Precast concrete creates an obvious edge-protection question.
If the element already contains engineered lifting points, why begin by drilling another set of holes into it?
On the Guildford Sewage Treatment Works Relocation project, involving BAM UK & Ireland and DJ Civils Ltd, edge protection was required across precast concrete structures as the work progressed.
The system needed to provide reliable protection while supporting an efficient installation sequence. It also needed to avoid introducing unnecessary drilling, dust, noise and vibration into an already complex infrastructure environment.
NON-DRILL provided a practical way to use the structure as it had already been designed.
Use the connection that is already there
The NON-DRILL posts were connected directly to the existing lifting anchors in the precast concrete.
This avoided the need to drill new post fixings into the finished elements. It also removed the associated drilling equipment, dust controls, vibration exposure and later make-good work from that part of the installation process.
The system could be installed securely without permanently modifying the precast structure.
But the more important point is not simply that a hole was avoided.
It is that the edge-protection method began with an understanding of the structure and the connections it already provided.
No drilling is the visible benefit. Better connection planning is the larger advantage.
One project does not always need one answer
The wider project also used King Klamp edge protection in areas where a clamped system was better suited to the structure and changing work phases.
That is worth mentioning because good temporary-works planning is not about forcing one product onto every edge.
Different structures, geometries and construction stages can require different connection methods. The task is to understand the exposure, the supporting structure and the installation sequence, then select the method that works best in that location.
On the precast elements, the existing lifting anchors gave NON-DRILL a ready connection point. In other areas, the adaptable King Klamp system provided a practical alternative.
The project did not need one universal product. It needed a coordinated edge-protection methodology.
Avoiding drilling removes more than the hole
Drilling into concrete is not a single action.
It requires equipment, access and labour. The team must manage noise, vibration and respirable crystalline silica dust. The proposed fixing location must be checked, and the hole may need to be made good when the temporary system is removed.
On infrastructure projects such as sewage treatment works, where site conditions and environmental controls matter, removing an unnecessary concrete-processing task can simplify far more than the installation itself.
It can make the work cleaner, quieter and easier to coordinate with surrounding activities.
This does not mean drilling is never used in construction. It means it should not become the default edge-protection strategy before the project has considered what connections the structure already provides.
Edge protection should work with the construction sequence
Temporary edge protection is often selected after the structure has been designed and the precast elements have been manufactured.
By then, the site team may be left solving the connection problem beside the exposed edge.
A better conversation happens earlier.
Where will the edge become exposed? What connection points will already be available? Can the protection be installed before access is required? Will it need to move as the project progresses? What will be involved when the system is removed?
These questions help the project choose a method that works with the structure and construction sequence rather than creating another task around them.
The Guildford project demonstrates the principle clearly: use existing lifting anchors where they provide the right connection opportunity, use an alternative system where the site condition calls for it, and plan the protection around the actual work.
The structure should inform the edge-protection method. The edge-protection method should not unnecessarily alter the structure.
Discuss your project
Planning edge protection for precast concrete or complex infrastructure works?
Talk to NON-DRILL while the structure, connection points and installation sequence can still influence the methodology.