Despite their crucial fire safety role, huge numbers of fire and smoke dampers remain untested in thousands of buildings across the UK, according to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA). The Association fears that less than 1% of buildings have been fully tested in line with legislation, despite growing awareness
Leading plant hire firm invests in latest Cat® excavators Finning UK & Ireland, exclusive distributor of Cat® products, has supplied leading plant, access equipment and tractor hire company, ASHBROOK, with seven new Cat 315 GC excavators, marking the first delivery of this machine in the UK. After the delivery on
Construction has begun on a new industrial park in Tottenham which is set to become the greenest development of its kind in London. SEGRO, the leading developer and owner of warehouse and industrial property, will deliver 190,000 sq ft of modern, high quality space at SEGRO Park Tottenham, located in
The Property Hero Awards 2020 – recognising the special individuals in the property industry These awards are not about companies but about individuals who have done something really special. We are looking to identify the extraordinary people within our industry who have gone that extra mile and achieved things that
The Viessmann Group (“Viessmann”), a leading international provider of climate solutions for residential and commercial environments, and Priva Group (“Priva”), a climate and process control technology company in the Netherlands, join forces in a strategic family partnership. Both companies see great potential and opportunities for global synergies in serving
Ibstock plc has confirmed its intention to make a major investment in one of its brick factories in the West Midlands. The factory will be a pathfinder project to test and pilot operational efficiencies which, the company believes, will lead to Atlas becoming the world’s only Scope 1 & 21
Ventilation specialists S&P UK has expanded its range of high efficiency heat recovery units to include the RHE 15000, offering the highest rate of air flow designed for large spaces – a significant upgrade in capabilities for the range. It comes at a time when there is a huge importance
The pandemic has impacted almost every industry in one way or another, and while construction firms were allowed to continue in times when others weren’t, the period has still proven challenging. But with a recent uptick in activity and a wider return to normality on the horizon in the UK,
On Earth Day, and in response to the Government’s announcement about new climate change commitments, Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered body for the project profession, has issued the following response. Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered body for the project profession, has welcomed the UK Government’s announcement
Success, stress, and comfort go hand-in-hand. If you aren’t happy with your surroundings, it’s more stressful, and your academic achievements can decline. The grades you achieved throughout high school came with the comforts of home. To maintain the same level of success, you need to match the coziness of home
Despite their crucial fire safety role, huge numbers of fire and smoke dampers remain untested in thousands of buildings across the UK, according to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA). The Association fears that less than 1% of buildings have been fully tested in line with legislation, despite growing awareness of the importance of carrying out comprehensive fire safety risk assessments in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy. Many building owners are unaware that they have a legal responsibility to ensure the fire and smoke dampers in their buildings are tested at least once a year – and sometimes more regularly depending on indoor conditions. Even where testing is being carried out, it is often impossible to access at least 25% of the dampers in a building and, in the worst cases, as many as 90% cannot be reached or even located. Failing to check that these devices are in good working order and, therefore, able to reduce the risk of fire and smoke spreading through a building, can lead to hefty fines and possible prison sentences under current fire regulations. “Many building owners don’t even know they have dampers; even less that they are a critical element of their building’s fire safety system,” said BESA’s technical consultant Peter Rogers. “However, since Grenfell there has been much greater focus on all aspects of fire safety. “This has obvious implications for damper testing regimes, best practice and the competence of the firms employed to locate, test, and maintain these safety critical devices,” Rogers told a BESA webinar this week. Guidance He explained that the Association had updated its technical guidance for Fire and Smoke Damper Maintenance (VH001) and that this can now be downloaded from its website as part of BESA’s contribution to improving the overall safety of buildings. The webinar heard that there are an estimated 30 million fire and smoke dampers already installed in UK buildings and, if each one was checked and repaired when necessary as required by law, the damper testing market would be worth at least £500 million annually. Despite the clear legal obligations, the BESA webinar heard that many buildings including hospitals (which typically contain thousands of dampers) had arbitrarily decided to reduce testing to once every five years to save money. “That’s like deciding to only put your seatbelt on once in every five car journeys,” said George Friend, chair of BESA’s Ventilation Hygiene group. “How do you know on which journey you are going to crash?” Part of the testing regime involves flagging up which dampers cannot be found or accessed and providing suggestions for remedial works – including installing access panels and/or builders’ hatches – to ensure all dampers can be checked and repaired if necessary. “It is also crucial that we move away from the tick list culture that still dominates testing regimes,” said Richard Norman, managing director of Indepth Services. “To be compliant with legislation, testing should involve comprehensive photographic records showing the condition of the damper before, during, and after testing. “The