Construction & Civil Engineering Issue 177 July 2020

www.ccemagazine.com 177 JULY

Code construction The construction sector remains reliant on people, but new technology, including artificial intelligence, could bring profound changes to traditional ways of working See page 4

Major project: thinkproject secures a contract on the world’s largest road and rail tunnel F Legal landmark: Adjudications commenced on behalf of insolvent companies can go ahead F

www.ccemagazine.com 177 JULY

Code construction

Chairman Andrew Schofield

EDITOR

The construction sector remains reliant on people, but new technology, including artificial intelligence, could bring profound changes to traditional ways of working See page 4

Managing Director Joe Woolsgrove Editor Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

F F

Major project: thinkproject secures a contract on the world’s largest road and rail tunnel Legal landmark: Adjudications commenced on behalf of insolvent companies can go ahead

Assistant Editor Will Daynes Art Editor Fleur Daniels Advertising Designer Rebecca Side Staff Writer Alex McDonald

Build, build, build

Operations Director Philip Monument Operations Manager Natalie Griffiths Research Managers Rachel Harper | Jo-Ann Jeffery James Page | Ben Richell Editorial Researchers Adam Blanch | Mark Cowles Jeff Goldenberg | Tarjinder Kaur D’Silva Sales Director Alasdair Gamble Sales Mark Cawston Alex Hartley Dave King Theresa McDonald Sam Surrell Web Sales web@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Exclusive Features Darren Jolliffe

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here has been a flurry of news coming into my inbox over the past few days, what with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ‘build, build, build’ slogan and his pledge of significant investment for the UK’s construction sector, and Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Summer Statement and the Green Homes

Grant, support for jobs retention and creation and Stamp Duty Cuts.

Joe Hudson, CEO at Ibstock plc, thinks the Prime Minister’s speech gave the UK’s

Production/Office Manager Tracy Chynoweth

construction industry cause for cautious optimism, and Brian Berry, Chief Executive

Social Media Abigail Blake

measures announced by Mr Sunak.

of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), strongly welcomed the package of June’s Construction PMI data also indicated a huge rebound and while Gareth Belsham, director of the national property consultancy and surveyors Naismiths,

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

Construction & Civil Engineering Magazine

warns that this is far from a return to normality, he did admit ‘the industry is bouncing back.’

The industry is dealing with the painful transition to the post Covid-19 world – I would love to hear from you about how your business is dealing with this ‘newnormal’.

Until the next issue.

@CCE_magazine

© 2020 Schofield Publishing Ltd

Libbie Hammond Please note: The opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the

Editor

editor and publisher. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, and correct at time of writing, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Schofield Publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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REGULAR FEATURES

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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

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Artificial Intelligence will generate swathes of new job opportunities that hitherto had little overlap with the construction industry

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SMART BUILDINGS

Adopting the latest technology frameworks will enable the delivery of more efficient operations and enhance employee productivity

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Artificial intelligence

Cladding materials have come under increasing amounts of scrutiny, in terms of safety, performance, and sustainability

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NEWS

Updates and information from the construction and civil engineering market

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FLOODING

Why we need a proactive approach to protecting sewers and the environment, and to reducing the risk of flooding

20 COVID-19 The pandemic has been a test of all industries - construction is proud of what has been achieved to date

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Flooding

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Matern Professional Engineering 2

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CONTENTS

COMPANY PROFILES

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Smart buildings

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Cladding

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Totus

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Sheet Piling Ltd

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Onduline Building Products

Castle Building Services 3

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Code

construction How computer wizardry could save Britain’s real estate industry.

By Marco Abdallah

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onstruction sits at a crossroads between the old world and a new digital frontier.

The sector is completely reliant on boots on the ground — workers to get the job done. They are so important that, for years now, the industry has agonised over Brexit and the threat that a sudden exodus of mainly eastern European workers would have on our collective ability to carry on building.

Britain’s lack of home-grown workers also compounds the problem; the industry has remained a largely unattractive sector for young British people to engage in, which is why we are so dependent on looking beyond our shores.

Even with the enormous technological advancements made over the past century, construction is still reliant on people. In other industries - car manufacturing, for example mechanisation, automation and robotics have made many jobs redundant; their roles easily fulfillable by a robotic arm on an assembly line.

Although the sight of hi-vis-clad workers toiling away on-sites will remain a common one, for now, the advent of new technology, including artificial intelligence, will gradually make its dent on those numbers.

In terms of how engineers plan and design buildings, things are beginning to move at a faster pace. In the 90s, we were designing buildings on paper, then we moved to digital 2D drawings using CAD, later 3D models and now we work with BIM. Soon, artificial intelligence (AI) will become a powerful and necessary tool in designing buildings. To keep pace with the demand for such software and technology, a host of new and well-paid jobs will be in demand. Many will be software engineers specialising in code for the construction industry, while others will be AI experts working with smart buildings and advanced simulation programs.

Energy plus The Energy Design team of Drees & Sommer were pioneers in the early days of building simulation back in 1986, using simple mathematical models to assess energy demand. Today, we are using advanced building simulation models in which a virtual building is exposed to different weather conditions and use scenarios. The resulting information can be used to predict future room climate and occupant comfort – as well as the future energy demand of the building.

Such tools allow us to develop high performance buildings, such as the Townhall

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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

in Freiburg. The building was designed as a plus-energy building, producing more energy than it consumes. The key to achieving this was using a dynamic building simulation to analyse performance throughout the design phase.

Upon completion of Town Hall Freiburg, the first energy meter reading confirmed the accuracy of our modelling.

However, an even higher degree of precision could be provided through the use of

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artificial intelligence, whereby user behaviour and special environmental scenarios can be addressed more accurately; how many times will a particular person boil the kettle to make a cup of tea? How many times do they use a conference room?

AI in building operation can also help predict these actions and redirect energy, sending it to where it is needed and switching off appliances, lighting, ventilation and equipment where

it is not. This is already a reality at ‘cube berlin’, one of Europe’s most technologically advanced buildings, which Drees & Sommer consulted on. Operational carbon emissions, as in those emissions created after a building is constructed and while it is in use, can be greatly minimised when an AI ‘brain’ is in control.

Most buildings are designed for ‘worst-case’ scenarios; for example, the amount of air that is required to be supplied into a

room is based on the maximum possible number of users inside a particular room at any one time.

Heat sensors connected to an AI ‘brain’, however, can detect the overall user density within a room and adjust the air flow accordingly – pumping more air when there are more people and reducing airflow when there are fewer. To go further, AI could even help in the prevention of disease spread.

This could be possible through heat sensors detecting whether there are too many people in a room at any one time and the AI ‘brain’ sending push notifications to some requesting that they move to a less busy area.

New roles AI and new digital technology’s implications for working life on building sites themselves are slightly further away for now, but profound changes are afoot.

Blueprints and schematics that are ubiquitous in the hands of foremen and site managers will become a relic of the past

and give way to the enormous potential of Augmented Reality (AR). Today, we are already employing the technology for quality assurance purposes by using iPads to depict in real-time where pipes or other building components should be, compared to where they actually are installed. In the future, it’s easy to predict this technology being used in the construction process itself, taking the form of AR goggles worn by workers to demonstrate precisely where building materials need to go — down to the last brick.

But with the proliferation of modular construction, bricks themselves may too become a thing of the past. Modular construction allows for huge sections of buildings to be manufactured off-site and simply slotted into place – a streamlined process that ultimately requires fewer workers on-site.

Fewer labourers on-site doesn’t necessarily mean fewer jobs to go around — though it

Marco Abdallah

might mean fewer lower-skilled positions form part of the mix.

Instead, new technologies like Artificial Intelligence will generate swathes of new roles that hitherto had little overlap with the construction industry. Perhaps, then, with Britain struggling to cobble together the manpower it needs on-site as it is, reducing our reliance on boots on the ground is no bad thing as we instead embrace welcoming new professionals into the sector.

Marco Abdallah is Head of Engineering at Drees & Sommer UK. The leading European consulting, planning and project management enterprise, Drees & Sommer has supported private and public clients and investors for 50 years in all aspects of real estate and infrastructure – both analogue and digital. The company’s 3700 employees in 43 locations around the world work in interdisciplinary teams to provide support for clients from a wide variety of sectors.

For more information, please see:

www.dreso.co.uk/en-GB/

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SMART BUILDINGS

Intelligence built in Digital buildings for a digital generation. By Graeme Rees

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n invisible revolution is taking place. A new generation is entering the workforce at a time of major technological advancement. To help businesses attract and retain the best talent, buildings and operations must be truly digitalised.

To achieve this, organisations will need insight and oversight over their assets, predictive maintenance, and real-time data immediacy. In addition to creating people-centric buildings, this will help businesses to cut costs and improve efficiency. With an integrated and comprehensive approach to building operations, businesses can keep staff and the bottom line happy.

The times they are a changin’ The way companies work has been transformed over the past decade. The combination of new

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Graeme Rees

ideas, technological innovation and the influx of a new generation of workers has upended longstanding approaches to not only the way we work, but the expectations we have of the environments we work in.

As the makeup of the workplace changes, so too must the kind of buildings companies look to locate in. For most companies, buildings now need to provide much more than the traditional lease – they need to support business aims, help organisations attract the best talent, and energise and inspire their staff as well.

Companies will have to get serious about attracting and retaining millennial employees, who will comprise 75 per cent of the workforce by 2025. The latest game-changing technologies require skills only today’s generation of digital natives can provide on mass. Keeping them happy and productive is key to success.

