The centerpiece to Europe’s biggest ever zoo development is replicating a tropical environment- with help from bespoke engineering from Blackpool. Included in Chester Zoo’s new £40m Islands project- the UK’s biggest ever, at 60,000m2– is the Monsoon Forest. The 31,050m³ house is the largest indoor zoo exhibit in the UK,
The government says it wants to help UK steel suppliers “compete on a level playing field” with overseas competitors after introducing a raft of new measures on public sector procurement. Public sector clients will have to advertise steel demand on each project while contractors bidding for government work will have
Dewalt is (hopefully soon) coming out with a new 20V Max brushless impact driver, model DCF887. It is unclear whether the Dewalt DCF887 will replace either of their other brushless impact driver options, or whether it will be sold alongside them. Dewalt’s other impact drivers include the DCF885, which dates
A LEADING North East construction firm has launched a dedicated materials testing division to capitalise on opportunities within the North East civil engineering sector. OPAL Testing Services has been established by the Owen Pugh Group as an externally focused business, to provide UKAS accredited aggregate and soils testing both on
The centerpiece to Europe’s biggest ever zoo development is replicating a tropical environment- with help from bespoke engineering from Blackpool. Included in Chester Zoo’s new £40m Islands project- the UK’s biggest ever, at 60,000m2– is the Monsoon Forest. The 31,050m³ house is the largest indoor zoo exhibit in the UK, and home to a tropical rainforest and animals including Sulawesi crested macaques, Sunda gharial crocodiles and several exotic bird species. In line with the zoo’s aim of enabling visitors, vegetation and animals to be immersed in habitats as close as possible to nature, one of the main contractors Laing O’Rourke through its subsidiary Crown House Technologies commissioned British air movement specialist Gilberts of Blackpool to devise a solution to ventilate the exhibit interior. Gilberts engineered a system whereby 400mm dia aluminium jet nozzle diffusers have been mounted in galvanised plenum boxes in turn connected to underfloor BMS ductwork. Each nozzle can be independently angled, to gently stir the air upwards towards the roof, which is itself high enough to allow a free-flight aviary. The company designed and tested the system, then bespoke engineered it in-house at its 85,000ft2 manufacturing facility. “We have an established, proven reputation for designing and developing bespoke solutions,” says Gilberts’ Technical Director Roy Jones. “Islands was a bit different to our normal commission: we needed to balance some means of creating adequate artificial air movement in a huge area, in a way that mimicked a tropical rainforest, to suit the range of species living there, by forcing air towards ‘cool zones’ up in the trees, , and would withstand their investigation! ‘Our unique, in-house R&D and test facilities meant we were quickly and efficiently able to develop a solution, and verify its performance computationally and in reality.” Added Phil Ashton, Crown House Technologies Project Manager, “Islands has been a very complex project, integrating 25 buildings on a 1.5km jungle path. Every element of the build- even the ventilation- needed to be as close as possible to the reality. We knew from experience that Gilberts has the knowledge and capability to engineer a bespoke solution efficiently and economically.” Family-owned Gilberts is Britain’s leading air movement specialist. The company is unique in manufacturing every component in house- even as far as designing and engineering its own tools and dies in our own tool making facility. It is also one of the UK’s largest manufacturers of grilles and louvres, and a growing force in the design and supply of natural ventilation solutions for the commercial sector.
The government says it wants to help UK steel suppliers “compete on a level playing field” with overseas competitors after introducing a raft of new measures on public sector procurement. Public sector clients will have to advertise steel demand on each project while contractors bidding for government work will have to include supply chain plans, including the source of their steel. Procuring organisations, while urged to award contracts on a value for money basis, have also been told to consider “social criteria” in their decision making. These criteria “include taking into account the benefits of employment and supply chain activity”, meaning procurers should assess the impact on jobs, health and safety, training and the environment when awarding contracts. The new measures apply to public projects valued at more than £10m, with the government stressing that it wants to “improve visibility of opportunities on major projects such as HS2 and Network Rail, so that UK steel suppliers will be able to bid”. The measures, drawn up by the Steel Procurement Working Group, come in response to a deepening crisis in the steel industry, caused in part by the importing of cheaper Chinese steel. Around 4,000 jobs have already been lost following the closure of SSI redcar Plant and the downsizing of Tata Steels operations in Scunthorpe and Scotland. Matthew Hancock (pictured), paymaster general and chair of the working group, said: “By asking procurers on major UK projects to consider social and environmental impacts, we are building a Britain that is happier, healthier and better off. “We will always strive to get the best value for money for taxpayers and we are going to do so in a way that strengthens our economy and bolsters the long-term prosperity of people across the country. “I don’t want contracts going abroad if the best bid is a British bid with all the social and economic benefits that brings.
