The contracting industry has become increasingly complex over recent years, with a move away from traditional contract forms towards design and build, partnering and term contracts. A common theme in each of these arrangements is the need to maximise value in design and construction in an increasingly competitive marketplace; balancing project financial returns with the need to meet the quality, environmental and safety standards demanded by all within the industry.
We at CGL pride ourselves in our ability to assist contractors with the application of pragmatic geotechnical and geoenvironmental designs; providing support in value engineering, temporary works, dispute resolution and programme savings. Our capabilities are based on our extensive, specialist experience and a lengthy track record of working within the construction industry. Involvement of senior staff in each project allows the accumulated experience and expertise of the company to be used to our clients’ best advantage.
Value engineering is at the forefront of our ethos, in fact it’s what we do best! An example of how we added value for one of our contractor clients is the Guildford Radisson hotel project. Our advice and ‘can-do’ attitude made the vital difference in the economic viability of the project in the teeth of the recession, saving the client over £1 million of basement construction costs.
Our reputation has developed due to our often innovative approaches to geotechnical and geoenvironmental design, using our skills in understanding ground behaviour and analysis for both permanent or temporary works designs, and we often work within construction teams to find solutions to complex site-related issues. Frequently this may include satisfying third parties such as Network Rail and the Highways Agency, or obtaining approval from environmental regulators.
Our skills in waste and material management are often called on to assist contractors during tender evaluations. CGL’s understanding of waste legislation, coupled with site supervision during the works, permits effective reuse of engineering materials and rationalisation of disposal classification and costs. Clients benefit from our support by being able to provide competitive tenders with a high degree of confidence based on carefully considered material management processes.
CGL’s appreciation of the constraints that contractors face in the current market, linked to our positive approach to providing ground solutions that meet a variety of commercial, environmental and quality standards, has assisted a large number of our clients in meeting and improving their project budgets and programmes, and has allowed us to develop long-term and mutually productive relationships with contractors.
