The latest alarming revelations from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) indicate that the amount of genuine building skills in the construction employee sector is getting worse as time goes by. The federal group found that the average British bricklayer is not the only one to suffer in the reduction
From time to time, you’ll need to deploy a lick of paint in your business. Whether it’s for aesthetic or practical reasons – or both – a coating of paint is often needed to provide the finishing touch to machinery, buildings, vehicles and a host of other things. Yet, this
London’s skyline is set to change as AXA Investment Managers – Real Assets, acting on behalf of its clients, commence the main build of the Twentytwo development on Bishopsgate, scheduled for completion in 2019. Otis, whose founder invented the safety elevator, is the world’s leading manufacturer and maintainer of people-moving
Two leading investing companies known as Seedrs and Intebridge have united their support with the 2017 exciting new China Innovation & Entrepreneurship International Competition. Not your ordinary school raffle, this particular competition offers awards to entrants valuing to figures of up to a billion pounds, with 64 cash bursaries in
The latest alarming revelations from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) indicate that the amount of genuine building skills in the construction employee sector is getting worse as time goes by. The federal group found that the average British bricklayer is not the only one to suffer in the reduction of skills crisis that has plagued the building and construction industry. For example, the findings of the FMB indicate that 46 per cent of site managers and construction officials are finding it harder and harder to employ professionals to work on roofs. To make this trend worse, figures have shown that the level of plastering and electrical workers are lower than they have ever been in the last four years. Furthermore, the fact that there are less and less skilled workers operating in the construction industry in Britain is surely a sign that Theresa May and the government need to do something fast to rectify the situation before Britain runs out of skilled workers altogether. Mister Brian Berry, CE of the Federation of Master Builders, explains that the skills set in construction has significantly decreased in the past few years and is an issue that needs to be addressed. A lack of apprenticeships and the growing costs of training and materials is an alarming sign that many construction firms are in danger of losing many of their assets and acquisitions over the years, and Britain’s decision to leave the European Union will surely equally have an impact on the situation of building and construction in the country. The current fluctuations of the English Pound are also a worry for manufacturers in the country, and trade relations with the European Union will need be certified by the government so that the FMB does not have to report any more bad news for the construction industry. There is hope however that 2017 will be a wake-up call for the building industry to seek the government’s help to safeguard its future.
From time to time, you’ll need to deploy a lick of paint in your business. Whether it’s for aesthetic or practical reasons – or both – a coating of paint is often needed to provide the finishing touch to machinery, buildings, vehicles and a host of other things. Yet, this isn’t as simple as painting at home. You can’t just pop to the local DIY store and pick up a tin and get cracking. Industrial paint work has to be carefully planned and executed to have the desired effect. Specifically, you need to think about cleaning, preparing your surface, picking the paint that will do the job for you and the method of application. Cleaning A dirty surface is one that is not fit for painting. Dirt, grease, dust or mould cannot just be painted over. This will simply store up a problem that could leave you in trouble down the line. Take the time to have a thorough clean of any surface – with particular attention to grease or mould – or your efforts will be undermined before they begin. Take a look at this video on YouTube to see some industrial grease removal in action and see what the process entails. Surface preparing Cleaning is only the start; a surface also needs thorough preparation. You might well want to remove the previous layer of paint or strip away any rust, for example, to return it to its original state. Such tasks can be carried out in controlled conditions in a blast cabinet. Without this, the paint that you apply might well not grip to the surface. Some paints carry a guarantee with them to last a certain length of time if they are applied after the right level of surface preparation. Choosing the right paint There are lots of factors that need to be considered when it comes to selecting the right paint for your job. First, you need to consider the surface – some paints are more suited to metal, plastic, wood, etc. Then you need to consider the environment that the surface will be exposed to. Specialist paint can handle exposure to the elements when positioned outdoors or the sorts of extreme temperatures that can occur in an industrial setting. Then, it’s time to consider aesthetics. Is your surface customer-facing? Does it need to display your branding? If this is the case then, clearly, the way that it looks matters too. How to apply the paint There’s more than one way to apply your chosen paint. This will depend on the paint and the surface in question, but it’s important to be aware of the different methods and their relative strengths. As this blog demonstrates, there are principally five different ways to get this done: sprays, rollers, dip coating, brushing or airless spraying. Take some time to research which of these is the most appropriate to your circumstances. Once you’re cleaned, prepared, painted and armed with the right paint and method of application you’re good to go.
