Tradesmen floored by a high-rise office block? Think again.
On a multi-storey office block, the programme is coming unstuck because the trades have to wait too long for deliveries on the upper floors. Any ideas? BREAK IT DOWN:
Think about what sort of problem it is and the site constraints you face. Is it a supplier problem, a site logistics problem, or a site management problem? First let’s look at it as a supplier problem. Maybe the materials are not arriving when they should be. No matter what you do on site, if the materials are not available then you must solve this core problem. PREPARATION
It pays to prepare and agree a delivery schedule with your suppliers during the pre-start negotiation stage - assuming you have such a luxury! Constant review of the programme during construction and communications with suppliers to review delivery of materials will hopefully avoid problems of warehouses filling up if the programme slips. That moves us into the area of supply chain management, and you need good relationships with suppliers. If they’re not up for that level of discussion, you may need to find alternatives or approach the design team regarding changing the material specification to a product that can be sourced locally. LATERAL THINKING
If it’s a site logistics issue, there are a variety of ways to relieve pressure on hoist traffic. Ask yourself a number of questions. Do we need a larger hoist? Do we need an additional hoist on the other side of the building? Furthermore, don’t forget to consider the effect on site traffic. Are we using the hoist to get rid of debris? If so, could we use chutes just as easily? Is there a permanent lift in the structure? If so, have a word with the lift supplier. It could be used as a materials lift if you undertake to protect the interior finishing, or leave the interior unfinished until you’re done. If this option is feasible, check the loads you will be subjecting the lift to. All these suggestions are about thinking laterally about how to get goods and people up and down. In addition, you will need to consider whether this is a site management issue? On a project of the size implied in this problem, I would recommend a storeman to deal with deliveries, storage and distribution to the place of work. If the tender does not stretch to this, it is at the very least advisable to have a competent foreman take control. COST COUNTS
This would also give the trades a single, knowledgeable point of contact. Also, you may wish to consider dedicating particular plant to ferry goods from the store to the hoist. That way you’re not waiting around for a spare JCB to deliver the pallet of bricks. Ultimately (and this has been used at high-profile projects such as Broadgate) consider assigning dedicated teams of labourers, perhaps working an evening shift, to distribute everything the tradesmen need to do the job before they arrive, including safety equipment. This is costly, but the reward of a smooth programme may be worth it.KEEP THE FOCUS:
Determine the best way to distribute materials at all levels by completing a work study. Consider travel distances from lorry offload points to hoist position and hoist position to material installation position, then decide on the most suitable type of plant to deal with transportation. The scheduling of material deliveries is also crucial, so the hoist can be allowed sufficient time to get the materials to the desired location, return to ground level and pick up another load. Good scheduling will prevent a build up of several deliveries at once, thereby easing site congestion. If the hoist is a combined passenger and material hoist, you must time material deliveries and material distribution around busy passenger transportation periods such as first starts, breaks and day ends. Also ensure the loading decks at each floor are of sufficient size to allow truck turning circles and can store rubbish from the floors. ON-SITE SOLUTIONS
We have just finished a 12-storey office block in Croydon, Surrey, and the job might have been seriously delayed had we not paid extra attention to the hoist. With a floor area of approximately 2.5m by 1.2m, the cage was just small enough to make it difficult to lift the bigger mechanical and electrical (M&E) pipes. The cage had a hatch but we were concerned about the materials catching on something as the hoist travelled up and down the mast. Then my site manager came up with the idea of putting a top-hat section on the hoist - a kind of roof extension - so that the hatch opened up into another compartment. We simply had to ring up the supplier and order it, and it took an hour to install. It is not something normally offered, and is only suitable in certain situations. However, after approving the risk assessment, it made a big difference - we could put the pipe sections in the hoist on their ends and get them to the necessary floors easily. Otherwise we would have had to cut them into smaller lengths, which would have increased the installation time as the tradesmen messed about with extra fittings and joints. BIG difference
It sounds like such a trivial detail, but it made life much easier for the subcontractors, from the M&E guys to the carpet guys with their 3m-plus tall rolls. The hoist roof extension cost us £585 for the installation and £8 a week for hire. It paid for itself because we saved 10% on the M&E installation time. In addition - and this is possibly the most interesting part - we paid extra for a bell system which allowed us to use it like an elevator. I know it sounds crazy, but if you don’t have this simple system, you’ve got to lean over the floor and shout down to send the hoist up, or radio down. That bell system cost an extra £940 installation fee plus £18 a week hire. I really can’t believe it doesn’t come as standard.ALL IN THE DETAILS:
