Stanford Industrial Concrete Flooring has begun a four-month project to pour 26,000 cubic metres of concrete for the floor of the new Jaguar Land Rover engine manufacturing centre in Wolverhampton. Above: Hope is supplying Stanford with concrete for Jaguar Land Rover’s new Wolverhampton plant The £2m project demands up to
The first scaffolding training centre to deliver apprenticeships and commercial courses in the North East of Scotland opened its doors this week. The state-of-the-art facility, which has received more than £1 million in investment, is a partnership between the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and ASET International Oil & Gas
Cloud Skippers, 2009, © Clouds Architecture Office Visions for the world’s towns and cities revealed in new free exhibition The Future City, RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London W1 1AD10 February – 31 March 2015 What do changing demographics and lifestyles mean for our cities? Can emerging technologies help future-proof
Infrastructure firm Balfour Beatty has been awarded the major £170 million contract to deliver a package of improvement for the work on Heathrow Airport. The deal was announced to the stock exchange on Tuesday morning and will see the company upgrade the airport’s handling systems and baggage screen at the
The UK’s coal generation in the first quarter of 2016 has fallen by about 50% on the same period in 2015 which is a record low for the industry, according to the latest official figures. In the first three months of the year, coal fired plants generated 14.6TWh of electricity,
The Victoria Station Upgrade (VSU) project in central London will provide one of the best examples seen so far of how Building Information Modelling (BIM) can be used in ground engineering. A joint venture between BAM Nuttall and Taylor Woodrow (BNTW) will deliver the project worth around £700 million and
The UK solar industry has launched a new initiative in celebration of its third ‘Solar Independence Day’ when the country observed solar energy. The event saw people up and down the country posting photos using the hashtag #SolarIndependece and to mark the occasion, the Solar Trade Association (STA) has started
Last month the UK’s construction industry was at its weakest point in seven years, with the housebuilding sector suffering the most. According to a survey carried out by The Markit/CIPS, managers’ purchases fell to 46 last month. The 50 mark separates contraction with expansion activity, which is down significantly from
Shell is planning to leave behind concrete and steel structures as big as the Empire State Building when it abandons one of the North Sea’s largest gas and oil fields. The company has a decommissioning plan in place for the Brent field, which is situated 115 miles to the north
G A Smith – Reputable in Construction (The Following is a Promoted Article) Undoubtedly, one of the greatest – if not the greatest – challenges faced by plant hire firms is managing health and safety. Owing to its power and size, plant equipment is intrinsically dangerous and thus proper risk
Stanford Industrial Concrete Flooring has begun a four-month project to pour 26,000 cubic metres of concrete for the floor of the new Jaguar Land Rover engine manufacturing centre in Wolverhampton. Above: Hope is supplying Stanford with concrete for Jaguar Land Rover’s new Wolverhampton plant The £2m project demands up to 400m3 of ready-mixed concrete a day, which is being supplied by Hope Construction Materials’ readymix plant in Walsall. This is the 50th project that Stanford and Hope have worked together on. They are also in the midst of a two-month project to lay 3,000m3 of concrete to construct the floor slabs of a new industrial warehouse space at Navigation Park in Enfield, North London. Nationwide, Hope and Stanford have worked together on more than 350 flooring pours, totalling nearly 120,000m3 of concrete. Recent projects have included a £160m factory in Hull (pictured below) for the manufacture of wind turbine rotors, a distribution centre for a major food retailer in Grangemouth, and a new store for a major wholesaler in Sunbury, West London. In 2015 Stanford was Hope’s biggest customer, ordering a total of 60,000m3 concrete, according to Hope regional commercial manager Tom Waddington. Stanford Flooring managing director Kevin Louch said: “Hope are excellent at understanding exactly what we want and what our priorities are for each project. They always act to ensure deadlines are met and everything runs smoothly. It is for this reason that we have worked with Hope on so many projects and will continue to do so moving forward. They are trustworthy and flexible and we have a common interest in delivering high quality products.” Further Images This article was published on 15 Apr 2016 (last updated on 15 Apr 2016). Source link
