From humble beginnings TLJ security systems have come a long way in the 10 years since the business was incorporated, with the team having built a solid and diverse customer base across the construction industry. In excess of 1,000 builders, contractors, architectural practices, facilities managers, hotels, student accommodation and residential
Site remediation works have been completed at Broad Street in Birmingham, allowing for construction to begin on a new £118 million residential tower. When complete, the Broad Street development, which was recently renamed The Mercian, will have 481 apartments exclusively for rent, offering hotel level service and a whole host
Having steadily increased in popularity in recent years, bifold doors make for a fantastic addition to any home or workplace. Not only do they create the illusion of a bigger space and bring in lots of much-needed natural light, but they can also increase the value of a property too.
In a £4.5 million project which will be its second biggest to date, Edinburgh engineering firm Applied Engineering Design (AED) is working with Simon Laird Associates (SLA) architects on what may become a new landmark for the industrial and commercial heartland of West Lothian. AED has been appointed to carry out full
Transport Minister Andrew Jones MP, visited Birmingham today to see how works are progressing at the region’s main HS2 sites. As one of the most intensive construction sections along the 140 mile London to Birmingham section of the route, the West Midlands is set to benefit from two brand new
From humble beginnings TLJ security systems have come a long way in the 10 years since the business was incorporated, with the team having built a solid and diverse customer base across the construction industry. In excess of 1,000 builders, contractors, architectural practices, facilities managers, hotels, student accommodation and residential developers have specified TLJ for their access control needs. They install and service tens of thousands of electronic locks every year in the UK. A true British success story, TLJ has been family owned and run since the very beginning. From its base in East Yorkshire the company designs, manufactures, installs and services its own range of electronic locks and access control products. They’re especially proud of their service proposition, enhanced by keeping their installation and aftersales operations fully in-house. Things move quickly in the access control industry, and the past 10 years have seen many changes. This has been reflected in TLJ’s product range: less reliable biometric ‘fingerprint’ locks and older magnetic keycard technologies have been replaced by up-to-date contactless electronic locks and access control readers, all for security. Becoming increasingly popular is TLJ’s Mobile Keys system: replacing physical keys with the end user’s smartphone, opening locks via secure mobile app. This cutting-edge tech is especially popular in student accommodation developments where residents stay for the longer term. However, many leading hotels and ‘collective living’ projects are also adopting this technology as part of a ‘mobile first’ approach for their customers. Looking ahead, TLJ will be expanding their security range with design-led electronic locks tailored for high-end residential developments and, ingeniously, locks suitable for non-standard doors such as those often found in the leisure industry. “I sometimes have to pinch myself to believe that TLJ have been around for 10 years. From our very humble beginnings we’ve grown into a business that all of us here can be truly proud of. Sure, it’s been hard work but overall there have been many more hits than misses. The team has grown and continues to do so, but we’re in no rush to expand our numbers for the sake of it; I firmly believe in quality over quantity when it comes to employing really talented people,” said TLJ Managing Director, Luke Martin. “We’ve punched above our weight and continue to do so, and this is in no small part down to our ethos of managing every stage of the process, from product design to aftersales. We keep everything in-house at TLJ and know that service is king, something which is reflected in the frankly superb feedback we receive from clients. But we’re not resting on our laurels: we know the marketplace is changing and technology moves apace so we’re ‘future proofing’ our product and service offering to better meet our customers’ needs going forward. Here’s to the next 10 years!”
Site remediation works have been completed at Broad Street in Birmingham, allowing for construction to begin on a new £118 million residential tower. When complete, the Broad Street development, which was recently renamed The Mercian, will have 481 apartments exclusively for rent, offering hotel level service and a whole host of on-site amenities including a 24-hour concierge service and smart lifts that register when residents enter the building and are ready and waiting at ground level. It will also provide residents with quality health and wellness zones, including a 200m podium open-air running track on the roof – one of the first in the UK’s housing market. Rhodar completed an £850,000 remediation project at the site, removing redundant structures from the site including well shafts, the remnants of a former abattoir, and a series of Victorian-era basements. Remediation of soils across the 3,000 square metre site was carried out to remove asbestos, heavy metals and hydrocarbon contamination throughout the earthworks, removing all risks and safety hazards. Over a 16-week period, Rhodar’s team delivered an expertly-engineered platform to facilitate further operations allowing the tower construction phase to begin. Over 7,500 cubic metres of soil has been excavated and treated, with 6,500 cubic metres being returned to the site and 1,000 cubic metres of this soil being removed to achieve development levels. Specialist, heavy equipment, including a crusher, a screener, a roller and D5 bulldozer were needed for the next phase of remediation. 120 linear metres of sheet piling was installed to depths of up to nine metres below ground level to facilitate the excavation, processing and re-compaction of site soils during the removal of legacy below ground structures from previous phases of development. A specialist RTG RT21T piling rig was utilised together with concrete cutting equipment to remove difficult to access obstructions at the site boundaries and for the sheet piling to be installed. This will form part of the permanent works for the new residential tower. Construction has now started on-site after developer Moda Living held a ground-breaking ceremony on Tuesday 30 April.