availability of VH001 has improved the situation and if all building owners or managers only used contractors who complied with this guidance, it would eradicate a big part of the problem,” added Norman. VH001 outlines all aspects of a compliant test regime in line with industry best practice and standards. It builds on the industry’s installation and commissioning code of practice DW/145, the sheet metal ductwork specification DW/144, and the ventilation hygiene standard TR/19. The BESA testing guidance was produced in response to urgent calls for a methodology to help the building services industry comply with the British Standard (BS9999) for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings along with the healthcare sector’s technical documents HTM 03-01 for heating and ventilation and HTM 05-02 for fire safety in healthcare premises. Competence BESA’s guidance explains how dampers should be located – in line with the responsibilities of the system designer and as part of a building’s fire strategy – and accessed for testing along with the levels of competence required to carry out this work. It states that an inventory of all dampers should be created and that every manually resettable damper is individually released to ensure the spring-loaded shutter remains operational. The BESA document also sets out a comprehensive plan for providing reports to clients and any findings that need action including damaged and missing dampers. It also highlights key elements needed to put a planned maintenance regime in place linked to the Association’s digital planned maintenance tool SFG20. “It is no longer acceptable – or compliant – to put in your report that a damper could not be tested,” said Friend. “There are a lot of people out there carrying out visual inspections that add no value for clients and certainly don’t make people safer.” Some firms have also been carrying out full building surveys to establish the number of dampers installed without actually carrying out any testing, the webinar heard. “Not only does this do nothing to improve fire safety, it is a criminal waste of a client’s time and money. If you are carrying out a survey, why not test at the same time?” said Norman, adding that one positive outcome from the Covid crisis was that many clients had been saving themselves time and money by getting indoor air quality and damper testing done at the same time.www.theBESA.com/knowledge
Leading plant hire firm invests in latest Cat® excavators Finning UK & Ireland, exclusive distributor of Cat® products, has supplied leading plant, access equipment and tractor hire company, ASHBROOK, with seven new Cat 315 GC excavators, marking the first delivery of this machine in the UK. After the delivery on April 26, 2021, customer demand meant they were put straight to work, offering longer maintenance intervals than previous models, fuel-saving features and a compact radius design. ASHBROOK has had a strong relationship with Finning for many years — James Ashbrook, Managing Director and Neil Baxter, Sales Manager at Finning struck up an excellent working relationship back in 2006, when the two companies started doing business. In 2019, Finning delivered its 1,000th new machine to ASHBROOK, a number that has since risen to over 1,200. The latest arrivals are seven Cat 315 GC excavators, one of the only excavators on the market to offer a full-size cab on a compact radius machine, and ten 313 GC hydraulic excavators. The machines were put to work on customer sites quickly after delivery and Ashbrook plans to add more to its fleet by the end of June. ”It’s always been central to our business ethos that our machines remain at the forefront of industry technology and these new machines allow us to do just that,” commented James Ashbrook “Adding the Cat 315 GC and Cat 313 GC to the ASHBROOK fleet, enables us to further expand our fleet and keep up with our regular fleet renewals. We’re excited to see the real time, on-site benefits that these excavators will bring our customers.” The Cat 315 GC is equipped with an EU Stage V engine to meet the European Commission’s latest emission standards, with the added benefit of improved fuel economy and reduced operating costs. Additionally, all daily maintenance checks are accessible from ground level to allow for easier walkarounds and quicker servicing. The 315 GC boasts smaller cab pillars, larger windows and a wider skylight hatch to give users 60 per cent greater visibility, allowing operators to work confidently and safely in space-restricted areas. The GC range of construction equipment and work tools is a game changer for small to medium sized customers looking for best-in-class machines that are simple, durable, reliable, fuel competitive and economical. Built on the legacy of high-quality, proven products, the new range has the ability to adapt to various applications and boasts the ruggedness to keep performance at peak levels. “I have been in the construction industry for 29 years, working with different brands along the way,” added Paul Pitney, General Manager at Ashbrook. “Throughout my career I have received consistent feedback on how fantastic Cat machines are — they are always an easy sell, because of their reliability and additional on-board features. The most important thing for us as a company when choosing a supplier is the combination of a quality product and excellent servicing and support, which Finning offers in abundance.” All the machines supplied to ASHBROOK come with a full warranty and Complete Customer Value Agreement (CVA), which means that Cat certified engineers will carry out all scheduled servicing using genuine Cat parts. ASHBROOK, a family-run business that operates nationwide, has worked in its respective industry sectors for over 20 years. Its customer base covers the majority of the construction sector, from paving to quarries. As a result of its equipment quality and service, Ashbrook has built a reputation as one of the UK’s leading plant hire companies, with a diverse machine portfolio that fulfils its customers’ requirements. As well as the seven 315 GCs, ASHBROOK is also adding ten 313 GC hydraulic excavators to its fleet in May. To find out more about the new GC range, contact Finning on +44 0800 028 7778 or visit www.finning.com.