The first scaffolding training centre to deliver apprenticeships and commercial courses in the North East of Scotland opened its doors this week. The state-of-the-art facility, which has received more than £1 million in investment, is a partnership between the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and ASET International Oil & Gas Training Academy (ASET). The centre, based at Clinterty in Aberdeen, offers high quality professional training and a comprehensive portfolio of CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme) and SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority) accredited scaffolding courses. These will train and upskill the Scottish workforce and benefit both the construction and oil and gas industries. David Mosley, CISRS Scheme Manager, commented: “The possibility of a second CISRS accredited centre in Scotland has been discussed at length. We are delighted that ASET and CITB have built an excellent facility and we wish them a very successful future.” Nine learners from across Scotland have started their apprenticeships this week. Dundee-based employer Kevin Malone of Skyline Scaffolding Ltd, employs apprentice scaffolder Darren Holt, who has just begun his training at the new facility. Kevin said: “I was extremely happy when I heard the new centre was opening. It is long overdue, and will certainly be a great boost for scaffolding training in the area.” Atholl Menzies, Chief Executive at ASET, commented: “This is an exciting time for ASET and CITB as we now begin to realise our vision of creating a centre of excellence for scaffolding training in the North of Scotland. This purpose–built facility is perfectly positioned to meet the demand for accredited training at introductory and advanced levels – from Dundee to Shetland. “The apprenticeship provision will help to attract new entrants into the industry, making an important contribution to the local economy. The extensive range of commercial courses available will open up new opportunities for employers and individuals alike. “Organisations now have greater choice in selecting the right training options to develop the skills of their workforce, and individuals can choose to develop existing or acquire new skills in readiness for market opportunities in the decommissioning arena.” Ian Hughes, Strategic Partnerships Director at CITB Scotland, said: “This top quality training centre will offer young people a chance to start a successful career in construction. “We’re proud to work with ASET and get this new facility open for business in such a short period of time. “We look forward to making it a success for all the future scaffolders in the North of Scotland.” A full listing of courses can be found at www.aset.co.uk. Source link
Cloud Skippers, 2009, © Clouds Architecture Office Visions for the world’s towns and cities revealed in new free exhibition The Future City, RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London W1 1AD10 February – 31 March 2015 What do changing demographics and lifestyles mean for our cities? Can emerging technologies help future-proof cities and their citizens? What might YOUR town or city look like in 2065? This month (10 February-31 March 2015) the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) will open a new exhibition The Future City examining how future cities have been visualised over the last 100 years, considering what these depictions sought to explore, and outlining the UK’s key urban challenges over the coming decades. Imagining the city of the future has long been a source of fascination for architects, artists, filmmakers and designers. Through drawings, maps and film, the exhibition will reveal a wide range of fantastical and utopian speculations, from tranquil green utopias and great domed constructions to vast, inter-connected mega-structures and machines. Projects featured will include Cloud Skippers, the concept for flying machine-like cities dreamt up by New York designers, Architecture Office and the huge artificial landscaping of Singapore at One North by Zaha Hadid Architects. UK projects include the proposals for HS2 and designer Simon Elvins’ sound-mapping of Birmingham that reveals a hidden landscape of quiet spaces in the city. RIBA President Stephen Hodder said: ‘Cities are at the heart of our country’s social, cultural and economic life. By 2065 the UK population may rise by 25% to as much as 80.5 million making it one of the EU’s most populous countries. This will create many challenges for cities and it presents a great opportunity for them to evolve and reinvent themselves, fostering a better quality of life for their inhabitants. This exhibition provides huge inspiration for the challenges of the next 50 years.’ Alongside the exhibition, RIBA is hosting a number of workshops during the February half-term (17-20 February). 7 to 18 year olds and families are invited to learn how architects – and you! – will shape the future of our cities. More information at: http://www.architecture.com/workshops Design Quest: Green Growing Cities – For ages 7 to 11, Tuesday 17 February 2015, 11am to 4pm Design Day: Size, Shape, Space: City of the Future – For ages 11 to 15, Tuesday 17 February 2015, 11am to 4pm Design Day: Mutant Cities and Transformer Buildings – For ages 11 to 15, Wednesday 18 February 2015, 11am to 4pm Skill Up: Apprentice Architect – For ages 15 to 18, Thursday 19 February 2015, 11am to 4pm Skill Up: The Only Way is Up? – For ages 15 to 18, Friday 20 February 2015, 11am to 4pm ENDS Notes to editors 1. For further press information contact the RIBA Press Office: 020 7307 3761 pressoffice@riba.org 2. Press images for the exhibition are available to download here: https://riba.box.com/s/06x69u1hrp61972viu0why5fum8h08yi 3. Visitor information for the free exhibition is available here: http://www.architecture.com/WhatsOn/Feb2015/TheFutureCity.aspx 4. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members: www.architecture.com Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates: www.twitter.com/RIBA Posted on Thursday 5th February 2015 Source link
