Category: Construction Industry Today | Subscribe to Construction Industry Today Feed Published Fri, Apr 29th 2016 Stroma Group Ltd has completed the acquisition of two established Building Control service providers, BBS Building Control Ltd (“BBS”) and Approved Design Consultancy Limited (“Approved Design”). Following the previous acquisition of Greendoor Building
©Bloomberg Commodity currencies were boosted by data showing China hitting its growth target on Friday, however FX strategists warned the benefit may prove shortlived if Sunday’s gathering of oil producers in Doha fails to address the sector’s supply glut. China’s 6.7 per cent growth for the first quarter pushed the
Higher Auckland house prices are not flowing through directly into the rental market, with the city’s average weekly rents seeing year on year increases of around 5%. Rents continue to increase by approximately 5% year on year with the average weekly rent for a three bedroom Auckland home now $514,
The ONS revealed that the UK has the fifth largest gender pay gap in Europe, situated behind countries such as Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia and Germany. Even though work has been done to close the gender gap, the average woman in the workplace still earns 9.1% less than the average
Vital Energi was awarded a £5.6 million contract to supply, install and commission the energy centre and primary distribution for St William Homes LLP development at Battersea. This marks a new stage in the company’s long-standing relationship with developers Berkeley. Vital Energi will provide the combined heat and power solution
Rubicon Garden Rooms, a company from North Wales, has created zero maintenance garden rooms using aviation technology, which could potentially help tackle the housing crisis. The company’s buildings could offer short-term housing quickly for homeless people or in case of an emergency. “The availability of housing, both private and social,
Graphenano Smart Materials has launched its line of the latest generation concrete additives called Smart Additives. The range is the first in the world to incorporate graphene technology, enhancing its mechanical performances and increasing its service life, resulting in Concrete 2.0 and enabling more resistant and longer lasting constructions. Smart
The UK once played a starring role in producing some of the world’s most valuable fossil fuels and minerals, and while the ‘golden age’ of mining may be consigned to the past, mines continue to leave a legacy on the land. Historic mines have the potential to impact today’s developers,
Category: Construction Industry Today | Subscribe to Construction Industry Today Feed Published Fri, Apr 29th 2016 Stroma Group Ltd has completed the acquisition of two established Building Control service providers, BBS Building Control Ltd (“BBS”) and Approved Design Consultancy Limited (“Approved Design”). Following the previous acquisition of Greendoor Building Control & Specialist Services Limited (“Greendoor”), the three businesses will become one of the largest independent Approved Inspectors in the UK, part of the Stroma Compliance division. Posted via Industry Today. Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday Stroma Group Ltd has completed the acquisition of two established Building Control service providers, BBS Building Control Ltd (“BBS”) and Approved Design Consultancy Limited (“Approved Design”). Following the previous acquisition of Greendoor Building Control & Specialist Services Limited (“Greendoor”), the three businesses will become one of the largest independent Approved Inspectors in the UK, part of the Stroma Compliance division. BBS, Approved Design and Greendoor employ a multi-skilled and experienced staff who provide Approved Inspector services with a national coverage. The combined expertise, reputation and legacy of all three businesses will form an extensive Building Control Division within the Stroma Group. The acquisitions are the latest to be completed following the management buyout of the Stroma Group in 2014. LDC (the investment division of Lloyds Banking Group) supported the management buyout and is committed to helping the management team develop a market leading organisation in the Building Control sector. BBS, Approved Design and Greendoor have more than 40 years Corporate Approved Inspector experience within the Building Control sector and each is approved by the Construction Industry Council (CIC). The three businesses have a combined expertise and geographical reach which offer a multitude of benefits to both Stroma customers and existing and potential clients of the Approved Inspectors. By expanding their Building Control division, Stroma can now improve the range of services offered to clients backed by increased strength in breadth of expertise. Stroma Group prides itself on delivering excellence and customer value throughout its services. Stroma is a leading authority on building, sustainability and compliance. Based in Yorkshire, the Group has a turnover in excess of £26M and employs