Construction has begun on a new industrial park in Tottenham which is set to become the greenest development of its kind in London. SEGRO, the leading developer and owner of warehouse and industrial property, will deliver 190,000 sq ft of modern, high quality space at SEGRO Park Tottenham, located in London’s Zone 3. The scheme secured planning consent from Haringey Council and the Greater London Authority in January and SEGRO has moved swiftly to begin work on site, which is expected to complete in February 2022. The new industrial park will deliver a well-connected and modern urban logistics hub which sets a new benchmark for sustainable industrial development and workplace wellbeing. The buildings are designed to be carbon neutral with A+ Energy Performance and BREEAM Excellent ratings. Features will include photovoltaic cells, green walls and external amenity areas. It is anticipated that the eight new speculative units will provide over 250 jobs and SEGRO is working with the London Borough of Haringey to deliver a skills and training programme to help members of the local community secure employment. The programme will include apprentices working on the construction of the park and the delivery of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) events for local school and college students. Alan Holland, SEGRO’s Managing Director, Greater London, said: “The start of construction is a key milestone for what we believe is a game-changing industrial development at SEGRO Park Tottenham. In addition to raising the bar for environmental standards, we’re looking forward to making a positive impact on the local employment market and economy through job creation and skills and training opportunities for young people in the community.”
The Property Hero Awards 2020 – recognising the special individuals in the property industry These awards are not about companies but about individuals who have done something really special. We are looking to identify the extraordinary people within our industry who have gone that extra mile and achieved things that often go unnoticed. The award was set up to highlight those who deserved to be recognised for outstanding performance and going that bit further to support leaseholders and the teams that support them in the year that was extraordinary – 2020. We’re thrilled to announce the Winner of the Award – Libby Williams and Highly Commended – Elizabeth Stokes. WINNER – Libby Williams Libby is Head of Insurance. She is an amazing hard-working member of the Legal & Risk team, dealing with insurance claims for our customers. Libby is renowned for her incredible knowledge of the industry, with 20 years behind her, and she has a fantastic recall of past insurance history on multiple properties. Libby is well known for her attention to detail, and the enthusiasm she shows in her work is at times outstanding, often working well beyond the normal hours and above expectations. Her diligent approach to work has not gone unnoticed, and she is a well-deserved winner. HIGHLY COMMENDED – Elizabeth Stokes Elizabeth Stokes is Health & Safety Co-ordinator for the group. As Head of H&S – Jonathan Gough says; “Liz is a great asset to the H&S department”. She expertly manages over 400 projects to ensure that leaseholders are safe in their homes. Liz supports the property team through every stage of the project, and always with a smile. She is well-deserved of this award given the hard year that 2020 became, dealing with the many issues that the industry still faces, and with the leaseholders’ welfare always at the forefront of her mind.
