Table Of ContentBuildability:
successful construction
from concept to completion
Trevor M. Holroyd
I
'L1
ThomasTelford
Published by Thomas Telford Publishing, Thomas Telford Ltd, 1 Heron Quay, London,
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First published 2003
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 0 727 73207 1
@ T. M. Holroyd and Thomas Telford Limited, 2003
Throughout the book the personal pronouns ’he’, ‘his’, etc. are used when referring to ’the
client’, ’the designer’, etc. for reasons of readability. Clearly, it is quite possible these
hypothetical characters may be female in ’real-life’ situations, so readers should consider
these pronouns to be grammatically neuter in gender, rather than masculine.
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Preface
For a number of years the construction industry has devoted large
amounts of time and effort on the study and understanding of the various
conditions of contract the industry uses.
At the same time we seem to have devoted relatively little time to the
learning of the practical skills which are needed to carry out the work. We
now lack adequate numbers of craftsmen and experienced supervisors
and there is a question to be asked of the adequacy of the practical skills of
our engineering staff.
Yet the types of contract which go well and leave a satisfied client and
contractor tend to be those which are:
0 properly planned, programmed and designed
buildable and easy to construct in a safe manner.
0
The conditions of contract for such jobs require little scrutiny as mutual
success is assured. For success we might consider:
0 the reports by Sir Michael Latham (1994) and Sir John Egan (1998)
which give guidance on how improvements can be made,
particularly insofar as team working and new techniques are
concerned
0 the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994
and other regulations, properly applied, can bring substantial
improvement, not just to safety, but to the construction process
itself
0 practical skills, knowing how to carry out tasks the easy way as
opposed to the hard way - this needs to be included in a project
from the onset. If it is not, then costs will tend to increase, safety
erode, programmes extend and we will have problems.
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The last point is why this book has been written. It is not intended to be
a volume of high learning, or to cover every construction activity like an
encyclopaedia. Rather, it is a list of simple points that have been put
forward by a variety of experienced people in the belief that, if they are
implemented, the construction work will be easier.
If we could use feedback throughout the supply chain, noting the
problems of those at the point of work and then trying to eliminate those
problems in future, then we could make real progress.
Author’s note
The information in this book draws on my experience and the experience
of colleagues that I have worked with over the years, and this is what is
inferred by the use of ‘we’ and ’our’ in the text.
Trevor M. Holroyd
X
Contents
1. The state of the industry 1
Constructing the feum - The Latham Report 2
Contract strategy, 2
The design process, 3
The contract choice for clients, 5
Selection and tendering procedures, 6
Issues which determine performance, 8
Teamwork on site, 11
Dispute resolution, 13
Rethinking construction - The Egan Report 14
The need to improve, 15
Client dissatisfaction, 16
The ambition for UK construction, 17
The scope for improvement, 19
Improving the project process, 21
Repeated processes, 21
An integrated project process, 22
Focus on the end product, 22
Design for construction and use, 32
Standardisation, 35
Technology as a tool, 35
Better regulation, 36
Long-term relationships, 36
Reduced reliance on tendering, 38
Summary 39
2. The health and safety issues 43
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 43
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Buildability
The Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations 1992 44
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992 45
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 46
Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 47
Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment)
Regulations 1992 47
Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 47
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 50
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 56
Lifting items that are too heavy 65
Lifting or working in an unsuitable manner 66
Deafness and ear problems 67
3. The business requirement 69
Successful construction management 69
Allocation of risk, 70
Contract strategy and risk assessment 71
The brief 71
Procurement for large process/power plant projects 76
The contract choice for clients 77
Designs and drawings 79
Bill of Quantities 82
Specifications 88
From client to end user - and back again 90
Client, 90
Architect/designer, 95
The main contractor, 97
Sub-contractors (including specialists), 99
Direct labour - that employed directly by the
main contractor, 100
Feedback, 101
Sensible targets and sensible intentions 103
Effective resourcing 105
Labour, 105
Plant equipment and tools, 107
Materials, 111
Sub-contractors, 112
Successful construction 114
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Contents
4. Good practice in the construction process 119
Pre-contract work 119
Tender handover, 119
