Designing Buildings - User contributions [en]

Planning Permissions and Interim Buildings – Addressing the Misconceptions

2016-08-24T15:59:00Z

The Portakabin Group:

Do you need planning permission for an interim building? In this article, Robert Snook, Director and General Manager at Portakabin, offers some practical advice to address some of the common misconceptions.

In the UK, the planning system controls the use of land and what is built on it, helping to achieve the balance between the need for development and protecting our environment.

There is a clear misconception that buildings for short-term use do not require planning permission. This could be due to a lack of awareness, insufficient training for managers responsible for procuring interim buildings, or suppliers just not being clear – but planning requirements state that regardless of size, any building or structure in place over a 28-day period has to have planning approval.

There are some dispensations, for example for some domestic structures and for construction site accommodation, but the general rule is that all interim and permanent buildings need planning permission if they will be in place for more than 28 days.

If planning permission is not sought, an enforcement order could be placed by the local authority to remove the building with immediate effect. Planning approval can be sought retrospectively but we would never advise that.

[[File:Portakabin_6007-18.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_6007-18.jpg]] 
Is it Worth Getting Professional Input for the Planning Process?

Every planning application is different, some are more complex than others, and local policy will vary region to region. However, we would always advise having professional input to help ensure every project goes to plan and the building installation is not delayed.

An architect or planning agent can be appointed to manage the process or a good modular supplier should have a dedicated department who can obtain planning approval on your behalf.

How to Improve the Likelihood of Planning Approval

For every application, the planning officer will be looking to minimise impact of the building or structure on the surrounding area. This means that approval for an interim building in an industrial area, for example, will be easier to obtain than for a similar facility in a residential environment. A two-storey building can be seen from further away so a single storey structure could be a better solution in planning terms, again depending on the building’s location.

Our buildings are colour-neutral which works well on most sites – but if you want to procure a bright yellow building because it fits with your organisation’s identity, for example, be aware that may not achieve planning approval.

[[File:Portakabin_6170_14.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_6170_14.jpg]]

Does the Timeframe for the Building’s Use Impact on Planning?

The hire period could make a difference to the conditions imposed on your project. A building which will be in place for six months is likely to have much less stringent conditions applied to it than for a facility in use for five or 10 years. The latter may be required to blend in more closely with the surrounding environment and may need to be clad, for example.

In the application, be specific about the purpose of a building, provide as much information as you can, and be as clear as possible about the timeframe. Rather than simply requesting permission for an interim building, it is better to say, for example, that ‘Decant teaching accommodation is required for a 12-month period while our existing classroom block is being refurbished’. That way the planners know there is a finite end to the use of the building. Reassure the planning authorities that the building really is a short-term solution.

And if you end up needing the building for a longer period, you can re-apply for planning permission at that time, in which case the planners will inspect the building and see how it is looking before they will grant an extension.

Some Practical Tips to Avoid the Pitfalls

Here is some further advice to help you overcome the most common pitfalls when submitting a planning application:

1. Assess the planning requirement. Check with your local authority exactly what planning permission is needed for the work you wish to carry out. It may be worth meeting a planning officer for an informal discussion but be prepared to describe your proposals in detail and show plans.

You can also submit your application online using the Government’s planning portal – [http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/ www.planningportal.gov.uk]. This website allows you to register your application, create a site location plan, attach supporting documents and pay for the application fee.

2. Which type of planning permission do you need? Define whether you need outline or full planning approval. In most cases you will need to make a full application, and if granted, work should start within three years (or within the period specified in the permission) or you will need to re-apply.

[[File:Portakabin_Carr_Manor_6825-284.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_Carr_Manor_6825-284.jpg]]

3. Are Building Regulations a consideration? The Building Control department of the council will need to check that your proposal complies with all relevant Building Regulations. This will ensure it meets health and safety requirements, uses fuel and energy efficiently, and provides disabled access.

Be aware that:

* Building Regulations approval is granted in two stages – the first stage is the approval of the building plans, and the second involves inspections during construction.
* A good modular building supplier should already have Local Authority Building Control approval in place for its system which confirms compliance with all relevant regulations and standards.

4. Draw up plans and proposals. Plans for simple projects can be drawn up by a draughtsperson. Plans for more complex buildings should be prepared by an architect or qualified engineer. All technical drawings must be to scale and of a reasonable standard. Your modular building supplier should be able to assist with this.

5. Research your application. Prepare answers and solutions to the issues planners are likely to raise, such as:

* Do your plans reflect or conflict with the local development strategy?
* What is the size, layout, siting, external appearance and height of the building?
* What is the proposed use, access and landscaping?
* What is the availability of infrastructure such as roads and water supply?
* Is there any impact on parking and traffic?
* What is the current use of the land?
* What is the impact on neighbouring properties and the wider area?

It may be worth checking your plans in advance with anyone who could be affected by the building, such as local residents or businesses. Their views will be taken into account when your application is considered by the council.

The parish council, Environment Agency or Department of Transport may need to be informed in certain circumstances – and in more complex cases you may have to commission a flood risk assessment, conservation area appraisal or tree survey.

[[File:Portakabin_Hull_RI_6637-018.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_Hull_RI_6637-018.jpg]]

6. What should you include with the planning application? When the application is submitted, make sure the following are in place:

* Scaled drawings of the site
* Details of the building’s location
* A detailed plan and elevations
* An agent’s brief describing the proposed works
* For modular buildings, supporting brochures and BBA certificates are worth including
* Payment of the Council’s planning permission fees, which are based on the floor area of the proposed building, and Building Control fees which are based on a percentage of the building cost.

7. How long will a decision take? In most cases a decision will be made within eight weeks. Large or more complex projects could take longer, in which case your local authority will advise on the likely timescale and seek your approval for an extension.

[http://www.portakabin.co.uk www.portakabin.co.uk]

--[[User:The_Portakabin_Group|The Portakabin Group]] 10:16, 2 December 2014 (UTC)

[[Category:Construction_management]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]] [[Category:Products_/_components]] [[Category:Roles_/_services]]

How contractors can reduce risk with the use of off-site construction

2016-08-24T15:58:17Z

The Portakabin Group:

In this article, Kevin Jones, Director of Business Development at the Portakabin Group, looks at why demand for off-site construction from major contractors is increasing and how the approach can significantly reduce their project risk.

= Introduction =

The single biggest issue for contractors is the reduction of risk – how to minimise the possibility of budget overruns and delays, accidents on site, and mitigate the impact of an increasingly volatile labour market.

Recent research from Aecom has shown that up to a third of bidding opportunities are turned down because projects are deemed to be too high risk. Contractors are certainly becoming far more selective about which clients they will now work with.

Off-site construction solutions can radically reduce risk for contractors on a number of levels.

[[File:Yorkon_watford_cranage_6131-042.jpg|link=File:Yorkon_watford_cranage_6131-042.jpg]]

= Skills shortages =

Fresh concerns are being raised about serious skills shortages as analysts increase their forecasts for output growth. The loss of thousands of skilled jobs through the economic downturn has left the sector struggling to attract new talent to meet the surges in construction activity. The situation is set to worsen when construction work starts on HS2 which will need a monthly average total workforce estimated at more than 11,000 (1).

A report published by the London Chamber of Commerce and KPMG has also highlighted a labour and skills shortfall of up to 20 per cent for London and the South East to deliver projects already planned for 2015-17. This could equate to a shortage of 150,000 workers, which would severely restrict the delivery of UK construction projects.

Off-site specialists however, benefit from a permanent and highly-skilled workforce, and a robust, long-established supply chain. This approach significantly reduces the reliance on subcontracted labour, which in turn helps to address the skills shortages and geographical volatility in the labour market that can impact heavily on major contractors.

Certainty of delivery on time and on budget

Off-site construction has been proven to deliver cost and contract certainty and consistent delivery on programme. The Portakabin Group, for example, has completed 99.7 per cent of its projects on time and on budget since 2003. This is in sharp contrast to wider construction industry figures, which have shown that only 46 per cent of non-housing projects were completed on time and just 75 per cent on cost according to the UK Industry Performance Report 2014 (2).

Constructing buildings off site in a controlled factory environment is more predictable and reduces the effect of poor weather conditions, especially in the winter months, leading to much greater assurance of completion on time and on cost. Quality control is also much easier and the target of achieving zero defects much more realistic.

= Reducing accident rates =

The construction industry is one of the UK’s largest employers but its health and safety record is a major concern. However, by working in an engineering environment, maximising work off site and avoiding work at height major injuries can be reduced to zero. This is because off-site working results in much improved safety for a permanent, highly-trained labour force, as well as increased productivity.

Taking much of the construction process away from muddy sites and into a quality controlled manufacturing centre is much safer and more efficient and is not reliant on temporary labour.

Windows, for example, can be pre-installed in modules inside the factory, without the need for working at high level on scaffolding. And because much of the construction and assembly work is carried out off-site, building sites are safer, quieter, cleaner and generally less disruptive for the client – an important point where building projects are located next to schools, on busy hospital sites and in residential areas.

[[File:Yorkon_Harrogate_Hospital_-_6543-062.jpg|link=File:Yorkon_Harrogate_Hospital_-_6543-062.jpg]]

A responsible and forward-thinking approach to health and safety management reduces the risk of accidents and injury even further. Best practice include:

* Employees at every level are involved in writing procedures, including production and site teams, to ensure the most effective systems are in place and that everyone is fully engaged.
* Health and safety procedures are promoted via bulletins and ongoing information campaigns to create behavioural safety awareness.
* Objectives and targets are set and the results shared across the business.
* There is an open door policy to health and safety, and near miss reporting is actively encouraged.
* There is an overall vision for an accident and incident-free workplace.

= Programme reductions =

Off-site building solutions can reduce programme times by up to 50 per cent. This is a key benefit for contractors needing to achieve a watertight building envelope for earlier fitting out, thereby reducing time on site and all the associated preliminary, staff and security costs.

These programme reductions and increased off-site working can also facilitate projects that are part of much larger schemes and where there is a need to move elements and enabling works off the critical path in order to start on site in other areas.

= Off-site construction becomes a mainstream method of building =

There is a clear sea change across the construction industry and a much better understanding of the benefits of off-site solutions. The concept of moving the construction process into a tightly-controlled engineering environment holds considerable appeal to contractors and clients, particularly on constrained and challenging sites – whether track-side rail, high security nuclear or fully operational hospital and school sites. Other applications include production support facilities for manufacturers, highly complex chemical laboratories, headquarters office accommodation, and convenience stores.

[[File:Yorkon_Emersons_Green_-_6284-027.jpg|link=File:Yorkon_Emersons_Green_-_6284-027.jpg]]

Off-site solutions are increasingly being recognised as a mainstream method of building and the advantages to contractors and the reductions in risk that these techniques can bring are proven – which is reflected in the increased demand. And when combined with a technically-advanced modular building system, the quality of construction that can be achieved is as good as any site-based method.

= Find out more =

=== Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki ===

* British post-war mass housing.
* Buildability.
* Kit house.
* Modular buildings.
* Off site materials.
* Off-site prefabrication of buildings: A guide to connection choices.
* Quality in construction projects.
* Structural systems for offices.
* Temporary works.
* The myths of modular construction.
* WikiHouse.

=== External references ===

* (1) University of Dundee/CITB/Experian
* (2) Published by Glenigan and the CITB, supported by Constructing Excellence and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

--[[User:The_Portakabin_Group|The Portakabin Group]] 15:59, 9 February 2015 (UTC)

[[Category:Construction_management]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]] [[Category:Products_/_components]] [[Category:DCN_Product_Knowledge]] [[Category:Roles_/_services]]

How Off-Site Construction can Help Address the Growing Demand for School Places

2016-08-24T15:56:06Z

The Portakabin Group:

In this article, Kevin Jones, Director of Business Development at the Portakabin Group, looks at how off-site construction is helping schools and local authorities overcome place planning issues.

Demographic changes have led to a serious shortfall in school places across the UK. Government figures projected that by 2023, there will be a total of 8,022,000 pupils in England's schools – an increase of 880,000 pupils.

The rise in birth rates, the numbers of people moving to cities such as London, Leeds and Bristol, and the level of new housing, have significantly increased the pressure on education provision – and now secondary schools as well as primary education.

Construction cost, speed of delivery to meet the demand for additional places, potential interruptions to teaching as building work progresses, and getting the right design to stand the test of time and promote the highest standards of education, are all key considerations.

Why Consider Off-site Building Solutions to Meet the Rising Demand?

Off-site construction is successfully challenging site-based building methods through innovation, and the value it can add to the procurement process for education providers has been proven.

Completion times can be halved, which will result in earlier occupation for the school – an important advantage when there is so much pressure on school places. Construction work is also safer, quieter and less disruptive if more work takes place in a factory – with a direct and positive impact on teaching.

With good design, highly efficient processes, and robust, technically-advanced building solutions, off-site construction is providing inspirational and stimulating learning environments, with complete long-term flexibility.

[[File:6846_Yorkon_Cambourne-071.jpg|link=File:6846_Yorkon_Cambourne-071.jpg]]

Buildings that Adapt to Change

Schools have to adapt over time, and so do their facilities. The space in all new buildings should be designed to allow for different uses, to meet changing requirements, and the needs of the local community out-of-hours.

Modular buildings can easily be expanded, vertically or horizontally, without the need for decanting, and installation can be timed to take place during school holidays. Non-load bearing partitions and clear unrestricted internal spans of up to 12m facilitate space planning and the ability to meet a school’s changing needs.

The Latest Advancements in Off-site Construction

With the latest technological advances and new innovations in off-site construction, there is no compromise on design, performance, layout or aesthetics of school buildings:

There are literally thousands of configurations and permutations, and the most advanced off-site solutions are sufficiently flexible to meet almost any site, building footprint or education requirement.

There is an even wider choice of cladding, glazing and roofing options to create landmark school buildings or to complement existing facilities. And advanced wall and floor constructions offer enhanced acoustic and insulation performance.

How to Expand an Already Highly Constrained School Site

Buildings manufactured off site can be installed in completely enclosed courtyards, on raised platforms, and on the roofs of existing facilities. This means that areas of a school site can now be expanded or developed which may not have access to the plant, materials and equipment required for site-based building methods. This is a key benefit for schools where space for expansion is severely restricted and yet the demand for places continues to rise.

Existing buildings can be seamlessly extended using an off-site solution, vertically or horizontally, giving schools even more flexibility to expand capacity requirements and optimise efficiency in the use of space.

Disruption to teaching is a major concern during construction projects. However, by using an off-site solution, the manufacture and assembly of the building structure and envelope, and a high proportion of the fitting out are carried out off site. The installation phase can also be timed for weekends or school holidays, keeping any disturbance to an absolute minimum.

Case Study – Cambourne Village College

The Portakabin Group delivered three two-storey teaching wings for a new secondary school in Cambridgeshire using a Yorkon off-site solution.

The building was required to provide teaching accommodation for 750 pupils aged 11 to 16, to help meet the growing demand for secondary school places in the county following an increase in housing locally and rising birth rates.

The 7,000sqm scheme for Cambridgeshire County Council was the first new secondary school to be constructed in the county for 30 years. The main contractor was Kier Construction.

[[File:Yorkon_Cambourne_Villlage_College_6935-75.jpg|link=File:Yorkon_Cambourne_Villlage_College_6935-75.jpg]]

From Farmland to School in just 41 Weeks

This project embraced modern methods of construction, and the off-site solution for the curriculum areas helped to reduce the programme for the whole development, from farmland to school in just 41 weeks.

Sean Sumner, Deputy Head at Cambourne Village College said, “The children and staff absolutely love their new school and you would never know the teaching wings were built in a factory. The feel is very solid and robust and we particularly like the amount of space and light, the wide corridors and the size of the classrooms.”

Case Study – Martin High School

One of the highest-performing state schools in Leicestershire, Martin High School in Anstey, was expanding from a middle school for 11-14 year olds to a secondary school, catering for 11-16 year olds. A new eight-classroom building was needed to accommodate 50 per cent more pupils.

A Yorkon off-site solution allowed the building to be delivered with much less disruption than site-based construction and the modules were installed over a weekend.

An ‘Iconic’ Building for a High-performing School

Full height curtain walling to the entrance has created an impressive exterior and a combination of spandrel panels between floors, brickwork and cedar cladding give the facility a distinctive and contemporary appearance.

[[File:Yorkon_Martin_High_School_6889-34.jpg|link=File:Yorkon_Martin_High_School_6889-34.jpg]]

Martin High School’s Business Manager, Sue Plunkett, said, “There were a number of benefits of this approach including the speed of construction and low level of disruption to a busy school environment. The finished building feels more like a traditional construction rather than a facility built off site.”

“This was a new venture for the school and we have been very pleased with both the finished result and the construction process. The building is designed to make the most of the fantastic views from the windows of a nearby beauty spot. The design blends in well with the countryside and we have created a truly iconic building for the school.”

To attend a CPD seminar to find out more about off-site construction, visit [http://www.yorkon.co.uk/cpd www.yorkon.co.uk/cpd].

[[Category:Education]]

How a Complex Hospital Building for Orthopaedic Services was Constructed in Less Than Four Months

2016-08-24T15:54:19Z

The Portakabin Group:

In this article, Robert Snook, Director and General Manager at [http://www.portakabin.co.uk/ Portakabin], looks at how a highly complex ward and theatre facility was constructed in less than four months to help meet the increasing demand for orthopaedic services.

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust had an urgent requirement for a highly complex, 4,200sqm interim ward and theatre building to facilitate the transfer of orthopaedic services to another hospital.

The purpose-designed scheme would occupy a constrained site immediately adjacent to the main building at Royal Stoke University Hospital and would be in use for the next five years.

An Innovative Modular Solution

A highly innovative modular solution from Portakabin was developed to fast-track construction and to deliver a high quality, fully fitted building in less than four months. The £13.5 million project was the largest contract in the 52-year history of the Portakabin Group’s Hire Division and was one of its most challenging schemes in terms of programme and site constraints.

The building’s structure comprises 124 steel-framed modules, each weighing up to 9 tonnes and up to 14m long. These were installed in only 18 days, which included weekend working, to further minimise disruption to patient care.

