After the challenges and pressures of the tender phase of the Georgiou Story Bridge Build, there was a sense of excitement in the air on Monday as build week commenced.
With the cohort reformed into one project team and with roles allocated and plans made for the week ahead, you could tell that everyone was set and ready to go.
But before we could head to site, there were a couple of critical training elements, that looking at the week’s weather forecast, could be more vital than ever.
Lean Construction Advisory’s Christina Levinson joined the cohort for a session on lean construction principles and to facilitate the development of their Last Planner; the guide that would determine the cohort’s onsite actions and activities for the week in conjunction with their schedule and methodology. These sessions are always highly informative and really enable our cohort to methodically plan every day’s activities into a simple to understand format which will be referenced and adjusted by the project manager as activities are actioned or delayed.
For our lunch and learn, the team was able to tap into the knowledge of Kevin Pascoe of Laguardia who ran a masterclass on commercial awareness. Kevin’s background in commercial management and construction law enabled him to share a range of fantastic tips and insights to the cohort, who are responsible for fulfilling their Story Bridge contract and securing their reward at the end of construction. From contract administration to budget control and from variations and claims to managing and resolving disputes, it was a session that could be pivotal to their success over the week. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion Kevin could be the cohort’s best friend and advisor during build week.
In the afternoon the team from Bentley Systems joined the cohort to help implement their project and cost control software and provide training and advice to the team. Luke Titmarsh, as always, gave the team a thorough and practical briefing and helped the cohort familiarise themselves with how to track, record and manage activities and balance actions against costs and schedules. Another vital session, particularly for the week ahead.
Why? Because on Tuesday it seemed like La Niña was arriving at The Construction Training Centre. The weather forecast was dire, the BOM radar menacing and the conditions on-site unappealing. As Alex and Joe prepared the team for action, they asked if the cohort was looking forward to a day of wet weather work (subject to safety) and while there was a level of enthusiasm, it wasn’t perhaps as strong as it normally is.
As the team prepared to start site activities, the pace wasn’t as rapid as we usually see. Was that down to the team revising their schedule and calculating their optimum time to be on-site? Were they waiting for a break in the weather? Were they ensuring they had covered every element of their plan so they could be as efficient on-site as possible and minimise the time exposed to the elements? We will find out as they progress.
But head to site they did, and work commenced in light rain. But the weather wasn’t the only thing to hold them back as a fire alarm test ate into their planned time, just long enough for light rain to turn heavy. But the cohort handled it, wrapped in their PPR and wet weather gear they got on with their tasks, set up their traffic controls and planned their first lifts.
At lunchtime, Scott Losee of ISCA shared his expertise and knowledge of Infrastructure Sustainability, a vital part of any major project and one that seemed to resonate with the next generation, who want to design and deliver projects with as light an environmental touch as possible.
For our afternoon session, Constructionarium’s good friend Nelson Ganhao of HDR shared his wealth of knowledge and experience of design with the cohort, focussing on ‘Safety of Design, Whole of Life’.
As the day progressed, so did construction did but slowly. But it was wet. It was uncomfortable. It was just like the real world.
Interestingly, we have a pair of gazebos that the cohort could have used across their build. But they would have cost $200 towards their budget and to save costs they decided not to use them. It would be an interesting calculation to determine if $200 spent on their comfort would have actually been a long-term investment or if it really was a cost.
As I finish this recap, and the rain hammers on my roof, I can’t help but think that if I had $200 solution to help me stay dry, I’d have gladly handed over the money.