The Viessmann Group (“Viessmann”), a leading international provider of climate solutions for residential and commercial environments, and Priva Group (“Priva”), a climate and process control technology company in the Netherlands, join forces in a strategic family partnership. Both companies see great potential and opportunities for global synergies in serving customers together through an unprecedented combined tech-driven solution offering – from commercial building owners and operators to smart district and city solutions, adapting the climate and energy predictively to users’ needs. To underline the long-term nature of this partnership, Viessmann has acquired a minority interest in Priva. This allows Priva to accelerate its innovative technology agenda and international growth, yet remain an independent family business. Viessmann can rapidly develop its climate solutions for commercial buildings and explore horticultural environment business opportunities. In addition to their similar family business culture, Viessmann and Priva share a vision of how their solutions can make a profound and pragmatic impact on the current climate crisis and change the world for the better. Both companies believe that partnerships, networks and smart ecosystems are crucial in providing the range and breadth of solutions needed to address the important issues of global warming, energy transition and food security in the world. Meiny Prins, CEO of Priva: “We are a purpose-driven company. We are proud to offer innovative and sustainable solutions, which benefit our customers and society. We feel strengthened by Viessmann’s recognition of our vision and technology. Joining forces with Viessmann is an important next step towards fulfilling our ambition. It makes us both stronger while it maintains our independence and company values. This is an unprecedented opportunity for creating a climate for growth together.” Maximilian Viessmann, Co-CEO of Viessmann: “Our purpose is to create living spaces for generations to come: sustainable, CO2-free and clean environments for living, working and recreation. Our partnership with Priva will enable both companies to substantially expand the breadth and variety of solutions we can offer and the customers that we serve. It is a big privilege to drive digital and climate-centric solutions forward as two like-minded, strong and tech-driven family businesses.” About Viessmann Viessmann is the leading provider of climate solutions for all living spaces. The ‘Integrated Viessmann Solutions Offering’ enables users to connect products and systems seamlessly via digital platforms and services for climate (heating, cooling, air quality) and refrigeration solutions. All solutions are based on renewable energy and maximum efficiency. All activities of the family company, founded in 1917, are based on its purpose. “We create living spaces for generations to come” – that is the responsibility of the global Viessmann family with 12,750 members. About Priva Priva is a technology company that develops hardware, software and data-services in the field of climate control, energy saving and optimal reuse of water. With more than 500 colleagues, 16 local offices and over 450 international installation partners Priva delivers sustainable solutions and services in more than 100 countries. With its activities in Horticulture, Building Automation and Indoor Growing, Priva wants to contribute to the cities of the future: where people can enjoy a healthy working and living environment and have access to safe and nutritious food.
Ibstock plc has confirmed its intention to make a major investment in one of its brick factories in the West Midlands. The factory will be a pathfinder project to test and pilot operational efficiencies which, the company believes, will lead to Atlas becoming the world’s only Scope 1 & 21 Net Zero brick factory. A combination of reduced process emissions and greater thermal efficiency will cut the carbon intensity of bricks produced at the Atlas site by 50% compared to the existing factory. The remaining emissions will be offset using high quality emission reduction projects. Once completed, Atlas will be an exemplar of British manufacturing and global environmental best practice in the construction products sector. The investment, which was announced at the Group’s AGM Trading Update on Earth Day (April 22 2021), marks the next stage of the company’s well-documented sustainability journey. The Group’s Sustainability Roadmap to 2025 sets out ambitious decarbonisation plans. This Net Zero pathfinder project, along with a host of other initiatives at other sites across the UK, marks the latest important step in pushing the business beyond its Roadmap. The new Atlas investment will be Net Zero for Scopes 1 & 21 emissions; Scope 31 will be addressed at a later date as part of the Group’s longer-term sustainability strategy.1 To achieve its ambitions, the Group is utilising a standard methodology that aligns with the UK Government’s Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy. The Group calculates that its Net Zero aims for Atlas will primarily be achieved through a rapid reduction in carbon emissions from the production process through significantly improved thermal efficiency, on-site renewable electricity generation and renewable energy procurement. For production from Atlas to reach Net Zero, the remaining emitted greenhouse gases will be offset through carbon credits or sequestration through rewilding or carbon capture and storage. Over time, Ibstock will reduce the offset proportion further by the adoption of additional emissions reduction measures. Once it has completed the first stage in its journey (Scope 1 & 21), Atlas will be one of the most operationally efficient brick factories in the world and an exemplar for the industry in terms of environmental performance. National & regional impact The investment in Atlas will bring significant benefits to the local economy in terms of employment, local suppliers, opportunities and skills. This redevelopment will secure the future of the brick factory and provide local employment opportunities for the long-term. It is expected that the renovated factory will support 50 highly skilled manufacturing and engineering jobs. Next stage in the Net Zero Journey Commenting on the investment plans for the Atlas Factory, Chief Executive Officer of Ibstock plc Joe Hudson said: “The Net Zero journey is one we share with our customers. We have seen a transformational shift in attitudes from all of our key stakeholders; and there is a ‘sea-change’ in how our customers, and, in turn, their customers, view environmental issues. As the UK’s leading brick manufacturer we recognise that we have to adapt and respond – and this is reflected in our Sustainability Roadmap to 2025. “We have been leading the way for some time within our sector, with our investments in new production capacity at our Throckley, Chesteron, Eclipse and Lodge Lane plants all reducing the carbon intensity of the manufacturing process, and as the recipients of multiple sustainability awards. However, we can do more, and we can go further. Our plan to invest in Atlas is at the heart of this.”
