Name: Philip Greville
Employer: ISG Jackson
Project: TC3 New Catalysts Technology Building, Johnson Matthey, Royston
Contract: JCT 1998
The complexity of the standard services installation has fogged the judgement of many a construction manager. But what makes Phil Greville’s performance on this project so exceptional is the sheer fiendishness of the M&E required.
Indeed, the building was essentially designed around the M&E, which accounted for almost half the total cost of constructing a test facility for catalytic car converters. By its nature the services engineering content and complexity was extreme, and right from the start of installation it fell daily on the critical path.
So does some sort of M&E background account for Phil’s services success? Well, no. He started off as an apprentice carpenter, with a hammer frozen to his hand fixing roof joists in winter. Hard work and commitment have taken him to a construction management role and it was those same qualities that stood him in such good stead on this project.
He took the time to master the M&E brief and then set himself to solving the associated construction problems. His diligence and willingness to learn allied to a never-failing optimism brought an urgency and incisiveness to the project that allowed the complex installation to be completed on time and to budget.
So complete was his understanding that he recognised the limitations of the initial scheme to build the facility and install two test cells. He realised that restricted space under the plant walkway which contained the service routes would make the anticipated future installation of six more test cells particularly costly. He accordingly adapted the design to offer a spine of services that allowed for simple bolt-ons.
Likewise, he scrapped the original specification of a single membrane roof under the plant platforms because of the risk of damage from future M&E installations, welding operations, fuel spillages and so on. Instead, he successfully proposed a high-spec resin paint system with high resistance to impact damage and chemical spills.
Value: £5.5m