From the Resene News – issue 1/2002

A day in the life - EDS Building - Project Services in action
The 21st century is a world filled with constant change. Building and home colour schemes and paint systems come and go with regularity... what once was blue may now be red, what once was flat may now be textured. These changes fill our sensory perceptions every day, yet it is easy to remain blind to the work behind these ever-changing facades.

The exterior repaint of the EDS building in central Wellington is a textbook example of the collaborative nature of project services at their best, combining the talents of the building manager with the painting contractor and product supplier Resene.

The full Resene Project Services process consists of seven separate steps covering all facets of the project from the initial site visit through to the confirmation of any site-specific warranties. The entire process is collaborative and client driven, starting with the all important first step - the site visit

Site visit
Suspecting the EDS Building paint system was nearing the end of its useful life, the building manager, Transtasman Properties, chose to undertake an external repainting project and involved the Resene Project Services team for assistance.

Deterioration of the original acrylic urethane coating system following exposure to environmental elements, and isolated areas of spalling and mechanical damage to the existing coating, were identified with the assistance of the Resene Project Services Representative during the initial site visit.

This visit enabled all parties to determine the scope of the project and gather the specific information required in the preparation of the detailed painting specification. Visual inspection of the surfaces to be coated was an interactive process between all parties.

Specification preparation
With a structure measuring twelve storeys in height and just a stone's throw from the Wellington waterfront, salt laden sea breezes expose the EDS building to significant salt deposits. This salt combined with the deleterious impacts of passing birdlife creates an aggressive environment typically associated with the accelerated degeneration of paint systems. Development of the new paint specification considered these environmental impacts on the long-term durability and aesthetic appeal of the paint system.

The final paint specification provided two alternative coating systems enabling the client to select the one that best met financial and time resource constraints, and longer term maintenance expectations. The first option recommended an engineered coating system of two coats of Resene Uracryl 403 for maximum protection in the exterior environment; the second paint system focused on two coats of Resene Hi-Glo gloss acrylic. Both specifications were assessed against budget, time and ease of application requirements, with the Resene Hi-Glo system being selected as the preferred option due to its ease of application and slightly lower resource consumption. The completed specification was included in the final contract documentation to provide a scope of the work and products required.

No two specifications are ever the same, however the basic underlying objective of all specifications is to define the surface preparation and paint systems by substrate, highlight potential problem areas and identify coating system options, where available, to give clients an opportunity to upgrade the paint system.

Colour scheme development
With such a highly visible exterior envelope, a well crafted colour scheme was crucial to the finished result. Resene RenderRite Manager, Christine Hawkins, worked closely with Shona Smith and her team from Transtasman Properties to develop a clean corporate palette. The Resene RenderRite service was used to generate computer enhanced images of the existing building and potential colour scheme options so that all parties could visualise the final finish before the painting even started. Through the use of Resene RenderRite virtually painted images and additional colour tools such as Resene A4 drawdowns and colour charts the final colour selections of Resene Ship Cove (mid purple blue) and Resene Sea Fog (off white) were made.

The human eye is capable of seeing millions of colours, meaning that there are few limits when it comes to selecting colour schemes. The assistance of Resene staff trained in the use of colour and familiar with Resene colours and colour tools can provide a welcome unbiased second opinion to simplify the colour scheme development process.

Warranty development
Common to many projects of this size is the need for the development of a warranty. Discussions between Resene and Saatyesh Bhana, Business Manager of Transtasman Properties, enabled the durability expectations of the project to be clearly defined and protected by a custom designed warranty.

Written guarantees can be custom-designed for specific projects using Resene paint systems. Guarantees that apply to a particular system can be confirmed at the time the project specification is written. The warranty terms must be agreed in writing prior to the application of the paint system.

Painting work in progress
With painting taking place over a four week period, the painting contractor Programmed Maintenance Services was charged with the responsibility of managing the site on a daily basis. The prime focus of this role was to maintain open communication to ensure efficient identification and resolution of on-site issues minimising disruption to the building tenants who occupied the complex throughout the entire painting process. Dean Robertson, Programmed Maintenance Services Supervisor, managed the daily operation of the site, including policing site etiquette, processing of site information, hazard and progress reports.

Work was carried out using a 14 metre mobile stage as a base platform. Staff working at heights were harnessed to contact points in line with OSH requirements.

Site visits
During the painting programme, weekly site visits were conducted with representatives from Programmed Maintenance Services, Transtasman Properties and Resene. The mobile stage was used at these site meetings as a means of closely viewing the work. Site Foreman Patrick Donaghy reported on the painting progress, while the Resene representative was available to offer any site assistance that may have been required and to check that the quality of the work was in line with that demanded by the guarantee.

Throughout the contract, site observations were recorded by Resene on Site Inspection Sheets, copies of which were presented with the guarantee.

Warranty confirmation
Following successful completion of the project and a final visual inspection, the warranty developed at the specification stage was confirmed.The total project, consisting of a full exterior repaint of the twelve storeys took approximately seven weeks from the initial planning phase through to the final coat of paint on the exterior envelope. The building was fully tenanted throughout the project putting extra pressure on the painting contractor to minimise disruption to tenants.

A shining example of the benefit of teamwork and the complexity of managing such a large scale painting project, the relatively compact painting process has been achieved through combining building manager, painting contractor and Resene Project Services skills. From a grey white to a hue of blue, this building has been rejuvenated in seven short weeks adding its own style to the ever-changing streetscape.

Painting Contractor: Dean Robertson, Supervisor; Patrick Donaghy, Site Manager; Jason McHenry, Area Manager; Programmed Maintenance Services
Project Manager: Saatyesh Bhana, Business Manager; Shona Smith, Building Services Coordinator; Transtasman Properties
Stage Supply: Instant Access
Resene: Dave Clarkson, Wellington Project Services Representative, Christine Hawkings, RenderRite Manager

 
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