Name: David Gray ICIOB
Employer: Morgan Sindall (Construction) plc
Project: St Ninian's High School, Kirkintilloch, Glasgow
Contract: PPP
Access was the b
ête noir of this scheme, David Gray’s first as a construction manager.
The site itself was of the tightest, on a steep slope in the heart of a residential area, and with a canal on one side. There was a single access point to the site off a narrow road, which was the main road for neighbouring residents. And every single day, eight double-decker buses would arrive at the sole site entrance to take the 700 pupils to a temporary school while theirs was being rebuilt, returning with them in the afternoon.
David planned and managed rigorous delivery schedules to minimise disruption to the residents and to keep the pupils safe. He even used the canal to transport some construction materials to site. He reused all excavated soil onsite to reduce works traffic and congestion. The school car park was constructed early so site workers could use it, reducing congestion and the potential for accidents in the nearby streets.
He prioritised the construction of retaining walls on the steeply sloping site as key to progressing the main school building. He altered the design of the foundations and steelwork columns so that no programme time was lost in waiting for the concrete in the retaining walls to cure before backfilling.
He also made it a priority to build positive and proactive relationships, from the client and the consultants right through to the site operatives. He held regular meetings with the client, the design team and the subcontractors to maintain progress and manage expectations. And he effectively communicated and delegated site tasks.
Value: £19.1m