Contractors building the new Mersey Gateway crossing have lifted into place the two giant bridge building machines, ready for work to begin on the main bridge deck. Above: Travelling formwork machines in position at the south pylon in the Mersey Estuary The two 270-tonne form travellers were hydraulically jacked into
John Homer, until recently regional managing director of Morgan Sindall Construction, has joined North Midland Construction as chief executive officer. Above: John Homer John Homer was with Morgan Sindall for nearly 12 years before leaving in February 2016. Previously, he was a deputy managing director at Galliford Try (1998-2004). He
Build a boiler with Worcester, Bosch Group Published: 07 April, 2016 Worcester, Bosch Group is giving eight installers the chance to win a VIP day at its headquarters on Wednesday 29 June, where they will be able to build and take home their very own boiler, as well as test
Highways England has contracted GRAHAM for improvement works to be carried out on four major roads located in the East of England. The work has been granted to GRAHAM in the form of two major packages that will cover improvements to the A47, A11, A1 and A12. The contract has
Jet Aire, the Leeds based drainage company has started work as part of a substantial project that will see a range of sensitive drainage improvements made at a Manchester chemical manufacturing facility. The work is being carried out by Jet Aire on behalf of the drug development company CARBOGEN AMCIS.
The marketing campaign used to advertise the GRAPHISOFT ARCHICAD 21 has helped the company to win the Gold Stevie® Award. This prestigious accolade has been given to the BIM software company as part of the Marketing Campaign of the Year-Software category and as part of the 14th annual International Business
If you walk into just about any woodshop in America, you’ll find a table saw right in the middle of the room. This essential piece of technology can perform numerous tasks like cross cutting stock to length, ripping boards to width, as well as sawing on the money miters, dadoes,
Following recent success in the Far East for both its architectural and events media display solutions, G-SMATT has announced the formation of a European company. Based in Oxford, the company, which will be known as G-SMATT Europe, is led by Dr Orhan Ertughrul and will be bringing the benefits of
A warehouse can be a busy place filled with people, equipment and product all moving at the same time. Therefore, it is important that your warehouse is as organized as possible to keep people safe and to improve productivity. How can the use of professional warehouse aisle signs make a
As a homeowner, you have the right to renovate or build upon your property as long as you have proper permission from the local planning authorities… Oh, and your neighbours. Thanks to the Party Wall Act of 1996, any alterations to a wall or fence on the boundary of two
Contractors building the new Mersey Gateway crossing have lifted into place the two giant bridge building machines, ready for work to begin on the main bridge deck. Above: Travelling formwork machines in position at the south pylon in the Mersey Estuary The two 270-tonne form travellers were hydraulically jacked into place at the south pylon in the Mersey estuary. The machines, which act as movable concrete formwork, are positioned 26 metres above the river bed. Workers are now making preparations to cast the first part of the bridge deck from the south pylon, which will take place in May 2016. Three pairs of form travellers – one pair for each pylon – will be used to cast the spans between the three bridge pylons to create the 1km reinforced concrete bridge deck. This is expected to take around 12 months to complete. The form travellers will be lifted into place at the north pylon later this month, while the machines for the central pylon will be positioned in the summer. The Mersey Gateway bridge is on schedule to open in autumn 2017. Halton Borough Council is the client for the project and it awarded a 30-year contract to design, build, finance and operate the project to the Merseylink Consortium in 2014. Equity partners are Macquarie Capital Group, BBGI, and FCC Construcción. The construction joint venture is made up of Kier, Samsung C&T and FCC. Further Images This article was published on 15 Apr 2016 (last updated on 15 Apr 2016). Source link
John Homer, until recently regional managing director of Morgan Sindall Construction, has joined North Midland Construction as chief executive officer. Above: John Homer John Homer was with Morgan Sindall for nearly 12 years before leaving in February 2016. Previously, he was a deputy managing director at Galliford Try (1998-2004). He started his career as a chartered surveyor with Kyle Stewart, rising to divisional director of successor company BAM Construct UK. His arrival at North Midland Construction (NMC) follows the recent announcement that the company’s chairman and chief executive Robert Moyle would be stepping down from his role as chief executive but would remain as executive chairman. “I am extremely pleased that John has joined the group,” said Mr Moyle. “He has a wealth of experience in the construction industry and will embrace our culture. He will play an important role in the future growth and development of the group.” This article was published on 3 Jun 2016 (last updated on 3 Jun 2016). Source link
