The Waterloo Team maintain continuity of supply to UK Construction as contractors increasingly find ways to meet social distancing measures and to be able to re-open sites.
The ability to maintain our rapid design, manufacturing and delivery service has enabled the Waterloo team to play a vital role in supplying hardware to construction sites that are directly involved in tackling COVID-19, such as the Nightingale Hospital on Jersey.
Providing plenums and grilles to the Nightingale Hospital on Jersey has allowed Waterloo to do what it does best; manufacturing innovative and effective, high quality solutions against a challenging deadline.
The Jersey Nightingale Hospital is a temporary building being constructed on a playing field consisting of an aluminium frame with semi rigid panels. There will be enough space for six 30-bed wards and areas to admit and discharge patients, as well as staff rest and changing facilities.
The building required unconventional solutions. Rather than minimise the size of the air distribution products (a frequent requirement on conventional projects), we needed to expand the size of the products and plenum chambers. That ensured that pressure drops and velocities will be kept low, despite the large volume of air within the building, due its size and clinical function.
The top entry plenum boxes combined with Waterloo’s SDVCA Vane Swirl Diffusers, have been designed and manufactured at over 700mm high (more than twice the average height of plenums generally). This will ensure that the correct air volume/speed is fed into each area of the hospital.
Work began on the hospital on the 9th April and it is due to open in the first week of May, with collaboration from all parties involved enabling this impressive lead time.
On a wider industry topic, the fact that construction is viewed as a crucial industry within the UK has been reinforced by the Department of Health and Social Care who announced on the 28th April that construction workers were to be included in those eligible for corona testing.
Research done by industry analysts Glenigan this week reported that 39% of sites had been suspended, with the majority of those situated outside of England. Currently 80% of sites are closed in Scotland and 79% in Northern Ireland. Of those suspended nationwide, the vast majority (60%) are within the residential market.
Encouragingly work is resuming on many sites that were initially suspended at the start of lock down.
The trade body, Build UK confirmed this trend on Wednesday “Build UK Contractor members are continuing to reopen sites and reported this week that almost 70% of their sites are open in England and Wales.”
As ever, our team are ready and waiting to help with specifications, quotes and orders.
Best wishes from the Waterloo Team & Stay Safe
