Project overview

Five three-storey townhouses, high-end spec — lifts, garages, the full brief. Marcus Stott, developer, engaged ExCo for piling on a genuinely tight site, the second piling job the two have worked on together.

The challenge

The site leaves little room to move — residential neighbours close on all sides, and the building's own footprint taking up most of the available space. A run of bad weather made it harder still, with access difficult and conditions making it tough to keep the piling rig steady. A week of rain pushed the schedule out.

How ExCo approached it

ExCo built and managed the schedule and subcontractors from the start, keeping dates locked in so every trade knew when they were coming on site. When the rain hit, ExCo pumped the piles in to bring the programme back on track rather than letting the delay compound. Earlier in the project, ExCo proposed an alternative to the engineer's original approach as part of a variation — an idea that saved Dwell an estimated $10,000–$15,000. Throughout, Marcus could go straight from the QS to the project manager and get an answer — no chasing up the chain required.