The contractor has set up a new civil engineering business unit that will be expected to bring in 20 per cent of its revenue by 2019, when it celebrates its 150th anniversary. Construction News understands the new business unit will be led by director Mark Williamson. Sir Robert McAlpine will
Manchester Place and The Co-op have the consortium to develop sites close to Victoria Station including more than 600 new homes spread across four sites covering almost one acre and including a new tower. The regeneration of the Angel Meadow park marks the first phase of the Northern Gateway; land running
Review website supports National Apprenticeship Week 2016 Published: 14 March, 2016 Recognising the need to attract young people into the industry, businesses nationwide are gearing up to National Apprenticeship Week, which runs from 14 to 18 March 2016. Checkatrade is encouraging young aspiring tradespeople to consider an apprenticeship with one
The fruition of the plan to turn Manchester into a central hub of railway interconnectivity has been in place since the 19th Century when in 1830 George Stephenson implemented the works that would result in the first transport connection link between it and the city of Liverpool. More recently, Network
A ground-breaking exhibition of offsite construction solutions, the largest of its kind ever seen in the UK, will be a key component of Ecobuild 2017. Forward-thinking companies that are making the most of the opportunities provided by offsite construction are relishing the chance to demonstrate their technology within Explore Offsite
A steel manufacturer has completed an export deal to supply one of its flagship products to a high profile multi-million pound redevelopment in the capital of Cyprus. Fabweld Steel Products (FSP) has supplied its FAB Pave™ access covers to the project in Nicosia designed by the firm of award-winning architect,
High performance External Wall Insulation (EWI) by Saint-Gobain Weber has been installed in two new buildings that form part of the new extensions to St. Angela’s College in the city centre of Cork. St. Angela’s is a long-established 500-pupil girls’ secondary school, dating from the late 19th Century, situated on
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has stepped in over a planning application for the first time since coming into office, intervening on two rejected high-rise residential developments in the capital Sadiq Khan has taken over the schemes designed by Allies and Morrison and Moss Architecture after the councils involved
Sales in Q4 of 2016 continued to grow for the UK construction sector – the fifteenth quarter in a row according to the Construction Products Association. On an annual basis, 78% of heavy side firms reported that sales had increased in Q4, whilst on the light side, 75% of firms
The contractor has set up a new civil engineering business unit that will be expected to bring in 20 per cent of its revenue by 2019, when it celebrates its 150th anniversary. Construction News understands the new business unit will be led by director Mark Williamson. Sir Robert McAlpine will also no longer enter into fixed-priced contracts in residential fit-out. It marks the first change in strategic direction since the company conducted an internal review and appointed Tony Aikenhead as its new chief executive late in 2015. The strategy shake-up comes as the contractor posted a pre-tax £50.9m loss for the year ended 31 October 2015. This compared with a pre-tax loss of £64.5m the year before. Group turnover including joint ventures stood at £804.9m, compared with £1.05bn the year before. Its 2015 turnover was made up of £745m in contracting, £59.3m in PPP concessions and £246,000 in property joint ventures. McAlpine said the small number of problem contracts it identified in 2014 continued to cause problems for the group in 2015. “Although a prudent view of the final outcome of those contracts was made last year, the financial position has deteriorated further as the completion dates have extended by more than expected and costs have consequently also increased,” it said. The company added that, of those contracts, the worst performing had reached practical completion. It said: “During late 2014 the group implemented revised risk management and tendering procedures, which we have diligently applied and enhanced. “We are pleased to note that these procedures have led to much better performance and margin from contracts that we entered into following the introduction of these new governance procedures.” The group said it was confident of a return to profit in 2016, with a new strategy in place for 2019 “and beyond”. Mr Aikenhead said: “I am very positive about our future prospects and I look forward to the business returning to profitability in 2016. “I am confident that, alongside our continued focus on our