CMYA 2011: continued

Gary Gibson, Colorado Group

Projects £4m to £7m

GOLD: Gary Gibson MCIOB, Colorado Group

Project Starlaw Distillery, West Lothian

Value £6.1m

Contract JCT Construction Management

In the complex but comparatively small world of distillery construction, Gary Gibson is a very big fish. He was approached for this project by the client, having innovatively re-engineered warehouse layouts to gain an extra 30% storage space for it on a previous job.

This time, Gibson’s success in constructing the buildings for a £35m plant lay in a brilliant interfacing of a large number of construction packages — piling earthworks, ground slabs, structural steelwork, drainage — and co-ordinating the plant specialists. He confidently identified an unpromising location as the site and then resolved the substantial planning, earthworks, discharge and services challenges with flair.

He offered the flexibility and trust essential to accommodate the different styles of 22 specialist contractors from Spain, Germany and Italy. He held back on the final design until the process design had been fixed so he could constantly fine-tune the works to maximise efficiency, reduce cost and prevent rework.

For example, he built the process building on a raft with finished floors laid to falls to act as a rainscreen for the in-situ fermentation tank fabrication, and then saved £120,000 in epoxy floor coverings by protecting the finished floor until completion. He helped design a silo base that allowed the use of polystyrene formwork. And his championing of site bunding allowed clean earth to remain on site, saving £1.1m in disposal costs.

His delivery of the distillery at 30% less than projected has, not surprisingly, led to approaches from other distillers in search of the secrets of building such a complex plant in so short a time.

Andrew Bowns, Leadbitter Group

Silver

Andrew Bowns, Leadbitter Group

Project Henderson Centre, St George’s College, addlestone

Value £5m   

Contract JCT 2005

With his first day at work for Leadbitter coinciding with the official start on site for this project, Andrew Bowns had a mountain to climb. In less than a month this outgoing and energetic construction manager was on top. Able to liaise with anyone at any level and create a rapport, Bowns rapidly built a top-notch team.

He made a point of learning the name of every subcontractor on site — around 60 people at any one time. And he put quality before cost, procuring the best trades rather than the cheapest. The savings he did make in package procurement — around £120,000 — he poured into quality enhancements. For example, he replaced cedar with iroko for a balcony, he changed an ordinary concrete back-of-house staircase into an oak-clad feature element, and he brought in a specialist to install the main corridor’s timber-suspended ceiling.

Bowns went out of his way to help the school. He selected, for example, augur piling over driven piling, so works could take place without disrupting exams; he created a covered walkway for students through part of the site; and he postponed the demolition of one teaching block so the school could use its classrooms for longer.

The client’s confidence was reflected by the award of an additional £350,000 refurbishment contract to Leadbitter while Bowns was still on site — and which he incorporated within the original contract programme.

Finalists

Rob Bailey, BAM

Glan Clwyd North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre

Kieran Danby MCIOB, Willmott Dixon

Richmond Primary School, Hinckley

Dave Goddard MCIOB, Henry Boot Construction

Burns Unit/Surgical Assessment Centre/Renal ‘E’ and ‘F’, Sheffield Northern General Hospital

Frank Horrocks, Seddon Construction

Willowtree Primary School, Salford, Lancs

Patrick Leyden FCIOB, Denne Construction

LEMO Headquarters, Worthing

Alan Maile, Killby & Gayford

Henry Dawes Centre, St John’s School, Leatherhead

Darren Pope, Laing O’Rourke

Sterile Services Dept, Bedford Hospital  

Graham Potts, Geoffrey Osborne

The Henrietta Barnett School, Hampstead

Mike Woodage, Britannia Construction

Student Union Building, Bath

Neil Molloy, Wates Construction

Projects under £4m

GOLD: Neil Molloy ICIOB, Wates Construction

Project Arts, Tech, Maths block, Parkstone Grammar School, Poole 

Value £3.7m   

Contract JCT 2005

This scheme took Neil Molloy from heaven to hell — and then back again. Given his first lead management role on a project, he must have been on cloud nine. But 15 weeks in and it all went spectacularly wrong when the end bearing of a prestressed concrete floor panel failed as it was being lowered onto the load-bearing wall. 

Work was halted while an investigation was carried out and only resumed when the cause of the incident had been established and an action plan was in place to prevent it happening again. Molloy’s vigilant response was spot on but so much time had been lost — the project had been set back by eight weeks — that he knew the client had to be getting nervous. Unless the September deadline was met, the school faced starting a new academic year with too few classrooms.

It was at this point that Molloy redefined the term “best endeavours”.

He brought all the subcontractors together in a series of intense meetings where it was agreed to resequence works, reduce commissioning periods and install temporary weathering. Internal trades were set to work in parallel with external without compromising safety or heaping up costs. The result was completion on time, to budget and to expectations, and to the delight of his client.

