entries found
Battery Powered Cut-Off Saw
We are currently using battery powered cut-off saws, rather than petrol cut-off saws. The benefit to the site is that the saw can be used indoors as well as outdoors, due to the lack of emissions. There is no need to store petrol onsite, and the decibels rating is slightly lower than a petrol saw. It is also very lightweight...
Renewable CCTV Tower
Farrans Roadbridge Joint Venture (FRJV) has been tasked with the construction of a 3.8km bypass around the town of Dalry, North Ayrshire, Scotland. One of the many challenges of managing a site this large is trying to protect theft or damage to our high value plant and materials outside of normal working hours. Mains power is supplied to the main...
M5 Oldbury Viaduct Online Environmental Receptors Map
This free, Google-based online database is available to all site staff through their mobile phones, iPads or computers. Anyone can produce one if they have a Google account and a link is sent to anyone who wishes to access it. It is a very efficient tool for when planning logistical operations and also a great visual aid to inform new...
Hoist Bells
At the Pontoon Dock site, we are constantly trying to improve the respect of the community. We believe that we have the obligation to respect our neighbours and to provide the highest standards in terms of safety and working conditions. Using new tools, we can improve the image of construction and avoid disturbance to the community. As we are close...
Constructing the UK’s Highest Capacity Piles in Central London
Mace’s 21 Moorfields team is currently constructing the UK’s highest capacity piles, which are 2.4m in diameter and over 60m deep. The traditional method for constructing piles using bentonite is to top up the concrete until it overflows the casing. It is then necessary to break out the concrete to the correct level to form a pile cap. Consequently, the...
Parking Difficulties at Bishop Chavasse
At our Bishop Chavasse Primary School site in Tonbridge, we work closely with the local community to ensure smooth relations. Parking was highlighted as a potential issue at the start of the project. On-site parking is not feasible due to the limited space on site. The site also has two other live sites very close by which makes deliveries and...
Combined noise and dust control
At their project for University College London Hospital, Mace have implemented the use of combined acoustically rated and dust control enclosures. The project consists of providing a new build facility to allow the client to relocate a number of related medical treatment streams into a single new building. The site is located adjacent to the existing hospital and due to...
Arndale MSCP Column Strengthening
An £85 million redevelopment of the Arndale Shopping Centre in Eastbourne included an additional 22 retail units, seven restaurant units, a multiscreen cinema and a significant extension to the multi-storey car park. A two-storey extension to the existing multi-storey car park was planned as part of the redevelopment. The existing concrete columns of the car park had to be strengthened...
Acoustic Camera for focused noise mitigation
The piling hammers are the dominant source of noise from the ALBEF site and are in most cases the primary cause of noise complaints. It is essential to demonstrate that best practicable means (BPM) is being implemented and reviewed appropriately. Due to the size and mobility of this equipment and location near to tall buildings, it is practicably impossible to...
Phone Home Room
Mount Anvil has introduced a room on all our sites with Free WiFi and a tablet if needed, to enable the workforce to contact their family whilst at work. This is to help combat stress and mental health issues related to those who work away from home and have minimal contact with their loved ones. These rooms have proved a...
Advanced ground borne noise monitoring
The Bank Station Capacity Upgrade (BSCU) will provide greatly improved passenger access, circulation and interchange at London’s Underground Bank Station. It involves a significant amount of tunnelling (new running tunnel) under a number of commercial buildings, including banks and a 5 Star Hotel. Assessments undertaken, prior to works starting, showed that Ground Borne Noise (GBN) and Vibration Dose Value (VDV)...
Wind-powered phone/ tablet charging station
We have utilised wind energy to provide a mobile phone/ tablet charging point adjacent to the site welfare facilities. Two wind turbines are connected via a suitable controller to two 12v leisure batteries. These provide power to a light and selection of 12v charging points.
Providing ear defenders for hospital patients to minimise noise disruption
Noise from construction work can be very disruptive for members of the public. While the industry strives to minimise disturbance through regulated working hours, there are times when noise is unavoidable. See the examples below for how one hospital project minimised the noise impact of works: Some of the children were to ill too be moved to a different bed...
Drone flight footage used to create 3D models
We now employ weekly drone flights which enable activity monitoring but the camera footage also allows us to build a 3D model as a record of the building progress. The 3D image of the site allows the surface textures to be coloured, added and subtracted from past records and details other elements such water locations and heat mapping, and the...
Virtual reality hazard perception presentation
Community safety should be at the heart of a considerate construction project. Cycle safety is a key element of community safety, and sites should seek to raise awareness of this topic among the public and their workforce. See the examples below for how one site addressed this: The site acknowledged there was a large number of cyclists both commuting to...
