Being faced with the unexpected in a conversion project is almost inevitable. It’s all about how you tackle property development problems and having a great team that can work to close the gap on the delay.

In this video, we visit a property development site I’m project managing for a mentorship client in Fleet, Hampshire, where we ran into a major construction problem with the concrete slab. With an area of 15,000 square feet, this slab could have caused major delays, but like with all problems on a building site, there’s always a solution and a way to make up lost time!

Contingency

The problem: unexpected rebar

On this particular site, it’s all about the reinforcement of the drainage. We had a certain drainage design planned, and we needed to dig a huge test pit in order to understand the structural integrity of the concrete slab. This steel-frame building is constructed on a concrete slab which forms a huge part of the integrity of the structural support of the entire structure.

The test pit, which was located based on advice from the structural engineers and consultants, revealed no rebar or reinforced steel, and we thought we were good to go. However, nothing is guaranteed with a conversion. As we started digging for drainage channels that radiate out from the centre of the building, we discovered a massive amount of reinforced steel under the rebar. What a headache!

The solution: diamond drills

Our workers have had to use really expensive diamond cutter drill bits to cut through every bit of rebar on the entire 15,000 square foot floor. We were also able to bring two big diggers into the space. Just imagine the time and lay cost to dig this rubbish up!

We’re fortunate to work with a very forward thinking construction company, and they’re already moving on to planning walls and squeezing up the next stages of the build to make up for what would have been a two-week delay.

It just goes to show that you never know what’s in the ground! And that’s where the big costs lie — with the drainage, the reinforcement, the foundations. If anything, the money is in the ground.

These problems in construction can be overcome by a good, experienced team. Start by doing as much prep work to avoid any problems before they happen and, if you do come across the unexpected, it’s ultimately about working together to get through the challenge.

If you’d like to learn more ways to manage potential property development site issues, book a mentorship call with me today for a one on one consultation.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *