HAKI BUILDS BRIDGES WITH NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION COLLEGE
Follow the link to see HAKI's products in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBIVDbJdWHI HAKI’s contract to supply temporary buildings to the National Construction College meant that their products had to pass the closest scrutiny, not just prior to the contract being awarded, but twice a week ever since – and it has given rise to a unique partnership.
Despite the recession, the much publicised skills shortage affecting the building trade created pressure across the industry, some of it more obvious than others. The NCC needed to reduce the waiting list for its scaffolders’ qualification by doubling capacity on its courses in Stratford, Birmingham and Erith. But that meant finding an effective and speedy way of increasing the size of its premises. The solution was to erect temporary buildings on each of its sites – but if you’re the National Construction College there’s perhaps more pressure than ever to make sure you make the right choice.
Following a competitive tender, Tamworth based HAKI were awarded the contract, their design’s ability to cost effectively provide a 24 metre clear span being one of the deciding factors as Steve Maslin of the NCC explains: “HAKI have a proven ability to deliver a quality product on time and on budget and their team certainly filled us with a lot of confidence, but it was their ability to overcome two specific technical requirements, which really won the day. “Firstly, the fact that the ground was not level didn’t provide any obstacle at all to HAKI. While some of their competitors’ products demanded a level base or required a ring beam to create a foundation, HAKI overcame the problem by the simple expedient of adjusting the jacks that support the temporary building.
“Secondly, we required a 24 metre clear span inside the temporary building and HAKI achieved this using their standard 305 mm centres on roof trusses, whereas other products would have had to close the centres down on the beams to achieve the span which would have meant using more truss lines adding to the erection time and adding to the cost.”
The HAKI Temporary Buildings may have undergone severe scrutiny prior to the award of the contract, but that is nothing compared to the examination that they are experiencing week in and week out now that they have been erected. Of particular interest was the full collective techniques employed by HAKI for the actual erection of the structure. This served as a prime example of safe working and inspired the NCC to talk students through the erection procedure as part of their course, providing the opportunity for them to have their first introduction to temporary buildings and to system scaffold in addition to the more traditional course syllabus of tube and fittings. The relationship has worked so well that HAKI and NCC have begun to work together on other initiatives designed to inspire and encourage the construction workers of tomorrow to think of the industry in a positive light.
This includes the development of team building days for teenagers who are given HAKI components to build a bridge across a 3 metre ‘river’. “The events encompass health and safety training, planning and building structures using the same components that youngsters’ will see on a building site” explains Paul Brunt, MD of HAKI. “The youngsters are given a manual specially designed by HAKI and our experts are on hand to provide support and advice – the event provides ‘hands-on’ education with an emphasis on pre-planning and working as a team. The reaction from participants has been really excellent, with many youngsters saying that it has changed the way they think about future employment opportunities in the construction sector.”
