A new urban sky park created on a disused railway viaduct in Manchester has been unveiled and will open to public visitors from Saturday, July 30. Castlefield Viaduct, a giant 330 metres long steel structure, has been transformed over the past five months into an elevated park with trees, plants
Story Plant is a specialist plant hirer to the UK rail industry which operates a diverse fleet of road rail vehicles fitted with SITECH® Trimble Technology to ensure quality, safety, and delivery in a sector where timescales are tight, and delays are costly. Based in Carlisle, Cumbria, Story Plant have a historic relationship of using SITECH machine
GMG Energy of Halladale in Sutherland has won the Best Natural Capital project category, sponsored by Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm, at the Scottish Highland Renewable Energy Conference (SHREC) Awards 2022. GMG Energy is an innovative, environmentally conscious business whose mission is to provide customers in the North with much-needed
A Yorkshire firm of engineers is seeing strong growth in the residential development sector as it continues to expand its operations and secure new work outside the region. RWO, based in Park Square in Leeds, has won undisclosed contracts to supply civil and structural engineering services to support the multi-million-pound
45 million square feet of commercial property is built annually in the UK. Commercial building designers aren’t going out of business any time soon – unless they fail to provide functional and attractive designs. As well as ensuring that their designs are attractive and functional for businesses and commercial customers,
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
A new urban sky park created on a disused railway viaduct in Manchester has been unveiled and will open to public visitors from Saturday, July 30. Castlefield Viaduct, a giant 330 metres long steel structure, has been transformed over the past five months into an elevated park with trees, plants and flowers in a National Trust project overseen by Salford-based MC Construction. Thousands of plants, shrubs and trees have been planted to ‘green’ the historic landmark. The park’s 3,000-plus plants and its design features take their inspiration from Manchester’s heritage, including the county flower, cotton grass and fern species once collected by Manchester suffragist and botanist Lydia Becker. It will be open for 12 months, during which time visitors will be able to explore part of the structure and find out more about the viaduct’s heritage, the city’s long relationship with plants and trees, and learn urban gardening tips. The National Trust hopes to inspire and capture visitor and community opinions to help shape the longer-term future of the Grade II listed structure. Russ Forshaw, Group Operations Director at MC Construction, said: “It has been a great pleasure partnering with National Trust and the key stakeholders involved in the project. “Regenerating the disused Grade II listed Viaduct that has stood above the historic area of Castlefield for over 125 years has been no easy task. I am thrilled with the end result and I am incredibly proud of the team who have worked tirelessly over the past couple of months to bring National Trust’s vision to life.” Unveiling the park today, Hilary McGrady, Director-General of the National Trust, said: “Today is incredibly exciting. The idea of transforming the viaduct has been around for a while, but it was always put in the ‘too hard to achieve’ box and set aside. “For that long-held vision to finally come to life is therefore testament to the strong partnerships we have formed and the hard work of many. “What I love about this space is that it encapsulates so much of what the Trust’s work is about: opening up our shared heritage for everyone to enjoy, creating beautiful spaces and bringing people close to nature. It’s about creating something new for the community, while also protecting an ironic piece of industrial history. “We hope hundreds of people will visit and enjoy spending time in nature among the trees, shrubs and wildlife that is already starting to make this space its home. We’ll also be able to learn from this project and really start to understand more about what and how we can bring more green spaces and wildlife to thousands more people across the country in urban spaces.” Visitors will experience a variety of planting displays as they walk along the viaduct, while enjoying the elevated setting above the historic cobbled streets. The plans for Castlefield Viaduct are part of the National Trust’s Urban Places work to increase access for all to nature, history and beauty in, around and near urban areas. In addition to creating a place where people and nature meet, the new experience will also celebrate the industrial heritage of Castlefield which has been reflected through all elements of the design. The design of the planters gives a subtle nod to the industrial architecture of the 330 metres long viaduct which was built in 1892 by Heenan and Froude, the engineers who worked on Blackpool Tower. The shape of the planters mirrors the curve of the viaduct and their width is the same as the railway tracks that once transported goods across the structure to the Great Northern Warehouse. A section of the viaduct has also been left untouched to provide a sense of how nature has reclaimed the space since the site closed in the late 1960s. Costing £1.8 million, the pilot has been made possible thanks to funding from Postcode Earth Trust supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, as well as public donations which will cover two-thirds of the build costs. One hundred people a day will be able to visit the viaduct from next Saturday. Entry on to the structure will be free, but a booking system will be in place to help manage numbers. As part of the experience, visitors will be able to join guided walks on the viaduct.
