Description
Completed in May 2012 over 70 weeks, this £4 million project comprised extensions to the existing primary school to provide an Assembly Hall and new Classroom facilities together with the refurbishment of the existing school building. The Contract was procured by means of an existing Framework agreement with Carmarthenshire County Council and let under the NEC 3 agreement Option C, our role being that of Main Contractor under a Design & Build agreement. Construction largely comprised structural steel frames, masonry cavity walls incorporating brickwork and render features, and slated timber trussed roofs. Internally provided for traditional school finishes and fit-out facilities. The external works involved retaining walls inremediation of a sloping site and the provision of play areas, footpaths and parking facilities together with an extensive associated drainage installation.
The refurbishment works involved the reconfiguration of the existing classroom and offices facilities with associated upgrading of the electrical and mechanical installations.
A detailed management plan was developed and implemented in consultation with all project stakeholders. This was instrumental in the delivery of the first phase classroom extension, approximately 50 % of the scheme by value and contract period, some 8 weeks ahead of schedule.
A significant challenge was enabling the site to function around the peak times of ingress and egress to the school, with particular regard to pupils, parents and staff. By means of our long established and trusted supply chain we were able to manage the site’s activities and particularly deliveries to minimise disruption. Our Project Management have liaised closely with the school staff to ensure that they are kept informed of all issues relevant to the unhindered running of their school.
A further challenge was the unforeseen remediation of asbestos within the existing school building.
To allow the safe removal of asbestos the works were re-sequenced enabling full use of the unoccupied holiday period for the remediation works. This was only possible via the full co-operation of the project team and detailed programming of activities during this intense period of works.
Financially to maintain the overall project budget a variety of value engineering options were implemented throughout the project duration. Specifically, revised access road and parking facilities coupled with amended landscaping realised a six figure budget saving which the Client required to provide a more extensive IT facility.