The UK construction sector is in a state of constant improvement.  Take health and safety for example.  Today it’s impossible to set foot on a construction site without certain criteria being met, such as the correct personal protective equipment being worn and training requirements being met.

The success of the industry’s health and safety practices is reflected in industry data, with workplace fatalities down 75% since 1990.

A similar transformation is taking place in construction design.  BIM – or Building Information Modelling – is reinventing the way construction projects are created and managed.  Anyone working in the sector will be familiar with the term, but what does it actually mean?

What is BIM?

BIM is defined by the National Building Specification (NBS) as “a process for creating and managing information on a construction project across the project lifecycle.”  It is part of a wider digital transformation in construction that aims to improve the outcomes achieved by the industry.

At its core, BIM is a digital 3D building model; a virtual equivalent of the actual product being constructed.  Contained within the model is a series of data that combine to simulate the operation of the product before a single shovel breaks the ground.

The most obvious advantage of BIM is the ability to create 3D visualisations of the finished product.  Seeing a product before it is built can help clients make aesthetic decisions about their product and prevent unwelcome surprises about how a product looks once it is installed.

It also allows for stakeholder engagement, giving the chance for the end user or wider public to see what a visual impact a long term project is going to have on an area.

In terms of project quality management, BIM models sit at the centre of a project’s documentation meaning changes are reflected immediately and uniformly across all users.  This lends itself naturally to a wider benefit in data management, with BIM models regularly used to store other critical project documentation, such as project programmes and cost data and records.  This information can be stored for use long after a project is completed, meaning the benefit of BIM extends well beyond the construction phase of a project.

The industry’s uptake of BIM is moving at a impressive rate.  The NBS National BIM Report 2018 found that over three quarters of businesses operating in the construction sector are actively using BIM, with the figure expect to hit 90% within the next three to five years.  The benefits using of BIM are also being realised, with the majority of company’s indicating that its use reduces both construction cost and time.

MMEngineering and BIM

There is an immediate importance of BIM to the flood defence sector.  Flood defence projects often involve complex design interfaces meaning the need for clear and concise communication is paramount to successful outcomes.  Having all information stored centrally is a crucial step towards efficient project management that increases the chance of a project delivering against its brief.

Moreover with a significant proportion of projects taking place in conservation areas, the visual impact of defences is often a key sticking point.  3D visualisations can be easily shared and understood by all who see them – the same cannot be said for engineering drawings – and can therefore be used to ease concerns that a scheme will negatively impact the existing charm and beauty of an area.

MMEngineering looks beyond the benefit of BIM at planning and the construction phase of a project.  Every product we design is created using a 3D parametric model.  This not only allows for ease of modification and replication of approved designs, it provides crucial data feedback during the research and development of new products.

Innovation underpins our offering and BIM allows us to do it better.  We are firmly committed to achieving accreditation to BIM Level 2 by April 2019.

Contact us if you would like to discuss more about our commitment to BIM or view our innovative product range.

MMEngineering has been awarded accreditation from Alcumus SafeContractor for achieving excellence in health and safety in the workplace.

Alcumus SafeContractor is a leading third party accreditation scheme which recognises extremely rigorous standards in health and safety management amongst contractors. It is used by thousands of organisations in the UK including SMEs and FTSE 100 companies.

MMEngineering specialise in the design and delivery of flood defence and blast protection products and work with some of the largest civil engineering contractors in the UK.

The company’s application for SafeContractor accreditation was intended to reflect the company’s commit to the highest standards of health and safety. SafeContractor accreditationacts as a clear indicator of the organisation’s commitment to the highest standards of health and safety, will enhance the company’s reputation and unpin its ability to win new contracts.

Gemma Archibald, Director of Alcumus SafeContractor said: “Organisations simply cannot afford to run the risk of employing contractors who are not competent and not able to prove that they have strong health and safety culture and policies in place.”

MMEngineering operatives on site

“More companies need to understand the importance of adopting good risk management in the way that MMEngineering has done. The firm’s high standard has set an example which hopefully will be followed by other companies within the sector. SafeContractor plays a vital role in supporting our clients in meeting their compliance needs, whilst working with their contractors as they progress through the accreditation process.”