Build a boiler with Worcester, Bosch Group Published: 07 April, 2016 Worcester, Bosch Group is giving eight installers the chance to win a VIP day at its headquarters on Wednesday 29 June, where they will be able to build and take home their very own boiler, as well as test their skills against a series of manufacturing challenges in the company’s factory. The promotion follows the launch of the manufacturer’s factory tour, which offers engineers a glimpse into what goes into every Worcester boiler. Attendees will be able to see first-hand how a boiler is produced, tested and packaged, before visiting the various departments that make up Worcester’s wider support network. Martyn Bridges, director of marketing and technical support at Worcester, said: “Retaining the confidence of the industry’s heating engineers is vital to our business, and we are always trying to go the extra mile whenever an installer comes to visit us. For the lucky winners of this competition, we’ll be taking this even further by offering them a real VIP experience at our state-of-the-art facility. “What’s more, the most technically-minded out there will be able to test themselves against a series of challenges in our innovative lean manufacturing system – culminating in the unique opportunity to build and take home their very own boiler.” To be in with a chance of winning visit www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/VIP. Source link
Highways England has contracted GRAHAM for improvement works to be carried out on four major roads located in the East of England. The work has been granted to GRAHAM in the form of two major packages that will cover improvements to the A47, A11, A1 and A12. The contract has been valued at £19 million and will also see a number of safety improvements made including surfacing structures and technology schemes. The civil engineering work that will be carried out by GRAHAM will greatly improve the road users experience of the network being improved as well as hopefully the reduction of journey times for the hundreds and thousands of people who use these routes. The road improvements will extend between Peterborough, Norwich and Lowestoft via Great Yarmouth. GRAHAM has been delivered these two major project packages as a part of a collaborative delivery framework. This means that projects have been grouped together in terms of the area of completion. The team from GRAHAM have already been working on the project by communicating with stakeholder groups as well as the communities where the work will be carried out in order to create and develop a strong and effective relationships as well as make sure that clear lines of communication are in place while the work is being carried out. For GRAHAM it is great to be working with Highways England, who will be developing their long-term collaborative relationship even more through the completion of this prestigious contract. Throughout this civil engineering contract, GRAHAM is focused on keeping the local community and local stakeholders involved in the project in order to make the most of the local knowledge of the roads and the improvements that will be beneficial to local and long-distance travelers. This new civil engineering contract is the most recent and significant contract to be awarded to the constantly expanded civil engineering division of GRAHAM.
Jet Aire, the Leeds based drainage company has started work as part of a substantial project that will see a range of sensitive drainage improvements made at a Manchester chemical manufacturing facility. The work is being carried out by Jet Aire on behalf of the drug development company CARBOGEN AMCIS. This new detailed contract of works has been awarded to the Leeds based drainage company following the completion of an initial contract which comprised of the full site cleanse carried out with high pressure water jets. Jet Aire also carried out a CCTV condition survey that required the use of the drainage company’s Zone 1 Rated Atex explosion-proof camera system in order to navigate a number of different sections where precautionary measures were required to carry out the work. The survey completed by Jet Aire for CARBOGEN AMCIS also utilised a team of engineers that were qualified to carry out high-risk confined space entries. During this survey, the engineers identified a number of remedial requirements. In order to solve the issues flagged up during the course of the survey, a second contract has been awarded that involves the traditional excavation and relaying of a number of areas in order to address pipe collapses in the facility as well as patch lining and repairs in the areas where the drain runs can be saved. This work is expected to be completed in December. CARBOGEN AMCIS works to deliver drug development and commercialization services to the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. The company offers a fully integrated in-house supply chain including complex APIs. The Manchester manufacturing facility also specialises in the process research as well as the custom synthesis of pharmaceutical intermediates. The company has a larger production capacity of around 4,500 litres. This significant capacity allows the company to efficiently produce early-phase APIs and a number of large scale intermediates.
