Mechanical and electrical installation

Our costing advice and services include:

• Estimating
• Cost planning
• Whole-life costing
• Feasibility reviews
• Value engineering
• Design-to-cost analysis
• Change control and risk management

Our bid teams are involved in the project from cradle to grave. They are headed by a dedicated bid manager and co-ordinate input from design, cost planning and estimating and operations.

On beginning any bid our team meets with the client to review the requirements thoroughly and to understand the business needs. Once these have been established we devise and agree a project strategy with the client, whose preferred procurement methodology will inform our role and the services required.

Over the years we have developed “open book” processes which a number of high-profile clients use including the NHS, BBC, BT, Ministry of Justice, MoD, Partnerships for Schools, Leeds City Council and Sandwell Council. We believe that this route offers best value to our clients.

The services offered by our bid teams are designed to benefit our clients and include:

• Verification of client cost plans / budgets
• Advice for design teams based on lessons learnt
• Early integration of specialist sub-contractors
• Applied value engineering
• Early practical assessment of “buildability” issues
• Reduced pre-construction period
• Joint ownership of project decisions
• Risk identification and management
• Identify opportunities for prefabricated sections of work

Our knowledge of construction methods, costing, legislation and sustainability allows us to design environments that are flexible, specific to the unique conditions of the building and future-proofed.

Our expert technical support for clients includes the latest AutoCAD software. We offer a complete, efficient and accurate solution to spatial co-ordination with a higher degree of cost-certainty and quality.

Our design service encompasses:

• Alternative design solutions and products
• Design interface responsibilities matrices
• Early management and control of specialist supply chain designs
• Co-ordination, including 3D clash-management modelling
• Robust procedures: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 18001
• Electronic data management systems (EDMS) e.g. BIW, Hummingbird, 4-Projects, A Site, Causeway
• Sustainability and carbon management
• Construction design management (CDM)
• Design for maintenance, whole-life performance and reliability

Integrating the mechanical and electrical elements into the design early on means that, among other benefits, we can establish whether plantrooms, risers and voids are adequate. And costing the services on a package-by-package basis as design information is released maximises the level of cost certainty.

Sustainability
Throughout all of our designs and procurement choices we take a proactive approach to engineering sustainability. We work closely with the wider design team and our clients to provide support in achieving sustainability goals.

Our measures include introducing innovative low-carbon and renewable technologies, reducing water consumption, improving resource efficiency, reducing waste and increasing recycling.

We have been involved on numerous BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) projects. We have an excellent track record in bringing added value to the project by identifying systems, components, plant etc. which ensure that these services contribute to the overall target.

To maximise the benefit to the project the BREEAM process should commence at the inception stage, with early pre-assessment being undertaken with all parties. The process should then be reviewed at each stage to ensure that the required BREEAM focus is retained as the project evolves.

We have our own modularisation and prefabrication facilities which allow us to offer:

• Reduced costs and increased cost certainty
• Reduced overall construction periods
• Increased on site productivity
• Reduced on site storage
• Improved standardisation and use of construction best practice
• Minimised impact on other trades
• Guaranteed quality standards
• Reduced defects
• Improved site safety
• Reduced waste

Examples of prefabricated modules:

• Prewired in-situ conduit systems
• Combined multi-service floor tiles
• Multi-service footplate systems installed before the building fabric
• Multi-service ceilings
• Multi-service risers
• Packaged plantrooms
• Packaged energy controls

We use our own, directly-employed workforce and ensure:

• Co-ordination of services with the building programme
• Integration between mechanical, electrical and specialist installations
• Lean construction techniques
• Comprehensive programme management, adopting “fast track” solutions where feasible
• Environmental certification
• A quality / zero defects approach is implicit in all we do

Our comprehensive commissioning validation service covers:

• Management procedures in sub-contractors and specialist installers
• Access to specialist independent advice
• Documentation formatting and control to ISO 9001
• System checks, verification and proving procedures
• Statutory compliance procedures

We believe that our role does not finish with commissioning. It is important to put in place the right processes to ensure that the equipment is operated and maintained correctly so that it can achieve it's full design life and contribute to the efficient functioning of the building.

We provide:

• Handover documentation – health and safety files, operation and maintenance files, building log books, asset registers
• Staff training procedures
• BSRIA (Building Services Research and Information Association) “soft landings” advice and aftercare
• Problem-solving and troubleshooting techniques
• Seasonal commissioning and follow up procedures