Simon Harewood, Kier Southern

Silver

Simon Harewood, Kier Southern

Project Bristow-Clavell Science Centre, Portsmouth Grammar School

Value £3.4m   

Contract JCT 2005 D&B

Lean champion Simon Harewood doesn’t just do construction methodology. 

His projects are also about fun and enjoyment, and building powerful relationships of trust and friendship. On this scheme, he converted a client initially sceptical about the educational value of getting involved in the construction works and keen to put the project in a silo, into one that still raves about the whole experience. 

How did he do it? Well, take the school’s traditional Easter Bonnet parade. Harewood persuaded, cajoled and even bribed his colleagues to gamely strut their stuff for the occasion, wearing helmets decorated with flowers and chicks by the schoolchildren. The huge crowd was delighted, and the event has gone down in school folklore.

Hard-hat tours for staff, presentations to parents and critical path analysis lectures to the sixth form were only some of what Harewood offered. They integrated the project into the life of the school and has left an enduring positive impression on the users and the client and created a powerful bond with them.

Finalists

John Adie, Stewart Milne Construction

Kydd Building, University of Abertay, Dundee  

Robert Bassett, BAM

Aston University Library, Birmingham

Alistair Broadley, Kier Scotland

Security Forecourt Enhancements, Edinburgh Airport

John Hamill ICIOB, BAM

20 Buchanan Street, Glasgow

Carl Hudson, Simons Construction

Customer Experience Centre, National Operations Centre, Newbury  

Gordon MacKenzie, Conlon Construction

Faith Primary School, Liverpool

Gareth Speed MCIOB, Simons Construction

Bestseller, Oxford Street, London

Roger Frost, MCIOB, Balfour Beatty

PFI projects

GOLD: Roger Frost MCIOB, Balfour Beatty Construction Northern

Project Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham

Value £588m

The scale of this scheme — it cost well over half a billion pounds and took four years to complete — made it impossible for Roger Frost to be hands on in every aspect. But this turned out to the basis of his triumph, as he assembled a formidable team that was as experienced as it was talented.

Frost motivated and co-ordinated his huge team of more than 200 staff, 500 designers and 1,500 site operatives. His determination, dedication and direction kept the whole gigantic machine rolling, and he met every one of 34 sectional handovers with aplomb.

He was heavily involved in procuring the key works packages, and locked in the commitment and expertise of the supply chain well before work began on site.

He made the unusual decision, for a hospital, to build from a steel frame to reduce interface risk. And he was vindicated — 34 times over — when the frame was built on time and without issues by a contractor with a record of successful complex steel-frame delivery.

Andrew Pilling ICIOB, Lend Lease

Silver

Andrew Pilling ICIOB, Lend Lease

Project Marsden Heights Community College, nelson

Value £26.8m

The headteacher of this school describes the experience of seeing Andrew Pilling in action as an education in calm yet demanding leadership. You can see his point — Pilling was the model of the consummate professional on this project.

He dealt firmly but courteously with concerns raised by members of the public. Local residents had formed an action group to stop the scheme, and many were seemingly implacably hostile to the project. By taking their concerns seriously and dealing with problems head on, Pilling won their respect and gradual acceptance of the project.

Because he gave the users full controlled access to the project as it took shape, the need to implement changes came to light earlier in the programme rather than later. It gave users peace of mind that their requests were being carefully fed into the construction process.

Pilling took pains to learn the lessons of previous PFI school projects in the area, regularly visiting other sites. He adopted a pragmatic and successful approach to completing works out of sequence to meet funding requirements. And he drove his team to complete four weeks ahead of programme.

Finalists

Paul Barrie, Laing O’Rourke

Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Larbert, Scotland  

Tom Maguire MCIOB, Lend Lease

Hameldon Community College, Burnley

Christopher Martin, Kier London

Thamesview School, Gravesend

Tony Mulcahy, Wates Group

Challney High School for Girls, Luton  

Andrew Richardson ICIOB, Brookfield Multiplex

Peterborough City Hospital

Peter Worth, Higgins Construction

Brockley Refurbishment, Lewisham

Ian Randall, Leadbitter Group

Housing over £6m

GOLD: Ian Randall

Leadbitter Group 

Project St Oswald’s Village, Gloucester  

Value £20.8m   

Contract JCT 2005

In the course of this challenging brownfield project, the quiet, confident and authoritative Ian Randall became the client group’s favourite construction manager.

With his site comprising an island surrounded by a large regeneration project and drainage works to be constructed on another contractor’s site, good relationships were critical. Randall developed and maintained them with practised ease.

His open dealings delighted the stakeholders. He invited the developer client to participate in the subcontractor selection process and ultimately employed the client’s recommended specialists for the glazing, balcony steelwork and floor screed installation, boosting buy-in and satisfaction.

He allowed nothing to disrupt the project. A third of the way through, for example, the client upped the sustainability criteria, putting considerable pressure on the programme. Randall quickly reassessed the build, identifying areas where minor changes could achieve compliance.

