February 7, 2022

Selco unveils new charity partner for 2022

Selco Builders Warehouse has announced Cancer Research UK as its new charity partner for 2022. The nationwide builders’ merchant will stage a range of fundraising events in support of Cancer Research UK, which funds doctors, nurses and scientists to carry out pioneering research to help provide a solution to defeating

Read More »

Seddon celebrates 125th anniversary with £1million fundraising pledge

Seddon – the UK’s largest privately owned and family managed national contracting business is marking its 125th anniversary with a series of events and pledges that will celebrate this most incredible milestone, bring people back together and raise over £1million for charity. The fifth generation, family-owned business, headquartered in Bolton,

Read More »
Construction Underway at Luxury Development in Wedmore

Construction Underway at Luxury Development in Wedmore

House building has officially started on the new £3m over 55s development of a small collection of luxury new homes in central Wedmore at Holdenhurst, just off Cheddar Road. The new 1.8-acre Wedmore development, which is named Holden Gardens, will feature a mix of 10 detached, 2- and 3-bedroom homes

Read More »
Hobs Repro Partnership to Help Clients Offset Their Carbon Footprint

Hobs Repro Partnership to Help Clients Offset Their Carbon Footprint

Nowadays, architects, property developers and construction companies are embracing more environmentally conscious workflows in an effort to be more mindful of their environmental impact. The Hobs Group have also made some important decisions which highlights their own green credentials. As part of Hobs commitment to the environment they proudly boast

Read More »

5 Things To Consider When Choosing A Commercial Overhead Door

Commercial overhead doors are essential across different industries and are used by retail stores, garages, and warehouses. But despite their importance, most business owners downplay their significance and instead only concentrate on other matters such as inventory, buying equipment, and creating a suitable interior décor. However, it would help if

Read More »

5 Common Types of Construction Waste

Waste production is inevitable in any construction site. In the United Kingdom, contractors are legally required to dispose and manage their wastes properly to help the government minimise and reduce its environmental impact. It is also the best way to maintain the standard in landfills if businesses learn to reduce,

Read More »
Latest Issue
Issue 323 : Dec 2024

February 7, 2022

HE SIMM GROUP LAUNCHES NEW OFFSITE BUSINESS AND INVESTS £1M IN A NEW MANUFACTURING FACILITY

The HE Simm Group – one of the UK’s leading engineering and services businesses – has invested £1m in a new-state-of-the-art 21,000 sq ft facility, to build on its ever-expanding order book for MEP prefabricated solutions. To be known in the marketplace as Pinnacle Offsite, the business, which is being led by Ernie Price, a prefabrication specialist with over 20 years’ experience, has been launched off the back of continued and sustained demand for prefabricated solutions from its UK-wide customers. The use of prefabrication has been growing year-on-year and is expected to see further growth between now and 2025. In fact, only last year, a leading global management consultancy firm predicted that the UK could be one of the modular construction industry’s principal markets for growth, with the prefabricated building market expected to grow by 8 per cent between 2019-2025. The facility, based in Walsall in the West Midlands is already working on the production of prefabricated solutions for customers the length and breadth of the country. Solutions include the manufacturing of packaged plant rooms, plant skid modules, MEP lateral and riser modules and prefabricated utility cupboards. Commenting on the news, Gareth Simm, HE Simm Group’s CEO, says: “This is a major milestone for us. As we have grown, we have seen a distinct rise in demand from our customer base for prefabricated solutions.   “Our investment in the facility and in the Pinnacle Offsite business overall proves our commitment to this offering, which will enhance what we can provide as a leading MEP player. “Ernie is a specialist in this field, and we have no doubt that he will make a real success of it. He will work closely with Greg Simm and Marcus Wallis – Managing Directors of our Engineering business in the North and South respectively, to make sure that our bids always comprise, wherever possible, a prefabricated solution. Greg Simm, the Executive member of the Group responsible for Pinnacle Offsite, adds: “This really is very exciting. We’re delighted with the investment we’ve made, with the facility that’s already up and running, and with the team we have in place. We’re looking forward to becoming well known in the marketplace for our innovation in this area and to growing it over the coming years.” HE Simm is one of the UK’s leading engineering and services businesses. It operates in sectors including residential, commercial, education and healthcare for customers across the UK. For more information about the company visit www.hesimm.co.uk