Facilities for Orthopaedic Services

This large, two-storey modular building has provided 56 new in-patient beds as single ensuite rooms and four-bed ward bays; two large state-of-the-art, clean air theatres for all orthopaedic procedures; theatre recovery room; ‘dirty’ and ‘clean’ utilities; staff changing room; reception; kitchenette; offices; 33-person ‘crash team’ lift, and an integral plant room.

The new facility was constructed and fitted out to permanent standards, in compliance with current Building Regulations and with a design life of at least 60 years.

The Project Challenges

* This was a highly challenging project in terms of scale, logistics, difficult access for vehicles, and the extremely close proximity of existing wards which had to remain fully operational throughout.
* To minimise disruption, Portakabin maximised work off site wherever possible. The modular solution allowed the building structure to be installed complete with wall finishes, internal partitioning, mechanical and electrical services, and flooring already in place to further reduce the programme time. Pre-assembled bedhead trunking and fitted furniture also helped to minimise time on site and disruption to patient services whilst maintaining the highest quality standards
* During the cranage phase, Portakabin managed and maintained access for 200 students to the adjacent Keele University Medical School and co-ordinated operations with West Midlands Air Ambulance for inbound emergency patients. Access for emergency vehicles across the site to the Infectious Diseases Unit was also provided throughout the project.
* The building installation involved detailed logistical planning and a 350-tonne crane on a highly restricted site close to a busy road.
* The Trust’s theatre management team had very specific requirements for the building design to achieve outstanding infection control and to improve the flow of patients to maximise capacity and frequency of operations. These criteria were met and despite a number of design changes, the building was delivered on programme.

How the Challenges were Met

Outstanding and detailed project management was key as was early engagement with the client. Roles and responsibilities were clearly defined at the outset and detailed to the client and stakeholders to ensure smooth lines of communication and fast decision making.

[[File:Portakabin_Hire_Royal_Stoke_7084-9.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_Hire_Royal_Stoke_7084-9.jpg]]

An open, transparent and collaborative relationship with the Trust was maintained throughout and regular meetings with the client and subcontractors ensured a clear understanding of any issues at all stages. The Trust’s project manager also visited the Portakabin factory to see at first hand the quality controls in place. Quality is engineered into the Portakabin building system. Modular construction is not weather dependent and the building is manufactured off site with greater precision and accuracy than site-based construction for superior quality control

Helping to Enhance Patients’ Experience

Commenting on the project, John Simpson, Director of Corporate Services at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust said, “We had an extremely tight timescale to deliver a complex healthcare building for the relocation of clinical services – but I am delighted to report that this was achieved.”

“Modular construction allowed us to benefit from a much shorter delivery programme so we could have the new facility up and running much more quickly. This enabled us to meet the increasing demand for services and enhance patients’ experience.”

“Whilst the building is constructed to permanent standards, its modular construction gives us greater flexibility as the facilities can be dismantled and removed if service needs change.”

“The facilities have been very well received by patients and staff. There is excellent light, space, décor and infection control. Portakabin successfully installed the building next to the main hospital with minimal impact on service provision. This required detailed logistical planning and the whole installation operation was carried out with military precision by a superb site team. The final design is extremely good and Portakabin was flexible and accommodating throughout.”

A Clinical Perspective

Looking at the clinical aspects, Jeanette Carter, Royal Stoke Ward Manager said, “The overall design and layout of the building are fantastic and the interior is very welcoming. We have a lot more space, particularly around beds, to facilitate patient contact and to accommodate any equipment we need. Everything fits into the ward space really well and there is better storage.”

“The wards are airy and the design features – such as integral blinds for the windows – make infection control much easier. We also have more side rooms available which help to reduce waiting times. There has been a lot of positive feedback from staff and patients since we moved into the new building.”

[[File:Portakabin_Hire_Royal_Stoke_7084-39.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_Hire_Royal_Stoke_7084-39.jpg]]

How Healthcare Providers can Rapidly Increase Capacity

The hiring of modular accommodation for short-term use is a fast, flexible and cost-effective way for healthcare providers to expand or relocate services, particularly on constrained hospital sites and can be funded from revenue rather than capital budget streams. The approach also gives NHS trusts greater flexibility as the facilities can be dismantled and removed as local needs change.

Complete, fully-fitted buildings can be delivered in a fraction of the time of a site-based construction solution and without compromising standards. Critically, buildings can be installed with far less disruption to patient care and the solution is much safer and quieter as fitting out can be carried out off site.

Modular solutions can be used to provide interim ward accommodation, recovery suites, dialysis units, diagnostic facilities, out-patient departments and treatment centres – and should be constructed to the latest healthcare best practice design standards.

To attend a CPD seminar to find out more about interim modular buildings, visit [http://www.portakabin.co.uk/cpd www.portakabin.co.uk/cpd].

[[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]] [[Category:Design]]

Recycling modular buildings

2016-08-24T12:43:14Z

The Portakabin Group:

Mike Williams, Managing Director of Foremans Relocatable Building Systems, looks at why demand for recycled and refurbished modular buildings continues to rise, and its place in the off-site sector.

The sustainability features of advanced off-site construction solutions have been well documented – significantly less waste, improved thermal efficiency and life cycle costing benefits. But recycled and refurbished modular buildings take sustainable construction to a completely new level.

Why is the Approach so Sustainable?

Our approach is to recycle the steel structure of the building. The bulk of the embodied energy in any modular building is in the steel structure and steel components used in its manufacture. By preserving these elements, you can create a building without manufacturing new steel or a new building structure, which is vastly more sustainable. It reduces carbon emissions and is an environmentally-sound alternative to demolishing and disposing of buildings in landfill sites when the facilities are no longer required.

When we re-use a modular building, we generate less than 10 per cent of the carbon emissions compared to a newly manufactured building of equivalent size. This dramatically improves a building’s carbon footprint which is increasingly important to many construction clients, particularly in the public sector.

We then refurbish the recycled building with new fixtures and fittings, doors, windows, wall linings and cladding. Many of our customers tell us that you would never know our buildings are modular – let alone recycled. The result is a highly thermally-efficient building with lower running costs.

[[File:Foremans Billingbrook School 7087-5.jpg]]

Cost-effective Construction and up to 70 Per Cent Faster

Recycling also means we can offer exceptional cost efficiency. This can allow construction clients to benefit from larger buildings or a higher specification for the same budget as new build. The approach is also up to 70 per cent faster than site-based construction and lead times are reduced by up to 30 per cent compared to new modular construction. This speed of delivery is very important to customers who need to work to even shorter programmes than other building solutions can offer for permanent facilities.

And the other benefits of modular construction still apply – less time on site so there is less disruption; constrained and inaccessible sites can be developed with ease, and site safety is improved because work off site is maximised.

Investment to Meet Demand

We have recently invested £1.5 million in our building stocks to meet the increasing demand for our services. Foremans buildings are widely used in both public and private sectors – from teaching blocks and health centres to transport depots, ancillary accommodation for hospitals, amenity buildings in the energy sector, and office schemes.

As budgets become ever tighter, specifiers need to look for alternative accommodation solutions that provide best value and yet maintain quality. This is an area we really excel in, with the resources and on time, on budget, quality and service commitments from being part of market leader as strong as Portakabin. It is a very compelling offer but it is not without its challenges.

[[File:Foremans Billingbrook School 7087-1.jpg]]

A Hugely Disparate Market

The challenge for specifiers and building customers is that the market is hugely disparate. This is a very diverse sector of the modular industry and the extent of refurbishment and the level of quality and service offered lacks consistency and is very varied.

Customers should take the time to understand the differences between suppliers – will the recycled building have just a coat of paint to freshen up the interior or will it be completely refurbished to create a high quality, highly energy-efficient scheme? We strongly advise customers considering a recycled solution to:

* Visit completed buildings
* Talk to other customers
* Meet the suppliers – never make a buying decision just on the basis of a tender or quotation
* Visit production facilities to assess the level of ‘refurbishment’.

The Perception Issue

We still have to respond to preconceptions about recycled modular buildings. The reality is that a refurbished modular building can be better quality than a new build modular solution in terms of building performance and the quality of internal fixtures and fittings – depending on the supplier. This goes back to the huge disparity of modular companies and not all offer technically advanced, highly engineered solutions, as for example, Portakabin does.

[[File:Foremans Cottingham 6611-014.jpg]]

The focus should always be on the quality of the finished building – and not whether it is new or recycled. That is why it is so important to encourage customers to visit completed buildings to assess quality at first hand. But we are in no doubt that there is room in the modular market for another type of solution and which takes sustainable construction to a new level whilst offering customers exceptional value.

[http://www.foremansbuildings.co.uk www.foremansbuildings.co.uk]

[[Category:Education]] [[Category:Sustainability]] [[Category:Design]]

File:Foremans Cottingham 6611-014.jpg

2016-08-24T12:42:36Z

The Portakabin Group:

File:Foremans Billingbrook School 7087-1.jpg

2016-08-24T12:42:03Z

The Portakabin Group:

File:Foremans Billingbrook School 7087-5.jpg

2016-08-24T12:41:13Z

The Portakabin Group:

Recycling modular buildings

2016-08-24T12:21:33Z

The Portakabin Group: Created page with "Mike Williams, Managing Director of Foremans Relocatable Building Systems, looks at why demand for recycled and refurbished modular buildings continues to rise, and its place in ..."

Mike Williams, Managing Director of Foremans Relocatable Building Systems, looks at why demand for recycled and refurbished modular buildings continues to rise, and its place in the off-site sector.

The sustainability features of advanced off-site construction solutions have been well documented – significantly less waste, improved thermal efficiency and life cycle costing benefits. But recycled and refurbished modular buildings take sustainable construction to a completely new level.

Why is the Approach so Sustainable?

Our approach is to recycle the steel structure of the building. The bulk of the embodied energy in any modular building is in the steel structure and steel components used in its manufacture. By preserving these elements, you can create a building without manufacturing new steel or a new building structure, which is vastly more sustainable. It reduces carbon emissions and is an environmentally-sound alternative to demolishing and disposing of buildings in landfill sites when the facilities are no longer required.

When we re-use a modular building, we generate less than 10 per cent of the carbon emissions compared to a newly manufactured building of equivalent size. This dramatically improves a building’s carbon footprint which is increasingly important to many construction clients, particularly in the public sector.

We then refurbish the recycled building with new fixtures and fittings, doors, windows, wall linings and cladding. Many of our customers tell us that you would never know our buildings are modular – let alone recycled. The result is a highly thermally-efficient building with lower running costs.

Cost-effective Construction and up to 70 Per Cent Faster

Recycling also means we can offer exceptional cost efficiency. This can allow construction clients to benefit from larger buildings or a higher specification for the same budget as new build. The approach is also up to 70 per cent faster than site-based construction and lead times are reduced by up to 30 per cent compared to new modular construction. This speed of delivery is very important to customers who need to work to even shorter programmes than other building solutions can offer for permanent facilities.

And the other benefits of modular construction still apply – less time on site so there is less disruption; constrained and inaccessible sites can be developed with ease, and site safety is improved because work off site is maximised.

Investment to Meet Demand

We have recently invested £1.5 million in our building stocks to meet the increasing demand for our services. Foremans buildings are widely used in both public and private sectors – from teaching blocks and health centres to transport depots, ancillary accommodation for hospitals, amenity buildings in the energy sector, and office schemes.

As budgets become ever tighter, specifiers need to look for alternative accommodation solutions that provide best value and yet maintain quality. This is an area we really excel in, with the resources and on time, on budget, quality and service commitments from being part of market leader as strong as Portakabin. It is a very compelling offer but it is not without its challenges.

 
A Hugely Disparate Market

The challenge for specifiers and building customers is that the market is hugely disparate. This is a very diverse sector of the modular industry and the extent of refurbishment and the level of quality and service offered lacks consistency and is very varied.

Customers should take the time to understand the differences between suppliers – will the recycled building have just a coat of paint to freshen up the interior or will it be completely refurbished to create a high quality, highly energy-efficient scheme? We strongly advise customers considering a recycled solution to:

* Visit completed buildings
* Talk to other customers
* Meet the suppliers – never make a buying decision just on the basis of a tender or quotation
* Visit production facilities to assess the level of ‘refurbishment’.

The Perception Issue

We still have to respond to preconceptions about recycled modular buildings. The reality is that a refurbished modular building can be better quality than a new build modular solution in terms of building performance and the quality of internal fixtures and fittings – depending on the supplier. This goes back to the huge disparity of modular companies and not all offer technically advanced, highly engineered solutions, as for example, Portakabin does.

The focus should always be on the quality of the finished building – and not whether it is new or recycled. That is why it is so important to encourage customers to visit completed buildings to assess quality at first hand. But we are in no doubt that there is room in the modular market for another type of solution and which takes sustainable construction to a new level whilst offering customers exceptional value.

[http://www.foremansbuildings.co.uk www.foremansbuildings.co.uk]

[[Category:Sustainability]] [[Category:Design]]

How a Complex Hospital Building for Orthopaedic Services was Constructed in Less Than Four Months

2016-08-24T12:17:31Z

The Portakabin Group:

In this article, Robert Snook, Director and General Manager at [http://www.portakabin.co.uk/ Portakabin], looks at how a highly complex ward and theatre facility was constructed in less than four months to help meet the increasing demand for orthopaedic services.

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust had an urgent requirement for a highly complex, 4,200sqm interim ward and theatre building to facilitate the transfer of orthopaedic services to another hospital.

The purpose-designed scheme would occupy a constrained site immediately adjacent to the main building at Royal Stoke University Hospital and would be in use for the next five years.

An Innovative Modular Solution

A highly innovative modular solution from Portakabin was developed to fast-track construction and to deliver a high quality, fully fitted building in less than four months. The £13.5 million project was the largest contract in the 52-year history of the Portakabin Group’s Hire Division and was one of its most challenging schemes in terms of programme and site constraints.

[[File:Portakabin Royal Stoke Cranage 7029-17.jpg]]

The building’s structure comprises 124 steel-framed modules, each weighing up to 9 tonnes and up to 14m long. These were installed in only 18 days, which included weekend working, to further minimise disruption to patient care.

Facilities for Orthopaedic Services

This large, two-storey modular building has provided 56 new in-patient beds as single ensuite rooms and four-bed ward bays; two large state-of-the-art, clean air theatres for all orthopaedic procedures; theatre recovery room; ‘dirty’ and ‘clean’ utilities; staff changing room; reception; kitchenette; offices; 33-person ‘crash team’ lift, and an integral plant room.

The new facility was constructed and fitted out to permanent standards, in compliance with current Building Regulations and with a design life of at least 60 years.

The Project Challenges

* This was a highly challenging project in terms of scale, logistics, difficult access for vehicles, and the extremely close proximity of existing wards which had to remain fully operational throughout.
* To minimise disruption, Portakabin maximised work off site wherever possible. The modular solution allowed the building structure to be installed complete with wall finishes, internal partitioning, mechanical and electrical services, and flooring already in place to further reduce the programme time. Pre-assembled bedhead trunking and fitted furniture also helped to minimise time on site and disruption to patient services whilst maintaining the highest quality standards
* During the cranage phase, Portakabin managed and maintained access for 200 students to the adjacent Keele University Medical School and co-ordinated operations with West Midlands Air Ambulance for inbound emergency patients. Access for emergency vehicles across the site to the Infectious Diseases Unit was also provided throughout the project.
* The building installation involved detailed logistical planning and a 350-tonne crane on a highly restricted site close to a busy road.
* The Trust’s theatre management team had very specific requirements for the building design to achieve outstanding infection control and to improve the flow of patients to maximise capacity and frequency of operations. These criteria were met and despite a number of design changes, the building was delivered on programme.

How the Challenges were Met

Outstanding and detailed project management was key as was early engagement with the client. Roles and responsibilities were clearly defined at the outset and detailed to the client and stakeholders to ensure smooth lines of communication and fast decision making.

[[File:Portakabin Hire Royal Stoke 7084-9.jpg]]

An open, transparent and collaborative relationship with the Trust was maintained throughout and regular meetings with the client and subcontractors ensured a clear understanding of any issues at all stages. The Trust’s project manager also visited the Portakabin factory to see at first hand the quality controls in place. Quality is engineered into the Portakabin building system. Modular construction is not weather dependent and the building is manufactured off site with greater precision and accuracy than site-based construction for superior quality control

Helping to Enhance Patients’ Experience

Commenting on the project, John Simpson, Director of Corporate Services at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust said, “We had an extremely tight timescale to deliver a complex healthcare building for the relocation of clinical services – but I am delighted to report that this was achieved.”

“Modular construction allowed us to benefit from a much shorter delivery programme so we could have the new facility up and running much more quickly. This enabled us to meet the increasing demand for services and enhance patients’ experience.”

“Whilst the building is constructed to permanent standards, its modular construction gives us greater flexibility as the facilities can be dismantled and removed if service needs change.”

“The facilities have been very well received by patients and staff. There is excellent light, space, décor and infection control. Portakabin successfully installed the building next to the main hospital with minimal impact on service provision. This required detailed logistical planning and the whole installation operation was carried out with military precision by a superb site team. The final design is extremely good and Portakabin was flexible and accommodating throughout.”

A Clinical Perspective

Looking at the clinical aspects, Jeanette Carter, Royal Stoke Ward Manager said, “The overall design and layout of the building are fantastic and the interior is very welcoming. We have a lot more space, particularly around beds, to facilitate patient contact and to accommodate any equipment we need. Everything fits into the ward space really well and there is better storage.”

“The wards are airy and the design features – such as integral blinds for the windows – make infection control much easier. We also have more side rooms available which help to reduce waiting times. There has been a lot of positive feedback from staff and patients since we moved into the new building.”

[[File:Portakabin Hire Royal Stoke 7084-39.jpg]]

How Healthcare Providers can Rapidly Increase Capacity

The hiring of modular accommodation for short-term use is a fast, flexible and cost-effective way for healthcare providers to expand or relocate services, particularly on constrained hospital sites and can be funded from revenue rather than capital budget streams. The approach also gives NHS trusts greater flexibility as the facilities can be dismantled and removed as local needs change.

Complete, fully-fitted buildings can be delivered in a fraction of the time of a site-based construction solution and without compromising standards. Critically, buildings can be installed with far less disruption to patient care and the solution is much safer and quieter as fitting out can be carried out off site.