When the client group raised the height of the structural steel frame for the single-storey village centre, he took this major design alteration in his stride and incorporated it without brooking delay.

And when he learnt, on a Saturday, that the M&E contractor had gone bust, he spent the rest of the weekend making alternative arrangements so work could continue unbroken on Monday morning.

Michael Poole, Lend Lease

Silver

Michael Poole-Sutherland ICIOB, Lend Lease

Project SLAM, Vimy Barracks, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire

Value £14.4m   

Contract Partnering framework

Mike Poole-Sutherland didn’t so much surpass his targets as blow them completely away. Finished eight weeks ahead of programme with savings of £1.7m on the budget and to an immaculate standard, the scheme showcases construction management at its best and has become a Project SLAM exemplar.

Passionate about construction, but even more passionate about building a cohesive team that exceeds expectations, Poole-Sutherland knew every site worker by their first name. He developed a seamless team, stimulating a spirit of co-operation and motivation. He engaged with the supply chain to develop the programme, generating buy-in and eliminating risk. Subcontractors collaborated happily to identify opportunities and reduce trades overlap.

He planned works out of sequence to maximise multi-use of scaffolds and plant. To form the ground beams he used Pecafil, a lightweight reinforced plastic shutter which could be installed far faster than traditional PERI systems. He also exchanged clay pipes and manholes for preformed composite plastic, with a notable cost saving.

Finalists

Rob Ashcroft, Bramall Construction

Kingsway Extra Care Home, Blackburn  

Matt Ayers, Galliford Try

Derwent Point, London EC1 

Lawrence Baxter ACIOB, Wates Group

Velocity, Ward Road, Stratford E15  

Peter Crane, Higgins Construction

The Quadrant, Stockwell SW8

Darren Green ICIOB, Shaylor Group

Bromford Lane Care Centre, Birmingham

Ian Lively MCIOB, Miller Homes North West

Woodland Park, Darwen, Lancs

Dean Revell, Hill Partnerships

Richard Newton House, Cambridge

Adrian Smith, Willmott Dixon Housing

Meadway Extra Care Home, Birmingham

John Baggley CCG

Housing under £6m

GOLD: John Baggley CCG (Scotland)

Project 10 Pearce Street, Glasgow

Value £3m   

Contract JCT

Through his proactive approach and leadership by example, John Baggley turned around the build schedule and achieved completion ahead of programme and in the face of significant unknowns.

He hit his first obstacle on day one, with the discovery of ancient settlements in nearby ground, which triggered an archaeological dig. But the delay turned into a gain when he came up with the idea of completing the internal blockwork skin of each level as soon as the steel frame and precast floors were in place, with temporary screens on all apertures so the internal works could be brought forward. 

Even more impressive was the way he tackled the piling risk. The discovery that the Glasgow underground train line was only 5m below the site meant that vibration from the piling for the seven-storey block had to be restricted to less than 1mm of movement per second. Baggley took control of the situation himself, putting in graveyard shifts to install vibration monitors, which helped him convince the planning authority not to restrict piling operations to night-time. He then used self-drilling micro-piles for the 16 piles directly above the tunnel and 102 helical piles on the rest of the site.

He finished 16 weeks ahead of schedule, under budget and without any compromise to quality or workmanship.

Steve Malmquist, Lovell Partnerships

Silver

Steve Malmquist, Lovell Partnerships

Project Watton, Norfolk

Value £5.2m   

Contract JCT 2005

Steve Malmquist has experienced just about everything on building sites. Nothing, though, compares with last year’s weather, which seriously disrupted progress on this former RAF site. He delved deep into the construction manager’s book of tricks to claw the six-week deficit back, with extended working days and weekend working proving invaluable. 

Yet he did not permit the resulting high level of construction intensity to jeopardise safety or community relations. His carefully constructed traffic management plans and unstinting community interaction won praise.

He reformulated the construction methodology, replacing structurally insulated panels with traditional timber frame, reducing costs while maintaining thermal integrity. The budget was further protected by enhancing the permeable paving and remodelling the drainage. 

Finalists

Nick Cuffe FCIOB MPR Projects

Cedar Gate, Ringwood, Hants

Harry Dainton MCIOB, Miller Homes North West

Millers Green, Heysham, Lancs

Graham Fletcher-Campbell, Hill Partnerships

Thornberry Court, London NW10

Phil Holden, Seddon Construction

Tulloch Court Cherry Tree Care, Blackpool

Tony Maguire, Higgins Construction

John Bond House, London E3

Allen Marshall ICIOB, Miller Homes East Midlands

Royal Gate, Derby

Giles Staines, Leadbitter Group

Radford Estate, Plymouth

Mark Tomalin MCIOB, Denne Construction

Margaret House, Uckfield, East Sussex

Simon Waters, Castleoak

Riverdale Court, Welling