With highways teams needing to do more with less and ironwork installations costing up to seven times as much as the ironwork itself, Saint-Gobain PAM UK take a deep dive into Install Plus, a #RightFirstTime solution that is helping their customers reduce whole-life costs while also reducing health and safety risks and carbon.
Install Plus Frame Levelling System
Install Plus frame levelling system is an innovative frame levelling system consisting of four nylon bolts, visual indicator caps and feet that help support and level the frame during the early stages of ironwork installations, ensuring a right first time installation, efficient use of mortar and reduced time in the carriageway.
The road ironwork manufacturer developed the installation system in 2016 after collaborating with the University of Nottingham and researching the cause of premature ironwork failures.
Saint-Gobain PAM’s Managing Director, Alan Gwilliam, explains their motivation behind the collaboration: “With ironwork only accounting for 15 to 20% of installation costs and up to 80% of installations failing within their warranty period, we understood the increasing importance of getting installations right the first time to reduce whole-life costs, so we reached out to the University of Nottingham’s Department of Civil Engineering to find out what was causing premature ironwork failures and how we could address the issue.
“The findings showed an increasing importance of installation practices and ensuring bedding mortar secures the frame to the chamber. Armed with these findings, we developed the Install Plus frame levelling system which ensures 15mm bedding material below and 20mm bedding mortar above the frame flange to fully encapsulate and support the frame bearing area.
“By ensuring a right first time installation, the correct and efficient use of bedding material and reducing time in the carriageway, Install Plus is helping customers make significant whole-life cost savings, which can amount to as much as 90% of the original contract value.”
Install Plus example cost savings
Install Plus case study savings: A Southern County Council
Amount saved: £49,000
CO2e reduction: 80 tonnes
Hours eliminated in traffic: 238
Solutions: Install Plus
Install Plus case study savings: An East Midlands County Council
Amount saved: £232,000
CO2e reduction: 55.5 tonnes
Hours eliminated in traffic: 1,278
Solutions: Install Plus and Aqua-Max
Visit the Saint-Gobain PAM website to find out more about their range of innovative ironwork installation solutions.