Ventilation specialists S&P UK has expanded its range of high efficiency heat recovery units to include the RHE 15000, offering the highest rate of air flow designed for large spaces – a significant upgrade in capabilities for the range. It comes at a time when there is a huge importance for delivering fresh air into buildings, such as colleges, offices and hospitals. The RHE range uses a Thermal Wheel Heat Recovery to gain the optimum thermal efficacy with a sophisticated control system. With an increase in demand for fresh air, the RHE 15000 can deliver 4 m³ per second, making it highly suitable for schools and colleges, commercial offices and retail. The unit can be supplied as a standard part or customised to meet specific application requirements. S&P UK most recently supplied an RHE 15000 as a custom order to include an electric heater to City College Norwich, where the unit was craned four storeys high onto the roof of a major £9.1 million extension under construction. “We have been supplying the RHE product for a number of years but by expanding the range, this allows the option for us to supply this product with a much higher airflow. As with all our products, we offer our own technical expertise so we worked with the M & E subcontractors for this particular project from recommending the RHE 15000 as the most suitable product based off drawings provided, right through to site installation,” said Lee Page, sales director at S&P UK. The RHE air handling series are designed for internal and external siting and, as with all S&P products, the units come with a two-year warranty. The custom made RHE units can be manufactured by S&P with a lead time of around 3 weeks from order to shipment. S&P is a leading global fan, air movement and ventilation systems manufacturer with over 10,000 products supported by personalised technical support. The Spanish owned S&P Group, whose global operations span over 90 countries, includes major R&D centres in Europe, Singapore, USA and Brazil.
The pandemic has impacted almost every industry in one way or another, and while construction firms were allowed to continue in times when others weren’t, the period has still proven challenging. But with a recent uptick in activity and a wider return to normality on the horizon in the UK, optimism is building for the sector’s recovery. This cautious confidence comes on the back of a significant contraction in output in the first half of 2020. Even after the government stated construction work should resume with new safety measures in place, commercial activity has been slower to bounce back due to retail store closures and uncertainty around the future of offices. At the same time, areas such as private housing have been more buoyant due to pent-up demand and government incentives such as the stamp duty holiday. So what does the road ahead look like for the construction industry overall? Forecasts of recovery Private housing work is expected to remain strong throughout 2021 and into 2022 thanks to factors such as the rise in homeworking and homeowners reinvesting pandemic savings. Public housing output is also due a boost thanks to a backlog in cladding safety work. But these aren’t the only reasons behind the industry’s hopeful outlook. Commercial projects and infrastructure work have also displayed growth as the UK prepares to fully reopen for business on the back of a so-far successful vaccination campaign. Examples include HS2, one of the largest construction projects currently underway in Europe, and various offshore wind and nuclear works. In fact, the surge in construction activity between February and March of this year was the largest in any month since September 2014. Potential bumps in the road Despite the positives mentioned above, construction output is still only projected to reach pre-pandemic levels in 2022. The industry’s recovery is also somewhat reliant on a wider economic resurgence – which could still be dampened by new Covid variants and a rise in unemployment when the furlough scheme finally ends. There is then the worry that construction firms will have to deal with a potential global shortage of goods and materials as other industries and nations lag behind. Increased import costs and timeframes linked to Brexit are also looming large for many companies. Those in commercial sectors will also be waiting nervously to observe to what extent there is a return to office work. Onno Adriaansens, co-chair of the European Real Estate Group at global consultancy firm RSM, asks: “If office demands get scaled back, what happens to the thousands of half-built high rises all over the world? Do we convert them to residential? Whatever the case, real estate cannot simply ‘get through’ the COVID-19 crisis without a significant evolution.” Ultimately several questions like this remain. But for the time being at least, the future looks reassuringly bright for the UK’s construction industry.
