the workplace and how companies are addressing them.

This will cover how to overcome stigma, how to spot the signs and support team – as well as the Mates in Mind programme.

The session takes place on 26 June at 6pm, in the Trinity Centre at Cambridge Science Park.

Both events are free to CIOB members.

Tell us a little about your career?

Why did you choose construction?

My career in construction started during a summer holiday when I was 12 years old. I worked on my uncle’s new-build project and I was responsible for checking quality of bricks and sorting them so that the best quality was used and poor quality was sent back to the supplier.

Since I set up my company in 2007, I progressed from being my own foreman, manager, bookkeeper and estimator to having a team of nine office-based staff and about 50 subcontractors on sites. It wouldn’t be possible if I didn’t complete a course run by Chris Westacott that enabled me to become a Chartered Construction Manager.

What would you have done otherwise?

It’s hard to say what would happen if I didn’t get myself chartered, but I’m happy to say that it would be much more difficult to have a multi-award winning company if it wasn’t for that fact.

What change would you like to see in the industry?

I’d like to see off-grid buildings using renewable energy only as a standard practice. I can’t wait to see technology disturbing our industry and enabling construction professionals to deliver projects on time at lower cost than currently, with less defects and disputes.

Your business has just won a clutch of awards – congratulations! What does that mean for the business?

It feels like all the hard work really paid off and that I am part of a team of champions. Great credit to my people.

It is all due to their infinite commitment and energy they put in to every project.

What do you do in your spare time?

I love spending spare time with my three daughters and wife. I also play tennis. Just like at work, on a tennis court I give my best and try to win by fair play. It’s a great feeling when I do.

Listening to jazz music and learning to play saxophone is also on the cards.

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INCREASE YOUR REPUTATION WITH THE CIOB DID YOU KNOW COMPANIES CAN BE CHARTERED?

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Our Chartered scheme for employers brings value to businesses big and small.

3 Win new business 3 Demonstrate your professionalism 3 Enhance existing client relationships Talk to us on +44 (0) 1344 630 800 or email EmployerEngagement@ciob.org.uk

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COMMUNITY JUNE 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

Facade construction was speeded by limiting mast climber use

Me and my project

Team work JAMES SMITH ON HOW COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION MEANT THAT A STUDENT BLOCK IN LEEDS WAS BUILT TO TIME

Above: James Smith Below: A tight site meant logistics were critical

RG Group secured the contract for Symons House in central Leeds after successfully delivering the Crown House project in Sheffield for the client, London and Scottish Student Housing.

The building is a 23-storey, high-end student accommodation block with amenity space at the ground level and a roof garden at Level 8.

Prior to starting on the £23.9m project, we held meetings with the contractors, client and design team, taking valuable best practice and lessons learned from the Sheffield project to value engineer the scheme and make changes that improved the programme and quality.

There is no external footprint to the building, so our logistics strategy had to rely on negotiating the use of a neighbour’s courtyard to the rear of the scheme as an external loading area and position for the hoist. The crane had to go inside the building: we positioned this within a cluster flat in a manner that allowed the external facade, surrounding rooms and corridors to be completed.

Better than the schedule Concrete waits for no-one! The concrete frame is the main part of our critical path so we formed a concrete frame delivery bay by way of stepping our hoarding in the partial road closure on Belgrave Street. Fit-out deliveries could be distributed while the concrete wagons could offload to the pump located behind gate two in the hoarding line.

We came out of the ground in August 2018 and topped out in March 2019, bettering our schedule target. Working with the frame and facade contractor, climbing screens were installed to provide a working platform to install the steel framing system (SFS) and windows,

“Getting teams in early allowed us to listen to the contractors and refine the strategy to the best it could be” meaning only the brick panel needed to be installed from the mast climbers.

Travel time on the masts is close to 20 minutes to the upper floors which, when happening several times a day, wastes valuable time in travel alone.

Limiting their use helped us to push the envelope further.

Use of prefab bathroom pods is now commonplace in many residential sectors, but the difficult part – due to the long lead in – is getting the delivery date right so that you have pods installed to the building as soon as possible and not stored on site. This went excellently – and, having sealed the facade from the frame, we managed to push our programme and match the frame contractor for speed with the fit out.

