Page 7 - Demo

AECC Drain Survey and Cleaning
The Event Complex Aberdeen, the replacement for the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, is scheduled to open in 2019. Built at a cost of over £300m, the Event Complex Aberdeen includes almost 50,000m2 of internal exhibition space, three hotels and a 12,500 capacity arena.
W M Donald’s Drainage Services team is currently carrying out the handover CCTV survey and clean of the new venue’s extensive drainage system. Jim Strang, who leads the Drainage Services operation, explained that the project draws on much of the specialist plant and equipment used by his teams:
‘The site currently has no live water supply so we brought in our Kaiser Whale recycler to maintain productivity. The Kaiser recycles the water it jets with and this enables it to work continuously for long periods without having to leave site.
The Kaiser, along with our confined spaces unit, was particularly useful on the main surface water drains as these are 1800mm in diameter and over 7m deep!’
Size works both ways, and a more compact vehicle was needed to access the main exhibition hall and hotels. The Drainage Services’ 7.5t City Flex unit was used in conjunction with its mobile main line CCTV unit to survey and clean the drain network in these areas.
‘We upload each day’s surveys for the client before we leave site. This ensures the client is always fully up-to- date with the project’s progress and is able to make informed decisions.’
You can find out more about the Event Complex Aberdeen, including a fly through of the new venue, by visiting our website at:
www.aecc.co.uk/about-us/ aecc-overview/aecc-evolves/
Attracting talented and motivated young people into construction is a major challenge for the industry. The average age of the workforce is steadily increasing and the pool of skilled workers is shrinking as people retire.
Fraser Morrison, Ian Gray and Eilidh Cameron looked at ways of enriching inexperienced operatives participation on site, making the training process more effective, and increasing their engagement with the construction process. One idea that has now been implemented is the innovative ‘Green Vest’ scheme.
Fraser Morrison, HSEQ Advisor, was tasked with its development and implementation:
‘All site operatives need to be able to use rollers and dumpers. To gain a CPCS card for these skills requires experience, training and competence. It’s a bit chicken and egg!
The Green Vest idea is to enable site operatives over the age of 18 to gain experience of using rollers and dumpers in specific areas on sites where risks are strictly controlled. Any inexperienced site operative driving a roller or dumper can be quickly identified by the green vest they are wearing. Close supervision is a core element of the scheme.
The scheme took several months to get off the ground. I spoke to senior managers from major clients and presented the scheme outline to them. They were all keen to pursue the idea and came up with ways in which it could be refined and improved.
We currently have six site operatives in the scheme working on six different sites. We believe the scheme will enable them to make better use of training courses and to qualify for their CPCS card within a year.
A spin-off from the scheme is that skilled workers are spending less time driving rollers and dumpers and, consequently, are able to focus on those areas where they can contribute most effectively.’
HELPING YOUNG CONSTRUCTION WORKERS ACHIEVE THEIR POTENTIAL
Neil Thomson, Construction Director, Stewart Milne Homes; Apprentices Jamie Hallam, Robert Manzie, Tyler Godfrey; Ian Gray, Operations Manager
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