The contractor has reched financial close on the project, which will include integrated clinical and research spaces including labatories, lecture theatres and offices to be used by research teams from the Institute of Food Research, the university of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hopsitals NHS Foundation Trust. The
The latest research and report from Land Registry has found that the flurry of activity ahead of April’s stamp duty hike failed to lift UK house prices, which fell by 0.5% between February and March. According to the report, London and the East experienced the only monthly price rises with
Plumb Center calls for more boiler scrappage schemes Published: 09 June, 2016 There may be a new mayor installed at City Hall, but the London Boiler Scrappage scheme is still in place and its success to date has led Plumb Center to renew the call for other local authorities to
A £15 million mixed use local centre has been designed and delivered by the leading architectural practice Stephen George + Partners LLP (SGP). The centre will be located in the heart if the 3,300 homes residential extension of Didcot Great Western Park in Oxfordshire. The client, Henry Davidson Developments, was
The £2.6 million contract with Redrow Homes for the design and build of the energy solution for the Padcroft development in West Drayton has been awarded to Vital Energy. Following the submission of a variant design proposal, Vital Energi joined the energy infrastructure design team and were able to add
SIDERISE Nexus Fusion has been designed for use with glass spandrel panels in curtain walling and bespoke glazing systems, providing specifiers with a high strength, robust insulation core that offers an unequalled combination of fire, thermal and acoustic performance. It is a robust European Fire Class A1 lamella board that
The McAvoy Group has handed over a new passenger facility at Dublin Airport which was built offsite and at over 19m wide, is believed to be the largest single span modular building delivered to date in the UK and Ireland. The new €22 million South Gates passenger boarding area has
Accidents happen, they’re just a part of life. When they occur at work, the effects can be devastating. Fortunately, if you suffer an injury or illness while on the job, you won’t have to worry about your medical bills, or lost wages if you can’t work. The North Carolina Worker’s
The contractor has reched financial close on the project, which will include integrated clinical and research spaces including labatories, lecture theatres and offices to be used by research teams from the Institute of Food Research, the university of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hopsitals NHS Foundation Trust. The five-storey Quadram Institute development will be built in Norwich Research Park and will accommodate 400 scientists and clinicians. Wates managing director Ian Vickers said the research centre will be a “vital facility” for innovation and advancing food and health research. He said: “This project is undoubtedly significant for the development of science but is also set to be an incredible catalyst for the region in terms of creating opportunities for local people.” Work on the five-storey Quadram Institute development is currently underway and the centre is expected to open in 2018. This is the latest in Wates’ line of science and research construction work around East Anglia. The contractors are currently working on the University of Cambridge’s North West Cambridge Development, a new district in the city which will provide accomodation for University staff and students, academic and research facilities, private houses for sale and education and community facilities. Other recent projects Wates have secured include a £30m campus development contract with Cumbria council and will help deliver the remainder of the multi-million-pound Wembley Park scheme along with Carillion, John Sisk & Son and McLaren. Source link
The latest research and report from Land Registry has found that the flurry of activity ahead of April’s stamp duty hike failed to lift UK house prices, which fell by 0.5% between February and March. According to the report, London and the East experienced the only monthly price rises with a movement of 0.2%. Yorkshire & the Humber saw monthly prices drop by 2.6%. However former RICS chairman Jeremy Leaf said that “the month-on-month fall in the average house price is not a surprise as the market is gearing up for a change”. He added: “However, bearing in mind the historic nature of these figures, we would have expected higher transaction levels as the stamp duty deadline approaches. But with the number of completed house sales in England and Wales falling by 5% in January compared with the same month last year, there does not seem to have been the stampede that many expected. It may be that