Initially, the root cause of the problem needs to be identified quickly. The project manager (PM) should be aware of it first hand - or through an early warning process set up in site meetings. Critically, in the traditional format, a time arises when what appears to be resourcing issue is going to begin affecting the client. While it is vital that you exercise professional judgement in your reporting procedures, you must also ensure that the client is well informed of any looming problems. In my experience, surprises can often lead to blame. Where the client has failed to provide materials designated in the contract, then you can expect a rash of claims relating to extension of time and disruption. So it is crucial that the PM considers the critical paths on any programmes that are affected and see if work sections can be re-scheduled to allow for the impeded flow of materials. Up the line, the client may need constant encourage-ment to sort out their problems. Further down the chain, the subcontractors will need your assistance to re-plan their works accordingly. EVEN FLOW
Remember to get revised programmes demonstrating the new construction flow. Otherwise, we could be looking at a problem with a supplier, or a contractor’s inability to source materials. In my experience it always causes problems - or at the very least bad feeling on site - when a failing contractor or supplier is cut out of the loop when the main contractor goes directly to another source. Try to avoid this negative approach by keeping people in the loop, but simultaneously assisting them to rectify the problem. If material prices have risen since tender, then that is the risk taken by the supplier or contractor involved. It is con-sequently your responsibility to remind the supplier of his obligations to source the required items. Furthermore, be very careful of sourcing alternative materials to those specified because of the potential shift of liability for their selection. Ensure you first obtain approval from the design team or original specifier. PAPERWORK PAYS
On occasions where there is a problem with the main contractors own lifting equipment, then the contractors may have to initiate immediate measures to rectify the problem. On the other hand, if you run a cost benefit analysis on buying in some new equipment, you will almost certainly find it is cheaper than paying all the disruption claims from the subcontractors and facing potential damages for a late completion. But make absolutely sure - no matter which scenario applies - that your own paperwork is in order. If the delays are caused by nominated subcontractors or suppliers, then let the contract administrator know immediately of any potential delay. There is an old saying: ‘The devil is in the detail’. So is deliverance.
BREAK IT DOWN:
Rod McLennan, ICIOB, is quality and development manager for Chap Construction (Aberdeen) Limited
It pays to prepare and agree a delivery schedule with your suppliers during the pre-start negotiation stage - assuming you have such a luxury! Constant review of the programme during construction and communications with suppliers to review delivery of materials will hopefully avoid problems of warehouses filling up if the programme slips. That moves us into the area of supply chain management, and you need good relationships with suppliers. If they’re not up for that level of discussion, you may need to find alternatives or approach the design team regarding changing the material specification to a product that can be sourced locally. LATERAL THINKING
If it’s a site logistics issue, there are a variety of ways to relieve pressure on hoist traffic. Ask yourself a number of questions. Do we need a larger hoist? Do we need an additional hoist on the other side of the building? Furthermore, don’t forget to consider the effect on site traffic. Are we using the hoist to get rid of debris? If so, could we use chutes just as easily? Is there a permanent lift in the structure? If so, have a word with the lift supplier. It could be used as a materials lift if you undertake to protect the interior finishing, or leave the interior unfinished until you’re done. If this option is feasible, check the loads you will be subjecting the lift to. All these suggestions are about thinking laterally about how to get goods and people up and down. In addition, you will need to consider whether this is a site management issue? On a project of the size implied in this problem, I would recommend a storeman to deal with deliveries, storage and distribution to the place of work. If the tender does not stretch to this, it is at the very least advisable to have a competent foreman take control. COST COUNTS
This would also give the trades a single, knowledgeable point of contact. Also, you may wish to consider dedicating particular plant to ferry goods from the store to the hoist. That way you’re not waiting around for a spare JCB to deliver the pallet of bricks. Ultimately (and this has been used at high-profile projects such as Broadgate) consider assigning dedicated teams of labourers, perhaps working an evening shift, to distribute everything the tradesmen need to do the job before they arrive, including safety equipment. This is costly, but the reward of a smooth programme may be worth it.