On Earth Day, and in response to the Government’s announcement about new climate change commitments, Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered body for the project profession, has issued the following response. Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered body for the project profession, has welcomed the UK Government’s announcement that it will speed up targets to cut carbon emissions, but advises that investing in the skills that will enable project managers to meet the climate challenge will be an essential part of the process. New climate change commitments will set the UK on course to cut carbon emissions by 78 per cent from 1990 levels by 2035. Reacting to the announcement, Sue Kershaw, president of APM, said: “We welcome the challenge the new deadline sets for the protection of the environment. However, we hope the government will recognise that these targets must be backed by serious investment in essential training and skills development for project professionals if these targets are to be achieved. “Laws don’t deliver projects, people do. For every goal and commitment there will be countless projects and professionals needed to deliver across many different industries. Only with significant investment and focus on project skillsets will we be able to support the proper inception, delivery and completion of these projects that will help deliver these ambitious goals and timelines for the environment. “As the only chartered body for the project profession in the world, we fully acknowledge the importance of project skills in delivering global solutions to the climate crisis. To support this, we are creating more content than ever that emphasises the importance of making sustainability and environmental focus a core part of projects and their deliverables.”
Success, stress, and comfort go hand-in-hand. If you aren’t happy with your surroundings, it’s more stressful, and your academic achievements can decline. The grades you achieved throughout high school came with the comforts of home. To maintain the same level of success, you need to match the coziness of home to your new location. All-Inclusive Student Accommodation Moving away from home is stressful. Add in separate bills for the first time in your life, and the stress will increase. When it rises, so does anxiety, which in return, reduces sleep. As you guess, stress, anxiety, and less than seven to nine hours of sleep can easily result in failing grades. With all-inclusive housing, you don’t worry about paying utility bills, gas, or water on time. The buildings also have central heating. There’s no need to concern yourself with too much or too little temperature control. Additionally, if something breaks, student housing includes 24/7 maintenance to make fast repairs. No matter how far you’re traveling for school, bringing furniture isn’t fun. It’s bulky, hard to move, and you’ll be missing it on home visits. While most accommodations won’t offer bedding, such as sheets, blankets, and a comforter, they provide the basics—a bed, mattress, mattress cover, and some other basics. Students have access to a shared kitchen, and private studios have more in-room advantages. Distraction-Free Single-Living Many student housing options offer private studios. Yes, some of the fun of going to the university is having a roommate to confide in and be your friend while you’re away from home. However, not everyone is compatible with the person they’re paired with, and it can cause friction. Additionally, not everyone wants a roommate. Having one forced on them can be frustrating and stressful. A private studio affords some benefits, such as skipping the hassle of a roommate that distracts you from your goals. Release Energy with Nearby Entertainment & Social Options All work and no play isn’t a healthy situation. Everyone needs a break. Living in student housing affords plenty of nearby locations to unwind and de-stress. Regular walks on the beach, time in a beautifully landscaped courtyard, or a few-mile bike ride can clear your head and help you get back to work with a better mood and a body that feels great. Most locations offer secure indoor bike storage. Physical fitness is essential to maintaining low-stress levels and sleeping better at night. In addition to on-site recreational activities, there are plenty of nearby areas to enjoy nature and have a great time in the town with friends to blow off steam. With student accommodation in Bournemouth, you don’t need to worry about a thing. Hop on your bed and complete your class’s reading assignments or sit at your desk, pop open your laptop, and finish up that coursework due in a few days. With less stress from your surroundings, success is within your reach.
