Site Management
The Hines Group and Babcock & Brown have done their best to provide the highest standards of security of workers and the best organization of the material delivery, storage and usage. Another important aspect of the site management that was developed by the companies carrying out the construction is the problem of people’s services during the construction process, including free snacks, opportunities for rest during breaks or after working shifts, finally installation of toilets for workers (Brinkerhoff, 2003).
To say in more detail, storage and delivery of material and equipment were organized by Hines Group so that not to overload the site, but at the same time to provide for fast access to the materials. Thus, specialized temporary premises for storage were erected around the site that will allow finishing construction within the outlined terms. The site of the construction, which is, by the way, to be finished in early 2009, is equipped with all the necessary conveniences that people might demand during work (Hoyle, 2007).
Toilets and baths, dining premises are situated either at the construction site or in the building next to the site, namely on the RAA corner in Hindmarsh Square. Needless to say that such a location of places for workers’ needs demanded considerable expanses from the company Hines Group, but nevertheless these expenses will be justified by the outcomes that the further exploitation of the building will bring.
Moreover, food for workers also involves expenses from the side of the construction company, but the aim of presenting the possibility to the future hosts of the apartments to enjoy the picturesque Adelaide Hills, and the benefit it will bring, are worth all the expenses. Moreover, the measures to ensure the security of the construction site and its post-construction maintenance, as well as traffic control, were designed to provide for the perfect quality of the building under construction (Gerner, 2007).
Safety on the Construction Site
The very sight of the construction is the area in the southwestern part of Hindmarsh square near Grenfell Street (Conservatory on Hindmarsh Square, 2007). To have a better command of the situation and to ensure a greater level of safety, the Hines Group security managers developed the list of the possible dangers and hazards that could occur on the site and created the respective safety plan so that either to prevent accidents or be able to fight them with the as quickly as possible. To reduce the danger of fire and procedures of fire extinguishing, it was decided to employ only skilled and qualified workers whose level of performance and responsibility conform to the standards of the company.
The second step in ensuring safety from the fire will be additional instruction of workers before they start participating in the construction process. The third step will be the distribution of leaflets and other printed matter containing the rules of fire safety among the workers. Further on, checking of workers for drug use and alcohol addiction will be carried out so that to ensure their being healthy and adequate while working. Specialized fire alarm systems are already installed on the site to ensure fast identification of fire and its extinguishing (CFMEU, 2008).
As for electricity problems, the steps in respect of fire danger will be repeated in this case as well. Moreover, rubber gloves and shoes will be distributed among those workers who have a potential chance of dealing with electricity in the areas where water gatherings of leakages are possible, i. e. while constructing the water supply system for the building, etc. While, the technological crashes and issues connected with them will be fought by means of the instruction of the workers, distributing safety rules among them as well as in the two previous cases. Moreover, regular checking of equipment, such as cranes, electricity-producing turbines, etc. will be carried out by qualified supervisors (SafeConstruction, 2008).
Traffic Control
This is a rather important issue in light of the location of the new building. The construction site is situated in the centre of the city and is surrounded by numerous financial, cultural and other facilities. Consequently, the area is always in the state of a traffic jam, and the Hines Group had to provide the access to the Conservatory for cars, buses and pedestrians, both people with disabilities and without them. For this, the Development Assessment Commission and the City Council of Adelaide agreed on the necessity of specialized pedestrian entrance canopies, entrances for people with disabilities and developed the Planning Strategy for Metropolitan Adelaide ( in January 2003) together with Hines Group and Babcock & Brown (Development Assessment Commission, 2008).
Thus, specialized ways and roads were constructed around the site of the Conservatory to ensure the easy access of machinery and delivery vehicles that have no time to wait in the traffic jams and have to supply the construction material, such as stone, glass, concrete, etc. to the site as soon as possible. Moreover, future hosts of the apartment in the new house should have access to the entrance from the side of the road, as well as from the backside of the house.
To achieve this, it was decided to supply the building with several entrances (the number will be known exactly only after the building is finished as the funding of the construction and its architectural directions may change) designed for different purposes – for inhabitants of the house, service entrances for workers, etc. Moreover, pedestrian canopies and entrances for people with disabilities were added to the initial planning strategy of Hines Group after consulting the City Council that referred to the Disability Discrimination Act in its demands to add them (Development Assessment Commission, 2008).
Post-Construction
Furthermore, the responsibility of the Hines Group and Babcock & Brown is not limited to the construction and submission of the finished building to the City Council. The mentioned companies will bear responsibility for post-construction works at the building, including décor and installation of various conveniences such as central heating, electricity supply by means of specialized turbines CHP, water supply, etc.
Thus, the guarantee of the company will be given to the hosts of the apartments in the new house for the accurate and proper performance of all the above-mentioned conveniences. Moreover, the responsibility of the Hines Group and Babcock & Brown covers the instruction of the house inhabitants as for maintenance of the house after it is finally submitted (Rann, 2008).
As can be seen, such sides of Site Management as safety and traffic control, post-construction, material delivery and storage, etc. are all rather important for successful construction. The Conservatory on the Hindmarsh Square in Adelaide is planned to be one of the most modern and, at the same time, the most beautiful buildings and to become of the symbols of Adelaide. Site Management is called to help the construction companies, Hines Group and Babcock & Brown, cope with this assignment and present a perfect Conservatory at the beginning of 2009.
Bibliography
Brinkerhoff, P. 2003. Hindmarsh Square Upgrade Project – Stage 2 Report.
CFMEU. 2008, Safety on Australian Construction Sites. Web.
Conservatory on Hindmarsh Square. 2007, Australia’s Living, Breathing, Environmentally Intelligent Apartment Building. Web.
Development Assessment Commission. 2008, Minutes of the 372nd Meeting. Conference Room 6.2, Level 6, 136 North Terrace, Adelaide.
Gerner, K. 2007, Hindmarsh Square Apartment Building –Reserved matters. Development Assessment Commission.
Hoyle, R. 2007, HINDMARSH Square is set to undergo a significant facelift with plans for a 15-storey hotel and 14-storey apartment complex on the old Wallis cinema site. Real Estate Editor. Web.
Rann, M. 2008, Major Development Directory. Web.
SafeConstruction. 2008, Safety In Construction Work. Web.