Morgan Sindall Professional Services (MSPS), the engineering consultancy part of Morgan Sindall, has appointed Paul Smith to the new role of director of operations. Above: Paul Smith Paul Smith was previously director of operations for Jacobs’ UK process business and has worked across various sector including manufacturing, nuclear and defence.
Government statistics take a too narrow view of the definition of ‘construction’, according to the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). The government’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) is consulting industry on its Construction Price and Cost Indices (CPCIs), for which it took on responsibility on 1st April 2015. The ONS
Management buy-out for ADEY Published: 14 June, 2016 ADEY Professional Heating Solutions has agreed a management buyout as part of its ongoing growth strategy. The buyout of the water treatment manufacturer is led by ADEY’s chief executive officer (CEO), John Vaughan, with the full backing of the company’s board, and
A new red brick colour has been created for the Saint-Gobain Weber External Wall Insulation (EWI) system chosen by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) for their property upgrade programme in the Dinnington area. The weber.therm XM EWI system, finished with weber.rend RB Render Brick in the new Georgian Red colour,
ISG has secured a contract to refurbish and extend the University of Oxford’s Tinbergen Building, improving facilities and create new chemistry teaching laboratories. The Tinbergen Building is currently home to the university’s Department of Experimental Psychology and Department of Zoology It was designed by Sir Leslie Martin and named after
Two fraudsters who set up construction companies solely to claim more than £500,000 tax back on supplies for new build houses that were never built, have been sentenced to two years in jail. Timothy Bentley, 62, from Cheshire and his son James Bentley, 35, from Sutton Coldfield pleaded guilty to
Highways England has released a short video showing giant steel beams being lifted into place over the M1 near Dunstable as part of the £162m A5-M1 link road project. A Costain Carillion joint venture is building a new 2.8-mile dual carriageway to improve the east-west connection between the A5 and
Morgan Sindall Professional Services (MSPS), the engineering consultancy part of Morgan Sindall, has appointed Paul Smith to the new role of director of operations. Above: Paul Smith Paul Smith was previously director of operations for Jacobs’ UK process business and has worked across various sector including manufacturing, nuclear and defence. A fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers, he is both a chartered engineer and a chartered scientist. His new role will be to support the MSPS’ managing director Martin Lubieniecki in growing the business. His remit includes new business development and driving a culture change within the business by delegating more responsibility and accountability to key employees. Mr Smith said: “I am genuinely excited to be afforded the opportunity to bring my operational and commercial skills to MSPS and help Martin and the team to make a great business even better. I am particularly looking forward to working closely with the Sector Directors and their teams in defining new strategies, harnessing cross-sector capabilities and leveraging our strength and depth of resource to deliver innovation and superior performance to all our customers.” Martin Lubieniecki added: “Paul’s appointment reflects our commitment to investing in the very finest talent with the appropriate levels of experience and expertise that we need to support our customers’ objectives. Paul is a respected name within the industry, and his knowledge of major clients and key sectors will be invaluable in taking our business forward.” This article was published on 7 Oct 2016 (last updated on 7 Oct 2016). Source link
Government statistics take a too narrow view of the definition of ‘construction’, according to the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). The government’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) is consulting industry on its Construction Price and Cost Indices (CPCIs), for which it took on responsibility on 1st April 2015. The ONS previously developed an interim construction output price index while it develops a long-term solution. This consultation on the construction price statistics will help ONS develop that long-term solution. The consultation seeks to discover more on the price statistics that users want and why, along with details on why these statistics are important to them. The CIOB says that construction data from the ONS informs industry, alongside clients and investors, on the economic performance and potential outlook for the construction industry. The data can influence decisions on investment in the built environment so having accurate, relevant data available is incredibly important. Public affairs manager Eddi Tuttle submitted the CIOB’s response to the consultation saying that the ONS’ official classification of construction is too narrow and underestimates the importance of the wider industry. Currently, construction is defined only as ‘on-site activity’ and excludes other ‘off-site’ sectors such as the manufacturing of construction products. It also excludes the work of professional services, such as architects, engineers, quantity surveyors and other consultancies. Mr Tuttle wrote: “Our concern is not simply that the industry’s economic impact is underplayed and its political voice potentially lessened, though this is likely and unfortunate. Our greater concern is the potential for data being misinterpreted, which can lead to poor policy decisions. “This has been brought home to us recently, as the CIOB is currently producing a report on productivity in the construction industry. The official data, based on the GVA measure, suggest low productivity growth. This is common across most developed nations. However, much emphasis among those seeking to increase construction productivity is placed on offsite activities, at the design stage or in materials assembly. These would mostly fall outside of construction as defined.” This article was published on 22 Apr 2016 (last updated on 22 Apr 2016). Source link
