Yorkshire Water has joined Project 13, an industry initiative to improve the way high-performing infrastructure is delivered and managed, to achieve its AMP7 capital programme. The Project 13 framework, led by the Infrastructure Client Group (ICG), and partnered with the Institution of Civil Engineers, is based on collaboration and shared
New images show discovery of a skeleton from the Iron Age buried face down and with hands tied as part of HS2 archaeology in Buckinghamshire Other discoveries at the site span over 4000 years of human history, including a circular timber monument resembling the layout of Stonehenge. Archaeologists working on
Steel sheet pile installation specialist and supplier, Sheet Piling (UK) Limited, is playing its part in helping EFL Championship football club, Fulham FC, develop a suite of amenities, that will enable it to retain the iconic riverside, Craven Cottage site as its footballing home for many years to come. Sheet
The European construction industry is gradually opening back up after months of lockdown following the recent pandemic. As firms face increasing pressure to get back on track and deliver against rising demand, it’s widely recognised that the construction industry has long suffered a reputation for regularly delivering projects later than
For the larger part, yes you may need a special case for wireless charging and no for the lesser part. Wireless charging is defined as a technology that allows your device to charge over a short distance without using any cable. This is one of the latest improvements in the
Yorkshire Water has joined Project 13, an industry initiative to improve the way high-performing infrastructure is delivered and managed, to achieve its AMP7 capital programme. The Project 13 framework, led by the Infrastructure Client Group (ICG), and partnered with the Institution of Civil Engineers, is based on collaboration and shared success underpinned by a best for role approach and digital transformation, led by a strong capable owner. Yorkshire Water has joined the Project 13 Adopters group to enable the business to share ideas and learning with other organisations as it delivers key operational assets. Mark Baker, head of programme delivery at Yorkshire Water, said: “Joining the Project 13 Adopters Group alongside other UK and globally leading infrastructure organisations will support our continued journey towards becoming a high-performing enterprise. The framework focuses on a more collaborative approach. “We’ve seen great progress so far in how we’re adopting the principles to organise ourselves and begin to establish the programme into an enterprise approach. This will underpin Yorkshire Water’s ambitions. “It’s an exciting journey and we’re looking forward to seeing the benefits Project 13 will bring to Yorkshire Water, our partners and the efficient outcomes it will deliver for our customers.” Dale Evans, chair of the ICG, said: “Project 13 is a now a global industry change movement about building a sustainable future for the construction industry, creating a more highly skilled workforce and creating infrastructure that represents better value for all. “I’m delighted to see Yorkshire Water embed Project 13 principles into the AMP7 capital programme and help the delivery of infrastructure move from a transactional business model to a more collaborative and sustainable one. “The momentum demonstrated by more and more projects and programmes adopting Project 13 illustrates that the principles clearly resonate across infrastructure and I look forward to Yorkshire Water being an integral part of the P13 Adopter community.”
New images show discovery of a skeleton from the Iron Age buried face down and with hands tied as part of HS2 archaeology in Buckinghamshire Other discoveries at the site span over 4000 years of human history, including a circular timber monument resembling the layout of Stonehenge. Archaeologists working on the HS2 project in Buckinghamshire have discovered a skeleton believed to be a murder victim from the Iron Age. During the excavation work at Wellwick Farm near Wendover, archaeologists discovered a skeleton of an adult male buried face down in a ditch with hands bound together under his pelvis. The unusual burial position suggests the iron age man may have been a victim of a murder or execution. Osteologists are currently examining the skeleton for further evidence of foul play. The archaeological works have revealed a wealth of archaeology with evidence of human activity dating from the Neolithic to the Medieval period, a time spanning around 4000 years. The land to the west of Wendover seems to have been persistently used for ceremonial activity as archaeologists also uncovered a large circular monument of wooden posts 65 meters in diameter with features aligned with the winter solstice, similar to Stonehenge in Wiltshire. At Wellwick Farm, archaeologists believe the Bronze Age and Iron Age saw the addition of some domestic occupation with at least one roundhouse identified and possible structures such as animal pens and pits used for disposing food. During the Roman period, this occupation may have moved to the current location of Wendover but the Wellwick Farm site was still used for burials. In a square enclosure on the site, archaeologists discovered a skeleton in a coffin that was lined with lead, with the outer coffin likely made of wood. Archaeologists believe that the buried individual