Providing a diverse range of industry-leading civil and structural engineering services for 21 years and counting, Fergal Coughlan Chartered Engineers has also established itself as a specialist independent precast concrete inspector. Building Ireland travelled to Spancil Hill in County Clare to find out more.
Clare man Fergal Coughlan has been working as a chartered civil and structural engineer for three decades and has headed up his own practice since 2001. Providing clients with a comprehensive range of specialist engineering services, Fergal Coughlan Chartered Engineers has found an additional niche for itself as an independent precast concrete inspector and its eponymous founder is as busy now as ever he’s been:
“There’s talk of another recession but I haven’t seen any real sign of it yet, thankfully,” the Clare engineer notes. “We’ll just have to wait and see what happens. If there is one, I don’t think it’s going to be as severe as the last one. For now, we are very busy and hopefully that will continue.
“However, at the same time, it’s clear that something has to happen to stabilise things because the cost of construction and of materials has sky-rocketed and that is unsustainable.”
Holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from NUIG, Fergal covers all aspects of civil and structural engineering, from domestic one-off houses (including design for planning and construction phases and assigned certifier) to structural engineering on commercial projects. Meanwhile, civils / infrastructure work could involve anything from road and bridge projects to group water schemes, replacement water mains, etc.
Regarding his specialist work as an independent precast concrete inspector, Fergal continues: “With the new HS2 line in the UK, there is a lot of bridge construction taking place – replacement bridges and new bridges. Due to the availability of high-quality precast concrete in Ireland – specifically from Macrete in Northern Ireland, and Shay Murtagh Precast and Banagher Precast in the midlands – the main contractors have decided to import the beams and precast products.
“We are providing independent quality control inspections on that precast concrete. We inspect it and there is then a trial erection here before the structure is taken apart again and shipped to the UK.”
One of the great strengths of Fergal Coughlan Chartered Engineers is the extensive range of professional services offered. “Although my background is in structural engineering and civil engineering, the business is very diverse,” the Clare engineer confirms. “It was during the last downturn that we diversified into precast concrete inspection.
“The precast market here in Ireland is very strong. Aggregate is plentiful and manufacturers work to very high standards. Both the expertise and the quality product are here and in construction it all comes down to who can provide the best service. Shay Murtagh Precast, for example, deliver bridges worldwide and are renowned internationally for the quality of their product.”
For one-off houses, Fergal generally covers the greater Clare / Limerick / Galway catchment area. In order to provide value-added engineering services, it makes sense to work as locally as possible. In conjunction with select local architects, he can take a new build project through all the various stages from planning to drawing up workable construction drawings, choosing a builder, through the construction phase and acting as an assigned certifier.
The current market is challenging due to inflation and material costs. “There are still a lot of houses being built and we are busy but it’s difficult to get prices back from builders because they are understandably afraid of fluctuating prices,” he points out. “The market is so volatile that they can’t confidently commit to a price. A builder could normally absorb a 2-3% increase in costs but materials are going up by much more than that. For this reason, they are tentative and not as forthcoming with prices as they used to be.
“There is also a shortage of materials, especially in M&E with heat pumps becoming more difficult to source and waiting times getting longer. But hopefully things will stabilise. In construction, you will always have peaks and troughs and it keeps changing. At the moment, the level of inflation is having a knock-on effect on everything. We need it to stabilise first, then to start going in reverse, to help not just construction but the overall economy.”
At the time of writing, Fergal was engaged on a 13-unit development of stunning, one-off, flat-roof holiday homes in Lahinch. This development had been put on hold before Fergal Coughlan Chartered Engineers joined forces with local builder Richard Pyne to get it over the line…
“I was involved from the third house through to the 13th,” Fergal reveals. “I changed the design to make it more building compliant and also to improve views, etc. Before I got involved with Richie, these were concrete bunkers that had been left unfinished. There are two remaining to be completed now and this will be a very nice project when finished. We’re extremely pleased with how it turned out.”
As far as Fergal is concerned, providing exceptional service is a prerequisite to becoming established as a structural and civil engineer of choice: “Clients know when they get me in that they will get a good service. They will get good drawings and documents to work with. I provide a good package and I know I give value for money.
“People will often go to the cheapest option, but cheapest is not always best. I give my full commitment to every project and, what I charge, I give it back in the form of a very good service. One thing people know is that when I commit to a job, I give 100%.
“I work with a lot of builders and they know what I’m looking for. I have a good rapport with them and it’s important that everybody gets on – the builders, the client and everybody else involved on a project – because it’s going to be a collaborative effort.”
Fergal’s reputation for excellence precedes him and the popularity of his practice is built not on advertising but repeat business and word of mouth. “We get a lot of referrals and referrals are the best form of advertising,” he concludes. “I honesty wouldn’t go looking for work; people ring me because I have been recommended by somebody else I worked for.
“That takes time to build up. Twenty-one years is a long time, but you keep chipping away, giving the best service you can, and it starts to pay off. If you are doing your job right, then you will get referred.”
Fergal Coughlan Chartered Engineers,
Spancil Hill,
Ennis,
County Clare.
Tel: 087 2696692
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, November 2022, Vol 8 No 11
Fergal Coughlan Chartered Engineers