Infrastructure firm Balfour Beatty has been awarded the major £170 million contract to deliver a package of improvement for the work on Heathrow Airport. The deal was announced to the stock exchange on Tuesday morning and will see the company upgrade the airport’s handling systems and baggage screen at the site’s Easter baggage hall after it was granted the work by the Heathrow Airport Limited Delivery Instigator Framework. The contractor says that it will use the latest techniques in building information modelling to grapples with the logistics and design of the project, which will be carried out during normal airport operations. The major outsourcing firm has already secured a series of big contracts at the airport, including a £590 million contract to support the Terminal 2 upgrades and £180 million of infrastructure works, which were both secured in 2014. Balfour Beatty Group Chief Executive, Leo Quinn, commented on the group’s strong relationship with the South East airport by stating that the award of the contract has come as a result of the strong partnership the firm has developed with Heathrow Airport Limited over the past 17 years. Mr Quinn added: “”The UK aviation sector is a core market for Balfour Beatty and we are delighted to play our part in helping Heathrow maintain its position as a leading travel hub and supporting local employment.” Heathrow Airport itself is currently in the middle of a fierce political discussion for the approval of a new third runway at the site after the decision on whether to reward an expansion to Heathrow or rival Gatwick has been put back once again until a new Prime Minister has been put in place. Earlier in the month, hundreds of people who live near the Heathrow site staged a rally to back the government in the construction of a new runway at the airport as it would boost jobs during a tough economic period.
The UK’s coal generation in the first quarter of 2016 has fallen by about 50% on the same period in 2015 which is a record low for the industry, according to the latest official figures. In the first three months of the year, coal fired plants generated 14.6TWh of electricity, compared with 29.5TWh in the first quarter of last year, while the coal industry’s overall generation fell to 15.8% from 30.8%. A market preference for gas and further plant closures were given as the reasons for the ‘record low’ by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Already this year, a series of coal fired plants have left the main energy market or shut down, including Rugeley, Eggborough and Longannet. Meanwhile, Fiddler’s Ferry was saved from closure after the National Gird awarded it a black start contract. Gas generation saw a rise of 48% year on year, which is a rise from 23.7TWh to 35.0TWh, while its share of the generation mix also saw a significant rise from 24.7% to 37.8%. Price reporting company ICIS also reported that gas prices levelled out at around ten year lows in the year’s first quarter after a prolonged decline. There was a slight decrease in nuclear generation, falling from 18.2TWh to 17.3TWh, at the end of December after the closure of Wylfa in Wales. Overall, the period saw a 3.4% fall in electricity generation from 95.8TWh to 92.5TWh, while the renewables’ share of generation rose to over a quarter. Earlier in the month a Conservative think tank, Bright Blue, stated that the future of UK electricity will be secure without coal. The government has declared its intention to close all coal power stations by 2025, with its use being significantly restricted from 2023, but only if there is enough gas fired capacity available to ensure a secure supply.
The Victoria Station Upgrade (VSU) project in central London will provide one of the best examples seen so far of how Building Information Modelling (BIM) can be used in ground engineering. A joint venture between BAM Nuttall and Taylor Woodrow (BNTW) will deliver the project worth around £700 million and will include a bigger, new ticket hall, along with 400 metres of connecting tunnels 7 metres below ground level. The project is a complex one on a congested site which is crisscrossed by power and communication cables, sewers and pipelines, with a series of tube tunnels and the culverted River Tyburn in close proximity. London Underground has been pushing for the use of BIM for the last 10 years when it first planned the project, although it was believed to be nearly impossible without a 3D record of third party and existing assets, which drew on “as built” records along with laser survey data. Furthermore, BNTW has removed and excavated all services in the ground, analysed their condition and put them back, which has given the model more data about the services, while information from trial drill holes has also been included. Craig Prangley, Project Manager at Taylor Woodrow, explained that this negated the problem of a lack of underground visibility. He added that the BIM model has allowed them to drill with confidence under the Victoria Palace Theatre and a number of tube tunnels. BIM was also used in the coordination of the design of 2,500 jet grout columns, which were injected to stabilise the water bearing river terrace gravels on the site, while creating an impermeable barrier to the new station box. Due to the complex nature of the existing infrastructure, these are ranked in a number of different directions. The BIM model is able to uniquely identify the orientation and position of every drill string.