Only the best By capitalising on the potential of the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data, building and energy managers can provide new business insights which can be used to enhance the experience of employees, and create more attractive and desirable places to work. Doing so requires an overarching framework, where three layers of technology – connected hardware, software and applications – can communicate, collaborate and share precious insight with building managers.

Sensors employed in a smart building can be used to record data on the location of office users within buildings, and report how they’re using space. In fact, it’s now possible to use solutions to monitor building occupancy to support the effective use of agile working environments.

This can be done using a network of connected sensors and anonymous tags inserted

into the badge holders of building users. These tags can transmit information to the sensors, allowing the real-time usage of different spaces to be reported, visualised and managed. Insights gathered from these and other devices could then in time be used to measure the impact of space design on business performance.

How workplace design relates to the physical and mental wellbeing of employees is an equally important consideration.

A number of studies have shown that high levels of CO2 in office buildings can induce feelings of tiredness and impact decisionmaking. In a smart building, however, carbon sensors can detect and measure levels of CO2, directing other building systems to adjust HVAC settings accordingly.

Increasingly, today’s generation of new workers also expect additional applications and services to be accessible to them.

At The Edge, an office building in Amsterdam, building users can find working spaces, reserve meeting spaces and even locate their colleagues using their smartphones. Other services, such as ordering food and beverages, checking the availability of car parking spaces, and scheduling classes in the building’s gym, can also be made available via an app, with all the relevant data being provided through smart building management software.

Companies are increasingly aware of the competitive advantages that can be secured from adopting a wellconsidered workplace and real estate strategy. Investments in a company’s workplace can support business aims and help attract the best people. Smart building technologies – which not only provide insights and data, but also create whole new experiences for employees and building users – are essential for this.

A new approach to building management What’s good for employees is also good for the business. The systems installed to provide staff with a dynamic, enjoyable place to work also deliver crucial efficiencies and cost savings across multiple building functions.

In this respect, the building power system is all important. All smart systems and apps depend on power, so a connected power infrastructure is the key to both systems reliability and efficiency.

Information exchange between different building technologies enables the building to identify and correct inefficient practices.

For example, damper systems in buildings are designed to provide cool outside air, rather than relying on chillers or compressors. Yet, in many buildings, it’s common for chillers and compressors to continue to operate even on cool days when outside air could be used, despite this being highly inefficient.

Fortunately, embedded sensors generate masses of data which can be analysed by smart building software to provide actionable intelligence on building performance. Building managers are then better placed to make informed decisions on the operations of a building, or schedule pre-configured outcomes based on their desired model of operation.

The continual monitoring of data produced by building systems also enables advanced detection and diagnostics of faults. It allows building managers to understand why a building is or isn’t operating efficiently so permanent solutions can be introduced, rather than temporary fixes.

For instance, with data analytics, building managers can proactively identify operational problems such as equipment that needs to be repaired or replaced.

Moreover, it can do this before

critical failure and before it has an impact on the building occupants.

Repairs can be scheduled before an emergency arises, eliminating costly short-notice or out-ofhours replacement and avoiding failure and downtime. With this proactive approach, equipment becomes more reliable, the cost of replacement and repair is lower, and occupants are assured of optimal comfort.

In a digital age, businesses must go digital to be relevant and successful. Adopting the latest technology frameworks will enable them to deliver more efficient operations and productive employees. IoTconnected products will collect your buildings most important data, edge control software will refine and make sense of it, and tools, apps, analytics and services will guide you towards the actions that make the greatest impacts.

This is the formula for smart buildings that work for both owners and employees.

Graeme Rees is Digital Energy Marketing Manager at Schneider Electric UK&I. Schneider believes access to energy and digital is a basic human right. It provides energy and automation digital solutions for efficiency and sustainability and combines world-leading energy technologies, real-time automation, software and services into integrated solutions for Homes, Buildings, Data Centres, Infrastructure and Industries.

For more information, please see

www.se.com/uk

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CLADDING

Reaching

higher ground Whilst the world still comes to terms with Covid-19 and develops strategies to deal with the impact of the pandemic’s aftermath, we must not lose sight of another pressing global concern.

By Mar Esteve Cortes

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he climate change emergency represents one of the greatest challenges mankind has faced in centuries.

Over the last decade, public awareness around environmental issues has increased, forcing us to address our practices and processes on every level, from the way we do business to the way we live our lives. Nowhere is this more so than in the architectural, design and construction sector.

Currently, it’s estimated building and construction accounts for 39 per cent of all

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carbon emissions worldwide1, with operational factors, such as heating and lighting, producing 28 per cent. Unquestionably, this has to change and immediately, in line with other big emitters such as energy, transport and manufacturing.

Of course, there are many ways in which we can redress and reform the built environment to make it more sustainable and ecologically friendly. These can range from new approaches to construction such as ‘Active Buildings’ and ‘Green Urbanism’ to systems, which better manage

water attenuation and improve electric vehicle infrastructure. It will take a little imagination, and considerable investment, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Before we can even begin to consider these ambitious, but achievable, goals, we need look at the materials we are specifying in our towns and cities. It’s often the manufacturing of building products which represents the largest proportion of emissions.

Whether refurbishment or new build, construction professionals should be designing out carbonheavy products and replacing

them with eco-friendly ones as a priority.

On the face of it As our urban centres become more densely populated and we start to focus more on building up than out, cladding materials have come under increasing amounts of scrutiny. This is not only in terms of safety and performance, but also sustainability.

Specifiers need to start looking to ways in which to reduce the amounts of carbon-intense materials used in these builds such as concrete, steel, plastic

and glass. One place to start is the façade.

Recently, there’s been much debate in the architectural and engineering community around the suitability of ground to floor glazing on high rise buildings.

For years, this has been a hugely popular cladding method, however as climate change awareness gathers momentum, attitudes are changing. The main problem is glass offers poor insulation, requiring a high level of unsustainable mechanical heating and cooling and leading to significant waste.

Many other cladding materials are no greener as manufacturing and shipping, particularly of metal and precast panels, produce huge amounts of carbon emissions.

They are not suitable for anyone trying to achieve a carbon neutral build, or as near to one as possible.

In Verdant Vertis Fortunately, the range of green surfacing solutions available on the market is growing and there are a number of truly sustainable cladding materials out there. Just as important, these materials also

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CLADDING

deliver the essential structural integrity and resistance required for urban application. This has become even more important in a post-Hackitt world.

These materials are always of a 100 per cent organic composition and a proportion (if not the entirety) of the composition will be recycled. Furthermore, the manufacturing process will be low carbon and low emission. Many will also possess the ability to be repurposed or reconstituted beyond end of life too and come with a raft of official certifications which demonstrates its green credentials.

There are a lot of manufacturers who talk a good game around sustainability so prior research is essentials to ensure the right choice is made.

Clean cities Ongoing research and development by manufacturers also means building products are continuously evolving to meet the climate conundrum.

Constant innovation and emerging technology has led to greener material solutions year-on-year.

Now materials and systems exist which not only deliver passive environmental benefits such as thermal efficiency, but active ones too, like smart energy capture and storage, presenting a huge opportunity for façade construction.

We were recently involved in one project which has the potential to change the industry’s approach sustainable façade construction.

570 Broome, completed in summer 2019, is one of the latest additions to the New York City skyline. At first glance, it appears like any luxury apartment block, however its façade differs significantly from its neighbouring buildings as the slabs used for cladding have been treated with PURETi. This water-based, photocatalytic solution was used

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on 3300 sqm of Neolith slabs for the building’s façade. It effectively enhanced the skyscraper’s surface, transforming it into a self-cleaning air purifier. Not only does it enable the cladding to stay cleaner for even longer, but it actively improves air quality.

The ingenious technology underpinning PURETi reduces air pollution by harnessing sunlight to destroy nitrous oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which contact the façade.

It’s just one of many emerging technologies which can help construction professionals deliver net-zero carbon buildings through savvy material choices.

No choice

a reappraisal of existing processes and practices at both a business and policy level. We are already witnessing sweeping changes in safety and fire building regulations, this should go further and also address sustainability.

There’s a wider, pan-industry discussion to be had around this topic and we must adopt a unified approach to win hearts and minds.

Fundamentally, there’s no real excuse not to specify eco-friendly cladding, given the appropriate solutions exist.

If we’re really serious about protecting the environment, and sustaining it for future generations, we need to carefully consider the materials we choose for cladding purposes. Ultimately,

The nature of façade construction is changing, urgently demanding

we cannot afford not to, for society’s and the planet’s sake.

1 https://www.worldgbc.org/newsmedia/WorldGBC-embodied-carbonreport-published

Mar Esteve Cortes is Director, Neolith, the pioneering brand of Sintered Stone, a sustainable type of surfacing material suitable for all interior and exterior applications.

Manufactured using a process that replicates the geological formation of rock over millennia, Neolith slabs are produced in a matter of hours. One hundred per cent organic, the materials combine high-strength and resistance with style and elegance, with a collection of over 50 designs and finishes, from Italian marble and exotic granite to polished concrete and unvarnished wood.

For more information, please see:

www.neolith.com/en/

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NEWS

Green kitchen

Major European project

Leading carbonneutral manufacturer of quality German Kitchen furniture, Rotpunkt, has launched Tinfilled Oak – a new Oak colour laminate door range with metal-effect treatment that depicts every woodgrain, knot and natural imperfection.

