CONSULTANCY
Graham Goldthorpe will assist to ensure a smooth running ‘stone’ project with the correct selection of material, worked, finished and fixed to the highest possible standards, within your client’s intended time-scale and budget.
An early appointment is essential to ensure proper guidance on stone selection, design, supply and installation can be achieved, in accordance with current BS/BS EN codes of practice and CE marking requirements, with the aim of freeing up your valuable resources. A fastidious approach is adopted to highlight the critical aspects of stone use. The emphasis is on attention to detail throughout the various processes, delivered in a spirit of professionalism, friendliness and co-operation, ensuring you will have peace of mind that your project is in good hands and will be completed successfully.
Stone Consultant Services:
- Stone sourcing / procurement
- Stone finishes
- Quarry / factory visits
- Viewing existing buildings
- Testing régimes required
- Technical assessments & information interpretation
- CE marking requirements (from July 2013)
- Sample approval & controls
- Design & detailing
- Production scheduling / cutting sheets
- Stone production & finishing
- Workshop inspections
- Fixing design & masonry support
- Mortar selection & specification
- Installation
Invariably once the stone is selected and specified one of the first questions a client asks is ‘what is all this stone going to cost me.’ An easy question but not as easy to answer as some might think. It takes considerable skill and experience to ascertain a meaningful and accurate cost, and these can only be achieved when the design is properly finalised and stone choices and finishes have been made. Graham Goldthorpe specialises in providing professional assistance to the cost planning team to establish accurate costs for all the stonework elements, whether it be a supply only package or a comprehensive design, supply and installation figure, including stainless steel fixings and the masonry support system etc. This may extend to a variety of different stones for both external and internal use, in several applications, utilising different fixing methods e.g. walling, ashlar cladding, traditional masonry, internal stairs, wall cladding and flooring. Traditional bills of quantities still have an important part to play in ascertaining final costs and providing a level playing field upon which prospective contractors can bid, allowing same-format comparisons by the PQS.
Cost Planning
- Employer’s requirement
- Bills of quantities
- Schedule of works
- NBS Specification
Cost Analysis
- Stone supply & delivery costs
- Supply & installation costs
- Value engineering options
- Dayworks
- Variations
- Post contract final account statement / negotiations
Most Main Contractors now offer a wide range of construction services, which operate in several business sectors. They are quite rightly concerned with sustainability, quality, health & safety and all will have the objective of delivering their projects on time, to high quality standards and within budget. Astute architects and designers often wish to include natural stone in their designs to add an element of prestige and aesthetic appeal, and generally the stonework will be a prominent feature of the building. As such its procurement, design and installation always needs to be put in the best possible hands. Graham Goldthorpe always recommend that a specialist masonry contractor is appointed to undertake the ‘stone package’ – one who has the knowledge to effectively undertake all aspects of the work and who employs skilled and experienced stonemasons. Graham Goldthorpe can identify and recommend the companies most suited to this task, having a wide range of contacts in most areas of the UK. This can include the preparation of tender documents, tender adjudication and appointment right through to project management and cost controlling the stonework package.
Stone Package Project Management:
- Site Logistics
- Access requirements
- Health & Safety
- Documentation (RAMS)
- CDM regulation compliance (stone design)
- Construction programming
- Stone fixing / installation
- Final inspections and correct handover procedures
Stone suppliers vary from small and large scale operations who generally quarry, process and manufacture their own stones, right through to specification specialists, in both the cladding and hard landscaping fields, who source many types of natural stone through their worldwide contacts. Graham Goldthorpe, stone consultants can assist all types of organisations in the following areas.
Stone Supplier / Quarry Consultancy Services
- Promotion and stone specification work (commission based)
- Full taking-off service & preparation of bills of approx. quantities
- Supply pricing / quotations
- Drawings, cutting sheets and templates (including 3D modelling)
- Workshop health & safety guidance
- Stone cutting machinery advice & procurement
- Troubleshooting – workshop production & masonry work
Working with conservation architects and restoration specialists, Graham Goldthorpe offers practical and technical advice on the care and maintenance of historic buildings of all types, from private residences to churches and cathedrals. When dealing with stone restoration, cleaning, alterations and repair the conservation principles laid down by English Heritage are followed.
Historic Building Consultancy Services:
- Condition survey reports
- Stone identification & sourcing
- Specification writing (cleaning and restoration)
- Pre-tender packages prepared (incl. NBS)
- Stone & mortar testing
- Restoration & cleaning options / techniques
- Project management
Graham Goldthorpe has been involved in many stone restoration and refurbishment projects, including:
Huddersfield Railway Station, Wakefield Cathedral, Skipton Castle, Huddersfield Parish Church, Blackburn Cathedral, Leeds Cathedral, BBC building, Leeds and the old town closes in Edinburgh.
Unfortunately, given the complexity of natural stone selection, specification and design, if a job is placed in the wrong hands or there has been a lack of diligence, failures can often occur. Needless to say this can lead to costly disputes invariably requiring full replacement of the defective stonework and /or fixing system. We offer independent advice as appropriate, using our experience and knowledge of stone and its correct application to provide answers to how and why the problem occurred and the best solutions available to deal with it.
Concerned Parties Services
- Failed stonework – investigation, inspection and reports (floors and wall cladding / masonry)
- Inspection of newly constructed stonework to ensure specification compliance
- Independent expert witness reports
- All consultancy activities are backed up by comprehensive Professional Indemnity Insurance cover.