Dan Ellacott met with Andy Gabel, Managing Director of GS4U, to learn more about the company, their products and services...
At the Great Holiday Home Show we were exhibiting across the way from a great team with an incredible, innovative product that we just had to showcase.
Following the show, we got together with their MD – Andy Gabel and got to know a little more about their ground screws and their new Holiday Lodge siting system STAYGROUNDED
NACO: TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF, YOUR BACKGROUND AND STAYGROUNDED
I have worked in the construction industry since leaving school and I was a keen Rugby player over the years playing at quite a high standard in Rugby league, I am now retired from the game and now passing my knowledge and experience on to coach my son’s team at a local Rugby Union club.
I love socialising and spending time with my family and friends in my spare time.I first found/started working with Ground screws in 2011 when I contacted a Swedish company to become their UK installation partner, at this time Ground screws had never been used or recognised in the UK market, I set up the first ground screw company in the UK and from this I have helped develop and educate the UK market to what is now a widely recognised and used every day in the UK market replacing concrete foundations for a more environmentally friendly, faster and cleaner solution for solid foundations for all types of timber and lightweight structures such as garden rooms, garden annexes and even houses.
NACO: TELL US MORE ABOUT HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS?
I have developed our STAYGROUNDED system when I was working on a holiday park and got asked the question “can we use the ground screws rather than concrete”.
I then went away and studied the art of lodge siting and how I could make the whole process faster, quicker, cleaner, and safer…after months of development and testing the STAYGROUNDED system was then born.
The system simply replaces the need for large concrete rafts and pad.
NACO: ‘SUSTAINABILITY’ IS A WORD WE HEAR MORE AND MORE NOWADAYS – HOW DOES THIS SOLUTION HELP?
As I have mentioned above our system 100% eliminates the need for concrete which we all know is the second biggest factor to climate change.
Our STAYGROUNDED system is 100% reusable and recyclable with a life span of around 70-90 years.
NACO: HOW DOES THE SYSTEM WORK?
It’s a very simple process, in 2 stages,
Stage 1…we come to site to carry out specific dynamic load testing in the areas of development, with the results this gives us accurate “site specific” loadings for the ground screws and then we understand the lengths required to adequately support the holiday Lodges.
Stage 2…once we are 100% happy with the results, we return to site to install the STAYGROUNDED system in the areas of the development, whether that be 1 lodge of 100 lodges we can have the works carried out in a matter of days/weeks ready for the new lodges to be sited.
NACO: HOW MIGHT THIS SOLUTION BE USEFUL FOR PARK OWNERS / CARAVAN OWNERS?
It is a far quicker, cleaner, and costeffective system, whereas the traditional park development could take up to 6 months with digging out, setting up pitches, and pouring concrete which takes weeks of drying times we can do the same number of pitches in weeks. Time is the most important aspect when Park owners want ROI.
NACO: WE SPOKE ABOUT TESTING AND QUALITY, CAN YOU EXPAND ON THIS?
As mentioned above Testing is the most important element of the system, as we as a company need to be 100% confident the lodges don’t move or sink once installed on our system….nobody likes a wobbly lodge ha-ha!
NACO: YOU TOUCHED ON THE RELATIONSHIP YOU’RE DEVELOPING WITH VICTORY, TELL US MORE
Victory Leisure have been instrumental in supporting me from the outset, helping with technical information drawings and advice that has the backbone ofthis whole development, Our first full site where we developed the system were all Victory’s lodges both singles and twins.
We are now fully accredited with Victory leisure and their environmental views are to use the STAYGROUNDED system where possible.
NACO: WHAT PLANS DO YOU HAVE FOR 2024?
Our Plan is to keep moving forward with the new STAYGROUNDED system and educating as many park operators/developers as possible so in turn they can reduce their carbon footprint, saving time and costs and helping them develop their parks in a more efficient manor.
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Published on 07 February 2024 By Jenny Blumsom