The installation of flood defences is one of the most important projects a building or asset is ever likely to ever require.  If done properly, it safeguards the operation of the property and potentially saves the considerable cost of recovering from a flood.    If done incorrectly, the client is exposed to a range of undesirable scenarios.

At best they are left with defences that are inconvenient, unnecessary or inadequate.  At worst, the defences can give a false sense of security that will come crashing down during a flood event – one for which the defences were intended to protect against, but fail.

We at MME have delivered more than our fair share of flood defences over the years.  So we thought we’d impart some of our wisdom to the kind visitors to our website and social media feeds.  So here are our top three things to do during any flood defence project:

#1 Have a flood risk assessment

Any customer seeking flood defences will have some awareness of their asset’s flood defence requirements.  This may be from knowledge of historic flood events, internal research utilising online resources (such as the EA flood map) or after having received (the dreaded) notification from their insurance company.

Whilst this is an obvious starting point, it is not the green light to start buying defences to protect the asset.

A flood risk assessment from an industry expert can give a rounded view of the flood risk an asset is exposed to, taking multiple risk factors into account across a number of return periods (eg. 1:100, 1:1000).  A good surveyor will also look beyond the quantitative data and review individual assets within the site to identify specific risks and make recommendations as to the most cost-effective way to protect them.

An on-site flood risk assessment gives a detailed overview of flood risk.

As well as spotting at-risk areas that may have otherwise gone unnoticed, a flood risk assessment will save you wasting money on unnecessary flood defences – a 2m high perimeter flood wall will certainly protect against a 100mm flood event just like a sledgehammer will make light work of a monkey nut.

#2 Consider the structural requirements

The forces generated during flood event are colossal.  Even standing water puts a product under significant strain – the maximum hydrostatic water pressure at the base of a structure withstanding a 1m high flood is 1 tonne.  Add to that the potential for debris impact during a flood and it’s clear your flood defences will have some hefty forces to contend with.  Failure to properly consider these forces could be catastrophic.

Any structures that adjoin to the defences – either existing or to be newly constructed – must first be considered.  It doesn’t matter how good a flood defence product is if the wall or building to which it is fixed collapses under the hydrostatic load.  A chartered structural engineer will be able to assess the condition of an existing building and suggest any strengthening that may be required, or assist with and appraise the design of a new structure.

Plate stress contour on a flood door.

The structural engineer’s use doesn’t end there.  They will be able to assess the strength of any fabricated products proposed to protect your asset.  There are a wide range of products available on the market, some more lightweight than others.  You want to be sure that the product you buy is man enough for the job.  Ask the product provider to supply an independent report that confirms it.

And the final piece in the structural jigsaw – ensure that any load-bearing metal product is manufactured and CE marked in accordance with BS EN 1090.  It’s no great revelation that the build quality of a flood defence product is paramount to its success.  Poor welding processes are a clear route to failure for a flood defence product.  Moreover CE marking is a legal requirement on certain products.

Leave nothing to chance – make sure the product build is up to scratch and CE marked to prove it.

#3 On-site testing

So you’ve followed the recommendations made in the flood risk assessment, designed the scheme in line with the structural requirements and had the products built, CE marked and installed by a reputable installer.  What next?

You could just leave the products looking pretty, taking comfort from the fact that their design prototypes have been tested under controlled conditions and keep your fingers crossed that they will work when called upon.

But why leave any doubt?  Get your products tested on-site.

On-site testing is easy to set up, inexpensive and the best method for identifying issues with the product build or installation.  Compare the cost of rectifying an issue identified during on-site testing – nil to you, as the supplier will pick it up – to the astronomical cost of product failure during a real flood event.

Type testing is a good indicator of product design quality and should not be overlooked.  However there are many variables at play during each on-site installation that make it impossible to replicate a workshop-controlled installation and test.

On-site testing is an investment in quality and reliability.  Any flood defence supplier worth their salt will relish the chance to prove their products work to their customer, just as every customer wants to know their important investment will do exactly what it is supposed to do.

