2019Case11SheehanandCollinsConstruction

43 L EAN C ONSTRUCTION I RELAND A NNUAL B OOK OF C ASES 2019 Case 11 – Sheahan & Collins Construction Sheahan & Collins Construction (S&C) i s a young construct ion company of fer ing Main Contract ing, Fi t- out/Refurbishment, Pre-Construction, and Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS) services operating in the broader commercial sector, including hotel s , nurs ing homes , mul t i -uni t accommodation developments, and office buildings. S&C is driven to offer innovative, solutions-based methods to its projects in the safest possible manner. Motivated by ‘building better through collaboration’ S&C place emphasis on an inclus ive non-s i lo approach to project delivery and is dedicated to applying Lean Construction principles and methods in-house and across its supply chain. C O M P A N Y W E B S I T E OVERVIEW & BACKGROUND TO THE LEAN INITIATIVE The initiative for Lean was two-fold. Fi rst ly, as a young company, the opportunity presented itself to ‘start as we intend to go on’ and commence the company’s Lean journey during the company’s infancy, building systems with Lean Construction in mind and incorporating Lean methods into our management systems. Secondly, during the early stages of the Dublin City project which is the focus of this case study, the need to apply a different approach to project del ivery was recognised in order to successfully hand over the project to the client ahead of the new academic year in September 2018. Thi s was based on the obvious challenges such a project presented, plus experience – the same approach to project delivery typically led to similar outcomes, thereby highlighting the need for a different approach to effect the required outcome. The project consisted of a Design & Build (D&B) purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) development in Dublin City comprising a 6-storey over-basement building delivering 128 bed spaces and ancillary spaces in a very compact site and with much of the layouts governed by existing planning permission. The development also utilised the entire footprint of the site, which only left public spaces remaining for staging construction works. Apart from the normal logistical challenges of such an inner-city site, including being on a main thoroughfare adjacent to a large school plus a s igni f icant ly larger construct ion s i te next door, the building’s four separate blocks and cores added to the significant challenge of making everything fit. LEAN INITIATIVE UNDERTAKEN – LEAN THINKING, TOOLS, TECHNIQUES www.sheahancollinsconstruction.com AUTHORS Eoin Curham The building design and internal floor layouts went through a number of iterations to optimise the cluster apartment arrangements so as to ensure rooms were adequately sized with efficient layouts, and also to address the limited floor-to- ceiling height for services routes and installations (the site was acquired with planning and thus increasing the building or floor-to-ceiling heights was not an option). It was recognised early in the process that the project would therefore present certain challenges from both design and construction perspectives as noted above, as well as dealing with day-to-day construction operations and activities. S&C identified the opportunity to implement certain Lean Construction processes and tools to address or assist with the above. While some members of the project team were aware of or had prior experience in Lean, the majority of the team, including key trade partners, were not familiar with or experienced in Lean. The project commenced in 2017 and S&C quickly followed with the procurement of key trade par tners (structure, envelope works , M&E services instal lat ions , l i f ts , inter ior f i t-out) , and wi th these appointments the Lean initiative commenced in earnest. The main tools and techniques implemented were: 1.Early engagement of key trade partners. 2.Structured M&E design coordination meetings (design consulting engineers, specialist contractors, and main contractor in attendance to negate working in silos). 3.Implementation of Last Planner® System (LPS) for schedule management. Early Engagement of Key Trade Partners This led to overall improvement of project team performance over the course of the project. It also fostered a real culture of a project team which was evident to newcomers to the team. As trades joined the Project, evidence of an integrated approach rather than a siloed or segregated approach was confirmed. The main parties were aligned to the client and project goals from the outset, leading to a more united effort in achieving this. Key players – the parties who ultimately influence the outcome of the project and hold responsibility for its delivery – understanding the project goals and client’s critical success factors earlier than normal enhanced the likelihood of those success factors being achieved. There was expert input into design of critical items at the COMPANY OVERVIEW Conan Doyle