Modular solutions can be used to provide interim ward accommodation, recovery suites, dialysis units, diagnostic facilities, out-patient departments and treatment centres – and should be constructed to the latest healthcare best practice design standards.

To attend a CPD seminar to find out more about interim modular buildings, visit [http://www.portakabin.co.uk/cpd www.portakabin.co.uk/cpd].

[[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]] [[Category:Design]]

File:Portakabin Hire Royal Stoke 7084-39.jpg

2016-08-24T12:16:37Z

The Portakabin Group:

File:Portakabin Hire Royal Stoke 7084-9.jpg

2016-08-24T12:16:01Z

The Portakabin Group:

File:Portakabin Royal Stoke Cranage 7029-17.jpg

2016-08-24T12:15:08Z

The Portakabin Group:

How a Complex Hospital Building for Orthopaedic Services was Constructed in Less Than Four Months

2016-08-24T12:12:35Z

The Portakabin Group: Created page with "In this article, Robert Snook, Director and General Manager at [http://www.portakabin.co.uk/ Portakabin], looks at how a highly complex ward and theatre facility was constructed ..."

In this article, Robert Snook, Director and General Manager at [http://www.portakabin.co.uk/ Portakabin], looks at how a highly complex ward and theatre facility was constructed in less than four months to help meet the increasing demand for orthopaedic services.

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust had an urgent requirement for a highly complex, 4,200sqm interim ward and theatre building to facilitate the transfer of orthopaedic services to another hospital.

The purpose-designed scheme would occupy a constrained site immediately adjacent to the main building at Royal Stoke University Hospital and would be in use for the next five years.

An Innovative Modular Solution

A highly innovative modular solution from Portakabin was developed to fast-track construction and to deliver a high quality, fully fitted building in less than four months. The £13.5 million project was the largest contract in the 52-year history of the Portakabin Group’s Hire Division and was one of its most challenging schemes in terms of programme and site constraints.

The building’s structure comprises 124 steel-framed modules, each weighing up to 9 tonnes and up to 14m long. These were installed in only 18 days, which included weekend working, to further minimise disruption to patient care.

 
Facilities for Orthopaedic Services

This large, two-storey modular building has provided 56 new in-patient beds as single ensuite rooms and four-bed ward bays; two large state-of-the-art, clean air theatres for all orthopaedic procedures; theatre recovery room; ‘dirty’ and ‘clean’ utilities; staff changing room; reception; kitchenette; offices; 33-person ‘crash team’ lift, and an integral plant room.

The new facility was constructed and fitted out to permanent standards, in compliance with current Building Regulations and with a design life of at least 60 years.

The Project Challenges

* This was a highly challenging project in terms of scale, logistics, difficult access for vehicles, and the extremely close proximity of existing wards which had to remain fully operational throughout.
* To minimise disruption, Portakabin maximised work off site wherever possible. The modular solution allowed the building structure to be installed complete with wall finishes, internal partitioning, mechanical and electrical services, and flooring already in place to further reduce the programme time. Pre-assembled bedhead trunking and fitted furniture also helped to minimise time on site and disruption to patient services whilst maintaining the highest quality standards
* During the cranage phase, Portakabin managed and maintained access for 200 students to the adjacent Keele University Medical School and co-ordinated operations with West Midlands Air Ambulance for inbound emergency patients. Access for emergency vehicles across the site to the Infectious Diseases Unit was also provided throughout the project.
* The building installation involved detailed logistical planning and a 350-tonne crane on a highly restricted site close to a busy road.
* The Trust’s theatre management team had very specific requirements for the building design to achieve outstanding infection control and to improve the flow of patients to maximise capacity and frequency of operations. These criteria were met and despite a number of design changes, the building was delivered on programme.

How the Challenges were Met

Outstanding and detailed project management was key as was early engagement with the client. Roles and responsibilities were clearly defined at the outset and detailed to the client and stakeholders to ensure smooth lines of communication and fast decision making.

An open, transparent and collaborative relationship with the Trust was maintained throughout and regular meetings with the client and subcontractors ensured a clear understanding of any issues at all stages. The Trust’s project manager also visited the Portakabin factory to see at first hand the quality controls in place. Quality is engineered into the Portakabin building system. Modular construction is not weather dependent and the building is manufactured off site with greater precision and accuracy than site-based construction for superior quality control

Helping to Enhance Patients’ Experience

Commenting on the project, John Simpson, Director of Corporate Services at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust said, “We had an extremely tight timescale to deliver a complex healthcare building for the relocation of clinical services – but I am delighted to report that this was achieved.”

“Modular construction allowed us to benefit from a much shorter delivery programme so we could have the new facility up and running much more quickly. This enabled us to meet the increasing demand for services and enhance patients’ experience.”

“Whilst the building is constructed to permanent standards, its modular construction gives us greater flexibility as the facilities can be dismantled and removed if service needs change.”

“The facilities have been very well received by patients and staff. There is excellent light, space, décor and infection control. Portakabin successfully installed the building next to the main hospital with minimal impact on service provision. This required detailed logistical planning and the whole installation operation was carried out with military precision by a superb site team. The final design is extremely good and Portakabin was flexible and accommodating throughout.”

A Clinical Perspective

Looking at the clinical aspects, Jeanette Carter, Royal Stoke Ward Manager said, “The overall design and layout of the building are fantastic and the interior is very welcoming. We have a lot more space, particularly around beds, to facilitate patient contact and to accommodate any equipment we need. Everything fits into the ward space really well and there is better storage.”

“The wards are airy and the design features – such as integral blinds for the windows – make infection control much easier. We also have more side rooms available which help to reduce waiting times. There has been a lot of positive feedback from staff and patients since we moved into the new building.”

How Healthcare Providers can Rapidly Increase Capacity

The hiring of modular accommodation for short-term use is a fast, flexible and cost-effective way for healthcare providers to expand or relocate services, particularly on constrained hospital sites and can be funded from revenue rather than capital budget streams. The approach also gives NHS trusts greater flexibility as the facilities can be dismantled and removed as local needs change.

Complete, fully-fitted buildings can be delivered in a fraction of the time of a site-based construction solution and without compromising standards. Critically, buildings can be installed with far less disruption to patient care and the solution is much safer and quieter as fitting out can be carried out off site.

Modular solutions can be used to provide interim ward accommodation, recovery suites, dialysis units, diagnostic facilities, out-patient departments and treatment centres – and should be constructed to the latest healthcare best practice design standards.

To attend a CPD seminar to find out more about interim modular buildings, visit [http://www.portakabin.co.uk/cpd www.portakabin.co.uk/cpd].

Demand for Off-Site Construction Continues to Increase in the UK’s Manufacturing Sector

2016-08-24T09:22:20Z

The Portakabin Group:

The Portakabin Group is seeing a significant rise in demand for buildings in the manufacturing sector as more organisations look to expand their facilities using off-site construction. Here Steve Newell, General Manager at Portakabin, looks at their latest industrial project and the drivers which moved construction off site.

Whether the requirement is for offices, support facilities, process areas, control centres or laboratories, off-site construction and its standardised designs for modular buildings can provide significantly shorter construction periods, allowing manufacturers to make investment decisions at a later stage and achieve faster project implementation and return on capital spend.

A scheme for Totally Wicked has been constructed using [http://www.yorkon.co.uk/ Yorkon] off-site solutions from the Portakabin Group to create the first purpose-designed fluid production and technical facility for e-cigarettes to be built in the UK. The project has increased the company’s capacity to over 10 million bottles of premium quality e-liquid every year for the UK, USA and worldwide markets.

The facility was constructed off site to radically shorten the programme time and reduce disruption to the local community and to the company’s operations on the Totally Wicked site in Blackburn.

Finished in anthracite grey with striking chilli red stripes to reflect Totally Wicked’s strong corporate image, the scheme accommodates a new production facility, complete with test room, fluid mixing area, bottling plant and a highly insulated cold room. Offices are located on the upper floor.

[[File:Yorkon_Totally_Wicked_7131-17.jpg|link=File:Yorkon_Totally_Wicked_7131-17.jpg]]

An Off-site Solution to Reduce the Build Time

The use of a Yorkon off-site solution reduced the build time for the facility to just four months to give Totally Wicked the benefit of earlier occupation. This also allowed production capacity to be increased and facilitated the company’s expansion at an earlier stage.

Portakabin was principal contractor for the project and managed design, foundations, building manufacture and installation, and landscaping. 

The building has a high performance pre-installed concrete floor at ground floor level to provide a robust, lasting and clean finish for the production areas. The landscaping included tree planting and an external break-out space for staff.

[[File:Yorkon_Totally_Wicked_7131-21.jpg|link=File:Yorkon_Totally_Wicked_7131-21.jpg]]

Project Challenges

* This was a challenging, sloping site which required complex excavations and the construction of a 5m high gabion stone retaining wall to meet planning restrictions for the building height.
* The building has a cold room which had to meet stringent standards for the storage of nicotine solutions, including a high level of insulation.
* The site was very constrained and immediately adjacent to a main road requiring detailed logistical planning for the building installation phase.
* Ensuring as little disruption as possible to Totally Wicked’s operations and the surrounding residential community were key project requirements.

[[File:Yorkon_Totally_Wicked_7131-23.jpg|link=File:Yorkon_Totally_Wicked_7131-23.jpg]]

The Client’s Perspective

Stuart Mercer, Operations Director at Totally Wicked, said, “We needed this building to help us meet the growing demand for our products both in the UK and for export markets. It is a cutting edge facility for e-liquid production.”

“We chose an off-site solution because the brownfield site we wanted to develop is very constrained and it was critical to have as little interruption to our operations and to neighbouring properties as possible. The benefits of off-site construction far exceeded those of site-based construction – we could have much less plant and equipment on site, the programme was much shorter, and disruption was minimised.”

“Following completion we are now ideally placed to take the business to the next level, increasing production in a very clean, modern environment. The finished building fits in really well with our corporate image and we would definitely recommend the approach and the Portakabin Group to other businesses looking to expand their facilities.”

[http://www.yorkon.co.uk www.yorkon.co.uk]

Demand for Off-Site Construction Continues to Increase in the UK’s Manufacturing Sector

2016-08-24T09:21:52Z

The Portakabin Group: Created page with "The Portakabin Group is seeing a significant rise in demand for buildings in the manufacturing sector as more organisations look to expand their facilities using off-site constru..."

The Portakabin Group is seeing a significant rise in demand for buildings in the manufacturing sector as more organisations look to expand their facilities using off-site construction. Here Steve Newell, General Manager at Portakabin, looks at their latest industrial project and the drivers which moved construction off site.

Whether the requirement is for offices, support facilities, process areas, control centres or laboratories, off-site construction and its standardised designs for modular buildings can provide significantly shorter construction periods, allowing manufacturers to make investment decisions at a later stage and achieve faster project implementation and return on capital spend.

A scheme for Totally Wicked has been constructed using [http://www.yorkon.co.uk/ Yorkon] off-site solutions from the Portakabin Group to create the first purpose-designed fluid production and technical facility for e-cigarettes to be built in the UK. The project has increased the company’s capacity to over 10 million bottles of premium quality e-liquid every year for the UK, USA and worldwide markets.

The facility was constructed off site to radically shorten the programme time and reduce disruption to the local community and to the company’s operations on the Totally Wicked site in Blackburn.

Finished in anthracite grey with striking chilli red stripes to reflect Totally Wicked’s strong corporate image, the scheme accommodates a new production facility, complete with test room, fluid mixing area, bottling plant and a highly insulated cold room. Offices are located on the upper floor.

[[File:Yorkon Totally Wicked 7131-17.jpg]]

An Off-site Solution to Reduce the Build Time

The use of a Yorkon off-site solution reduced the build time for the facility to just four months to give Totally Wicked the benefit of earlier occupation. This also allowed production capacity to be increased and facilitated the company’s expansion at an earlier stage.

Portakabin was principal contractor for the project and managed design, foundations, building manufacture and installation, and landscaping. 
 
The building has a high performance pre-installed concrete floor at ground floor level to provide a robust, lasting and clean finish for the production areas. The landscaping included tree planting and an external break-out space for staff.

[[File:Yorkon Totally Wicked 7131-21.jpg]]

Project Challenges

* This was a challenging, sloping site which required complex excavations and the construction of a 5m high gabion stone retaining wall to meet planning restrictions for the building height.
* The building has a cold room which had to meet stringent standards for the storage of nicotine solutions, including a high level of insulation.
* The site was very constrained and immediately adjacent to a main road requiring detailed logistical planning for the building installation phase.
* Ensuring as little disruption as possible to Totally Wicked’s operations and the surrounding residential community were key project requirements.

[[File:Yorkon Totally Wicked 7131-23.jpg]]

The Client’s Perspective

Stuart Mercer, Operations Director at Totally Wicked, said, “We needed this building to help us meet the growing demand for our products both in the UK and for export markets. It is a cutting edge facility for e-liquid production.”

“We chose an off-site solution because the brownfield site we wanted to develop is very constrained and it was critical to have as little interruption to our operations and to neighbouring properties as possible. The benefits of off-site construction far exceeded those of site-based construction – we could have much less plant and equipment on site, the programme was much shorter, and disruption was minimised.”

“Following completion we are now ideally placed to take the business to the next level, increasing production in a very clean, modern environment. The finished building fits in really well with our corporate image and we would definitely recommend the approach and the Portakabin Group to other businesses looking to expand their facilities.”

[http://www.yorkon.co.uk www.yorkon.co.uk]

File:Yorkon Totally Wicked 7131-23.jpg

2016-08-24T09:21:37Z

The Portakabin Group:

File:Yorkon Totally Wicked 7131-21.jpg

2016-08-24T09:21:11Z

The Portakabin Group:

File:Yorkon Totally Wicked 7131-17.jpg

2016-08-24T09:20:33Z

The Portakabin Group:

How Off-Site Construction can Help Address the Growing Demand for School Places

2016-08-24T09:04:12Z

The Portakabin Group:

In this article, Kevin Jones, Business Development Director at the Portakabin Group, looks at how off-site construction is helping schools and local authorities overcome place planning issues.

Demographic changes have led to a serious shortfall in school places across the UK. Government figures projected that by 2023, there will be a total of 8,022,000 pupils in England's schools – an increase of 880,000 pupils.

The rise in birth rates, the numbers of people moving to cities such as London, Leeds and Bristol, and the level of new housing, have significantly increased the pressure on education provision – and now secondary schools as well as primary education.

Construction cost, speed of delivery to meet the demand for additional places, potential interruptions to teaching as building work progresses, and getting the right design to stand the test of time and promote the highest standards of education, are all key considerations.

Why Consider Off-site Building Solutions to Meet the Rising Demand?

Off-site construction is successfully challenging site-based building methods through innovation, and the value it can add to the procurement process for education providers has been proven.

Completion times can be halved, which will result in earlier occupation for the school – an important advantage when there is so much pressure on school places. Construction work is also safer, quieter and less disruptive if more work takes place in a factory – with a direct and positive impact on teaching.

With good design, highly efficient processes, and robust, technically-advanced building solutions, off-site construction is providing inspirational and stimulating learning environments, with complete long-term flexibility.

[[File:6846_Yorkon_Cambourne-071.jpg|link=File:6846_Yorkon_Cambourne-071.jpg]]

Buildings that Adapt to Change

Schools have to adapt over time, and so do their facilities. The space in all new buildings should be designed to allow for different uses, to meet changing requirements, and the needs of the local community out-of-hours.

Modular buildings can easily be expanded, vertically or horizontally, without the need for decanting, and installation can be timed to take place during school holidays. Non-load bearing partitions and clear unrestricted internal spans of up to 12m facilitate space planning and the ability to meet a school’s changing needs.

The Latest Advancements in Off-site Construction

With the latest technological advances and new innovations in off-site construction, there is no compromise on design, performance, layout or aesthetics of school buildings:

There are literally thousands of configurations and permutations, and the most advanced off-site solutions are sufficiently flexible to meet almost any site, building footprint or education requirement.

There is an even wider choice of cladding, glazing and roofing options to create landmark school buildings or to complement existing facilities. And advanced wall and floor constructions offer enhanced acoustic and insulation performance.

How to Expand an Already Highly Constrained School Site

Buildings manufactured off site can be installed in completely enclosed courtyards, on raised platforms, and on the roofs of existing facilities. This means that areas of a school site can now be expanded or developed which may not have access to the plant, materials and equipment required for site-based building methods. This is a key benefit for schools where space for expansion is severely restricted and yet the demand for places continues to rise.

Existing buildings can be seamlessly extended using an off-site solution, vertically or horizontally, giving schools even more flexibility to expand capacity requirements and optimise efficiency in the use of space.

Disruption to teaching is a major concern during construction projects. However, by using an off-site solution, the manufacture and assembly of the building structure and envelope, and a high proportion of the fitting out are carried out off site. The installation phase can also be timed for weekends or school holidays, keeping any disturbance to an absolute minimum.

Case Study – Cambourne Village College

The Portakabin Group delivered three two-storey teaching wings for a new secondary school in Cambridgeshire using a Yorkon off-site solution.

The building was required to provide teaching accommodation for 750 pupils aged 11 to 16, to help meet the growing demand for secondary school places in the county following an increase in housing locally and rising birth rates.

The 7,000sqm scheme for Cambridgeshire County Council was the first new secondary school to be constructed in the county for 30 years. The main contractor was Kier Construction.

[[File:Yorkon_Cambourne_Villlage_College_6935-75.jpg|link=File:Yorkon_Cambourne_Villlage_College_6935-75.jpg]]

From Farmland to School in just 41 Weeks

This project embraced modern methods of construction, and the off-site solution for the curriculum areas helped to reduce the programme for the whole development, from farmland to school in just 41 weeks.

Sean Sumner, Deputy Head at Cambourne Village College said, “The children and staff absolutely love their new school and you would never know the teaching wings were built in a factory. The feel is very solid and robust and we particularly like the amount of space and light, the wide corridors and the size of the classrooms.”

Case Study – Martin High School

One of the highest-performing state schools in Leicestershire, Martin High School in Anstey, was expanding from a middle school for 11-14 year olds to a secondary school, catering for 11-16 year olds. A new eight-classroom building was needed to accommodate 50 per cent more pupils.

