EQC - Euro Quality Coatings’ Post

Yesterday’s shocking news about the closure of more than a hundred school buildings with outdated light weight concrete has put politicians under the spotlight. The question for many is why did they fail to act sooner? Why leave it to just days before the start of term? Could this chaos have been prevented? ➡ Here’s Building Magazine’s round-up of what we know so far https://lnkd.in/d7d54gYY ➡ And my views on the lessons ministers should learn and the deterioration of the wider schools estate. In many ways this could be seen as a crisis waiting to happen. Proper long-term funding cannot keep on being delayed until another day... https://lnkd.in/dkNHnKrq

The investment in education comes with a phenomenal price tag. When considering the long-term costs associated with operating a school, the savings realized through the use of a precast building system can be found through various advantages. Read more at https://bit.ly/33ljkhO

One to read if your involved in schools in anyway

A modular school to be demolished after only 4 years - how many more will follow? The thing about introducing new construction methods is the first-of-class have to be showcase worthy to ensure the reputation is proven from the outset. Shoddy examples risk loss of confidence and an early demise for all future examples good and bad. Why is so little attention given to reputational integrity and the need to protect it fiercely with quality systems? This and any examples to follow are not going to help those who might have invested in modular apartments. Cladding, being on the outside of buildings, is fixable, fixing modular seems to require only a bulldozer! #mmc #modularconstruction

In the last week alone, we have successfully concluded two projects dealing with the ever increasing failures with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete structures (RAAC) in public buildings. One being an NHS facility, and the other a local school. One solution was the use of an independent steel support frame, the other utilising a designed timber support, added to the existing structure. Despite two different approaches to deal with the headache, both were completed on time and within budget. Ideally of course, the best solution would be to remove the offending concrete, but given cost and time constraints this isn't always possible, nor the most viable solution. In many instances, including both of these recent projects, engineered provision of supporting steel and timber framework provides a relatively quick fix solution to address the issue and ultimately extend the life of the building. If you discover a RAAC issue within your building, please feel free to call us. WE ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO HELP https://lnkd.in/eqHPSRNx https://lnkd.in/eGf-TyCw #RAAC #concretecancer #reinforcedautoclavedareatedconcrete #school #nhs #essexcountycouncil #construction #education #closedschools #structurefailure #roofcollapse #essexpolice #scoss #structuralsafety #departmentforeducation #rooffailure #buildingsafety #hospital

🤝 Egoin UK and Egoin, along with many other respected Mass Timber building providers and project deliverers, have been successfully delivering practical and very often stunning educational buildings, extensions, and sports and activities halls for many years using CLT and Glulam. This should be the obvious first go to building medium for educational buildings for the following reasons: 🌳 It is a low carbon and more sustainable construction medium. ⏩ The build programme is fast and predictable (much needed to reduce school disruption during term time). 🎒 The buildings are biophilic by nature and it has been proven that educational buildings built from timber reduce stress and increase productivity and learning focus, benefiting the teaching staff and the students alike. ⏳ Mass Timber buildings will stand the test of time as timber has been used in construction for many centuries, and advanced timber technologies and building detailing is now very sophisticated. 🏭 Elements are manufactured in modern factory controlled environments and precision cut on software driven CNC machines ensuring that the building will go together perfectly and perform as it is designed to. The main contractors that we have worked with favour Mass Timber as the build medium of choice for schools. They like the speed, the low maintenance on site during the superstructure build phase and the predictability of programme and if there was not a commercial and practical advantage to them they would not be proactively offering this as an alternative to their clients. So, in answer to the questions posed in Building magazine recently as a result of the RAAC product failures – the tried tested and proven solution is in front of you and it is called Mass Timber. ✅ #Egoin #EgoinUK #WeAreWood https://lnkd.in/d-mg4WfX

Shoddy work is exactly that, however it is delivered. It is worth noting the 2017 identification of systemic issues in school construction in Scotland - see link in comments. Identification of the mechanism of failure needs to go beyond the forensic and technical and look into the procurement strategy (was the capability of the contractor to manage a turnkey solution tested thoroughly) and design and construction monitoring ( were sufficient skilled resources deployed). Did the commercial model play a part in the issues now reported? A holistic approach that examines the client role alongside that of the contractor is the only way to learn. #collaborativeworking ?

Facilities Conditions Assessments (FCA) are crucial for school districts to effectively plan for construction and maintenance. These comprehensive reports evaluate the state of school buildings, identifying areas in need of repair or replacement. FCAs provide essential data that helps school administrators make informed decisions about budgeting, prioritizing projects and ensuring a safe learning environment for students. A recent FCA report highlights that nearly half of St. Louis Public Schools will need to be replaced in the next decade. This underscores the critical role of FCAs in proactive planning and resource allocation to address aging infrastructure and improve educational facilities. Read more about the impact of this assessment in St. Louis Public Schools:

Full impact of the RAAC crisis becomes clearer as schools face challenging start to new academic year. Other buildings including hospitals, courts and a shopping centre have also been identified as at risk. https://lnkd.in/exRJytjy #constructionconsulting #connectshareachieve #quantitysurveying #commercialmanagement #designmanagement #contractorsupport #construction

I’ve not read the technical report but if the headline is true this will have huge implications for the construction industry. I’ve not been convinced on any of the modularised units I’ve inspected on sites over the past 9 years. Call me old fashioned but I love solid bricks & blocks. Do it once & do it right as opposed to throwing up poor quality, non robust building with poor performance & a short lifespan. #construction #modernmethodsofconstruction #sustainability