The redevelopment of Grangegorman is now well under way and Roadbridge Civil Engineering and Building Contractors has been awarded a major package of works, valued at €26 million, which is the Site Infrastructure and Public Realm Contract. A new, world-class mental health facility, the Phoenix Care Centre, is already fully operational. Next September, the campus is going to accommodate 1,000 students from Dublin Institute of Technology and a further 10,000 students by September 2017. The campus will be transformative for Dublin’s inner city in terms of higher education, health, community and enterprise. The primary stakeholders in the scheme are the Grangegorman Development Agency, Dublin Institute of Technology, Health Service Executive, Dublin City Council and the local community. Contractorshave already begun construction on the Site Infrastructure and Public Realm package.  The site clearance extends to the entire site, which is just short of 300,000 m² and includes extensive tree protection. This is an extremely important initial activity, as the finished campus is dependent on the magnificent mature trees being maintained in prime condition. As a consequence, no construction work could commence without every tree being fully fenced off and protected. There is a requirement to excavate over 250,000 tonnes of soil, the majority of which will have to be removed from site in order to meet the required site profile. Haul roads have to be installed across the site to allow access for all the various building contractors that will be working on the site over the next number of years. The storm-water system and foul water systems contains over 10km of pipes and has an additional storage capacity for storm water that can hold 2.5 million litres. ICT AND POWER SYSTEMS [caption id="attachment_11512" align="alignright" width="3654"] Source: Grangegorman Planning Scheme 2012 (click to enlarge)[/caption] Ducting and cabling for the hi-tech Information and communications technology (ICT) and power systems are one of the most critical elements of the project, as the entire campus system has to be complete by the end of June. This is in order to allow time for Dublin Institute of Technology to complete the final ICT commissioning, which will facilitate the first tranche of students in September. There is more than 150km of ducting required for the complete system. Other site services include gas networks, water mains, site lighting and district heating pipe network. The finished surfaces will be a combination of bituminous and brick paving, landscaped areas and also natural and synthetic sports pitches, including irrigation and drainage systems. All of these surfaces are designed to complement the existing structures and features on the site. The official sod turning for this project took place on 12th December and was officiated by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, in the presence of Minister of Education Ruairi Quinn. In his speech, Kenny outlined the importance of the development for the country and how it signifies the substantial development that it is hoped will take place in Ireland in the lead up to and beyond 2020. He also commented on how great it was “to hear the hum of machines once again” – as the construction industry is essential in underpinning the growth that Ireland so badly needs. This project will provide employment for over 200 construction workers and approximately 25% of all new employees will come from the local area.  The whole scheme is supported by the European Investment Bank and it is the biggest development of its kind in any European capital city, which the stakeholders say is a fantastic achievement for all who have worked so hard to make this project a reality.