A Yorkon off-site solution allowed the building to be delivered with much less disruption than site-based construction and the modules were installed over a weekend.

An ‘Iconic’ Building for a High-performing School

Full height curtain walling to the entrance has created an impressive exterior and a combination of spandrel panels between floors, brickwork and cedar cladding give the facility a distinctive and contemporary appearance.

[[File:Yorkon_Martin_High_School_6889-34.jpg|link=File:Yorkon_Martin_High_School_6889-34.jpg]]

Martin High School’s Business Manager, Sue Plunkett, said, “There were a number of benefits of this approach including the speed of construction and low level of disruption to a busy school environment. The finished building feels more like a traditional construction rather than a facility built off site.”

“This was a new venture for the school and we have been very pleased with both the finished result and the construction process. The building is designed to make the most of the fantastic views from the windows of a nearby beauty spot. The design blends in well with the countryside and we have created a truly iconic building for the school.”

To attend a CPD seminar to find out more about off-site construction, visit [http://www.yorkon.co.uk/cpd www.yorkon.co.uk/cpd].

How Off-Site Construction can Help Address the Growing Demand for School Places

2016-08-24T09:03:58Z

The Portakabin Group:

= In this article, Kevin Jones, Business Development Director at the Portakabin Group, looks at how off-site construction is helping schools and local authorities overcome place planning issues. =

Demographic changes have led to a serious shortfall in school places across the UK. Government figures projected that by 2023, there will be a total of 8,022,000 pupils in England's schools – an increase of 880,000 pupils.

The rise in birth rates, the numbers of people moving to cities such as London, Leeds and Bristol, and the level of new housing, have significantly increased the pressure on education provision – and now secondary schools as well as primary education.

Construction cost, speed of delivery to meet the demand for additional places, potential interruptions to teaching as building work progresses, and getting the right design to stand the test of time and promote the highest standards of education, are all key considerations.

Why Consider Off-site Building Solutions to Meet the Rising Demand?

Off-site construction is successfully challenging site-based building methods through innovation, and the value it can add to the procurement process for education providers has been proven.

Completion times can be halved, which will result in earlier occupation for the school – an important advantage when there is so much pressure on school places. Construction work is also safer, quieter and less disruptive if more work takes place in a factory – with a direct and positive impact on teaching.

With good design, highly efficient processes, and robust, technically-advanced building solutions, off-site construction is providing inspirational and stimulating learning environments, with complete long-term flexibility.

[[File:6846_Yorkon_Cambourne-071.jpg|link=File:6846_Yorkon_Cambourne-071.jpg]]

Buildings that Adapt to Change

Schools have to adapt over time, and so do their facilities. The space in all new buildings should be designed to allow for different uses, to meet changing requirements, and the needs of the local community out-of-hours.

Modular buildings can easily be expanded, vertically or horizontally, without the need for decanting, and installation can be timed to take place during school holidays. Non-load bearing partitions and clear unrestricted internal spans of up to 12m facilitate space planning and the ability to meet a school’s changing needs.

The Latest Advancements in Off-site Construction

With the latest technological advances and new innovations in off-site construction, there is no compromise on design, performance, layout or aesthetics of school buildings:

There are literally thousands of configurations and permutations, and the most advanced off-site solutions are sufficiently flexible to meet almost any site, building footprint or education requirement.

There is an even wider choice of cladding, glazing and roofing options to create landmark school buildings or to complement existing facilities. And advanced wall and floor constructions offer enhanced acoustic and insulation performance.

How to Expand an Already Highly Constrained School Site

Buildings manufactured off site can be installed in completely enclosed courtyards, on raised platforms, and on the roofs of existing facilities. This means that areas of a school site can now be expanded or developed which may not have access to the plant, materials and equipment required for site-based building methods. This is a key benefit for schools where space for expansion is severely restricted and yet the demand for places continues to rise.

Existing buildings can be seamlessly extended using an off-site solution, vertically or horizontally, giving schools even more flexibility to expand capacity requirements and optimise efficiency in the use of space.

Disruption to teaching is a major concern during construction projects. However, by using an off-site solution, the manufacture and assembly of the building structure and envelope, and a high proportion of the fitting out are carried out off site. The installation phase can also be timed for weekends or school holidays, keeping any disturbance to an absolute minimum.

Case Study – Cambourne Village College

The Portakabin Group delivered three two-storey teaching wings for a new secondary school in Cambridgeshire using a Yorkon off-site solution.

The building was required to provide teaching accommodation for 750 pupils aged 11 to 16, to help meet the growing demand for secondary school places in the county following an increase in housing locally and rising birth rates.

The 7,000sqm scheme for Cambridgeshire County Council was the first new secondary school to be constructed in the county for 30 years. The main contractor was Kier Construction.

[[File:Yorkon_Cambourne_Villlage_College_6935-75.jpg|link=File:Yorkon_Cambourne_Villlage_College_6935-75.jpg]]

From Farmland to School in just 41 Weeks

This project embraced modern methods of construction, and the off-site solution for the curriculum areas helped to reduce the programme for the whole development, from farmland to school in just 41 weeks.

Sean Sumner, Deputy Head at Cambourne Village College said, “The children and staff absolutely love their new school and you would never know the teaching wings were built in a factory. The feel is very solid and robust and we particularly like the amount of space and light, the wide corridors and the size of the classrooms.”

Case Study – Martin High School

One of the highest-performing state schools in Leicestershire, Martin High School in Anstey, was expanding from a middle school for 11-14 year olds to a secondary school, catering for 11-16 year olds. A new eight-classroom building was needed to accommodate 50 per cent more pupils.

A Yorkon off-site solution allowed the building to be delivered with much less disruption than site-based construction and the modules were installed over a weekend.

An ‘Iconic’ Building for a High-performing School

Full height curtain walling to the entrance has created an impressive exterior and a combination of spandrel panels between floors, brickwork and cedar cladding give the facility a distinctive and contemporary appearance.

[[File:Yorkon_Martin_High_School_6889-34.jpg|link=File:Yorkon_Martin_High_School_6889-34.jpg]]

Martin High School’s Business Manager, Sue Plunkett, said, “There were a number of benefits of this approach including the speed of construction and low level of disruption to a busy school environment. The finished building feels more like a traditional construction rather than a facility built off site.”

“This was a new venture for the school and we have been very pleased with both the finished result and the construction process. The building is designed to make the most of the fantastic views from the windows of a nearby beauty spot. The design blends in well with the countryside and we have created a truly iconic building for the school.”

To attend a CPD seminar to find out more about off-site construction, visit [http://www.yorkon.co.uk/cpd www.yorkon.co.uk/cpd].

How Off-Site Construction can Help Address the Growing Demand for School Places

2016-08-24T09:03:08Z

The Portakabin Group: Created page with "In this article, Kevin Jones, Business Development Director at the Portakabin Group, looks at how off-site construction is helping schools and local authorities overcome place pl..."

In this article, Kevin Jones, Business Development Director at the Portakabin Group, looks at how off-site construction is helping schools and local authorities overcome place planning issues.

Demographic changes have led to a serious shortfall in school places across the UK. Government figures projected that by 2023, there will be a total of 8,022,000 pupils in England's schools – an increase of 880,000 pupils.

The rise in birth rates, the numbers of people moving to cities such as London, Leeds and Bristol, and the level of new housing, have significantly increased the pressure on education provision – and now secondary schools as well as primary education.

Construction cost, speed of delivery to meet the demand for additional places, potential interruptions to teaching as building work progresses, and getting the right design to stand the test of time and promote the highest standards of education, are all key considerations.

Why Consider Off-site Building Solutions to Meet the Rising Demand?

Off-site construction is successfully challenging site-based building methods through innovation, and the value it can add to the procurement process for education providers has been proven.

Completion times can be halved, which will result in earlier occupation for the school – an important advantage when there is so much pressure on school places. Construction work is also safer, quieter and less disruptive if more work takes place in a factory – with a direct and positive impact on teaching.

With good design, highly efficient processes, and robust, technically-advanced building solutions, off-site construction is providing inspirational and stimulating learning environments, with complete long-term flexibility.

[[File:6846 Yorkon Cambourne-071.jpg]]

Buildings that Adapt to Change

Schools have to adapt over time, and so do their facilities. The space in all new buildings should be designed to allow for different uses, to meet changing requirements, and the needs of the local community out-of-hours.

Modular buildings can easily be expanded, vertically or horizontally, without the need for decanting, and installation can be timed to take place during school holidays. Non-load bearing partitions and clear unrestricted internal spans of up to 12m facilitate space planning and the ability to meet a school’s changing needs.

The Latest Advancements in Off-site Construction

With the latest technological advances and new innovations in off-site construction, there is no compromise on design, performance, layout or aesthetics of school buildings:

There are literally thousands of configurations and permutations, and the most advanced off-site solutions are sufficiently flexible to meet almost any site, building footprint or education requirement.

There is an even wider choice of cladding, glazing and roofing options to create landmark school buildings or to complement existing facilities. And advanced wall and floor constructions offer enhanced acoustic and insulation performance.

How to Expand an Already Highly Constrained School Site

Buildings manufactured off site can be installed in completely enclosed courtyards, on raised platforms, and on the roofs of existing facilities. This means that areas of a school site can now be expanded or developed which may not have access to the plant, materials and equipment required for site-based building methods. This is a key benefit for schools where space for expansion is severely restricted and yet the demand for places continues to rise.

Existing buildings can be seamlessly extended using an off-site solution, vertically or horizontally, giving schools even more flexibility to expand capacity requirements and optimise efficiency in the use of space.

Disruption to teaching is a major concern during construction projects. However, by using an off-site solution, the manufacture and assembly of the building structure and envelope, and a high proportion of the fitting out are carried out off site. The installation phase can also be timed for weekends or school holidays, keeping any disturbance to an absolute minimum.

Case Study – Cambourne Village College

The Portakabin Group delivered three two-storey teaching wings for a new secondary school in Cambridgeshire using a Yorkon off-site solution.

The building was required to provide teaching accommodation for 750 pupils aged 11 to 16, to help meet the growing demand for secondary school places in the county following an increase in housing locally and rising birth rates.

The 7,000sqm scheme for Cambridgeshire County Council was the first new secondary school to be constructed in the county for 30 years. The main contractor was Kier Construction.

[[File:Yorkon Cambourne Villlage College 6935-75.jpg]]

From Farmland to School in just 41 Weeks

This project embraced modern methods of construction, and the off-site solution for the curriculum areas helped to reduce the programme for the whole development, from farmland to school in just 41 weeks.

Sean Sumner, Deputy Head at Cambourne Village College said, “The children and staff absolutely love their new school and you would never know the teaching wings were built in a factory. The feel is very solid and robust and we particularly like the amount of space and light, the wide corridors and the size of the classrooms.”

Case Study – Martin High School

One of the highest-performing state schools in Leicestershire, Martin High School in Anstey, was expanding from a middle school for 11-14 year olds to a secondary school, catering for 11-16 year olds. A new eight-classroom building was needed to accommodate 50 per cent more pupils.

A Yorkon off-site solution allowed the building to be delivered with much less disruption than site-based construction and the modules were installed over a weekend.

An ‘Iconic’ Building for a High-performing School

Full height curtain walling to the entrance has created an impressive exterior and a combination of spandrel panels between floors, brickwork and cedar cladding give the facility a distinctive and contemporary appearance.

[[File:Yorkon Martin High School 6889-34.jpg]]

Martin High School’s Business Manager, Sue Plunkett, said, “There were a number of benefits of this approach including the speed of construction and low level of disruption to a busy school environment. The finished building feels more like a traditional construction rather than a facility built off site.”

“This was a new venture for the school and we have been very pleased with both the finished result and the construction process. The building is designed to make the most of the fantastic views from the windows of a nearby beauty spot. The design blends in well with the countryside and we have created a truly iconic building for the school.”

To attend a CPD seminar to find out more about off-site construction, visit [http://www.yorkon.co.uk/cpd www.yorkon.co.uk/cpd].

File:Yorkon Martin High School 6889-34.jpg

2016-08-24T09:02:38Z

The Portakabin Group:

File:Yorkon Cambourne Villlage College 6935-75.jpg

2016-08-24T09:01:58Z

The Portakabin Group:

File:6846 Yorkon Cambourne-071.jpg

2016-08-24T09:01:11Z

The Portakabin Group:

How to Develop the Most Constrained Hospital Sites to Reduce Waiting Times and Improve Patient Care

2016-08-24T08:48:55Z

The Portakabin Group:

Kevin Jones, Director of Business Development at the Portakabin Group, looks at how off-site construction is helping public sector estates managers meet the increasing pressure on services by providing highly innovative building solutions to deliver world class facilities on the most constrained hospital sites.

The pressure on health services and particularly on emergency care units continues to rise year on year and has been widely publicised. In response, wards, theatres and diagnostic facilities are being strategically planned by trusts anticipating their needs well ahead of the coming winter months.

The buildings required to expand capacity are complex, specialist and highly serviced facilities and needed on already extremely constrained hospital sites. There is also the need to minimise disruption to the provision of existing services during any hospital construction project.

These requirements are increasingly being met using innovative off-site solutions – on severely restricted sites, in up to half the time of site-based building methods, with much less disruption to patient care, greater certainty of completion on budget and on programme, and to stringent quality and NHS standards.

With good design, highly efficient processes, a robust and flexible building system, and enlightened architects, contractors and estates managers, off-site construction can deliver comfortable and welcoming environments for patients and staff, with complete long-term flexibility to meet changing local needs, in compliance with NHS best practice for building design – and on some of the UK’s most challenging building sites.

[[File:Yorkon North Middlesex Hospital 7001-12.jpg]]

How to Expand an Already Highly Constrained Hospital Site

Modular buildings can be sited:

* In completely enclosed courtyards
* On raised platforms linked to other hospital facilities
* On the roofs of existing buildings – without the need for decanting during construction
* Immediately adjacent to other fully occupied and fully operational facilities.

These innovative solutions mean that areas of a hospital can now be expanded or developed which may not have access to the plant, materials and equipment required for site-based building methods. This is a key benefit for hospital sites where space is severely restricted.

With the range of module sizes and configurations now available, traditionally-constructed buildings can easily be extended using an off-site solution, vertically or horizontally, giving estates managers even more flexibility to expand capacity requirements and optimise efficiency in the use of space.

Reducing Disruption to Patient Care during Construction

Disruption to patient care during construction on a busy hospital site is a major issue. However, by using an off-site solution, the manufacture and assembly of the building structure and envelope, and a high proportion of the fitting out, such as M&E services, flooring, partitions, doors and windows, are carried out off site, significantly reducing disruption to staff and patients.

Construction work can be carried out without the need for decanting and module installation can be timed for weekends, keeping any disturbance to an absolute minimum.

The Latest Advancements in Off-site Technology

With the latest technological advances and new innovations in off-site construction, there is no compromise on design, performance, or appearance:

* There are now literally thousands of configurations and permutations with advanced steel-framed modular building systems. These high specification solutions offer absolutely no compromise on design, aesthetics or layout and are sufficiently flexible to meet almost any building footprint, design or site requirement.
* Columns are no longer visible internally for ease of space planning or externally to create seamless, flush façades. This advancement gives architects and designers genuine creative freedom to create bright, welcoming patient facilities without having to specify secondary cladding.
* There is a much wider range of floor solutions to avoid costly over-specification. Precision-engineered solutions are available to accommodate standard loadings as well as heavy plant, sensitive equipment, increased floor stiffness and enhanced acoustics if required.
* Module sizes and layouts can be designed to meet individual project requirements, with larger units up to 18.75m long delivering greater cost efficiency, fewer vehicle movements to site, less cranage and fewer construction joints.
* There is an even wider choice of cladding, glazing and roofing options to create landmark buildings or to complement existing hospital facilities.

Case study – Emergency Care Building, Frimley Park Hospital

Frimley Park Hospital was the first hospital in the UK to be rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission. It serves around 400,000 local people in Surrey, Hampshire and East Berkshire and has experienced significant increases in GP referrals and emergency medical admissions.

[[File:Yorkon Frimley Park Hospital-068.jpg]]

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust chose a Yorkon off-site building solution from the Portakabin Group for a new 34-bed emergency care ward to help address the increased pressure on health services particularly during the peak winter months.

Building Hand Over After Just Four Months on Site

The two-storey ward building which provides beds for critical and elderly care was handed over after just four months on site. The use of off-site construction ensured any disruption to the hospital was kept to an absolute minimum and radically reduced the programme time to allow earlier occupation to the benefit of the local community.

The new facilities have expanded capacity and were manufactured and partially fitted out off site in York which cut the programme time by around half compared to site-based building methods.

Addressing the Site Challenges

The use of an off-site solution for this building helped to address the site challenges. This was a highly restricted, sloping site in close proximity to other hospital facilities which had to remain in use throughout. A retaining wall was constructed as the site sits lower than the adjacent road – and this blue light route had to have access for emergency vehicles maintained at all times.

The pre-installed Yorkon concrete floor system was specified throughout the building for a robust and high performance finish. The new wards are linked to an existing ward building at both ground and first floor levels which required precision engineering of the steel-framed modules.

Comments from the Trust

Greg Hinde, Capital Project Manager at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust said, “Speed was the principal driver for choosing modular building for this scheme. Site-based construction just would not have enabled us to have the building up and running as quickly. The new wards have been well received by staff and patients. We think the design of the work stations within the bed-bay areas works particularly well and facilitates patient contact.”

“The overall design and layout is very open and spacious, and provides a fantastic environment for patient care and for staff to work in. We would not hesitate to recommend this off-site approach to other trusts needing to expand capacity, quickly and cost effectively.”

Case Study – Theatre Block Constructed on a Steel Platform at Addenbrooke’s Hospital

Following the selection of Cambridge University Hospitals as the regional major trauma centre for the East of England Trauma Network, there was a requirement to increase theatre capacity at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

A new modular theatre block was manufactured off site by the Portakabin Group to provide additional operating theatres and free up capacity for the Trust’s emergency care services.

This complex part two-storey building is located on a raised steel platform to connect it to the third level of the existing theatre department, and was built with the potential to be extended by an additional floor.