more than 350 staff. Stroma works across the built environment specialising in the certification, compliance and energy sectors. In addition, through Stroma Software, the company provides unique, innovative software solutions for mobile workers. A dedicated in-house software development team provides flexible solutions which both complement Stroma’s existing expertise and drive expansion into new markets. Matthew Ferguson, co-founder of Stroma and CEO of the Stroma Group, said: “I am delighted to announce these new additions to the Stroma Group and I welcome the experience that the staff of BBS and Approved Design are bringing into the Group. As the three businesses become one of the largest groups of independent Approved Inspectors in the country, our customers can call on an expansive service catalogue and an exciting, dynamic new division in the Building Control sector. Alongside Greendoor, the acquisitions of BBS and Approved Design will place Stroma at the forefront of Building Control service provision for many years to come.” Source link
©Bloomberg Commodity currencies were boosted by data showing China hitting its growth target on Friday, however FX strategists warned the benefit may prove shortlived if Sunday’s gathering of oil producers in Doha fails to address the sector’s supply glut. China’s 6.7 per cent growth for the first quarter pushed the Australian dollar up 4 per cent and drove the New Zealand dollar 1 per cent higher, while South Korea’s won gained half a per cent and the Taiwanese dollar also rose. More On this topic IN Currencies Early gains for other parts of commodity FX, such as the Canadian dollar and the Mexican peso faded as Opec’s Doha meeting came into investors’ view, while doubts persist about the outlook for China’s economy. China and oil, the two bugbears of markets at the start of the year, remain the pivotal drivers of currencies. Commodity and emerging market FX have rallied thanks to greater confidence that China’s economy will avoid a hard landing and from oil prices rising 60 per cent since hitting a 13-year low in mid-January. A becalmed dollar has also given them room to grow. How long they will continue to rally is a subject of much conjecture. “The risk is that the longer-term outlook for oil will remain challenging,” said Crédit Agricole strategists, worried about the impact of growing Iranian oil production and stabilising US shale output on supply. Piotr Matys at Rabobank noted that Russia’s rouble was up 11 per cent on the dollar this year, while the Canadian “loonie” had risen 8 per cent and the Norwegian krone by 7 per cent, so they could be vulnerable if Doha dissapoints. Given a lot of commodity FX is priced into the Doha meeting, even a positive outcome may not push currencies higher. “It could be a classic ‘buy rumour, sell fact’ market reaction,” said Mr Matys. China’s economy should also give pause for thought, said Marc Chandler of Brown Brothers Harriman who concluded the market reaction to growth data were muted. That may be because investors cast “a jaundiced eye” at the veracity of Chinese data and doubt whether the figures, even if true, are sustainable. Why, for example, would Chinese steel output rise to a record high in March when there is a global glut of steel, wondered Mr Chandler. Meanwhile, new yuan loans are nearly a quarter higher than expected. Two other major weekend events are also being closely watched in the FX market. The outcome of the impeachment vote against Brazil’s president Dilma Rousseff should be known, although again much of the rise in the real this year suggests the market has moved beyond the political crisis. In Washington, a gathering of G20 financial officials, central bank governors, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund is set to revisit February’s discussions in Shanghai about the impact of currency movements on the global economy. Japan’s finance minister has already voiced “deep concern over recent one-sided moves in the currency market” with his US counterpart, underlining how dollar weakness is driving an unwanted strengthening of the yen. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. You may share using our article tools. Please don’t cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web. Source link
Higher Auckland house prices are not flowing through directly into the rental market, with the city’s average weekly rents seeing year on year increases of around 5%. Rents continue to increase by approximately 5% year on year with the average weekly rent for a three bedroom Auckland home now $514, according to the latest report from Barfoot and Thompson. Suburb pricing trends continue but Mt Albert, Parnell and Sandringham break the mould with year on year increases of over 11, the data also shows. The average weekly rent for a three bedroom home in Auckland during the April to June quarter was $514, up less than 1% on last quarter and 4.8% on the same quarter in 2015. ‘Three bedroom rentals make up around 40% of our managed properties, making them a good measure of the market,’ said Barfoot and Thompson director Kiri Barfoot. ‘Other property categories generally follow the same trend, albeit at lower or higher price points depending on the number of bedrooms,’ she added. A breakdown of the figures show that one bedroom properties averaged $335 per week, up 5% from $319 in the April to June quarter 2015, and two bedrooms $428, up 6.2% from $403, while four bedroom homes were $648, up 4.2% from $622 and five plus bedroom homes averaged $801, up 4.8% from $764. Pricing trends continued across the suburbs as well, with the Central Auckland apartment market remaining the most expensive for smaller properties of one, two or three bedrooms, and the Eastern suburbs maintaining position as the most expensive for four or more bedrooms. ‘Outside the city apartment market, it continued to be a story of two halves for Auckland’s North and South this quarter too,’ Barfoot pointed out. South Auckland rental properties saw the greatest percentage increase year on year for the quarter of 6.8%, while North Shore rental prices experienced the least percentage increase, not including Central Auckland, only rising 3.7 %. Looking more closely at rental data from the first two quarters of this year compared to the last two quarters of 2015 three suburbs broke the mould with three bedroom rental averages increasing 11% or more. These were Mt Albert up 14.7%, Parnell up 11.7% and Sandringham up 11.6%. ‘These areas are centrally located but still offer the benefits of suburban living, making them popular choices. These areas are fast becoming popular as the new central suburbs, the next Ponsonby and Grey Lynns if you will, and our data suggests continued future growth particularly for Mt Albert and Sandringham,’ Barfoot explained. The company anticipates a pre-spring upswing in rental activity during the coming quarter, when they typically see a slight increase in new letting. ‘While not as pronounced as summer spikes, we often find a number of tenants are eager to move on from properties during the cold winter months and as we head into spring,’ said Barfoot. ‘It’s therefore a good time to remind landlords to keep on top of winter maintenance and look at ways to make their homes more comfortable with affordable heating, insulation and so on. In addition to meeting some new legislation requirements early, these are the sorts of things that help keep tenants in a property longer, or make a home more attractive for those looking to rent in the coming months,’ she concluded. Source link
The ONS revealed that the UK has the fifth largest gender pay gap in Europe, situated behind countries such as Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia and Germany. Even though work has been done to close the gender gap, the average woman in the workplace still earns 9.1% less than the average man, according to Instant Offices. However, this number depends on the seniority of the role and occupations. The highest gap seen for any profession is at 24.8% among skilled trade occupations, while the gender gap in the construction and building trades sector stands at 45.4%. As a result of a new government legislation that came into effect in April 2017, all UK companies and public sector organisations with more than 250 employees are required to publicly report on their gender pay gap. At the time of writing, only 3000 of the estimated 9000 companies have come forward and released their numbers, while there have been no reports from the financial services sector. According to the World Economic Forum, it could take 170 years to completely close the gender pay gap on a global level. However, there are a few things firms could look into to help narrow it: Incentivise paternity leave so that mothers can return to work sooner, work more hours and earn more money, while allowing fathers more bonding with their newborns. Subsidise childcare so that women on low wages won’t find going back to work a difficult and financially draining decision. Some businesses have been stepping in to provide female staff with childcare services, which saw reductions in employee turnover, increased productivity, and improved quality in job applicants. Introduce remote working, which is becoming more acceptable and accessible to millennial workers. While flexible working conditions enable mothers to juggle work, childcare, and family commitments, it also allows more time for essential tasks. Be transparent about pay, research market rates for a role and offer a fair salary for the job you are hiring for. Ensure that promotions and rewards are fair and are not in favour of male employees. Everyone should have a fair chance of receiving a promotion, reward or salary increase. Give female employees a raise, which is the most pain-free way of eliminating the gender pay gap. Not only are employees enjoying equal pay, but, as more companies are being scrutinised and being forced to publish their gender pay gap reports, it provides the best strategy for businesses to continue operations with minimal disruptions and additional pressure.
