Contractor Dunne Group estimates that it is saving £150,000 a year in wrongly paid wages after installing facial recognition technology on its construction sites. Above: Aurora ClockFace The system is able to ensure that the company only pays those who actually turn up to site. But it has other benefits
Browser does not support script. Contact us With the Conservatives set to become the next Government, RIBA President Stephen Hodder said: “The recent move of the architecture brief to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) presents an opportunity to put design at the heart of many of the
©Bloomberg Roger Agnelli, the Brazilian banker who turned Vale into the world’s number one iron ore producer, died on Saturday in an aircraft crash, a source close to aviation authorities told Reuters. He was 56. Agnelli, his wife and two children were among seven killed when his Comp Air 9
A recent ruling holds implications for liquidated damages clauses. Chris Bridges reports. On 4 November 2015 the UK Supreme Court handed down judgment in the consolidated appeals of Cavendish Square Holding BV v Talal El Makdessi, and ParkingEye Ltd v Beavis. This was the first time in 100 years that
JCB, one of the UK’s largest manufacturers, has quit the CBI because of the lobby group’s anti-Brexit position. The construction equipment company, which employs about 6,000 people in Britain, ended its membership of the CBI following historic vote to leave the EU, said a person briefed on the matter. The
Organisations based in Uganda, Malaysia and the UK have been put on the shortlist for the Sustainable Buildings categories as part of the Ashden UK and International Awards. These awards are recognised around the world as a measure of excellence for sustainable energy. The winners will be announced at a
The Government announced a controversial hike in National Insurance for the self-employed as part of the Chancellors budget. After uproar in the media, the Government released their intention to reverse this decision. It is thought that the decision to repeal the increase in National Insurance is a good thing, and
The homes and building industry around the world is undergoing an intense level of evolution as well as an increased level of growth. Technology is the main reason for this transformation, things like Internet of Things, Big Data, data analytics and cloud platforms are allowing double-digit growth as well as
Knight Knox have topped out on one of their four towers under development as part of the X1 Media Scheme in Salford Quays. The topping out ceremony celebrated the completion of the roof on one of the four towers. A concrete square engraved with the initials of X1 and Knight
Highways England has announced Multi-million pounds of road improvements in order to help with the development of 4,000 homes and more than 10,900 jobs. These improvements are expected to cost £75 million and the improvements by Highways England should create opportunities around Derby and Daventry in the Midlands as well
Contractor Dunne Group estimates that it is saving £150,000 a year in wrongly paid wages after installing facial recognition technology on its construction sites. Above: Aurora ClockFace The system is able to ensure that the company only pays those who actually turn up to site. But it has other benefits too, Dunne has found. Dunne uses the ClockFace biometric time and attendance system for construction sites, from facial recognition specialist Aurora. Dunne Group office manager Scott Mitchell says: “By using ClockFace on our sites we can be sure that no one is able to clock anyone else in or out. Every week on our bigger sites there are a number of absences, and if we don’t have a reliable method of keeping track of them, there will be a couple that get through the net. “So ClockFace is essentially saving us money by preventing overpayment. That equates to a bare minimum of £300 a week per site, and at any one time we’ve probably got 10 sites active. So we save up to around £3,000 a week – which also means the new units pay for themselves very quickly.” The system requires users to enter a pin code and stand in front of the hardware for a few seconds while their identification is verified. There are various software packages available in conjunction with ClockFace. Dunne selected the ClockFace Manager package, which enables the company to gather data collected through the hardware as well as storing and managing personnel details, viewing attendance and generating reports to gauge activity of individuals, trades and subcontractors. “Dunne Group has been using the ClockFace system since 2005. For our first few years we were using punch clocks,” Scott Mitchell says. “But they’re not incredibly reliable, because there’s nothing to stop one person from going up to the clock and clocking 10 or 20 people out. We were looking for something that could help us eliminate that with a bit of certainty – we wanted to be sure that the person clocking in or out was verifiably that individual. “So for our first major project, the Silverburn shopping centre outside Glasgow, we did our research, and Aurora’s ClockFace was exactly what we were looking for at the time. It’s proven so successful that every six months or so we end up buying another unit because we’ve got another decent-sized site kicking off. So we now have 16 units in total.” The ClockFace Manager software, integrated with Dunne’s payroll system, allows a range of reports to be generated, including absence reports, which show who wasn’t on site that week. “You can also do specific trade reports, which show you exactly how many, for example, joiners or labourers are working at that time,” Mr Mitchell says. “That is really helpful for future site management and planning, working out budgets and who is needed or available to work, and where.” This article was published on 11 Feb 2016 (last updated on 12 Feb 2016). Source link