clients, our new strategy combined with a firm focus on productivity, engineering excellence and first-class delivery will have significant impact as we continue to realise our company vision of ‘Proudly Building Britain’s Future Heritage’.” Results at a glance: Cash balance: £242m (2014: £198.9m) Borrowings: £184m (£117.2m) Group turnover: £791.6m (£857.3m) Turnover including joint ventures: £804.9m (£1.05bn) Gross loss: £46.7m (£80.5m) Pre-tax loss: £50.9m (£64.5m) Wages and salaries: £111.9m (£110.6m) Average number employed: 2,119 (2,209) The contractor confirmed it will no longer enter into fixed-priced contracts in residential fit-out, having suffered serious blows in the sector. It said: “As in 2014, the UK construction market remains highly competitive with some sectors suffering from high cost escalation and a very stretched and limited supply chain – particularly in central London. “We have found this particularly evident in the high-end residential market and consequently we have decided we will no longer enter into fixed-price contracts in the residential fit-out subsector.” Alongside its expansion into civil engineering, Sir Robert McAlpine also wants increase its framework and public sector activities. Recent contract wins for SRM include its appointment as British Land’s construction partner for Broadgate, an advisory role on the £150m Buckingham Palace refurbishment and its work on Capco’s £8bn Earl’s Court scheme. Construction News revealed this week its joint venture with Vinci, IHP, had recouped £584m on the ProCure21+ framework through just 63 contracts, at an average value of £9.27m – the highest of any contractor. It has also added two retail and leisure centres for Hammerson: Victoria Gate in Leeds and West Quay Watermark in Southampton. Source link
Manchester Place and The Co-op have the consortium to develop sites close to Victoria Station including more than 600 new homes spread across four sites covering almost one acre and including a new tower. The regeneration of the Angel Meadow park marks the first phase of the Northern Gateway; land running from Victoria station north taking in New Cross, The Irk Valley and Collyhurst. The sites have been identified as having potential for more than 7,000 new homes and corresponding social infrastructure. In total, Noma covers 8 ha in Manchester city centre, with homes, offices, hotels, retail and leisure space to be built. Noma is being delivered by The Co-op and Hermes Investment Management joint venture. 10 to watch in 2016 Noma was one of 10 programmes picked by Construction News writers last year to watch in 2016. See the full list here. FEC has delivered projects in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore as well as mainland China and Hong Kong. It recently won planning consent for Alpha Square in London, a scheme with 700 apartments, a new school and new health hub and hotel. Far East Consortium managing director Chris Hoong said: “We have assembled a team with the skills to deliver a new neighbourhood of international calibre and we would like this to be the start of a long relationship with the city. “We have the knowledge and expertise to develop and deliver multi-billion mixed-use landmark schemes and we believe Angel Meadow will be another successful addition to our international portfolio.” David Pringle, director of Noma at The Co-op, said: “With Moda Living’s Angel Gardens scheme also on site this year, Noma will be providing an outstanding residential offer that supports our plans already underway to create a truly mixed use neighbourhood.” Source link
Review website supports National Apprenticeship Week 2016 Published: 14 March, 2016 Recognising the need to attract young people into the industry, businesses nationwide are gearing up to National Apprenticeship Week, which runs from 14 to 18 March 2016. Checkatrade is encouraging young aspiring tradespeople to consider an apprenticeship with one of its vetted and certifed members. With over 95% of Checkatrade’s members anticipating a greater workload in 2016 and 61% of members expecting to create jobs in the near future, it is an exciting time for aspiring apprentices, says the company. With a government survey indicating that more than 80% of apprentices feel their career prospects have improved, apprenticeships are a fantastic opportunity for those aged 16 to 24 who want to earn a wage while learning their trade within a structured programme. Apprentices can also be a valuable member of a company’s team, offering a great model for transferring skills from one generation to the next. “Our apprentice has just finished his third year,” explained Checkatrade Trading Standards Approved member Mike Cipriani, from Gas Secure Ltd, Mansfield. “He is now able to undertake 90% of install work by himself with supervision. From day one we ensured that he was treated as a trainee and he has responded with an incredibly positive attitude.” Source link