Management buy-out for ADEY Published: 14 June, 2016 ADEY Professional Heating Solutions has agreed a management buyout as part of its ongoing growth strategy. The buyout of the water treatment manufacturer is led by ADEY’s chief executive officer (CEO), John Vaughan, with the full backing of the company’s board, and with the investment and support of LDC, part of the Lloyds Banking Group. The firm invented the MagnaClean filter 10 years ago and, since then, has established a ‘total system best practice’ approach, creating a family of products designed to clean, flush, maintain, protect and test heating systems. Commenting on the buy-out, Mr Vaughan said: “This investment marks the next chapter in our growth journey and will help us to achieve our goal of providing all our customers, in the UK and around the world, with the best possible preventative solutions in the heating systems market. “ADEY has innovation in its DNA, and we will continue to launch new products that assist heating installers to serve their customers’ needs with the most effective tools. More than three million MagnaClean filters are installed in the UK, and the scope for more households, businesses and local authorities to benefit from our low cost energy saving products drives the Board’s ambition for continued growth.” Currently supplying its products in the UK and mainland Europe, ADEY is planning to expand into new markets including the US, Asia and Eastern Europe, as well as investing in new product development. Source link
A new red brick colour has been created for the Saint-Gobain Weber External Wall Insulation (EWI) system chosen by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) for their property upgrade programme in the Dinnington area. The weber.therm XM EWI system, finished with weber.rend RB Render Brick in the new Georgian Red colour, has been created to accurately match the established red brick Georgian properties in the area. The senior Building Surveyor for RMBC required that the properties being thermally improved should match the traditional aesthetics, as far as reasonably practical, and the Saint-Gobain Weber laboratory at Flitwick, Bedfordshire, subsequently developed the new colour to add to the existing palette. Additionally, a distressed finish has been achieved by artistic application of weber.sil P, a silicone enhanced masonry paint, to create an even more natural, aged brick effect. This process has been enthusiastically welcomed by both RMBC and the residents in maintaining the traditional colours of the now thermally enhanced properties. The 88 properties in this project were built in the 1930s and were identified as hard to treat, some with solid walls and some with narrow cavities of varied dimensions. To achieve a target u-value of 0.28W/m²K from 1.48 W/m²K, 80mm of expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation has been fixed to the outer walls as part of the weber.therm XM system and finished with the weber.rend RB Render Brick finish, a combination of two coloured mortars used together to create the brick effect finish. Once the insulation material has been fixed to the structure, an initial coat of weber.rend LAC render is applied over the insulation with a mesh-cloth reinforcement laid into it. A second pass of weber.rend LAC is then applied which is finished with a lightly comb-scratched surface to encourage the bond with the weber.rend RBB base coat which acts as the mortar line in the brick effect. This is applied at 7-8mm thick and ruled to achieve a flat, in-plane surface. When this has taken-up a 2-3mm coat of weber.rend RBF face coat is applied and the surface lightly textured with a soft bristle brush to create the brick face. When this coat has taken up the brick pattern is marked carefully and cuts are made through the face coat render to expose the base coat to achieve an authentic, bonded brickwork appearance. The weber.rend RB system is a cost effective and attractive finish giving excellent weather protection for varying climatic conditions. In conjunction with the brick effect, the existing rendered panels were replicated using weber.therm XP, a through-coloured one coat render in ivory achieving the welcome, fresh contrast RMBC required. The Hall Construction Group, Kingston upon Hull, successfully tendered as the main contractor for the project and Mark Thompson, contracts manager, explains the broad scope of the programme. “We have carried out work to the roofs, some window replacements and DPC work, but the main element has been the EWI. We brought in Skyline as the applicator and together we created warmer, more efficient and attractive properties, producing an excellent match between the EWI properties and others in the area. Residents are already telling us that the properties are wonderfully warm and that they have had to turn their thermostats right down!” Skyline Construction Services Ltd., Wakefield, West Yorkshire, is a Weber recommended applicator who was appointed to install the EWI at Dinnington. Contracts manager John Mullins worked with Weber to develop the new Georgian Red for Rotherham: “The client needed to match the traditional red brick finish of properties in the area and chose from colour samples we completed on test panels on site. Getting the distressed brick finish required very accurate roller work from my teams but the result is excellent and has been much praised in the community. As winter comes in the residents are really experiencing the great benefits of the Weber EWI system, which brings the U values up to modern building standards, and enjoying greater warmth for less expenditure on their heating costs. We believe that the Weber EWI system is the market leader and does everything we require in this type of project.” Residents of the Dinnington properties welcomed the greatly improved appearance of the properties and are enjoying the high performance benefits of good thermal insulation. For more information about this project, or for technical support, please contact Saint-Gobain Weber on 08703 330 070, or visit www.netweber.co.uk. Customers in Ireland should call 028 9335 2999 or visit www.weber.ie A free download of the new weber.app for iPhone and iPad users is also available from iTunes and from Google Play for Android smartphones and tablet users. Follow Saint-Gobain Weber on Twitter @SGWeberUK for the latest company news and updates.