The marketing campaign used to advertise the GRAPHISOFT ARCHICAD 21 has helped the company to win the Gold Stevie® Award. This prestigious accolade has been given to the BIM software company as part of the Marketing Campaign of the Year-Software category and as part of the 14th annual International Business Awards today. GRAPHISOFT® was first launched in 1984, and is seen to have started the BIM revolution with the release of ARCHICAD®, which was an industry first, delivering BIM software to architects. Since then, the software has been developed and advanced when possible, up until most recently and the implementation of the Stair Tool. GRAPHISOFT is still the leader in the industry, and has remained so by delivering their clients a range of innovative solutions such as BIMcloud®. The International Business Awards are known for being the world’s premier business awards program. All individuals and organizations around the world, whether they are public or private, for-profit or non-profit, large and small and be eligible to submit nominations for this awards programme. For the 2017 awards programme, there were more than 60 nations and territories. The IBAs are presented to the winners as part of a gala awards event and banquet which is to be held at the W Hotel in Barcelona, Spain on the 21st of October. GRAPHISOFT Marketing campaign for the ARCHICAD 21 drew the attention of the judges. The advertising videos that have been created to demonstrate the capabilities of the product are fun and interesting, demonstrating the design of a world famous monument like the Great Wall of China. It is great news for the company to be recognised by such a highly regarded awards scheme, and GRAPHISOFT has highlighted the hard work and dedication from the creative team of developers helping to deliver the best software for their users.
If you walk into just about any woodshop in America, you’ll find a table saw right in the middle of the room. This essential piece of technology can perform numerous tasks like cross cutting stock to length, ripping boards to width, as well as sawing on the money miters, dadoes, box joints, bevels, and more. Whether you have a hybrid grizzly g0715P table saw or another model, you obviously want to get the most out of this versatile piece of equipment. So, we’re going to provide you with some table saw tips that will help you make your saw more productive than you ever imagined possible. Always Keep Your Tabletop Clean To get the most out of any table saw, you’ll get the cleanest, most expert cuts as long as you’re capable of smoothly feeding the wood across the tabletop. Having sawdust, chips, debris and such going across the tabletop won’t make for a smooth surface and your cuts won’t be that clean. So, always keep a shop vac handy at all times in your workshop. By having a shop vac on hand, you can turn it on whenever it’s needed and use it to vacuum the tabletop so that you can make it completely clean. During the vacuum process make sure you get all the sawdust and chips off of the fence, miter slots, and top. You can even apply a wax paste or spray lubricant on the surface. This will prevent cast-iron surfaces from rusting. Leave Plenty of Space to Operate Your Table Saw As you decide on the perfect spot in your workshop or on the job site to place your table saw, you have to leave plenty of room to correctly operate it. In fact, it’s recommended that you leave at least 4 feet worth of space on each side of the blade to provide ample room. On the flipside, you also need to leave 8 feet worth of space behind the blade and in front of the blade. By giving this additional breathing room, you’ll be able to work safer, more effectively and efficiently as well. Align the Blade Properly The ideal saw alignment will give the user burn free, clean cuts. To achieve this goal, the fence and blade need to be parallel to the miter slots. If they aren’t, your cuts aren’t going to be that smooth. The best way to ensure your blades are properly aligned is to actually use a tape measure and measure the distance between the front of the blade and the slot. The more precise the measuring instruments the better. So if you’re afraid a measuring tape isn’t going to be precise enough, you can always use a dial indicator gauge for profession precision measuring purposes. Next, it’s time to measure the distance between the back of the blade and the slot. You want both of these measurements to be exactly the same. If they aren’t the same, you have to either adjust the table or loosen it, then measure it again to test the effectiveness of your adjustments. To get the best results, look at your saw owner’s manual and see the instructions on how to make the necessary adjustments. Now that the blade is parallel to the miter slots, check if the fence is properly aligned and parallel to the slots. Measure just like you did in the previous step and make adjustments according to the owner’s manual if need be. Conclusion Please use these recommendations to get the most from your table saw.