Read More »

Selco unveils new charity partner for 2022

Selco Builders Warehouse has announced Cancer Research UK as its new charity partner for 2022. The nationwide builders’ merchant will stage a range of fundraising events in support of Cancer Research UK, which funds doctors, nurses and scientists to carry out pioneering research to help provide a solution to defeating cancer. Selco has a strong reputation for its fundraising exploits and, despite the pandemic, raised in excess of £100,000 for its previous charity partner Global’s Make Some Noise in each of the last two years. Selco’s charity coffers have already been boosted for Cancer Research UK with a donation of £5,861.78 being made from sales of carrier bags over recent months. Carine Jessamine, marketing director of Selco Builders Warehouse, said: “We are thrilled to be supporting Cancer Research UK in its fantastic work to try and find the answers to an illness which touches the lives of each and every one of us in some way. “Every pound we raise will help fund vital research and that will be the huge motivation behind our fundraising during what will be a busy year of charity activity. “Cancer Research UK was selected by a vote from our colleagues and we are excited by our new charity partnership. Along with the support from our generous customers and suppliers, we hope to raise a significant amount of money and play our part in supporting vital medical research.” Georgia McCormack, divisional manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Selco staff for voting for us and helping achieve our ambition of seeing three in four people survive their cancer by 2034. “Our progress relies on the incredible dedication and commitment of volunteers and supporters like this – without whom we would not be able to fund our life-saving work. One in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime. All of us can support the research that will beat it.” With hundreds of trade brands always in stock, Selco’s 72 branches are firmly focused on helping tradespeople complete their jobs as quickly and effectively as possible. As well as offering trade services, Selco also has a strong digital presence including Click & Deliver, a Click & Collect services.

Read More »

Helvar and its partners celebrate Award and Commendations at 2021 DALI Awards!

