Delivering on a timeframe

In mid-2024 SGB Construction was contracted to undertake a leading role in a refurbishment for Oranga Tamariki at the Epuni Care Facility in Naenae. This included the demolition and reconstruction of the large hundred-meter fence at the front of the premises.   
 
For several reasons outside of our control, SGB had just over three days to demolish and rebuild this fence. With half a dozen men present onsite, this was an ambitious timeframe by anyone's definition.  
 
However, with some careful consideration and planning, we broke down this task into its core components and delivered it to a tight deadline.  
 
SGB Construction employs qualified and competent tradesmen, who understand the construction process. The temptation on a job such as this fence would be to leap into the construction of full panels on day one. This is sometimes called visual-ification, or visual progress – that is, constructing something tangible and visually appealing each day, often so the client has a sense of the project ticking along.  
 
The problem is, this is not necessarily the most efficient way to build, and with only three days to erect a hundred meters of fencing, we had no time for inefficiencies.  
 
While demolition was underway, our set out with stringlines was following in behind. Set out is the most important step, it is in this step that you detect and address any issues that may occur, in this case how we would calculate our post spaces, create a soft curve in the fence line and address inconsistencies in the ground level. Once this was completed, metal posts were bolted into the concrete and packed to plumb.  
 
This was the most time-consuming portion of the job. Halfway to the deadline we had the full run of posts in, but no rails or palings. To the untrained eye, this did not look like 50% of a fence. However, if the set out is correct, things can be built quickly without variation.  
 
With half a dozen guys onsite, all locking into a specific role, such as cutting rails, fitting palings or installing capping, we were able to move as a well-oiled machine and rhythmically smashed through a hundred meters of Fentec fencing in a day and a half.  
 
SGB received a glowing review from the National Director of Infrastructure as we capped the fence off in the last hours of Friday daylight. It serves as a good example of both our ambitious leadership and the work ethic of our builders.