Vital Energi was awarded a £5.6 million contract to supply, install and commission the energy centre and primary distribution for St William Homes LLP development at Battersea. This marks a new stage in the company’s long-standing relationship with developers Berkeley. Vital Energi will provide the combined heat and power solution for 955 apartments over 12 blocks, along with low temperature hot water and chilled water systems. The design was made by environmental engineers Max Fordham, with the basement energy centre including a combined heat and power engine, two 1300kw gas boilers and four 550kw chillers. The development at Battersea is one of the first projects to be delivered by St William, a joint venture between Berkeley Group and National Grid. This collaboration will unlock some of the most technically complex regeneration sites in London and the South of England, into residential and mixed use spaces and will see the transformation of 33 sites, providing over 14,000 homes within the next 10 to 15 years. “We are excited to be working with the Berkeley Group again on an exciting new venture, and to be part of this fantastic project that will see further regeneration to the area. Prince of Wales Drive will be a beautiful development, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to provide the energy solution for the project,” said Rob Callaghan, regional director London from Vital Energi. Vital Energi and Berkeley Group have worked together on 16 other projects and their relationship spans back to 2006 when they worked on the Royal Arsenal, Riverside development. Vital Energi provides sustainable and renewable energy solutions in the public and private sectors and is responsible for many of the UK’s most prestigious energy projects. It can deliver all aspects of a project from energy management, generation and distribution along with metering and billing and long-term asset management or ESCo partnership.
Rubicon Garden Rooms, a company from North Wales, has created zero maintenance garden rooms using aviation technology, which could potentially help tackle the housing crisis. The company’s buildings could offer short-term housing quickly for homeless people or in case of an emergency. “The availability of housing, both private and social, is of course a big issue for people in Alyn and Deeside and indeed across Wales. I’m glad Flintshire County Council is building the next generation of social housing, but it’s true to say we need to ensure a mix of housing stock. I was very interested to hear the company’s proposals of using the buildings for housing, incorporating kitchen and bathroom facilities. This innovative idea is a real opportunity to explore,” said newly-elected Alyn and Deeside AM Jack Sargeant, who attended the official opening of the facility. Rubicon’s buildings can be seen at the company’s new showroom in Shotton. They are made from a wood fibre composite material devised by founder and managing director John Lyon, who was inspired by his 20 years as an engineer at Airbus. The bespoke top-of-the-range units are presently used for everything from home offices to art or music rooms, yoga studios, teenage dens and annexes for dependent relatives. The external material of the garden rooms, made from wood fibre, simulate wood, stone or slate to enhance comfort, zero-maintenance and aesthetic appeal. The buildings can be installed quickly and at a low cost. They are timber framed and fully insulated, which makes them cosy, yet cheap to heat. The large double glazed glass doors and windows fill the space with daylight and, in addition, the buildings can be moved to a new location, making them the ideal solution for short-term provision. “The new showrooms have been designed to highlight to customers the range of different options that are available – from fully equipped home offices with bathroom and kitchen facilities, though to hobby rooms and family leisure space. We are expecting to see an increasing number of visitors to the site to see the buildings at first hand,” said John Lyon. The company is expecting to start up a franchise later on this year, with a five year plan that includes a network of franchises around the UK, coordinated from Shotton.
Graphenano Smart Materials has launched its line of the latest generation concrete additives called Smart Additives. The range is the first in the world to incorporate graphene technology, enhancing its mechanical performances and increasing its service life, resulting in Concrete 2.0 and enabling more resistant and longer lasting constructions. Smart Additives consists of seven ranges of additives, all depending on the concrete used and the properties required from it: Solid MECHANIC, used in plant or in ready-made concretes. The result is high performance concretes, with increased quality, resistance and surface finish. 2. Solid PRECAST, which is ideal for the prefabricated world. These additives improve the production process and quality, lowering costs and raising concrete efficiency to the maximum. 3. Solid HARD, which is the best solution for concretes exposed to extremely aggressive environments. The result is a highly durable concrete with low permeability. 4. Solid SUPPORT range, which includes supplements to adjust and modify the Smart Additives product lines. 5. Solid DRY, suitable for manufacturing semi-fry concretes. 6. Solid GUNITE, especially designed for shotcrete production. 7. Solid FIBER, a line of fibres to replace or reduce rebar in wet concrete, which is also compatible with the entire Smart Additives range. These Smart Additives products are now being used successfully in a number of projects both in Spain and abroad, in countries including Mexico, the United States and Morocco. Graphene is ideal as a structural material in the concrete sector, as it acts as a molecular mesh, providing buildings with structural support. Graphene is a nanomaterial based on carbon that is stronger than steel and harder than diamonds, capable of bearing large loads and absorbing energy before it breaks. Constructions built using these concretes containing graphene additives can increase their service life by up to 50 years compared to those containing conventional materials.