Browser does not support script. Contact us With the Conservatives set to become the next Government, RIBA President Stephen Hodder said: “The recent move of the architecture brief to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) presents an opportunity to put design at the heart of many of the key issues we face: tackling the housing crisis, improving the planning system and more effectively dealing with the effects of climate change. Focusing on architecture and the built environment, we can help to resolve these pressing issues and improve the places we live, work and play in the long term. “Increased commitment to high quality design and longer-term strategic policy making, including a holistic architecture policy, are vital elements we would want to see the new Government deliver on. “Alongside clear central government leadership, the RIBA urges the new Government to devolve greater powers and resources to local authorities to enable them to more effectively build strong, sustainable communities. “We look forward to working with new ministers and arguing the case for good design.” RIBA set out a clear vision for the new Government in the Build a Better Britain report. RIBA response to the Conservative manifesto. ENDS Notes to editors: 1. For further press information contact Melanie Mayfield, RIBA Press Office melanie.mayfield@riba.org 020 7307 3662 2. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members www.architecture.com 3. Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA Posted on Friday 8th May 2015 Search architecture.com just start typing and hit enter again × Browser does not support script. Browser does not support script. Source link
©Bloomberg Roger Agnelli, the Brazilian banker who turned Vale into the world’s number one iron ore producer, died on Saturday in an aircraft crash, a source close to aviation authorities told Reuters. He was 56. Agnelli, his wife and two children were among seven killed when his Comp Air 9 turboprop monoplane slammed into two homes at 3.20pm local time, minutes after taking off from an airport in northern São Paulo, said the source, who asked not to be named due to the sensitive nature of the information. More On this topic IN Americas Business Emergency services said the pilot and six passengers were killed in the crash. Aviation authorities confirmed that Agnelli was the owner of the aircraft but could not provide a passenger list. Sources said Agnelli was travelling to a wedding ceremony in Rio de Janeiro with his wife Andréia, son João, daughter Anna Carolina, and their two spouses. The weather was clear at the time of the crash. Known for his discipline and feisty nature, Agnelli clinched the top job at Vale in July 2001 after 19 years as a corporate and investment banker with Banco Bradesco, a big Vale shareholder. He instilled a culture of meritocracy that helped make Vale Brazil’s top exporter. To friends and foes, the key to Agnelli’s success was accurately predicting the rise of China as a big minerals consumer, a crucial wager in turning Vale, a former bloated state-controlled group, into a global powerhouse. “He was a visionary that corporate Brazil will miss badly,” said Lawrence Pih, who for decades ran flour mill Grupo Pacífico and sat on the board with Agnelli at the São Paulo Federation of Industries. In Harvard Business Review’s ranking of the world’s best-performing chief executive officers published in February 2013, Agnelli came fourth, behind Apple’s Steve Jobs, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Samsung’s Yun Jong-Yong. He was the top mining chief executive in the 100-executive ranking. Agnelli earned the spot in the Harvard ranking after racking up a consolidated return of 934 per cent during his tenure at Vale, whose market value more than doubled in the period. Born on May 3 1959 to a middle-class family in São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, Roger Agnelli studied economics at Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado in his home town. He began his career at Bradesco’s corporate finance and investment banking division. His knack for engineering complex deals earned him praise from his bosses, who turned him into Bradesco’s youngest senior vice-president at the age of 29. At Vale, he implemented a turnround based on tough goals. During his stint, revenues rose 13-fold and capital spending soared more than 20-fold. “I get paid to produce results, and the results are there, aren’t they?” Agnelli told Valor Econômico newspaper in 2010. However, running Vale as a multinational put him on a collision course with Brazil’s ruling Workers’ party, which wanted Vale to shift from exporting raw minerals to more value-added products such as steel and fertilisers to create more jobs. The government has influence in the company through indirect stakes held by state pension funds. Agnelli clashed with former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for firing 2,000 workers in the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008. Months later, he accused members of Lula’s left-leaning party of trying to install loyalists at Vale and seek a bigger say in key decisions. His brash style upset clients in Europe and Japan, as well as regional governments and politicians that were crucial for a company that depended on government permits, according to former employees who asked not to be named. Mr Lula’s successor, Dilma Rousseff, stepped up pressure on Agnelli and succeeded in pushing him out in May 2011, just months after she took office. Following his departure from Vale, Agnelli founded AGN Participações and teamed up with Grupo BTG Pactual in a mining joint venture. Source link