Clarity of message was key. Each contractor that came to site had several weeks of lead-in meetings with the other teams they would be working with. Each received our delivery presentation which explained in detail exactly how our sequences and logistics worked. Getting teams in early allowed us to listen to the contractors and refine the strategy to the best it could be.

Success through collaboration has been of massive value and we are fortunate that client, consultants and contractors all shared a team ethos. ● James Smith MCIOB is project manager for RG Group.

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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JUNE 2019 COMMUNITY

Partnership Planning where you want to be CHASE DE VERE ON THE VALUE AND BENEFITS OF SETTING FINANCIAL GOALS

or more); life events, such as school and university fees over the medium term (10-15 years); and rainy-day fund or lifestyle funds for goals such as a dream car or cruise over the medium to shorter term (5-10 years).

The minimum time horizon for investing should be five years. But whatever your goal is, it is important to consider the time horizon at the outset, as this will determine the type of investments you consider. It also makes sense to revisit your goals at regular intervals to account for changes to your personal circumstances.

Investment strategies Investment strategies should often include a combination of various fund types in order to obtain a balanced and diversified approach. Maintaining this approach is usually key to the chances of achieving your investment goals, while bearing in mind that at some point you will want access to your money.

Many people have savings and investment goals in their life, from saving for a rainy day to planning for a comfortable retirement. Working out exactly what you want to get out of your investments will help you set realistic targets and keep you on track.

Types of goals C o m m o n i nv e s t m e n t go a l s a re retirement planning or a property purchase over the long term (15 years

Long term: retirement plan The importance of shifting goals can be seen in retirement planning, where it is quite common for funds to be geared towards equities in their early stages to try to build capital. As an individual grows closer to retirement age, their pension plan will tend to lean more towards bonds to reduce volatility. This ensures that they do not become susceptible to a sudden slump in stock markets just as they are about to cash in some of the fund.

Medium term: school and university fee plans School and university fees planning may involve the same idea of buying a mix of equities, bonds and other investments. Most plans of this type are geared to begin paying out after a

“It makes sense to revisit your goals at regular intervals to account for changes to your personal circumstances” fixed-term horizon, usually 10 years, with withdrawals allowed incrementally after that to meet the fees. In this way, they need to be more flexible than pension plans. Parents often start plans when a baby is born so they start paying out when the child starts secondary school aged 11, or even before, especially if the children will go to fee-paying schools.

Short to medium term: lifestyle plans Investment companies can offer 10-year plans or even shorter savings schemes that help pay out for a future holiday or dream car. A large number of products exist for this, including Individual Savings Accounts that contain stocks and shares, depending on your timescale and willingness to accept risk.

Ready for the next step?

Whether you are looking to invest for income or growth, Chase de Vere can provide the independent financial advice, comprehensive investment solutions and ongoing service to help you achieve your goals. ● To identify which options are right for you or to find out more, please call or email us on 020 3142 2057 or CIOB@chasedevere.co.uk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up, so you could get back less than you invested.

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TO ADVERTISE YOUR POSITIONS ON THESE PAGES, CONTACT IAN HARTLEY ON T: 020 7183 1815 lukep@media-shed.co.uk

Residential Development Surveyor (New build), Wickford Development, Essex £Competitive Wickford Development Co. Ltd are seeking an experienced residential development surveyor to assist in the delivery of homes on our residential schemes across Essex, the largest of which is at Great Dunmow.

Experience must include; l Submitting planning applications with the assistance of planning consultants l Liaising and assigning utility suppliers for residential developments l Liaising with Highways l Assigning building control bodies to oversee the development (updating online portal information) l Assisting with conveyancing issues relating to residential sales from development phase

l Preparing and finalising sewer and highway bonds

Development and an ability to be flexible in their approach.

l Technical Construction knowledge essential

l To work such hours as required, an average of 45 hours per week is the norm.

l Appraising tender and construction costs l Auto cad skills desirable l Strong IT and online skills essential l Candidates must be articulate and personable but must also be able to stand their ground in meetings when representing Wickford

l A sense of humour is also vital to fit in with the team. l Self employment is preferred but we will also consider a salaried employed position for the right individual.