must have been someone of high status as they had the means to pay for such an expensive method of burial. The section of the HS2 route is being prepared to build the Wendover Green Tunnel and the Wendover North Cutting. The archaeology programme is a central part of HS2’s ground preparation works for Phase One of the project – London to Birmingham. HS2, its contractors and supply chain are well underway with a programme of work, clearing sites, ahead of main construction. Commenting on the archaeological work, Dr. Rachel Wood, Project Archaeologist said: “We already knew that Buckinghamshire is rich in archaeology but discovering a site showing human activity spanning 4,000 years came as a bit of a surprise to us. “The death of the Wellwick Farm man remains a mystery to us but there aren’t many ways you end up in a bottom of a ditch, face down, with your hands bound. We hope our osteologists will be able to shed more light on this potentially gruesome death. “The large wooden ceremonial structure, the Roman lead burial and the mystery of the skeleton at Wellwick Farm helps bring alive the fact that people lived, worked and died in this area long before we came along.“ The announcement of the discovery comes at the at the start of the Festival of British Archaeology, an annual event taking place over nine days between 11th and 19th July. HS2 will be taking part, hosting digital events showcasing recent archaeological discoveries. Mike Court, HS2 Lead Archaeologist said: “Before we build the low-carbon high-speed railway between London and Birmingham, we are uncovering a wealth of archaeology that will enrich our cultural heritage. “Our discoveries will be shared with communities and the public through virtual lectures, open days and in an upcoming BBC archaeology documentary. “The sheer scale of possible discoveries, the geographical span and the vast range of our history to be unearthed makes HS2’s archaeology programme a unique opportunity to tell the story of Buckinghamshire and Britain.”
Steel sheet pile installation specialist and supplier, Sheet Piling (UK) Limited, is playing its part in helping EFL Championship football club, Fulham FC, develop a suite of amenities, that will enable it to retain the iconic riverside, Craven Cottage site as its footballing home for many years to come. Sheet Piling UK has been part of a project that has seen Fulham FC extend its Riverside Stand, to increase its seating capacity. The project also aims to create amenities along its stretch of the River Thames, for the enjoyment of fans, residents and visitors alike. Extending the stand and transforming the river side walkway into a world-class destination, which will boast a pathway that allows leisure users to have an uninterrupted walk between Hammersmith and Putney bridges, required the type of groundwork support in which Sheet Piling UK specialises. Its team started work at the site in April 2020, following the demolition of Fulham FC’s existing Riverside Stand. To create the necessary support works for the new stand, Sheet Piling UK both supplied and installed a range of its Emirates Steel sheet pile sections, consisting of EZ24-700 and EZ26-700 pairs of sheet piles, of lengths of between 10-13 metres. These were used to form a three-sided permanent basement, with the fourth side formed by the previously completed and realigned Thames wall. A part-cantilever and part-propped design solution was implemented, using the Z-section sheet piles to deliver the required structural properties and weight efficiencies. No delay in obtaining a supply of these first-class sheet piles was required, given the extensive amount of stock that Sheet Piling UK always holds. This saved the project time, enabling work to keep moving without unnecessary delay. Sheet piles were installed into predominantly cohesive soils using vibrator methods, followed by impact driving to achieve the design toe levels, as pre-augering was not possible. Z-section Emirates Steel sheet piles were installed in pairs, using two ABI telescopic leader rigs from the Sheet Piling UK fleet. These were fitted with resonance-free vibratory piling hammers and Sheet Piling UK’s double jaw clamp, ABI MZK1250 assemblies. Impact driving was then undertaken using the company’s Delmag leader-mounted hammer. This was of great benefit to the client, removing the need to create a deep lead trench, or longer sheet piles, which would have been the case had a conventional, crane-suspended, hydraulic impact hammer been used. Having completed the initial sheet pile installation, Sheet Piling UK’s team are now looking to the next stage of the bulk earthworks project, which will see them creating and installing a temporary steel-welded support frame (part cofferdam). Once the earthworks are completed, the sheet pile interlocks will be welded, so as to provide a watertight basement structure. Sheet Piling UK’s managing director, Andrew Cotton, says: “We are delighted in playing our part in giving a real community-focused football club like Fulham FC the opportunity to develop its ground in such a way as to secure its future at the site for many years to come. Many sports grounds are reticent to ask their fan base to adopt new grounds, in new locations and, through this project, Fulham FC has not had to do so. It has been able to create a valuable sporting and leisure resource at its much beloved sporting home, with steel sheet piling at its base.”