Dewalt is (hopefully soon) coming out with a new 20V Max brushless impact driver, model DCF887. It is unclear whether the Dewalt DCF887 will replace either of their other brushless impact driver options, or whether it will be sold alongside them. Dewalt’s other impact drivers include the DCF885, which dates back to the launch of the 20V Max platform, the DCF895 brushless impact driver, which comes with a stubby button-operated bit chuck and features 3 speed and torque settings, and the single speed DCF886 brushless impact driver, which is our best cordless impact driver editor’s choice pick. The new brushless impact driver, DCF887, is said to be shorter than the DCF886, and nearly 22% more powerful at its highest electronic speed and torque setting. Ergonomically, the DCF887 appears to be closely based off of the DCF886 design. Going by specs, the DCF887 is 1/4″ shorter in length (5.55″ – 5.3″ = 0.25″) than the DCF886, although Dewalt’s product description explicitly says it is 2 mm shorter than the previous DCF886, which would be a paltry 0.079″ (a little over 5/64″). The previous DCF886 part could suggest that this model is meant to replace the DCF886. Features & Specs 1/4″ hex bit chuck 3 speed settings Max torque: 240/1500/1825 in-lbs Speed: 0-1000/2800/3250 RPM 5.3″ length Precision drive in speed 1 for increased control for precision applications 3 LED worklights around chuck for shadow-free illumination 20 second LED trigger-release delay The new cordless impact driver will launch with 3 bundle options: DCF887B is the bare tool, a DCF887D2 kit comes with (2) compact 2.0Ah Li-ion battery packs, and a DCF887M2 kit comes with (2) 4.0Ah battery packs. The kits also come with a fast charger, belt clip, and kit box. ETA: TBA Pricing: TBA
A LEADING North East construction firm has launched a dedicated materials testing division to capitalise on opportunities within the North East civil engineering sector. OPAL Testing Services has been established by the Owen Pugh Group as an externally focused business, to provide UKAS accredited aggregate and soils testing both on site and within the materials testing laboratory based at Marsden Quarry in Whitburn. The work undertaken by the seven strong team includes carrying out sampling and testing to ensure materials comply with relevant specifications for construction and civil engineering use. The team also undertakes site investigation work, providing a factual geotechnical assessment of the ground conditions related to the proposed development. While Owen Pugh Aggregates, which owns and operates the Marsden Quarry site, has previously offered materials testing as a service to other divisions within the Owen Pugh Group, the launch of OPAL Testing Services follows an investment of £100k in equipment, facilities and a new vehicle as well as the recruitment of two new apprentices, Maxine Dennis and Dominic Brown, to enable the business to generate its own revenue stream. OPAL is already attracting work from a number of construction and civil engineering companies as well as local authorities and has already secured work on significant regional schemes. Michael Aiston, Lab Manager at OPAL Testing Services, said: “The launch of OPAL Testing Services was a natural progression for the materials testing facility at Marsden Quarry. With significant schemes like the development of the New Wear Crossing and Morpeth Bypass underway in the region, and the recent expansion of our lab facilities, now is the time to capitalise on our assets and become an externally focused operation. We’re pleased to welcome on board apprentice lab technicians Maxine and Dominic who are already showing real promise and will ensure we’re well positioned to meet customer demands.” Michael says that the commitment to high quality customer service and swift turnaround times will ensure the success of the operation. He added: “The customer experience is at the forefront of everything we do. We are committed to doing everything possible to meet and exceed their requirements, for example we’re able to provide the results of plate bearing tests instantly on site which means fewer delays for the customer.” OPAL Testing Services is also committed to investing in the latest equipment to maintain efficiencies and ensure the highest Health & Safety standards, for example it has invested in an Electronic Density Gauge (EDG), a nuclear-free alternative for determining the moisture and density of compacted soils used in road beds and foundations. Michael added: “We pride ourselves operate at the forefront of technology which again allows both ourselves and our customers to be as effective and efficient as possible.” John Dickson, chairman of the Owen Pugh Group, said: “The launch of OPAL Testing Services is an exciting development for the group which allows us to maximise the materials testing capabilities at our Marsden Quarry site. With a number of major schemes underway in the region the OPAL Testing Services team is well placed to utilise its specialist capabilities to ensure the future growth of the division.” A new website has been developed to underpin the launch of OPAL Testing Services which can be found at: www.opaltestingservices.com OPAL Testing Services is part of the Owen Pugh Group which comprises five trading companies operating in the civil engineering industry, undertaking earthmoving and demolition, drainage and groundworks, plant hire and haulage, quarrying, inert waste and drain cleaning, and CCTV surveys. The group, which employs more than 430 staff across its divisions, is headquartered in Dudley near Cramlington, with other bases in Blaydon, Sunderland, Stockton-on-Tees and Marsden Quarry. For further information about the Owen Pugh Group visit www.owenpugh.com.
