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Construction Challenges Associated with Operating in Remote Locations Martin Pullicin

Previous Regional NSW Projects

• Established 1950

• Over 30 Hospital and Health facility

projects in regional areas

Influences on Hospital Design

• Builder creates a D&C team maximum value

for money

• Builder D&C management team formed to provide guidance and support to both design & construction project teams (PD + DM + SM + ESM + Consultants)

• Seamless transition from design into construction, then commissioning and if required facility management

• Work closely/have access with users to provide guidance in briefs and hospital specific needs as well as specialist clinical needs

Menzies School of Health

Research Darwin


• Form a team that has worked together on other hospitals and health care projects

• Those that develop design continue into the build, be involved in workshops and user groups

• Project Definition Plan(PDP), Health Facility Briefing System(HFBS) & Reference Design

• It’s a partnership between design and construct team and the client – knowledge,

experience share information

• Health Planner -Flexible adaption and extension

Alice Springs Hospital


• Departmental relationships/requirements, schedule of rooms, schedule of areas, aspirations of users, maintenance, life cycle costs, energy savings, façade, BCA and ESD

• Time to get it right (12 weeks -2weeks brief and review,

understand client needs - 2 weeks schematic design, schedule of areas PDP, develop services brief, façade brief – 4 weeks design development, workshops, methodology, BoQ – 4 weeks pricing and design review)

• Live Operational environment –infection control,

flight path management, pedestrian control, traffic management, services relocations cut ins and change overs,

• Ground conditions/latent conditions

• Cultural reasons


Influences on Hospital Design • Buildability – just a few examples • Ensuite

Line walls with Fiber Cement sheeting.

Construct a minimum 30mm fall from door threshold to floor waste.

Ensure vinyl is adequately supported by a cove fillet at floor/wall junction

Vinyl to walls to overlap up turned floor vinyl by 50 mm

• Water pressure – quality

Give careful consideration to water quality & water pressure in the design and documentation phase.

Take independent tests of water quality & pressure.

Consult local maintenance and engineering staff about the variable nature of water quality.

Establish the size and type of filtration & softening equipment, if required.

Bourke

Hospital

Influences on Hospital Design • Medical Imaging

Know the size of the equipment and work out with the design team the route in which the equipment needs to be brought in. Sections of walls may need to be constructed later or double doors installed to the entry route.

Lead lining to room means more than wall lining. The integrity of the whole room envelope should be considered. - doors, frames, sills and junctions occurs.

• Cuprosolvency

Unique to South Eastern Australia is associated with cold water, the water chemistry and the copper pipe - use HDPE plastic pipe. Can also assist in water hammer issues

• Emergency Power

Consider the UPS requirements for immunisation/blood fridges, cool room fridges, external lighting particularly to the entrance/exit point at night time and CCTV cameras

Grafton

Hospital

Influences on Hospital Design • Body Protection

Look into body protection particularly when there are two bed bedrooms or two bed procedure areas - the maximum amount of points are 12 on any one circuit and double GPO's are considered two points

• Fire Penetration

Ensure that the head contractor and subcontractors are aware of the requirement to locate and register each fire wall penetration.

• Access to Plant & Equipment for Maintenance Purposes

Discuss proposed maintenance needs & access with Hospital engineering staff.

Consider providing a maintenance walking platform in ceiling space. – simple as floor sheeting fixed to bottom cord of trusses adjacent to cable tray and AC duct runs.

Lahey have further examples (5 pages available at our exhibition stand)

Belmont

Hospital

• In Australia construction has evolved into a sophisticated business

• Requires numerous professionally qualified people in design and build as well as numerous skill sets in trades and supply chain

• Unique industry which is highly fragmented

• Undertaking of construction works presents numerous challenges.

Construction Challenges

Gosford Hospital

• Construction projects in general are complex and require a high degree of management. In remote areas this is seen as being intensified/amplified

• Human resources, skills shortage, staff personal issues, production/productivity, cost management, infrastructure, accommodation and communications.

• In recent times we compete for resources with the resources/mining boom

Construction Challenges

Dunedoo Hospital

• Australia relatively small population that is urbanised and concentrated in metropolitan centres

• Regional communities resources often not capable of undertaking the construction – remote areas = sparse population

• Companies are in direct competition with the mining industry to attract and retain labour.

