January 30, 2020

RHODAR COMPLETES MAIDSTONE EAST DEMOLITION JOB FOR NETWORK RAIL

Rhodar has completed a 26-week project to remove asbestos containing materials (ACMs) and demolish the derelict Old Vic pub, which was situated on top of a live railway tunnel, above one of the South East’s busiest railway lines connecting the area with London. Further enabling works undertaken included the design

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P C Henderson Release Two New Installation Videos

Sliding and folding door hardware manufacturer, P C Henderson, has released two new installation videos for its market leading range of Pocket Door Pro and Husky Soft Stop systems. Launched early 2019, Pocket Door Pro and Husky Soft Stop, although new to the market, have quickly grown to become two

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The STEM gap in 2020 – why does it still exist?

There has long been a stereotype surrounding the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) industries. Unfortunately, despite the stereotype being very out dated, its presence still lingers, with women in the industry still at a very low level. Unfortunately, the UK has the lowest percentage of female engineer professionals across

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Latest Issue
Issue 323 : Dec 2024

January 30, 2020

RHODAR COMPLETES MAIDSTONE EAST DEMOLITION JOB FOR NETWORK RAIL

Rhodar has completed a 26-week project to remove asbestos containing materials (ACMs) and demolish the derelict Old Vic pub, which was situated on top of a live railway tunnel, above one of the South East’s busiest railway lines connecting the area with London. Further enabling works undertaken included the design and installation of a waterproof membrane to the exposed tunnel arch and permanent fill solution to the basement surrounding the tunnel, ready for the following development consisting of a new station forecourt and entrance to Maidstone East Station. Having been derelict for over ten years, and with a considerable amount of weather damage compromising the internal structure, Rhodar was appointed as principal contractor directly by Network Rail and tasked with asbestos removal and the coordinated controlled demolition of the building. Due to the building’s position over a live railway line, the demolition had to be carefully planned and managed to minimise any stress or impact placed on the Week Street rail tunnel below. Prior to demolition Rhodar’s expert team began by removing all timber flooring from the ground floor to allow the exposed basement to be backfilled with 6F2 crushed concrete. The basement voids surrounding the tunnel were filled to a height of 600mm above the crown of the tunnel, which added weight to the tunnel to compensate for the reduction in applied loads from the demolition of the building and also acted as an ‘impact mat’ to evenly spread any excess loads across the whole tunnel structure. This allowed for a 47-tonne high reach excavator to be positioned over the tunnel at the rear of the site, with its 28m reach being used to take the building down floor-by-floor, negating the need for any internal access by personnel. Due to the limited internal access available and the potential for unknown asbestos being present within the material being removed from the floors and internal walls, each load removed by the excavator was segregated and inspected in a lay down area by asbestos trained operatives under a watch and brief process at ground level. Any hazardous materials discovered were removed by hand and disposed of as asbestos waste. A fully designed scaffold was erected around the building and fully monoflexed to give safe access to the roof and upper floors. This was later adapted to act as a demolition screen to ensure safe working and to minimise any disturbance from dust and debris to the local area. With the site situated next to the town’s main station, adjacent to the shopping centre and on a busy thoroughfare for both traffic and pedestrians, Rhodar deployed several operations to minimise disruption, including traffic management solutions and overnight town centre road closures to allow delivery and collection of large excavators and plant. Andrew Fisk, director of demolition at Rhodar, said: “This high-profile project at the heart of Maidstone included a live railway line, tunnel structure and the need to avoid any disruption to Network Rail and the surrounding areas, combining to add a further degree of complexity. “The team created a bespoke project plan for Network Rail to ensure that the demolition was delivered to the highest standard in a safe and controlled way, setting the foundations for the next stage of development at Maidstone East railway station.”