Helvar is excited to announce that that The Spine in the UK has been awarded a DALI award in the commercial/professional category at the 2021 DALI Lighting Awards, alongside two highly commended projects. Oyak-Renault Factory in Turkey was commended in the industrial category and Hospital Nova in Finland was commended in the healthcare category. The DALI Lighting Awards took place virtually on 19th January 2022. These awards celebrate and showcase the best use of DALI control solutions in lighting projects and installations across the globe. Designed to reward control, creativity, problem-solving, and difference, the DALI Lighting awards recognise excellence in lighting control. The judging panel consists of eight industry professionals, including a Chief Electrical Engineer, Lighting Designers, Editors, Associate Director of Lighting, Industry Relations Manager, and the DALI Alliance Technical and Certification Manager. “We are one of the founding members of the DALI Alliance. We continue to introduce leading DALI lighting solutions, including both lighting controls and drivers. With the introduction of the DALI-2 standard we have entered a new era of standardisation and interoperability in the lighting world, and we look forward to making further impact”, acknowledges Helvar CEO, Adel Hattab. “Winning the DALI lighting award for The Spine, a noteworthy project, and not one but two highly commended projects, Oyak-Renault Factory and Hospital Nova, are further proud moments for us in our DALI journey”, continues Hattab. The award-winning Helvar Imagine Solution is the world’s leading intelligent lighting control and management solution. It brings wellbeing and intelligence into a space, offering efficiency and scalability for a wide variety of applications. Imagine builds upon industry standards for easy installation and integration, adding strong and unique value on top of the standard. Winner of the DALI award in commercial/professional category The Royal College of Physicians’ new home in the north, RCP at The Spine, is located within the Paddington Village development in Liverpool’s city centre. The judges chose the Spine as the winner as they thought it was “a beautifully designed building that seamlessly combines both artificial and natural lighting to create a bright and welcoming environment”. The building is noteworthy for being the first building in the UK designed to achieve the prestigious WELL Platinum standard. The RCP occupies 70,000 sq ft across seven floors in the 160,000 sq ft building. It provides world-class facilities for medical examinations and assessments, educational courses and conferences, an exhibition space and office areas for RCP staff. “The Spine is said to be one of the healthiest workspaces for mental and physical wellbeing in the UK. Light is an important element of the WELL standard, and I’m delighted that Helvar is part of this project as wellbeing is one of our core values”, expresses Stephen Marley, Specification Sales Manager, Helvar. “Lighting contributes to wellbeing enormously as we know, so the extra attention taken by Helvar to create an intelligent fully addressable DALI lighting control system was highly commended by the judges”, explains Matt Waring, editor, Arc Magazine. BDP were the M&E consultant for the entire building. The Lighting Design House in London were tasked to design the lighting and control of a scheme specifically for a large biophilic area. Contractor T Clarke required partners to deliver quality solutions and selected Helvar to provide the lighting control for the whole RCP project. The judges also commended the additional focus on biophilia, “it’s so important for workspaces to have a more considered approach these days that is tailored towards the wellbeing of its users and the introduction of plant life is an ideal way to do this. While in some workspace projects, this can feel like a token gesture or as an add on, but the way in which this is integrated into the fabric of the building is incredibly well done- well-defined light levels for the biophilic aspects help ensure that the user experience for the facility is vastly improved.” Commendation for DALI award in the Industrial category With a 380,000 square meter area, the Oyak-Renault factory in Turkey serves as a particularly noteworthy and large-scale example of a successful lighting transformation. Commended by the DALI Alliance for bringing a tremendous improvement in energy efficiency, the freshly installed lighting system is estimated to provide annual savings equivalent to the yearly electricity consumption of 4,700 houses! Led by Helvar partner Elekon Enerji Sistemleri, renowned DALI experts in Turkey and surrounding areas, the project involved the replacement of 16,400 lamps in the workshops and offices in the factory and the installation of a Helvar lighting system to manage and control the new LED luminaires seamlessly. Overall, the transition to LED luminaires and a lighting control solution with a combination of automatic features enabled around 70% of lighting energy costs to be saved at the factory, equal to approximately 11MWh of energy and 5000 tons of carbon emissions annually. Commendation for DALI award in the Healthcare category Hospital Nova located in Jyväskylä, Finland was highly commended by the judges in the healthcare category. Judges recognised that patient and staff wellbeing is central to the lighting design. “DALI controls all indoor, and outdoor lighting at this newly built Hospital, one of the largest in Finland, and the project has over 30,000 controlled DALI addresses. The DALI system responds to both light level fluctuations and seasons and is freely programmable to allow users to tailor the desired lighting scheme. By understanding people’s movements and how the spaces are used, the lighting can be adjusted to save energy since the system can detect the most optimal lighting setting based on collected data”, says Mark Lein, Industry Relations Manager, Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). Controlled areas include patient rooms, corridor lobbies, operation theatres, helicopter landing areas and outdoor lighting. There is also lighting art in the main entrance lobby where there is DALI controlled colour lighting. The hospital is installed with the latest Helvar Insights, which automatically monitors the system’s status 24/7 and notifies maintenance engineers of any faults that require attention. “Nova Hospital is one of the most advanced and newest

Read More »

