2. Improve construction and building site efficiency and profitability
2
Background
In 1998 Sir John Egan was commissioned by the then Labour
Government’s ‘Construction Task Force’ to produce a report on
improving efficiency in the UK construction industry. The report
was called ‘Rethinking Construction’.
The assessments made in the report were underpinned by what was then known
about the amount of waste in the construction industry. Studies in the USA,
Scandinavia and the UK suggested that up to 30% of construction work is in
fact rework; labour was only being utilised at 40-60% efficiency, accidents were
accounting for 3-6% of project costs, and at least 10% of materials were being
wasted.
Rethinking Construction went on to prescribe a number of initiatives that needed
to be addressed if UK construction was going to achieve levels of competitiveness,
efficiency and profitability that other industries were achieving, these included:
• Improved product development (use of new technologies & products)
• Improved project implementation (the way you work)
• Improved partnering with others in the supply chain (collaborative
working)
• Improved production of components (e.g. off-site construction)
At the time of the Rethinking Construction report, Egan was Chief Executive of
BAA, but he also had a background in the car industry. He was an experienced
industrialist and in his eyes the construction industry was failing – projects were
widely seen as unpredictable in terms of delivery, budgets and standards. The
report focused on the fact that there were opportunities within the building and
construction industry to make big improvements by adopting the pioneering ‘lean’
production techniques that other industries were then embracing.
But this was in 1998; it was a boom time in the building and construction
industry and as in many situations when things are going well, changing attitudes
and mindsets was going to be a long haul. Many thought that the construction
industry was ‘too different’ that there were no lessons that could learned from other
industries.
Many thought
that the
construction
industry was
‘too different’,
that there were
no lessons that
could learned
from other
industries
3. Improve construction and building site efficiency and profitability
3
4 out of 10 for trying
Moving forward 10 years, it seemed that the industry was still
dragging its boots when it came to embracing changes,
Interestingly, a study in 2008 by the American National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST), regarding construction site efficiency in America stated that
there was still as much as 25-50% waste in co-ordinated labour and in managing,
moving and installing materials on construction sites. That same year in the UK
Egan delivered a House of Commons follow-up speech in which he gave a response
to his own 1998 report, and what had been achieved in the 10 years since its release.
Unfortunately, he only gave it 4 out of 10; that was for ‘trying, still being in the
game and having enough there to perhaps get it done next time around’. Who’d have
known at that time things were to only get worse over the next few years!
Moving forward a few more years...
The world has changed drastically since ‘Rethinking Construction’ was first
introduced, both on an economic and technological level. The building and
construction industry has seen one of the biggest economic shake-ups ever, whilst
the internet, mobile technology and communications have completely radicalised
how we communicate and do business. This has to a large extent necessitated change
and naturally driven forward some of Egan’s suggestions, but the sector still has
much it can do to improve. Only recently Vince Cable asked the industry to recall
Egan’s ‘Rethinking Construction’, effectively asking them to embrace the modern
methods and technologies that are now available.
...4 out of 10 for
‘trying, still being
in the game and
having enough
there to perhaps
get it done next
time around’...
SIR JOHN EGAN 2008
...embrace the
modern methods
and technologies
that are now
available...
VINCE CABLE 2013
4. Improve construction and building site efficiency and profitability
4
Big benefits at ground-level
It has to be said nothing can be achieved through just a lot of talk.
There comes a point where things have to be implemented.
And it has to be said that some of the biggest improvements, from a building and
construction company’s point of view, can be made at the site-level; at the very
pinnacle of implementation. By improving efficiency at this level, big improvements
can be made to competitiveness and profitability.
At the site-level, efficiency can be described as more effective interfacing of people,
processes, materials, equipment and information and addressing things such as:
• Reduction in downtime
• Optimum use of resources
• Improvements in safety
• Energy conservation
• Reduction in waste
• Utilisation of labour
Why are there problems?
If you’ve faced challenges on construction and building sites where there are
significant problems with access, both to and from the site, or within the site itself.
Or, there have been issues or restrictions on noise, health and safety, or timing and
speed; then you can probably see how easy it can be for inefficiencies to occur. The
problem is, and no doubt as you are fully aware, these situations can, and very often
do, result in significant costs and loses.