investors and second homebuyers left it really late in the day and it is February and March’s figures that will show a significant uplift in transactions.” The annual price change now stands at 6.7%, bringing the average house price in England and Wales to £189,901. London remains the region with the most significant annual price increase at 13.9%. The North East saw the only annual price fall with a 0.7% drop. Stuart Law, CEO at Assetz for Investors, said: “The buy-to-let boom we saw in the first quarter of the year has helped create a staggering 13.9% year-on-year increase in London property prices. However there’s already been a drop in demand for buy to let property in London since the stamp duty surcharge was introduced in April, and we can expect price strength there to fall back quite a bit, where panic buying by investors has seen many pay over the odds. London capital growth has peaked and that’s causing buy-to-let investors to turn their attention to the North of England, where it is still possible to purchase a home with a great yield on a budget of £100,000, in areas such as Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool. We are already seeing very strong demand continue in April and it has increased from levels prior to the budget as Southern buyers look North. Following the budget announcement in March, it is clear the Northern Powerhouse will see rising prices in the year ahead, as UK and foreign investment accelerates, which means now it the time to invest. Savvy investors can get more bang for their buck, and the potential for capital growth far outweighs the cost of the extra stamp duty.” Andrew Bridges, managing director of Stirling Ackroyd, had this to say: “House prices across the country may be coasting in neutral, but the capital is speeding ahead. London’s lead is getting larger and the demand for life in the fast lane shows no sign of letting up. Such momentum in London also comes despite a few road bumps. Stamp duty surcharges have caused a slight slowdown at the top end of the market and particularly in the west of the capital. Gears are grinding in old ‘prime’ areas such as Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham. And builders are touching the brakes on new homes in these old heartlands. Yet other parts of London are moving up the field to compensate. The new champions of the London property market are areas further east and further out.” John Eastgate, Sales and Marketing Director of OneSavings Bank, commented: “This monthly dip in house prices contrasts with what has been a red-hot property market in March, a month when mortgage lending shot up 47% as buyers rushed to move before the stamp duty deadline for second properties. In reality, once the dust settles on the March madness and activity returns to more normal levels, house prices are likely to return to their pattern of sustained increase.” Rishi Passi, CEO of Oblix Capital, added: “The stamp duty stampede of buy-to-let investors rushing to complete house purchases and sales ahead of April’s tax changes ramped up demand for properties across the country in March, but this heightened activity wasn’t enough to lift overall UK house prices, which fell by a modest 0.5% between February and March. This is good news for first time buyers, as will be the forecast that prices may well moderate further in the coming months as we witness the full effect of the new tax burdens on buy to let landlords.” Sarah Beeny, owner of estate agent, Tepilo, said: “Despite the rush by investors to beat the stamp duty rise which has now come into force, prices month-on-month have fallen somewhat. I don’t think this is anything to worry about as the market is correcting itself after some months of strong gains, particularly December and January. I really hope that what we’ll see now is more opportunities for first-time buyers to enter the market which would be a healthy development and would make the property market a lot more stable.” Source link
Plumb Center calls for more boiler scrappage schemes Published: 09 June, 2016 There may be a new mayor installed at City Hall, but the London Boiler Scrappage scheme is still in place and its success to date has led Plumb Center to renew the call for other local authorities to follow suit. Just over four months into the scheme, more than a fifth of the maximum 6,500 vouchers have been issued and, with 4,000 applications in progress, that figure is rising by the day. The pattern follows that seen during the national boiler scrappage scheme in 2010 and proves homeowners and landlords have an appetite to replace inefficient boilers when a suitable incentive is in place. As a result, Plumb Center is now encouraging other local authorities to follow suit. Tim Pollard, head of sustainability at Plumb Center, said: “The London Boiler Cashback Scheme has proven once again that when a