Following recent success in the Far East for both its architectural and events media display solutions, G-SMATT has announced the formation of a European company. Based in Oxford, the company, which will be known as G-SMATT Europe, is led by Dr Orhan Ertughrul and will be bringing the benefits of its unique, smart glass solution to the architectural and city planning audiences as well as the events industry. Orhan is joined in the senior management team by Niraj Kapur, Sales Director and they are supported by a number of experienced and skilled design and architectural personnel. Dr Ertughrul, Executive Vice President Europe, G-SMATT Europe, explained more about the company and the opportunities that exist; “We firmly believe that the digital media façade, coupled to the Internet of Things and the current ubiquity of glass façade architecture is fundamentally changing the way we interact with the City Scape. The buildings of the future will be connected and able to share information including for example local traffic updates, advice from emergency services and news from local councils. This connectivity will also allow building owners to project the purpose of their buildings into the community, change the way their buildings are perceived, create new business models and interact with people on a personal level.” G-SMATT Glass has already been successfully installed at several locations in Asia including the Shanghai Stock Exchange and one example can be viewed here https://vimeo.com/channels/1175317 The company’s newly refurbished offices at King Charles House, Park End Street, Oxford, OX1 1JD contain two walls of the media active glass, giving visitors the chance to see its capabilities for themselves. The small LEDs that provide the media capability are placed at regular intervals, 20mm on the monochromatic product up to 90mm on the colour and even the colour product will go down to about 40mm, depending on the specification. When viewed from the inside there is less than 1% reduction in visibility through the glass. This is considerably less than other current alternatives such as an overlay or frame structure which can give the impression of being in a cage or prison cell when viewed by the building’s occupants. Even when illuminated at night people within the building are not dazzled by reflection as less than 10% of the light emitted by the LED’s is reflected into the building’s interior. Company Profile G-SMATT is a Korean company that produces an innovative digital media façade product. Launched in 2013 the company now has offices in five countries and an annual turnover of about $125 M. The company believes in the transformation of the digital city scape with compelling architectural media and interactivity. Its innovative, building grade, laminated media glass provides full transparency and rich media capability. This allows developers and architects to provide a new way for people to experience and enjoy their buildings and the surrounding urban spaces without compromising on the aesthetic beauty of their original design. In the new world of the Internet of Things it also allows for unparalleled connectivity and integration, a key in the development of the smart city. G-SMATT produces both architectural and exhibition products. For more information visit https://www.g-smatteurope.com/products/architecture
A warehouse can be a busy place filled with people, equipment and product all moving at the same time. Therefore, it is important that your warehouse is as organized as possible to keep people safe and to improve productivity. How can the use of professional warehouse aisle signs make a difference in achieving those goals? Make It Easy to See Signs From a Distance One of the easiest ways to keep your people safe is to make sure that they are focused on what may be in their path as opposed to where they are going. With a large sign, a person driving a forklift can easily see where he or she is supposed to be going with a pallet or other product. This allows that person to focus on who or what may on the warehouse floor as opposed to looking up at signs looking for directions. Keep Your Warehouse Organized When your aisles are properly labeled, everyone knows where to put inventory after a shipment arrives. Your people will also know where to go to find an item after it has been ordered. By keeping track of inventory, the odds are lower that you will order items that you already have in stock, which can save thousands of dollars per year. There is also a lower risk of letting product go bad sitting in storage because it is buried under piles of other items. Help Your Small Business Feel Like a Large Company In many cases, you feel better when you look better. In the business world, it is easier to create a professional vibe for your company when you take the time to look like a mature business. You are likely to work harder when you are in an environment where standards are high. Your people are also likely to work harder when they know that the owner cares about the details. This can also have a positive effect on investors or others who are asked to provide working capital for your business. Quality Signs Last for Years Opting for a quality sign made by a professional can help you save money in the long-term. This is because you won’t have to worry about it fading, cracking or otherwise succumbing to the elements inside of your warehouse. As a warehouse sign is so vital to staying safe and staying organized, it may help to keep workers’ compensation costs down. You Can Choose From a Variety of Designs The best part about buying a professional sign is that you can get it customized to suit your needs. You can even browse professionally designed warehouse aisle signs before you make a purchase to ensure that you get what you want and need. This makes it easier to get a sign that is both functional within the warehouse setting and meshes with your brand. The right sign can make a significant impact on your warehouse. It can help improve productivity, keep costs down and make sure that traffic is able to flow in a smooth manner throughout the space. These benefits may negate or offset the initial cost of buying it. Since they are durable products, you may be able to simply put the sign up and never worry about it again.
