Article Details

Steel Structure - The Way Forward for Building

With the combination of modern structural steel and advanced information technologies such as Building Information Modelling (“BIM”) and 3D scanning, Gammon Construction Limited (“Gammon”) demonstrates its competitive edge in professional structural steel services (“Gammon Steel”) for various construction projects. Building projects could be completed with less manpower and material resources meanwhile in a faster and sustainable way.



Gammon has adopted structural steel in a number of projects in Hong Kong, including The Forum at the Exchange Square, Vocational Training Council – Design Institute in Tseung Kwan O, Hysan Place in Causeway Bay and Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Wanchai North.



As compared to the concrete structure, composite steel structure effectively reduces the number of workers on site which is beneficial in combating the critical labour shortage issue currently in the industry. For those trades which labour force is severely lacking such as bar bender and fixer, carpenter and concretor, composite steel structure helps to keep the number of workers sufficient for projects. By general calculation, the manpower on using the top 3 shortage trades can be significantly reduced by 46% per storey. Moreover, off-site pre-fabrication enabling other site work to be carried out concurrently diminishes the impact of bad weather. Easy installation and fast erection using bolt joint on site would shorten the construction period.



In addition, steel is 100% recyclable without any loss of quality and embodied carbon dioxide emission of composite steel structure is 20% lesser than concrete building. Besides, the production impact (Life Cycle Assessment) of structural steel to environment is 48% lower than that of concrete and steel reinforcement.



Taking advantages of BIM, all parties can participate in the planning process and visualise the entire project at various stages: before, during and after its construction, which includes step by step animation. BIM facilitates design coordination from multiple parties and allows for optimal construction methods and sequences; it also helps to identify potential problems prior to work. While 3D scanning could survey the sites precisely, even for the areas which are difficult to access. This serves as a useful tool for designing the construction, improving the efficiency of information communication and minimise risks.



The full strength of Gammon Steel is reflected in its knowledge and expertise backed up by Dongguan Pristine, a 50,000 square metre facility on the outskirts of Dongguan on the Pearl River Delta, and the in-house engineering design consultants of Lambeth, Gammon Steel provides preconstruction advice on how to overcome the constructability challenges. With 150 management and professional staff, and 400 skilled workmen in Hong Kong and mainland China, Gammon Steel oversees every stage of a project, from planning and design to the final topping out.



 



- End -





For further information please contact:

Candy Chan   

Corporate Communications Manager

Tel: + 852 2516 8733

Email: candy.chan@gammonconstruction.com