Seddon celebrates 125th anniversary with £1million fundraising pledge

Seddon – the UK’s largest privately owned and family managed national contracting business is marking its 125th anniversary with a series of events and pledges that will celebrate this most incredible milestone, bring people back together and raise over £1million for charity. The fifth generation, family-owned business, headquartered in Bolton, has asked colleagues, customers and its supply chain to come up with their own personal pledges that pay homage to the notable number, whilst raising money for The Christie Charity. So far, these include a challenging 125mile walk, a 125-hole round of golf and a 125km swim.  As well as celebrating a century and a quarter in business – only three out of every 100 family businesses make it through to the fourth generation and beyond – Seddon hopes that its endeavours will help it fundraise £1million for The Christie Charity, as well as raising money for other worthy causes that are close to participants’ hearts. Founded in 1897 by George and John Seddon, what started out as a Salford-based bricklaying business, today employs over 650 people and has an annual turnover of £200million. Nicola Hodkinson, Seddon family member and company director, said: “125 years in business is a huge deal, so we’re going all out to mark the occasion with the gusto it deserves whilst raising as much money as we can for a charity that’s so close to our hearts. “It’s timely that our anniversary falls as we’re starting to reconnect post-pandemic, so we hope those who take part will see it as a perfect opportunity to get back together with colleagues and friends, in support of each other’s efforts. “Commercially, the milestone has also prompted us to really focus on our future, to ensure that we’ll still be building homes, schools, healthcare facilities and commercial premises in another 125 years. “Our children have now entered the business and are cutting their teeth. Along with my brothers Jamie and Jonathan, I’m mentoring them on how to be business owners. They’re also moving around the business to gain experience of it and the industry as a whole. “In the words of my father Christopher, it’s our job to make the next generation the best owners they can be. And that’s exactly what we’re doing, for the longevity of the Seddon name.” Roger Spencer, CEO of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’ve worked with Seddon for over 25 years, and, during that time, they’ve raised a phenomenal £875,000 for The Christie Charity. “It’s really exciting to be part of its latest year-long fundraising campaign, which we’re all hoping will see Seddon surpass the £1million mark. The pledges we’ve heard of so far are fantastic and are sure to raise lots more money. The generous donation of £250 from every Seddon Homes house sold to The Christie at Macclesfield, which opened in December, is also predicted to add an incredible £175,000 to the current total during 2022. “It’s certainly set to be a very special year and we congratulate Seddon on what is an absolutely fabulous achievement.”

Read More »

Renovation Nation: UK Homeowners Spend £21 Billion On Renovations in 2021

Three-quarters (77%) of UK homeowners have invested in their property this year Over half (51%) of UK homeowners said COVID-19 has played a role their decision to invest in their property One in five UK homeowners have spent the majority of their home improvement money on their garden The annual Renovation Nation Report by the consumer spending experts at money.co.uk has found the average UK homeowner has spent £1,473 on home renovations, furnishing and DIY projects this year. What part of the home have UK homeowners spent the most money on? After almost a year of being confined to our homes, it’s perhaps unsurprising that one in five (20%) of UK homeowners have spent the majority of their home improvement money on their garden. Area of the home UK homeowners have spent the most money on Percentage Garden 20% Living room 17% Bedroom 14% Kitchen 14% Bathroom 9% Dining Room 3% Study/office 3% Roof 3% Conservatory 2% Garage/garage conversion 2% Loft/attic 2% Balcony 1% Basement 1% Annexe 1% Our love of gardening has blossomed during and following the pandemic. When asked what home projects they’d invest in if money were no object, a third (32%) of respondents said a garden summer house or work studio and almost a fifth (18%) said a greenhouse or vegetable patch. This green-fingered trend could be seen across the age groups, with the exception of Gen Z who claimed their kitchen was the room they’d spent the most on in 2021, and a home gym would be the top priority if money were no object. Which area of the home would Brits invest in if money were no object? If money was no object, which home projects would you consider investing in, as a direct result of the pandemic, if any?  Area of the home Percentage of respondents Garden summer house/work studio 31.62% Greenhouse/vegetable patch 17.86% Indoor gym 17.21% Leisure room 15.76% Office 12.52% Outdoor/indoor pub or bar 12.07% More walls/rooms for more privacy 8.28% Other, please specify 8.18% Bike storage 7.28% Classroom 3.39% Top home furnishing purchases in 2021 Furniture / Home Accessory Percentage of respondents Lamps/Lighting 41% Cushions 40% Curtains/Blinds 39% Mattress 30% Artwork 29% Sofa/Armchair 28% Bookcases/shelving 28% Bed 28% Vases 27% Clocks 26% Storage cabinet 26% Office chair 24% Top 5 retailers to purchase furniture in 2021 Retailer Percentage of respondents Ikea 27.03% Dunelm 27.03% Next 17.13% The Range 17.13% John Lewis 16.47% How have UK homeowners funded their renovation projects? The majority of UK homeowners have used some form of savings as a way of funding their home improvements, with 20% using money originally intended for holidays. Seven percent of UK homeowners have used funds originally intended to purchase a car, and 5% using cash originally intended for an engagement ring. Why are UK homeowners investing in their properties? While over half of UK homeowners may have cited the pandemic playing a significant role in their decision to dabble with DIY, money.co.uk were also interested in finding out the reason why so many of us are spending time and money on our homes in 2021. Over a quarter (27%) of those asked said that spending less money on going out had given them more money to spend on their homes and over a fifth (22%) cited wanting to increase the value of their home. Salman Haqqi, personal finance expert at money.co.uk comments on the study: “DIY and home renovations was a trend that boomed during the pandemic – a way for many of us to pass the time and spruce up the space we were living in when we were confined to our homes.  “Although restrictions have eased and normal life has almost fully resumed, our research shows that many UK homeowners are still continuing to renovate and invest in their properties. We found that despite a relatively rainy summer, gardens have taken the top spot on many people’s DIY to-do list – which is potentially a long-term knock-on effect of the months in lockdown. “While some renovations like a fresh coat of paint can be relatively cheap, some larger home makeover projects can cost several thousands of pounds. One potential way to finance your home renovation project is by securing a loan. However, it’s important to consider if you can afford the loan, how you intend to repay it and the implications on your credit score if you can’t keep up the repayments.”