[[File:Yorkon Harrogate Hospital - 6543-088.jpg]]

The double cantilever arrangement facilitates patient flows and access to the department’s support facilities.

This was a very tight site located within a live hospital environment. Off-site construction benefited the overall programme, and importantly, minimised disruption to patient care. The scheme was craned into position in just three days.

To attend a CPD seminar to find out more about off-site construction, visit [http://www.yorkon.co.uk/cpd www.yorkon.co.uk/cpd].

File:Yorkon Harrogate Hospital - 6543-088.jpg

2016-08-24T08:48:30Z

The Portakabin Group:

File:Yorkon Frimley Park Hospital-068.jpg

2016-08-24T08:47:19Z

The Portakabin Group:

File:Yorkon North Middlesex Hospital 7001-12.jpg

2016-08-24T08:45:32Z

The Portakabin Group: uploaded a new version of "File:Yorkon North Middlesex Hospital 7001-12.jpg"

How to Develop the Most Constrained Hospital Sites to Reduce Waiting Times and Improve Patient Care

2016-08-24T08:39:56Z

The Portakabin Group:

Kevin Jones, Director of Business Development at the Portakabin Group, looks at how off-site construction is helping public sector estates managers meet the increasing pressure on services by providing highly innovative building solutions to deliver world class facilities on the most constrained hospital sites.

The pressure on health services and particularly on emergency care units continues to rise year on year and has been widely publicised. In response, wards, theatres and diagnostic facilities are being strategically planned by trusts anticipating their needs well ahead of the coming winter months.

The buildings required to expand capacity are complex, specialist and highly serviced facilities and needed on already extremely constrained hospital sites. There is also the need to minimise disruption to the provision of existing services during any hospital construction project.

These requirements are increasingly being met using innovative off-site solutions – on severely restricted sites, in up to half the time of site-based building methods, with much less disruption to patient care, greater certainty of completion on budget and on programme, and to stringent quality and NHS standards.

With good design, highly efficient processes, a robust and flexible building system, and enlightened architects, contractors and estates managers, off-site construction can deliver comfortable and welcoming environments for patients and staff, with complete long-term flexibility to meet changing local needs, in compliance with NHS best practice for building design – and on some of the UK’s most challenging building sites.

How to Expand an Already Highly Constrained Hospital Site

Modular buildings can be sited:

* In completely enclosed courtyards
* On raised platforms linked to other hospital facilities
* On the roofs of existing buildings – without the need for decanting during construction
* Immediately adjacent to other fully occupied and fully operational facilities.

These innovative solutions mean that areas of a hospital can now be expanded or developed which may not have access to the plant, materials and equipment required for site-based building methods. This is a key benefit for hospital sites where space is severely restricted.

With the range of module sizes and configurations now available, traditionally-constructed buildings can easily be extended using an off-site solution, vertically or horizontally, giving estates managers even more flexibility to expand capacity requirements and optimise efficiency in the use of space.

Reducing Disruption to Patient Care during Construction

Disruption to patient care during construction on a busy hospital site is a major issue. However, by using an off-site solution, the manufacture and assembly of the building structure and envelope, and a high proportion of the fitting out, such as M&E services, flooring, partitions, doors and windows, are carried out off site, significantly reducing disruption to staff and patients.

Construction work can be carried out without the need for decanting and module installation can be timed for weekends, keeping any disturbance to an absolute minimum.

The Latest Advancements in Off-site Technology

With the latest technological advances and new innovations in off-site construction, there is no compromise on design, performance, or appearance:

* There are now literally thousands of configurations and permutations with advanced steel-framed modular building systems. These high specification solutions offer absolutely no compromise on design, aesthetics or layout and are sufficiently flexible to meet almost any building footprint, design or site requirement.
* Columns are no longer visible internally for ease of space planning or externally to create seamless, flush façades. This advancement gives architects and designers genuine creative freedom to create bright, welcoming patient facilities without having to specify secondary cladding.
* There is a much wider range of floor solutions to avoid costly over-specification. Precision-engineered solutions are available to accommodate standard loadings as well as heavy plant, sensitive equipment, increased floor stiffness and enhanced acoustics if required.
* Module sizes and layouts can be designed to meet individual project requirements, with larger units up to 18.75m long delivering greater cost efficiency, fewer vehicle movements to site, less cranage and fewer construction joints.
* There is an even wider choice of cladding, glazing and roofing options to create landmark buildings or to complement existing hospital facilities.

Case study – Emergency Care Building, Frimley Park Hospital

Frimley Park Hospital was the first hospital in the UK to be rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission. It serves around 400,000 local people in Surrey, Hampshire and East Berkshire and has experienced significant increases in GP referrals and emergency medical admissions.

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust chose a Yorkon off-site building solution from the Portakabin Group for a new 34-bed emergency care ward to help address the increased pressure on health services particularly during the peak winter months.

Building Hand Over After Just Four Months on Site

The two-storey ward building which provides beds for critical and elderly care was handed over after just four months on site. The use of off-site construction ensured any disruption to the hospital was kept to an absolute minimum and radically reduced the programme time to allow earlier occupation to the benefit of the local community.

The new facilities have expanded capacity and were manufactured and partially fitted out off site in York which cut the programme time by around half compared to site-based building methods.

Addressing the Site Challenges

The use of an off-site solution for this building helped to address the site challenges. This was a highly restricted, sloping site in close proximity to other hospital facilities which had to remain in use throughout. A retaining wall was constructed as the site sits lower than the adjacent road – and this blue light route had to have access for emergency vehicles maintained at all times.

The pre-installed Yorkon concrete floor system was specified throughout the building for a robust and high performance finish. The new wards are linked to an existing ward building at both ground and first floor levels which required precision engineering of the steel-framed modules.

Comments from the Trust

Greg Hinde, Capital Project Manager at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust said, “Speed was the principal driver for choosing modular building for this scheme. Site-based construction just would not have enabled us to have the building up and running as quickly. The new wards have been well received by staff and patients. We think the design of the work stations within the bed-bay areas works particularly well and facilitates patient contact.”

“The overall design and layout is very open and spacious, and provides a fantastic environment for patient care and for staff to work in. We would not hesitate to recommend this off-site approach to other trusts needing to expand capacity, quickly and cost effectively.”

Case Study – Theatre Block Constructed on a Steel Platform at Addenbrooke’s Hospital

Following the selection of Cambridge University Hospitals as the regional major trauma centre for the East of England Trauma Network, there was a requirement to increase theatre capacity at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

A new modular theatre block was manufactured off site by the Portakabin Group to provide additional operating theatres and free up capacity for the Trust’s emergency care services.

This complex part two-storey building is located on a raised steel platform to connect it to the third level of the existing theatre department, and was built with the potential to be extended by an additional floor.

The double cantilever arrangement facilitates patient flows and access to the department’s support facilities.

This was a very tight site located within a live hospital environment. Off-site construction benefited the overall programme, and importantly, minimised disruption to patient care. The scheme was craned into position in just three days.

To attend a CPD seminar to find out more about off-site construction, visit [http://www.yorkon.co.uk/cpd www.yorkon.co.uk/cpd].

How to Develop the Most Constrained Hospital Sites to Reduce Waiting Times and Improve Patient Care

2016-08-24T08:37:29Z

The Portakabin Group: Created page with "Kevin Jones, Director of Business Development at the Portakabin Group, looks at how off-site construction is helping public sector estates managers meet the increasing pressure o..."

Kevin Jones, Director of Business Development at the Portakabin Group, looks at how off-site construction is helping public sector estates managers meet the increasing pressure on services by providing highly innovative building solutions to deliver world class facilities on the most constrained hospital sites.

The pressure on health services and particularly on emergency care units continues to rise year on year and has been widely publicised. In response, wards, theatres and diagnostic facilities are being strategically planned by trusts anticipating their needs well ahead of the coming winter months.

The buildings required to expand capacity are complex, specialist and highly serviced facilities and needed on already extremely constrained hospital sites. There is also the need to minimise disruption to the provision of existing services during any hospital construction project.

These requirements are increasingly being met using innovative off-site solutions – on severely restricted sites, in up to half the time of site-based building methods, with much less disruption to patient care, greater certainty of completion on budget and on programme, and to stringent quality and NHS standards.

With good design, highly efficient processes, a robust and flexible building system, and enlightened architects, contractors and estates managers, off-site construction can deliver comfortable and welcoming environments for patients and staff, with complete long-term flexibility to meet changing local needs, in compliance with NHS best practice for building design – and on some of the UK’s most challenging building sites.

How to Expand an Already Highly Constrained Hospital Site

Modular buildings can be sited:

* In completely enclosed courtyards
* On raised platforms linked to other hospital facilities
* On the roofs of existing buildings – without the need for decanting during construction
* Immediately adjacent to other fully occupied and fully operational facilities.

These innovative solutions mean that areas of a hospital can now be expanded or developed which may not have access to the plant, materials and equipment required for site-based building methods. This is a key benefit for hospital sites where space is severely restricted.

With the range of module sizes and configurations now available, traditionally-constructed buildings can easily be extended using an off-site solution, vertically or horizontally, giving estates managers even more flexibility to expand capacity requirements and optimise efficiency in the use of space.

Reducing Disruption to Patient Care during Construction

Disruption to patient care during construction on a busy hospital site is a major issue. However, by using an off-site solution, the manufacture and assembly of the building structure and envelope, and a high proportion of the fitting out, such as M&E services, flooring, partitions, doors and windows, are carried out off site, significantly reducing disruption to staff and patients.

Construction work can be carried out without the need for decanting and module installation can be timed for weekends, keeping any disturbance to an absolute minimum.

The Latest Advancements in Off-site Technology

With the latest technological advances and new innovations in off-site construction, there is no compromise on design, performance, or appearance:

* There are now literally thousands of configurations and permutations with advanced steel-framed modular building systems. These high specification solutions offer absolutely no compromise on design, aesthetics or layout and are sufficiently flexible to meet almost any building footprint, design or site requirement.
* Columns are no longer visible internally for ease of space planning or externally to create seamless, flush façades. This advancement gives architects and designers genuine creative freedom to create bright, welcoming patient facilities without having to specify secondary cladding.
* There is a much wider range of floor solutions to avoid costly over-specification. Precision-engineered solutions are available to accommodate standard loadings as well as heavy plant, sensitive equipment, increased floor stiffness and enhanced acoustics if required.
* Module sizes and layouts can be designed to meet individual project requirements, with larger units up to 18.75m long delivering greater cost efficiency, fewer vehicle movements to site, less cranage and fewer construction joints.
* There is an even wider choice of cladding, glazing and roofing options to create landmark buildings or to complement existing hospital facilities.

Case study – Emergency Care Building, Frimley Park Hospital

Frimley Park Hospital was the first hospital in the UK to be rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission. It serves around 400,000 local people in Surrey, Hampshire and East Berkshire and has experienced significant increases in GP referrals and emergency medical admissions.

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust chose a Yorkon off-site building solution from the Portakabin Group for a new 34-bed emergency care ward to help address the increased pressure on health services particularly during the peak winter months.

Building Hand Over After Just Four Months on Site

The two-storey ward building which provides beds for critical and elderly care was handed over after just four months on site. The use of off-site construction ensured any disruption to the hospital was kept to an absolute minimum and radically reduced the programme time to allow earlier occupation to the benefit of the local community.

The new facilities have expanded capacity and were manufactured and partially fitted out off site in York which cut the programme time by around half compared to site-based building methods.

Addressing the Site Challenges

The use of an off-site solution for this building helped to address the site challenges. This was a highly restricted, sloping site in close proximity to other hospital facilities which had to remain in use throughout. A retaining wall was constructed as the site sits lower than the adjacent road – and this blue light route had to have access for emergency vehicles maintained at all times.

The pre-installed Yorkon concrete floor system was specified throughout the building for a robust and high performance finish. The new wards are linked to an existing ward building at both ground and first floor levels which required precision engineering of the steel-framed modules.

Comments from the Trust

Greg Hinde, Capital Project Manager at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust said, “Speed was the principal driver for choosing modular building for this scheme. Site-based construction just would not have enabled us to have the building up and running as quickly. The new wards have been well received by staff and patients. We think the design of the work stations within the bed-bay areas works particularly well and facilitates patient contact.”

“The overall design and layout is very open and spacious, and provides a fantastic environment for patient care and for staff to work in. We would not hesitate to recommend this off-site approach to other trusts needing to expand capacity, quickly and cost effectively.”

Case Study – Theatre Block Constructed on a Steel Platform at Addenbrooke’s Hospital

Following the selection of Cambridge University Hospitals as the regional major trauma centre for the East of England Trauma Network, there was a requirement to increase theatre capacity at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

A new modular theatre block was manufactured off site by the Portakabin Group to provide additional operating theatres and free up capacity for the Trust’s emergency care services.

This complex part two-storey building is located on a raised steel platform to connect it to the third level of the existing theatre department, and was built with the potential to be extended by an additional floor.

The double cantilever arrangement facilitates patient flows and access to the department’s support facilities.

This was a very tight site located within a live hospital environment. Off-site construction benefited the overall programme, and importantly, minimised disruption to patient care. The scheme was craned into position in just three days.

To attend a CPD seminar to find out more about off-site construction, visit [http://www.yorkon.co.uk/cpd www.yorkon.co.uk/cpd].

Lessons Learned from the Cumbria Floods

2016-08-19T11:56:41Z

The Portakabin Group:

In this article, Robert Snook, Director and General Manager at Portakabin, looks at how a secondary school devastated in the Cumbria floods successfully minimised the impact on education provision and shares some of the lessons learned.

Unprecedented flooding across Cumbria was caused by storms and when the banks of the River Eden burst, havoc was wreaked in homes, schools and businesses, affecting around 3,000 children in the region. After tremendous effort, Cumbria County Council and the schools involved were able to ensure that all children could return to classes for the start of the spring term in either adapted buildings or interim teaching accommodation.

The worst-hit school was Newman Catholic School, a secondary school and sixth form in Carlisle which was irreparably damaged – and flooded for the second time since 2005. Flood waters rose to 7ft, with most of the ground level rooms and facilities left under heavily contaminated water. There was extensive water damage to the science laboratories, data communications, ICT suites, chapel, main hall, sports halls, children’s work, and precious exam coursework.

The teaching staff had to begin almost from scratch but the first priority was to get Christmas back on the agenda for the children, demonstrating that the school was still serving the local community, even though its building was not. The Christmas carol concert went ahead at another local school and was a resounding success.

First Phase Emergency Response

The Portakabin local emergency response team had its first meeting with the school within days of the disaster and plans to re-open on the site of a former primary school were put into action with additional interim classrooms being installed very quickly. This could ensure the facilities would be in place for the start of the spring term for its 650 pupils.

[[File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-57a.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-57a.jpg]]

Twelve single classroom buildings were supplied complete with furniture, data communications and alarm systems as a first response to get the school up and running again while a longer-term accommodation solution could be designed and constructed. Each building provided open-plan teaching space for around 34 children to supplement the former primary school facility.

A Bespoke Interim School Solution

Twenty-four general classrooms and highly fitted out specialist rooms including for ICT, design and technology, food technology and science were then delivered to site to help create the interim school. The buildings totalling 2,100sqm were supplied in just 12 weeks, designed and built to permanent standards, and will be in use until a long-term solution is developed.

Portakabin provided Cumbria County Council with a full service for Newman School’s new site following the flood disaster – ground works for the buildings, all fitting out, air conditioning, fire and security alarm systems, access ramps and walkways, emergency lighting, furniture, service connections and data communications. The scheme also included the provision of sports changing rooms, shower and toilet facilities, and a furnished sixth form common room.

[[File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-8.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-8.jpg]]

The general and specialist classrooms were configured as 12 double classroom blocks which are located on either side of a central ‘street’. Some of the buildings are linked together, and all the rooms have movement sensors to reduce energy consumption. Much of the lost equipment was replaced and fully fitted:

* The design and technology rooms have air conditioning, extraction fans, a store room and laser cutting room, interactive white boards, pillar drills, and 3D printers.
* The food technology classrooms have sinks and drainers, microwaves, hobs and ovens, hard-wearing work tops, work benches laid out in islands, washing machine, tumble dryer, large freezer, dishwasher, and under work-top fridges.
* The science laboratories are fitted with non-slip vinyl flooring, fume cupboards, air extraction and ventilation, gas taps, sinks, data connections, and two laboratories have adjacent preparation rooms.
* The sixth form common room was supplied with a fitted kitchen area, dining furniture and soft seating.

The Project Challenges

This was a challenging project on a difficult site and required in a very fast timescale to minimise disruption to the children’s education:

* The new accommodation had to be sited on a water-logged playing field which required gas, electric and water services bringing in.
* The site was located in a constrained residential area so an access road had to be constructed for delivery of the buildings.
* The construction team had to work through very poor weather conditions and still deliver the project on time and on budget.

The School’s Perspective

John McAuley, Head Teacher at Newman Catholic School said, “The Portakabin team was incredibly fast to respond to the situation and planning meetings were held within days of the disaster. This was really important to help us manage the situation. Our priority was to ensure that our students could be taught in accommodation that was at least equivalent to what they had before. The reality is that the interim facilities we now have are in many ways superior to our original classrooms.”

“The building design team was able to accommodate our specific requirements, such as larger science laboratories, and worked really hard to deliver exactly what we needed in a tremendously short timescale.”

“The classrooms are bright, warm, airy and welcoming. Despite the terrible floods, our school has considerably improved facilities. We would absolutely recommend this approach to other schools needing emergency accommodation or classrooms for shorter-term use. We have had a fantastic experience with such a responsive team of building professionals who have been there for us every step of the way.”

The Council’s Perspective

According to Owen David, Project Manager at Cumbria County Council, “Speed of response was exactly what we needed on this project. The Portakabin team was extremely quick to arrive on site to assess and respond to the situation. And by using a building partner who could handle everything for us, we could focus our efforts and resources in other areas that needed addressing because of the seriousness of the flooding across the county. This is just the sort of help and collaboration that schools and local authorities need in an emergency situation. We would certainly recommend the approach, which worked really well for us and the buildings that are now in use are excellent.”

Lessons Learned

Acting quickly and collaboratively is imperative in an emergency situation. On this project, the school, Council and key suppliers such as Portakabin worked well together and had developed an urgent first response solution within a matter of days of the disaster to re-open the school.