Noise control improving SCP welfare and working environment
‘SoundEar3′ noise indicating equipment supplied by RVT Group is used to assess noise generated by various operations. The large display screen not only has noise levels displayed but a simple traffic light system to indicate when pre-set levels are reached. This has been invaluable on this live refurbishment project as not only does it enable you to accurately demark areas...
Health and Safety in the Workplace – Mobile Phones
Most of us have them and despite their benefits, mobile phones in the workplace may become a hazard which could have tragic consequences, more so in the construction industry. Construction workers who use their mobile phones while at work may get distracted from their work and cause accidents to themselves or their colleagues. We would like to provide a safe...
Mobile phone tethers for safe working at height 
Mobile phones have revolutionised the construction industry in many ways with incidents being quickly communicated, logistics and management becoming more efficient, and snagging being done in situ. However, now that phones have become commonplace on construction sites around the world, they are one more item that can cause damage when dropped from height. As well as presenting a danger to...
Regular residents’ drop-in session on the Hyde project
L&Q group welcomes residents to visit The Hyde project as part of our Open Door policy. There is a regular one hour drop-in session that takes place every last Friday of the month on site office. This means that every month, participants have the opportunity to see a short presentation about the scope of the project and have a look...
Electric concrete pump
The Royal Albert Hall project is utilising an electric concrete pump on site to help minimise environmental impacts. The pump uses a rotating screw to pump the concrete down the lines as opposed to a traditional piston pump which can be noisy. The pump not only reduces carbon emissions compared with traditional alternatives, it also improves the air quality of...
Professional radio infomercials highlight roadworker safety
Recognising that many of our customers are road users who make their living from travelling around and through our roadworks sites, we embraced different ways to communicate with our customers around the area of road safety, as they can often be hard to communicate with in a direct manner. The project commissioned a series of six professional quality, 30 second...
Auralisation animation to reduce noise pollution
One of the most common challenges facing construction sites is the impact of noise on the surrounding neighbourhood. Traditional hoarding offers little acoustic protection, so sites need to seek different methods of mitigating noise pollution. See the examples below for how one site addressed this: As the work needed to be conducted 24/7, the site proposed a 12m high acoustic...
Noise monitoring equipment
Occupational health risks are a major concern for the construction industry and sites should be making every effort to ensure their workers’ safety. The main risks involved in construction work are exposure to excessive dust and noise. See the examples below for how one site addressed noise levels: The site worked with a local specialist sound monitoring company (PULSAR) to...
Electric car charge for community use
With over 40 different electric models available in the UK, more than 90,000 registered Electric Vehicles on UK roads, and a growing public charge point infrastructure of over 4,000 locations, 2017 is a great time to go electric. The next few years will see yet more Electric Vehicles models launched in the UK by all the major car and van...
Noise monitoring and change management
Exposure to excessive noise levels is a serious concern for the long term health of construction workers. Efforts must be made to closely monitor noise levels and adjust working methods accordingly. See the examples below for how one site addressed this: The contractor worked with Pulsar to produce a noise control procedure, developed into a flashing blue siren when 80...
Road Noise Awareness
Ciorba Construction is improving the image of construction by showing respect to all around us, not just on site. Driving in Central London can be hectic and stressful. With this in mind, we are asking our vehicle drivers to keep radio volumes at a minimum. In residential areas, while in parking mode (i.e. loading/unloading) they are being asked to: Turn...
Employee smartphone app
Buxton have recently developed an employee smartphone app. We identified a need to communicate important health, safety and environmental information as well as company news, innovations and well-being, often missed with email and traditional methods. We divided the app into various zones. The My Buxton zone enables employees to book their holidays, review their personal development plans and access their...
Protected tree root survey
A protected tree was identified as being at risk from the construction of the Northern Line Extension ventilation Shaft site at Kennington Green . In addition the Ailanthus altissima (or Tree of Heaven) had particular value to local residents providing screening to their properties and ecological interest. In order to fully assess the likely impacts on the tree and the...
Joint Utility Trenching Strategy
Highway works are labour intensive and involve installing multiple utilities. This can cause disruption and prolong the project process. See the examples below for how the Manchester Metrolink Trafford Park Line site addressed this: The site adopted a Joint Utility Trench strategy, which involves the installation of up to 8 utilities in a single trench including Water, Gas, Electricity and Telecommunications designed and...
Hydrogen powered noise monitor
Costain have been working closely with one of their supply chain, Taylor Construction Plant, who supply our hydrogen power lighting solutions and CCTV systems. The Costain environment team were having difficulty in maintaining a reliable static noise monitoring capacity at remote sites away from site power supplies – the battery powered noise monitors were troublesome and needed regular battery changes, and...