tangible carrot is dangled, a significant proportion of homeowners will bite. I’m not surprised by the success of the scheme and I have no doubt that the target of 6,500 installations will soon be met – we hope that the new mayor continues the commitment through to completion. It has been carefully planned and well executed, taking learnings from previous schemes which were hugely over-subscribed. “This scheme is also a welcome boost for the heating industry as many homeowners have stalled on plans to update their heating systems due to a mild winter and continuing economic uncertainty. It has also demonstrated once again the importance of installers as a source of information for incentive-driven initiatives. As ever, Plumb Center customers can make or break schemes of this kind and those who ignore this fact do so at their peril.” The London Boiler Scrappage Scheme gives up to 6,500 owner occupiers and accredited private landlords in the capital the opportunity to claim £400 cash back upon the replacement of a working but inefficient boiler (rated at 70% efficient or less) with a new ‘A-rated’ model, or a renewable/low carbon heating system. To find out more or to apply visit www.london.gov.uk/boilers. Source link
A £15 million mixed use local centre has been designed and delivered by the leading architectural practice Stephen George + Partners LLP (SGP). The centre will be located in the heart if the 3,300 homes residential extension of Didcot Great Western Park in Oxfordshire. The client, Henry Davidson Developments, was keen to balance commercial aspirations and community aspirations. SGP’s local centre consists of an 11,000 sq ft Asda anchor and 9,400 sq ft of ancillary retail, with 20 apartments and engaging public realm, providing high quality facilities and a focus on the local community. “The design centred around providing a first class local centre with first class facilities. We’ve taken on board the views of the local community to create an attractive, inclusive scheme, integrated into its surroundings, which people will want to visit and enjoy. With a strong sense of identity, the development will feed and sustain a growing local economy now and in the future,” said Stuart Hancox, Director at SGP. Taking inspiration from the surrounding area, the design incorporated material elements from vernacular and landmark buildings, while retaining a modern feel to reflect the youthful population and the scientific technologies prevalent in local workplaces. The balconied apartments are spacious and offer high levels of natural light via the generous glazing. Traditional red brick signifies the residential entrance, whilst the crisp white render gives a modern feel. Lightly coloured glass balconies enrich the facade and form a vibrant focus and backdrop to the newly created public square. In order to provide maximum flexibility for the developer, the design concept accommodated a variety of construction methodologies, including the eventual use of a timber frame for the apartment buildings. The apartment and retail elements form part of a wider SGP Master Plan delivered by Henry Davidson Developments, including a care home, public house, and nursery.
The £2.6 million contract with Redrow Homes for the design and build of the energy solution for the Padcroft development in West Drayton has been awarded to Vital Energy. Following the submission of a variant design proposal, Vital Energi joined the energy infrastructure design team and were able to add value from an early stage in the project development. Vital Energi will build the energy centre that will consist of two 750 kW gas boilers, a 90 kW CHP engine, a 5000L thermal store and boosted cold water services, as well as over 150m of district heating pipework, risers and laterals in the apartment blocks, and 330 hydraulic interface units. “We’re delighted to be working with Redrow Homes again following the successful delivery of the energy solution at Chiswick High Road. Being involved in the early stages of the project with the infrastructure design team has helped to identify cost savings which will now be incorporated into the construction phase,” said Rob Callaghan, Vital Energi’s Regional Director for London. A new residential development in West Drayton, Padcroft will be a mixture of one, two and three bedroom luxury apartments. By 2019, residents will benefit from the completion of the West Drayton Crossrail station, enabling them to reach the centre of London within 30 minutes. Work is expected to be completed by November 2018. 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. Vital Energi 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. With projects throughout the UK and offices in Blackburn, London and Scotland we specialise in helping clients lower their energy spend and carbon footprint through sustainable and viable solutions.