As a homeowner, you have the right to renovate or build upon your property as long as you have proper permission from the local planning authorities… Oh, and your neighbours. Thanks to the Party Wall Act of 1996, any alterations to a wall or fence on the boundary of two homes requires the property owner to obtain consent from their adjoining neighbour first. Neighbours are not obliged to consent immediately, and if they are not happy with the plans can instead pursue the drawn-out process of making an agreement through an appointed surveyor. The good news is that this makes the process fair for both parties – the homeowner has every right to build on their home, but not by unduly disrupting their neighbour’s peace and quiet. The bad news? Surveyors fees fall to the homeowner proposing the construction, so a party wall dispute can get rather expensive. If you’re planning construction works on a party wall, follow these five steps to improve your chances of obtaining consent quickly and smoothly, and save yourself a pretty penny. Have a Conversation Suddenly being served with a very official-looking notice (complete with a cover letter, technical drawings and acknowledgment forms), can seem both daunting and unfriendly. If your proposed construction is within the scope of permitted development, the planning office have no need to forewarn your neighbours that work is going to take place, and your letter will turn up entirely out of the blue. The easiest step to keep the following negotiations amicable is to give your neighbours a “heads up” yourself. As soon as you start planning work – or at least when the first drawings are ready – give them a call or knock on their door to find a time to meet and talk about your proposals. It will set an approachable tone throughout the proceedings, and an informed neighbour tends to be a happy neighbour. Offer to Cover their Schedule of Condition If your neighbour seems worried that your project will cause damage to their property, take the opportunity to appear more generous to your neighbours, while saving yourself some money in the long run. The best way to document the current condition of their home is to have a Schedule of Condition conducted by a surveyor. According to the Party Wall Act, all reasonable surveyor fees are covered by the party serving notice. Make an early offer to arrange the schedule of condition for them, to be conducted by the surveyor you already have working for you. This will satisfy the requirements of the Act while saving you the hefty fee of paying two separate surveyors (a significantly greater cost than a standalone schedule of condition). Pay Attention to Their Objections Nobody wants their home life to be disrupted, particularly not for several weeks at a time. To prevent a dispute, try to be understanding of your neighbours’ concerns, and take reasonable steps to demonstrate that you will be as accommodating as possible. Would it be possible to amend your plans slightly? Tweaking the size of your extension or shifting the schedule by a couple of day may be all it takes to please your neighbour and get guaranteed consent. Look for any “easy wins” where a certain aspect of your proposal particularly bothers your neighbour, but isn’t critical to you. Common concerns include perceived risks to small children or pets, particularly if boundary walls are being temporarily removed. A simple way to overcome this would be to provide them with an architect’s drawing of a hoarding or fence that will be positioned over the gap between properties while the work is carried out. Provide Clear Drawings While you don’t need to attach drawings to a party wall notice, it’s highly recommended that you provide some sort of visualisation. After all, you’re asking your neighbours to provide consent for you to potentially affect their property, and if you can supply them with an idea of what the finished result will look like, they will feel more comfortable about the scope of the work. Don’t worry about sending over technical blueprints if you don’t have them yet; your neighbours don’t need to know the exact location of your radiators. Just be transparent about the work which is covered by the Party Wall Act and try to include at least some parts of their property to give them an idea of scale and positioning. Serve Your Notice Early Having your trades lined up and being completely ready to start your project is a recipe for disaster if you haven’t served notice yet. Don’t expect your adjoining neighbours to give their approval overnight, or even over the weekend. They will probably want to seek professional advice from a surveyor, and appoint a representative for their interests during the work. It’s a big decision and attempting to rush your neighbours is more likely to result in dissent and stall your work for longer than necessary. Not every notice will go unchallenged, as some homeowners will issue a dissent simply because for them, the process is convenient and free. However, following these steps will make it far more likely that your project can go ahead quickly and smoothly, without the lengthy negotiations required for a party wall award.