The UK solar industry has launched a new initiative in celebration of its third ‘Solar Independence Day’ when the country observed solar energy. The event saw people up and down the country posting photos using the hashtag #SolarIndependece and to mark the occasion, the Solar Trade Association (STA) has started a new initiative that will raise standards in the maintenance of ground mount and big rooftop solar systems. Estimates now suggest that the UK now has nearly 12GW of solar PV installed across solar farms, warehouses, schools, offices and homes throughout the country. This amount of solar power is equal to the amount needed to power almost 4 million homes, while the latest analysis from MyGridGB for the STA shows that in early June solar generation peaked at almost 24% of electricity demand in the UK, which is a new record for the country. Latest statistics show that there are currently more than 800,000 homes with solar PV and 200,000 with solar thermal systems, meaning that the UK now has more than a million solar homes. Meanwhile, the STA is eager to raise awareness of the fact that high quality maintenance and operation of solar systems is crucial to ensuring their safe working conditions, longevity and performance. The group is keen to make sure that the sector does more than just the minimum standard required and establishes the best possible practice to raise standards in the industry. As a result it has launched the new initiative ‘Raising Standards in Solar PV Operations and Maintenance’ which will build on the work already established by EU level organisation Solar Power Europe. STA Operations & Maintenance Working Group Chairman and Lightsource Renewable Energy Director, Mark Turner, believes that the initiative will establish best practice and raise standards throughout the UK in maintenance and operations of solar PV, ensuring that people know about the preventative action that will avoid expensive corrections at a later date.
Last month the UK’s construction industry was at its weakest point in seven years, with the housebuilding sector suffering the most. According to a survey carried out by The Markit/CIPS, managers’ purchases fell to 46 last month. The 50 mark separates contraction with expansion activity, which is down significantly from April’s figure of 51.2. Markit Senior Economist, Tim Moore, believes that trading conditions were always going to be tough in the build up to the UK’s vote on its membership of the European Union due to the uncertainty surrounding the outcome. However, Markit say that the vast majority (80%) of the survey was carried out prior to the vote and believes that the speed and extent of the downturn in the face of economic and political uncertainty is a big warning for the wider outlook after the Brexit vote. IHS Global Insight’s Chief UK Economist, Howard Archer, commented that the survey results paint a dire picture and added that it now seems inevitable that the construction industry will now face a contraction. The sector hardest hit was housebuilding, which saw the fastest fall of activity in four years. In the wake of the referendum, this pain has got even worse for housebuilders as share prices of major housebuilding firms such as Persimmon, Barratt and Taylor Wimpey have all fallen since the UK’s vote to leave the European Union as the market continues to respond to fears about a slowing economy which has hit transaction volumes. Elsewhere in the report, Markit reported that commercial building work had slightly lost momentum, while civil engineering activity remained stable. Most of the major civil engineering projects currently taking place are based on contracts that were signed several years ago. Chief Executive of built environment company Scape Group, Mark Robinson, believes it is crucial for the government to continue pushing through major infrastructure projects such as HS2.
Shell is planning to leave behind concrete and steel structures as big as the Empire State Building when it abandons one of the North Sea’s largest gas and oil fields. The company has a decommissioning plan in place for the Brent field, which is situated 115 miles to the north east of the Shetland Islands and will require international regulations to exempt it, demanding that all traces of gas and oil production will be removed after its offshore operations come to a close. Earlier in the week, Shell said that it had finished assessing the environmental and safety risks that are involved in the removal of a significant amount of the infrastructure at the Brent field site and found that it would far outweigh the benefits. The oil giant plans to submit its proposals to be approved by the UK’s Department for Energy and Climate Change before the conclusion of this year. This case will be a key test of the rules on what should happen to abandoned gas and oil fields in the North Sea as the coming decades are set to see more and more energy groups decommissioning sites due to reserves becoming scarcer. North East Atlantic countries are bound by the Ospar regulations which were agreed after the debate in the 1990s over Shell’s abortive plans to dump its Brent Spar oil storage facility just off the Scottish coast. However, there are exemptions to the ‘leave no trace’ rule which allow companies to dump facilities if they are able to show that a full removal of the structure would either be too risky or too problematic. Shell is using this exemption as its case for hundreds of thousands of tonnes of steel and concrete subsea structures underneath its four Brent platforms. Decommissioning facilities in the North Sea has continued to climb the industry agenda over recent years due to the rapid fall in oil prices.