• Remote locations has a negative impact on an employee’s family life. – help with the children,

school events, family time, away for extended periods

• FIFO or permanently relocating families does not work on building projects(Boom times -

unwilling till buoyant stage of the cycle ends)

Resources Challenges

Coonamble Hospital

• Availability of procuring materials and equipment has a considerable effect – concrete, bricks, roofing, glazing, cranes, manitou, scaffold, structural steel

• Skills of your workforce plays an important role in the productivity level in remote locations, more so than on city projects – productivity, sequencing work, multi skill, minimise return work

• Aboriginal participation requirements -% participation, cultural empathy, training, elders consultation, WHS and quality

• Local industry participation requirements – skills, culture, WHS attitude, work force numbers, work hours 8 to 3 – farm first job – site 2nd part time job

Resources Challenges

Wilcannia Hospital

Logistical Challenges

• In remote locations, a direct contributor to a projects overall success is the success of your logistics planning and will have a direct influence on cost and time

• Investigate, nearest major towns, check if supplies are close - is transport regular, IT coverage

• Identify supply chain for each stage of the project cycle

• Decide labour and materials contracts and labour only contracts

• Where are the materials being sourced -local – town city- interstate or overseas

• Ensure goods are inspected - before payment and on arrival

Nyngan Hospital


• Transport –road, rail or air transport to site

• Who is best equipped to manage the risk of transport and operate it?

• Mobilisation of work crews should be considered once the ‘risk period’ of material delivery has passed

• Disposal of surplus often difficult –getting the gear out again

• Accommodation – rent, demountable, client supplied, caravan/5th wheeler, Motel

• Site Establishment – fencing, temporary power, water supply,

Walgett Hospital


• Concrete Supply – local and affordable, dry mix and transport, mobile batching or fixed batching plant -15 to 100 cubic meters hour

• Materials storage –bricks, plasterboard, roof sheeting, structural steel, prefabricated frames, windows, reinforcement, plant and equipment, FFE

• Chilled water requirement in extreme temperatures for mix reliability – it can be brought down to 6 – 9 degrees

• Batch Monitoring and testing - to meet Australian Standards

• Road train transport bulk delivery –formwork frames, structural steel, roof sheeting, FF&E etc

• Rubbish removal – food waste and trade waste sorting

• Transport logistics – any component can become critical if not available, damaged in transit or errors. E.g. door

frames sent from Perth missed delivery, did a round trip to Darwin, Adelaide back to Perth and then to site – 2 weeks late stopped brickwork etc.

• Time zones – 5 hour window of common working

time between east/west of Australia makes communication/co-ordination difficult

• Travel time / cost for all concerned. Lost

time due to flights / timetables etc. One day per one way trip sometimes


Coonamble Hospital


• Early procurement of structural steel, precast concrete panels, lifts, roof sheeting, plant and equipment, façade elements

• Management and control of multiple work fronts & subcontractors with sufficient manpower

• Understand what is different about the remote environment – trust the people who work in it as they will know what can and can’t work

• Develop a contingency plan to address potential delay factors during the life-cycle of your remote logistics project –identify solutions

Grafton Hospital

Communications • Increasing complexity of construction projects and

design needs appropriate tools and systems for communication, coordination, and management.

• Need tight controls not loose - to manage quality,

time, and cost - extends to include project team, health, stakeholders satisfaction, sustainability, and safety issues

• Options available are many - mobile and Web-based

Project Management Systems - systems use wireless, satellite, Internet-based networks.

• The traditional and hierarchical management structure changes to a more open, interactive, collaborative, and network structure

• Lahey uses Viewpoint, Team Binder, wireless router, 4G to 3G, Colour Photocopier/scanner, Laptops with monitors, iPhone, iPads, Aconex, Web FM, emails, and ADSL if available

Manning Base Hospital

Communications • A centralized decision making process

change to delegated authority to field personnel

• Effective data communications between the work site and decision making office is critical for the success of the project

• Communications are critical because remote management involves more serving than simply leading

• 3D reconstruction system is enabling remote and virtual walk through on actual construction sites to sort out problems

Grafton Hospital

Subcontractors and Site Staff • Long travel times - four or more hours exhaust the

people, especially during extreme hot weather

• Subcontractors can have staff shortages and supervisors are overloaded with responsibilities

• Unsupervised sub contractors - seize

opportunities to make changes to construction plans and use improper construction materials and inadequate construction systems to cut costs.

• Subcontractors are reluctant to undertake remote projects - due to unpredictable increases in

costs of labour, materials, transportation, accommodation availability and unforeseen circumstances. These factors sharply reduce the contractor's profit margins

Flinders University Medical Teaching

Facility Darwin

Subcontractors and Site Staff

• Subcontractor owners/supervisors postpone necessary site visits putting more responsibility to Lahey site staff

• Monitor subcontractor commitment to the project schedule due to the difficulties that they usually experience in providing skilled labour, transportation

• Monitor subcontractors construction materials (lack of) forces sub contractors to leave the project

• Communications - via phone, site visits, weekly/monthly reports, and weekly/monthly meetings to manage jobs and communicate between the remote project site and the supervision office.

