CCG LinkedIn Newsletter Issue 13: The CCG Group Technical Academy Sessions

The CCG Group's Technical Department was launched several years ago to give the business a means to sufficiently address the evolving changes to building standards and guidance associated with construction.

Our goal in this instance was to streamline the pre-construction process and to ensure value for our clients in cost, programming, buildability, maintenance and innovation.

Now a team of five experts, the department is a unique asset to the CCG Group; it liaises with each of our in-house divisions, design team partners and supply chain to broker innovative solutions and issue best practice guidance to ensure compliance with industry and regulatory requirements at every stage of build.

One key area of influence for the department has been fire suppression. Since 2021, with the introduction of the BS9251:2021 standard which requires all social houses, flats, maisonettes and multi-occupancy residential buildings to have fire suppression measures installed as standard.

The role of fire suppression is simple: to protect life. Now that it forms such an integral role in housebuilding - accounting for over 80% of the CCG Group's annual turnover - the strategies for delivery must be developed at the front of the design process.

Thankfully, CCG Technical can call upon Group member Arc Tech (Scotland) Ltd who have their very own Sprinklers Division to help develop tailored, cost-effective solutions for small to large-scale residential developments.

Arc-Tech, an approved Smart Mist Fire installer, has designed and installed over 1000 sprinkler systems since the introduction of the BS9251: 2021 standard. Their practical understanding of different systems is invaluable in offering clients flexibility and a choice of specification with industry-leading expertise, helping to inform innovative solutions whilst delivering time and cost savings as well as long-term added value in areas such as maintenance.

This topic of fire suppression was discussed at great length yesterday afternoon (08/12/2023) at the very first CCG Technical Academy Session.

The first in a series of in-person events, the Technical Academy Sessions have been introduced as part of a stakeholder engagement initiative designed to provide more information on the Group's in-house technical expertise as a means of presenting how CCG is actively addressing key topics and issues currently being faced in the Scottish construction sector.

CCG Senior Technical Manager Jack Mooney and Arc-Tech's Sprinkler Manager Paul Neary gave valuable insight to guests from our local authority, housing association and architectural partners - even managing to give a practical demonstration of how a system would be installed within a riser of a flatted block.

We have received some fantastic, early-stage feedback on our #1 Technical Academy Session and look forward #2 which is set to take place in the early stages of the New Year. Stay tuned...