Doing it right, the right way – The Fitzrovia W1
Quality, efficiency, speed, safety… these are all at the forefront of PCE’s HybriDfMA solutions. But it is not just a commitment to delivering high quality design and build solutions; it is about achieving success in a way that considers the impact on those around us.
DfMA - decreased disturbance
A key consideration is the impact of PCE’s operations on the communities local to its projects. Construction traffic, noise, and activity can create significant disruption and disturbance. When operating in city centres with a high concentration of people, homes, offices, and traffic, such disruption can have a massive impact.
By adopting PCE’s HybriDfMA (design for manufacture and assembly) offsite solutions on The Fitzrovia W1, disruption and disturbance are minimised. The modular solution ensures most construction activity is completed offsite. This increases quality, control, and safety. But importantly, minimises activity on site.
An offsite emphasis not only results in less on-site activity, but can reduce onsite operatives and required deliveries by up to 80%, waste by up to 90%, with a significant reduction in noise and dust. What drives even greater reductions in disturbance is PCE’s embrace of standardisation.
The predictability of PCE’s HybriDfMA approach reduces ambiguity and accelerates programme delivery up to 50%. This of course benefits the client, but the local communities too. Predetermined, repeatable components manufactured offsite are installed onsite using standardised methodologies and ‘Smart Connectivity’. This model of repeatability means the process becomes increasingly more refined, and therefore faster, the more its repeated. This therefore shortens the installation period, creating less impact to those living and working nearby.
With predictable systems and standardised methodologies, PCE’s highly skilled site teams can install with precision. This allows the construction of new structures in the immediate proximity of existing ones, with no major disruption or impact. This is a key consideration when constructing in tight urban areas; the Fitzrovia W1 is being erected with a gap of approximately 6 inches from the adjacent structure.
Quieter construction
In addition to the system solution benefits, PCE’s use of electric-powered plant and equipment further reduces disturbance. The company’s innovative silo system benefits from an electric powered grout pump, with noise disruption reduced by nearly a third. Furthermore, use of electric tower cranes creates significantly less noise disruption to the local area, as well as being better for the environment.
Digital delivery
PCE’s digital expertise ensures that its offsite operations are coordinated and delivered to site in the most efficient manner. When components are manufactured offsite, they are tagged with the latest Bluetooth tracking technology. This provides detailed asset tracking with real-time status throughout delivery, providing the project team with transparency as to when loads will arrive. In inner-city locations, such as Tottenham Court Road, this benefit becomes even greater. Access is tight, so logistics and planning needs to be even tighter.