[[File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-38.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-38.jpg]]

Providing a sense of normality for the students as quickly as possible was the overriding priority. This proved to be hugely beneficial. Students are surprisingly resilient but equally, this experience has shown that it is vital for timetables to remain the same throughout to maintain a strong sense of continuity. The rooms may have changed but neither the teachers nor the subjects have, which this project has shown really helped.

Forming a partnership with a good emergency response building supplier was critical – and involving the modular company immediately – and not 7-10 days after the crisis – is very important. This allows resources and available buildings to be allocated to the priority school sites.

Check at the outset that the modular supplier has the capacity and building stocks required for the project, when the accommodation is needed – as few suppliers in the UK can offer lead times of just a few days. Does the modular partner have adequate project management resources, design expertise and site supervision in place? For disaster recovery, it is vital that buildings are delivered on time, on budget and to the required standard.

Newman School needed a partner with the fleet resources immediately available to provide the volume of buildings required. The school also benefited from the Portakabin team’s wealth of knowledge in disaster recovery and its years of experience working closely with major school insurers. This all helped to ensure that disruption to teaching was minimised from the outset.

Speed of response is always essential as is delivering teaching accommodation of the highest standards and in line with Department for Education guidelines. There should never be any compromise on children’s education just because they are working in interim classrooms.

The Importance of Contingency Planning

A key lesson learned from the Cumbria floods is that more schools need to have up-to-date disaster recovery plans prepared in advance – which a company such as Portakabin can assist with. A detailed school inventory and a full assessment of the school’s building requirements can potentially cut an emergency response programme by up to two weeks, further reducing any interruption to teaching.

[[File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-12.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-12.jpg]]

The planning data can be stored remotely and a fully costed building proposal produced without the supplier even needing to visit the school to assess requirements.

The plan should include a detailed review of the site, the school facilities to replicate, the potential areas for siting interim accommodation, ground works implications, access issues, and space planning. This preparation is invaluable in helping to ensure a school or college has the buildings needed to continue to operate in the event of a crisis situation.

Emergency Building Options

In any emergency situation, such as fire, power failure, flooding or the discovery of asbestos, schools have a number of options:

* Single module buildings can be rapidly delivered, often within 24 hours, from the modular supplier’s national hire fleet, provided they carry sufficient buildings in stock. This allows core operations to be working again very quickly.
* A bespoke, longer-term accommodation solution can then be developed to the school’s exact specifications if the original building has been so severely damaged that it will be out of use for a number of months.

Following a disaster, specialist building suppliers such as Portakabin can help with generators for emergency power, furniture, connections to waste tanks if it is not possible to connect the buildings to mains services; security and alarm systems which can be an essential requirement if the interim accommodation has to be located outside the school site; access ramps; patching data communications into the main IT network, and ground works.

With careful planning and collaborative working, schools can be fully operational as fast as possible to minimise the impact of any major incident on education provision.

[http://www.portakabin.co.uk/ www.portakabin.co.uk]

[[Category:Education]] [[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]] [[Category:Roles_/_services]]

Lessons Learned from the Cumbria Floods

2016-08-19T11:55:33Z

The Portakabin Group:

In this article, Robert Snook, Director and General Manager at Portakabin, looks at how a secondary school devastated in the Cumbria floods successfully minimised the impact on education provision and shares some of the lessons learned.

Unprecedented flooding across Cumbria was caused by storms and when the banks of the River Eden burst, havoc was wreaked in homes, schools and businesses, affecting around 3,000 children in the region. After tremendous effort, Cumbria County Council and the schools involved were able to ensure that all children could return to classes for the start of the spring term in either adapted buildings or interim teaching accommodation.

The worst-hit school was Newman Catholic School, a secondary school and sixth form in Carlisle which was irreparably damaged – and flooded for the second time since 2005. Flood waters rose to 7ft, with most of the ground level rooms and facilities left under heavily contaminated water. There was extensive water damage to the science laboratories, data communications, ICT suites, chapel, main hall, sports halls, children’s work, and precious exam coursework.

The teaching staff had to begin almost from scratch but the first priority was to get Christmas back on the agenda for the children, demonstrating that the school was still serving the local community, even though its building was not. The Christmas carol concert went ahead at another local school and was a resounding success.

First Phase Emergency Response

The Portakabin local emergency response team had its first meeting with the school within days of the disaster and plans to re-open on the site of a former primary school were put into action with additional interim classrooms being installed very quickly. This could ensure the facilities would be in place for the start of the spring term for its 650 pupils.

[[File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-57a.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-57a.jpg]]

 
Twelve single classroom buildings were supplied complete with furniture, data communications and alarm systems as a first response to get the school up and running again while a longer-term accommodation solution could be designed and constructed. Each building provided open-plan teaching space for around 34 children to supplement the former primary school facility.

A Bespoke Interim School Solution

Twenty-four general classrooms and highly fitted out specialist rooms including for ICT, design and technology, food technology and science were then delivered to site to help create the interim school. The buildings totalling 2,100sqm were supplied in just 12 weeks, designed and built to permanent standards, and will be in use until a long-term solution is developed.

Portakabin provided Cumbria County Council with a full service for Newman School’s new site following the flood disaster – ground works for the buildings, all fitting out, air conditioning, fire and security alarm systems, access ramps and walkways, emergency lighting, furniture, service connections and data communications. The scheme also included the provision of sports changing rooms, shower and toilet facilities, and a furnished sixth form common room.

[[File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-8.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-8.jpg]]

The general and specialist classrooms were configured as 12 double classroom blocks which are located on either side of a central ‘street’. Some of the buildings are linked together, and all the rooms have movement sensors to reduce energy consumption. Much of the lost equipment was replaced and fully fitted:

* The design and technology rooms have air conditioning, extraction fans, a store room and laser cutting room, interactive white boards, pillar drills, and 3D printers.
* The food technology classrooms have sinks and drainers, microwaves, hobs and ovens, hard-wearing work tops, work benches laid out in islands, washing machine, tumble dryer, large freezer, dishwasher, and under work-top fridges.
* The science laboratories are fitted with non-slip vinyl flooring, fume cupboards, air extraction and ventilation, gas taps, sinks, data connections, and two laboratories have adjacent preparation rooms.
* The sixth form common room was supplied with a fitted kitchen area, dining furniture and soft seating.

The Project Challenges

This was a challenging project on a difficult site and required in a very fast timescale to minimise disruption to the children’s education:

* The new accommodation had to be sited on a water-logged playing field which required gas, electric and water services bringing in.
* The site was located in a constrained residential area so an access road had to be constructed for delivery of the buildings.
* The construction team had to work through very poor weather conditions and still deliver the project on time and on budget.

The School’s Perspective

John McAuley, Head Teacher at Newman Catholic School said, “The Portakabin team was incredibly fast to respond to the situation and planning meetings were held within days of the disaster. This was really important to help us manage the situation. Our priority was to ensure that our students could be taught in accommodation that was at least equivalent to what they had before. The reality is that the interim facilities we now have are in many ways superior to our original classrooms.”

“The building design team was able to accommodate our specific requirements, such as larger science laboratories, and worked really hard to deliver exactly what we needed in a tremendously short timescale.”

“The classrooms are bright, warm, airy and welcoming. Despite the terrible floods, our school has considerably improved facilities. We would absolutely recommend this approach to other schools needing emergency accommodation or classrooms for shorter-term use. We have had a fantastic experience with such a responsive team of building professionals who have been there for us every step of the way.”

The Council’s Perspective

According to Owen David, Project Manager at Cumbria County Council, “Speed of response was exactly what we needed on this project. The Portakabin team was extremely quick to arrive on site to assess and respond to the situation. And by using a building partner who could handle everything for us, we could focus our efforts and resources in other areas that needed addressing because of the seriousness of the flooding across the county. This is just the sort of help and collaboration that schools and local authorities need in an emergency situation. We would certainly recommend the approach, which worked really well for us and the buildings that are now in use are excellent.”

Lessons Learned

Acting quickly and collaboratively is imperative in an emergency situation. On this project, the school, Council and key suppliers such as Portakabin worked well together and had developed an urgent first response solution within a matter of days of the disaster to re-open the school.

[[File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-38.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-38.jpg]]

Providing a sense of normality for the students as quickly as possible was the overriding priority. This proved to be hugely beneficial. Students are surprisingly resilient but equally, this experience has shown that it is vital for timetables to remain the same throughout to maintain a strong sense of continuity. The rooms may have changed but neither the teachers nor the subjects have, which this project has shown really helped.

Forming a partnership with a good emergency response building supplier was critical – and involving the modular company immediately – and not 7-10 days after the crisis – is very important. This allows resources and available buildings to be allocated to the priority school sites.

Check at the outset that the modular supplier has the capacity and building stocks required for the project, when the accommodation is needed – as few suppliers in the UK can offer lead times of just a few days. Does the modular partner have adequate project management resources, design expertise and site supervision in place? For disaster recovery, it is vital that buildings are delivered on time, on budget and to the required standard.

Newman School needed a partner with the fleet resources immediately available to provide the volume of buildings required. The school also benefited from the Portakabin team’s wealth of knowledge in disaster recovery and its years of experience working closely with major school insurers. This all helped to ensure that disruption to teaching was minimised from the outset.

Speed of response is always essential as is delivering teaching accommodation of the highest standards and in line with Department for Education guidelines. There should never be any compromise on children’s education just because they are working in interim classrooms.

The Importance of Contingency Planning

A key lesson learned from the Cumbria floods is that more schools need to have up-to-date disaster recovery plans prepared in advance – which a company such as Portakabin can assist with. A detailed school inventory and a full assessment of the school’s building requirements can potentially cut an emergency response programme by up to two weeks, further reducing any interruption to teaching.

[[File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-12.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-12.jpg]]

The planning data can be stored remotely and a fully costed building proposal produced without the supplier even needing to visit the school to assess requirements.

The plan should include a detailed review of the site, the school facilities to replicate, the potential areas for siting interim accommodation, ground works implications, access issues, and space planning. This preparation is invaluable in helping to ensure a school or college has the buildings needed to continue to operate in the event of a crisis situation.

Emergency Building Options

In any emergency situation, such as fire, power failure, flooding or the discovery of asbestos, schools have a number of options:

* Single module buildings can be rapidly delivered, often within 24 hours, from the modular supplier’s national hire fleet, provided they carry sufficient buildings in stock. This allows core operations to be working again very quickly.
* A bespoke, longer-term accommodation solution can then be developed to the school’s exact specifications if the original building has been so severely damaged that it will be out of use for a number of months.

Following a disaster, specialist building suppliers such as Portakabin can help with generators for emergency power, furniture, connections to waste tanks if it is not possible to connect the buildings to mains services; security and alarm systems which can be an essential requirement if the interim accommodation has to be located outside the school site; access ramps; patching data communications into the main IT network, and ground works.

With careful planning and collaborative working, schools can be fully operational as fast as possible to minimise the impact of any major incident on education provision.

[http://www.portakabin.co.uk/ www.portakabin.co.uk]

[[Category:Education]] [[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]] [[Category:Roles_/_services]]

Lessons Learned from the Cumbria Floods

2016-08-19T11:53:46Z

The Portakabin Group:

In this article, Robert Snook, Director and General Manager at Portakabin, looks at how a secondary school devastated in the Cumbria floods successfully minimised the impact on education provision and shares some of the lessons learned.

Unprecedented flooding across Cumbria was caused by storms and when the banks of the River Eden burst, havoc was wreaked in homes, schools and businesses, affecting around 3,000 children in the region. After tremendous effort, Cumbria County Council and the schools involved were able to ensure that all children could return to classes for the start of the spring term in either adapted buildings or interim teaching accommodation.

The worst-hit school was Newman Catholic School, a secondary school and sixth form in Carlisle which was irreparably damaged – and flooded for the second time since 2005. Flood waters rose to 7ft, with most of the ground level rooms and facilities left under heavily contaminated water. There was extensive water damage to the science laboratories, data communications, ICT suites, chapel, main hall, sports halls, children’s work, and precious exam coursework.

The teaching staff had to begin almost from scratch but the first priority was to get Christmas back on the agenda for the children, demonstrating that the school was still serving the local community, even though its building was not. The Christmas carol concert went ahead at another local school and was a resounding success.

First Phase Emergency Response

The Portakabin local emergency response team had its first meeting with the school within days of the disaster and plans to re-open on the site of a former primary school were put into action with additional interim classrooms being installed very quickly. This could ensure the facilities would be in place for the start of the spring term for its 650 pupils.

[[File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-57a.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-57a.jpg]] 
Twelve single Portakabin classroom buildings were supplied complete with furniture, data communications and alarm systems as a first response to get the school up and running again while a longer-term accommodation solution could be designed and constructed. Each building provided open-plan teaching space for around 34 children to supplement the former primary school facility.

A Bespoke Interim School Solution

Twenty-four general classrooms and highly fitted out specialist rooms including for ICT, design and technology, food technology and science were then delivered to site to help create the interim school. The buildings totalling 2,100sqm were supplied in just 12 weeks, designed and built to permanent standards, and will be in use until a long-term solution is developed.

Portakabin provided Cumbria County Council with a full service for Newman School’s new site following the flood disaster – ground works for the buildings, all fitting out, air conditioning, fire and security alarm systems, access ramps and walkways, emergency lighting, furniture, service connections and data communications. The scheme also included the provision of sports changing rooms, shower and toilet facilities, and a furnished sixth form common room.

[[File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-8.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-8.jpg]]

The general and specialist classrooms were configured as 12 double classroom blocks which are located on either side of a central ‘street’. Some of the buildings are linked together, and all the rooms have movement sensors to reduce energy consumption. Much of the lost equipment was replaced and fully fitted:

* The design and technology rooms have air conditioning, extraction fans, a store room and laser cutting room, interactive white boards, pillar drills, and 3D printers.
* The food technology classrooms have sinks and drainers, microwaves, hobs and ovens, hard-wearing work tops, work benches laid out in islands, washing machine, tumble dryer, large freezer, dishwasher, and under work-top fridges.
* The science laboratories are fitted with non-slip vinyl flooring, fume cupboards, air extraction and ventilation, gas taps, sinks, data connections, and two laboratories have adjacent preparation rooms.
* The sixth form common room was supplied with a fitted kitchen area, dining furniture and soft seating.

The Project Challenges

This was a challenging project on a difficult site and required in a very fast timescale to minimise disruption to the children’s education:

* The new accommodation had to be sited on a water-logged playing field which required gas, electric and water services bringing in.
* The site was located in a constrained residential area so an access road had to be constructed for delivery of the buildings.
* The construction team had to work through very poor weather conditions and still deliver the project on time and on budget.

The School’s Perspective

John McAuley, Head Teacher at Newman Catholic School said, “The Portakabin team was incredibly fast to respond to the situation and planning meetings were held within days of the disaster. This was really important to help us manage the situation. Our priority was to ensure that our students could be taught in accommodation that was at least equivalent to what they had before. The reality is that the interim facilities we now have are in many ways superior to our original classrooms.”

“The building design team was able to accommodate our specific requirements, such as larger science laboratories, and worked really hard to deliver exactly what we needed in a tremendously short timescale.”

“The classrooms are bright, warm, airy and welcoming. Despite the terrible floods, our school has considerably improved facilities. We would absolutely recommend this approach to other schools needing emergency accommodation or classrooms for shorter-term use. We have had a fantastic experience with such a responsive team of building professionals who have been there for us every step of the way.”

The Council’s Perspective

According to Owen David, Project Manager at Cumbria County Council, “Speed of response was exactly what we needed on this project. The Portakabin team was extremely quick to arrive on site to assess and respond to the situation. And by using a building partner who could handle everything for us, we could focus our efforts and resources in other areas that needed addressing because of the seriousness of the flooding across the county. This is just the sort of help and collaboration that schools and local authorities need in an emergency situation. We would certainly recommend the approach, which worked really well for us and the buildings that are now in use are excellent.”

Lessons Learned

Acting quickly and collaboratively is imperative in an emergency situation. On this project, the school, Council and key suppliers such as Portakabin worked well together and had developed an urgent first response solution within a matter of days of the disaster to re-open the school.

[[File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-38.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-38.jpg]]

Providing a sense of normality for the students as quickly as possible was the overriding priority. This proved to be hugely beneficial. Students are surprisingly resilient but equally, this experience has shown that it is vital for timetables to remain the same throughout to maintain a strong sense of continuity. The rooms may have changed but neither the teachers nor the subjects have, which this project has shown really helped.

Forming a partnership with a good emergency response building supplier was critical – and involving the modular company immediately – and not 7-10 days after the crisis – is very important. This allows resources and available buildings to be allocated to the priority school sites.

 
Check at the outset that the modular supplier has the capacity and building stocks required for the project, when the accommodation is needed – as few suppliers in the UK can offer lead times of just a few days. Does the modular partner have adequate project management resources, design expertise and site supervision in place? For disaster recovery, it is vital that buildings are delivered on time, on budget and to the required standard.

Newman School needed a partner with the fleet resources immediately available to provide the volume of buildings required. The school also benefited from the Portakabin team’s wealth of knowledge in disaster recovery and its years of experience working closely with major school insurers. This all helped to ensure that disruption to teaching was minimised from the outset.

Speed of response is always essential as is delivering teaching accommodation of the highest standards and in line with Department for Education guidelines. There should never be any compromise on children’s education just because they are working in interim classrooms.

The Importance of Contingency Planning

A key lesson learned from the Cumbria floods is that more schools need to have up-to-date disaster recovery plans prepared in advance – which a company such as Portakabin can assist with. A detailed school inventory and a full assessment of the school’s building requirements can potentially cut an emergency response programme by up to two weeks, further reducing any interruption to teaching.

[[File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-12.jpg|link=File:Portakabin_Newman_School_7121-12.jpg]]

The planning data can be stored remotely and a fully costed building proposal produced without the supplier even needing to visit the school to assess requirements.

The plan should include a detailed review of the site, the school facilities to replicate, the potential areas for siting interim accommodation, ground works implications, access issues, and space planning. This preparation is invaluable in helping to ensure a school or college has the buildings needed to continue to operate in the event of a crisis situation.