Read More »
Construction Underway at Luxury Development in Wedmore

Construction Underway at Luxury Development in Wedmore

House building has officially started on the new £3m over 55s development of a small collection of luxury new homes in central Wedmore at Holdenhurst, just off Cheddar Road. The new 1.8-acre Wedmore development, which is named Holden Gardens, will feature a mix of 10 detached, 2- and 3-bedroom homes which are located around a landscaped communal garden and summerhouse. Halsall Construction, the established South West construction firm, are now on site building the homes to Blue Cedar Homes’ high-quality specification and finish. “Today marks a real milestone in the delivery of our vision for these homes at Wedmore – the creation of an outstanding community which people will want to make their home. The guys on site have made a tremendous start and you can already see the quality of what will soon stand here. We are looking forward to seeing the foundations being laid and then the completion of the first home,” said Paul Lacy, Operations Manager at Halsall. Designed to cater for an active retirement, the new homes will benefit from a local Estate Manager, who will maintain the communal garden, private gardens, boundaries, and property exteriors. The energy efficient, freehold detached homes will predominantly be two/three-bedroomed with adaptable interiors to meet changing future needs and enable longer independent living. They will also feature a garage, additional parking space and private garden. At the end of December, Paul Lacy, Operations Manager at Halsall was joined on site with David Millar, Senior Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager at Blue Cedar Homes and Chris Fayers, Director of Sales and Marketing at Blue Cedar Homes to officially break ground and celebrate having the site work commence. Chris Fayers, Sales and Marketing Director at Blue Cedar Homes, said: “We are delighted to have started work on Holden Gardens. Our lead contractor, Halsall, was appointed following negotiation and it’s exciting to see them bringing our vision for these ten bespoke homes out of the ground.” Chris continued: “Wedmore is a very charming village, with a vibrant community life and excellent travel connections, typical of the locations our customers love to call home. “The new properties at Holden Gardens have been carefully designed to reflect and respect their setting and we are already receiving significant levels of interest from those considering a move to an ‘age-appropriate’ property, but also from those helping relatives to plan for later life.” Blue Cedar Homes was established in 2008 and has completed 24 age-exclusive developments.