Building and construction sites are dynamic places involving numerous contractors,
subcontractors, tradespeople and labourers, all of which require equipment,
materials and supplies to complete their tasks. Managing these activities efficiently
can be a huge and problematic task.
Time, money and resources are wasted when projects are managed poorly causing
workers to have to wait around for tools, materials and deliveries. This leads to
conflicting schedules and further timing problems.
Orchestrating any building or construction project is much like conducting an
orchestra – all players must play their part at the right time and in tune with the rest
to make it work.
If you’ve faced
challenges on
construction and
building sites
where there
are significant
problems with
access, both to
and from the
site, then you
can see how
easy it can be for
inefficiencies to
occur
5. Improve construction and building site efficiency and profitability
5
Increase site
safety and
efficiency by
decreasing loads
for ‘lifts, lowers
and carries’ and
by decreasing the
overall frequency
of tasks; plus the
distance needed
for ‘carries,
pushes and pulls’
Improvements through people and processes
Poor working methods and practices can also lead to safety issues,
another big contributor to inefficiencies. For a long time it has
been accepted that a certain amount of ‘risk’ comes with the
building and construction territory.
Health and safety practices have helped make improvements over the years, but the
construction industry has been identified as one of the most dangerous industries to
work in. Accidents lead to downtime, sick leave and absenteeism.
One of the biggest hazards posed to people on-site is that of materials transfer. Very
often workers underestimate the risks involved in material transfer. Over exertion is a
common type of injury at construction sites; back injuries accounting for as much as
25% of the injuries caused during material transfer related procedures. Over exertion
can be decreased and accidents avoided by making appropriate devices available for
workers along with planned, regular breaks.
Studies have indicated that the manual transfer of materials to the upper levels of
a building was calculated to be the most time consuming of all methods, with the
biggest degree of risk of accidents, compared to using mechanical help. It also stated
that Management’s role is crucial to improving occupational safety, especially when
workers deem risk to be part of the job and injuries as ‘just bad luck’.
A recommendation has been that material transfer should be redesigned so that
appropriate devices and methods can be utilised. The American NIST study found
that tasks should be redesigned in such a way that they minimized hand distances,
and decreased loads for ‘lifts, lowers and carries’; and they decreased the overall
frequency of tasks, plus the distance needed for ‘carries, pushes and pulls’.
In fact consideration to the whole logistics and organisational chain – to and from
sites, along with a sites layout, design and tidyness can impact on occupational
accidents and overall efficiency.
6. Improve construction and building site efficiency and profitability
6
Increasing efficiency through conveyor belt technology
We’ve already mentioned some of the biggest leaps in efficiency
can be achieved at the site level implementation stage of a project.
And we’ve identified that materials handling can be a major
contributing factor to whether a site is efficient or inefficient – or
makes or loses money!
This is because materials handling has a big bearing on both time and people. We
also mentioned that utilisation of alternative methods and devices can contribute to
solving these issues and make big improvements.
One solution that is contributing to improvements in ‘people and processes’ in
the building and construction environment is the belt conveyor system. Conveyor
belt systems have been popular within the ‘niche’ basement construction market
for a number of years – and for obvious reasons. But increasingly and since the
introduction of modular, manoeuvrable and towable conveyor belt solutions, they
have now begun to make regular appearances on many building and construction
sites all over the world.
Conveyor belts
are particularly
efficient when
it comes to
transferring
materials both
into and out of
construction
sites where
access is
limited
Conveyors are an effective means of transporting materials in confined spaces
7. Improve construction and building site efficiency and profitability
7
The advantages
of a conveyor
belt system are
capacity, speed,
improved
ergonomics,
savings on
labour and
machinery and
improvements
on health and
safety
Conveyor belts are particularly efficient when it comes to transferring materials
both into and out of construction sites where access is limited. They can operate
at relatively steep inclines, through narrow passages and around and over most site
obstacles. They are incredibly versatile and effective when it comes to demolition and
excavation work, and also for transferring materials such as sand, bricks and blocks.
