Hundreds of groundworks and civil engineering companies across the United Kingdom have adopted a new and improved working method over the past three years. Most construction companies are always looking for things that save time or reduce waste (i.e. save money), or improve health and safety on-site by reducing risks.
One of our most exciting products, The SiteStak System, does all of these things. As one of our customers put it, "SiteStak is one of those products you don't think you really need, but after having one, you wonder how you did without it!".
1) Store your drainage materials in one organised system
When underground drainage materials arrive on a building site, they are traditionally unloaded straight onto the muddy or dusty ground. Once you have cut the wooden banding on your packs of drainage pipes, they are difficult to contain and can easily warp in direct sunlight when stored on uneven ground. Drainage fittings, junctions and bends are commonly supplied in plastic bags. It can be time-consuming to sort through the bags searching for the fittings that you need, or determining whether you have any left on site - more on that later.
With a SiteStak workstation on-site, you can unload your drainage delivery directly into the relevant compartments. This way, your materials are stored in an orderly fashion rather than in a disorganised mess.
2) Protect your drainage materials from damage or theft
Once drainage installation is underway on the site, stray fittings and off-cuts of pipe seem to be left all over the place. It seems inevitable that moving plant and equipment (excavators, dumpers, telehandlers etc.) will destroy or bury them. However, when using The SiteStak System, any surplus materials to the job can be placed straight back into the appropriate compartment. Useable off-cuts of pipe preserved for future use as rocker pipes, for instance. Many groundworks companies estimate that 10% of drainage materials go to waste; take a look at your materials spend in this category - how much money are you wasting each year?
In some areas, fittings seem to 'go walkabouts' and end up sold for a bit of extra cash on eBay. We offer optional lockable lids on our SiteStak workstations, which add an extra element of security.
3) Transport your drainage quickly and easily
Traditionally you might transport underground drainage from the compound to the point of installation in the bucket of a dumper or by hand. All too often, halfway through installing the drainage, you run out of the bend or fitting that you need. Then it's either a long walk back to the compound, wasting precious time, or jump in the dumper and drive across the site on that, resulting in wastage of fuel. Some companies try to keep plant movements to a minimum and argue that unnecessary plant movements increase accidents. We have worked with customers who estimated between three and five hours saved per week when installing drainage; multiply that by the hourly wage you pay your workers to calculate the savings you could achieve.
All of our SiteStak workstations come with fork pockets, and we can add optional lifting eyes if required. Most customers use excavator forks or a telehandler to lift and move these across the site. You can see at a glance if you have enough stock (more on that later) before you start and load it up for the day before setting out from the compound. Once at the work area, the SiteStak workstation lives up to its name, acting as a mini compound and work-bench for cutting pipe, which brings us nicely to our next point.
4) Cut and chamfer drainage pipes quickly and safely
When cutting drainage pipes to length, it is safer to work at an appropriate height. The SiteStak System includes a tool shelf for storing a tape measure, a hand saw, a rasp/file or chamfering tool, a tub of pipe grease, or lubricant. In front of that, we have included a handy pipe cutting bay; we have conveniently made this 600mm wide to speed up creating rocker pipes.
We recently launched a saw guide that bolts onto the end of the SiteStak. This guide ensures you get a straight cut every single time without fail. It also improves safety by keeping your hand away from the blade and reducing slips of the saw. This simple saw guide has gone down well with customers using it, and when paired with a chamfer drill attachment, it makes a perfect set-up for cutting and chamfering pipes.
5) See when you are running out of materials with visual stock control
We've touched on this point a couple of times already, but it's worth diving a bit deeper. We considered Lean and Visual Management principles borrowed from the automotive and manufacturing sectors when designing The SiteStak System. The mesh fronts on The SiteStak Plus workstations and the compartment signage allows anyone on-site to quickly see if they have enough of each type of fitting, bend or junction, instead of searching through bags.
It's time to get organised!
Overall The SiteStak System delivers clear savings in time, materials and reduces several safety risks. Customers have proved a clear return on investment within nine to twelve months. Contact our team today to discuss your requirements further. We can provide a quick quote and lead time for hiring or purchasing The SiteStak System.
Written by
Mark Chambers
Marketing Manager
As Marketing Manager, Mark plays an active role in running strategic projects to increase our brand profile.