Read More »
Hobs Repro Partnership to Help Clients Offset Their Carbon Footprint

Hobs Repro Partnership to Help Clients Offset Their Carbon Footprint

Nowadays, architects, property developers and construction companies are embracing more environmentally conscious workflows in an effort to be more mindful of their environmental impact. The Hobs Group have also made some important decisions which highlights their own green credentials. As part of Hobs commitment to the environment they proudly boast an ISO 14001 accreditation (Environmental Management Systems), as well as the ability to internally produce and deliver a complete FSC accredited project. Furthermore, Hobs’ recent partnership with PrintReleaf is their next big commitment to reducing their environmental impact. “The environmental impact that any business makes should be taken very seriously, and this is such an exciting partnership and an opportunity which every client of Hobs can feel equally as proud of. The work that we print on our clients’ behalf is being of proactive help to the future of our planet,” noted Craig Horwood, Managing Director of Hobs. PrintReleaf is the first automated platform that converts paper consumption into planting actual trees in aid of global reforestation. Based on a theme of “you print one, we’ll plant one,” PrintReleaf leverages Hobs’ paper usage and equates the number of trees needed to reforest that usage on an equivalent basis, in geographic areas of need. To date they have helped to plant over 1,400 trees in Mexico, Madagascar and Ireland. Hobs’ clients can also get involved in this partnership by creating their own personalised company dashboard, and help to collectively plant even more trees. “Now more than ever customers are seeking new and innovative ways to be more mindful and sustainable in their operations and purchasing decisions – including printing. PrintReleaf is proud to partner with the Hobs Group to ensure their delivery of print management and commercial print for all of their customers is certifiably reforested and, as a result, lightening the impact on the environment now and for future generations,” added Jordan Darragh, CEO of PrintReleaf.

Read More »

5 Things To Consider When Choosing A Commercial Overhead Door

Commercial overhead doors are essential across different industries and are used by retail stores, garages, and warehouses. But despite their importance, most business owners downplay their significance and instead only concentrate on other matters such as inventory, buying equipment, and creating a suitable interior décor. However, it would help if you never did this, or else you risk compromising certain aspects of your business, such as security, convenience, and workflow.   For that reason, identifying the perfect commercial overhead door takes time, extensive research, and patience. This makes this process a lot more exhausting for you, as the business owner, due to the many factors you need to consider. To help ease this process, find more here on the vital things that’ll help you pick out a suitable commercial overhead door.   1. Usage  It would be best to start by first understanding your business needs to know which commercial overhead door to buy. This means examining your company’s traffic to identify the best commercial overhead door depending on your needs. For instance, if you run a warehouse or body shop, you’ll only need to open the door several times during the day. A heavy-duty commercial overhead door is an excellent pick in such a case.  In contrast, you should get a lighter commercial overhead door ideally made from aluminum if it’s to be placed in a high-traffic area such as the security gate. With this in mind, it’s always best to examine the commercial overhead door’s operational frequency to determine which model best suits your business needs.   2. Security Features   The last thing you want a business owner is a fragile door, as this compromises the safety of your company’s equipment and inventory. After all, losing such inventory and equipment can result in a significant financial loss for your business, and recovering from such a setback can be a challenge. This is why you need to invest in a commercial overhead door with a robust build quality to be able to capably withstand any attempts by burglars to break into your business. Moreover, this is crucial because this door will be exposed to your company’s outside.   Besides robust build quality, the commercial overhead door should also incorporate other safety features to enhance security further, and this includes;  Automatic deadlocks  Inclusion of outdoor and indoor locks  Coded keypads  Preprogrammed mechanisms  With all these security features, you’ll enjoy peace of mind knowing that your commercial overhead door can capably withstand any breaking in attempts.   3. Materials  Another thing you must consider is the choice of material for your commercial overhead door. After all, you want your entry to be robust and resilient enough to withstand daily usage, as well as guarantee the safety of your valuables inside. The choice of material also impacts your company’s exterior aesthetics, with the most common picks being aluminum, steel, and vinyl.  If you want a commercial overhead door that’ll last for an extended period, steel and aluminum are the perfect picks. This is because steel’s robust nature makes it resistant to dents and corrosion. You can also customize it depending on your unique preferences. In contrast, aluminum is equally resistant to corrosion but is softer than steel, thus dents easily but lightweight making it easy to open and close.      4. Insulation  You want all your employees and customers to feel comfortable during the day while inside your business premises. This is why you should invest in an insulated commercial overhead door that boosts the energy efficiency inside the building. As a result, you’ll manage to keep winter cold and summer heat, thus creating a more energy-efficient environment.   When shopping for an insulated overhead door, it’s best to choose one with a higher R-value rating. In the long run, this will help you lower your energy consumption, hence cutting down your business expenses. An insulated overhead door will also help protect your business premises from extreme weather elements such as snow, ice, wind, and rain.  5. Fire Safety  Many business facilities have possible fire hazards due to open flames or chemicals, materials, or commercial infrastructure that can quickly catch fire. Because of this, it’s best to take preventive fire safety measures to guarantee everyone’s safety in the event fire breaks out in the business facility. One such preventive measure is installing a fire-resistant commercial overhead door to enhance fire safety.  Takeaway  A highly functional commercial overhead door is crucial in promoting operational flow, ensuring productivity, and safeguarding all your company’s assets. But identifying the right commercial overhead door for your needs due to the many options makes it challenging to determine which one best satisfies your business needs. This shouldn’t be an issue anymore after this guide has detailed insights on the things to look for to help you pick the best commercial overhead door. 