The UK once played a starring role in producing some of the world’s most valuable fossil fuels and minerals, and while the ‘golden age’ of mining may be consigned to the past, mines continue to leave a legacy on the land. Historic mines have the potential to impact today’s developers, property owners and purchasers, and if not identified early on during a project or sale, could wipe thousands off a land or home’s value. Historic mining activity is still affecting the modern property and land development market, and it’s not just in known mining hotspots such as Cornwall, with an estimated 150,000 abandoned mines across the UK – from Lands’ End to John O’Groats. Identifying and remediating mining risks can not only help in the construction of a safe development, property or public area, but can also play a significant role during sale negotiations if a mining search is conducted early enough – potentially saving hundreds of thousands of pounds. Paul Raglan, Managing Director, Mining Searches UK, outlines how and why mining searches are crucial in today’s property and land markets, and while often seen as an inconvenience, can play a vital role in not only mitigating risk and negotiating best price, but can be a fundamental factor during development design. Damage Limitation Mining searches are essential for any piece of land to determine whether there is evidence of historical mining activity beneath it, or in the surrounding areas. This is important even for areas where there are no obvious signs of mining as closed mines leave very little, if any, evidence on the surface, but still have the potential to cause major problems if not investigated. Mine workings commonly run long distances beneath the ground from mine shafts and extend beneath land that is due to be developed – as well as existing residential properties. These shafts and tunnels could potentially cave in if not properly dealt with, causing subsidence and damage to buildings above them – so it’s important that this is addressed before this situation arises to not only save further financial investment in the future, but to also safeguard the lives of those living above. Today, closed mines are capped and filled in to stabilise them and minimise risk, but old mine-shafts were not always dealt with in this way. Cases of old shafts collapsing and causing damage to houses are regularly reported, and while being an obvious risk to safety, can also dramatically reduce the value of land. To ensure land is purchased and sold at the best price, it can prove valuable to know the finer workings of the area in question, given sizeable sums of money are often at stake. Developers aware of land with a known mine, can potentially negotiate value down considerably – but only if they are willing to invest in further investigations and remediation. Once completed, this can potentially propel value up by over 100% dependent on location. Detailed Design There are also environmental issues associated with old mine workings. Topsoil containing dangerous, naturally-occurring elements such as arsenic may be present, which can dictate where various developments can or can’t take place. For example, areas with arsenic present are usually not suitable for home gardens or parks but are safe when surfaced with concrete, and can be used for car parks, playing fields or roads. Identification of these areas is key to not only minimise land wastage, but this information can better inform early development designs and plans, putting every available space to best use. Essential Expertise Before any negotiations, plans or exchanges take place, it is crucial to call the experts in. A team of specialists will check all available archived records of the land and surrounding areas – including Aerial surveys and Ordnance surveys, town plans, estates and maps, as well as using research from mining historians. Using all this information, a full risk assessment and conclusion should be provided as part of a detailed report. Where significant mining features are identified, ground investigation is recommended to clarify any associated risks. In the worst-case scenario, where investigation confirms the presence of mining features, property can be rendered unsuitable for mortgage and available for cash purchase only, often with a commensurate drop in value. It is always wise for developers of new communities to eliminate the risk of this happening from the start by ensuring that thorough mining searches have been conducted on any piece of land due for development, and not just those earmarked for residential areas. Some developers purchase land direct from construction or remediation companies, which have already taken steps to address mining concerns – including remediation – leaving developers free to press on with their plans. However, developers need to ensure that a trusted and industry recognised mining search organisation has been used by the seller, as well as requesting all certificates to ensure that the land is completely safe for commercial or residential construction. Although the results of a mining search can often uncover unwelcome information, knowledge really is power, and it is crucial to detect and fix potential problems before they occur. While many of the UK’s mines closed decades ago, they are still a key consideration in today’s property and development industry. By addressing at the earliest possible stages, developers can not only save time and money in the long term but can also ensure the construction of safe and attractive communities, designed around the best use of the land. https://www.miningsearchesuk.com/