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ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS CELEBRATES CONSTRUCTION MILESTONE ON CUTTING-EDGE REDEVELOPMENT

The Grade II* listed Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) headquarters has celebrated a major landmark in its redevelopment, with a topping out ceremony in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London. Professor Derek Alderson, President of the RCS, was joined by Sir James Wates, chairman of Wates Group, whose construction arm is carrying out the heritage project, to mark the occasion of reaching the highest point of the build. The RCS began as the Company of Barber-Surgeons, established in 1540, and has been based at Lincoln’s Inn Fields since 1796.  The historic home of advanced surgical education in the capital is being refurbished to enable it to continue providing the best learning, examination and research resources for the nation’s surgeons, while retaining elements of its illustrious history. In 2019, the number of people waiting for operations across the NHS rose to 4.4million, increasing the urgency of training more surgeons to cope with demand. With the introduction of new robotic, AI and VR technology in surgery, the shape of surgical training is also changing. The £75m redevelopment of the RCS will provide a modern learning facility that will play an integral role in training the next generation of surgical practitioners. As a specialist in heritage works, Wates Construction has ensured the historic neo-classical frontage, heavily influenced by Charles Barry, the architect behind the House of Parliament, will be maintained. Humidity control in the library spaces will preserve the historic timber construction, while the Hunterian Museum, which opened in 1813, is being expanded to occupy the majority of the ground floor, allowing greater accessibility to the museum’s internationally-important historical collections when it reopens in 2021. Upon completion, the Royal College of Surgeons will have an environmentally friendly building, incorporating a highly insulated, air-tight envelope to ensure thermal and energy efficiency; photovoltaic panels on the roof providing a sustainable energy source; and space for 120+ cyclists to store bikes and shower, encouraging greener travel in the capital. Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Alderson said: “This marks an important milestone in transforming our treasured home and the world-famous Hunterian museum. We will create a modern, state-of-the-art headquarters for training the next generation of surgeons, and to continue our long history of supporting the exchange of learning and ideas on the future of surgery. The building has been designed to retain our rich surgical heritage, while embracing the cutting-edge future of modern surgery. “The RCS has over 27,000 members across the UK and internationally.  Our new building will be the nerve centre for the development and proliferation of the best surgical training techniques and practice in the world. Surgical skills taught here in the coming century, will radiate into operating theatres around the world, for the benefit of millions of patients.” Mark Craig, Operations Director at Wates Construction London, added: “The RCS requires modernised facilities to help it continue improving surgical standards through education, research and clinical performance. At the same time, it has a tremendously rich heritage going back hundreds of years in central London, which it is important to preserve. “This is just the type of challenging build that our team love, using modern methods of construction to balance proud history with the need for a facility fit for the 21st century. Best of all, once construction is complete, the RCS will have a world-class home for its community of trainees and surgeons, its museum and library, supporting its mission of driving forward the standard of surgical practice through years to come.” Wates’ extensive portfolio of heritage projects across London also includes the refurbishment of the V&A Museum extension at Exhibition Road, the Metropolitan Police Service’s Grade II listed Hammersmith Police Station and multiple buildings on Parliament’s Westminster estates.

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P C Henderson Release Two New Installation Videos

Sliding and folding door hardware manufacturer, P C Henderson, has released two new installation videos for its market leading range of Pocket Door Pro and Husky Soft Stop systems. Launched early 2019, Pocket Door Pro and Husky Soft Stop, although new to the market, have quickly grown to become two of the company’s most popular products due to their high quality design, flexible functionality options and easy installation. The company has now developed two high quality installation videos in order to complement the product offering. Stephanie Lee, Marketing Manager at P C Henderson, “Since launching our first set of installation videos back in 2015 – we’ve gone onto develop a total of 17 videos which have been watched by almost half a million people worldwide – making them the most popular of their kind. Due to the popularity of our Pocket Door Pro and Husky Soft Stop products, we know our latest videos are going to be a big hit”. Developed in the company’s in house studio, with the help of an outside agency, the videos detail the tools required and kit contents before guiding customers through the installation process step by step, highlighting ‘top tips’ along the way. Featuring a realistic CGI background, the videos enable customers to see what the products will look like in situ – providing a realistic demonstration. “Developing tools to make our customers lives easier is always a fundamental part of our marketing strategy – the videos have been an extremely successful development. Customers can view them on our website, scan the QR code on our paper fitting instructions or, if you’re a P C Henderson distributor, embed them onto your own website. “They’re also a great way to instill confidence, customers can watch the videos prior to purchase and see just how easy our kit packs are to install”, continued Stephanie. Currently receiving over 10,000 views a month, the videos are available for the majority of P C Henderson’s kit pack sliding door hardware products which are predominantly aimed towards the DIY market. P C Henderson offers a wide range of sliding and folding door hardware catering for maximum door weights of between 9kg and 8000kg. As well as kit packs the company also offer a large selection of commercial and industrial door hardware, with plans to develop more technical videos for this side of the business in future. To view the installation videos or to find out more about P C Henderson’s range of sliding and folding door hardware visit www.pchenderson.com/installation-videos or email marketing@pchenderson.com

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The STEM gap in 2020 – why does it still exist?

