London Skyline
Introduction
After a few weeks working on site and a trip to Borneo it is time for a blog. I’m currently working for Brookfield Multiplex (BM) on One Blackfriars Road (OBR) in central London. BM specialises in constructing high rise buildings or in their own corporate words “We build skylines London/Dubai/Sydney…”.
Overview
BM are constructing a 50 storey residential tower to shell and core status, hotel including fit out and a 4 storey retail podium including all the Mechanical Electrical and Public Health (MEP). Below the entire site is a 3 storey basement which contains all the centralised building services, hotel swimming pool and some very expensive parking spaces.
Shell and Core Status
Shell and core for the tower comprises of the structure, façade, common areas, external works and base plant.
The base plant is mostly M&E and includes:-
- High and low voltage switchgear.
- Transformers.
- Lift systems.
- A standby generator.
- Boilers.
- Chillers.
- Cooling towers.
- Water and fuel tanks.
- Sprinkler plant.
- Building control systems.
- Air conditioning chambers and fans.
- Water and fuel pumps.
- Dry risers.
- Fire detection, alarm and hose reel systems.
The Client
The client is St George part of the Berkley Group and they are a very ‘hands on’ client with their own project management team on site to manage their own sub-contractors and BM (Principal Contractor). All communication for St George’s subcontractors has to go via the client, which makes it slightly more difficult for BM to effectively manage the entire site. St George are heavily involved with significant developments requiring approval such as jumping the crane, site access and storage, and changing over the power supply from one substation to another.
Role
I have been given the role of Assistant MEP Site Manage and are responsible for managing the installation of the following systems within the Tower and Basement:-
- Condenser system.
- Domestic water.
- Wet riser system.
- Low temperature hot water.
- Low voltage power distribution.
- Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning system.
- Combined heat power.
- Lift systems.
Sectional Handover
The Tower is broken down into sections of 2 to 3 floors and a new section is handed over to the Client almost every 3 weeks. Therefore I’ve been heavily involved with managing the installation and the MEP handover for Section 2&3.
BM have handed over Sections 1-3 and are currently working on Section 4 but the Client has failed to accept any of Sections and it places the liquidated and ascertained damages for the 3 Sections at circa £105k per day. The main issue is the façade and the Client is refusing to inspect the outer façade because they believe it to be dirty and then they have refused to inspect the inside façade because of the outer. Still to be resolved.
View from Level 25
The 5 storey penthouse is still for sale…
Regards
Alex
Holdfast Training Services Trial Blog 
They will come unstuck for refusing to inspect because of dirt. Damages have to be proportional to loss and cannot be used vexasiously which is exactly what a court is likely to rule their behaviour as being. Watch yourself Alex, on this evidence the Client may be sharp.
Jim
Jim,
After 3 sectional handovers with the same issues regarding snagging the façade. A deal has been struck between the client and Brookfield with the LAD being split 50/50 and for the protection on the facade being left on to prevent damage from the fit out contractors. It seems Brookfield expected this COA from the Client.
The client has requested for the cabin pressure of all the façade being transported from China to the UK to ensure that the seals have not been breached.