The fruition of the plan to turn Manchester into a central hub of railway interconnectivity has been in place since the 19th Century when in 1830 George Stephenson implemented the works that would result in the first transport connection link between it and the city of Liverpool. More recently, Network Rail has been working very hard up in Manchester in order to enable the implementation of two archways along the river that splits Manchester. Through this ambitious venture, it will enable the foundations to be made for a brand new railway link that will be able to connect the three main train stations in Manchester together along the same line, so that passengers and travelers to the city can access the treasures of what the city has to offer in an even easier and quicker than ever before. The two arched structures themselves are known as the Ordsall Chord and have added much aesthetic beauty and charm to the impressive Manchester skyline and it is clear that the installation of these archways bring Network Rail yet again one step closer to the completion of the Great North Rail enterprise to renovate the trains and transport links of cities across the whole of the North of the country. It is estimated that through this new “chord” the amount of traffic and congestion that Manchester experiences on a daily basis will actually go down by a quarter, indicating how necessary these improvements to the transport links are to the city and its populace. The vital building of the archways will mean that the 300 meters of railway track will be able to be installed so that the four stations can be reached easily without the need for changes to rail services. Indeed, the Minister for Rail Paul Maynard explains that he is extremely pleased that this crucial step has now been achieved for the city and will enable the further necessary works to continue as planned, where it is hoped trains will be able to be operating on the connecting line by the end of this very year.
A ground-breaking exhibition of offsite construction solutions, the largest of its kind ever seen in the UK, will be a key component of Ecobuild 2017. Forward-thinking companies that are making the most of the opportunities provided by offsite construction are relishing the chance to demonstrate their technology within Explore Offsite at Ecobuild. Taking place alongside the exhibition, Explore Offsite at Ecobuild masterclasses will provide a platform to learn about the latest in offsite technology developments with expert information and seminars on solving the housing shortage, using offsite technology to construct a more sustainable environment, and how the industry is responding to unprecedented demand through greater investment in lean manufacturing systems. Free CPD accredited Offsite Technology Masterclasses will run daily throughout the show to offer an independent perspective of the offsite construction sector. Intensive training sessions will address the drivers and benefits of using offsite construction technology, and provide visitors with the knowledge to successfully apply these techniques. The Offsite Technology Masterclasses will host 48 speakers over 18 hours of presentations across 14 sessions. The masterclasses will cover six topics including: Modular Volumetric Technology, MEP & Pod Technology, Structural Timber Technology, Roofing Technology, Concrete Technology and Light Steel Frame Technology. Speakers include: Stephen Wightman, Caledonian Modular Ltd Darren Richards, Managing Director, Cogent Consulting Rory Bergin, Partner – Sustainable Futures, HTA Design LLP John Skivington – Director, LHC David Harris, Divisional Director, Premier Modular Steve Newell, General Manager, Portakabin Julia Evans, Chief Executive, BSRIA Graham Cleland, General Manager, NG Bailey Paul Cooper, Managing Director, Ormandy Andrew Carpenter, Chief Executive, Structural Timber Association Nick Milestone, Managing Director, B&K Structures Tim Snelson, Associate, Arup Nic Clark, Managing Director, KLH James Talman, Chief Executive, NFRC Elaine Toogood, Senior Architect, Concrete Centre Dr Michael Samson, SCI Chris Dolling, Manager, Marketing and Technical Development, The British Constructional Steelwork Association Robert Clark, Managing Director, Fusion For more information, and to book your free place, please visit www. ecobuild.co.uk/exploreoffsite Ends: 05 January 2017 Contact: lily.rutherford@radar-communications.co.uk