Where traditionally these tasks have been managed manually or by utilising dump-
trucks and other plant or machinery, the advantages of a conveyor belt system are
capacity, speed, improved ergonomics, savings on labour and improvements on
health and safety. They help solve issues of minimizing hand distances, decreasing
loads for ‘lifts, lowers and carries’; decreasing the overall frequency of tasks, plus the
distance needed for ‘carries, pushes and pulls’, highlighted in the NIST report.
Easy site installation
Modular conveyor belt systems are extremely versatile. Contrary to popular belief,
they are easily installed, maintained and dismantled and can be adapted to solve
numerous construction site challenges either on a short or long-term basis. They
provide a level of on-site automation for tasks that have for years have been labour
intensive as well as time consuming, repetitive and laborious.
A conveyor is a cost effective solution where site access is limited
8. Improve construction and building site efficiency and profitability
8
Choosing the right conveyor belt solution
As you would expect, not all conveyor belt solutions are the
same. Given the nature of most construction sites, a system that
can operate in tough environments almost goes without saying.
Otherwise you risk further downtime through breakdowns.
Which suggests that whoever supplies you must be able to provide
support and a fast response that keeps you up and running.
At the outset it’s also important to obtain a site survey. These are usually provided
free of charge by your supplier. A site survey by an expert experienced in
construction site conveyor automation, will be able to help you achieve the best
solution for your particular problem. This is an important part of the process that
shouldn’t be underestimated. Expert advice can help you avoid problems such
as the use of numerous small conveyors on a project (with inherent labour and
reliability problems), when perhaps one bespoke conveyor, properly designed and
implemented could solve your problem much more efficiently.
Your supplier should also be able to provide you with relevant drawings to help get
appropriate approvals and licenses.
Once the conveyor design and ergonomics have been decided, the next thing is
to sort out the technicalities of the equipment. This includes decisions on usage,
throughput and speed requirements, along with belt type, widths and relevant
accessories. The right decisions made at this stage can also add to overall efficiency.
For example many conveyor systems are restricted to 15mm chevron patterns on
their belts, which puts not only limitations on carrying capacity, but also efficiency
when it comes to the conveyor belt systems working on inclines – the higher the
chevron pattern, the higher the incline that is achievable with the conveyor. It is
possible to incorporate belts with a 50mm cleat on the belt or even with ‘scoop’ or
‘lip’ to enhance capacity and performance when working at angles.
These considerations may sound daunting and it is possible that going through this
sort of process is what makes some site or project managers hesitant about utilising
such technology, preferring to stick with how they’ve done things before and what
they know. But your supplier will be able to take the problem out of your hands,
right through to installation, maintenance and dismantling at the end of a project.
Given the
nature of most
construction
sites, a system
that can operate
in tough
environments
almost goes
without saying
9. Improve construction and building site efficiency and profitability
9
It is possible, in
some cases, to
shift in excess
of 10 tons of
materials per
hour, creating
further savings
The on-site benefits
As we’ve already pointed out, conveyor systems can help provide
efficiencies on sites with restricted access, where considerable
excavation and demolition work is required and where materials
need to be transported from one place to another.
In these instances conveyor systems can offer a much faster solution than other
generally ustilised methods. It is possible, in some cases, to shift in excess of 10 tons
of materials per hour, creating further savings in manpower, machinery whilst having
a knock-on effect on the time it takes to complete other related tasks – minimising
downtime and waiting around.
Summary
It seems that construction and building site inefficiencies have been prevalent for
a number of years. One of the main reasons for this, amongst other things, has
been the ‘mindset’ of some in the industry in recognising that there are other ways
of doing things, and that embracing technologies, materials and machinery, along
with adopting techniques used in other industries, could provide opportunities for
improvement. Having said that, the economic and technological developments since
the Egan report have naturally driven through some changes. But there does still
appear to still be room for improvement.
10. Improve construction and building site efficiency and profitability
10
Conveyor solutions from
Southern Conveyors
Southern Conveyors are a specialist conveyor
company dedicated to helping building and
construction companies make improvements
to their on-site efficiency, especially in
challenging situations. They provide high-
powered, robust and efficient belt conveyors
for temporary use in a wide variety of
applications.
