A new study by a researcher working for Danish consultant Cowi has developed a technique for designing asphalt mixes that can help reduce CO₂ emissions from vehicles. A reduction of the pavement’s rolling resistance can reduce emissions as less fuel is needed to get the wheels moving. A recent PhD
Deka Immobilien has acquired One St Peter’s Square in Manchester via the owning joint venture vehicle from Argent and The Greater Manchester Property Venture Fund, for £164,000,000. Occupying a prominent position in the heart of Manchester’s historic business district, the highly specified development was completed in September 2014 and totals
With the European Championship football tournament underway new research shows which countries have done best in terms of house prices since the last cup four years ago.The price of mainstream homes have increases in more than 74% of the countries competing in the tournament, according to the study from international
The construction industry is known for being a fight for survival, especially amongst small and medium-sized enterprises. Tons of small projects, along with a constant search for new contracts demand focus in order to make it in the long run. Over 2 554 company insolvencies in three months According to
Approval for a new Indian airport has been announced. The new development that has taken a significant step forward recently with approval being given to the new airport which will be located in Jewar. The airport will be constructed in the Greater Noida region of India and is said to
In February 2017, the National Audit Office – a body that scrutinises public spending for Parliament – found that a large number of school buildings in England required substantial repairs. It is estimated that it will cost £6.7bn to return all school buildings across the country to a ‘satisfactory or
A new study by a researcher working for Danish consultant Cowi has developed a technique for designing asphalt mixes that can help reduce CO₂ emissions from vehicles. A reduction of the pavement’s rolling resistance can reduce emissions as less fuel is needed to get the wheels moving. A recent PhD project has provided a new tool for optimising the asphalt mixture. A quarter of the energy consumption in Denmark is related to road transportation; and a third of that energy is actually used to overcome the rolling resistance. Both money and CO₂ emissions can be saved by reducing the rolling resistance of the pavement, said Cowi. The trick is to use smaller stones in the asphalt mixture, but without undermining the performance of the pavement. Huan Feng, pavement specialist at Cowi, gives part of the answer in his recent PhD project ”Modelling of asphalt mixture – A discrete element method (DEM) to study the viscoelastic behaviour of asphalt mixture.” ”The project focuses on establishing a scientific background for novel pavement types and asset management solutions that minimise the rolling resistance for cars and trucks, and eventually attains the goal of reducing CO2 emission from the transportation sector,” he said. The mathematical model he developed saves time compared to lab tests and has already been applied to a project by Vejdirektoratet, the Danish road authority. The results indicate that the fuel consumption can be reduced by 3-5 percent without undermining the road grip. However, it will take further studies to determine fully on the viscoelastic behavior of the asphalt when changing the mix design, he pointed out. “A road consist of many layers and we have only focused on the top 3-4 centimetres, which is the strongest and most expensive part and it is the top layer that decides how it feels to drive on the road. But when you change the mixture in the top layer it also has an impact on the lower layers, and this impact needs to be investigated as well before any final conclusions can be made” he said. Thomas Mejer, market director at Cowi Highways and Airports International, considers the new findings to be an important first step towards a more sustainable transportation sector. “There is a great need for new infrastructure not least in Africa where we have several projects,” he said. “We are aiming at the most sustainable solutions and reducing CO₂ emissions while maintaining high performance and durability are key components to achieve that. In other words, the mathematical modeling holds a great potential for optimizing the sustainability of new roads.” This article was published on 4 Jun 2016 (last updated on 6 Jun 2016). Source link
Deka Immobilien has acquired One St Peter’s Square in Manchester via the owning joint venture vehicle from Argent and The Greater Manchester Property Venture Fund, for £164,000,000. Occupying a prominent position in the heart of Manchester’s historic business district, the highly specified development was completed in September 2014 and totals circa 288,000 sq ft (26,755 sq m) of Grade A office accommodation and retail space arranged across ground and thirteen upper floors. The property is currently multi-let with a weighted average unexpired lease term of approximately 16 years. Current tenants include KPMG, DLA Piper, Addleshaw Goddard and Mazars, along with Drake & Morgan and Fumo in the retail units. John Heaver, investment director at Savills, comments: “The characteristics of One St Peter’s Square make it a rare and prestigious product that will compliment Deka’s portfolio and we are encouraged by their continued commitment to the UK.” Councillor Kieran Quinn, chair of Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) adds: “The sale of One St Peter’s Square to Deka Immobilien brings to a conclusion the involvement of the Greater Manchester Pension Fund in the redevelopment of the site. GMPF originally purchased the old Elizabeth House in 2003, prior to the formation of the joint venture with Argent in 2008. The faith and confidence in the development by both partners has achieved the twin aims of GMPF’s local investment strategy. The Fund has made the returns required to deliver the pensions promised to its members, and delivered a landmark building for Manchester city centre. This building which, when commenced, was the only new construction in the city centre, has acted as a catalyst for the development of St Petersfield with the new tram site and significant improvement to the public realm.” David Partridge on behalf of Argent and Hermes/BTPS, says: “The design and quality of this office building and the Manchester City Council supported public realm around it, along with the significant works to the Town Hall Extension and the Library, have been a vital ingredient in re-establishing St Peter’s Square as the pre-eminent civic space in Manchester, and that is why we have attracted such an impressive line-up of occupiers. The public facing ground floor along with the Fumo and Drake and Morgan restaurants have already made One St Peter’s Square a destination in its own right.” Deka Immobilien is advised by Savills and CBRE in the UK. The joint venture between Argent and The Greater Manchester Property Venture Fund was represented by Bilfinger GVA. The Greater Manchester Property Venture Fund is a sub fund of the Greater Manchester Pension Fund. Source link
With the European Championship football tournament underway new research shows which countries have done best in terms of house prices since the last cup four years ago.The price of mainstream homes have increases in more than 74% of the countries competing in the tournament, according to the study from international real estate agent Knight Frank. Turkey topped the rankings with an increase of 65.6%, followed by the Republic of Ireland with price growth of 34.3% and Sweden up 32%. In fourth place is Iceland with house prices up by 30.6%, followed closely by England where prices are up 29.7%, Germany up 19.7%, Austria up 16.5%, Northern Ireland up by 15.6% and Russia up 15.2%. Next is Wales with price growth of 14.1% in the last four years, Switzerland up 10.3%, the Czech Republic up 8.2%, Hungary up 8.1%, Belgium up 4%, Poland up by 1.8%, Portugal up by 1.4% and Slovakia up by 0.9%. The country with the worst ranking is Ukraine where house prices have fallen by 22.6% but this is not surprising considering the unrest in recent years. Second from bottom is Italy where prices are down 13.1% and then Croatia where prices have fallen by 9% since the last tournament in 2012. In Romania prices are down 0.5%, France down 5.7%, Spain down 7.2%. Kate Everett-Allen, head of international residential research at Knight Frank, pointed out that the divergent performance of northern and southern Europe is evident. ‘The Nordic countries along with Ireland, England and Germany have seen prices accelerate while prices in most of the southern European economies still sit below their level in 2012,’ she said. BOOKMARK THIS PAGE (What is this?) Source link
The construction industry is known for being a fight for survival, especially amongst small and medium-sized enterprises. Tons of small projects, along with a constant search for new contracts demand focus in order to make it in the long run. Over 2 554 company insolvencies in three months According to statistics from gov.uk, there were more than 2 554 company insolvencies in the construction sector from January to March 2017 and the numbers are rising. The high insolvency rate is a result of companies losing control of billable hours and the struggle of projects running over time or budget, according to project manager Christopher Krohn from construction software developer 24onoff. “The lack of good procedures for processing documentation and invoice data is the single biggest reason for the rising numbers of insolvencies in the construction sector.” Krohn says. According to the consultancy firm, McKinsey & Company, this issue affects more than three quarters of all construction projects to some extent. “Adaptation of new technology, especially for managing time sheets and projects will help many of these companies increase their profitability, stay on budget and ultimately help them stay afloat.” he continues. TIme-tracking and project management software 24onoff, recently released a new version of their time-tracking and project management solution to help small construction companies. The solution is a result of feedback from more than 5000 construction workers, using it daily. To help the small builders, plumbers, bricklayers, electricians, painters and decorators they now offer free use of the system for up to three users. “By providing construction workers with the tools they need to stay in control of their work day, we expect the number of insolvencies to drop drastically. It is a way for them to reduce the time spent on demanding administrative work, to ultimately spend more time on the things that matter and they enjoy.” Krohn concludes. 24onoff is a software provider for small and medium-sized construction businesses based out of London.
