£5,000 and paid apprentice up for grabs Published: 04 August, 2016 IRWIN Tools has launched its annual Nominate a Tradesperson competition to find the UK and Ireland’s ‘Ultimate Tradesperson’. IRWIN is on the lookout for trade professionals to nominate themselves or colleagues and share their stories of when they have
Celebrating Quality Plumber Week Published: 03 October, 2016 Now in its third year, Quality Plumber Week is once again celebrating the UK’s dedicated and hard-working plumbing and heating engineers. Taking place from 3 to 9 October, the week will be building on the success of previous years to unite the
Browser does not support script. Contact us Patrik Schumacher, Partner of Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), is to deliver the keynote at the RIBA Smart Practice Conference in Nottingham on 22 September 2016, providing invaluable insights into the globally renowned practice. How is ZHA organised internally to optimise on potential business
Fire and security specialists Tecserv UK has been appointed to replace all CCTV cameras installed at the McArthurGlen East Midlands Designer Outlet in South Normanton. The £90K CCTV system upgrade was necessary in order to improve security monitoring of the retail outlet and to meet new legal requirements governing the
BAM Nuttall is taking the lead with the generation of a brand new range of women’s work clothing. The products have been specifically designed for women and have undergone rigorous testing on a number of sites in locations such as London., Leeds, Newcastle and Scotland. The construction company has been
Lambe Construction has managed to secure two flagship housing development contracts. The contracts for these two construction projects have been awarded by Keepmoat Homes. The Midlands’ preferred civil engineering and groundworks company has announced that they have managed to secure the contracts that will lead to the creation of more
The London Taxi Company’s recently opened, state of the art research development and assembly plant at Ansty Park Coventry, incorporates several interesting features including advanced energy saving methods and rain water harvesting. Additionally, Winvic Construction, who built the factory for Geely, the Chinese car manufacturer, used a different methodology for
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
£5,000 and paid apprentice up for grabs Published: 04 August, 2016 IRWIN Tools has launched its annual Nominate a Tradesperson competition to find the UK and Ireland’s ‘Ultimate Tradesperson’. IRWIN is on the lookout for trade professionals to nominate themselves or colleagues and share their stories of when they have gone above and beyond to get a job done, no matter how big or small. Tradespeople worldwide rely on IRWIN for superior performance on the job and now IRWIN wants to celebrate the UK and Ireland’s best. The successful candidate will receive a year’s paid apprentice for 2017, £5,000 to help build their business and a range of IRWIN products including IRWIN’s new Pro Comfort Screwdrivers, WeldTec Circular Saw blades and VISE-GRIP cutting pliers. The winner will be announced at the Build Show on 18 and 19 October at the NEC in Birmingham. Ahead of the 2016 winner being crowned, from June to October, a monthly winner will receive a prize package with IRWIN tools up to the value of £660 as well as an all-expense paid trip for two to the Build Show to the value of £850. Amber Popowicz, senior brand activation manager, said: “We established Nominate a Tradesperson to find tradespeople who, through their skills and dedication, make a real difference. This could be a tradesperson who has shown their commitment to instilling their skills in the younger generation by working with apprentices or someone who always goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional client service.” Source link
Celebrating Quality Plumber Week Published: 03 October, 2016 Now in its third year, Quality Plumber Week is once again celebrating the UK’s dedicated and hard-working plumbing and heating engineers. Taking place from 3 to 9 October, the week will be building on the success of previous years to unite the entire industry in shining a spotlight on the vital role plumbers’ play in our communities. The nation’s plumbers are a highly skilled and dedicated workforce that delivers safe water and heating to our homes and workspaces, yet most of us take these services for granted. Doing the jobs most people would rather leave, plumbers often come to the rescue with burst pipes and broken boilers yet they also provide consumers with the latest advice on heating technologies, energy saving tips and water safety. Organised by Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC), the week also stresses the importance of using properly qualified, trained and accredited plumbers in a bid to reduce the numbers of rogue traders operating in the industry. Homeowners are encouraged to check if their tradesperson has professional qualifications and accreditation to a professional trade body to avoid being a victim of sub-standard work. By raising the profile of plumbing as a respected profession, it’s hoped that more young people will be encouraged to consider an apprenticeship in the sector. Recent research from APHC found that attitudes towards apprenticeships appear to have shifted in recent years – 86% of people polled agree that school leavers should be encouraged to consider an apprenticeship rather than being pushed into the Higher Education route, with only 2% disagreeing. With apprenticeships once again becoming an accepted option post-16 education, the trade needs to promote the benefits and positives of becoming a plumber or heating engineer to create a new generation of professional tradespeople. On a positive note, plumbing apprenticeships remain the most sought after with around 5,500 plumbing apprentices enrolling on a course in England and Wales in 2015. The week will also highlight work within the industry to tighten up Building Regulations enforcement, to protect consumers and ensure a level playing field for the many professional tradesmen who comply with the UK’s rigorous construction standards. Research carried out by APHC found that 74% of heating businesses believe that stricter enforcement would be beneficial to their businesses as competitors undercut their prices by bypassing regulations and 69% agree that customers are willing to breach building regulations to save time or money – despite these being in place to protect them. A worryingly high 69% had also discovered areas of non-compliance when visiting sites. John Thompson, chief executive, APHC added: “Quality Plumber Week is once again