46 MODERN METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION
Making school work easier
THE PARTICULAR DEMANDS OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE EDUCATIONAL SECTOR REQUIRE MAXIMUM SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY. ALAN GREEN, SALES DIRECTOR AT BALUSTRADE MANUFACTURER NEACO, EXPLAINS HOW THESE QUALITIES CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION.
W
hether new build or refurbishment, the familiar pressures which contractors face are intensified when a development involves a school or college. Schemes of all types are subject to tight deadlines and invariably fall behind schedule, but there is no such flexibility with educational establishments: it is ideal, and often essential, to carry out work within restricted holiday periods, and term time obviously cannot be shifted to accommodate delayed handovers.
Minimising construction time and on-site activity is therefore a high priority. With this in mind, pre-fabricated building systems offer a clear advantage and represent an even more practical option when designed for easy assembly for a quick installation on site. Angles and lengths should be calculated at the earliest possible stage within in-house design and manufacturing facilities, taking much of the workload out of the installer’s hands.
On-site disruption is similarly kept to a minimum. As so much of the work is completed off-site, the impact to an existing site and risk of accruing fabric damage is significantly lower. In comparison to traditional construction methods, there is a reduction in noise and dust, whilst pre-measured components eliminate waste surplus and off-cuts at the supply stage. At Neaco, we also apply the finish prior to delivery - our aluminium handrails and balustrade are nylon powder coated in a wide choice of solid or metallic colours, so no painting is required.
Health and safety is, of course, especially important in school refurbishment when a site's proximity to children is a critical consideration in cases where contractors cannot avoid scheduling work during school hours. It is therefore preferable to use building systems with standardised connecting joints and fixtures that avoid messy, noisy and hazardous building practices like welding. The risk of accidents and ill health is minimised within clean, well ordered sites and reduced use of vehicles. Precision engineered modular systems also offer a reliable, uniform quality because they are rigorously monitored in the controlled environment of the factory, guaranteeing a high standard of workmanship and avoiding snagging or callbacks.
All of these benefits are limited if, in the refurbishment of a school building, a pre- fabricated system is unable to adapt to the existing fabric, but today’s most sophisticated modular products have the versatility to meet these demands with advanced forming technology and a range of components vast
enough to suit the most unusual design permutations, awkward layouts and structurally restrictive environments.
Once complete, any construction work must meet the peculiar demands of a school, especially one which serves to educate younger age groups. As any parent will acknowledge, children have a tendency to damage less sturdy objects, whether accidentally or otherwise! Durability is therefore a key quality and building product manufacturers should ideally eliminate or at least minimise the need for external fixtures which can be loosened. Neaco have done our homework in this respect by designing internal split-sleeve ferrules to connect the components of our balustrade systems, resulting in smooth, clean lines that are safe and comfortable to the touch without external screws that can be tampered with by children. A nylon powder coating also forms a warm-to-touch, non-chip surface which provides the hard-wearing qualities required to cope with the intense traffic of day-to-day life in a school or college.
In many ways the demands of educational construction mirror those of sustainable development: achieving optimum efficiency and durability whilst minimising waste, noise, disruption, energy consumption and maintenance are shared objectives – all of which are assisted by off-site construction. That’s why a well designed pre-fabricated building system will always be a class above more traditional methods.
www.neaco.co.uk Neaco
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