SIDERISE Nexus Fusion has been designed for use with glass spandrel panels in curtain walling and bespoke glazing systems, providing specifiers with a high strength, robust insulation core that offers an unequalled combination of fire, thermal and acoustic performance. It is a robust European Fire Class A1 lamella board that meets the performance requirements of curtain walling systems replacing the use of compressible or combustible insulating materials. Through precision manufacturing and tight tolerances, Nexus Fusion comprises high strength stonewall lamella with a uniform vertical fibre structure. This unique feature means that Nexus Fusion boards can be fitted avoiding the risk of slippage due to building movement, and without gaps or slumping of the insulation. Moreover, due to it being inherently non-combustible, mechanically strong and dimensionally stable, the insulation provides the best possible consideration for maintaining the systems fire integrity at the junction between the building structure and the curtain wall, with the fire resistance remaining primarily dependent on the curtain wall or frame specification. “Nexus Fusion will ensure the integrity of the interface between the insulation and the firestop is not compromised and effective compartmentation is maintained. Our firesafe solution eliminates the costly option of creating a bespoke metal tray lining system,” said William McDowell Business Development and Product Manager of SIDERISE. Tested as part of a curtain wall assembly to EN 1364-3 in Fire Rated Façades for 30 minutes without failure, Fusion boards tested in their end use application have been rated as European Fire Class A1. Available in a range of standard thicknesses between 20mm and 200mm, the product is foil faced on one side with an open filament net on the other side to facilitate bonding to glass. This negates the need for pins and washers, simplifying installation and reducing costs. SIDERISE Nexus products use a unique patented process to produce a true structural lamella board with optimal fire, thermal and acoustic performance. Specifiers and building owners can then be certain these products will continue to perform after insulation, offering the best environmental conditions for those living and working in buildings, and to reliably protect in the event of fire.
The McAvoy Group has handed over a new passenger facility at Dublin Airport which was built offsite and at over 19m wide, is believed to be the largest single span modular building delivered to date in the UK and Ireland. The new €22 million South Gates passenger boarding area has been developed to meet the huge growth in passenger numbers at Dublin Airport and will be used mainly by Aer Lingus for flights to the UK and continental Europe. It provides seven boarding gates to serve nine aircraft stands and is designed to accommodate around 8,000 passengers a day. The management contractor for the project was Flynn Management & Contractors and the lead consultants were Arup. The building was designed by concept architects Kavanagh Tuite and delivered by project architects Blue Sky. The 2,200m2 facility was constructed offsite at the McAvoy production centre in Lisburn, Northern Ireland to reduce time on site. It was craned into position in 16 days as 77 steel-framed modules. The building system was engineered to achieve over 19m wide uninterrupted clear spans, which is believed to be an industry first for modular construction. Hot rolled steel beams were used to remove the requirement for internal columns. The building, which is around 120m long, has the flexibility to accommodate departing flights in the busy early morning period and flight arrivals in the evening. It can also be segregated so around 1,000 departing and arriving passengers can be processed at the same time. Facilities include boarding gates, a café, toilets, baby changing and a workstation area with plugs and charging points. Dublin Airport has experienced a 6 per cent increase in passenger numbers in the past year and a record 29.6 million passengers used the airport in the last year. Commenting on the new facility, Iain Heath, Project Manager at Dublin Airport, said, “This is one of the fastest projects we have ever completed at the airport – from planning to the first flight in just 18 months. The finished building speaks for itself. It is a handsome new facility with high quality finishes and clean architectural lines.” “We were working to a very constrained programme to have the building operational ahead of the busy summer season. The project and its innovative use of offsite construction is a fantastic achievement for the whole team.” “We were impressed with how McAvoy used BIM and virtual reality. As an airport we have a complex approvals process, but the digital techniques allowed the senior management team to ‘walk through’ the building and to experience the facility, which facilitated design sign off. In addition to the programme benefits, offsite construction also meant fewer trades working on site and a smaller site footprint. This approach had far less operational impact for the airport and the closure of fewer aircraft stands with reduced timeframes.” Brian Looney, Contracts Manager at Flynn Management & Contractors said, “The principal driver for offsite construction was to reduce the programme. The McAvoy solution allowed