With the UK interiors market showing huge preference for super-realistic kitchen schemes that replicate genuine raw materials and protect trees, one of the planet’s most vulnerable resources, Tinfilled Oak illustrates how Rotpunkt is taking a more sustainable approach to kitchen design.

Matt Phillips, Head of UK Operations at Rotpunkt says “At a time when the trend for tactile surfaces is as important as visual appeal, my top tip for 2020 is the inclusion of sustainably-sourced finishes that bring a touch of industrial-luxe to the kitchen. Laminate solutions are therefore helping to bridge the gap between style and substance, with metal and timber effects becoming the most versatile options for the modern, green-thinking homeowner.”

The new Tinfilled Oak by Rotpunkt is seen across two key elements of this kitchen concept: the main bar-style kitchen island with discreet overhang and a series of tall units that provide essential storage and space to house any built-in appliances (see image).

thinkproject, Europe’s leading construction and engineering SaaS provider, has secured a contract with Femern A/S as the Building Information Modelling (BIM) software for the construction of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel – the world’s largest road and rail tunnel. An important part of the European transport network, total construction is budgeted at EUR 6.9bn.

Discussing the contract, thinkproject CEO Gareth Burton commented: “We’re excited to bring our expertise as the global leader in construction intelligence and our 20 years’ worth of digital solutions experience to such a significant infrastructure project in the European transport network.”

The planned 18 kilometres immersed Fehmarnbelt tunnel will be a significant advancement to Europe’s transportation infrastructure and is scheduled to open in 2028. It will provide a much faster connection between Copenhagen and Hamburg – reducing travel time by one to two hours. This enhanced connection between Germany and Denmark will create new opportunities for freight transport, increase crossborder integration of the labour market, and improve general travel between Scandinavia and Central Europe. thinkproject was awarded the BIM software contract for the project by Femern A/S thanks to the company’s complete solution offering and its ability to improve collaboration between project participants by providing access to the model information in a simple way. Providing a highly sophisticated and secure SaaS solution, thinkproject’s BIM platform matches perfectly with the project’s requirements.

Building revamp Planning has been submitted by a joint venture between Locksley Hotels Ltd and hotel group Ascena for the centrepiece of the much anticipated multi-million-pound Guildhall development in Nottingham, which will create more than 250 jobs for the city.

Originally built in 1887, the Guildhall has hosted a magistrates’ court, police station and fire station during its history. The planning application submitted by Ascena and architects RPS Design Group reveals a 162-bed, four-star hotel, which will include a rooftop fine dining restaurant, spa and wedding and conference facilities to bring the building into its next lifetime.

The development will house larger than average (28 square metres) luxury hotel rooms and existing courtrooms in the building will be converted into bar and restaurant facilities, retaining the original listed features. The designs for the modern extension to the northern elevation of the existing building will also utilise high-grade materials to give a nod to Nottingham’s lace heritage.

The Guildhall building itself will house the hotel, while more modern extensions at the back of the building would be demolished and rebuilt.

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Building excellence Caddick Construction has been appointed to design and construct a new £5m Porsche centre, complete with workshops, MOT testing facility and offices to serve Cumbria and North Lancashire. “This is a very exciting project and the team are focused on delivering an exceptional showroom and other facilities that will be a fitting home for such an aspirational car brand,” said Caddick Contract Project Manager Derek Billows.

Appointed by Porsche franchise holders Parker & Parker Limited, work has now begun on the new Porsche Centre South Lakes site, north of Kellet Road, Carnforth, with easy access to the M6. The new centre and all external works are due to be completed in the summer of 2021.

The multi-million-pound project signals the continued long-term investment and strengthening position of the German luxury sports car brand in the North West.

The new showroom and facilities encompasses 1618m² in total and will have the capacity to display the full range of the luxury car brand including: the 911, 718, Taycan, Panamera, Cayenne and Macan.

The state-of-the-art centre will be completed with a plush handover lounge, meeting rooms and

employee facilities.

Ian Parker, Director of Porsche Centre South Lakes, added: “Caddick Construction has a long track record working with Porsche franchises across the North and we believe their quality and attention to detail mirrors our own exceptionally high standards.”

Supreme Court: Liquidated firm wins landmark case over owed cash In a landmark case for the construction industry, the Supreme Court has handed down a judgment confirming that adjudication can be used as a dispute resolution mechanism to recover debts owed to an insolvent construction company.

In recent years, there has been significant development in the case law around whether adjudication is a legally viable option where one of the parties to a dispute under a construction contract is insolvent.

Adjudication is the legal process of resolving a dispute, where an appointed adjudicator reviews legal submissions and evidence, to reach a decision in a short period of time (often just 28 days).

The decision in Bresco Electrical Services Ltd (in Liquidation) v Michael J Lonsdale (Electrical) Ltd [2020] UKSC 25 confirms that a company has a right to commence an adjudication as a means of resolving a dispute arising at any time under a construction contract, even if it is insolvent.

It is now recognised that it would be inappropriate for the court to interfere with the exercise of the right to adjudicate. Any questions as to the enforceability of an adjudicator’s decision is a matter for the court on enforcement.

Kate Onions, construction disputes partner at law firm, Shakespeare Martineau said: “The thinking before this appeal case was that adjudication on one debt wouldn’t work as it wouldn’t take into account all of the mutual dealings, potentially skewing the net balance owed.

“Now we have clear authority that adjudications commenced on behalf of insolvent companies can go ahead. Given that there is likely to be an increase in the number of construction insolvencies due to the impact of Covid-19, this is more important now than ever before.”

To continue reading about the impact of the decision on the construction industry, visit https://www.shma.co.uk/our-thoughts/brescolatest-supreme-court-rules-that-adjudication-can-be-used-to-recover-debts-owed-to-an-insolvent-construction-company

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FLOODING

Data flows Flooding is one of the biggest risks to our built environment.

Andy Brierley explains how data analysis is helping sound out a solution

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limate change is making the UK a flood risk hotspot.

A study by 24 European scientific institutions, published in 2019, found changing weather patterns are making floods more frequent and severe.

The data showed the north and west of England and Scotland are being particularly hardest hit.

This trend has major implications for how we manage the built environment, and the sewers that serve it.

In towns and cities, sewer surcharging – which happens when water flows exceed system capacity – can cause severe local flooding. This can damage homes

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and businesses, disrupt transport and cause pollution.

Prolonged bursts of heavy rain, already associated with climate change, increase surcharging risks. At Lanes, an increasingly important focus of our work is to help water utility and commercial clients prevent this from happening.

Acoustic sewer inspection A strong focus for us is to make better use of data and digital technologies. An example is the use of acoustic sewer inspection. Working with our specialist service provider, Water Intelligence, we are now deploying a new system called Orca on behalf of Thames Water.

It uses sound waves to analyse the inside of sewer pipes, locating to within less than one metre defects or blockages. Using a traffic light system, it tells us with a high degree of accuracy if a sewer is in good condition (green), if there may be a problem that needs further investigation (amber), or if the pipe is defective (red).

The device can be operated by one person. We have used it to diagnose up to 5.5km of sewer pipe in one day, an astonishing achievement. A CCTV survey crew has two personnel and can manage 1km at most.

Orca is allowing us to rapidly locate sewers that present increased flood risks. More

precisely, though, it locates sewers that do not. With wastewater systems, the risk is that resources will be committed where they are not needed.

If Orca tells us a sewer is fit for purpose, we can move on to one that needs our attention. By not committing additional resources to surveying or ‘just-in-case’ cleaning, the potential operational and capital savings are very significant.

Orca is a key tool in a wider operational strategy that makes full use of Thames Water’s advanced sewer modelling capability.

Remote flood monitoring Maintenance data gathered by Lanes and Water Intelligence teams is continuously fed into a virtual model of strategically important sections of the region’s 108,000km network of sewers.

This predicts the location of blockage hotspots and allows us to deploy planned and reactive resources where they are needed most. The upshot, over the last three years, has been an extraordinary increase in planned

sewer maintenance with a key objective of mitigating flood risks.

By the end of March, our teams had achieved a target set

by Thames Water of cleaning 900km of sewers in one year – a 50 per cent increase on the previous year’s 600km target. It is equivalent to cleaning a sewer stretching 75km from London to Brighton every month.

Another area where digital technology is making a big difference is remote sensing, using sewer flood monitors. These are devices installed in manholes that trigger an alarm if water levels rise above a certain level.

Such devices have been used for quite a few years. In the past, they have been used as permanent fixtures across a network. However, the logistics and cost of maintaining large numbers of monitors at fixed points meant they often fell out of favour.

Agile flood prevention Our approach has been to incorporate remote sensing with a much more agile and responsive approach to flood prevention on

behalf of Thames Water.

Working with Water Intelligence, we can deploy more 60 flood monitors to keep a special watch on flooding hotspots for shorter periods. Aided by our enhanced understanding of the network from modelling, our app-based digital work platform FieldViewer, and Orca, this has become a powerful tool with none of the drawbacks described above.

The sensors can be installed in less than 15 minutes, so we do not need to get local authority permits or use traffic management, saving costs and improving productivity. If the alarm is triggered, our response is an emergency so, again, does not need a permit.

Using sensors has released operational teams from lift and look duties to check that manholes are not surcharging.

It allows us to monitor high risk sewers around the clock. We can build up our understanding of how they behave in varying conditions, so we only response if there is a real emergency.

