Permits that are not forthcoming or theft of materials are just a couple of the construction-related problems that can cause you headaches. Familiarize yourself with the eight typical problems on the construction site that lead to frustrations and failure costs and the solutions to prevent them.
Problem #1: Permit delays
A lot is needed for a permit application: construction drawings, construction calculations, and discussions on and specifications for all activities. Delays can occur at any stage of this process. Find a competent party with a good reputation to help you prepare and submit your permit application. Apply for the permit in time and plan a preliminary consultation with the municipality in question. This way, you do everything you can to avoid delays before the start of construction.
Problem #2: Vandalism and theft
You can almost guarantee that you will also have to deal with theft and vandalism on your construction site. This could include, among others, smaller materials that are stolen by an employee or passer-by or bigger stakes: more expensive equipment that is stolen by intruders. Or what about young people loitering around who damage your construction site out of sheer boredom?
To prevent this type of problem, it is important to look at your site’s security with a critical eye. Monitoring in the form of surveillance and cameras can deter unauthorized people. Other suitable measures, such as robust fencing equipped with high-security clamps and burglar-resistant access gates, can offer a solution. Because the access barrier remains closed even during working hours, the chance of thieves accessing the construction site undetected is minimized. This significantly reduces the risk of theft.
Problem #3: Poor logistics due to incorrect entrance design
Logistics problems often arise at your entrance. There are obstacles around the entrance or it takes a lot of time and energy for employees to guard the entrance. A sliding gate, sliding fence, or a swing gate helps to create a safe and well-considered entrance to your construction site. For example, a swing gate instantly provides spacious access for people and construction traffic, while a sliding gate ensures controlled access to the construction site.
Problem #4: Noise pollution
There are increasing complaints and claims of noise pollution on the construction site. By reducing noise directly at the source, you create a safe working climate for employees and an optimal living climate for local residents. You can muffle up to 32dB(A) by using personal hearing protection and Noise Control Barrier fences.
Problem #5: Accidents and falls
Over half of all accidents that occur on the construction site are the result of a fall from a height. A lot of suffering can be avoided by ensuring that the construction site is cleaned up and well-considered. This includes things like demarcating dangerous places on your site by placing temporary fences around them, for example.
Problem #6: Strong winds
The Netherlands is synonymous with wind, which has a tendency to rage wildly, especially along the coast. Unfortunately, the design of a construction site is not always taken into account here. For example, site fencing with an open bar structure is not expected to catch any wind. But this expectation is wrong because this type of fence has to endure a lot when installed incorrectly. The mesh of the fencing combines to form a kind of wall where the wind has free rein. This can cause damage to incorrectly chosen and poorly installed fencing.
You create a safe barrier by regularly placing a construction fence at right angles. If you want to use canvas-panel construction fences safely, a sturdy strut construction is important to ensure that your fence does not turn into a life-size kite.
Problem #7: Unwanted audience
Adequate fencing and access control on your site will keep unauthorized people, such as playing children and passers-by, out of your construction site. Keeping out people who have nothing to do on your construction site distracts you. Professional access control in the form of a sliding gate, for example, not only keeps unwanted visitors away from the construction site, but also gives insight into which people are on the construction site. Various types of fences are available for the further screening of your site, so that you can strive for clarity in every situation. This gives authorized people the feeling that they are welcome, while keeping unauthorized people at a distance.
Problem #8: Communication problems
There are many parties involved in the construction of a building, both in the preparation and execution phases: client, architect, contractors, and installers, for example. It is precisely in the communication between these parties that problems can arise if no clear agreements are made. But the different languages that can be heard on a construction site also lead to miscommunications.
The appointment of a single, clear contact person – who knows exactly what is going on – can help. Make sure that your fencing is fitted with canvases with text on them, such as construction regulations and safety requirements – in multiple languages. Display the contact details or logistics instructions on the canvases.
Problems leading to failure costs
Research shows that failure costs, which are the responsibility of various parties, often arise in the implementation phase. There are many causes for errors in the design phase, which are usually reflected in the construction phase. However, it appears that a significant part of the cause of the failure costs can also be found in the implementation phase. In short, something also goes wrong in the execution – on the construction site itself. Communication between the parties is considered to be one of the main causes. But other problems, as mentioned above, can also lead directly or indirectly to failure costs.
If you take all of the above into account, communicate with all parties seriously, and install your professional fencing correctly, you will be able to reduce failure costs. And then your temporary fence fulfils two needs with one deed!
