End-to-end Engineering Excellence for Dublin school
CLIENT: Cpac Modular
Date: Mar 2021
Background
Cpac Modular is Ireland’s leading modular building company and is headquartered in Co. Meath. Typically, 70% of the construction phase on their projects happens off-site in their purpose-built manufacturing facility. Having been awarded the contract to deliver a 3-storey, 11 classroom unit at Griffeen College, just outside Dublin, they needed an engineering partner who could provide an end-to-end solution in terms of structural, fire design, and various elements of building regulation, compliance, and certification.
This is a building that would be designed with the needs of both students and staff in mind, taking into account considerations ranging from disability and access to minimum guidelines for school building in Ireland. The build would take just 6 weeks onsite, with 14 weeks allowed in total for design, manufacture and production.
A new LGS (light gauge steel) wall build-up on the structure was going to be used as well as a unique façade system. The construction would also require periodic inspections at agreed intervals within the programme. To achieve these ambitious targets, Cpac needed an experienced structural design partner who fully understands the modular process and could deliver an end-to-end service covering all aspects of the structural, fire, and civil design. Our team at Boylan Consulting was a perfect fit for this project and was awarded the engineering services contract.
At Boylan Consulting, we provide a full suite of engineering services and our range was expertly demonstrated on this project. From the start, we assumed full responsibility for the entire structural design. By working closely with the Cpac team, we gained a thorough understanding of the needs of all stakeholders but in particular, the end users who would work and attend class in the finished school every day. With this insight, we designed the internal layout and construction to ensure compliance with all building regulations.
We undertook periodic factory visits and site inspections to ensure our designs were delivering on client expectations. On site visits, we inspected project progress in the context of our remit, taking the time to offer help and guidance if required on any design-related aspects of the build. As a public building, fire design compliance is an integral part of the overall design process and we completed fire design compliance and ensured all aspects of building regulations were as they should be. We also undertook geotechnical assessment of existing ground conditions. By having this level of input right across the project, we showed the true value of a genuine end-to-end solution.
In line with the challenging timeframe, the project was designed, manufactured, and constructed within just 14 weeks, ensuing all targets were met. The total time on-site was only 6 weeks, resulting from a carefully planned and perfectly calibrated design process. Construction techniques married harmoniously onsite to achieve an optimised project that was delivered on time and on budget. And right throughout, compliance and certification targets, from building regulations to fire and disability, were achieved efficiently and professionally.