This is important because responding effectively to a sewer

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FLOODING

flood often involves mobilising a lot of resource – CCTV survey teams, jet vac units, tankers, civils teams and specialist engineering support both from us and the client.

We can use the monitors during special projects to protect events, such as music festivals, sporting events – Royal Ascot and Wimbledon – and Royal Weddings, or sensitive wildlife sites during heavy rain.

Major flood cost savings An example was a programme to install multiple monitors across a 40-hectare site in Epping Forest, Essex. The initiative prevented more than 50 flood incidents and allowed work to solve the underlying problems to be brought forward.

We began our sewer monitoring programme in 2017.

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Since then, it has allowed us to prevent or significantly mitigate hundreds of flood incidents. This has enhanced environmental protection and allowed resource, both operational and capital, valued at many millions of pounds to be put to better use.

These kinds of initiatives, combined with the expertise and dedication of our personnel, such as our flooding and escalation team, are allowing us to transform our approach to sewer flooding. We are transitioning from firefighting problems to getting on top of them in planned way.

Other measures at our disposal include sewer lining. We have the very latest ultraviolet cured in place pipe (CIPP) technology that allows us to line pipes up to 1.6m in diameter. Pipes at risk of collapse, infiltration by tree

roots or snag blocking can be strengthened and smoothed, eliminating future flood risks.

Flood risk education We also work with clients and the wider public to reduce sewer flood risks. That involves continued public education about the damage caused by fatbergs – large blockages made up of cooking fats, oils and grease (FOG) mixed with millions of items like wipes that should never be disposed of down toilets.

Construction contractors can also contribute to sewer flooding risks by inadvertently, or sometimes deliberately, allowing building products to get into sewers. A notorious example in central London in 2019, discovered by one of our maintenance teams, resulted in 100 tonnes of piling concrete,

dubbed a concreteberg, blocking a main sewer.

Cutting corners with site investigations, such as CCTV drainage surveys and sewer tracing, is a risky and potentially costly business. Utility companies will always look to reclaim the cost of removing blockages. It always pays to seek advice from a reputable drainage specialist.

In 2019, Lanes devised and led a campaign called Unblocktober to highlight problems caused

by misuse of sewers – including river and marine pollution, plastic pollution and flooding. The campaign gained widespread support both in the UK and internationally.

Unblocktober returns in 2020.

We would welcome the support and involvement of construction and civil engineering companies that want to take a proactive approach to protecting sewers and the environment, and to reducing the risk of flooding.

Andy Brierley is Technical Director of water utilities and drainage specialist Lanes Group plc, the UK’s largest independent drainage and utility specialist. Key sectors are construction, rail, energy, highways, insurance, and commercial maintenance. Water utility companies it works for include Thames Water, Severn Trent, Yorkshire Water, Anglian Water and Scottish Water. Its services include sewer lining and professional engineering services.

For more information, please see:

www.lanesgroup.com

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COVID-19

Defying expectations How has the coronavirus pandemic affected the construction industry? By Caroline Gumble

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e are living through extraordinary times. Since March 2020, the UK has been under lockdown; office workers have been told to work from home wherever possible, and all but essential shops closed until just a few days ago [at time of writing].

For much of the construction industry, however, suspension is simply not an option. The scope of work undertaken by the industry means that many projects cannot simply stop, while many others already had the necessary procedures in place to continue working safely. Indeed, the construction industry was in

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Caroline Gumble

a better state to cope with the pandemic than most, thanks to its existing safety standards and practices and, in some instances, has been able to contribute its protective personal equipment (PPE) to the wider community in the fight against Covid-19. It has enabled its workers to continue working in safe ways – many of which were already present – and, where this was not possible, to go out into their communities and continue working hard.

Construction provides crucial facilities both during and beyond pandemics, from hospitals to social housing. Throughout the pandemic, the industry has shown an impressive degree of resilience and confidence that it can lead

the bounce-back of the economy when the time comes.

Covid-19 is certainly having an impact on the global construction industry. Build UK estimated that as many as 30 per cent of all construction workers were furloughed in April, with more than one in five (22 per cent) still off work in May1. The latest Construction Purchasing Managers Index rose from 8.2 in April to 28.9 in May – but any score below 50 represents a contraction in activity2. Projects are being delayed due to planning and inspection timetables and delays in the supply chain plus new measures are having to be adopted in to ensure the health and safety of the workforce.

need to be taken to ensure that workers can work safely and efficiently. The CIOB has called for major construction sites to be integrated into the Government’s ‘Test & Trace’ scheme with testing stations. The CIOB’s proposal – included in a submission to a consultation on Covid-19 recovery by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee – would enable the regular testing of workers without risking further transmission of the virus. Construction workers were among the first – alongside key workers – to gain access to athome coronavirus tests. With over 86 per cent of construction sites in England and Wales open, there is a significant opportunity to locate Covid-19 testing stations on – or in close proximity to – some of the UK’s major construction sites.

Proud achievements

However, the industry continues to defy expectations. Despite those daunting PMI numbers, high confidence in construction by its workers has remained consistent.

This confidence covers areas from their ability to continue to work safely and at a distance to belief that there will be a steady stream of work in the near future.

Construction has repeatedly topped charts from LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence Index during the pandemic. However, this confidence could still be fragile. Reduced economic activity usually results in less demand for new commercial or industrial projects, which will have a knockon effect on the construction industry. Travel restrictions will also impact the ability for both workers and product to move around, potentially causing issues in supply.

To ensure construction leads a sustainable recovery, there are a number of measures that

There is no doubt that the construction industry, like all industries, will have to adapt to new ways of working. A recent CIOB survey which looked at the financial, operational and personal impacts of Covid-19 on the global industry found that sites have been able to efficiently enact new measures to adhere to coronavirus distancing guidance, such as being able to distance during travel to work, extended washing facilities on site and enhanced cleaning of all site facilities.

Beyond the work being done on site, construction workers have been using the pandemic to do good in their communities.

The survey found that 44 per cent have volunteered to help people in their community, such as shopping for the elderly, 42 per cent have volunteered to support essential workers, and 36 per cent have donated personal protective equipment (PPE) to front-line health and social care workers. At the beginning of the pandemic, the CIOB urged the

industry to donate what PPE had become available during the pausing of projects to the NHS in the UK and healthcare providers in communities around the world.

The industry has even redirected its skills, helping to build vital stations such as the Nightingale Hospitals across the UK in record time and to a high standard.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a test of all industries, and the construction industry is proud of what has been achieved to date. Organisations across the sector have worked consistently with policy makers to enable the industry to work safely, and government understanding of the importance of the construction industry is evident through the fact that construction workers were designated key workers, receiving urgent testing before availability to the general public.

But the hard work continues. The construction sector is a vital part of all economies – making up 13 per cent of global GDP – and estimates suggest the economy could return anywhere between 2021 and 2023. While confidence remains high among construction workers for their future, we must work hard to make sure these key workers can move forward safely and securely to allow society to get back to a new normal.

1 https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/contractors/ wates/furloughed-workforce-drops-to-less-than-aquarter-22-05-2020/ 2 https://www.cips.org/supply-management/news/2020/june

Caroline Gumble is CEO of the Chartered Institute of Building. The Chartered Institute of Building is at the heart of a management and leadership career in the built environment.

It is the world’s largest and most influential professional body for construction management and leadership, with a Royal Charter to promote the science and practice of building and construction for the benefit of society since 1834.

For more information, please see

www.ciob.org

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PROFILE: TOTUS

A company that cares

Based in Britain’s south west, Totus Engineering Ltd (Totus) is a leading Mechanical Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) firm that continues to exceed expectations by putting its customers first

S

tanding out in a crowded market is never easy, but for Totus the recipe has always been simple. In a sector dominated by large corporations hobbled by bureaucracy and often detached from their clients, Totus is different; Totus is a company that cares.

“The business was formed in 2010 by three of its current Directors,” Totus Founder Jeremy Kent explains. “We were all keen to come out of a cumbersome and often bureaucratic PLC

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environment where topics like a reduction in carbon emissions were only soundbites, rather than an embedded desire. My fellow founders and I had a passion to build a business based not only on good engineering principles, but also on strong ethics when dealing with clients and our supply chain alike. At the time, we knew that as a small business setting out on its journey, we cared deeply about our employees and our clients and that was something that would ultimately help to grow the company organically to the size it has become today.”

A dynamic mechanical and electrical engineering company, Totus operates primarily in the education, health, defence, leisure, and commercial sectors. The firm’s diverse skill set enables it to deliver a whole range of projects that suit both buoyant and leaner times.

“Our typical project values range between £20,000 and £10 million,” Commercial Director Antony Martin says. “We don’t set project limits on value at the lower or upper end as we believe we shouldn’t be prescriptive to our clients if they believe their project is right for us.

“Each sector we operate in brings about its own challenges and rewards. For example, designing and installing engineering services within hospitals is complex work within stringent standards, but ultimately it allows our engineers to utilise all of their skills on something very rewarding. We also have sub-sectors such as heritage work within Grade I and Grade II listed buildings that give us the satisfaction that we are contributing to a historical building’s future. Great care and attention go into all of our work

and the satisfaction of completing a space for the end user which is practical, efficient, and exceeds their expectations is hugely rewarding for us.”