Apply with your CV to: Steve@wickforddevelopment.co.uk | www.woodlandsparkgreatdunmow.co.uk Closing date: 12 June

Hundreds of the best jobs in construction.

Recruitment news and insight.

Employers seeking CIOB members. www.constructionmanagerjobs.co.uk

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TRAINING & RECRUITMENT JUNE 2019 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

Training & Recruitment Job spotlight Janet Osei-Berchie Design coordinator, Osborne

DIVERSITY MATTERS

JANET OSEI-BERCHIE ON HOW BEING A WOMAN FROM A BAME BACKGROUND AFFECTS HER WORK IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY What is a typical day in your job?

I am not a morning person so my day usually starts with a moody “Good morning” to my team. My main tasks throughout the day revolve around addressing a variety of site queries from site managers and subcontractors on design-related issues, providing further clarity on details, drawings and working with the site team to find suitable solutions to any issues.

Tell us about your experience as a young, black woman in the industry?

I have had both positive and negative experiences. I have had moments when I’ve realised, while in a meeting, that I was the only female in the room and the only person from a BAME background.

Gender roles are still prevalent. On site, operatives/visitors assumed, as a woman, that I was an administrator rather than part of the managerial team. I find myself having to be more assertive in certain situations.

Positively, I have learnt that there is an abundance of opportunities for women from a BAME background in the industry. In my current position I feel greatly supported by my directors and team to progress to the best I can be, regardless of my gender.

I came into the industry with mixed expectations – both negative and positive – and these have provided me with motivation to work harder for myself and for whom I feel I represent. I want to pave the way, promote and encourage more females and individuals from BAME backgrounds to get into the industry.

Is the industry doing enough for diversity and inclusion?

Representation is a word that is used a lot when talking about diversity, but it really matters in influencing young people to consider construction as a career. As an industry, we need to ensure we are not just filling the “quota”; it’s not enough to just tick boxes.

When working in neighbourhoods that have a high majority of BAME individuals, our workforce and managers should reflect this.

This will not only help when working with local communities but will show young people in these neighbourhoods the possibilities within construction and if they saw individuals from BAME backgrounds succeeding, it would become a more attractive career path. ●

Hundreds of the best jobs in construction.

Recruitment news and insight. www.constructionmanagerjobs.co.uk

Model behaviour Bouygues UK’s CSR manager for Wales and the South West, Julie Timothy is one of Wales’s first Fairness, Inclusion and Respect (FIR) Ambassadors. Julie explains how her role challenges the skills shortages in construction and tackles its reputation As a CSR manager for Bouygues UK, I work with the communities and stakeholders involved in our projects to amplify and communicate the social value our work gives. No two days are the same and I feel I make a difference to the people and projects I work on, so being a FIR Ambassador comes naturally.

As a major contractor, our supply chain is varied, from large to small businesses, to suppliers with a more diverse workforce, to others falling into the archetypal construction mould – overwhelmingly male, with dirty hands and banter to match. Bouygues UK is working hard to change the perception of the industry and showcase the variety of career opportunities available and the diversity of people carrying them out – whether that be by signposting colleagues who are in need of advice, or commitment to providing opportunities for all and working with disadvantaged groups.

That’s why being a FIR Ambassador appealed – our industry is a professional sector which is making leaps and bounds to be more inclusive, but we have a skills shortage and challenges in improving our reputation, so encouraging best practice is vital. As ambassadors, we act as role models for fairness, inclusion and respect, take action when appropriate and challenge behaviours where necessary.

I’ve only been an ambassador for a few months, working closely with the Supply Chain Sustainability School and, so far, the initiative has been enthusiastically welcomed. My colleagues recognise the value of the scheme, not only from a relationship-building viewpoint, but more crucially with the futureproofing of our industry, with the skills crisis looming. Diversity and inclusion are key to safeguarding our sector’s future.

So, as the Avengers have said a lot recently – FIR Ambassadors assemble! ●

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