The European construction industry is gradually opening back up after months of lockdown following the recent pandemic. As firms face increasing pressure to get back on track and deliver against rising demand, it’s widely recognised that the construction industry has long suffered a reputation for regularly delivering projects later than expected, and often over-budget. Even though the sector is rebounding post-Covid, the industry remains cautious with furloughed staff, redundancies and supply chain disruptions, meaning that firms will need to do a lot more with fewer resources for the foreseeable future. To reduce the further impact of the challenges the industry faces of time and project management, high speed, portable and reliable Internet connectivity can be installed so that the adoption of new technology and smarter processes can happen on site. Tangible benefits for construction firms can at last be delivered by deploying high performance units to provide Internet connectivity from day one at existing and new sites. Instant internet connectivity on site Internet connectivity is a necessity for businesses in virtually every industry, and construction is no exception. Crucially, however, it remains a fundamental hurdle that the industry must overcome if it is to create a solid foundation for providing stable Internet performance on site and get sites ready to adopt and use all new, digital innovation. The latest technology, software and applications, that are essential for the industry to innovate and keep up with demand, function better with high speed, portable and reliable internet network connectivity. To overcome the challenge of getting connectivity enabled at sites, located in Green or Brownfield locations where often there is no existing connection, portable wireless units can be installed. As internet connectivity is no longer restricted to fixed-line provision only, companies can invest in a communications resource that truly satisfies business Internet needs – irrespective of location. Advanced bonded Internet solutions enable organisations to add important resilience capability to their Internet connection and build in contingency by combining Internet connections from different carriers to create a single ‘virtual internet pipe’. Precise performance management of the unit can be included along with management of data usage, to ensure there is control over costs and quality. With combined bandwidth and enhanced reliable internet performance integrated into a portable solution, it is highly suitable for immediate deployment situations; especially if Internet services are required urgently. In many cases, communications infrastructure is either missing, needs repairing or may take several weeks to secure an install date. Foundations for change With rapid advances in technology and the advent of cloud based solutions, the way we work and interact has drastically changed. Technology innovation has led industries to continually strive to be more efficient, productive and cost effective. Yet, when it comes to the world of construction, investment in IT has remained low in comparison to other industries. The market has been hampered by technical challenges relating to projects that can be large, complex and geographically dispersed. Combined with varying proficiency and maturity levels of smaller subcontractors, advancing at scale has been difficult and has subsequently led to the slow progress of the digitisation of the construction industry. Despite these challenges, the technology available to construction firms has advanced rapidly and we are now starting to see examples of how advances in digital technology can deliver efficiency and productivity opportunities at the start of all projects – truly revolutionising the construction sites of the past. Drones, robotics, 3D printing and augmented reality are no longer works of fiction but can be adopted by forward thinking firms looking to capitalise on the benefits that embracing innovation can bring to the construction site. All of these innovations require high quality, reliable internet network resources to function and deliver benefit in the field. Conclusion The construction industry must embrace digital advances and adopt smarter processes and technology to stay competitive. It must set aside outdated processes and management methods to make this a reality. To enable this digital operations future, the basics of site internet connectivity have to be in place. So, how can construction firms ensure that a high quality, reliable Internet network connection is established quickly at a new site to ensure lack of connectivity does not negatively impact projects? By working with an ecosystem of experienced and trusted providers who can supply the connectivity solution and services that sites require. The industry will then be able to continually benefit from the opportunities that the latest advances in technology innovation for business operations present. The potential rewards to firms that capitalise on digitisation will be transformative. – Nick Sacke, Head of IoT and Products, Comms365