uniting plumbers to showcase the world-class professionals we have working to keep up with our demand for fresh, clean water on tap and instant heat at our fingertips. The perception of plumbers and plumbing, as well as trades in general, appear to be making positive strides and we’re encouraged by the numbers of young people recognising the benefits of a career in the industry. “We hope that everyone will come together to celebrate our industry and raise awareness to homeowners that there are many highly qualified professionals out there – who are proud of their trade and work they do each day. “ Plumbers are also being encouraged to get involved and win a prize at the conclusion of the week, donated by various suppliers across the industry. Quality plumbers can support the campaign using the #QPW16 to be entered into the prize draw. Working with partner trade suppliers the total prize value now stands at £2,200. For more information on Quality Plumber Week and to learn how you can get involved visit www.aphc.co.uk/quality-plumber-week. Source link
Browser does not support script. Contact us Patrik Schumacher, Partner of Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), is to deliver the keynote at the RIBA Smart Practice Conference in Nottingham on 22 September 2016, providing invaluable insights into the globally renowned practice. How is ZHA organised internally to optimise on potential business worldwide? How does it keep ahead of technology? How does it uniquely position itself as a premier design office by investing in a rich research culture with a dedicated internal research unit and established links to academia internationally? A Partner at ZHA since 2002, Schumacher has been part of the practice for 28 years. He is responsible for founding DRL (Design Research Laboratory) at the Architectural Association School of Architecture. He has held professorships at Innsbruck University, University of Applied Arts in Vienna and Harvard University. He the author of several significant publications, including most recently Parametricism 2.0: Rethinking Architecture’s Agenda for the 21st Century (Architectural Design, March 2016). With the sudden loss of Zaha Hadid in March, Schumacher is the remaining Partner at ZHA. Supported by its directors, Schumacher is tasked with taking the 400-strong practice forward. This year’s RIBA Smart Practice Conference, ‘Future Forward’, accents how an innovative approach to business-thinking, new technologies and research can propel practices forward. Sessions are organised around current business drivers, longstanding research and technology, drawing from a range of exciting speakers that encompass big names and emerging offices. Speakers include: Mark Burry of the University of Melbourne, celebrated for his work overseeing the completion of Gaudí’s Sagrada Família in Barcelona; Xavier de Kestelier, co-Head of the Specialist Modelling Group at Foster + Partners; David Green, Principal at Perkins + Will and CEO of AREA Research; Josef Hargrave of Global Foresight Manager at Arup; Rob Jackson, Associate Director at Bond Bryan Digital; and Deborah Saunt, Founding Director at DSDHA. The conference will be opened by RIBA President Jane Duncan. Early bird rate tickets for Future Forward: Smart Practice Conference go on sale online on 2 June: www.architecture.com/FutureForward The conference is to take place at the Nottingham Conference Centre in the city centre, 10.00 am – 5.00 pm with drinks at Nottingham Contemporary until 7.00 pm. ENDS For further information contact Howard Crosskey howard.crosskey@riba.org +44 (0)20 7307 3761 A limited number of free tickets will be made available for the media to attend. Patrik Schumacher will be available for interview at the conference. For further information and tickets visit: www.architecture.com/FutureForward The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members www.architecture.com Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA Posted on Thursday 2nd June 2016 Source link
Fire and security specialists Tecserv UK has been appointed to replace all CCTV cameras installed at the McArthurGlen East Midlands Designer Outlet in South Normanton. The £90K CCTV system upgrade was necessary in order to improve security monitoring of the retail outlet and to meet new legal requirements governing the image quality of recording footage. The East Midlands Designer Outlet site spans 25 acres, and is located near Junction 28 of the M1. With 13.7m potential shoppers living within a 90minute drive of the outlet, an ability to revert back to security recordings of the comings and goings on the site is an important aspect of safety and security. In total, 43 new HIK Vision cameras have been installed in various internal and external locations around the Outlet. Eight different models of camera from the HIK Vision range were selected according to location and functionality requirements and includes a DS-2DP1636Z-D 360° panoramic + PTZ camera to the main car park. The new legal requirements for CCTV cameras stipulates that in order for images to be admissible in court, they must be able to record at a rate no lower than 17.5 frames per second. The new cameras will record at 25 frames per second, which means system operators are now able to analyse camera footage recorded in high definition from their monitoring desk in the security control room. Commenting on behalf of East Midland Designer Outlet, Martin Brightmore, Facilities Manager said, “Our old CCTV surveillance equipment comprised a combination of systems with outdated technology that resulted in poor image quality. Tecserv has provided us with an exceptional new CCTV monitoring system which has improved our ability to carry out surveillance of the entire site and enabled our security officers to carry out their job more effectively.” Based in Underwood, Tecserv UK is an expert in providing fire and security solutions to businesses in a variety of sectors and has significant retail experience having installed fire and security systems for Harvey Nichols in London and at M&S Simply Food stores on a nationwide basis. Tecserv has an excellent relationship with the East Midlands Designer Outlet developed over the last five years as a result of its ongoing contract to carry out maintenance on their fire alarm system. Colin Milligan, Sales Director at Tecserv UK added “Communication was key on this particular project as disruption had to be kept to a minimum so as to not disturb shoppers. I’m proud that we were able to install a CCTV surveillance system to meet our client requirements and that the system manufacturer, HIK Vision, now reference our work as one of their flagship installations.”
