BSEE
With a wave of new regulaon in the wake of the Hacki Report, and a renewed Westminister led drive to accelerate modernisaon across the construcon sector, this year was going to be one of innovaon and transformaon but nobody could have predicted how tough the challenges would become.
contractors to reassess how they design and deliver projects. There has been some excellent examples of success as industry bodies, construction firms and contractors adapt to the ‘new normal’. Modern methods of construction were evident with the recent Nightingale hospitals, in which contractors demonstrated that increased collaboration, the use of digital solutions and offsite construction methods to repurpose an existing site can effectively deliver projects within tight timeframes.
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As companies have had to adapt during the pandemic there has been a dramatic increase in innovation, not only onsite but throughout the supply chain. Many contractors will need to modernise and implement digital and smart construction methods at an accelerated pace to meet challenges such as social distancing, reduced workforce on site, and the need to maximise available working space when on-site.
The first challenge the construction industry had to overcome, after making the decision whether to close sites or remain open, was the implementation of social distancing and more specifically the guidelines introduced by the Construction Leadership Council.
Adam Cafer, Technical Services Manager, Polypipe Building Services
The national and devolved governments have introduced Site Operating Procedures which have required a major rethink in some areas. Constructors, developers and parts of the supply chain have needed to make sure they are on top of the contract provisions and the new guidelines. The Health and Safety Executive announcing that they will be increasing their spot checks to make sure guidelines are followed will put contractors under closer scrutiny.
To ensure contractors can safely and effectively continue working, elements within the supply chain needed to focus on service as well as the products delivered. Mechanical engineering, electrical and environmental contractors should continue to challenge suppliers to see how they can help reduce risk to their people.
s the industry looks to rebound from the effects of a global pandemic, there is an even more urgent need
for manufacturers and
INDUSTRY COMMENT
Emerging methods of manufacturing will help sector overcome new challenges
Anything suppliers can introduce to help contractors maintain social distancing without losing productivity will be welcomed – especially for those who conduct much of their work in more confined spaces of building plant rooms.
Contractors will be looking to innovate where possible to allow activities to be completed by as few people as possible. Suppliers could help by reviewing installation of materials and use offsite solutions to minimise the number of people having to install on site. Polypipe Building Services is continuing to support contractors returning to site through the use of its fabrication service, Polypipe Advantage.
Polypipe Advantage is a design, fabrication, delivery, technical and customer support service for the commercial sector that provides specialist contractors with more. Complete drainage and water supply systems are designed, manufactured and delivered to site, ready to install, all managed through a team of technical specialists Through the Advantage service M&E contractors can commission the use of the revolutionary MecFlow water supply system which can save up to three quarters of site time for contractors.
MecFlow is a multi-layer, WRAS- approved PPR pipe, that has been designed for strength and durability, while holding a fire classification rating of B–s1, d0 making it suitable for multi-occupancy and tall building projects.
The unique CLICKWELD technology that combines all the benefits of an electrofusion weld with clip connections, removing the need for pre-weld clamping making it faster to install. The use of CLICKWELD clip connections removes the need for clamping and allows for
repositioning before the final welding is applied.
What sets the system apart from existing solutions is that MecFlow components are supplied to the project site, when required, as a complete kit for quick assembly and connected in position. Early projects and tests using MecFlow show that the system can save M&E contractors and project managers up to 75% of on-site install time when compared to traditional installation methods. This gives site managers a greater range of options when looking minimise risks of poor social distancing on site as they will be able to reduce time required for contractors to complete their work. To create further valuable space to assist with proximity measures, sites will need to reduce the footprint of stored materials and turn to the supply chain to deliver just in time. To aid with this, Polypipe Advantage delivers offsite fabricated Terrain drainage stacks and MecFlow water supply kits just in time, floor by floor. Stillages of the lightweight material can be craned to each level and installation can be carried out by one person. Specialist on-site teams are given access to dedicated Polypipe Advantage project managers, who co-ordinate an exact delivery schedule for the project.
This means that the manufactured drainage stacks or water supply kits only reach site when they are
36 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER SEPTEMBER 2020
required, ensuring they can be installed straight away, with no need for additional on-site storage. This provides a way to maintain project progress under stricter site safety and COVID-safe restrictions.
At a moment of great complexity for the industry, the Polypipe Advantage service helps to keep it simple, and offers an established solution and system to support contractors get back to work and keep their projects on time and on track.
Moving into the future, services such as Polypipe Advantage, and systems such as MecFlow will provide the foundation for the changing face of construction and the way we build infrastructure, tall buildings and new homes.
Adam Cafer is Polypipe Building Services’ Technical Manager. He specialises in drainage in tall buildings, offsite fabrication, bespoke drainage designs and project management for commercial and public projects. Cafer joined Building Services from Polypipe Civils where he specialised in rainwater harvesting and UFH.
Before joining the Polypipe family, eight years ago, he was a CAD technician for Faber Maunsell which is now part of AECOM. He has an HNC in Civil Engineering from Southbank University, is IOSH trained and recently become a mental health first aid champion. Cafer says his biggest
achievement so far was running the technical and fabrication teams and being part of the development and expansion of the fabrication team in line with the offsite manufacturing developments in the industry.
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