Proposals of the Cambrian Way Development Project - Book Report/Review Example

 Proposals of the Cambrian Way Development Project INTRODUCTION The Cumbrian Way Development project is being constructed by the Radian Group (Group R. ) and the Drew Smith Group (Group). It is being constructed on part of the Cumbrian Way Shopping Parade that is being demolished to provide for the construction of 38 x 2 bedroom flats and 12 x 3 bedroom houses within two, three and four-storey buildings and a ground floor commercial unit with associated car parking, landscaping and external works including alterations to the existing road. Demolition will be taking place in early spring with the estimated date of project completion being April 2014. SITE LAYOUT The development partners have proposed to have a site layout that incorporates four plots, traffic and road system, a drainage system and various social amenities that will be available to the residents of the area. They have mapped out how the same should be incorporated. It may seem ideal to the developers to engage the project as per the proposed site layout, however, they could make a few changes. Seeing as it is they propose to construct 16 private flats, 12 low cost houses and 22 bed houses of affordable rent, all on the four plots, they should space out the plots and not have them in the same area as they are intended to be of a different scale and market. The plots should be places at different ends of the sites, with a gradual progression from up market flats to low cost flats. The developers propose to construct a one way traffic system in the area. During the construction of the same, they should ensure that the road network is defined and runs across the whole area of development. They should provide for ample parking space next to all the major social amenities, e.g. hospitals and supermarkets. They should also provide distinct delimitation of the pedestrian walk and cyclist path so as to ensure there is congestion or confusion in traffic. The developers should provide for one entry point and one exit point to and from the area. This will create a sense of order in the flow of traffic and in effect regulate the amount of traffic flowing into and out of the area. This promotes security within the area. The developers should ensure that when they are constructing the drainage system, they should clearly set out the channels of drainage with a clear distinction between the sewerage and fresh water pipes. The two systems should not lie side by side so as to avoid a situation where the two systems mix up in case of a break down. Preferably, they drainage points for the two systems should be on different ends of the site, with the sewerage drainage being constructed away from the proposed settlements. LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES The Radian Group along with the Drew Smith Group in undertaking the demolition of part of the Cambrian Way Shopping Parade should take into consideration The Work Health and Safety Act (Parliament U. K., Work Health and Safety Act 1974, 1974) which requires all persons who conduct a business or undertaking to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that workers and other persons are not put at risk from work carried out as part of the business or undertaking. It also provides under section 274 for the safe removal of asbestos. Demolition should be engaged in with provisions of this act in mind. (Australia, 2011) The Developers should strictly adhere to the Act to ensure that they are adequately covered from law suits in case of any accidents or disgruntlement from the workforce undertaking the demolition. The developers have decided to start the project in the second week of January. They wish to start laying the foundation at this time. This would not be the ideal time to lay the building’s foundation because of the cold days and bad weather that is characteristic of this period of time. This will play against the goals and aspirations of the developers because The labour will not be in high spirits leading to a slow pace in building The materials used in buildings will not be quick to dry up which is a very bad occurrence as it is very important for the materials e.g. cement to dry up in good time. The money set aside in the budget for the foundation will not be adequate because of the materials that will need to be replaced because of ruin from the bad weather, i.e. rotting timber, and the work force needing an incentive to keep working. The building site is next to a school. This may pose challenges in terms of being an environmental hazard due to the gaping holes and the noise pollution. The development partners need to address these issues to avoid any accidents or suits resulting from the pollution. One of the ways of addressing the noise emanating from the project is employing the ‘best practical means’ approach which means that the developers will do everything within their power to use reasonable means to reduce or control the effect of the noise to the school. The ‘best practical means’ is a defence when faced with suits by the school challenging the construction. (Parliament, 1974) The noise pollution being only temporary because the construction work will culminate at some point, the law will seek to favour the development as they are improving the community through the building project. (Parliament U. K., The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, 2002) As regards to the gaping holes, the developers have a duty to seal off the area with equipment that is recognized in the industry to seal off construction sites. This is because these gaping holes on the earth surface are considered contaminants. (Agency) They also have a duty to the school and the community to advise them on how they are to conduct themselves around the site if they were to be near it. (Parliament U. K., The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, 1974) The working hours of the labour force are to be maintained at normal hours, 5 days a week plus half a day on Saturday as is provided for by the Working Time Regulations 1998 No. 1833 and the Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2003, SI No 1684. These Acts of Parliament provide the set times and duration of work by any member of the labour force in the United Kingdom and the developers should strictly adhere to the same. (Parliament T. U., Working Time Regulations 1998 No. 1833, 1998) (Parliament T. U., The Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2003, SI No 1684, 2003) The developers wish to place a crane on the site from the start of the project to its completion to enable the labour force