KEEP THE FOCUS:
Glenn Williams, MCIOB MBEng, is a project manager with contractor Haymills in the London region
We have just finished a 12-storey office block in Croydon, Surrey, and the job might have been seriously delayed had we not paid extra attention to the hoist. With a floor area of approximately 2.5m by 1.2m, the cage was just small enough to make it difficult to lift the bigger mechanical and electrical (M&E) pipes. The cage had a hatch but we were concerned about the materials catching on something as the hoist travelled up and down the mast. Then my site manager came up with the idea of putting a top-hat section on the hoist - a kind of roof extension - so that the hatch opened up into another compartment. We simply had to ring up the supplier and order it, and it took an hour to install. It is not something normally offered, and is only suitable in certain situations. However, after approving the risk assessment, it made a big difference - we could put the pipe sections in the hoist on their ends and get them to the necessary floors easily. Otherwise we would have had to cut them into smaller lengths, which would have increased the installation time as the tradesmen messed about with extra fittings and joints. BIG difference
It sounds like such a trivial detail, but it made life much easier for the subcontractors, from the M&E guys to the carpet guys with their 3m-plus tall rolls. The hoist roof extension cost us £585 for the installation and £8 a week for hire. It paid for itself because we saved 10% on the M&E installation time. In addition - and this is possibly the most interesting part - we paid extra for a bell system which allowed us to use it like an elevator. I know it sounds crazy, but if you don’t have this simple system, you’ve got to lean over the floor and shout down to send the hoist up, or radio down. That bell system cost an extra £940 installation fee plus £18 a week hire. I really can’t believe it doesn’t come as standard.
ALL IN THE DETAILS:
Peter Gracia is a contracts consultant and trainer providing in-house training and contracts advice
Remember to get revised programmes demonstrating the new construction flow. Otherwise, we could be looking at a problem with a supplier, or a contractor’s inability to source materials. In my experience it always causes problems - or at the very least bad feeling on site - when a failing contractor or supplier is cut out of the loop when the main contractor goes directly to another source. Try to avoid this negative approach by keeping people in the loop, but simultaneously assisting them to rectify the problem. If material prices have risen since tender, then that is the risk taken by the supplier or contractor involved. It is con-sequently your responsibility to remind the supplier of his obligations to source the required items. Furthermore, be very careful of sourcing alternative materials to those specified because of the potential shift of liability for their selection. Ensure you first obtain approval from the design team or original specifier. PAPERWORK PAYS
On occasions where there is a problem with the main contractors own lifting equipment, then the contractors may have to initiate immediate measures to rectify the problem. On the other hand, if you run a cost benefit analysis on buying in some new equipment, you will almost certainly find it is cheaper than paying all the disruption claims from the subcontractors and facing potential damages for a late completion. But make absolutely sure - no matter which scenario applies - that your own paperwork is in order. If the delays are caused by nominated subcontractors or suppliers, then let the contract administrator know immediately of any potential delay. There is an old saying: ‘The devil is in the detail’. So is deliverance.
Source
Construction Manager
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