For the past few days, we have been working on a section of the electrical installation in the vehicle maintenance hall. The hall is one of several parts of a larger investment, and work on it is still ongoing. Below are some site notes: what we are doing, what clashes we are encountering, and how we are resolving them.
Scope of our section
- approx. 80 luminaires: industrial high-bays under the roof at a height of approx. 9.5 m, emergency and escape lighting, waterproof luminaires in inspection pits and under platforms;
- three-phase power sockets and socket combinations, which were added to the scope along the way, after opening the work front;
- 27 circuits from the hall switchboard, installed in accordance with the design;
- approx. 1.5 km of cables;
- a team of five electricians, reinforced to six on Friday.
We are most pleased with one thing: the scope expanded to include sockets and socket combinations, yet we kept it within the original schedule. What helped was how we organised the work before day one and how we handle clashes with other trades.
It's tight under the roof
Above the bays in the service hall, five trades meet. Alongside our lighting and cable trays, there are:
- exhaust extraction system above the bays;
- air conditioning & ventilation ducts;
- heating;
- compressed air installation with outlets to individual workstations;
- and in between, service penetrations through walls and into inspection pits.
Each trade's design is correct on its own. The problem starts when installations meet in one place, and a fixture is supposed to hang where a duct or pipe is already running.
Example: high-bay luminaire, beam, and ventilation duct
High-bay luminaires are attached to roof structure beams. A ventilation duct had already been installed in front of one of the beams. Mounting the luminaire directly on the beam would mean that the lamp would rub against the duct, and the light would not fall where it should.
We built a structure that bypasses the duct and raises the luminaire. The lamp has clearance from the duct and provides the correct light in the exact spot planned by the designer.
The duct did not need to be relocated, and we routed the circuit exactly as designed.
How we approach clashes
- Priority for rigid installations. A ventilation duct, exhaust extraction line, or pressure pipeline is hard to move. A luminaire and cable can be moved. Electrical installation is the most flexible trade on site, so we adapt, but always with a check on whether the workstation still receives proper lighting.
- We change the mounting method, not the design. Power supply and circuit distribution are executed according to the design. In case of a clash, only the mounting structure, height, or cable routing detail changes, while the schematic remains unchanged.
- Zones and access order. Scissor and boom lifts are the bottleneck of the entire hall, so we coordinate with other trade teams regarding who works in which bay and when.
- Service penetrations agreed in advance. For every penetration through a wall or into a duct, it is clear who makes the hole, who runs the conduit, and who is responsible for sealing and restoring fire resistance rating.
- Real-time decisions. Issues and queries are resolved with the site manager on the spot, immediately. The crew does not wait until tomorrow for an answer.
Team: plan calculated before day one
Before entering the site, we took off quantities directly from the working drawing: every luminaire, every circuit, and the length of every route. We divided the work into tasks performed from lifts and from floor level, and then scheduled them day by day in 15-minute increments. Right from the start, it was clear that the lifts, not the manpower, would be the bottleneck.
Therefore, the first day was spent entirely on ground-level tasks: inspection pits, weatherproof luminaires, cables in conduits. By the evening, we had 20 luminaires in pits and nearly 250 m of cable laid. Lifts operated from Thursday to Saturday: high-bay luminaires, cable trays, and routes under the roof. On Friday, when work at height was at its peak, the team was reinforced by a sixth electrician.
Sockets and power combination units were installed as soon as the work face opened up for them. The plan was calculated down to the hour, so it was immediately obvious where to deploy them without shifting the deadline.
Safety without exceptions: initial HSE training, only personnel with UDT qualifications for mobile elevating work platforms allowed in the basket, and always someone on the ground who knows the emergency lowering procedure.
Our works supervisor does not get into the basket hoist. From the ground, you can see the entire hall: materials, work fronts, coordination with other trades, and the quality of execution.
Handover: documentation delivered alongside the installation
Work is still underway, but we prepare for the handover from day one. Every circuit will undergo a measurement of protective conductor continuity and insulation resistance before connection to the distribution board. For the handover, we will prepare a measurement report, circuit schedule, luminaire schedule, copies of qualifications, and meter calibration certificates.
What this means for the investor and main contractor
- Expanding the scope mid-project doesn't have to shift the deadline if the plan is calculated, not guessed.
- A clash is best resolved through the installation method, without design changes and without relocating another trade's installation.
- People are rarely the bottleneck. Equipment, access, and work fronts are.
- The electrician interacts with all trades: supplying power to extraction, air conditioning, heating, and compressors. That's why it helps when they think like a coordinator, not just an installer of their own drawing.
We would like to thank the team for their pace and discipline, and the site manager and teams from other trades for their quick decisions and cooperation. Back to work. After the final inspection, we will write about how it went.
Are you managing an investment in a production, warehouse, or service hall? See how we deliver installations and modernisations for businesses as well as services for production plants and warehouses. You gain the most when we discuss the electrical scope before entering the site.