G A Smith – Reputable in Construction (The Following is a Promoted Article) Undoubtedly, one of the greatest – if not the greatest – challenges faced by plant hire firms is managing health and safety. Owing to its power and size, plant equipment is intrinsically dangerous and thus proper risk management is a fundamental part of haulage business’ operations. Beginning with just one wagon in 1987, G A Smith has since grown into specialist plant hire firm of multiple vehicles and multiple areas of expertise. Operating out of three depots in Birtley, Cramlington and Felton, and with four core areas of business – plant hire, bulk haulage, bulk handling and earthworks – the firm functions as a one-stop-shop in loading, conveyance and handling. Through diversification, the firm has established a leading reputation with its construction industry clients and is favoured for its technically-competent and professional services. Although the weight G A Smith places on health and safety is then perhaps unsurprising, the firm’s success in managing risk is somewhat remarkable. Training has been key for the firm; by providing operatives with the most up-to-date advice, knowledge and skills, risk of injury by human error or misdemeanour can be mitigated. With several SMSTS-trained site managers, a number of SSSTS-trained site supervisors and all operatives having undergone CPCS training or an equivalent, G A Smith leaves nothing down to chance and has built up a level of competence that, for the most part, prevents accidents from happening altogether. More than simply providing opportunities for training however, G A Smith has taken the decision to carry out some specialist training in-house rather than sourcing courses from an external supplier. Claire Trusty, Health and Safety Officer at G A Smith, says the benefits of internal training are manifold: “Taking a hands-on approach to training has enabled us to provide operatives with exactly the qualifications and skills they needs for each specific job. What’s more, we’re also able manage operatives’ practice more attentively and make sure not only that they have the right knowledge and the right skills to perform but, equally, that they’re effecting what they’ve learned in training on a day-to-day basis.” Conducting training in-house is also well-suited to the often unpredictable schedules and working hours of G A Smith’s operatives, and thus prevents the company from having to take time away from either site works or the customer. Training provided includes: manual handling, basic working at height and fire awareness. In addition, all operatives have recently benefited from a Self-Study Environmental Awareness with a view to easing G A Smith’s transition to a ISO 14001-accredited firm. Indeed, following recent audits, the company is now accredited with ISO 14001, ISO 18001 and ISO 9001, the successful achievement of which, Trusty highlights, will prove invaluable during tendering in the future and, more generally, reinstates G A Smith’s commitment to quality and corporate responsibility. ISO accreditation is just another seal of approval for the company which also possesses a number of highly-regarded industry accolades, including SafeContractor, Constructionline and CHAS accreditation. In respect of just what CHAS membership provides the business, Trusty echoes her sentiment on ISO accreditation as well as stressing that the principles of CHAS are, in many ways, commonsense. “When we first started to invest in health and safety, changing the business in line with the requirements CHAS, it was actually much more simple and much more intuitive than it first seemed. Ultimately, CHAS mandates that businesses recognise their responsibility to provide a safe working environment for operatives and mitigate risk to the public. When you look at it like that, there’s very little to dispute.” In terms of how those ambitions are actualised on site, G A Smith issues all operatives with an up-to-date health and safety policy and PPE during induction, reviewing potential risks and hazards on a site-by-site basis and making amends as necessary. Risk assessments, method statements and COSHH assessments are all completed internally and, likewise, reviewed regularly so as to identify any changes or emerging matters of address. With profound emphasis on health and safety, G A Smith continues to excel in the bulk haulage and handling industry, proving that the – whilst the industry may be characterised by risk – it need not be defined by accident or injury. And with express commitment to maintaining such high standards evident in the company’s recent successful audit for ISO accreditation, G A Smith can only grow in prominence.