Having steadily increased in popularity in recent years, bifold doors make for a fantastic addition to any home or workplace. Not only do they create the illusion of a bigger space and bring in lots of much-needed natural light, but they can also increase the value of a property too. Read more as we discuss 7 reasons to invest in bifold doors right away. Bring in natural light One of the core reasons why people choose to install bifold doors is that they provide a room with a generous amount of natural light, whether they are open or closed. Having more natural light in a room gives the illusion of extra space, making it feel brighter and larger than it actually is. These doors typically have large, slim, glass frames, which draws the eye to the outdoor space and also makes the room feel bigger. Moreover, natural light has many health benefits, including an improvement in overall mood, a Vitamin D boost and a better night’s sleep! Save space Sliding bifold doors take up very little space, which is especially beneficial in smaller properties. Unlike typical doors, which must be pushed or pulled open, taking up space, bifold doors, instead, collapse in on themselves, offering the maximum amount of space available. Bifold doors also remove the barrier between a garden and indoor area, allowing people to effortlessly blend their indoor and outdoor spaces. This provides a lovely addition to any home and makes hosting BBQ’s, parties and social gatherings much nicer. Modernise a property Bifold doors are an incredibly stylish and sleek way to modernise a property – a reason for their increased popularity in recent times. Though they blend well with modern interiors, they can also bring a contemporary feel to an older property. Versatile Available in a huge range of colours and materials, bifold doors provide a versatile solution to any home or workspace. All the customer has to do is decide the width within the frame at which they want the doors to open, as well as whether they want the doors to open into or out of a room, and fold to the right or left. The means that bifold doors can be tailor-made to fit most customer requirements and to suit any interior style. Buyers may also choose to have an access door fitted within the frame, which works like a normal door and creates an easy point of entry and exit when quick access is required. Low maintenance There are various styles and materials to choose from when selecting a bifold door, but aluminium tends to be the most popular, since there is minimal maintenance required to keep the doors looking fresh and clean. All people need to do is wipe down the glass and frame every now and again, making their household chores as hassle-free and efficient as can be. Long-term investment While the cost of purchasing bifold doors isn’t exactly cheap, the value they add to a property can make them, in the long run, a very worthwhile investment. Furthermore, high-quality doors, fitted by professionals and using the best materials available, can last for many decades. Their durability means they are able to withstand extreme weather conditions, without affecting the quality and performance of the door. Secure Keeping our homes safe is a constant concern for homeowners, particularly if the home is left unattended for long periods. Backdoor access is often the easiest place for burglars to enter, especially where a homeowner has not taken the appropriate steps to secure the area. With bifold doors, multi-point locking systems are fitted, which makes breaking in very tricky. Traditional sliding and French doors normally don’t come with this level of security, instead of having just one locking point.
In a £4.5 million project which will be its second biggest to date, Edinburgh engineering firm Applied Engineering Design (AED) is working with Simon Laird Associates (SLA) architects on what may become a new landmark for the industrial and commercial heartland of West Lothian. AED has been appointed to carry out full structural and civil engineering services at the new corporate headquarters in Broxburn for Ian Macleod Distillers, a third-generation Scottish independent distiller. And, as is fitting for a brand which includes names such as Glengoyne, Tamdhu, Isle of Skye and Smokehouse Scotch whiskies in its stable, AED and SLA are including two prominent glass towers in the scheme, which will be modelled on the louvred ventilation shafts found on most traditional Scottish distilleries. Applied Engineering Design Director Tim Hetherington said: “The building will be the new administrative HQ for Ian Macleod Distillers, which is moving from a nearby location which it has outgrown. “Our input will relate to the main office building, a storage building, a car park with integral rainwater attenuation tanks and the necessary highway upgrades adjacent the site. However, the attractive glass towers are what really sets the scheme off and they will give the building a strong local prominence and identity. “This will be the biggest project AED has undertaken apart from a £7 million instruction from Tesco last year. It is being built on vacant ground in the shadow of the nearby shale bing, which reflects another part of Scotland’s industrial heritage.” The car park area will house 600 cubic metres of attenuation tanks which will collect and store rainwater on site and will allow progressive discharge into the sewage system at the same rate as if the water was running off a green field. The project, which is being overseen by Axiom Project Services Limited, with landscape architecture by Rankin Fraser Landscape Architects, will go live on site at the beginning of July and Mr Hetherington is anticipating completion in the summer of 2020. Ian Macleod Distillers is the world’s 10th largest Scotch whisky company. It currently produces and sell more than 15 million bottles of spirits every year. A major supplier to the Own Brand market, it has also supplied own label spirits to some of Europe’s largest supermarket groups for more than 40 years. Applied Engineering Design was founded in 2008 and now has offices Edinburgh and Bath. It has a turnover of £500,000 and employs 10 people. The company serves individuals and businesses in sectors including industry and commerce, sport and education, infrastructure and property maintenance.