Not only are Southern Conveyors now established as
the UK’s No.1 conveyor hire specialists, they are also the
company behind the EASIKIT® brand of tough, versatile
and modular conveyor solutions, which the company
continues to develop and manufacture in the UK.
The Southern Conveyors service begins with a free site visit
where an expert calculates which conveyors will provide the
most efficient solution for your particular problem. Quotes
and drawings are then provided. The drawings can be used
to obtain licenses if required.
The conveyors are then delivered to site by dedicated
transport and installed professionally by skilled fitting
teams. Safety is always regarded as paramount and due
consideration is taken for every potential vulnerability. Sites
are also provided with all necessary site documentation.
Following installation, the Southern Conveyors engineer’s
follow-up with regular planned maintenance visits to ensure
that everything is running smoothly and any potential
problems apprehended early. If there are any problems,
these are responded to quickly. Finally, once the system is
no longer required, a team returns to quickly and efficiently
remove the conveyors.
EASIKIT®
Modular
Conveyor Solutions
Southern Conveyor’s have over
25 years experience working
with large, medium and small
construction and building
companies on a variety of diverse
projects. This experience has
helped them develop the EASIKIT®
modular conveyor range.
The EASIKIT®
300 and 450
Conveyors have become firm
favourites for the hire fleet. Their
narrow profiles and ability to be
made into long lengths make them
the ideal conveyor for applications
where a large quantity of material
needs to be removed from a
confined space. The EASIKIT®
600 conveyor represents a multi-
purpose robust workhorse and
is also offered as an option on a
mobile undercarriage to provide
manoeuvrability around a site. It
also incorporates an adjustable
discharge height.
The GP600 is Southern Conveyors
flagship conveyor system. It
represents a unique product in the
marketplace for high performance,
heavy-duty operations. Invaluable
on any demolition site, they are a
must when loading large volumes
of rubble or waste material and
when using a bobcat or excavator.
www.easikit.co.uk
11. Improve construction and building site efficiency and profitability
11
Expertise based on experience
The diversity of Southern Conveyors expertise
is reflected in their experience with both
domestic and high profile commercial projects.
The EASIKIT® system has been a firm
favourite for many years on a large number of
London basement and demolition projects,
demonstrating EASIKIT’S versatility in
restricted areas and confined spaces.
But Southern Conveyors has also proved itself as a company
that can satisfy the demanding requirements of larger
corporate contractors working on high profile and ‘mission-
critical’ projects such as the London 2012 Olympics, where
the EASIKIT® system was used to transport the sand for
the Beach Volleyball onto Horse Guard’s Parade; through to
other notable projects including:
• Heathrow Terminal 5
• Jubilee Line Extension
• Drax Power Station
• Wembley Stadium
• St Pancras Box
• CTRL
• UK Supreme Court
• The Lancasters
• The Corinthia Hotel
• The Dorchester Hotel
• Crossrail
• Tottenham Court Road
Station upgrade
• Bond Street Station
upgrade
Transporting
sand in central
London
Loading
hopper for
sand
Easikit®
600
covered system
transporting
dewatered
sludge
GP600 System
with loading
hopper
Long length
inclined GP600
System with
‘greedy’ boards
GP600 System
can load 8
wheelers in 20
minutes
• 10 Trinity Square
• Debenhams House,
London
• V & A Museum
• British Museum
• Project Oriana
• Sea Containers House
• Brasenose College,Oxford
• Marlborough College
• Oxford Mound Castle
• New Street Station,
Birmingham
• Gainsborough Hotel, Bath
• Glastonbury Festival
12. Find out how you can make savings
If you have a particular project with potential access
problems or other restrictions, a conveyor system could
help you solve the problem and help you make savings
in time, people and money.
Contact us now on 0800 915 9195 to discuss your
requirements further and for a free site visit and quote.
Southern Conveyors
Unit 1, St Ivel Way
Warmley, Bristol
BS30 8TY
Tel: 0800 915 9195
sales@southernconveyors.co.uk
www.southernconveyors.co.uk