Approval for a new Indian airport has been announced. The new development that has taken a significant step forward recently with approval being given to the new airport which will be located in Jewar. The airport will be constructed in the Greater Noida region of India and is said to be located close to Delhi, India. The news of the new Jewar Airport has been revealed after extensive discussions about whether the construction of the airport should go ahead. There has been a great deal of controversy around the construction of the new airport because of the location. The creation of an airport in Jewar has been thought of by some people as unwise because of its close proximity to Delhi and the airport that is already established there. The Jewar airport, when the construction work is finished, will be less than 100 kilometers away from the Indira Gandhi International Airport. There has also been concern for the operator of the established airport, DIAL, who may be affected by the construction and opening of a new airport. The Jewar location could have a commercial impact on the Indira Gandhi International Airport, with the custom for the airport split in two with the announced construction of the Jewar airport. It isn’t all bad news however, the Civil Aviation Minister, Ashok Raju has suggested during his visit to Delhi on the 24th of June that the creation of a new airport, just 100 kilometers away from the current one could increase by as much as 91 million by 2020. The construction of the new airport has also lead to forecasts of an increase of passenger traffic to 109 million by 2024. These passenger traffic predictions are why the airport at Jewar has been approved and is expected to go ahead, as it is thought that the Indira Gandhi International Airport will not be able to handle such a significant increase in passengers. The airport is predicted to take five years to construct, with public and private investments and the prospects of increased traffic and economic development.
In February 2017, the National Audit Office – a body that scrutinises public spending for Parliament – found that a large number of school buildings in England required substantial repairs. It is estimated that it will cost £6.7bn to return all school buildings across the country to a ‘satisfactory or better’ condition, and a further £7.1bn to bring parts of school buildings up to a ‘good’ condition. These estimates are rooted in a Department of Education property data survey, completed in 2014 – four years after the launch of the £4.4 billion Priority School Building Programme (PSBP). This Programme is set to run until 2021 with the aim of rebuilding or refurbishing a total of 537 primary, secondary and special education needs schools across England. Now in the second phase – £2.4 billion of the original budget has been allocated to PSBP2 to rebuild and refurbish individual blocks at 277 schools. The scale of the task is vast and only through using innovative construction solutions can the Priority School Building Programme be delivered. The Priority School Building Programme relies heavily on standardisation to reduce costs. So, will the use of offsite manufactured classrooms and other education facilities increase? Richard Crosby, Director of Education at management consultant Blacc and an independent consultant to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) – believes it will, saying: “I see modular construction playing an even greater role in PSBP2, this phase presents opportunities for modular construction. The ESFA understands the need to design and procure for offsite construction and they are working on a component solution of standard blocks that can be assembled to create bespoke schools without compromising on quality of design or specification. The ESFA’s modular schools will look and feel like traditional build schools in a fraction of the time onsite.” Learn more about offsite construction and the opportunities in the education sector from the key speakers – Richard Crosby will be presenting at the Explore Offsite Education conference, taking place on 11 July 2017 at Westminster, London. Joining him on the speaker platform will be Rachel Stephenson, Programme Director Education & Skills Funding Agency; Keith Waller, Senior Advisor at the Infrastructure & Projects Authority, Bryan Evans, PSBP2 Project Director and a host of experts from the offsite sector. This integrated conference and exhibition event creates a platform for construction clients, architects, engineers and contractors to come together and discuss the latest offsite solutions in the education sector. For the full speaker line up or to book your place visit: http://www.exploreoffsite.co.uk/2017-events/explore-offsite-education
