Construction projects depend on coordination. The site needs to be run efficiently, sticking to both budgets and timescales to ensure the client stays happy and the job gets finished. Workers and specialists need to know exactly what they’re doing on any given day, and when to expect materials to arrive.
Scaffolding is no exception. It needs to have been placed and erected properly before working at height can start. If it’s not there on time, the entire project might grind to a halt, costing everyone time and money. In this post, we take a look at some innovative solutions for delivering scaffolding.
Air pollution
The air in London is getting so bad, even with the congestion charge, that a new “ultra-low” emissions area is being set up. @SadiqKhan explained that the zone will grow incrementally:
“I want to expand the ULEZ from 2020 for heavy vehicles such as buses, coaches and lorries so that all of London will benefit from cleaner air. Then from 2021, I want to expand it up to the North and South Circular roads for light vehicles, including cars and vans. These measures will help improve the air that millions of Londoners breathe.”
Although there have been a few interesting April Fool’s stories about how companies are going to handle this change, the needs of construction sites inside the new ULEZ bear thinking about seriously.
It’s likely that scaffolding companies will need to be innovative (although perhaps not with drones!) to keep costs down and get equipment to where it needs to be, on time. It may be that companies band together to purchase shared electric HGVs to get scaffolding to sites in central London.
Robotic assistance
Writing for @TheB1M, Peter Smisek describes a new robot which may offer a serious boost to scaffolding companies, particularly those working on major buildings like tower blocks:
“Created by Munich-based start up Kewazo, in collaboration with robotics expert Infineon Technologies, the scaffold-carrying robot claims to increase assembly efficiency by more than 40%.”
This technology will be less about transporting the scaffolding to the construction site and more about rapidly speeding up assembly. Scaffolding parts will be lifted to height at a much quicker pace, allowing for quicker turnaround times. This will make it possible for companies to take on more contracts, since they’ll be less limited by erection times. The robot will not be able to inspect the scaffold properly, so the human factor will still be required, but for a major scaffold this technology could shave hours or even days off a job estimate.
Shorter erection and dismantling times will also mean less time needs to be applied for from the local authorities. Gaining the proper permissions can be difficult in some circumstances, so shorter times will be welcomed by everyone.
At Cambridge Scaffolding, we’re proud to be a part of this innovative industry. We combine expertise, experience and technology to meet the needs of our clients in a timely fashion. Get in touch today to find out more, or take a look around our site.