One of the main aspects that cannot be controlled during your construction project is the weather. With extreme weather events unfortunately becoming more and more common in the UK, this can cause delays and damage to your site which can be disastrous depending on the severity of the weather event and the amount of time that it wastes in terms of disruption and having to deal with any damage or changes to the landscape during your project.
Luckily, we do not experience the most extreme weather events that occur around the world but storms and flooding are becoming more and more common. It’s impossible to predict weather perfectly but there are steps that you can take to mitigate and minimise disruption when bad weather occurs. This article covers the top environmental challenges that you are likely to experience during a construction project and the steps that you can take to mitigate each challenge to keep your project on track and to schedule.
We are the leading provider of groundworks in Bristol and the surrounding areas across the South West. We have supported clients across a wide range of projects and helped prepare for difficult and challenging environmental and weather conditions. Get in touch with our team to arrange for a free quote.
Preparing For Weather Issues
It’s important to prepare for any environmental disruptions or weather changes. These events do not necessarily have to be extreme to cause major disruption for your construction project. In order to prepare for any issue, it’s important to:
- Monitor weather warnings carefully as well as forecasts. Although weekly forecasts are not particularly accurate, 24-hour warnings will give you time to prepare should the weather turn.
- Ensure that you have the essential equipment on-site to deal with weather conditions issues if they occur. This can range from equipment to pump or remove water to signage and protective equipment to protect soil from water damage.
- Plan ahead of time and make sure that everything is taken into consideration. Communication is key with staff, stakeholders and relevant council authorities if you are going to expect a delay due to difficult weather conditions.
- Weather conditions may not necessarily develop over time and can be sudden changes that are hard to plan for. There are other events such as freezing cold conditions, abnormally hot conditions or high wind speeds so it’s important to plan for every potential issue.
1. Storms and Heavy Rainfall
Perhaps the most likely environmental challenge to occur is the rain but heavy storms can also cause significant challenges for your construction project. Water can sweep away soil and cause issues with initial groundwork as well as disrupt construction activity. Heavy wind can make construction impossible as it’s too dangerous to proceed or cause damage to a structure that is in the process of being constructed.
2. Equipment Failure
Equipment failure can be an issue that will challenge the project as well as cause delays. Equipment failure can occur due to a wide range of issues from the environment, from machinery being extensively used to freak accidents where equipment becomes damaged or damaged due to an accident. It’s important to work with experts such as our team so that we can provide the relevant equipment as well as equipment that is maintained to mitigate issues from occurring.
3. Icy Conditions
Icy conditions can freeze up machinery such as chains and belts which risks breaking the machinery if it is operated. We do not tend to experience extreme cold in the South West but there could be rare events where temperatures are dangerous and hazardous to operate machinery until the environment warms up. Icy conditions also pose challenges such as risks to workers on site as well as visibility issues if fog occurs alongside the ice.
4. Extreme Heat
On extremely hot days, this can also pose risks such as machinery failure from overheating as well as injuries to workers. It’s highly important to manage the project if you experience a hot day, such as setting up cool spaces if there is no shade on site as well as regular breaks for workers and machinery to prevent overheating in the heat of the sun.
We have worked with all environmental issues and we can use our experience to support you during your project. We are the leading provider of groundworks in Bristol and the surrounding areas across the South West. Get in touch to arrange for your free quote.