Environment

Lahey Constructions have Cyclone, Flood, Storm Management plans - outlines the systems elements, implementation, execution, awareness and response on site - Site inspection, securing materials, removal of materials to safe storage. Protection & dismantling of plant, electrical safety, security of services, briefing of staff.

Design and construction needs to factor the environment – dust storm, wet season 23mm in half hour, high humidity 90%, temperatures constant 45 degrees, temperature range -2 morning and 35 afternoon, flood, cyclone, dehydration / heat stress.

Fauna and Flora survey and management

• Remote area climate does affect productivity and it is important to take this into account.

56 degrees Wilcannia

and 45 degrees at

night constant 40 +

degrees summer

Frost Walgett,

Nyngan

Coonamble Snow Armidale

Enviro

nm

en

t

Flooding Moree and Walgett

Dust Storm

Broken Hill

Coonamble mud

Kangaroos Bourke

Darwin Storm

Darwin Wet Season

Pits make

great snake

habitats

Enviro

nm

en

t

General Challenges

• For city based companies high level of construction activity creates labour shortages which will constrain ability when vying for remote work

• Pricing for work in remote locations is more difficult than city locations.

• Company needs to be continually updating its cost knowledge base when tendering for remote projects

• Specific costing issues for remote area could include - preliminaries, mobilization/demobilization, accommodation, inclement weather downtime, site allowances, and material delivery costs and productivity.


General Challenges

• Sites vulnerable to thefts by locals, it’s costly for them to buy in remote and regional areas and a site is a ready source

• Extremely difficult for designers, BCA and Project Certifiers to undertake inspections

and to visit the site regularly. –Partner with local

from a near by regional town

• Biggest disadvantages of remote projects are family and fatigue issues that then lead to lack of motivation due to homesickness that impact on construction productivity.

• Alcohol consumption

Dunedoo Hospital

General Challenges

• Difficulties in obtaining local acceptance of an out of town company

• Commercial pressure – 1 local supplier and or subcontractor will dictate price and time.

• Weather – extreme heat requires 3 am start for concrete pours, cyclones or floods can cut off transport. Wet season will stop work for days at a time over 3 month period.

• Planning and programming – lead time for components, notice for staff/subcontractors, client, consultants to be available is critical.

Coonamble Hospital

Solutions to Challenges

• Infrastructure – water: sink a bore, bulk tanks on site or cart water

• Communications - IT bases, up to date project reports

• Estimating – multiple trade prices – key group of subcontractors who do regional work, subcontractors from local larger town centres. Do not under estimate mobilisation/demobilisation accommodation, inclement weather downtime, site allowances, delivery and productivity.

• Programme – can add another 8 weeks to city based projects

• Design to the specific environment, research and find experienced staff to stay with the project -cost accordingly

Nyngan Hospital


• Dedicated person to monitor the progress of deliveries could assist

• Shading covers, night work and increased fabrication off site.

• Ensure there is a culture of heightened awareness of project issues among all parties

• Document the environmentally sensitive nature of sites and their surrounds

• Work carried out by subcontractors to engage local trade assistants or tradesmen where possible.

Royal Darwin Hospital


• During the construction stage, precise daily control and follow-up procedures for examination of work quality, monitoring productivity of site workers and calculation of material consumption rates.

• Important to build cooperative relationships with local suppliers and subcontractors where possible.

• Regular site audits to be conducted to monitor sites and identify issues which require rectification.

• Procurement – obtaining approvals early for design changes to use more suitable products or methods for construction.

Grafton Hospital


• Aboriginal Participation requirements - quite often difficulties in retaining participants. It is important to provide opportunities and meaningful tasks for participants so that they gain job satisfaction during their employment. This is often achieved by engaging participants in traineeships. It is also important to have an understanding of their aboriginal culture and to support individuals to overcome issues which may arise outside of work hours.

Bourke Hospital

(Heritage Component)

Experiences • Experience is key, 5 off site staff in Lahey

with 50, 29, 25, 24 and 14 years of remote project experience working with Lahey

• Challenges with attracting and retaining skilled workers in remote locations. Lahey have members of their project management teams who are willing to work away from home. Lahey are committed to providing comfortable live away from home accommodation (home style rather than pub style).