BAM Nuttall is taking the lead with the generation of a brand new range of women’s work clothing. The products have been specifically designed for women and have undergone rigorous testing on a number of sites in locations such as London., Leeds, Newcastle and Scotland. The construction company has been working alongside the manufacturer Arco in order to produce the new range. Arco is known for being the premier supplier in the UK of safety equipment and workwear. As part of the new selection of work safe clothing that has been developed there are polo shirts, jackets, waistcoats and trousers that have all been tailored to fit the female shape better and allow for better movement and fit. If this new range proves to be successful there could possibly be an expansion into more equipment such as safety helmets, gloves, goggles and boots which we could see available in the future. The Health & Safety Director of BAM Nuttall, Phil Cullen has said that the range is an extension of the company’s work to deliver high profile and complex construction projects while encouraging more and more women to join the industry. While trying to encourage more and more diversity in the Construction industry as well as in BAM Nuttall it makes sense that they improve the workgear available in order to make sure that all those working on a construction site have access to the best safety equipment and PPE possible, including clothing. This project is not an effort to bring vanity to the construction site but rather to improve the safety of the female workers while on site. For example the trousers that are usually worn by women are the oversized options created, like almost all construction clothing, for men. Therefore altering the shape and adding tailoring means that the trousers do not have to be pulled up too high and rolled up at the bottom in order to fit; adjustments which could move the location of pockets and block high visibility strips. It will also look more professional to have all those working on site to be in correctly fitting and professional clothing as opposed to clothing with frayed bottoms from being stood on and torn.
Lambe Construction has managed to secure two flagship housing development contracts. The contracts for these two construction projects have been awarded by Keepmoat Homes. The Midlands’ preferred civil engineering and groundworks company has announced that they have managed to secure the contracts that will lead to the creation of more than 3,000 homes. The first development that has been secured by M. Lambe Construction has been valued at around £12.9 million. The development is located in the Spirit Quarters which is a £360 million housing redevelopment project that is taking place in North East Coventry. This first development alone will see more than 3,300 new homes constructed in the Wood End, Henley Green, Manor Farm and Deedmore neighbourhoods. The civil engineering and groundworks specialists have been contracted to build the foundations of 356 new homes as well as two new apartment blocks and a variety of infrastructure features including roads and sewers. The work will have to seamlessly connect to existing roads as well as on-site and off-site sewer diversions. The second contract is for work at The Willows in Dudley. The project is worth £5.07 million and will see a team from M. Lambe Construction build raft foundations that will be used for 130 plots as well as the required infrastructure. Also featured in the work will be the creation of public space and pathways as well as a balancing pond. The two contracts are great news for the company and are a credit to the partnership that has been formed between M. Lambe Construction and Keepmoat Homes. M. Lambe Construction has been in operation for more than 30 years and is now known for their work with a variety of clients across the Midlands including Lovell Partnerships, Bellway Homes and Galliford Try to name just a few.
The London Taxi Company’s recently opened, state of the art research development and assembly plant at Ansty Park Coventry, incorporates several interesting features including advanced energy saving methods and rain water harvesting. Additionally, Winvic Construction, who built the factory for Geely, the Chinese car manufacturer, used a different methodology for below ground construction. The base for the vehicle conveyor system, which is over 75 metres long, was prefabricated off site in steel modules and then joined together to form one unitary assembly. The bases for the WAHA (wheel alignment) and the rolling road were also prefabricated off-site. Installation of all structures was completed in four weeks – using traditional concrete methods would have taken at least 10-12 weeks. Manufacture and installation of the structures was carried out by Premier Substructures. In addition to considerable time savings, their approach offered several other benefits over in situ and pre cast concrete techniques, including tighter tolerances, reduced environmental impact plus better and safer working conditions. Having worked with Premier Substructures before, as well as sister company Premier Pits on the installation of vehicle maintenance pits, Winvic are well aware of the benefits of this type of prefabrication. Mark Cross of Winvic stated, “our belief in this revolutionary approach made a significant contribution to ensuring the building was completed on time, thereby helping LTC to start production of their new low emission hybrid taxis later this year”. Premier Substructures’ managing director Mel Burrell stated, “we were pleased to work with Winvic on the very successful adoption of prefabrication on this interesting project”. He went on to say, “we believe that prefabricated substructures make a significant contribution towards improving construction productivity and quality”. As a result of this successful project the taxis, once only synonymous with London, will be coming off the production line in a few weeks time for use in major cities around the world.
