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Business World |
April 2015
32
have our own design coordination depart-
ment responsible for coordinating architects
and engineers, which we normally would
sublet to consulting practices on the island."
To facilitate this transition, NH Interna-
tional (Caribbean) has put the systems and
technologies in place to handle the increased
workload that comes with broadening their
scope. Specifically, they have developed a
formwork system that allows them to quickly
replicate building models, greatly enhancing
their ability to finish projects in an efficient
and timely manner.
"The formwork system is made of aluminum
forms, and the forms are modulated to suit
the particular project," John explains. "For
example, if it was a housing project, the form
would be a mold to build one house. If it was
a hotel, it would be to build one room of the
hotel. If it was another type of building, it
would be one part of the building that would
then be used repetitively. So, the form is
made to enable us to cast the slab, walls, col-
umns, and beams to the module that we've
developed in one concrete pour operation."
"The benefit, first of all, is it achieves qual-
ity because you're casting the whole part of
the building in one pour, and the windows,
doors, et cetera are all cast together and