The Project
Hawker Construction were appointed to upgrade the school's main entrance to improve security, access control and the overall appearance of the site. The works included new perimeter fencing and security gats, CCTV installation and an overlay of the existing car park.
The main challenge was installing power and data connections between the new entrance gates and the school building, a distance of approximately 180 metres. The route required excavation through existing tarmac and underlying concrete, making the trenching works particularly demanding. This element alone was expected to take around two weeks to complete. With tight project timescales also a factor, careful planning and additional resources were essential to keep the project on track.
To overcome the challenge, we brought in an additional dedicated groundworks team to focus solely on the 180 metre trench. This allowed the excavation and installation of the underground infrastructure to progress independently, while other elements of the project continued. By allocating extra resources to the most time-consuming task, we were able to manage the difficult ground conditions more effectively and main progress against the project programme.
The project delivered a significant improvement to the school's main entrance, including new perimeter fencing and security gates, CCTV installation for enhanced site surveillance, 180 metres of underground power and data infrastructure and an improved car park surface.