Though Totus has carried out almost £1.5 million of work in Africa for the Medical Research Council, the majority of the company’s projects have been based in the UK. With three offices in the south west of the country, and an understanding of the intricate variations in the local marketplace, Totus is currently playing a role in the two-year transformation of Truro’s Hall for Cornwall. Working with Kier, Totus was awarded a contract for the MEP installation, which involves a complete overhaul of all building services, including the technical aspect of working in partnership with specialist contractors to install new stage lighting, audio, and visual features. As the project enters its final stages, a detailed

commissioning process is due to commence in December 2020 before completion is expected in the spring of 2021.

“We are currently involved in a £10 million mixed development scheme for Kier on behalf of Royal London at Glassfields in Bristol,” Jeremy adds. “The project consists of 20 floors of high-end office accommodation and a 200 bed ‘Leonardo’ brand hotel for Jury’s Inn. In order to reduce carbon emissions by a further 20 per cent over and above current building regulation requirements, an innovative air source heat pump solution was designed for the hot water system to serve the hotel.”

Earlier in 2020, as the true impact of Covid-19 began to be felt across the UK, Totus was contacted by construction company BAM, who was in the midst of negotiations with Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust regarding the Nightingale

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PROFILE: TOTUS

Hospital in Exeter. Approached to help deliver the MEP installation, Jeremy and the Totus team were understandably proud to be offered the opportunity to support a development that would provide 116 beds within an Intensive Care Unit at a time of national emergency.

“We were immediately keen to be part of something special and that would leave a legacy for the people of the south west long after the pandemic was over,” Jeremy states. “We have extensive experience working with the NHS and are currently carrying out more than £3 million of work direct to the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust where, following the successful completion of Phase 1 during 2019, we were delighted to be awarded a contract for the upgrade of

surveying, structural, building, and fire protection elements. The same delivery model has been applied to other projects, differentiating us from our competitors and giving the end user one single point of contact.”

Different approach

two more theatres and generator works.

“In the role of Principal Contractor, we have considerable experience of managing not only the mechanical and electrical aspects of projects within live environments, but also the

Over the last five years, Totus has experienced significant growth and hopes to record a turnover of £25 million over the coming financial year. As the company prepares to celebrate its tenth year in business, Antony suggests that at the root of Totus’ success lies a history of repeat custom generated by the company’s commitment to its core philosophy.

“Consistency in quality and project delivery has been key to our client retention,” he declares.

“We care about our employees and we care about our clients and we care about the buildings that we work in. We have never been driven by turnover and our growth has purely come from repeat business and other new clients wanting to understand how Totus can bring something different, as our reputation for being non-confrontational and non-contractual is well recognised.

All we ask for is early engagement to enable us to give our clients the best advice in terms of cost, carbon emissions, and robustness of design. We prefer to work in an open book environment on a two-stage tendering process where quality, technical ability, experience, commitment to a zero-carbon environment and health and safety can be assessed alongside our commercial offering.

“Over the years, we have found that we can stay competitive because we have in-house delivery teams for IT and data cabling, air conditioning and ventilation ductwork, whereas most of our competitors outsource these processes. Our core principle of not being driven by bottom line

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margins – as is so often the case within larger organisations - gives us a competitive edge, enabling us to make decisions regarding our clients that may be driven by loyalty and support rather than just commercial matters.”

As the Government continues to ease Coronavirus regulations, Totus now has 95 per cent of its sites open and is progressing towards being fully operational.

Enquiries regarding future business are on the increase and Jeremy is confident that the market will remain buoyant, especially as it is clear that the country needs inward investment in particular within the health, manufacturing and pharmaceutical sectors following the pandemic and Britain’s departure from the European Union.

“We are finding most of our new enquiries to be of quality and within a tendering mechanism where sound engineering, innovation, and proof of carbon reduction can be scored alongside the commercial price,” Jeremy reveals. “Progress on-site still needs to be carefully planned to maintain social distancing and this has taken an extraordinary effort from our main contractors, our project managers and site teams who have endeavoured to maintain the health and wellbeing of everyone whilst still achieving the efficiencies needed for our projects to run smoothly and on time.”

provide considerable benefits to the programme and the quality of our ‘right first time’ approach, as well as allowing us to present more accurate information to our clients, consultants, and end users.”

Totus’ first ten years in business

have created a solid foundation from which the company can now grow and expand over the next decade. Though still relatively small in comparison to its competitors, the firm will continue to compete with much larger organisations because it does things differently.

“As a business, we are different because of our approach,” Antony reiterates. “Our consideration and the quality of our delivery to back it up, are really what set us apart.

We care about what we do. We wouldn’t be where we are in terms of our market position if that were not true.”

Totus www.totus.co.uk Services: Mechanical and electrical engineering services company

Right first time Against the odds, 2020 has also been a positive year for Totus in terms of investment. Over the last 12 months, the company has significantly enhanced its building information modelling (BIM) capabilities, as well as investing in hardware to run its Revit software that enables the firm to integrate MEP services from RIBA Stage 3 onwards.

“These are significant steps for Totus,” Jeremy remarks, “and they

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PROFILE: SHEET PILING LTD

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Top of the pile With a client list that includes the likes of Balfour Beatty, Costain, Laing O’Rourke, Morgan Sindall and High Speed 2 (HS2), Sheet Piling Ltd is a self-sufficient, solutions-based, steel sheet piling contractor ready to assist in the UK’s post-lockdown economic revival

S

ince the company was established in 1996, Preston-based firm Sheet Piling has undertaken over 2000 projects with values ranging from £50,000 to £15 million. A complete package provider capable of taking a project through design, concept development, estimation, construction, and delivery phases, Sheet Piling offers more than products; it offers innovative solutions.

“We are proud to be the industry’s leading advocate for

the use of steel sheet piles,” Managing Director Andrew Cotton declares. “Over the last 20 years, sheet piles have become a solution more readily employed in the industry and they are now being used extensively as permanent retaining structures for projects involving infrastructure widening and underground car parks. We’re not the only company that does this kind of work now, but we are industry leaders in promoting the application of sheet piles in this sort of environment.”

Sheet Piling’s continued success has been driven by a number of factors, including the company’s ability to self-perform its services thanks to a versatile workforce and extensive range of equipment.

Andrew believes that the firm has all the tools it requires to be able to deliver, in full, everything it promises its customers.

“A lot of our competitors don’t have the same breadth and depth of in-house expertise and technology that we have at Sheet Piling,” he notes. “It forces them to go to external suppliers, agencies,

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PROFILE: SHEET PILING LTD

and plant hire companies, whereas in true self-delivery style, we have everything under one roof.

It allows us to be more prompt, reactive and competitive. Our highly-skilled workforce, in particular, has been instrumental in building the company up. A lot of our staff have been here for 15 to 20 years and are an integral part of everything we do.

Sheet pile stocks “In terms of plant, alongside a wide range of conventional piling machinery, our flagship piece of equipment would be our long reach telescopic leader rig, for which we have an exclusivity agreement with the manufacturer.

It was designed in-house by our engineers and plant department, and it provides a significantly longer reach than traditional leader rigs, allowing for significant cost savings on enabling works and programme durations. On top of this, we are probably the only contractor in the UK regularly installing highly economical Z section sheet piles using a silent, vibration-free pressing method.”

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We have the advantage of using our own in-house plant department, an extensive range of equipment, an experienced inhouse delivery team, and applying all those USPs to provide a major client like Highways England with significant cost savings

Renowned for possessing the UK’s largest stock levels of steel sheet piles, Andrew’s firm benefits from an exclusive partnership with UAE-based distributor Emirates Steel, who regularly provides the company with thousands of tonnes of Z section sheet piles. Arcelor Mittal also works closely with Sheet Piling and the company’s strong supply agreements and high stock levels help to eliminate down time and improve flexibility in times of market unpredictability. The business recently received over 5000 tonnes of new material in preparation for increased activity over the next few months.

“We have over 10,000 tonnes of sheet pile stock available at any one time,” Andrew reveals. “I think that differentiates us from our competitors because our clients know we will provide timely delivery as we will never have supply chain issues or requirement delays, whatever the size of the project. Of course, we now stock vast quantities of Z section sheet piles, which are widely understood to be a stronger, more workable

alternative to the traditional U section pile.”

Bespoke solution Like most firms across the globe, Sheet Piling has been forced to adapt and adjust during the Covid-19 pandemic, however, the company has been able to remain operational at around 95 per cent of its full capacity throughout the majority of 2020.

As the Government continues to ease restrictions on businesses following the end of the UK’s Coronavirus lockdown period, Sheet Piling has resumed work on

a range of key projects, including the provision of extensive remedial solutions to a variety of dams and reservoirs for Thames Water.

“By installing sheet piles through an existing puddle clay core, we’ve been able to prevent seepage appearing through these existing reservoir dam structures, which, if left untreated, would potentially lead to catastrophic failure of the dam,” Andrew explains. “Basically, these are structures that have been classified by Thames Water, or the relevant water authority, as having

Watson & Hillhouse Sheet Piling UK are a long-standing client of Watson & Hillhouse with whom we have developed a strong and close working relationship over many years of supplying piling equipment both for hire and sale. They are an extremely professional and forwardthinking company with an excellent name in the industry. We wish them continued success and look forward to many more enjoyable years of working together.

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PROFILE: SHEET PILING LTD

team, and applying all those USPs to provide a major client like Highways England with significant cost savings.”

Self-sufficient More and more businesses across the UK and Ireland are discovering the advantages of utilising steel sheet piles to provide temporary or permanent lateral earth retention and excavation support.

