There’s a curious sentiment that seems to crop up often when we’re thinking about finding the right expertise for a local requirement, or seeking an advanced solution to meet the need. Sometimes it’s expressed openly, but usually covertly. . . or behind closed doors at least.

The sentiment goes something like this: if you need a thing done properly, the first place to look for support is outside the Island. Local individuals or organisations are ‘simply not up to the job’.

Understandably, it’s not a view that T&G, a company with more than 30 years’ Island trading behind us, subscribes to. We believe the best value approach is seeking a delivery company that fully understands local conditions, but which can draw upon global expertise to help shape and deliver the best engineering solutions.

Importantly, we know that this off-Island perspective comes from both in-house experience and established relationships with global companies already providing a range of services across the world, including meeting the needs of many prestigious clients.

The value of this approach for clients lies in the potential savings, both financial and time, arising from working with people who already understand and have mastered local conditions, constraints and conventions. The wider value comes from focusing investment on the local community and the cyclic benefits of helping create and retain local jobs.

Of course, T&G recognises that local companies and employees will never be able to meet every industry requirement – we’re a small island in a fast-changing world. But growing client expectations, increasing complexity and rising costs demand that we make every effort to finding and creating the best solutions for local needs.

Which is why we devote time and effort to finding best in breed global and local partners capable of ensuring our engineering value continues meeting and exceeding key local needs. I’m proud to say there are numerous examples of this being achieved.

Cutting-edge piling and foundation systems

Building from the ground-up in Jersey can present considerable challenges – densely developed urban areas, for example, contaminated soil conditions and difficult to access locations. Traditional on-Island approaches increasingly struggle to deliver the piling and foundation solutions needed to overcome, while engaging specialist overseas contractors adds to construction costs.

T&G work closely with leading companies in this area, selecting a partner best able to deliver client needs. These include BGR, a specialist CI-based foundation construction company with global connections to the latest technology and expertise. Among tools and techniques on offer are:

• Latest battery powered piling machines that offer emission free operation while minimising noise impact on site neighbours.
• Displacement piling which reduces the need to remove and dump extracted soil and leaves potential contaminants beneath the ground to avoid requirement for specialised treatment.
• Installing advanced temporary works solutions allowing construction swiftly and safely to begin within sometimes challenging locations.

T&G can include specialist foundation solutions within services offered to clients, while our engineers utilise this technology to design innovative temporary works solutions customised to specific site needs.

Ground improvement services

Successful construction requires stable ground conditions to build upon – the graphic consequences of not achieving or bypassing this requirement are occasionally revealed through the media in the form of collapsed buildings or infrastructure.

Creating stable ground requires expert knowledge and advanced techniques. T&G works closely with leading companies to bring this to its clients including locally-based BGR and Geomarine. Among expertise and techniques this arrangement delivers are:

• Soil strengthening / mixing to stabilise the ground where weak, soft or high moisture conditions are found.
• Geotechnical work including rockface and slope stabilisation through various techniques including drilling, anchoring, grouting, rock-fall protection, shoring and sprayed concrete.
• Advanced civil engineering design and delivery capabilities including underpinning, shoring and retaining walls.

Through closely established relationships T&G works with its partner companies to assess, design and deliver the best solutions for the situation encountered.

Green water management systems

The threat of local flooding is increasing through the impact of global warming on weather and oceans. The response from Island government are new policies requiring risk assessment and flood mitigation measures. The response globally has been a focus on new ‘green’ water management solutions – both for individual properties and at a community infrastructure level.

T&G works closely with leading UK sustainable water consultants The Environmental Protection Group (EPG) to bring the very best practice to the Island. Among the services and solutions that can be offered are:

• Flood risk assessment and water management mitigation recommendations.
• Advanced ‘blue and green’ roof solutions designed to manage heavy rainfall through capturing and storing water for later reuse while providing a wildlife habitat.
• Deployment of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) to reduce surface water flow through environmentally friendly solutions that improve overall water quality and biodiversity.

T&G engineers work alongside EPG specialists when conducting flood risk pre-planning and developing flood mitigation recommendations.For more technically advanced water management solutions, we can call directly upon EPG resources for engagement with clients and delivery of services.

Large-scale modular building techniques

With money and time at a premium in the Island, developers are seeking new construction approaches that save both, without compromising quality or security. Steel panels prefabricated off-site are one such solution, for example, reducing on-site construction time and saving on labour costs.

T&G works closely with leading global companies in this area including the Hadley Group which specialises in developing and manufacturing technically advanced construction systems, including prefabricated modular components configurable for most building needs.

Among the benefits of this approach are:

• Detailed design process that identifies and resolves issues prior to on-site construction.
• Typical build time up-to-40% quicker compared with traditional approach.
• Able to incorporate multiple architectural features with panel construction optimised to suit local logistics.

Based on an assessment of client requirements and site conditions or constraints, T&G can select the best approach or solution based on its understanding of the latest national and international construction systems.

We’d love to discuss further with anyone interested in finding out more. Contact Johnny Moffett on [email protected] or +44 (0)1534 867070.