Guideline 12. Fabrication and installation

Many artworks are best fabricated and installed by the artist themselves. Others involving more specialist or larger scale fabrication and installation, will require contractors. Examples are steelwork fabricators, general contractors (concrete and masonry works), lighting specialists and mechanical engineering contractors.

This guideline has been written for Commissions North by Arup Newcastle, the regional office of Ove Arup and Partners International.

Click on a heading below for more information or scroll down the page to read the whole guideline.

• Contractors
• Tendering
• Approximate budgets
• Approximate timescales
• Ove Arup and Partners International

Contractors

Contractors are typically responsible for the fabrication and installation of the works as specified by the designers.

With a ‘design and build’ approach (see guideline on engineering considerations), the responsibility for the detailed design is also with the contractor, who must conform to the designers’ or artist and consultants’, performance specification.

Go to the Directory for a list of contractors that have tendered for or may be willing to tender for artwork installations in North East England.

Tendering

This is the process by which contractors are invited to submit their proposals – in terms of costs, programme, etc – to fabricate and install (and design, if using a design and build process) the works specified on the designers’ drawings. By asking a number of contractors to submit bids for the same package of work, the client can obtain competitive prices for the works.

Some contractors will be able to provide budget prices – not a final tender price – on the basis of sketch proposals only. The more detailed and complete the information given to the contractors, the more competitive the prices returned will be. (See guideline on project and design management for an indication on the stage at which a project should be tendered.)

The project manager is responsible for the compilation of tender information, and for providing recommendations to the client.

Approximate budgets

Artworks by their very nature differ significantly from installation to installation. Whilst it is difficult to assess the costs of such a wide-ranging series of projects, the following offers a basic guide to the costs of certain elements associated with an installation:

• Steelwork
  Fabricated steelwork typically costs in the range of £1000 to £3000 per tonne depending on complexity of fabrication and installation, required grade and finish. Curved steelwork or those from stainless steel, for instance, are more expensive than pointed straight mild steel channels.
• Nominally-reinforced concrete foundations
  Could be expected to cost in the region of £75 to £100 per cubic metre for shallow foundations formed by simple excavations. Other foundation solutions such as retaining walls or piling would be significantly more expensive.
• Structural glazing
  The cost for fabrication and installation is typically in the region of £1000/m² to £2000/m² for structural glazing, including the local support structure. More sophisticated glazing, such as planar systems or dichroic glass will be more expensive still. Single glazed panels would be slightly cheaper.
• Curtain wall cladding systems
  The cost for fabrication and installation is typically in the region of £300/m² to £1500/m² for typical mass-produced cladding systems, including the local support structure.
• Fabric membrane structures
  PVC-coated polyester fabric membranes for sculptural applications cost between £250/m² and £500/m², including the installation and local support structure. ETFE inflated pillow systems are typically about twice as expensive.
• Mechanical installations
  These vary significantly from project to project. Small motor units and the associated power supplies and control systems may cost approximately £500 to £5000. By comparison, standard lift installations for buildings cost in the between of £20,000 to £75,000.
• Lighting systems
  As with Mechanical installations, these vary significantly from project to project. Typical lighting for a project may cost between £1000 for a small and simple work, up to £500,000 for a large and complex installation.

The above information was collated in January 2004, and is reproduced here for information only. It excludes fees that may be required by the designers or consultants, which may be in excess of 10% of the works for small or complex sculptures.

Economies of scale should be borne in mind, in that small orders may be up to 20% more expensive than the figures quoted above. Similarly, some sites may be remote or inaccessible, and this will undoubtedly add to the cost of the works.

Approximate timescales

There are a number of factors that need to be considered when assembling the programme for the design, construction and installation of an artwork. The time required to obtain funding, for planning permissions or to complete the design work will vary significantly, and cannot be specified here.

Appropriate allowances should be made based on experience of the local conditions and the advice given by the consultants, artists, planners and client. It’s advisable to discuss specific needs with your intended fabricator.

The following offer indicative timescales for construction work that might be required:

• Orders for steelwork
  Small quantities of steel are generally stocked by fabricators, and can be used when required. Larger quantities, such as would be required for a small retail enclosure, for instance, may need to be ordered from the steelwork suppliers directly, and might need up to three months notice for delivery.
• Fabrication and preparation of steelwork
  Simple steel structures can typically be fabricated within several days of the order being placed. Curved steelwork, or those requiring complex protection systems or finishes, may take up to several weeks longer.
• Installation of steelwork
  Domestic-scale or smaller installations of steelwork in accessible locations can generally be completed within a couple of days. Significantly larger installations, or those in inaccessible locations may take up to two weeks to complete.
• Foundations
  Should shallow excavation only be required for the simple nominally-reinforced foundations of an artwork, this can typically be completed in about one or two days for domestic-scale or smaller installation. The casting of the concrete foundation itself should take less than a day for most small installations, although the concrete will not be strong enough to support significant loads for a few days after casting. Larger installations, or those requiring piling or retaining walls may take up to several weeks to complete.

Other requirements that will also need to be included are site surveys and the establishment of a compound and adequate protection, if required.

Ove Arup and Partners International

This guideline has been written for Commissions North by Arup Newcastle, the regional office of Ove Arup and Partners International, which employs several consultant engineers who have been involved in artwork projects worldwide.

Arup also have considerable experience of project management, project co-ordination, computer visualisation, fabric structures architecture, acoustical engineering, and planning supervision.

Matthew Birchall and John Gregory, Arup Newcastle, will be able to advise on individual projects, if required. For more information, visit www.arup.com, email matthew.birchall@arup.com, or telephone 0191 261 6080.