The London Construction Consolidation Centre (LCCC) is on the hunt to purchase a new site to accommodate the rapid increase in demand from contractors wanting to use the facility.

Now based in Silvertown, east London, the facility has a storage capacity of around 140,000ft², compared with the 40,000ft² the LCCC offered when it first launched as part of a two-year trial in 2005.

“There is much more of an appetite now than there was back in 2005,” said Bob Dempsey, operations manager south at Wilson James, which owns and operates the facility.

Schemes such as Fors and Clocs are helping to drive demand to a certain degree, he said, as well as the need to overcome increased congestion during major infrastructure works in the capital and local authority constraints and restrictions. "People are looking for other ways of getting their materials to site."

Dempsey added that the industry is becoming "more mature", with contractors examining their costs far more to see where gains can be made: “There is also the problem of actually getting the materials to site. In London, where you might have one or maybe two off-loading points, and you may need 30 deliveries a day, in effect, we could do that in less than 10.”

Running a fleet of six trucks, accredited to Fors gold standard, the LCCC reduces vehicle movements travelling to sites in London by two-thirds and said it achieves a 95% improvement on delivery performance (right materials, right place, right time).

How does the LCC work?

According to Wilson James, the main purpose of the LCCC is to promote the efficient flow of construction materials through the supply chain to the actual points of use on the projects. It is not a warehouse. The centre aims to enhance construction site performance and reduce the impact on environmental issues such as congestion, pollution and noise.

Construction goods, excluding steel frames, aggregates and major plant, are delivered to the LCCC in relative bulk. From there, materials are called-off by the various trade contractors and formed into work packs for immediate use on site, following a just-in-time approach. Goods are checked on arrival at the centre for quality and condition, to ensure any problems are highlighted at an early stage. The centre does not store goods in the conventional sense, with an aim of a turnaround time of 10 - 15 days.

Facts:

  • 15% reduction in waste materials
  • 95% improvement in delivering performance (right materials, right place, right time)
  • 68% reduction of vehicles traveling to site
  • 25% reduction in accidents/injuries
  • 47% increase in site productivity
  • 75% reduction in CO2 emission

The LCCC has continued to expand on the services it offers its customers, with the latest technology developed by Wilson James – the Fors-accredited Fulcrom IT programme- combining a warehouse management system with all aspects of the consolidation process and what is required on site as well. “It will do absolutely everything, from adding up the emitted CO2 to the point of departure of the goods direct into the consolidation centre, the resources used at site, such as a tower crane hoist, and will also maintain a warehouse management system,” said Dempsey.

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