A steel manufacturer has completed an export deal to supply one of its flagship products to a high profile multi-million pound redevelopment in the capital of Cyprus. Fabweld Steel Products (FSP) has supplied its FAB Pave™ access covers to the project in Nicosia designed by the firm of award-winning architect, the late Zaha Hadid. Hadid’s company won the Europe-wide competition for the revamp of Eleftheria Square, the main piazza in the centre that sits below the Venetian walls of the medieval city. The project aims to unify the ancient parts with the modern centre and is said to be “dramatic and historically significant”. Hadid’s designs include the Aquatics Centre used in the 2012 London Olympics and other major projects worldwide. FSP, based in Telford, Shropshire, supplied its FAB Pave access covers, which allow access to vital services below ground while blending the floor’s paving with the overall surface, finished in a special hard wearing paint. Managing Director Richard Hilton said: “Securing the contract for Eleftheria Square is testimony to the versatility and stylish design of the FAB Pave series. This is an area that will attract high footfall and it demanded a top quality specification to deliver the aesthetic the architects want to achieve. “The flexibility of Fab Pave access covers meant we could work closely with the contractor to deliver their specific finish. To have our products chosen for such a high profile international project is a huge honour.” The €50,000 contract is one of a number of overseas deals on FSP’s order book. Export is an area that the firm expects to grow in 2017 with the impending exit from Europe and the strong Euro making British manufactured products an attractive buy. Richard added: “We are currently working on some exciting projects in France and Germany that should come to fruition in the next year. We intend to capitalise on the positive export conditions through 2017 and beyond with a strategic focus to grow the global side of our business. “Manhole and access covers remain our core products but our investment in research and development is allowing us to develop a reputation for providing bespoke access solutions, both at home and abroad.” For more information about FSP, visit www.fsp.co.uk.
High performance External Wall Insulation (EWI) by Saint-Gobain Weber has been installed in two new buildings that form part of the new extensions to St. Angela’s College in the city centre of Cork. St. Angela’s is a long-established 500-pupil girls’ secondary school, dating from the late 19th Century, situated on a steeply sloping site on St. Patrick’s Hill in Cork. Local award-winning architectural practice O’Donnell & Tuomey were first commissioned to consider the development possibilities of the site in 1999. The transition from initial feasibility studies to eventual completion of construction works was a slow process lasting sixteen years. Over this period O’Donnell & Tuomey worked closely with the school community, making the case for its continued existence on its inner city site and resisting the pressures to relocate city centre schools to the suburbs. The existing school acquired the neighbouring convent site, allowing it to expand on this restricted urban plot. A continuous external route from top to bottom negotiates the 18 metre drop in site levels, connecting orchard garden, courtyards, classrooms, and playgrounds. Four nineteenth-century buildings were refurbished and two new purpose-designed buildings were added. The biggest challenge was to incorporate a full-size sports hall on this confined hillside, and the decision was made to locate the concrete structure on the lowest part of the site. Its roof makes new ground on the site and provides a sunny terrace and ball-court with views out over the city below. The specification of the new structures included the installation of webertherm XM EWI which has been finished with webersil P to deliver efficient thermal performance together with an attractive and decorative finish. The BBA, NSAI certified and Energy Saving Trust listed webertherm XM EWI is a lightweight external wall insulation system incorporating thin-coat polymer render with mesh cloth reinforcement. The highly energy efficient webertherm XM has achieved a U-value of 0.16W/m²K. Suitable for both new-build and refurbishment projects, webertherm XM EWI can extend the life of existing buildings, by keeping the old structure warm and stable, and it is being used more and more to simplify wall construction within the new-build sector to provide cost effective, fast-track build programmes with attractive facades. The ever increasing thermal requirements of current regulations can be met, and exceeded, by using high performance webertherm EWI systems, to provide a weather-proof, durable architectural façade which conserves energy, minimises heat loss and reduces CO₂ emissions. It was most interesting to see the architects vision come to life and the webertherm XM system has contributed to the sustainability of these new buildings. Applicator Novin Consultants Limited, Limerick, was awarded the contract for the installation of 1900m² of EWI. Kevin O’Grady