to accomplish their work with ease which includes moving heavy machinery through large distances and heights. The developers should take into consideration the high cost of having a crane at the site during the duration of the project. In the alternative, the developers could hire a mini crane when one is needed or weekly to enable them cut back on costs. Hiring the mini crane when needed has an added advantage to the project as it would be bringing in timber packages as it is brought to the site. This will save money. The mini crane will also be a better alternative as the site has clay soil which would prove a huge challenge to a big crane as it would sink or get stuck in the soil and cause delay in the project. SUBSTRUCTURE IMPLICATIONS Balfour Beatty plc (Beatty) was contracted to put up infrastructure within the project and they are in the process of altering the road network within the site. They seek to construct a one-way traffic system that will enable the vehicles accessing the Cambrian Project to have an ample time as they seek to navigate through the area. The import of a one-way system to the flow of traffic cannot be gainsaid especially in an area like the envisioned project because it will create an in-and-out one direction system in the flow of traffic, thus ensuring that there are no traffic snarl-ups in the area. To further their agenda, they can lay a roundabout near the first gate to control the flow of traffic. Alternatively, they could place a temporary traffic light at both ends of the road. This is important to the residents of the housing units as it will ease their access to and from their homes. (Appendix 1) (Transportation) Balfour Beatty plc has also been contracted to re-route the sewer drains in the area. This is an important integral event that needs to be done with the actual plan of the proposed development in mind at the earliest opportunity to ensure that there is no confusion as to the flow of waste in the area. This is because the flow of waste influences how the end design of the project will look like. Waste needs to be re-routed to avail the developers the opportunity to install their own drainage system and subsequently connect it to the main drainage system. This is because there can be no errors as far as this aspect of construction is concerned as waste disposal has a direct impact on whether or not the area will be habitable. On inspection of the site map, one notices a slip road to the site at the front and a public footpath. The slip road is not in the development agenda while the public footpath does not seem to follow a particular course. The Cambrian Development Project is intended to be an up market housing facility that has defined roads and structural amenities. With this in mind, the developers should gate off the slip road access and further define the public footpath to create order within the facility in terms of regulating the pedestrian traffic within the area. It is their intention to build a new bus stop. They seek to achieve this by creating a temporary walk way in a place where the road is wide enough to accommodate the same. The developers have proposed to bring hoarding to the new back of curbs. This will enable them put up their site offices in this area while also providing a place for sub contractors. The area can also be used for storage of the construction materials. All these activities will result in the maximum usage of the area for the betterment of the project. SITE INVESTIGATION-FIRE PREVENTION The developers seek to have a trench fill foundation consisting of beams and block suspended floors. While this is a good idea, they could instead use as their foundation a solid floor that would ensure that on completion, the building is warmer than if it had the trench fill foundation. Owing to the fact that they would use timber beams in the foundation, this could present another risk to the construction, fire. Fire related deaths in the construction industry have risen in the past due to the fact that there are no adequate controls in force to control the same, and people have become irresponsible. As a result of this, there is an increase in fire related deaths and accidents, both on and off site, having a direct negative impact on the construction sector as the cost of doing business skyrockets into millions of pounds thus delaying the project. One of the ways the developers of the Cambrian Project can prevent such occurrence is through compliance with the Fire prevention on construction sites Joint Code of Practice, The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) and The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 (FSA). The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) places duties on employers to prevent fires and explosions arising from work with, e.g. flammable liquids and gases and to mitigate the consequences should they occur. Developers have a duty to assess the site and potential risks due to fire, formulate emergency plans of action if and when the same were to occur, inform, instruct, co-operate and co-ordinate with the labour on their site and finally review the whole procedure they have chosen to adopt should a fire break out to check its viability. (Executive, May 2009) Assessment of the site by the developer is due to financial, legal and moral reasons as relates to the developer, the site and the workforce and their relationship with each other. This is guided by Section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 (Ireland, 2005) which requires employers and those who control workplaces to any extent must (Authority, 2006): identify the hazards in the workplaces under their control assess the risks presented by these hazards In relation to the Cambrian Project which is to possess timber in its structure, the developers should take extra precaution to guard against fires. This is because timber frames will burn faster and completely. This should be the case even though structural timber used in construction is not easy to set alight. They should then capitalize on the fact that timber frame construction is fast in effect achieving full fire protection quickly. They should in the meantime comply with the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM 2007), which provides for a risk assessment of the site, fire and potential damage to the site to ensure minimum damage in case of fire during construction. The developers should also appoint a Fire Safety Coordinator responsible for creating and updating the Site Fire Safety Plan. They should also store the construction equipment safely noting to keep the site tidy at all times (Association). They should