A recent ruling holds implications for liquidated damages clauses. Chris Bridges reports. On 4 November 2015 the UK Supreme Court handed down judgment in the consolidated appeals of Cavendish Square Holding BV v Talal El Makdessi, and ParkingEye Ltd v Beavis. This was the first time in 100 years that the Supreme Court (or the House of Lords before it) had considered the principles underlying penalty clauses. While these are not construction cases, they are of importance to anyone in the construction industry involved with liquidated damages (LADs) clauses. Most construction contracts contain a LADs clause, setting out the specific amount agreed by the parties at the time of entering into the contract which will fall to be charged in the event of a breach or delay. Traditionally, to be enforceable, LADs clauses have had to constitute a genuine pre-estimate of loss; if not they amount to a penalty and are struck down (Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co Ltd v New Garage & Motor Co Ltd (1915) ). Thus, parties to construction contracts have frequently been advised to undertake a comprehensive assessment of LADs and to keep this on file. Recently, courts have attempted to move away from the rigid test of either a genuine pre-estimate of loss on the one hand or a penalty on the other and have sought to apply a ‘commercial justification’ test. But how does this all fit together? In its Cavendish judgment, the Supreme Court has provided welcome clarification, acknowledging that, while Dunlop still applies, its tests are only considerations and may not apply to all cases. In particular, the Court observed that there were unsatisfactory distinctions between: a penalty and a genuine pre-estimate of loss; and a genuine pre-estimate of loss and a deterrent. It did not necessarily follow, the Court suggested, that a proper pre-estimate of loss is not a penalty, and vice versa. Instead, the Court indicated that the proper test was whether “[the] provision is a secondary obligation which imposes a detriment on the contract-breaker out of all proportion to any legitimate interest of the innocent party in the enforcement of the primary obligation.” On the facts before the Court, where both parties had expert legal advice and equal bargaining power, there was a strong initial presumption that “the parties themselves are the best judges of what is legitimate in a provision dealing with the consequences of breach”. One of the Lord Justices, Lord Mance, suggested that this boiled down to a two stage test: Whether (and if so what) legitimate business interest was served and protected by the clause; and If such an interest existed, was the provision “in the circumstances extravagant, exorbitant or unconscionable”. In both sets of factual circumstances before the court, contractual deterrents were held not to be penalty clauses, and were valid: A deduction in purchase price of shares of some US$ 44m was a legitimate deterrent given the importance of non-breach to the deal; and An undeniably high parking fine of £85 was a legitimate deterrent given the need to properly manage and allocate town centre parking. So what does this mean for LADs in construction disputes? While it would be unwise to jump at the opportunity to inflate LADs in future contracts, this decision may lend support to an argument for LADs that go beyond a ‘genuine pre-estimate of loss’, particularly on a project that has inflexible deadlines or extreme consequences of delay, as this may well be considered a legitimate business interest. To inflate LADs based on this decision alone would be playing with fire. However, it will be interesting to see how this decision is applied in the context of construction disputes over the coming year. Watch this space. About the author: Chris Bridges is a trainee solicitor with Thomas Eggar LLP This article was published on 6 Nov 2015 (last updated on 6 Nov 2015). Source link
JCB, one of the UK’s largest manufacturers, has quit the CBI because of the lobby group’s anti-Brexit position. The construction equipment company, which employs about 6,000 people in Britain, ended its membership of the CBI following historic vote to leave the EU, said a person briefed on the matter. The person said the decision, first reported by Sky News, was because of the business organisation’s Remain stance ahead of the referendum. A CBI spokesman said: “It’s always a shame to see any member leave the CBI, but we recognise that businesses have competing priorities and we respect that.” A JCB spokesman said: “I can confirm that JCB is ending its membership of the CBI.” During the campaign, the CBI warned that withdrawal from the bloc would cause a “serious economic shock”, potentially costing the country £100bn and almost one million jobs by 2020. New hints and tips Valuable reports on specific countries, industries and business topics More tips Brexit supporters accused their opponents of scaremongering