A highly versatile material, sheet piles can be used for a wide variety of retaining wall solutions including cantilever, propped and anchored walls, permanent retaining walls, temporary cofferdams, and permanent basements. For Andrew, the

extremely high-risk defects.

Using our silent, vibration-free pile press we are able to mitigate any impact on the existing dam and allow the sheet piles to be installed as a way to prevent the seepage that is currently occurring. It’s quite a unique and bespoke solution devised through early contractor involvement, followed by a consortium-style development process where ideas are batted about to find the optimum installation solution. This particular remedial solution for dams and reservoirs has resulted in savings of millions of pounds for the relevant water authorities.”

As well as performing groundwork and cofferdam

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support as part of an extension to Fulham FC’s iconic Riverside Stand, Sheet Piling has recently been delivering significant infrastructure projects for Highways England. The most prominent of these developments is the M1 Junction 13 to 16 widening scheme, which, at a cost of around £8 million, is one of company’s largest value projects to date.

“Our ability to install sheet piles using a long reach machine has been a real benefit for these projects,” Andrew says. “We have the advantage of using our own in-house plant department, an extensive range of equipment, an experienced in-house delivery

benefits are endless.

“In terms of programme duration, cost, environmental impact, recyclability, reduction in site traffic, and reliable quality, sheet piles are the superior option,” he proclaims. “Due to the fact that sheet piles are a preformed element that is driven into the ground, they do not wholly rely on quality control measures in the field to repeatedly form them on-site. It makes for an increase in quality, plus it is significantly cheaper, quicker, and more sustainable than the alternatives.

I think this is why the road and rail infrastructure markets, in particular, are starting to use sheet piles as an alternative for gravity walls and retaining walls.”

Looking ahead, Sheet Piling is determined to assist in the UK’s economic recovery as the construction industry emerges from total lockdown and Tier 1 contractors begin to seek security in their supply chains.

As they enter the second half of a challenging year, Andrew and his team are acutely aware that, more than ever, the UK economy is dependent on a resilient and robust construction sector and that is why Sheet Piling has put every measure in place to ensure that its partners can trust in its

ability to supply top quality sheet pile solutions time after time.

“Though these plans are always subject to change, at the moment, it looks like the Government is planning to invest in road and rail infrastructure, environmental and defence schemes, utility developments, and these are all sectors where we are already aligned with the major Tier 1 contractors,” Andrew reports.

“We are also liaising with various consortiums regarding new smart motorway projects, as well as work on strategic roads and Network Rail sites.”

Later this year, Sheet Piling will take delivery of its latest £1.5 million investment in a bespoke long-reach leader rig to assist in the delivery of smart motorway and HS2 infrastructure projects.

Though 2020 may have started

slowly for the construction industry, Andrew is convinced that Sheet Piling will finish the year on a high.

“As I’ve said, we are highly self-sufficient, which puts us in the driver’s seat going forward,”

at risk of material shortages. It’s hard to say what the future holds, but we are optimistic that the company is well-placed to play a role in a rapid revamp of the construction industry.”

he states. “We’ve got all the piles in hand, we’ve got all our plant, a skilled workforce, no supply chain to rely on, and we will never be

Sheet Piling Ltd www.sheetpilinguk.com Services: Steel sheet piling contractor

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PROFILE: MATERN PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING

Building with heart Priding itself on a culture that puts the client first, Matern Professional Engineering has established a reputation for delivering exemplary services

I

ncorporated by Douglas P. Matern in 1984 in the State of Florida, over the following 36 years Matern Professional Engineering (Matern) has grown into a mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, technology, commissioning & energy engineering power house.

It has continued to expand its operations and today has offices in Maitland, Fort Myers, and Tampa, Florida; as well as being licensed in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina,

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Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

From its small beginnings, Matern now operates across multiple market sectors including aviation, corrections, central energy plants, community spaces, education (K12, private and higher), healthcare, hospitality, municipal/government, public safety, office spaces, retail and tenant build outs.

Over recent times Matern has found itself to be increasingly delivering projects for healthcare and federal contracts, and as Company President Ryan

Strandquest explained, this was facilitated in 2018, when the Federal Government awarded the business the GSA 03FAC Schedule for Commissioning and Energy related projects.

“This contract gives Federal Agencies throughout the world a direct avenue to purchase our services at a Federal contracted rate,” he said. “During the same timeframe, we became one of the select MEP Engineers to provide professional engineering services to AdventHealth in Central Florida.

Community involvement is also something we believe in strongly. We feel very fortunate to be able to give back to the community we work in and employees are encouraged to participate. Our involvement includes support of local foodbanks, education foundations, homeless & domestic violence shelters, United Cerebral Palsy, Boys & Girls Club, American Heart Association and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to name a few. Some staff have their own causes they gather support for ranging from school supply drives to 5k walks for their children’s school

This contract encompasses updating aging building systems on existing facilities. We have also had an influx of assisted living facilities and wellness center projects come to fruition.”

A perfect example of how Matern provides innovative and flexible services within a healthcare environment is the work it has undertaken at five large AdventHealth hospitals and medical facilities. “We completed 28 replacement projects of large custom chilled water air-

handling units (AHUs),” Ryan elaborated. “These replacements were performed at fully operating facilities requiring careful planning to minimize disruptions to patients and normal hospital operations.

In most cases, the design work included facilitating the use of one or more temporary chilled water AHUs located nearby, duplicating the piping, ductwork, filtration, controls, power, and life safety aspects. In most cases, the specialized replacement AHUs were built on site, not in

modules but piece-by-piece, to allow them to be brought into the limited space environment. The replacements included ten large rooftop units, where no two had similar roof structure, no original structural drawings were available and access to the existing structure for assessment was extremely limited. Our engineers were present for each of the early morning weekend unit removals, so that the existing structure could be quickly assessed, and structural modifications then be planned and implemented in real time, to minimize downtime and the use of temporary units.

“In addition to these AHU replacements, several other completed projects have included replacement of WAGD systems, central laundry facility expansion, and HVAC replacements in support facilities. We currently have more designs completed and others underway for the replacement of another 27 AHUs for AdventHealth; however, implementation of those replacements has been delayed by the Covid-19 crisis.”

Exciting project Having referred to the coronavirus pandemic, Ryan noted that Matern has ensured that over this time the business has continued to maintain relationships and develop project proposals as opportunities arise, while always prioritizing staff health. “The majority of our staff have been working remotely through technologies we had in place,” he added. “As restrictions lighten and cases improve, we are implementing shifted schedules for individuals who want to return.

We need to make sure there are not too many employees in the office at one time and have staff who have children so anyone who wishes to remain working remotely will be able to continue to do so for the time being.

“We notified our clients that we are operational and available to support them with whatever

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PROFILE: MATERN PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING

and non-secure areas. This project has a lot of moving parts and pieces affecting the design and construction efforts. Each design discipline for the project is from a different firm, thus requiring intense coordination primarily achieved through phasing and BIM. Close coordination has also been required with Orlando Utilities Commission, who provides the primary electrical backbone to the facility and Virgin Trains, who will have a transfer stop at the facility.”

Major savings

they need. We also applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to assist us with eight weeks of employee salaries. So, overall, our production remains consistent, but communication is the key with internal staff and clients.”

Matern is working on another significant project, which the Covid-19 crisis affected – the billion-dollar expansion at Orlando International Airport. “Progress has continued on the South Terminal Complex; however, it is continuing construction much differently,” Ryan noted. “Designers and contractors of all disciplines who were once located in construction trailers at the jobsite are now working remotely and adjusting to coordination with one another through technology we are fortunate to have available to the project team. Only necessary, hands-on construction workers are on site moving the job forward.”

He continued with more details about the contract: “At a total program cost of $4.27bn, this is the largest project Matern has worked on to date and one of the biggest in Florida in a decade.

The existing Orlando International Airport consists of a landside hub with four airside terminals housing the airplane departure

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and arrival gates. The number of passengers who travel in and out of Orlando has exceeded what the existing facility can comfortably handle, which enabled the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority to seek expansion approval. The new South Terminal began with a parking garage, intermodal transfer facility and an automated people mover (APM) facility. This helped alleviate the immediate need of parking for travellers.

Phases 1 and 1X include the new South Terminal Complex, which further expanded to the new parking garage, built-out the Virgin Train transfer facility; and designed/constructed an airside terminal with 16 airline gates and a landside terminal with both secure

Having revealed the nature of some of its significant contracts, Ryan highlighted two more that really stand out as favorites, thanks to their position as the first of their kind in Florida. “Just as an architect wants to see a legacy building constructed, engineers like to see their innovative solutions come to life,” he smiled.

The first was the installation of a Hybrid Geothermal Central Energy Plant at Volusia County Schools, which involved the use of innovative hybrid geothermal aquifer technology for a University High School’s heating and cooling system. This central energy plant (CEP) provides conditioning for not only the University High School campus, but also the adjacent middle school campus.

Ryan explained the savings that this project enabled for the client made it stand out. “The effective life cycle cost savings for using this system was $3,855,607 (with no power company rate escalation),” he said. One very valuable undertaking was the analysis of the annual and life cycle water savings from utilizing ground water in lieu of cooling towers. “We found that a traditional water cooled chiller plant, of this size, with cooling towers uses approximately 7,800,000 gallons of water a year due to evaporation. That is an annual cost of $37,800 or

$750,000+ in water bills over the 20-year life cycle of the plant.