Project start-up meeting, 120
Other preparations, 121
Site establishment, 122
Temporary works, 124
Demolition 124
At tender stage, 125
The demolition survey, 125
Preferred method of working, 125
Method statement, 126
Public protection, 126
Preferred sequence of demolition, 126
Excavation 128
Confined spaces 130
Concreting 131
Preparation for concrete, 132
The concrete mix, 132
Placing of concrete, 133
Concrete curing, 134
Concrete additives, 135
Completion of concreting, 135
Formwork 136
Release agents, 136
Construction joints, 136
Fixing formwork, 137
Cleaning formwork, 138
Grout checks, 138
The wall or column kicker, 138
Checking formwork, 139
Timber formwork, 139
Typical problems, 140
Steel formwork, 140
Reinforcement 144
Scaffolding 147
Regulation 5 - safe places of work, 147
Regulations 6 and 7 - precautions against falls, 147
Regulation 8 - falling objects, 148
Effective scaffold erection, 148
Dismantling scaffolding, 150
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Brickwork 151
Problems with brickwork, 152
Trenches and pipelaying 153
Safety checklist, 154
Pipelaying, 157
Backfilling of trenches, 157
Dealing with existing flows (mains), 158
Erection of structures 159
5. Thefuture 161
Education and training 161
Research and development 162
From idea to reality 165
Consultants 167
Bridges 169
Road construction 169
Treatment plants 170
171
Concrete box reservoirs
Drainage 172
River and marine works 17 2
17 3
General construction
Engineering services 174
Mechanical and electrical installations 17 4
Shopping malls, 174
Business parks and premises, 175
Purchasing, 175
References 177
Index 181
xiv
Chapter 1
The state of the industry
The construction industry is a major employer of people and a key
element in the gross domestic product (GDP) of the UK. The employed
total some 1.4 million and the industry turnover of 2000 is some €60 billion
or about 10% of the GDP. As the provider of the national infrastructure
fabric - the buildings we work in - and homes we live in, it occupies a
key position in the national economy.
A vibrant economy would logically support a highly modernised
industry, staffed by well-qualified and trained people who are equipped
with the best possible tools to do the job. The industry should turn out
quality products at reasonable cost and on time. The workforce should be
well paid and highly motivated. The engineers and managers who control
the industry should be respected and reasonably rewarded.
In fact, the reverse of this is perhaps nearer the truth. Some areas of the
industry do produce high-quality work on time and some managers and
workers are well paid. There is, however, a suggestion that the industry
could and should be more efficient, the workforce should be better
trained, management more effective and the final product - the
infrastructure around us - should be of a higher quality, more durable
and represent better value for money.
These are sweeping statements to make. While we may not fully agree
with the words used, few would disagree with the statement that the
industry has a poor image as a whole, and the many people who work
extremely hard within it will often feel that their efforts are poorly
rewarded financially and that they receive little professional respect from
the nation as a whole.
Successiveg overnments have been concerned by this performance and
major reports have been commissioned to study the problem. These were,
notably, the Lathan Report (1994) and the Egan Report (1998).
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Constructing the team - The Latham Report
Constructing the team by Sir Michael Latham was published in July 1994.
It is a governmental and industry review of the methods of procurement
and the contractual arrangements, which apply in the UK construction
industry. The report principally concerns itself with the performance of
the industry, increasing efficiency, operating on a basis of fairness to those
contributing to construction work, and encouraging teamwork to get best
results.
The report identifies clients as the driving force for the implementation
of its findings. It states that clients have a responsibility to commission
projects of which we could be proud. They should promote good design
and consider carefully energy and maintenance costs as well as
appearance and effective use of space in a building. The lifelong costs of a
project require consideration.
The industry does, however, rely on the wider economy to prosper.
If the flow of work into the industry is less than its capacity, the
consequences will be that:
0 companies will reduce staffing levels, and some will close down
0 consultant’s fees will be reduced and the final design outcome
may suffer - consultants will find it difficult to progress the
business
0 contractors’ prices will be too low to be economical - payments
by contractors will be delayed, training and employment will also
suffer, and quality and best practice performance on site is likely
to be affected
0 training and education within the industry will suffer
0 there will be little money available for research and development
or for enhancing the public image of the industry.
Anyone involved in the industry in the recent past will recognise these
symptoms.
Contract strategy
Clients commissioning projects will normally look for factors such as:
value for money
0
good to look at
0
free from defects
0
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