Contractors started scrambling to secure replacements for Dunne Group on jobs across the UK after the firm went into administration this week. Brookfield Multiplex, which has employed Dunne Group on multiple projects, is understood to have moved quickly to replace the firm on 100 Bishopsgate and One Blackfriars to ensure the schemes aren’t delayed. At 100 Bishopsgate, Dunne Group had been on a 92-week, £36m deal to provide concrete substructure and superstructure works. One source claimed the project manager and slipform manager have left the 100 Bishopsgate project, with Byrne taking on the deal and employing staff previously working for Dunne Group. At One Blackfriars, the contractor had been working on a 50-storey post-tensioned tower off podium level with inclined in situ columns including the central core. Laing O’Rourke’s Expanded business had carried out the substructure work, but Dunne Group took on the superstructure work for Brookfield Multiplex. It is understood work has stopped at Newington Butts as Mace seeks a replacement for Dunne Group on the site. This could include appointing a replacement contractor to the scheme or Mace directly employing the Dunne Group workers to finish the job. Construction News understands that Mace will make a decision on this next week, after it has spoken to the administrator. A source told CN suppliers were seeking to reclaim equipment while Mace decides how to replace Dunne Group on the project. The source told CN that Dunne Group had paid around £1m for pump and piping equipment at 100 Bishopsgate and that the group’s assets would “surely outweigh its debts”.  Santander told CN yesterday that Dunne Group had been making “substantial losses” and that ”despite having provided increased facilities on numerous occasions to keep the business trading, the company was insolvent”. A senior source disputed this, saying Santander had withdrawn credit facilities, forcing the Dunne Group into administration, despite it being “profitable” in the first half of 2016  Byrne Group has been contacted for comment. Brookfield Multiplex and Mace declined to comment.     Source link

Industry associations launch major Brexit survey Published:  11 August, 2016 A new survey on the impact of the Brexit vote on the building services engineering sector has been launched by the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA), the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and Scottish electrical trade body SELECT. The survey aims to identify the key issues within the sector following the UK’s landmark decision to leave the European Union. The survey covers the likely implications of Brexit for the sector, including the UK government’s exit negotiations with Brussels. The results of the survey will inform the representational work of the ECA, BESA and SELECT as the government develops its Brexit negotiating position and establishes new approaches to domestic and international policy and legislation. Rob Driscoll, director of commercial and legal at BESA, said: “The referendum vote has created business uncertainty and knocked confidence just when the economy was showing signs of gradual recovery after the financial crash. However, there is a lot of misinformation and scaremongering out there – the UK is in danger of talking itself into a recession. “It is vital, therefore, to gather good quality, accurate market intelligence at a time like this so businesses can make investment and recruitment decisions based on what is actually happening. We need to build up a picture of what Brexit could really mean for our sector and which issues most concern our members so that we can provide useful advice and guidance.” Paul Reeve, director of business services at the ECA, added: “The Prime Minister has famously said that ‘Brexit means Brexit’. She quickly added that the UK is going to ‘make a success of it’, and so it’s now up to our sector to help shape UK government policy and to identify the opportunities, and solutions to the challenges ahead.” The survey has just 12 questions and will usually take around five minutes to complete. It is open to all contractors in the BSE sector, and most notably ECA, BESA and SELECT members. The survey findings will be shared with member-firms and key stakeholders from across the industry, this autumn. The online Brexit survey, which runs until Tuesday 6 September, can be accessed at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/TJWQ5WY. Source link

Ravenheat launches search for oldest boilers Published:  21 April, 2016 Boiler manufacturer Ravenheat is searching for its oldest combi boiler in the country after installers discovered a 30-year-old wall-hung combi in a property in West Yorkshire. Bradford-based A Adams & Sons Heating attended a property in Calverley, where they found a fully functioning RSF 820/20. It was installed in 1986 and was the 1,225th boiler manufactured by Ravenheat in this particular model. The boiler was still fully functioning and providing heating and hot water. It was only taken out because the homeowner was carrying out a property renovation and wanted a newer model. A Ravenheat combi condensing boiler WH90 was installed in its place. Ravenheat believes the potential is there for numbers 1 to 1,224 to still be in use – and installers up and down the country are being asked to join in the search. Alan Adams, Director of A Adams & Sons Heating, said: “We’ve been dealing with Ravenheat boilers for more than 20 years and our team regularly encounters models over a decade old. This is testament to the quality of the products and the excellent work installers are doing.” John Wilson, technical service manager at Ravenheat, said: “Ravenheat boilers have always included premium components, so we’re not surprised this 30-year-old model was still going strong! With a 12 to 15-year working life, we’re confident the WH90 will perform just as well. We’d love to hear if anyone can beat the 1986 model. Ravenheat installers are often getting in touch to let us know how our boilers have stood the test of time, so we’re interested to see just how many are out there.” Any installer who encounters a Ravenheat boiler with a long lifespan is asked to get in touch via the company’s Twitter account @RavenheatUK. Source link

The project, based at Daldowie on the River Clyde, will include the design, construction, delivery and commissioning of a tertiary chemical dosing plant and a granular activated sludge plant to clean wastewater. The tender is divided across two lots of £55m, but Scottish Water has said that its preference is to appoint both lots to one bidder, based on a “most economically advantageous tender” evaluation. In total, the project is expected to last for 18 months, while a maximum of five bidders will be invited to tender. In April last year, Scottish Water appointed a Galliford Try, MWH Treatment and Black & Veatch joint venture as preferred bidder on its £560m non-infrastructure Quality and Standards IV framework. Works for the framework include design-and-build projects for Scottish Water’s water and wastewater treatment programmes, including new-build projects and upgrades. The operator also appointed an Atkins/RPS JV and a Mott MacDonald/MWH JV to its £120m consultancy framework in February this year. Source link

Belvoir is celebrating the 20 year milestone since its very first franchise owner, Andy Campbell of Belvoir Moray. The award winning UK lettings and estate agent’s Managing Director, Dorian Gonsalves, said it is a great achievement for Campbell to be celebrating 20 years in the company. Campbell was the first franchise owner of the company which launched in July 1996 and Gonsalves paid tribute to him: “It is fabulous that our very first franchise owner is still in business after 20 years, and is still as passionate and enthusiastic about the business as he was on the day that he first opened.” Gonsalves added that the industry and business has changed considerably since it first started operating and that Campbell’s dedication to clients has ensured that he has been able to evolve and adapt to the new surroundings at the Elgin franchise, adding that he wishes Campbell success for the next 20 years. Campbell recalled that when he began the Belvoir Moray franchise he had just retired from the RAF and built the business up from scratch. At first, he worked from a spare room in his own home with just a computer, desk, chair and filing cabinet; a far cry from the current office site which is one of Moray’s largest. Campbell commented: “We now have five full-time employees and one part-time member of staff, so we are quite a large team, and they are all fantastic. Many of the staff have been with me for years, including my office manager Lynn Roger, who has worked here for 15 years.” He said that he has seen many changes during his 20 years in the business, in particular with the introduction of internet advertising, new regulations and the birth of social media, adding that he knows the importance of keeping pace with change and embracing the new technology.