Read More »

Choosing Between the Architecture and Construction Professions

There are millions of different jobs from which you can choose and thousands of industries or niches. Some people seem to know from a very young age what they want to do when they grow up. Others get to adulthood and still have no clue what they want to do for money. If you are close to the time when you have to choose a career, you’ll need to think about whether you have an aptitude or skill set that qualifies you for a particular profession. You must also consider whether you’re able or willing to go to school to get a degree from an accredited university. You need a college degree, at a minimum, if you want an entry-level position in certain industries. Today, we’ll talk about two industries, architecture and construction. They’re related in some ways, but there are also distinct differences between them. Consider Safety Safety is one of the first things you’ll probably want to consider if you’re looking into either construction or architecture as possible career fields. There’s no denying that, on the whole, architecture is safer than construction work. OSHA says that in 2019, 5,333 on-the-job deaths occurred. It probably will not surprise you all that much to hear that construction workers made up one out of every five of these deaths.   If you think about what you do on a construction site, it makes sense that injuries and deaths should result at a much higher rate than lots of other professions. If you’re working construction, you might be up on the high steel if you’re erecting a building. If you’re not careful, you can fall. You might have to work with open flames on construction sites if you’re welding something. You can burn yourself. You might hit someone when you’re driving a construction vehicle if you did not receive the proper training. Crushing injuries can occur if a vehicle smashes someone between it and a building or another hard object. If you get into construction, you need to have your head on a swivel at all times to watch for danger. If you work as an architect, you’re probably spending most of your time drawing up plans in an office environment. You might have to visit a job site occasionally to check on a building’s progress, but that’s about it. Additional Schooling Most individuals who get into construction do so without going to college. Some of them might go to a trade school instead, though some get into the profession without even doing that. That might appeal to you if you never liked school very much. You can often start construction jobs right after high school, though going to a trade school will look better on an application. At least that way, you can point to formal training you received that should better prepare you for construction-related tasks. Architects need to go to school to study architecture. That includes theory as well as modern industry practices. If you have the money to do this, architecture becomes a viable option. If you don’t have the money to pay for it yourself, and you don’t have relatives who might help you, you will probably have to look into student loans. The Money It is also true that, on average, if you go to school and study architecture, you can make more money than if you get into construction. There are always exceptions to that rule. You can get a Master’s degree in a construction-related field. For instance, you might become an engineer and work overseeing a construction company or crew. Most architects, though, make more money than someone in construction who’s low on a company’s totem pole. An architect can easily make six figures or more, especially if they rise quickly within the industry and become a respected name. Architects are superstars if they get plum jobs like designing football stadiums, opera halls, museums, hospitals, and so forth. You command respect as an architect because most people feel that it’s a white-collar job. Construction is a blue-collar job. Fair or not, people might look at you differently if you say you work in construction or if you say you’re an architect. It’s a Different Lifestyle Ultimately, if you want to choose between these two professions, you should look at how much money you can spend on your education or how much you’ll likely make while on the job. You might choose between them based on how you think people will perceive you. All of that matters, but you should also think about how you like to spend your days. A working architect sometimes works long hours, but they do so from an office. If you work construction, it’s a hands-on industry, with you driving vehicles around a construction site, putting your sweat and muscle into hauling materials around, etc. These two professions seem like they would attract two different types of people. If you really enjoy working with your hands and seeing a building come up because you helped to do it, construction might seem like the best profession for you. Also, construction work seems like a legacy job in a lot of instances. If you have family members who work construction, you might feel like you want to get into it for that reason. Architects also help erect buildings, but they do it in an entirely different way. They might envision how something will look: a shopping mall, a restaurant, or a medical facility. They can figure out where windows and doors should go, how to add ramps for disabled individuals, or a dining hall or classroom’s location. They will never physically help erect any of it, though. That’s the fundamental difference between the two industries. They connect with each other, but they often seem to attract different personality types. One is no better than the other. The average architect and construction worker simply want to spend their time doing different things, even if their goals essentially coincide. 

