Brentwood Ford, Essex

Brief

A 21-acre residential development was to be built on the site of Ford’s Brentwood-based headquarters, which had been at the centre of the famous car manufacturer’s UK operations for more than 50 years. As well as the former commercial land, the development incorporated adjoining parkland. Fairview New Homes was tasked with providing a variety of high-quality residential units in addition to commercial space and the development was to act as a springboard for the regeneration of the wider area.

Spread over two phases, 133 units were to be constructed, made up of a mixture of private and housing association apartments and houses as well as provision for off-street parking. On the northern (phase 1) site, Sheriff Construction installed IKO roofing systems across three apartment blocks, which ranged 4-5 storeys in height.

Challenges

One key challenge that Sheriff Construction’s operatives encountered during installation involved the soil vent pipes (SVPs). To prevent water penetration into the building, the pipes needed to be sealed at roof level. However, the SVPs designated for the project were made of PVC and so sealing around them with IKO’s hot melt system risked damage to the pipes.

There were also challenges relating to distribution of materials, specifically around the logistics of safely and efficiently moving materials from the delivery vehicle to the point of installation. As the development was a live site and subject to a phased occupation, strict risk management was imperative.

Clients and residents used the same access roads as tradespeople. Therefore, from a health and safety perspective, Sheriff Construction and IKO needed to ensure that delivery vehicles could access the storage area for distribution, while limiting disruption to members of the public.

Solution

IKO and Sheriff Construction worked together to come up with a solution to the PVC SVP issue – a metal sleeve detail. This ensured that the pipes could be sealed, without risk of heat damage from the hot melt system.

When it came to the logistical and safety issues, IKO facilitated the delivery of materials either pre-slung or on pallets to allow safe unloading of the vehicle using a forklift or crane. This meant Sheriff Construction’s operatives did not have to access the vehicles, helping to reduce occupational risk and exposure to workplace hazards.

IKO also provided an accurate timescale of deliveries and met all of Fairview New Homes’ restrictions on the size and type of vehicles allowed on site, to keep project disruptions to a minimum.

Sheriff Construction worked closely with IKO’s design team from the beginning, to achieve design requirements and U-values. IKO also provided extensive on-site support and in person-guidance on using the IKO Permatec system which was specified, even for non-standard designs. The hot melt system is renowned for its high resistance, low temperature flexibility and long life expectancy, making it a popular and versatile choice for a variety of roofing projects.

Sheriff Construction’s experienced project team and IKO’s inspectors closely monitored and managed the workforce activities, from start to finish, supervising the roof installation process with a critical eye.

Due diligence, quality assurance, excellent workmanship and effective communication meant that the project was delivered safely on time, within budget, and to the client’s satisfaction and exacting standards.