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Thanks for reading.  We hope you enjoyed this snippet of knowledge.  We’ll be posting a new blog entry each month so be sure to check back in regularly.

If you’d like to find out more about how to deliver a successful flood defence project, or would like us to help with a project you are looking after, please just get in touch.

MMEngineering were recently contacted by Sebden Steel to resolve their historic flooding issues. Sebden are a steel stockist/wholesaler and were having surface water flooding issues to the rear fire exit points of their distribution warehouse. Surface water flooding occurred back in the summer of 2015 and lead to a significant insurance flood claim due to loss of stock and business interruption.

We designed, manufactured and installed our engineered flood doors to prevent future events from re-occurring. The project duration was approximately 6 weeks from order to installation and completion. For more information on our flood doors check out our flood door page https://www.mmengineering.co.uk/flood-doors

Reference from the client;

“We engaged MMEngineering to carry out a small flood protection door project for two critical fire exits in our Midlands facility. From initial enquiry stage through detail specification and final design, we found MMEngineering a real pleasure to do business with. Once we agreed price and delivery, the actual production process was seamless, all our requests for H&S data and method statements etc, were expertly dealt with in a very timely manner. The doors were expertly fitted on time by two very professional installation engineers who followed all HS instruction and cleaned any tidied up after completion of installation. Great job guys!”

Paul Bailey

Group Operations Director
Sebden Steel

MM Engineering has recently undertaken a number of flood gate installations for a distribution network operator in Scotland Aberdeenshire. The local area and the utility assets were inundated with flood water during the December 2015 flood event along the River Dee. This also caused the whole towns power to cut off during the floods for several days. As well as needing flood protection, access to the transformer bund needs to be maintained as site engineers’ visit on a regular basis as part of their routine maintenance.

The existing 11kv transformer security fencing was removed by the civil contractor and a new Hollow concrete block flood wall with steel reinforcement and concrete infill was constructed.

We were approached to design, manufacture and install a number of single flood gates. These were to be operable by one engineer and capable of withstanding a 2 metre hydrostatic load. MM Engineering achieved this by machining well balanced bespoke hinges and two bespoke locking handles from grade 304 stainless steel. The MM Engineering flood defence gates were secondary fixed using Hilti fixings and specified anchor resins. Transformers are filled with insulating oil to keep them cool and our flood seals are wrapped in Nitrile rubber to protect them for any potential oil leaks.

The schemes are now protecting the local 11kv transformer supply points from future flooding events along the River Dee in Scotland. As the transformers are now surrounded by solid bunds and flood gates it’s also protecting the environment from any potential oil leaks.

MM Engineering is a UK-based engineering specialist with over two decades experience in designing and creating steel-fabricated, bespoke flood and defence products. Our specialist products service a wide variety of sectors including construction, petrochemical, security and flood defence. These include flood gates, flood doors, blast doors and flood windows and flood glass wall sections.

We have strong international trade links and have exported products to all four of the world’s continents, with our expertise in blast protection and large-scale flood defence projects of particular value to developing security and environmental conditions around the globe.

Our fundamental belief is that a secure defence can only be produced following a high-quality and exhaustive design process. We invest heavily in the research and design of our flood gates, doors and blast product range to provide industry-leading manufactured products to our customers.

Blast Doors and Security Doors
The international demand for high security doors and blast door products grows every year. We have a range of doors designed to meet the critical defence needs of our customers.

Flood Defence
We offer a comprehensive range of flood defence gate and flood defence door options for use in a range of commercial applications including construction projects.

Bespoke Range
Design is at the heart of what we do and we are continuously innovating and fabricating bespoke systems to meet our customers’ needs across a range of sectors.

Global Export
We are proud British manufacturers and have supplied and installed products in all corners of the United Kingdom. The quality of our designs and products have gained an international reputation upon which we have entered markets around the globe. At present we have supplied products to over 30 countries, covering all four continents, our blast doors are recognised as one of the best quality and we offer very competitive rates.