ISG has secured a contract to refurbish and extend the University of Oxford’s Tinbergen Building, improving facilities and create new chemistry teaching laboratories. The Tinbergen Building is currently home to the university’s Department of Experimental Psychology and Department of Zoology It was designed by Sir Leslie Martin and named after Nikolaas Tinbergen, joint winner of the 1973 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. ISG will start on site in early summer to carry out a phased refurbishment of the existing four-storey precast concrete building – encompassing circa 600,000 sq ft of space. The contractor will also build and fit out a new three-storey structure for the Department of Chemistry. ISG will use silent sheet piling installation methods to enable the basement level to be excavated for the new build element of the scheme. New chemistry teaching laboratories will include 60 fume cupboards, each with separate extract outlets. Sustainable measures include the installation of external solar shading, an extensive roof-mounted photovoltaic panel array, advanced heat recovery system and connection into the university’s combined heat and power (CHP) district heating system. The scheme has been designed by Australian architect Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp. Project manager is CPC Project Services. Paul Sharp, divisional director of ISG’s Engineering Services business, said: “Schemes like the Tinbergen Building require a contractor that is experienced in technically demanding environments, offering an end-to-end solution with a highly engineered response to complex challenges, such as vibration restrictions, services continuity and safe extract of gases. “ISG’s niche expertise in this sector and our proven track record delivering new build and operational refurbishments gives us a richly compelling market proposition, which sees us securing an increasing volume of quality opportunities with customers operating some of the most highly engineered and technologically advanced buildings in the UK.”
Two fraudsters who set up construction companies solely to claim more than £500,000 tax back on supplies for new build houses that were never built, have been sentenced to two years in jail. Timothy Bentley, 62, from Cheshire and his son James Bentley, 35, from Sutton Coldfield pleaded guilty to making a series of fraudulent VAT repayment claims over three years. A third man, Salim Rahman, 30, from Stoke on Trent, got a suspended 10-month sentence after admitting money laundering offences. An HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) investigation found that the Bentleys had set up two companies: J Bentley Construction Ltd and Warwickshire Engineering Supplies Ltd and had operated Buildtech Construction 33 Ltd. The investigation revealed that between August 2009 and December 2012 the pair made 15 VAT repayment claims totalling £515,721.56. The investigation also uncovered a bank account for Buildtech Construction Ltd, set up by the company director, Salim Rahman, used to cash the fraudulent repayment cheques. HMRC assistant director Richard Young said: “Timothy and James Bentley had set up and operated these construction companies for no other reason than to fraudulently claim back VAT paid on building materials. Our investigations showed that the invoices the defendants provided to us were bogus – there were never any construction supplies and never any new build houses.”
Highways England has released a short video showing giant steel beams being lifted into place over the M1 near Dunstable as part of the £162m A5-M1 link road project. A Costain Carillion joint venture is building a new 2.8-mile dual carriageway to improve the east-west connection between the A5 and the M1, north of Dunstable. It includes three new junctions, including a new motorway junction, and six new bridges. During March and April 2016, the contractors lifted in 38 beams, each weighing 100 tonnes, to form a new junction 11A interchange bridge and Highways England project manager Karen Green said: “The A5-M1 Link scheme is progressing well and to plan. Lifting the beams for these two bridges was an important milestone for the A5-M1 Link Road project, which will offer motorists better and safer journeys and help reduce congestion through Dunstable as well as unlock land for new homes and businesses. “The two new bridges will be opened to traffic closer to the scheme completion in spring 2017.”