The staggering fact is that this geothermal plant will save the District and the environment 157,464,000 gallons of water over the next two decades. The design of this system required special coordination with St. Johns Water Management District to ensure the aquifer would not be harmed by the system.”

The second project also involved energy – this time a Combined Heat & Power (CHP) Plant for the University of Central Florida. “The drawings for the engine that helps power this plant took up an entire cubicle in our office during the time of design and construction,” Ryan exclaimed. “The CHP Plant is powered by a clean burning, natural gas powered reciprocating engine that will generate approximately 5.5MW of electrical power for the University of Central Florida main campus. It includes an absorption chiller that captures waste engine heat and uses it to provide chilled water making the plant one of the most fuel-efficient cogeneration systems available today. The CHP Plant provides the University of Central Florida multiple benefits including a lower carbon footprint for equivalent power provided, reduced CO2 emissions, reduced electrical grid demand, lower cost of operation and expanded chilled water production to support campus growth.”

Having highlighted the very

been part of our design process for a number of years, and we also use Bluebeam, Bluebeam REVU and PlanGrid. Our firm is currently 90 percent paperless and has a proactive recycling program for all different type of materials.”

People power

includes ‘Teams’ for meetings and coordination. The current change to working with our own staff remotely (not just clients), has afforded us the ability to evaluate what we have been doing and recognize where we can change to be more effective. BIM has

From listening to Ryan discuss the operations at Matern, it is clear that the health and wellbeing of staff and maintaining a familyoriented culture is very important to the organization. He agreed that the business does not want to be ‘that company’ – one that treats employees and clients as ‘just a number’. “It is important to us that our staff not only enjoy working together, but also enjoy each other on a social level. To encourage this, we have Friday gatherings and a

technical and complicated nature of its work, it is no surprise to learn that Matern embraces the use of technology across its own operations, a strategy that has been paying dividends during the Covid-19 situation.

“We continuously look for ways to improve internal processes and in 2019, we upgraded our network servers and equipment in both conference rooms,” said Ryan, describing some recent expenditure. “We invested in Microsoft Office 365, which

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PROFILE: MATERN PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING

variety of different outside events including whirly ball and go-kart competitions; family picnics and every few years we have a family weekend getaway. In addition, we help celebrate birthdays, babies, marriages and other personal accomplishments. Our staff are the core of our business. We realize we would not have a firm without them. We also recognize people want to work with people they like.”

The Executive Committee still includes company founder and CEO Doug Matern; working alongside Ryan and the Sr. Vice Presidents; Adrian Baus and Judy D’Angelo. A ten-member Management Committee supports this team, helping to oversee projects in design and construction, assisting in workload projections, work force allocation, streamlining processes, client satisfaction, and mentoring younger staff. “Many of the members of the senior leadership have been with Matern for ten to 25 years,” said Ryan, “and our strong and consistent management team, dedicated experienced staff, and effective in-house quality control, offers us financial stability. As a client centric firm, we pride ourselves on a ‘Can Do’ spirit, quick responses, complete flexibility and pragmatic decision making in our endeavour to ‘engineer building systems that work for you’.”

Ryan believes that it is this overreaching positive attitude that sets Matern apart from the competition and keeps its clients returning time and again. “We have asked ourselves what makes us different and why would a client continuously choose to work with Matern? We believe the answer is our people – their commitment to quality and their problem-solving abilities. The attitude of ‘how can I help you succeed?’ starts from the top down, and it is the attitude when working internally with each other as well as externally with

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clients. We are a people-based business and without people to help, we have no business.

“Community involvement is also something we believe in strongly,” he continued, going further with Matern’s dedication to serving people. “We feel very fortunate to be able to give back to the community we work in and employees are encouraged to participate. Our involvement includes support of local foodbanks, education foundations, homeless & domestic violence shelters, United Cerebral Palsy, Boys & Girls Club, American Heart Association and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to name a few.

Some staff have their own causes they gather support for ranging from school supply drives to 5k walks for their children’s school.”

Working on the philosophy that understanding the needs of the staff and clients simultaneously helps the firm grow stronger, Matern is entering the next half of 2020 with a positive approach, despite the challenging times of the moment. “The Covid-19 pandemic is going to change the way we do business on a day-to-day basis and we are already starting to evaluate certain employees working from home part time or on a phased return to work schedule,” agreed Ryan, before summing up with words that embody the spirit of Matern, caring, indomitable and forward-thinking. “This pandemic has been horrendous and affected millions of people, but we must learn and grow from this experience,” he concluded.

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6/11/2020 11:45:16 AM

PROFILE: ONDULINE BUILDING PRODUCTS

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Future roofing With a new managing director and a dynamic new business strategy, Onduline in the UK is ready to write a new chapter in the history of the world’s leading manufacturer of bituminous corrugated roofing materials

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hen Onduline was founded in France in 1944 the company made a single product, a lightweight corrugated roofing system. But it proved so successful that it was very quickly adopted across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the rest of the world.

Today, Onduline is a truly global business, claiming 95 per cent of the world’s production of bitumen sheets, and an undisputed leader in its sector.

For Paul Duffy, Managing Director for the UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia, those 70 years and more of history are one of the main reasons the company continues to thrive today.

“Onduline is so well established,” he says. “If you’re in the building sector, it’s a brand you will have heard of. You may not know a lot about it, but you will certainly have heard of Onduline. I think that’s been one of the mainstays of our growth and it’s eased our expansion into different countries and different markets.”

Attracted by the company’s global brand, strong international presence, and proactive leadership team, Paul joined Onduline in August 2019, armed with over 20 years’ experience in the façade and fenestration industry.

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PROFILE: ONDULINE BUILDING PRODUCTS

A busy nine months later and the former sales director is well on his way to finalising a new team structure and sparking the business back on a trajectory of growth.

“In the relatively short time I’ve been here, the major steps forward we have made have been to do with our workforce,” Paul explains. “When I joined, we had several members of staff who had served us well but were approaching retirement; it was an aging company.

“So, one of the first and most important things to do was to make sure we made the correct appointments, and quickly.

We had to replace not only an outgoing skillset but also a significant knowledge base.

“Managing change and bringing in lots of fresh blood to a business model that hadn’t really grown for many years was tough, that was the biggest challenge. But I’m pleased to say it’s worked very, very well.

“We have managed to attract the right people with the right experience and a wide variety of skills. By the time I left my previous employer we had added over £20 million worth of turnover

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As Paul looks to lead the company into the future, he is aware that Onduline’s strongest asset remains its superior product.

Developed using 50 to 60 per cent recycled material, Onduline’s lightweight bitumen fibre roofing system is quick and easy to install, possesses excellent acoustic qualities, is easily ventilated, and highly cost-effective.

shops, stables, public buildings, agricultural buildings, it fits almost every market and suits a diverse range of architecture.

“We’ve recently benefited from investment in our global manufacturing plants too.

We’ve got ISO 9001 and 14001 certifications for quality and environmental management in all of them and we’ve added stateof-the-art machinery, including robotics.

“We’ve kept traditional methods and the traditional products with the recyclability, but we now have the ability to bring the product more quickly to market.”

Onduline recycles around 80,000 tonnes of material a year, and at 4066 grams of CO2 per square metre, the company boasts one of the industry’s best carbon footprints.

The high-performance treatment systems used during production emit no gas effluents or liquid and the lightweight nature of the roofing structure means that less energy is used in

“The product is so adaptable,” Paul asserts. “Worldwide applications include individual houses, collective housing, leisure resorts, restaurants,

production and transportation.

As consumers grow more environmentally aware, Paul believes the company’s strong green credentials are becoming a

Onduline is world-renowned but that has not been fully recognised in the UK. We aim to leverage that strength in the global brand to further enhance credibility

to the business, and I’m hoping that we’re currently laying the foundations to do the same here.”

Investment in quality

Paul Duffy

more significant differentiator for the business.

“I think latterly in Europe and the US, the ‘green’ story has definitely helped us,” he claims.

“We’ve been pushing our focus on sustainability in our social media and we find that, when we post about green issues, we get a lot of positive feedback.

rooms are often considered an ideal fit for the firm’s lightweight yet durable products. Specialist distributors and roofing

merchants are both direct markets for the business, but in 2020, there is one sector that dominates the landscape.

“I think for the consumer, choosing environmentally friendly solutions has become a conscious decision.

“Even if we look at the specialist and pro-builder market for under-roofing products, which are laid directly onto the roof deck below other roofing materials to provide an extra barrier against severe weather, sustainability is what architects and specifiers are asking about and honing in on.

“All in all, I think we have a really good story to tell with this product, because of its low carbon footprint and high recycled content.”

Though the company enjoys a number of routes to market, historically, Onduline’s core customers in the UK have been professional timber frame manufacturers, and buildings such as stables, sheds and garden

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PROFILE: ONDULINE BUILDING PRODUCTS

DIY a thriving sector “If we look at our global business, for example in Germany, 60 per cent of their activity is in DIY,” Paul states. “It’s a very similar size for us here in the UK because, again, Onduline is a brand that people have heard of and for the DIY enthusiast, it is the easiest roof you could fit yourself. It’s a market we supply directly to retailers such as Wickes and it has been incredibly buoyant over the past eight weeks, as you might imagine.”

As Paul alludes to, Covid-19 lockdown measures introduced by the Government have led to an increase in DIY activity over the past two months as consumers spend more time at home and in their gardens.

The surge in engagement, on top of what was already a thriving sector for Onduline, has been a positive story during a challenging time for businesses across the world.