• Road trains used to supply sites

Wilcannia Hospital Heritage

Experiences

• Difficulties in acquiring suitably skilled tradesmen locally in remote areas. Lahey

works with a large number of specialized subcontracting companies who are prepared to travel to remote work locations.

• Implementation of Company systems and procedures in remote areas / Management of site. It is important to provide

experienced workers who have been trained and are familiar with the company systems and procedures. Requirement to provide ongoing training and support to workers including visits by management and regular communication. Need to provide on line access by computer to Head Office based IT systems.

• 50 to 80 tradesmen soon suck up available

accommodation – issue in a small town with few motels

Coonamble Hospital

Experiences Wilcannia, Bourke, Nyngan, Coonamble, Walgett and Alice Springs Hospital

• Sort out design problems mark up sketches and add notations that relate to dwgs –email/fax to discuss with designers

• Start work at 5am and finish at 1pm in summer as it gets to hot – 45 to 47 degrees regular

• Winter, it’s the other way round start at 8am finish 5pm because its too cold

• Summer months concrete poured at night

• Lahey and metropolitan based subcontractors work 7 days a week 7am to 5pm


Experiences

• Night pours need a BBQ, tea and coffee to keep

workers happy

• Nyngan night pours had to put local residents in a motel due to noise of batching plant operating at 1am in the morning

• Other trades that will work night hot climate – roofer, external cladding landscapers, civil and road works

• Wilcannia small concrete pours, concrete is transported 240km one way dry in concrete truck and water added on site, larger pours batching plants -materials supply and storage for batching plants on site space needed

Mid North Coast Prison

Experiences

• Wilcannia BCA and Certifier fly out of Brisbane to Adelaide then fly to Broken Hill then drive some 240km to site

• Time zone differences need to be considered, Broken Hill keeps SA time while Wilcannia kept NSW time, time difference of 1.5hrs

• Frost at night will damage concrete – need day makers and heat lamps to keep frost off

• Danger of concrete freezing – need to cover in plastic and hessian once trowelled/floated off

Tablum 2nd Chance

Facility

Experiences • Testing of concrete via nearest NATA

Laboratory requires site to manage cylinders, label and courier for testing

• Pour concrete early summer and winter want to complete screeding by midday to allow period cure then to float - manage curing of concrete

• May need to design concrete supply dockets and testing records to meet project requirements

• Engage a local builder to assist with procurement sourcing trades and suppliers – may also be available as a foreman/leading hands/carpenter on site and defects management post completion

Experiences

• Wilcannia shopping trip needs is a round trip of 480km – leave Friday come back Sunday

• Wilcannia accommodation was provided by the hospital living in staff and doctors houses on site and dongas for singles. All meals supplied by hospital

• Lahey foreman meets and married Wilcannia nurse

• Trade waste sorted on site and stored in pens then transported to local council tip and tipped in designated recycling areas

• Food waste stored in a secured receptacle designed to keep rodents, foxes etc out- when full taken to council tip

Alice Springs Hospital Week 48

Experiences • Engage with local indigenous Aboriginal

community/elders and indigenous organisations for employment and training schemes

• Wilcannia local Aboriginal community made mud bricks for the hospital using local sandy soil and stabilised with cement powder using brick press and then stored on pallets for curing

• Understand barriers that may prevent Aboriginal employment , Wilcannia solution was Lahey picked workers up in the morning and drove them home in the afternoon

Manning Base Hospital

Experiences

• Tool box talk the subcontractors regarding Aboriginal culture, the role and involvement the local community will have in contributing to the project.

• Design needs to be aware of Indigenous communities traditions, customs requirements, eg mortuary facilities location, separate facility, opening from the north and a screened area/terrace allowing families to gather privately, and pay their respects.

• Local subcontractor payment terms and community perception

Moree In

Flood

Experiences • Prefabrication where possible of

components such as wall frames, roof trusses etc over prefabrication of buildings

• Consider Waffle pod slabs to save time

• Heritage buildings generally involved and will need to source stone. Wilcannia sourced original stone 160km away on a property- negotiated quarry arrangement.

• Availability of plant and equipment may be dependent of another project completing in another town – Walgett and Lightening Ridge for concrete batching plant

Experiences • Where possible combine trade elements,

such as the plumber may also do stormwater, roofing, roofing plumbing and external metal wall cladding

• Where possible use metal framed buildings and structural steel – consider expansion in high temperatures to relieve stress – popping day and night as temp heats up and cools down

• Consider site accommodation via pre fab sheds – 3 off 12m x 3m sheds makes a comfortable 3 to 4 bed accommodation with kitchen, bathroom, extra WC, laundry, dinning and lounge areas

Lahey Constructions Pty Ltd 44

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