and used the term “project fear” to describe their tactics. The CBI’s director-general, Carolyn Fairbairn, this week said that Prime Minister Theresa May’s lurch towards a “hard” Brexit — involving complete withdrawal from the European single market — risked Britain’s open economy. Famous for its yellow diggers, JCB is one of Britain’s biggest privately owned companies, with 11 factories in the country and other plants in North America, India, China and Brazil. The apparent reason behind the Staffordshire-based manufacturer’s decision to leave the CBI should come as little surprise, however. Its chairman, Lord Anthony Bamford, was a public supporter of the “Leave” side and the company made a payment of £100,000 to the campaign. In a letter to employees ahead of the ballot, the peer wrote “that JCB and the UK can prosper just as much outside the EU”. “I voted to stay in the Common Market in 1975. I did not vote for a political union,” the letter said. In 2000, the European Commission fined JCB €39.6m for antitrust breaches. This centred on the company’s strategy of preventing consumers in one EU country buying its machinery more cheaply from an authorised dealer in another member state. The company declared itself “very frustrated” after losing a six-year legal battle against the fine. Tough conditions in emerging markets saw JCB’s sales drop nearly 7 per cent to £2.34bn in 2015. Adjusted earnings, before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation fell almost 30 per cent to £214m. In a sign of how China’s economic slowdown has taken a toll on global construction market, JCB announced 400 job cuts in the UK just over a year ago. Sample the FT’s top stories for a week You select the topic, we deliver the news. Source link
Organisations based in Uganda, Malaysia and the UK have been put on the shortlist for the Sustainable Buildings categories as part of the Ashden UK and International Awards. These awards are recognised around the world as a measure of excellence for sustainable energy. The winners will be announced at a ceremony taking place at the Royal Geographical Society in London. The prize for the winners will be tailor made support that will help the organisations scale up their work as well as a prize of up to £20,000. The organisations that have reached the shortlist for this year’s Ashden UK and International Awards are all industry leading when it comes to sustainable buildings. The organisations are setting the standard for sustainable building very high and it is hoped that it will provide a boost for other businesses to do the same. Pushing sustainable buildings will help with improving the sustainability of our practices. The finalists this year include Haileybury Youth Trust which is a charity in Uganda that trains young people to build using blocks that are made out of compressed earth. The Malaysian firm T.R. Hamzah and Yeang Sdn. Bhd have been utilizing green building practices for more than 40 years, and they are also a finalist for this year’s award. In the UK the finalist is the Carbon Co-op, which is a Manchester-based community-driven society that aims to help members achieve significant energy and CO2 savings by retrofitting homes. More than 100 householders have joined up and are working with technical experts in order to look at the best ways to implement changes that will improve comfort as well as cut energy bills and reduce CO2 emissions. As part of the project, for a nominal £35 fee a year members will get discounts for training events and home energy surveys as well as being able to purchase the materials and labour to retrofit their homes at a discount.
The Government announced a controversial hike in National Insurance for the self-employed as part of the Chancellors budget. After uproar in the media, the Government released their intention to reverse this decision. It is thought that the decision to repeal the increase in National Insurance is a good thing, and the Federation of Master Builders has suggested that the Government has made the right decision. The Federation of Master Builders was created in 1941 in order to protect the interests of Small and Medium sized construction firms. The Federation is a non-profit organisation which is involved in lobbying at both national and local level for members’ interests. The organisation can also be used as a source of knowledge as well as professional advice and support for its members. There is also a focus on being a source of building services that are both modern and relevant for construction businesses wanting to be successful. The federation has suggested that during the current economic climate, the Government needs to be pursuing economic stability. With the UK planning on leaving the European Union in the near future it could have seemed very unfair to and detrimental to the entrepreneurial industry to increase the National Insurance contributions. In a time when the economic future for the UK is cloudy, increasing the taxes of entrepreneurs and the self-employed could be counterproductive. The Federation of Master Builders has pointed out that a debate needs to be had by the Government to ensure that there is an even playing field in taxation for both the self-employed and directly employed. However, the Federation suggests it should be done in a way that will allow a chance for those affected to plan ahead, not simply announced in a budget statement. Any changes in taxes need to be done in a way that is fair and implementable for the self-employed.