the building to be delivered to site within weeks of planning approval. Having fewer trades on site is also a benefit for airport projects such as this where the site is very constrained, and the highest standards of security have to be maintained at all times.” “This project has pushed the boundaries of offsite construction to create a valuable infrastructure facility. The quality of the finished building is excellent, and you would never know this is a modular building. The McAvoy Group’s production facilities are impressive, and their systems are robust. We would welcome the opportunity to work with their team again.” Eugene Lynch, Managing Director of The McAvoy Group, added, “This project successfully demonstrates the potential for offsite to improve the efficiency of airport construction, particularly in the development of airside facilities where it is so critical to minimise any impact on existing operations. We can reduce work on highly secure and constrained sites and rapidly install the buildings in a fast and efficient process, with no compromise on design.” McAvoy has already been shortlisted for two industry awards for the Dublin Airport project and its innovative use of BIM and virtual reality. The Dublin Airport scheme was designed to meet stringent fire safety regulations that exceeded Building Regulations. All mechanical and electrical services – including data communications, fire and security – had to link into the existing live airport terminal systems, which was a hugely complex operation undertaken by McAvoy. A specially-designed ceiling solution provides a high standard of acoustics and its chequerboard appearance has created a strong visual feature. Externally, the highly glazed building is finished in two shades of anthracite grey aluminium cladding to complement the other passenger terminals. A screen of grey louvres wraps around the roof to conceal services and the plant rooms. For further information, visit www.mcavoygroup.com, call 028 8774 0372 or email info@mcavoygroup.com.
Accidents happen, they’re just a part of life. When they occur at work, the effects can be devastating. Fortunately, if you suffer an injury or illness while on the job, you won’t have to worry about your medical bills, or lost wages if you can’t work. The North Carolina Worker’s Compensation Act requires all businesses with more than three employees, obtain worker’s compensation insurance, to help workers who are injured on the job. When it comes to filing a worker’s compensation claim, there are a lot of factors that can affect the outcome. Along with the obvious factors, like the seriousness of the injury and the length of time you’re unable to work, here are five lesser-known facts that can affect your claim. Does Your Injury Qualify as an Accident? Unfortunately, not every injury suffered on the job will be covered by worker’s compensation. In North Carolina, worker’s compensation insurance typically only covers injuries that happen by accident. It is defined as an unexpected incident that interrupts the workflow. If you’re injured doing your job in a normal way, you may find that your worker’s compensation claim will be denied. If your claim has been denied you should consult with firms like Brent and Adams personal injury lawyers to discuss your situation. Did Your Employer Pay Any Expenses? One of the most critical factors in a worker’s compensation case is the proper calculation of the correct average weekly wage (AWW). Any wage replacement disability compensation that is paid by your employer or their insurance through the entire case is based on the AWW. If you received any reimbursement for food, transportation, or lodging, this might qualify as wages, increasing the AWW. Even a slight increase in this number can have an enormous impact over the life of your case in North Carolina. Have You Previously Injured the Part of Your Body You Injured at Work? While a previous injury to the same body part won’t automatically disqualify you from receiving worker’s compensation, it can have an impact on your claim. With an earlier injury, your employer and their insurance company will look at the case differently, possibly causing your claim to be denied. When it comes to a prior injury, a worker’s compensation claim must be carefully managed. Can Your Employer Accommodate Your Work Restrictions? The goal of worker’s compensation is to have the injured employee returned to employment within their work restrictions imposed by their authorized medical provider, according to North Carolina Office of State Human Resources. If the employer is unwilling or unable to put the employee back to work in a suitable position, you will need to find employment elsewhere, which can be challenging. Not being able to be accommodated after a workplace injury can significantly affect your claim. Are You Eligible for Benefits? If you are eligible to receive other private or public wage replacement or health benefits, your worker’s compensation claim can be affected. If you qualify for other benefits, you need to carefully consider the impact they will have on your worker’s compensation case. Being injured on the job is never a fun prospect. Armed with the right information, you can increase your odds that your claim will be accepted, allowing you to move forward with your healing and getting back to your life before the injury.