Transport Minister Andrew Jones MP, visited Birmingham today to see how works are progressing at the region’s main HS2 sites. As one of the most intensive construction sections along the 140 mile London to Birmingham section of the route, the West Midlands is set to benefit from two brand new stations and an infrastructure maintenance depot, creating jobs and opportunities for local people now and into the future. Work at the city-centre based Curzon Street site has transformed the area in preparation for Birmingham’s brand new HS2 station: The site spans 25,000 square metres, and 20,000 tonnes of concrete have been broken up, crushed and ready be re-used on site. Two building are being demolished at the site of the former Unite student accommodation which covers an area of 3,000 square metres. This will yield around 30,000 tonnes of material, with works being undertaken by the Birmingham-based demolitions firm, DSM. The extensive archaeology programme on site is already revealing facts about the development of Birmingham, and archaeology works will continue into the summer. Signs that Birmingham is getting HS2-ready continue 2.5 miles away in Washwood Heath, as another local Midlands firm Total Reclaims Demolition makes way for HS2’s new train maintenance depot: The immense old site of the Alstom Rail Depot is 110,282 square metres – the size of 15 football pitches – and will yield 412,000 tonnes of material that will be recycled. With 50,000 hours of labour required to clear the site, the team is now 75% of the way through the work programme. Situated in the heart of one of Birmingham’s most deprived wards and constituencies, the site has been neglected for almost 15 years. The new depot will play a pivotal role in regenerating the area, and once complete over 500 jobs will provide opportunities for local people. Through HS2 Ltd’s supply chain, twelve local residents have already been supported into jobs through early works contractor LM-JV and security firm Servest. They are playing a crucial role in ensuring that safety standards are maintained at HS2’s work sites right across the West Midlands. Birmingham based LM, a joint venture of Laing O’Rourke and J Murphy & Sons Ltd, has been working on behalf of HS2, paving the way for the new high speed line. Work over an 80 km trace across the West Midlands has included route clearance and ecological habitat creation as well as demolition works. Fifteen miles further afield, in the borough of Solihull, vegetation clearance works and trenching have now been carried out at the triangular-shaped site which will be home to the brand new Interchange station site. Transport Minister Andrew Jones MP said: “HS2 is an incredible project that will transform our railway network, boosting capacity on our busiest lines, better connecting Birmingham with large cities across the country and building the Midlands Engine. “The scale of works happening in Birmingham show the huge progress being made on HS2; they also show first-hand the fantastic jobs and opportunities HS2 is providing people across the country; I cannot wait to see the results of further construction, and for this vital railway to become a reality.” Mark Thurston, HS2 Ltd’s CEO said: “Curzon Street will be the cornerstone of the new railway, putting Birmingham at the heart of the network. The transformation around this area demonstrates exactly how Britain’s new high-speed railway will drive forward regeneration and economic growth across the West Midlands. “Across Phase One, we’ve now carried out environmental and ecological mitigation works, utility diversions, archaeology, demolition and land clearance works, all of which are drawing to a close ready for major construction works starting later this year.” Paul Faulkner, CEO of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce said: “HS2 is already playing a huge part of the Midlands’ success story, and when completed will add £14 billion to the West Midlands economy, supporting 100,000 jobs. Hundreds of Midlands businesses are already supporting the project, and there are more opportunities for firms across the region as the programme progresses.” Photo caption: L-R Liam Evans (LMJV) Christina Wallace (HS2), Argiro Alexandri (HS2), Andrew Jones MP, Paul Faulkner (Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce), Richard Kirkham (LMJV),