of Novin was delighted to have been involved with this highly prestigious project. “It was most interesting to see the architects vision come to life and the webertherm XM system has contributed to the sustainability of these new buildings. We fixed 150mm of EPS insulation onto a board substrate and then pump applied weberend LAC a polymer-modified base coat render. The final decorative finish of webersil P silicone enhanced paint looks great, especially in Welsh Slate.” webersil P is a high quality mineral paint suitable for masonry substrates to provide a low-maintenance finish to external wall insulation systems; it can also be used to rejuvenates existing rendered substrates. webersil P is available in 160 attractive colours. Refurbished to conservation standards and with its services designed to high-performance environmental and energy-saving principles, the school matches the aesthetic of its surroundings and is integrated within a conservation area of the city centre. St Angela’s College is an example of sustainable urban development and resilient community life. It is an energy efficient and compact design, equipped to survive into the future on its historically established site challenging the tendency towards urban sprawl. The school has been enabled, by the rigorous application of sustainable principles, to continue its educational mission as a local resource in the city of Cork. 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 weberapp 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.
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has stepped in over a planning application for the first time since coming into office, intervening on two rejected high-rise residential developments in the capital Sadiq Khan has taken over the schemes designed by Allies and Morrison and Moss Architecture after the councils involved threw out the proposals. The mayor hopes that City Hall experts will help devise more suitable proposals. Khan wants to look at a 505-home project backed by Muse Developments and the Canal and River Trust and drawn up by Allies and Morrison at Hale Wharf in Tottenham, which was turned down by Haringey Council over concerns the 21-storey scheme would be too tall and adversely impact green belt land. He has also called in a 186-home 17-storey development, designed by Moss Architecture for Origin Housing, in Palmerston Road, Wealdstone, which was rejected by Harrow Council over similar height issues. Both schemes were earmarked for sites are within designated Opportunity Areas and Housing Zones – areas considered appropriate for development. Khan said: ‘These developments have the potential to bring real benefits as part of the wider regeneration of Tottenham Hale and Wealdstone, including hundreds of genuinely affordable new homes. However, each proposal needs work if they are to realise that potential. ‘I have asked my planning team to work with both local authorities to bring forward revised proposals that could produce better schemes that will protect the green belt from development and will deliver much-needed affordable housing.’ Interested in this article? Read more at The Architects’ Journal.
Sales in Q4 of 2016 continued to grow for the UK construction sector – the fifteenth quarter in a row according to the Construction Products Association. On an annual basis, 78% of heavy side firms reported that sales had increased in Q4, whilst on the light side, 75% of firms reported that sales were higher than a year earlier, which was the highest balance since 2014 Q3. However, as uncertainty intensifies and cost pressures from the fall in Sterling post-Referendum hit this year, the industry may struggle to experience similar growth. Among heavy side manufacturers only 6% on balance anticipate a rise in sales over 2017 Q1, and 29% on balance of light side manufacturers anticipate a rise during the same period. Rebecca Larkin, CPA Senior Economist said: “Unsurprisingly, manufacturers’ expectations for 2017 appear to have been tempered by the uncertainty surrounding the economic and political outlook. Heavy side manufacturers appeared most exposed to the effects of Sterling’s depreciation during the second half of 2016. In Q4, two-thirds of firms reported an increase in costs, the highest in five years, and a further 89% anticipate an increase over the next year. Rising costs of imported raw materials continue to be a primary driver of cost inflation, but there is now an indication that currency weakness is filtering through to higher energy and fuel costs too. “The impact of Brexit on the construction industry is, as yet, unclear, but it is unlikely this year will be as buoyant as last unless government is able to provide greater certainty and the industry is able to manage cost pressures.” Interested in this article? Read more at Builders Merchants Journal.