Emergency Building Options

In any emergency situation, such as fire, power failure, flooding or the discovery of asbestos, schools have a number of options:

* Single module buildings can be rapidly delivered, often within 24 hours, from the modular supplier’s national hire fleet, provided they carry sufficient buildings in stock. This allows core operations to be working again very quickly.
* A bespoke, longer-term accommodation solution can then be developed to the school’s exact specifications if the original building has been so severely damaged that it will be out of use for a number of months.

Following a disaster, specialist building suppliers such as Portakabin can help with generators for emergency power, furniture, connections to waste tanks if it is not possible to connect the buildings to mains services; security and alarm systems which can be an essential requirement if the interim accommodation has to be located outside the school site; access ramps; patching data communications into the main IT network, and ground works.

With careful planning and collaborative working, schools can be fully operational as fast as possible to minimise the impact of any major incident on education provision.

[http://www.portakabin.co.uk/ www.portakabin.co.uk]

[[Category:Education]] [[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]] [[Category:Roles_/_services]]

Lessons Learned from the Cumbria Floods

2016-08-19T11:52:57Z

The Portakabin Group:

In this article, Robert Snook, Director and General Manager at Portakabin, looks at how a secondary school devastated in the Cumbria floods successfully minimised the impact on education provision and shares some of the lessons learned.

Unprecedented flooding across Cumbria was caused by storms and when the banks of the River Eden burst, havoc was wreaked in homes, schools and businesses, affecting around 3,000 children in the region. After tremendous effort, Cumbria County Council and the schools involved were able to ensure that all children could return to classes for the start of the spring term in either adapted buildings or interim teaching accommodation.

The worst-hit school was Newman Catholic School, a secondary school and sixth form in Carlisle which was irreparably damaged – and flooded for the second time since 2005. Flood waters rose to 7ft, with most of the ground level rooms and facilities left under heavily contaminated water. There was extensive water damage to the science laboratories, data communications, ICT suites, chapel, main hall, sports halls, children’s work, and precious exam coursework.

The teaching staff had to begin almost from scratch but the first priority was to get Christmas back on the agenda for the children, demonstrating that the school was still serving the local community, even though its building was not. The Christmas carol concert went ahead at another local school and was a resounding success.

First Phase Emergency Response

The Portakabin local emergency response team had its first meeting with the school within days of the disaster and plans to re-open on the site of a former primary school were put into action with additional interim classrooms being installed very quickly. This could ensure the facilities would be in place for the start of the spring term for its 650 pupils.

[[File:Portakabin Newman School 7121-57a.jpg]] 

Twelve single Portakabin classroom buildings were supplied complete with furniture, data communications and alarm systems as a first response to get the school up and running again while a longer-term accommodation solution could be designed and constructed. Each building provided open-plan teaching space for around 34 children to supplement the former primary school facility.

 
A Bespoke Interim School Solution

Twenty-four general classrooms and highly fitted out specialist rooms including for ICT, design and technology, food technology and science were then delivered to site to help create the interim school. The buildings totalling 2,100sqm were supplied in just 12 weeks, designed and built to permanent standards, and will be in use until a long-term solution is developed.

Portakabin provided Cumbria County Council with a full service for Newman School’s new site following the flood disaster – ground works for the buildings, all fitting out, air conditioning, fire and security alarm systems, access ramps and walkways, emergency lighting, furniture, service connections and data communications. The scheme also included the provision of sports changing rooms, shower and toilet facilities, and a furnished sixth form common room.

[[File:Portakabin Newman School 7121-8.jpg]]

The general and specialist classrooms were configured as 12 double classroom blocks which are located on either side of a central ‘street’. Some of the buildings are linked together, and all the rooms have movement sensors to reduce energy consumption. Much of the lost equipment was replaced and fully fitted:

* The design and technology rooms have air conditioning, extraction fans, a store room and laser cutting room, interactive white boards, pillar drills, and 3D printers.
* The food technology classrooms have sinks and drainers, microwaves, hobs and ovens, hard-wearing work tops, work benches laid out in islands, washing machine, tumble dryer, large freezer, dishwasher, and under work-top fridges.
* The science laboratories are fitted with non-slip vinyl flooring, fume cupboards, air extraction and ventilation, gas taps, sinks, data connections, and two laboratories have adjacent preparation rooms.
* The sixth form common room was supplied with a fitted kitchen area, dining furniture and soft seating.

The Project Challenges

This was a challenging project on a difficult site and required in a very fast timescale to minimise disruption to the children’s education:

* The new accommodation had to be sited on a water-logged playing field which required gas, electric and water services bringing in.
* The site was located in a constrained residential area so an access road had to be constructed for delivery of the buildings.
* The construction team had to work through very poor weather conditions and still deliver the project on time and on budget.

The School’s Perspective

John McAuley, Head Teacher at Newman Catholic School said, “The Portakabin team was incredibly fast to respond to the situation and planning meetings were held within days of the disaster. This was really important to help us manage the situation. Our priority was to ensure that our students could be taught in accommodation that was at least equivalent to what they had before. The reality is that the interim facilities we now have are in many ways superior to our original classrooms.”

“The building design team was able to accommodate our specific requirements, such as larger science laboratories, and worked really hard to deliver exactly what we needed in a tremendously short timescale.”

“The classrooms are bright, warm, airy and welcoming. Despite the terrible floods, our school has considerably improved facilities. We would absolutely recommend this approach to other schools needing emergency accommodation or classrooms for shorter-term use. We have had a fantastic experience with such a responsive team of building professionals who have been there for us every step of the way.”

The Council’s Perspective

According to Owen David, Project Manager at Cumbria County Council, “Speed of response was exactly what we needed on this project. The Portakabin team was extremely quick to arrive on site to assess and respond to the situation. And by using a building partner who could handle everything for us, we could focus our efforts and resources in other areas that needed addressing because of the seriousness of the flooding across the county. This is just the sort of help and collaboration that schools and local authorities need in an emergency situation. We would certainly recommend the approach, which worked really well for us and the buildings that are now in use are excellent.”

Lessons Learned

Acting quickly and collaboratively is imperative in an emergency situation. On this project, the school, Council and key suppliers such as Portakabin worked well together and had developed an urgent first response solution within a matter of days of the disaster to re-open the school.

[[File:Portakabin Newman School 7121-38.jpg]]

Providing a sense of normality for the students as quickly as possible was the overriding priority. This proved to be hugely beneficial. Students are surprisingly resilient but equally, this experience has shown that it is vital for timetables to remain the same throughout to maintain a strong sense of continuity. The rooms may have changed but neither the teachers nor the subjects have, which this project has shown really helped.

Forming a partnership with a good emergency response building supplier was critical – and involving the modular company immediately – and not 7-10 days after the crisis – is very important. This allows resources and available buildings to be allocated to the priority school sites. 

Check at the outset that the modular supplier has the capacity and building stocks required for the project, when the accommodation is needed – as few suppliers in the UK can offer lead times of just a few days. Does the modular partner have adequate project management resources, design expertise and site supervision in place? For disaster recovery, it is vital that buildings are delivered on time, on budget and to the required standard.

Newman School needed a partner with the fleet resources immediately available to provide the volume of buildings required. The school also benefited from the Portakabin team’s wealth of knowledge in disaster recovery and its years of experience working closely with major school insurers. This all helped to ensure that disruption to teaching was minimised from the outset.

Speed of response is always essential as is delivering teaching accommodation of the highest standards and in line with Department for Education guidelines. There should never be any compromise on children’s education just because they are working in interim classrooms.

The Importance of Contingency Planning

A key lesson learned from the Cumbria floods is that more schools need to have up-to-date disaster recovery plans prepared in advance – which a company such as Portakabin can assist with. A detailed school inventory and a full assessment of the school’s building requirements can potentially cut an emergency response programme by up to two weeks, further reducing any interruption to teaching.

[[File:Portakabin Newman School 7121-12.jpg]]

The planning data can be stored remotely and a fully costed building proposal produced without the supplier even needing to visit the school to assess requirements.

The plan should include a detailed review of the site, the school facilities to replicate, the potential areas for siting interim accommodation, ground works implications, access issues, and space planning. This preparation is invaluable in helping to ensure a school or college has the buildings needed to continue to operate in the event of a crisis situation.

Emergency Building Options

In any emergency situation, such as fire, power failure, flooding or the discovery of asbestos, schools have a number of options:

* Single module buildings can be rapidly delivered, often within 24 hours, from the modular supplier’s national hire fleet, provided they carry sufficient buildings in stock. This allows core operations to be working again very quickly.
* A bespoke, longer-term accommodation solution can then be developed to the school’s exact specifications if the original building has been so severely damaged that it will be out of use for a number of months.

Following a disaster, specialist building suppliers such as Portakabin can help with generators for emergency power, furniture, connections to waste tanks if it is not possible to connect the buildings to mains services; security and alarm systems which can be an essential requirement if the interim accommodation has to be located outside the school site; access ramps; patching data communications into the main IT network, and ground works.

With careful planning and collaborative working, schools can be fully operational as fast as possible to minimise the impact of any major incident on education provision.

[http://www.portakabin.co.uk/ www.portakabin.co.uk]

[[Category:Education]] [[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]] [[Category:Roles_/_services]]

File:Portakabin Newman School 7121-12.jpg

2016-08-19T11:52:36Z

The Portakabin Group:

File:Portakabin Newman School 7121-38.jpg

2016-08-19T11:50:53Z

The Portakabin Group:

File:Portakabin Newman School 7121-57a.jpg

2016-08-19T11:46:36Z

The Portakabin Group:

File:Portakabin Newman School 7121-8.jpg

2016-07-28T19:11:16Z

The Portakabin Group: uploaded a new version of "File:Portakabin Newman School 7121-8.jpg"

Portakabin modular buildings for emergency use

[[Category:Education]] [[Category:DCN_Education_and_Training]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]]

File:Portakabin Newman School 7121-8.jpg

2016-07-28T19:08:58Z

The Portakabin Group:

Portakabin modular buildings for emergency use

[[Category:Education]] [[Category:DCN_Education_and_Training]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]]

File:Portakabin Newman School 7121-8.jpg

2016-07-28T19:07:36Z

The Portakabin Group: modular buildings for emergency use

modular buildings for emergency use

Lessons Learned from the Cumbria Floods

2016-07-28T19:05:42Z

The Portakabin Group: Created page with "In this article, Robert Snook, Director and General Manager at Portakabin, looks at how a secondary school devastated in the Cumbria floods successfully minimised the impact on e..."

In this article, Robert Snook, Director and General Manager at Portakabin, looks at how a secondary school devastated in the Cumbria floods successfully minimised the impact on education provision and shares some of the lessons learned.

Unprecedented flooding across Cumbria was caused by storms and when the banks of the River Eden burst, havoc was wreaked in homes, schools and businesses, affecting around 3,000 children in the region. After tremendous effort, Cumbria County Council and the schools involved were able to ensure that all children could return to classes for the start of the spring term in either adapted buildings or interim teaching accommodation.

The worst-hit school was Newman Catholic School, a secondary school and sixth form in Carlisle which was irreparably damaged – and flooded for the second time since 2005. Flood waters rose to 7ft, with most of the ground level rooms and facilities left under heavily contaminated water. There was extensive water damage to the science laboratories, data communications, ICT suites, chapel, main hall, sports halls, children’s work, and precious exam coursework.

The teaching staff had to begin almost from scratch but the first priority was to get Christmas back on the agenda for the children, demonstrating that the school was still serving the local community, even though its building was not. The Christmas carol concert went ahead at another local school and was a resounding success.

 
First Phase Emergency Response

The Portakabin local emergency response team had its first meeting with the school within days of the disaster and plans to re-open on the site of a former primary school were put into action with additional interim classrooms being installed very quickly. This could ensure the facilities would be in place for the start of the spring term for its 650 pupils. 
 
Twelve single Portakabin classroom buildings were supplied complete with furniture, data communications and alarm systems as a first response to get the school up and running again while a longer-term accommodation solution could be designed and constructed. Each building provided open-plan teaching space for around 34 children to supplement the former primary school facility. 

A Bespoke Interim School Solution

Twenty-four general classrooms and highly fitted out specialist rooms including for ICT, design and technology, food technology and science were then delivered to site to help create the interim school. The buildings totalling 2,100sqm were supplied in just 12 weeks, designed and built to permanent standards, and will be in use until a long-term solution is developed.

Portakabin provided Cumbria County Council with a full service for Newman School’s new site following the flood disaster – ground works for the buildings, all fitting out, air conditioning, fire and security alarm systems, access ramps and walkways, emergency lighting, furniture, service connections and data communications. The scheme also included the provision of sports changing rooms, shower and toilet facilities, and a furnished sixth form common room.

The general and specialist classrooms were configured as 12 double classroom blocks which are located on either side of a central ‘street’. Some of the buildings are linked together, and all the rooms have movement sensors to reduce energy consumption. Much of the lost equipment was replaced and fully fitted:

* The design and technology rooms have air conditioning, extraction fans, a store room and laser cutting room, interactive white boards, pillar drills, and 3D printers.
* The food technology classrooms have sinks and drainers, microwaves, hobs and ovens, hard-wearing work tops, work benches laid out in islands, washing machine, tumble dryer, large freezer, dishwasher, and under work-top fridges.
* The science laboratories are fitted with non-slip vinyl flooring, fume cupboards, air extraction and ventilation, gas taps, sinks, data connections, and two laboratories have adjacent preparation rooms.
* The sixth form common room was supplied with a fitted kitchen area, dining furniture and soft seating.

 
The Project Challenges

This was a challenging project on a difficult site and required in a very fast timescale to minimise disruption to the children’s education:

* The new accommodation had to be sited on a water-logged playing field which required gas, electric and water services bringing in.
* The site was located in a constrained residential area so an access road had to be constructed for delivery of the buildings.
* The construction team had to work through very poor weather conditions and still deliver the project on time and on budget.

 
The School’s Perspective

John McAuley, Head Teacher at Newman Catholic School said, “The Portakabin team was incredibly fast to respond to the situation and planning meetings were held within days of the disaster. This was really important to help us manage the situation. Our priority was to ensure that our students could be taught in accommodation that was at least equivalent to what they had before. The reality is that the interim facilities we now have are in many ways superior to our original classrooms.”

“The building design team was able to accommodate our specific requirements, such as larger science laboratories, and worked really hard to deliver exactly what we needed in a tremendously short timescale.”

“The classrooms are bright, warm, airy and welcoming. Despite the terrible floods, our school has considerably improved facilities. We would absolutely recommend this approach to other schools needing emergency accommodation or classrooms for shorter-term use. We have had a fantastic experience with such a responsive team of building professionals who have been there for us every step of the way.”

 
The Council’s Perspective

According to Owen David, Project Manager at Cumbria County Council, “Speed of response was exactly what we needed on this project. The Portakabin team was extremely quick to arrive on site to assess and respond to the situation. And by using a building partner who could handle everything for us, we could focus our efforts and resources in other areas that needed addressing because of the seriousness of the flooding across the county. This is just the sort of help and collaboration that schools and local authorities need in an emergency situation. We would certainly recommend the approach, which worked really well for us and the buildings that are now in use are excellent.”

 
Lessons Learned

Acting quickly and collaboratively is imperative in an emergency situation. On this project, the school, Council and key suppliers such as Portakabin worked well together and had developed an urgent first response solution within a matter of days of the disaster to re-open the school.

Providing a sense of normality for the students as quickly as possible was the overriding priority. This proved to be hugely beneficial. Students are surprisingly resilient but equally, this experience has shown that it is vital for timetables to remain the same throughout to maintain a strong sense of continuity. The rooms may have changed but neither the teachers nor the subjects have, which this project has shown really helped.

Forming a partnership with a good emergency response building supplier was critical – and involving the modular company immediately – and not 7-10 days after the crisis – is very important. This allows resources and available buildings to be allocated to the priority school sites. 
 
Check at the outset that the modular supplier has the capacity and building stocks required for the project, when the accommodation is needed – as few suppliers in the UK can offer lead times of just a few days. Does the modular partner have adequate project management resources, design expertise and site supervision in place? For disaster recovery, it is vital that buildings are delivered on time, on budget and to the required standard.

Newman School needed a partner with the fleet resources immediately available to provide the volume of buildings required. The school also benefited from the Portakabin team’s wealth of knowledge in disaster recovery and its years of experience working closely with major school insurers. This all helped to ensure that disruption to teaching was minimised from the outset.

Speed of response is always essential as is delivering teaching accommodation of the highest standards and in line with Department for Education guidelines. There should never be any compromise on children’s education just because they are working in interim classrooms.

 
The Importance of Contingency Planning

A key lesson learned from the Cumbria floods is that more schools need to have up-to-date disaster recovery plans prepared in advance – which a company such as Portakabin can assist with. A detailed school inventory and a full assessment of the school’s building requirements can potentially cut an emergency response programme by up to two weeks, further reducing any interruption to teaching.

The planning data can be stored remotely and a fully costed building proposal produced without the supplier even needing to visit the school to assess requirements.

The plan should include a detailed review of the site, the school facilities to replicate, the potential areas for siting interim accommodation, ground works implications, access issues, and space planning. This preparation is invaluable in helping to ensure a school or college has the buildings needed to continue to operate in the event of a crisis situation.

 
Emergency Building Options

In any emergency situation, such as fire, power failure, flooding or the discovery of asbestos, schools have a number of options:

* Single module buildings can be rapidly delivered, often within 24 hours, from the modular supplier’s national hire fleet, provided they carry sufficient buildings in stock. This allows core operations to be working again very quickly.
* A bespoke, longer-term accommodation solution can then be developed to the school’s exact specifications if the original building has been so severely damaged that it will be out of use for a number of months.

Following a disaster, specialist building suppliers such as Portakabin can help with generators for emergency power, furniture, connections to waste tanks if it is not possible to connect the buildings to mains services; security and alarm systems which can be an essential requirement if the interim accommodation has to be located outside the school site; access ramps; patching data communications into the main IT network, and ground works.

With careful planning and collaborative working, schools can be fully operational as fast as possible to minimise the impact of any major incident on education provision.