There has long been a stereotype surrounding the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) industries. Unfortunately, despite the stereotype being very out dated, its presence still lingers, with women in the industry still at a very low level. Unfortunately, the UK has the lowest percentage of female engineer professionals across Europe, with countries such as Cyprus showing close to three times as many women in similar roles. Throughout this article we will focus on women’s relationship with the STEM and manufacturing industries. The impression most have on the sector is manual labour, long working hours and rows of assembly lines. While this may not be the case, a survey carried out by Women in Manufacturing (WiM) found that almost three quarters of women would not consider a career in manufacturing as a viable option. Selling the industry to women may seem like a fairly complex task, but in order to want to fill a job yourself, you must be able to envisage yourself in it first. For a woman, looking at a male dominated industry, it is virtually impossible for them to do so. Therefore, to encourage more women, companies need to have more women — starting at the top. In 2018, it was reported by the FTSE 100 that there had been a rise in female held directorships. Despite the number of female executive directorships remaining the same between 2017 and 2018, directorships rose from 294 to 305, a rise of 1.3%. Out of these 100 companies, those in the construction and building sector only featured twice. An industry of untapped talent When looking at why more women are moving into the industry, the first point worth considering is how much of an untapped industry it is. A 2016 survey found how manufacturing had the largest pool of untapped talent, simply because there were very few women in the roles previously. Not only is there an abundance of female staff available, they are also highly qualified, most possessing not only a bachelor’s but a supplementary master’s degree. Unfortunately, 51 per cent of women who work in the sector state that they have been treated worse because they are female. This moves away from stereotypes however and into a dangerous position of discrimination. Women being in these roles has proved to be beneficial not only in plugging the gender gap, but also for the company’s profitability themselves. Research suggest that every 10 per cent increase in gender diversity relates to a 3.5 percent increase in gross profit. Marci Bonham, Managing Director of Hilti, proposes ‘that supporting women as they take their first management steps within the industry will have a positive impact overall’.  The Shine Theory Here is where shine theory makes its appearance. This is because it carries significant relevance to women trying to crack the heavily dominated male industries. The workplace can be a hard place for anyone starting new, but for a woman starting off in a new role surrounded by mainly men — well the aforementioned stats speak for themselves. The shine theory concentrates on how women can progress if they were befriending other females in the work place instead of battling against them. Effectively, this American concept emphasises how surrounding yourself with positive and successful women will create a positive atmosphere within. Early development             In 2018, a study by the Guardian discovered that women constitute only 14.4% of all people working within STEM in the UK. This is despite the fact they make-up almost half of the work force. The best way of encouraging this, is to establish more prominent idol like figures within these subject areas. Take for example Brian Cox, it is easier for young boys interested in getting into physics to relate to him. Alternatively, Donna Strickland, a physicist from Canada, became only the third woman ever to win the Nobel Prize award for her science. Her name, along with others who achieved spectacular heights needs to be promoted throughout kids of a young age. However, this should not to detract from the unimaginable advancements which have been made. In 1918, women over earned the right to vote, while women being accredited for such contributions to science as Donna Strickland, is certainly a recent development. Apprenticeships Apprenticeships are becoming more popular as the traditional degree route is proving to not be for everyone. The statistics for the sectors women are choosing to carry out apprenticeships in doesn’t bode well in supporting this plug of the gender gap. Subject areas including learning support, travel services, and beauty therapy, all had 80% or more female applicants. On the other hand, vehicle maintenance and repair, gas industry, and construction skills all had below 10%. Here, we look at two companies who continue to push to enhance the number of females on their apprenticeship schemes: British Gas There was an emphasis by the energy provider placed on getting women to apply for their apprenticeship scheme. They did this by offering examples of applicants with examples of some of their highest achieving female members of staff. They similarly draw upon the fact, that by putting more women into male dominated apprenticeships, the gender pay gap is likely to be bridged. Lookers Lookers, one of Centrica’s Top 100 employers, sell a range of automobiles, including the new Ford Transit, launched its female apprentice network last year with the scheme being based around setting up regular meetings between female apprentices, providing them with the opportunity to share their new-found knowledge and experiences. Civil Engineering Consultancy, Patrick Parsons, is also an example of this. Sources:

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