Story Plant is a specialist plant hirer to the UK rail industry which operates a diverse fleet of road rail vehicles fitted with SITECH® Trimble Technology to ensure quality, safety, and delivery in a sector where timescales are tight, and delays are costly. Based in Carlisle, Cumbria, Story Plant have a historic relationship of using SITECH machine control systems spanning over 15 years, so when an influx of new operators and a transition from the Trimble GCS900 system across to Trimble Earthworks meant they needed training support they approached the team at SITECH. Story Plant carry out works with multiple clients across the UK, and they are now growing their customer base within the Midlands which has led to an increase in their fleet and number of operators. Mark Bruce, head of technical development at Story Plant, said: “We rely heavily on our machines and the Trimble system to get things right and we currently have six dozer machines configured with the tech. “We found that different clients want to use different configurations of the Trimble system, often our operators would only use one system for a period of time and would then require a refresher when they needed to switch to a different configuration. “Solving that skill fade was important because we need our teams to have confidence in the system they’re using. Working within the rail industry you must get the work done right first time, because timescales are tight and as there’s a closure on the rail network there are severe consequences for delays. “As well as meeting tight timescales, we place significant importance on carrying out our work safely. This involves working in areas with restricted space, such as tunnels and viaducts, so having confidence in the systems they are using allows our teams to focus on safe delivery.” “We’re also in the process of transitioning from the old Trimble GCS900 system across to Trimble Earthworks, so we approached SITECH to see if they could create a series of quick reference videos as refreshers for our operators on things like setting up the system and simple fault fixes, which they can watch on their tablet or mobile phone. “The training videos are just one example of our good relationship with the team at SITECH, as they also supported us earlier this year when we bought a Caterpillar D6K2 dozer, the largest dozer on the UK rail infrastructure. Because of the restricted space it operates in, it has a unique folding blade fitted which the SITECH team analysed to ensure the mast is located in exactly the right position when the Trimble system is in use.” To find out more about the construction technology, software and services SITECH UK & Ireland offers, visit the website https://www.sitechukandireland.com.
GMG Energy of Halladale in Sutherland has won the Best Natural Capital project category, sponsored by Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm, at the Scottish Highland Renewable Energy Conference (SHREC) Awards 2022. GMG Energy is an innovative, environmentally conscious business whose mission is to provide customers in the North with much-needed timber-based products and to do so in a sustainable manner. Its business activities are characterised by an approach to sustainability which enhances the natural capital of the Highlands while at the same time meeting local needs as well as reducing unnecessary road miles. Established in 2016, GMG Energy operates a state-of-the-art sawmill on a farm in the Halladale Strath between Tongue and Thurso, producing kiln-dried logs, chip and sawdust for consumers and wholesalers. It makes door to door deliveries throughout the north Highlands and manufacture timber products for agricultural businesses, builders and consumers. It also supplies bark for garden centres, sawdust for livestock and dried chip for supply to local businesses and councils. The business is committed to replacing every log of timber it uses, planting about 20,000 trees in 2021. As a result, businesses across the North and the Islands can reduce their carbon footprint by sourcing locally. For founder director, Malcolm Morrison, being recognised for his company’s achievements has been a big boost for his team. He said: “It has been an honour to be recognised. We entered with goodwill as we are a fairly new business and we didn’t expect to win. But to have won is such an honour and will help us establish ourselves more as a renewable energy business within the region.” An integral part of GMG Energy’s business is to supply to local people and make sure that they have access to affordable energy. Malcolm and his business want to help tackle issues such as fuel poverty, so for him supplying renewable energy to the local community and helping them as best they can, is what drives his business. “We have such a vast source of renewable energy within the north of Scotland, so to ensure that our local community is benefitting from that and the systems that are set up for them to receive affordable energy is really important to us. “We want to help people and make sure that our business is giving back to the community. “I want to thank Harper MacLeod and Highland News and Media for holding the conference and awards. “It’s such an incredible opportunity for people to come together and look at the solutions to climate change and how we as a region can work together to overcome rising energy prices. I also want to thank the sponsor of the category as, without them, our award would not have been possible.” He continued: “The most important people are the people working in our business as they make it. They give us productivity, their time and, without them, this business would not run. Our team gets my utmost thanks and I am so grateful for each and every one of them.”
A Yorkshire firm of engineers is seeing strong growth in the residential development sector as it continues to expand its operations and secure new work outside the region. RWO, based in Park Square in Leeds, has won undisclosed contracts to supply civil and structural engineering services to support the multi-million-pound development of more than 900 new homes in North Yorkshire and the Midlands. The move will see the firm work on over 450 new-build properties for Avant Homes’ schemes in Bramcote and Awsworth in Nottinghamshire. Engineering services work is also underway on a development of 450 new two, three, four and five bedroomed and affordable properties for Taylor Wimpey at West Lane near Ripon. This work, which includes Section 278 highway engineering works to provide new site access roads, comes as RWO is already involved in a number of other residential schemes across the country. These include the provision of planning services, detailed civil and structural design and support services for Barratt Homes, Gleeson Homes, Vistry Partnerships, Caddick Developments and Countryside Properties to support the development of upwards of 2,000 new homes. Currently employing 30 people and targeting £2.75 million in sales revenue in the next 12 months, RWO continues to recruit additional staff to strengthen its team to meet the strong demand for construction engineering services. Andrew Fairburn, director of RWO’s Leeds office, said the company is expanding beyond the region as more national housebuilders look to use its services and expertise in other locations. He added: “Although we work across all sectors, we are building a strong reputation in the residential and affordable housing sector, winning and delivering projects for leading housebuilders and housing associations. Success is based around our ability to deliver services that add value and provide effective engineering solutions for complex problems. “Despite some tough challenges and economic uncertainties, we are positive about the future and will continue to build on our residential successes to date, adding more senior experience to our team to improve further services to both current and new clients.” Scott Robinson, technical director at Taylor Wimpey, said: “RWO continues to be a key partner for us. Working alongside our in-house team, its engineers ensure projects like West Lane are delivered on time, as we continue to invest and expand to meet the huge demand across the region for high quality new homes.”