[http://www.portakabin.co.uk/ www.portakabin.co.uk]

[[Category:Education]] [[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]] [[Category:Roles_/_services]]

How contractors can reduce risk with the use of off-site construction

2015-02-09T15:59:15Z

The Portakabin Group:

'''In this article, Kevin Jones, Business Development Director at the Portakabin Group, looks at why demand for off-site construction from major contractors is increasing and how the approach can significantly reduce their project risk.'''

The single biggest issue for contractors is the reduction of risk – how to minimise the possibility of budget overruns and delays, accidents on site, and mitigate the impact of an increasingly volatile labour market.

Recent research from Aecom has shown that up to a third of bidding opportunities are turned down if projects are deemed to be too high risk. Contractors are certainly becoming far more selective about which clients they will now work with.

We are experiencing a significant increase in demand for Yorkon off-site construction solutions from the UK’s leading building and civil engineering contractors and in every sector. The approach can radically reduce risk for contractors on a number of levels.[[File:Yorkon watford cranage 6131-042.jpg|2100x1400px|alt=Yorkon watford cranage 6131-042.jpg]]

'''The Impact of Skills Shortages'''

Fresh concerns are being raised about serious skills shortages as analysts increase their forecasts for output growth this year. The loss of thousands of skilled jobs through the economic downturn has left the sector struggling to attract new talent to meet the surges in construction activity. The situation is set to worsen when construction work starts on HS2 which will need a monthly average total workforce estimated at more than 11,0001.

A new report published by the London Chamber of Commerce and KPMG has also highlighted a labour and skills shortfall of up to 20 per cent for London and the South East to deliver projects already planned for 2015-17. This could equate to a shortage of 150,000 workers, which would severely restrict the delivery of UK construction projects.

Leading off-site specialists such as the Portakabin Group, however, benefit from a permanent and highly skilled workforce, and a robust, long-established supply chain. This approach significantly reduces the reliance on subcontracted labour, which in turn helps to address the skills shortages and geographical volatility in the labour market that can impact heavily on major contractors.[[File:Yorkon Emersons Green 6284-105.jpg|1400x2100px|alt=Yorkon Emersons Green 6284-105.jpg]]

'''How to Achieve Certainty of Delivery on Time and on Budget'''

Off-site construction has been proven to deliver cost and contract certainty and consistent delivery on programme. The Portakabin Group, for example, has completed 99.7 per cent of its projects on time and on budget since 2003 – which is an unprecedented performance.

This is in sharp contrast construction industry figures, which have shown that only 46 per cent of non-housing projects were completed on time and just 75 per cent on cost according to the ''UK Industry Performance Report 2014''2.

Constructing buildings off site in a controlled factory environment is more predictable and reduces the effect of poor weather conditions, especially in the winter months, leading to much greater assurance of completion on time and on cost. Quality control is also much easier and the target of achieving zero defects much more realistic.[[File:Yorkon Colchester - 6517-030.jpg|RTENOTITLE]]

'''Reducing Accident Rates'''

The construction industry is one of the UK’s largest employers but its health and safety record is still a major concern.

However, by working in an engineering environment, maximising work off site and avoiding work at height, the Portakabin Group has had '''zero''' major injuries on Yorkon sites for the last five years. This is because off-site working results in much improved safety for a permanent, highly trained labour force, as well as increased productivity.

Taking much of the construction process away from muddy sites and into a quality controlled manufacturing centre is much safer, more efficient and is not reliant on temporary labour.

Windows, for example, are pre-installed in the modules inside the factory, without the need for working at high level on scaffolding. And because much of the construction and assembly work is carried out off-site, building sites are safer, quieter, cleaner and generally less disruptive for the client – an important point where building projects are located next to schools, on busy hospital sites and in residential areas.[[File:Yorkon Harrogate Hospital - 6543-062.jpg|RTENOTITLE]]A responsible and forward-thinking approach to health and safety management reduces the risk of accidents and injury even further. Best practice initiatives employed by the Portakabin Group include: 
*Employees at every level are involved in writing procedures, including the production and site teams, to ensure the most effective systems are in place and that everyone is fully engaged
*Health and safety procedures are promoted via bulletins and ongoing information campaigns to create behavioural safety awareness
*Objectives and targets are set and the results shared across the business
*There is an open door policy to health and safety, and near miss reporting is actively encouraged
*There is an overall vision for an accident and incident-free workplace.

 '''The Importance of Programme Reductions'''

Off-site building solutions can reduce programme times by up to 50 per cent. This is a key benefit for contractors needing to achieve a watertight building envelope for earlier fitting out, thereby reducing time on site and all the associated preliminary, staff and security costs.

These programme reductions and increased off-site working can also facilitate projects that are part of much larger schemes and where there is a need to move elements and enabling works off the critical path in order to start on site in other areas.

Recent applications of this approach include two healthcare buildings at Royal Sussex County Hospital which were crucial to unlocking the space for the main contractor to proceed with a major redevelopment programme, and a number of track-side buildings which formed part of the £54m Reading Train Care Depot for main contractor VolkerFitzpatrick.[[File:Yorkon watford cranage 6131-047.jpg|RTENOTITLE]]

'''Off-site Construction Becomes a Mainstream Method of Building'''

There is a clear sea change across the construction industry and a much better understanding of the benefits of off-site solutions. The concept of moving the construction process into a tightly controlled engineering environment holds considerable appeal to contractors and clients, particularly on constrained and challenging sites – whether track-side rail, high security nuclear or fully operational hospital and school sites. Other applications include production support facilities for manufacturers, highly complex chemical laboratories, headquarters office accommodation, and convenience stores.[[File:Yorkon Emersons Green - 6284-027.jpg|2100x1397px|alt=Yorkon Emersons Green - 6284-027.jpg]]

Off-site solutions are increasingly being recognised as a mainstream method of building and the advantages to contractors and the reductions in risk that these techniques can bring are proven – which is reflected in the increased demand. And when combined with a technically-advanced modular building system, the quality of construction that can be achieved is as good as any site-based method.

Sources

1University of Dundee/CITB/Experian

2Published by Glenigan and the CITB, supported by Constructing Excellence and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

[http://www.yorkon.info/ www.yorkon.info] --[[User:The Portakabin Group|The Portakabin Group]] 15:59, 9 February 2015 (UTC)

[[Category:Construction_management]]
[[Category:Construction_techniques]]
[[Category:Products_/_components]]
[[Category:Roles_/_services]]

How contractors can reduce risk with the use of off-site construction

2015-02-09T15:49:22Z

The Portakabin Group:

'''In this article, Kevin Jones, Business Development Director at the Portakabin Group, looks at why demand for off-site construction from major contractors is increasing and how the approach can significantly reduce their project risk.'''

The single biggest issue for contractors is the reduction of risk – how to minimise the possibility of budget overruns and delays, accidents on site, and mitigate the impact of an increasingly volatile labour market.

Recent research from Aecom has shown that up to a third of bidding opportunities are turned down if projects are deemed to be too high risk. Contractors are certainly becoming far more selective about which clients they will now work with.

We are experiencing a significant increase in demand for Yorkon off-site construction solutions from the UK’s leading building and civil engineering contractors and in every sector. The approach can radically reduce risk for contractors on a number of levels.[[File:Yorkon watford cranage 6131-042.jpg|2100x1400px|alt=Yorkon watford cranage 6131-042.jpg]]

'''The Impact of Skills Shortages'''

Fresh concerns are being raised about serious skills shortages as analysts increase their forecasts for output growth this year. The loss of thousands of skilled jobs through the economic downturn has left the sector struggling to attract new talent to meet the surges in construction activity. The situation is set to worsen when construction work starts on HS2 which will need a monthly average total workforce estimated at more than 11,0001.

A new report published by the London Chamber of Commerce and KPMG has also highlighted a labour and skills shortfall of up to 20 per cent for London and the South East to deliver projects already planned for 2015-17. This could equate to a shortage of 150,000 workers, which would severely restrict the delivery of UK construction projects.

Leading off-site specialists such as the Portakabin Group, however, benefit from a permanent and highly skilled workforce, and a robust, long-established supply chain. This approach significantly reduces the reliance on subcontracted labour, which in turn helps to address the skills shortages and geographical volatility in the labour market that can impact heavily on major contractors.[[File:Yorkon Emersons Green 6284-105.jpg|1400x2100px|alt=Yorkon Emersons Green 6284-105.jpg]]

'''How to Achieve Certainty of Delivery on Time and on Budget'''

Off-site construction has been proven to deliver cost and contract certainty and consistent delivery on programme. The Portakabin Group, for example, has completed 99.7 per cent of its projects on time and on budget since 2003 – which is an unprecedented performance.

This is in sharp contrast construction industry figures, which have shown that only 46 per cent of non-housing projects were completed on time and just 75 per cent on cost according to the ''UK Industry Performance Report 2014''2.

Constructing buildings off site in a controlled factory environment is more predictable and reduces the effect of poor weather conditions, especially in the winter months, leading to much greater assurance of completion on time and on cost. Quality control is also much easier and the target of achieving zero defects much more realistic.[[File:Yorkon Colchester - 6517-030.jpg|RTENOTITLE]]

'''Reducing Accident Rates'''

The construction industry is one of the UK’s largest employers but its health and safety record is still a major concern.

However, by working in an engineering environment, maximising work off site and avoiding work at height, the Portakabin Group has had '''zero''' major injuries on Yorkon sites for the last five years. This is because off-site working results in much improved safety for a permanent, highly trained labour force, as well as increased productivity.

Taking much of the construction process away from muddy sites and into a quality controlled manufacturing centre is much safer, more efficient and is not reliant on temporary labour.

Windows, for example, are pre-installed in the modules inside the factory, without the need for working at high level on scaffolding. And because much of the construction and assembly work is carried out off-site, building sites are safer, quieter, cleaner and generally less disruptive for the client – an important point where building projects are located next to schools, on busy hospital sites and in residential areas.[[File:Yorkon Harrogate Hospital - 6543-062.jpg|RTENOTITLE]]A responsible and forward-thinking approach to health and safety management reduces the risk of accidents and injury even further. Best practice initiatives employed by the Portakabin Group include: 
*Employees at every level are involved in writing procedures, including the production and site teams, to ensure the most effective systems are in place and that everyone is fully engaged
*Health and safety procedures are promoted via bulletins and ongoing information campaigns to create behavioural safety awareness
*Objectives and targets are set and the results shared across the business
*There is an open door policy to health and safety, and near miss reporting is actively encouraged
*There is an overall vision for an accident and incident-free workplace.

'''The Importance of Programme Reductions'''

Off-site building solutions can reduce programme times by up to 50 per cent. This is a key benefit for contractors needing to achieve a watertight building envelope for earlier fitting out, thereby reducing time on site and all the associated preliminary, staff and security costs.

These programme reductions and increased off-site working can also facilitate projects that are part of much larger schemes and where there is a need to move elements and enabling works off the critical path in order to start on site in other areas.

Recent applications of this approach include two healthcare buildings at Royal Sussex County Hospital which were crucial to unlocking the space for the main contractor to proceed with a major redevelopment programme, and a number of track-side buildings which formed part of the £54m Reading Train Care Depot for main contractor VolkerFitzpatrick.[[File:Yorkon watford cranage 6131-047.jpg|RTENOTITLE]]

'''Off-site Construction Becomes a Mainstream Method of Building'''

There is a clear sea change across the construction industry and a much better understanding of the benefits of off-site solutions. The concept of moving the construction process into a tightly controlled engineering environment holds considerable appeal to contractors and clients, particularly on constrained and challenging sites – whether track-side rail, high security nuclear or fully operational hospital and school sites. Other applications include production support facilities for manufacturers, highly complex chemical laboratories, headquarters office accommodation, and convenience stores.[[File:Yorkon Emersons Green - 6284-027.jpg|2100x1397px|alt=Yorkon Emersons Green - 6284-027.jpg]]

Off-site solutions are increasingly being recognised as a mainstream method of building and the advantages to contractors and the reductions in risk that these techniques can bring are proven – which is reflected in the increased demand. And when combined with a technically-advanced modular building system, the quality of construction that can be achieved is as good as any site-based method.

Sources

1University of Dundee/CITB/Experian

2Published by Glenigan and the CITB, supported by Constructing Excellence and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

[http://www.yorkon.info/ www.yorkon.info]

[[Category:Construction_management]]
[[Category:Construction_techniques]]
[[Category:Products_/_components]]
[[Category:Roles_/_services]]

How contractors can reduce risk with the use of off-site construction

2015-02-09T15:47:30Z

The Portakabin Group: Created page with " '''In this article, Kevin Jones, Business Development Director at the Portakabin Group, looks at why demand for off-site construction from major contractors is increasing and ho..."

'''In this article, Kevin Jones, Business Development Director at the Portakabin Group, looks at why demand for off-site construction from major contractors is increasing and how the approach can significantly reduce their project risk.'''

The single biggest issue for contractors is the reduction of risk – how to minimise the possibility of budget overruns and delays, accidents on site, and mitigate the impact of an increasingly volatile labour market.

Recent research from Aecom has shown that up to a third of bidding opportunities are turned down if projects are deemed to be too high risk. Contractors are certainly becoming far more selective about which clients they will now work with.

We are experiencing a significant increase in demand for Yorkon off-site construction solutions from the UK’s leading building and civil engineering contractors and in every sector. The approach can radically reduce risk for contractors on a number of levels.[[File:Yorkon watford cranage 6131-042.jpg|2100x1400px]]

'''The Impact of Skills Shortages'''

Fresh concerns are being raised about serious skills shortages as analysts increase their forecasts for output growth this year. The loss of thousands of skilled jobs through the economic downturn has left the sector struggling to attract new talent to meet the surges in construction activity. The situation is set to worsen when construction work starts on HS2 which will need a monthly average total workforce estimated at more than 11,0001.

A new report published by the London Chamber of Commerce and KPMG has also highlighted a labour and skills shortfall of up to 20 per cent for London and the South East to deliver projects already planned for 2015-17. This could equate to a shortage of 150,000 workers, which would severely restrict the delivery of UK construction projects.

Leading off-site specialists such as the Portakabin Group, however, benefit from a permanent and highly skilled workforce, and a robust, long-established supply chain. This approach significantly reduces the reliance on subcontracted labour, which in turn helps to address the skills shortages and geographical volatility in the labour market that can impact heavily on major contractors.[[File:Yorkon Emersons Green 6284-105.jpg|1400x2100px]]

'''How to Achieve Certainty of Delivery on Time and on Budget'''

Off-site construction has been proven to deliver cost and contract certainty and consistent delivery on programme. The Portakabin Group, for example, has completed 99.7 per cent of its projects on time and on budget since 2003 – which is an unprecedented performance.

This is in sharp contrast construction industry figures, which have shown that only 46 per cent of non-housing projects were completed on time and just 75 per cent on cost according to the ''UK Industry Performance Report 2014''2.

Constructing buildings off site in a controlled factory environment is more predictable and reduces the effect of poor weather conditions, especially in the winter months, leading to much greater assurance of completion on time and on cost. Quality control is also much easier and the target of achieving zero defects much more realistic.[[File:Yorkon Colchester - 6517-030.jpg]]

'''Reducing Accident Rates'''

The construction industry is one of the UK’s largest employers but its health and safety record is still a major concern.

However, by working in an engineering environment, maximising work off site and avoiding work at height, the Portakabin Group has had '''zero''' major injuries on Yorkon sites for the last five years. This is because off-site working results in much improved safety for a permanent, highly trained labour force, as well as increased productivity.

Taking much of the construction process away from muddy sites and into a quality controlled manufacturing centre is much safer, more efficient and is not reliant on temporary labour.

Windows, for example, are pre-installed in the modules inside the factory, without the need for working at high level on scaffolding. And because much of the construction and assembly work is carried out off-site, building sites are safer, quieter, cleaner and generally less disruptive for the client – an important point where building projects are located next to schools, on busy hospital sites and in residential areas.[[File:Yorkon Harrogate Hospital - 6543-062.jpg]]A responsible and forward-thinking approach to health and safety management reduces the risk of accidents and injury even further. Best practice initiatives employed by the Portakabin Group include: 
*Employees at every level are involved in writing procedures, including the production and site teams, to ensure the most effective systems are in place and that everyone is fully engaged
*Health and safety procedures are promoted via bulletins and ongoing information campaigns to create behavioural safety awareness
*Objectives and targets are set and the results shared across the business
*There is an open door policy to health and safety, and near miss reporting is actively encouraged
*There is an overall vision for an accident and incident-free workplace.

'''The Importance of Programme Reductions'''

Off-site building solutions can reduce programme times by up to 50 per cent. This is a key benefit for contractors needing to achieve a watertight building envelope for earlier fitting out, thereby reducing time on site and all the associated preliminary, staff and security costs.

These programme reductions and increased off-site working can also facilitate projects that are part of much larger schemes and where there is a need to move elements and enabling works off the critical path in order to start on site in other areas.

Recent applications of this approach include two healthcare buildings at Royal Sussex County Hospital which were crucial to unlocking the space for the main contractor to proceed with a major redevelopment programme, and a number of track-side buildings which formed part of the £54m Reading Train Care Depot for main contractor VolkerFitzpatrick.[[File:Yorkon watford cranage 6131-047.jpg]]

'''Off-site Construction Becomes a Mainstream Method of Building'''

There is a clear sea change across the construction industry and a much better understanding of the benefits of off-site solutions. The concept of moving the construction process into a tightly controlled engineering environment holds considerable appeal to contractors and clients, particularly on constrained and challenging sites – whether track-side rail, high security nuclear or fully operational hospital and school sites. Other applications include production support facilities for manufacturers, highly complex chemical laboratories, headquarters office accommodation, and convenience stores.[[File:Yorkon Emersons Green - 6284-027.jpg|2100x1397px]]

Off-site solutions are increasingly being recognised as a mainstream method of building and the advantages to contractors and the reductions in risk that these techniques can bring are proven – which is reflected in the increased demand. And when combined with a technically-advanced modular building system, the quality of construction that can be achieved is as good as any site-based method.

Sources

1University of Dundee/CITB/Experian

2Published by Glenigan and the CITB, supported by Constructing Excellence and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

[http://www.yorkon.info/ www.yorkon.info]

File:Yorkon Emersons Green - 6284-027.jpg

2015-02-09T15:46:21Z