Breaking New Ground in Sweden
BenBau broke ground on a new project in Sweden, with concrete casting starting this month. The first pour is complete. From here, the team moves into the full programme. Congratulations to everyone on site for a strong start.
Hosting Young Scientists
This month, BenBau hosted Aoife Fadian from Ursuline College in County Sligo, who presented research by herself and her project partner, Jessica O’Connor, on sheep wool as a strengthening material in concrete. Aoife and Jessica’s research project recently won Best Group at the Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, the largest competition of its kind in Ireland.
The presentation was attended by MDs Ben and Barney Mathews, with technical feedback from our Head Designer, Lucian. The potential applications are wide-ranging, and we look forward to seeing where Aoife and Jessica take their research next.
Costel Awarded Monthly Safety Award
Costel has been awarded BenBau’s Monthly Safety Recognition for June. Costel has been working at height on one of our active sites in Sweden, and his approach to safety has stood out from the start. Consistent PPE compliance, proactive hazard identification and a habit of raising concerns before they become incidents. The kind of behaviour that keeps a site running and a crew safe.
Quality Induction
On site in Germany and the Nordics, quality starts before the first pour.
At one of our current sites, QA/QC Engineer Madalina ran a Quality Induction with the crew. The session covered the essentials. Only approved IFC drawings and materials on site. Spacers, rebar spacing and concrete cover checked against drawings, every time. Formwork prepped, treated and verified before any pour begins. Pre-pour and post-pour checksheets completed by Site Managers and Engineers. Daily housekeeping, tool care and proper material storage. Any defect reported immediately, never covered over.
From foundations to finishing, the team knows the standard and knows who to ask when something is unclear. Quality is everyone’s responsibility.
Supporting the German GAA
The World GAA Games in Waterford wrapped up this month. BenBau sponsored the German GAA / Deutscher Bund Gälischer Sportarten, and it was a strong tournament for their teams.
The International Camogie team reached the Division 2 semi-finals. The Hurling Hawks made the Division 2 quarter-finals, and the Hurling Ravens finished as Division 2 Shield runners-up. The International Men’s Football team came in as Division 3 Plate runners-up, with the girls’ team reaching the Division 3 Cup quarter-finals.
Shortlisted at the IOSH Awards
Our entry for Integrated Digital HSE & Operational Management Systems has been shortlisted for the Business and Professional Services Award. We have also been shortlisted for the OSH Leader of the Year – Construction.
Two nominations, one approach: safety built into how we operate across every site in Germany and the Nordics. Winners are announced on 24 September at Hilton Bankside, London.
Spotlight on BenBau Survey Engineers
Our survey engineers set out every pour, verify every level and check every coordinate against the drawings before a single element progresses.
On hyperscale projects, tolerances are tight; the margin for error is close to zero. An incorrect level does not get caught at handover. It gets caught at setting out, or it costs far more to fix later.
Surveyors are the first line of quality control on any concrete frame. Accurate setting out, continuous verification and strict adherence to project specifications are what allow the rest of the team to build with confidence.
Spotlight on Denmark
Hyperscale data centre construction is closer to building a small city than a single structure. Hundreds of elements, each one dependent on the last.
On a recent site visit in Denmark, the team was working across steel reinforcement, levelling, concrete pouring and smoothing, and quality assurance, all running in parallel. Project Managers, HSE officers and the design team coordinating alongside a responsive recruitment process to keep every element in sync.
Zero LTIs on site. Work progressing on programme. A solid start to our latest project in the Nordics.