45 million square feet of commercial property is built annually in the UK. Commercial building designers aren’t going out of business any time soon – unless they fail to provide functional and attractive designs. As well as ensuring that their designs are attractive and functional for businesses and commercial customers, building designers must also ensure they design building security with functionality and aesthetics. So, which security technologies do building designers need to ensure their buildings are attractive and functional? This guide is designed to help building designers ensure tight security that does not interfere with the look and usability of the building. Keep reading to learn about the top security technologies every building designer needs to know. Integrating Video Security And Access Control Building designs can be complex, making it difficult for security camera installers to find optimal camera placement and ensure no blind spots. Building designers can ensure that the camera system in the building captures the identity of all visitors by installing video security integrated with access control. If you have a camera at your building’s entrance, you can capture high-quality footage of your visitors and ensure there is no way for any user to enter the building without being caught on film. Integrating video security and access control creates the potential for streamlined and user-friendly identity verification. With any access control system, there is always the chance that an unauthorised third party could steal mobile credentials, keycards, or fobs from building occupants and use them to enter the building without triggering an alarm. Identity verification eliminates the possibility of any user entering the building without confirmation that they are who they claim to be. Building security staff will be able to view access logs and video surveillance feed on a single interface in a more user-friendly approach to security. If you did not integrate video security and access control in your building design, then building security staff would have to correlate data from different sources and match timestamps to investigate incidents involving stolen access credentials. You could even consider installing identity verification software to automate the process, creating a system that will never permit users to enter unless AI confirms their identity. Regarding access control and video security, you can choose to integrate two different technologies or merge them into a single device. A video intercom reader offers high-definition video and touchless access control in one unified tool. Since this is a cloud-based solution, building security staff can view security data remotely on a mobile application and receive alerts when a potential security event is detected. Want to know the best thing about a video intercom reader? It has a minimalist design and will seamlessly fit with the rest of your building’s design. The reader is a compact device that will not be an eyesore in your new building. Reducing Security Hardware When designing a building with security in mind, designers decide whether to opt for a cloud-based, on-premise, or hybrid security system. If you choose an on-premise security system, you must be prepared to allocate space for servers. You will also need to design how the security system wires will travel throughout the building layout. On-premise systems are generally the most reliable and provide fewer outages. However, they can be expensive and time-consuming to maintain. On the other hand, you could consider investing in a cloud-based security system. With a cloud-based security system, you do not need to allocate space for server rooms. Nor do you need to plan out how you will wire the system. Cloud-based systems are wireless and do not require hefty servers. Additionally, they facilitate remote operation and the remote observance of security data. Many building designers are choosing to opt for a hybrid approach, as it combines the strengths of each security system. There will be fewer servers and thus less demand for space. Additionally, you can operate a hybrid system remotely and access security data from anywhere. Hybrid systems offer the reliability of an on-premise system while reducing the amount of security hardware necessary to keep the system running. Using Seamless Access Control Systems Building designers aren’t just responsible for improving the visual appeal of the building – they must also ensure that the building is convenient for users and provides clear pathways for evacuation procedures. Building designers should consider the benefits of commercial door entry systems to ensure that building security does not interfere with the daily activities of building users. Modern cloud-based access control systems do not require keycards and fobs. So, building users will not need to replace their fobs if they lose them. Instead, they can simply download access credentials and store them on their mobile devices. When users need to enter the building with their mobile credentials, they can do so without touching anything – or even removing their mobile device from their bag or pocket. They can enter with nothing more than a wave of their hand. So, if the user is carrying shopping bags, boxes, or even hot cups of coffee, they can enter quickly and conveniently. Touchless entry also ensures smoother evacuation procedures. The access reader will have built-in motion sensors. The reader will remotely communicate with the user’s mobile device when the motion sensor is triggered. The reader uses three separate modes of communication (WiFi, cellular, and Bluetooth) to ensure that there is no failure and the user can enter on their first attempt. If users can enter the building so effortlessly and seamlessly, you will be able to ensure your building design isn’t just attractive but entirely functional and user-friendly. Summary Cloud-based technologies are the future of effective building design and security. The technologies listed above can help you to design a future-proof building that supports easy entry and tight security. You can also make the building design and security installation process more practical by eliminating the need for wires. Consider which technologies provide the best solution to your building design difficulties.