London’s skyline is set to change as AXA Investment Managers – Real Assets, acting on behalf of its clients, commence the main build of the Twentytwo development on Bishopsgate, scheduled for completion in 2019. Otis, whose founder invented the safety elevator, is the world’s leading manufacturer and maintainer of people-moving products, including elevators, escalators and moving walkways. Otis is a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX). With Lipton Rogers as developer and designed by PLP Architecture, the 59-storey building will use 67 state-of-the-art Otis elevators and escalators, including the fastest SkyRise double-deck elevators in Europe, traveling up to 8 metres per second. Twentytwo is being built by Multiplex on a prime site just minutes from the new Liverpool Street Crossrail station. At 255 metres (840 feet) tall, it will fill a gap at the center of the City’s eastern cluster of tall buildings. Once complete, this 1.4 million square foot office will be home to a workforce of approximately 12,000 people. Otis Limited, the local Otis entity, will install 57 elevators and 10 escalators, including 18 Gen2 elevators, 13 SkyRise single-deck, and 26 SkyRise double-deck elevators combined with the CompassPlus® destination management system. Lipton Rogers and Multiplex Construction will use three Otis SkyBuild™ self-climbing construction elevators to move people and goods faster and safely allow them to better manage the construction programme for the project. “With pressure on London’s infrastructure, combined with population growth, this new building is an intelligent response to the city’s evolving needs,” said Hemant Jolly, vice president and general manager, Otis UK & Ireland. “Otis is proud to support this evolution with our industry-leading technology, products and service.” The SkyBuild construction elevator is now a standard option in the company’s line of global, fully integrated suite of high-rise solutions – the SkyRise elevator system. Installed at the beginning of a building’s construction, the SkyBuild elevator allows movement of crews and tools quickly and safely – without an external lift or exposure to weather. Its unique hydraulic piston system enables it to quickly climb one floor at a time as the building rises. Once construction is complete, the SkyBuild elevator transitions for service as a SkyRise elevator, Otis’ premier elevator for the world’s tallest buildings. The Otis Gen2 elevator redefined the elevator industry with breakthrough technology that replaced conventional ropes with flat belts, leading to a more comfortable ride, greater reliability, more efficient operation and increased energy efficiency compared to conventional roped elevators. Since its introduction, Otis has sold more than a half million units making the Gen2 elevator one of the company’s best-selling elevators in its 163-year history.
Two leading investing companies known as Seedrs and Intebridge have united their support with the 2017 exciting new China Innovation & Entrepreneurship International Competition. Not your ordinary school raffle, this particular competition offers awards to entrants valuing to figures of up to a billion pounds, with 64 cash bursaries in the mix for the lucky winners and runner ups. With up to 10 different potential business winners available in the United Kingdom, the ten happy few will be transported by aeroplane to the affluent location of Shenzhen in China for the final stages of the lucrative competition. Hosted by the IEIC in this area of the global superpower, Shenzhen is indeed an ideal location for such awards, due to its proximity to the central business empire of the whole of the Asian continent that is Hong Kong. Indeed, the competition is open to entrants from all over the world and is committed to promoting good global relations between different businesses and enterprises. For the lucky British entrants, the first trials of the competition will take place in London on March 28th this year to eliminate the cocksure entrants who want to test their mettle and have a shot at the big prize. Of these entrants, three will be awarded cash prizes amounting to ten thousand pounds, and the best ten will then be taken to Shenzhen for the penultimate stages of the competition. Mr Jeff Lynn of Seedrs is delighted to play a leading role in the competition’s success, and those interested are urged to apply themselves to the juicy challenges of the competition and submit their applications. Potential entrants are wished good fortune in their quest and are advised to submit by Tuesday the 28th February when the timely barriers of the competition will close so that the competition can begin in London.