For the larger part, yes you may need a special case for wireless charging and no for the lesser part. Wireless charging is defined as a technology that allows your device to charge over a short distance without using any cable. This is one of the latest improvements in the tech industry replacing the old way of fixing a direct power cord into your smartphone or device to have it charged. How does it work? Both your phone and the charger need to have an induction coil that produces electromagnetic energy from the charger and transfers it to the phone. Phones lose battery all the time and require charging much too often. Wireless charging has changed the entire game of charging, as we know it. It has become popular of late with several people adapting to this new technology. However, we all know that with new technology comes some people that may not understand how things work. This can be quite a bit of a challenge for them. Therefore, we’ll break it down a little so everyone understands what wire charging is and whether you need a special case or not. Ever heard of Qi-enabled phones? Qi is pronounced as “Chee” This type of technology comes inbuilt in certain phones allowing them to easily connect to a wireless charger. Qi-enabled types of phones can charge even without a special case. However, it’s not guaranteed as sometimes they may fail. This is because some phones use different charging standards and you need to know which charger is compatible with your phone. Many questions revolve around people wanting to know whether wireless charging can damage their phones. The answer to this is no. Wireless charging does not damage the phone or battery. It’s a safe charging method. Recent companies like iPhone and Samsung have created wireless chargers, which work with phones that have a Qi-inbuilt wireless charging system. What if your phone does not have an inbuilt wireless charging system? Your phone will be able to charge wirelessly regardless of this. However, for this to work, you will need to purchase a special case to enable it to charge. There are varieties of these cases designed for your specific phone. For the phones whose replacement cases are not available, they can use a universal charger instead. This option allows devices that were created before wireless charging (before 2017) to also charge. It’s also important to know that metallic smartphone cases hinder wireless charging. The back of these phones are usually thick, robust, and are made of Aluminum. They may be good because they protect your phone from damage but they certainly inhibit wireless charging. This is one of the reasons Apple threw in the towel for an Aluminum body and replaced it for a solid glass back. For this same reason, we’ve seen android phones dropping the wireless charging option because most of the phone bodies are Aluminum made. In addition to the charging bit, consider investing in a trustworthy charger that is original, otherwise power may not be able to penetrate the case. Every smartphone has a certain amount of power that can charge it up. Avoid going for cheap chargers, as they will only cause you more trouble and do nothing productive. Below are some cool wireless charging case options that you can choose from in case your phone isn’t enabled with wireless charging. Remember that these cases are designed to fit specific phones so you need to pick out the right one. Morphie This one is one of the most popular and has been around for quite some time. The case can work for iPhone from 6-8plus, Samsung Galaxy S9, S8, and the Note 8 upwards. Others are HTC one, LG, G4 among others. Its wireless charger enabled. NewDery Battery Case It’s great for the Samsung Galaxy S9. It can work as your other battery when your phone dies out while also working as a protective case for your smartphone against damages and cracks. Apple Smart Battery case The Apple case is a definite buy, as you will not have to worry if your device is Apple-compatible. It works with most smartphones. Tranium Atomic Pro These cases come in so many attractive colors. They work for iPhone 6-x, the Samsung Galaxy S6, S7, and S8. Zerolemon Nexus 6P Battery case This battery case works well with android phones. It’s also equipped with shockproof and comes with an LED indicator. Emtec Power Pouch This one fits many phones. The beauty of this one is that you get both lighting and a micro USB. Works for androids and iPhones. You do not have to change your case when you upgrade to another phone. Those are some of the few special phone cases to try out in case your smartphone isn’t Qi-enabled. Now that you know about smartphones that are compatible with wireless charging and what you can do if yours isn’t compatible, it is also important that you know the advantages and disadvantages of wireless charging. All technology always comes with an advantage to it plus a disadvantage. It’s the same thing for wireless charging. Below are the advantages and disadvantages. Advantages of wireless charging Room to charge more phones at the same time This is the one thing that chargers with cords are unable to do. For the case of wireless charging, as long as the charging mat is large enough you can charge as many phones as you please. It is very convenient All you have to do is place your phone on your charging mat. You don’t have to go through the troubles of finding a cable, plugging in your phone, and all that. A safer way of charging It is much safer compared to charging your device using an adapter or USB cords. This is because cables and USB cords can easily damage your device in case of a power surge. Durable Charging your phone using an adapter involves a lot of unplugging and re-plugging which
