SES – the former Shepherd M&E business currently owned by Wates, have recently been awarded the contract to deliver shell and core mechanical services to 27 floors of the One Bank Street office complex in London’s Docklands district.

As Construction Enquirer reports here, operational processes such as off-site manufacturing and the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) were decisive elements in the firm’s pitch for the contract.

This highlights the importance of the current BIM ‘revolution’, as the days of traditional two-dimensional drawings may be limited. Three-dimensional BIM models have the capability to store information about design elements such as geometry and materials – and these can then be shared and modified with other members of the design team. This encourages collaboration between architectural, structural engineering and MEP teams – increasing the skills crossover between the divisions.

Another crucial aspect of SES’ successful pitch for the contract was their inclusion and emphasis on off-site manufacturing. This method, which includes pre-fabrication and offsite engineering services offers considerable benefits when concerning the building services industry. The benefits of off-site manufacturing are numerous and include the reduction of waste, defects and costs. These highly-praised techniques are used to speed up the delivery of projects and also helps contractors to deal with the current skills shortage in the industry.

The use of BIM and off-site manufacturing aim to combat the most crucial challenges in the industry; such as the need for new housing and sustainability. Leading engineers are hoping that the implementation of these two techniques helps to pave the way for a successful future for the industry.