The homes and building industry around the world is undergoing an intense level of evolution as well as an increased level of growth. Technology is the main reason for this transformation, things like Internet of Things, Big Data, data analytics and cloud platforms are allowing double-digit growth as well as market expansion through technology like connected homes and LED Lighting sectors. It is thought that the residential LED lighting market will experience a growth rate of 16.7% year on year. This is due to the adoption of LED lamps in countries like India, China and South Korea. The growth in this market has allowed the delivery of products and solutions in more traditional sectors such as heating ventilation, air conditioning as well as fire and safety technology. This growth in technology means more and more housing will contain modern technological features. These technologies that could be integrated into the homes and building sector means that finished developments could see more virtual voice assistants as well as Internet of Things-enabled products which will help to boost the industry’s growth as well as lead to new models for revenue. These technologies could lead to a boost in the partnerships between connected home participants with device suppliers as well as utilities and technology giants. It is thought that the connected homes market could grow beyond $150 billion, meaning a revenue growth rate of 14.9%. As part of Frost & Sullivan’s Homes & Buildings Growth Partnership Service program has found through the Global Homes and Buildings Industry Outlook 2017 that this industry expects that they will reach $1,150.75 billion in 2017. The research carried out by Frost & Sullivan has provided a detailed analysis of opportunities for growth as well as technologies and transformation trends that could have an impact on the homes and building industry. The research also looks at new and emerging companies that provide the industry with innovation and are recommended to watch throughout 2017.
Knight Knox have topped out on one of their four towers under development as part of the X1 Media Scheme in Salford Quays. The topping out ceremony celebrated the completion of the roof on one of the four towers. A concrete square engraved with the initials of X1 and Knight Knox was built in to the tower’s roof in commemoration. The ceremony was attended by Knight Knox’s commercial director Andy Phillips as well as their head of marketing, Samantha Jones. X1’s project manager Charlie Tombs and operations and regional director Melissa Green were also there to celebrate this phase of the development. This development is expected to cost £200 million and was designed by Falconer Chester Hall. The development is intended to enhance the skyline of Salford Quays with the designed four towers that will overlook the waterfront. When the development has been completed it will provide 1,100 high-end apartments. It is hoped that this new development will become a prime location in Salford Quays. The plan is to include luxury residences that will range from studio to three bedroomed apartments. There will also be an on-site cinema as part of the scheme as well as a private gym and the provision of secure underground parking. The previous phases of the X1 Media City mean that tower numbers 1,2 and 3 are now fully sold out. Tower 4 was only released in February 2017, and 120 apartments have been sold since this date. Salford Quays is a buy-to-let hotspot and excellent amenities as well as connections to transport links to Manchester City Centre has improved investor appetite. It is expected that the development will be popular for young professionals looking for property in the media hub of Greater Manchester with great transport and local facilities. This means that the tenancies on the remaining apartments may disappear quickly.
Highways England has announced Multi-million pounds of road improvements in order to help with the development of 4,000 homes and more than 10,900 jobs. These improvements are expected to cost £75 million and the improvements by Highways England should create opportunities around Derby and Daventry in the Midlands as well as Oldham in the North West, Durham in the North East and Taunton in the South West. As part of these project, Highways England will be contributing £12.45 million contribution as part of its Growth and Housing Fund. The rest of the £75 million cost will be coming from private sector developer contributions as well as other public funding. The Growth and Housing Fund is the Government’s £100 million fund set aside as part of the £15 billion investment in the road network. The Fund will provide funding for road improvements that are necessary for new developments intended to create homes and jobs in order to try and meet the demand. It has also been announced that Highways England has set out a plan that will use Government funding in order to create the largest impact over the long-term on the countries network of motorways and major A roads. It is important that these road systems are kept up to a high standard because they contribute to the country’s economic wellbeing. This ‘The Road to Growth’ plan is a way to manage the growth of the economy through the improvement of infrastructure like roads. Highways England also has plans to publish 128 ‘Route Strategies’ which includes all key road routes around England. The strategies will review the key routes, noting their performances and constraints in order to identify where needs further study or where improvements can be made. England’s Major roads are vital as part of the economic growth of the country as t provides a connection for businesses and people. The more efficient this connection is, the better for the economy.