Quick to adapt to the situation, as the pandemic began to impact the company’s ability to make sales in-person, Paul and his team stepped up the firm’s online presence, focusing in particular on using online platforms to promote the brand.

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“Through the acceleration of our online strategy, we’re really pushing towards the DIY sector and our own e-shop where consumers can buy a limited product range direct from us,” Paul declares. “It’s paid dividends during the current situation because people are spending time in their gardens doing jobs they’ve put off for the past few years and we’re seeing the benefit of that in our online sales.

“We hope that the online activity will be boosted by our new website too. Our current website has served a purpose for many years, but it doesn’t tell our full story. We’ve been working hard on a more professional site that I believe will appeal to the

videos, case studies on major projects, a host of detailed fixing guides and downloadable technical information.

It also includes a stockist locator and Roof Advisor, which suggests the best product choices in response to answers to a handful of questions.

different sectors we should be operating in.

“It’s not just about our core business, it’s about generating interest from specifiers, from building contractors and from a wider range of builder’s merchants. I really think it’s going to put us in a better position than

where we’ve been focusing most of our attention recently,” he reports.

“Onduline is world-renowned but that has not been fully recognised in the UK. We aim to leverage that strength in the global brand to further enhance credibility and provide assurance for customers who are new to us.

we are in currently.”

The new website features a specific, easy-to-navigate area for the Pro-market, with enhanced content including installation

“We’re embracing the Onduline brands used all over the world and we’re putting our products under their umbrellas. A good example is we’re going to market

Stronger brand identity Paul’s energy and passion for the business are clear in the way he talks about Onduline’s future. One challenge he is enjoying is a brand alignment exercise that will see the UK move closer in line with the way Onduline is marketed across Europe.

“There are so many benefits to aligning your brand and so that’s

with an under-roofing brand called ISOLINE, which is a range of high performing under-roofing systems.

“It has been used successfully in Europe for many, many years now. Under-roofing is a huge opportunity because we’ve got products that come with a 30year guarantee for waterproofing and yet they are pretty much unheard of in the UK. “The ISOLINE range of products allows for incredibly low pitches of around 12.5 degrees, it has BBA certification, and like all our products, it’s lightweight, costeffective, and quick to install. With the launch of ISOLINE we can now offer it to the right market, through the right channels, to the right audience.”

Onduline offers a wide range of roofing solutions including waterproof membranes, tile strips, and roof shingles.

Later this year, the firm will be adding a high-performing, opaque, chemically resistant product to its plastics range that

expectations. It’s well positioned price-wise and comes with all the benefits of the other products - it’s lightweight, it’s durable but this particular one is very aesthetically pleasing as well.”

The traditional roof shingle offering will be re-branded BARDOLINE in-line with the Onduline worldwide brand. A familiar brand with European customers, BARDOLINE comes with an AA fire rating – a feature Paul believes the company should advertise more proudly.

“It’s not something we’ve ever shouted about and if you look at the market in the UK, or even in Europe, there are not many companies that have an AA fire rating on roof shingles,” he reveals.

“The benefit of an AA rating is that you can use it on any building, including residential properties and those adjoined to residencies. It’s another area where aligning the brand could really benefit us.”

colleagues, past and present, who have helped him tackle an unpredictable yet highly productive first three quarters.

One member of staff Paul singles out is Ian MacDonald, a former roofer who moved into external sales with Onduline. After 30 years with the company, he retired at the end of May. “I’ve worked with Ian since August and he’s been a breath of fresh air,” Paul proclaims. “He adapted so quickly to everything that was going on and embraced the changes I made even though he knew he’d soon be retiring.

I would just like to thank him really. Thirty years of service is an incredible achievement and I want to wish him health and happiness for the future.”

With a sharper focus on key markets, some exciting product launches in the pipeline and a refreshed team, Onduline in the UK is set to reach new heights: shout it from the rooftops!

New heights

can be used for cladding and interior design.

“We expect it to be released around July,” Paul remarks, “and we will do so with very high

As Paul approaches a year in the job, he is pleased to have laid the groundwork of his longterm strategy for the company and is hugely grateful to the

Onduline Building Products www.onduline.co.uk Services: Manufacturer of lightweight corrugated roofing materials and waterproofing solutions 45

PROFILE: CASTLE BUILDING SERVICES

Castle – dedicated to quality Thanks to its reputation for excellence, Castle Building Services’ clients return again and again to access its specialist Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing services

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orking on a large or complicated building project requires the combination of multiple skills and trades, with one of the most important being the design of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems. Finding the right MEP provider is a critical element to the successful completion of any scheme, and this is where Castle Building Services (CBS) comes in.

As one of the UK’s leading, privately-owned specialist building services/mechanical and electrical solutions providers, CBS offers a full range of mechanical and electrical services extending from concept design, cost planning,

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construction and installation through to handover and beyond.

It has extensive experience in a range of sectors including commercial property, education, healthcare, leisure, industrial and bespoke residential, and as would be expected when working with an established company like CBS, dedication (and the right accreditations) to quality are top of the agenda.

Added to this are the vital ingredients of expert knowledge and unparalleled delivery, and these foundations keep CBS at the forefront of mechanical and electrical engineering.

Furthermore, thanks to its collaborative style, it has a true understanding of a client’s needs and those of the end

user. It also has the ability to be flexible in its approach, which helps it work in different areas as the markets dictate. Andrew Dawson, commercial director, explained that this is all about understanding the activity of each market sector. “We carefully review trends in the industry so that we can adapt our approach to suit,” he said. Having analysed how it was performing, CBS recognised that Commercial and Education sector projects were two of its particular strengths.

“They usually have completely different procurement routes,” noted Andrew, “with commercial generally being privately funded developments, and education generally being public funded frameworks.”

BIM Level 2 experience and off-site prefabrication and modularisation capabilities, which allow the business to take a holistic approach to each project it undertakes. “We have invested a lot in BIM and Revit, and we now have an in-house department of approximately 15 staff that carry out all of our 3D modelling in-house. This has given us much more control over how our models are drawn and engineered so that when we eventually start on site, they are engineered to match our installation strategy,” highlighted Andrew. Indeed, these BIM capabilities and the pre-construction strategy of being involved from stage one, really sets CBS apart from the competition.

Furthermore, with ever evolving building regulations, it

is increasingly important that projects receive an integrated team approach to achieve targets, such as Part L/Section 6 compliance and BREEAM. As an accredited low carbon consultant CBS can positively influence the building regulation compliance early in the process to alleviate risk of non-compliances further into the design & construction process. This can positively influence certain aspects of the design, including building fabric and MEP services, often resulting in commercial gains for the client.

Collaborative approach With regards to the commercial sector, CBS’ portfolio of office type projects speaks for itself.

By looking at one of CBS’ commercial projects, we can

Successful delivery While there may be a dichotomy between the two routes of procurement, CBS overcame any challenges this created, and has worked on multiple education frameworks across England and Scotland. “We have completed some high value, complex engineering projects within both higher education and schools’ projects, including the £10.6m Leeds City College Campus, the £10m Largs Academy in North Ayrshire, £13m Barony Campus in East Ayeshire and the £8m Queensferry High Schools in Edinburgh,” added Andrew.

Other elements crucial to CBS’ growing reputation for successful delivery of projects are its pre-construction service,

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PROFILE: CASTLE BUILDING SERVICES

demonstrate how all of the individual elements of the business come together to create successful delivery. For the Landmark scheme (client – Bowmer & Kirkland) CBS was awarded an M&E package of £8m, working on a 21,600m2 new multi-storey CAT A office facility in Manchester City centre. The project was to be rated BREEAM excellent and incorporated 3D modelling utilising Revit. This project was completed with a high level of floor sequencing and programming to enable the most efficient working arrangements between trades.

The City Centre locality meant a stringent delivery schedule was developed to control material shipments within tight timescales.

Landmark illustrates how CBS’ collaborative, non-confrontational approach delivered results – and as one would expect, this in turn is rewarded by a highly appreciative client base.

There are many aspects to CBS that set it apart and deliver maximum benefits to clients – its passion for early engagement, its well trained and expert team of staff, its adoption of innovation and collaboration, the embracing and utilisation of technology and the overreaching dedication to quality that unites them all.

But this doesn’t mean that it is content to rest on its laurels.

“Without a satisfied customer, we don’t have a business,” concluded Andrew. “So, we have to constantly challenge ourselves to continuously improve both our systems and procedures.”

Castle Building Services www.castlebs.co.uk Services: Leading M&E specialist

Continuous improvement “Much of our work is via repeat business and client satisfaction is key to ensuring that this is maintained,” Andrew confirmed.

“Good quality installations, delivered by a friendly team with an agreeable attitude, with a methodology that isn’t too contractual, includes fair and reasonable variation costing, and is competitive at the tender stage, all go a long way to provide us with many repeat/negotiated opportunities.”

Gripple Gripple is a globally recognised manufacturer, delivering innovative solutions to the construction, civil engineering and agricultural markets.

With emphasis on delivering inimitable labour savings, health and safety benefits and reductions in embodied CO2, Gripple manufactures a wide range of suspension systems for MEP services that provide a faster, safer and more cost-effective alternative to traditional methods. Its in-house UK technical team has achieved ISO 19650-2 BIM certification, allowing collaboration with contractors to plan and deliver projects more efficiently.

A 100 per cent employee-owned company, Gripple’s unique approach to business is characterised by investment in people, innovation and sustainable growth.

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