engage the services of City Safe Systems to provide them with CCTV that would help them achieve safety against fire by enabling them keep tabs on every area of the site to ensure swift response in the event of any eventuality (Systems). BUILDABILITY ISSUES (Authority B. a., 2011) The developers have a keen interest on building a modern facility with superior performance and capabilities that would attain the highest score after the CHS assessment (BREEAM). They are still interrogating the viability of timber frames as sufficient for the attaining of a high score on assessment as relates to a superior finishing on the angle of the roof and installation of Solar Photovoltaic Systems. (Authority E. M.) They seek to ensure that there is sufficient heat regulation within the facilities so as to abolish any discomfort to its occupants in during extreme weather conditions. They seek to achieve this by installing a mechanical heat recovery unit that will act to take out used air and bring into the building fresh air. On the cladding and rendering of the PV panels, the developers seek to ensure that there is provision for ample allowance for movement in the PV panels (Eco-Panels). The panels which are currently on the east side should be brought to the south side of the roof because they function best when facing south at an angle equivalent to the latitude of the site. (King) When considering the angle of projection of the roof in the Cambrian Project, the developers should be cognizant of the fact that flat roof tops best serve the purpose of the PV’s which is to harness solar energy. The flat surface of the roof gives the PV a wide surface area thereby maximizing its use and ability. (BauderSOLAR) (Appendix 2) (Authority E. M.) VALUE ENGINEERING AND OTHER ISSUES FOR EVALUATION Value Engineering is a management technique that seeks to achieve a balance between cost, reliability and performance. In the case of the Cambrian Development Project, the developers should seek to strike a balance between the total cost of the project; inclusive of labour cost, resources cost, and time factor; vis a vis the projected and actual viability of The Cambrian Development Project upon completion. There should not be a disparity between the two values, and if there is to be one, it should be in favour of the projected and actual value of the project after completion. This is an indicator of a viable facility that is a going concern and will attract profits on its sale. The developers should construct a barrier between the intended residential areas (plots) and the traffic flow. This should be done with the utmost urgency so that the facility can minimize the occurrence of traffic accidents. They should also provide for social amenities including but not limited to a playing field and a gym. There should be a hospital within the project that caters exclusively to the residents of the project. All these additions will raise the standards of the Cambrian Development Project facility upon completion. CONCLUSION The developers of The Cambrian Development Project have put in a lot of thought into actualizing the facility. From their plans, one can infer that it will be a state of the art facility. The recommendations I have mentioned above should be incorporated into the plan of the facility by the Drew Smith Group to the betterment of the Cambrian Development Project. APPENDIXES Appendix 1-One way traffic system Appendix 2-Building showing PV installation REFERENCE LIST Agency, E. Using RCLEA - the Radioactively Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment Methodology. Environment Agency. Association, U. T. 16 Steps to Fire Safety on Timber Frame Construction Sites: UKTFA Guidelines and Recommendations. Australia, S. W. (2011). How to Safely Remove Asbestos: Code of Practice. Authority, B. a. (2011). Code of Practice: Buildabiltiy. Building and Construction Authority. Authority, E. M. Handbook for Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Systems. Singapore: Energy Market Authority. Authority, H. a. (2006). Guidelines on Risk Assessments and Safety Statements. Dublin: Health and Safety Authority. BauderSOLAR. FLAT ROOF PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS. Ipswich: Bauder Limited. Beatty, B. (n.d.). Capabilities & Markets. Retrieved March 22, 2013, from Balfour Beatty: http://www.balfourbeatty.com/index.asp?pageid=156 BREEAM. (n.d.). Code for Sustainable Homes. Retrieved March 22, 2013, from BREEAM: http://www.breeam.org/page.jsp?id=86 Eco-Panels, S. Sips Eco-Panels Technical Manual. Sips Eco-Panels. Executive, H. a. (May 2009). Fire prevention on construction sites. Joint Code of Practice 7th edition. Construction Confederation and Fire Protection Association ISBN 978 1 9027 9064 0. Group, D. S. (n.d.). Constructing luxury homes for your future. Retrieved March 22, 2013, from Drew Smith Group: http://www.drewsmith.co.uk/homes.php Group, R. (n.d.). Development & New Business. Retrieved March 22, 2013, from Radian: where people flourish: http://www.radian.co.uk/20071219117/development-new- business.html Ireland, G. o. (2005, June 22). SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE AT WORK ACT 2005. Ireland: Government of Ireland. King, M. (n.d.). PV Panel Placement. Retrieved March 22, 2013, from Solari Energy: http://esolari.com/PV_Module_Placement.html Parliament, T. U. (2003, August 1). The Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2003, SI No 1684. United Kingdom: The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Parliament, T. U. (1998, October 30). Working Time Regulations 1998 No. 1833. United Kingdom: The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Parliament, U. K. (1974, July 31). The Control of Pollution Act 1974 (COPA). Part III. United Kingdom: The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Parliament, U. K. (2002, November 21). The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. United Kingdom: The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Parliament, U. K. (1974, July 31). The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. United Kingdom: The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Parliament, U. K. (1974, July 31). Work Health and Safety Act 1974. United Kingdom: The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Systems, C. (n.d.). CCTV Packages. Retrieved March 22, 2013, from Citysafe Systems: http://www.citysafesystems.co.uk/cctv-packages.html Transportation, M. D. (n.d.). Roundabouts in Minnesota. Retrieved March 22, 2013, from Minnesota Department of Transportation: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/roundabouts/images/roundabout_design2.gif Read More