Read More »

5 Common Types of Construction Waste

Waste production is inevitable in any construction site. In the United Kingdom, contractors are legally required to dispose and manage their wastes properly to help the government minimise and reduce its environmental impact. It is also the best way to maintain the standard in landfills if businesses learn to reduce, reuse, recycle, and ‘not waste’ the wastes altogether. Construction, excavation, and demolition sites produce different types of wastes, covered with regulations to be disposed of and managed properly. If you are in this business, you have to develop an effective management protocol to limit how much you send to landfills while keeping track of your costs. Check out mini skip hire costs to find the most practical partner in proper waste disposal and management that can help you maximise your budget. To get you started, here are some of the everyday waste types produced in construction sites and what you can do with them: 1. Pile of rubble and concrete Since most construction projects may involve demolition of some form, rubbles are part of the wastes they create at different stages. Therefore, before you easily decide at taking them into the landfills, you may want to explore working with concrete producers who have recycling procedures to repurpose such materials. Some would even offer to pick up your rubbles and unload them into their location free of charge. 2. Wood materials Depending on their state, there are various ways you can reuse and recycle wood materials from your construction projects. If they are in good condition, leftover wood may be used for other projects. In the case of used wood, they may be generated into shavings for use as a filler. Of course, high-grade wood has the best value when you resell them, but low-grade wood may still be profitable if you sell them to pallet producers and the like. 3. Plastic waste Plastic is another waste material that construction sites may produce in huge amounts. Good thing you may recycle them through companies that melt and reproduce them into different materials. However, if you cannot reuse your plastic waste for your future projects, sending them to recycling companies is your best resort. 4. Glass Like what you can do with plastic, you may turn over glass wastes to recycling companies, where they may be melted and formed into another material. Or they may be crushed and aggregated to be used in producing fibreglass. Glass wastes are often picked from old windows or from trimmings where the material is used. 5. Hazardous materials Asbestos, foams, fibreglass, and insulation materials may contain hazardous chemicals and should be disposed of according to the existing regulations. The most convenient way is to hire skips that will safely remove the materials from your construction site. Otherwise, exposure to the chemicals may endanger your workers’ health as they could easily contract lung disease. One of the best ways to develop an effective waste management plan is to understand what type of waste you are dealing with. Various wastes have different recommended methods of disposal. You have to learn them to know what to do.

Read More »