A team of engineers from Cardiff University are looking into microscopic bacteria that could help create ‘self-healing’ buildings, offering the perfect protection against cracks and other deterioration. The two-year study has been exploring how damage could trigger the release of bacteria and a few other helping chemicals that will allow
As the Irish Government sets out its strategy for Building Information Modelling (BIM) to be used in the design, construction and operation of all public building projects, BIM software developer Graphisoft is boosting its presence in the country with the announcement of a new channel partnership. Graphisoft has signed a
Building and civil engineering business, Britcon, has appointed Heath Williamson as Regional Manager at its base in Wakefield. The appointment follows strong performance from the Yorkshire team which has doubled in size to 12 members in the last 12 months. Heath, who is a Chartered Construction Manager, brings particular expertise
As we welcome this year’s International Women’s Day, graduate Surveyor Charlotte Williams would like to urge schools to do more to make young women aware of the existence of surveying as a career path. “The only careers advice I was given at school was to be a plumber,” said Charlotte,
AEI Cables has committed to a further prestige standard as it continues to fight against non-approved cables, proving its commitment to quality and service delivery across its markets. The cable leader is demonstrating its dedication in all aspects of the ISO 9001-2015 standard for management systems, which addresses customer focus,
Sean Langton has been announced as director at Manchester’s Building Services Design (BSD). His presence in the North West’s engineering and construction industry has spanned almost 35 years, with experience delivering hundreds of national and international projects. “I studied building services engineering at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) but
A new research led by the team at MyJobQuote.co.uk has found that British homeowners believe their houses require repairs to the average cost of more than £24,000. 2,581 British homeowners took part in the poll, all of whom were 18 or over and owned a property which they lived in
Cemex UK has set up a volumetric concrete and screed service in Dorset to serve smaller building projects. Above: The Valuemix operation in Poole It is the second outlet for Cemex’s Valuemix operation; its first was set up in Altrincham in 2014 to serve the Manchester region. Two volumetric vehicles
While Cabinet Office minister Ben Gummer proclaims the benefits of the government’s action on flooding, his father gave him a ‘must try harder’ report. Above: Lord Deben Ben Gummer, the paymaster general, insists that the government’s National Flood Resilience Review was “an important step in the fight against flooding as
22 July 2016 | Martin Read A group assessing the financial return of potential sustainability measures in the NHS has reported that combined heat and power (CHP) is most likely to provide the greatest return on investment. The Securing Healthy Returns report, published this week by the Sustainable Development Unit
A team of engineers from Cardiff University are looking into microscopic bacteria that could help create ‘self-healing’ buildings, offering the perfect protection against cracks and other deterioration. The two-year study has been exploring how damage could trigger the release of bacteria and a few other helping chemicals that will allow buildings to repair themselves freely. When mixed with precursor chemicals, these microorganisms can produce mineral deposits such as calcium carbonate, which is a key component in rocks and other masonry materials. The study’s principal investigator, Dr Mike Harbottle, said bacteria could be “entombed” within spores of the mineral, alongside the precursor chemical. “When damage occurs to the masonry, the deposits within the mineral are also damaged, exposing both the bacteria and the chemicals, which react with each other again to produce even more mineral, thus healing the damage.” Buildings are constantly damaged by weathering. “These could be physical, chemical or biological changes which can all slowly attack the masonry structure,” said research fellow Magdalini Theodoridou. “Over time, usually many years, this damage builds up until fractures arise. Whilst these may not compromise the integrity of a structure immediately, if allowed to develop then damage may become critical.” During the study, the team will be developing ways of introducing the substances into the masonry either during the material production or after the buildings have gone up. A possible solution is thought to be the spraying of the building with a liquid containing the bacteria and other chemicals. The research is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship scheme.
As the Irish Government sets out its strategy for Building Information Modelling (BIM) to be used in the design, construction and operation of all public building projects, BIM software developer Graphisoft is boosting its presence in the country with the announcement of a new channel partnership. Graphisoft has signed a new reseller agreement with Irish software licensing specialist AxonWare, to meet increased demand for BIM software in the Irish design and construction industry. Dan McGovern, managing director of AxonWare said that they are expanding their portfolio and adding much-needed BIM capability to their product range. “With the addition of Graphisoft’s intuitive BIM software, ARCHICAD, we will be able to offer better service and more choice for architects, architectural technicians and BIM managers in Ireland,” McGovern said. “Given the Government’s announcement of new BIM requirements for public buildings and infrastructure projects in Ireland, we are now ideally placed to help our customers deliver projects that meet the new standards,” he added. Adrian Girling, managing director of Graphisoft UK, said: “The Irish construction market continues to post positive results and Graphisoft is increasing its investments and activities in the local market. “Ireland is a key element to our UK and Ireland business and we are committed to mirroring our success in the UK and expanding our customer base in Ireland.” On 21 November 2017, the Irish Government announced that as part of its digital technology strategy, BIM will be required for the design, construction and operation of all public buildings and infrastructure on a phased basis over the next four years. http://www.graphisoft.com
Building and civil engineering business, Britcon, has appointed Heath Williamson as Regional Manager at its base in Wakefield. The appointment follows strong performance from the Yorkshire team which has doubled in size to 12 members in the last 12 months. Heath, who is a Chartered Construction Manager, brings particular expertise in heavy engineering with over 27 years’ experience working in senior management roles for a number of leading regional and national building and civil engineering operators. He was most recently responsible for overseeing pre-construction activities for a £65 million biomass import terminal for Lynemouth Power Limited, at the Port of Tyne. The appointment reflects continuous growth in Yorkshire for Britcon with major client instructions from York University, BASF, Eddie Stobart, Cepac and Vickers Oils. It is also on the contractors’ framework for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust with a project underway. Paul Clarkson, Managing Director at Britcon said, “We are delighted to bring Heath on board to lead the team at Wakefield. A substantial amount of our business is now managed from this office and Heath has the depth of expertise in procurement and management to lead our growth strategy. Established for more than 26 years, Britcon is £50 million turnover business headquartered in Scunthorpe and directly employs over 100 people on its project sites across the UK. Key contracts secured in the last 12 month includes a £13.5 million contract to deliver a new anaerobic digestion (AD) plant in Dagenham for food waste recycler ReFood (UK) Ltd, a series of new developments, extensions and refurbishment projects valued over £10 million for Lidl, and contracts worth over £4 million for global chemicals business Kemira. Britcon is listed by the London Stock Exchange in its report of ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Europe’.
As we welcome this year’s International Women’s Day, graduate Surveyor Charlotte Williams would like to urge schools to do more to make young women aware of the existence of surveying as a career path. “The only careers advice I was given at school was to be a plumber,” said Charlotte, who is completing her training at national property consultancy Bruton Knowles in Guildford. “I’d like to see more schools inviting surveyors to careers sessions. Engaging with young people, especially girls, during their A-Level years would help them make informed decisions about their future. We also need to be more vocal about the profession ourselves as it isn’t well understood by those outside of the industry.” Surveyors Irene Martin and Evelyn Perry became pioneers of their profession in the 1920s when women were first permitted to qualify as surveyors. Currently, 26% of women enrol as trainee surveyors and make up 14% of the membership of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. “People would be surprised just how often a surveyor is involved in things they engage with in everyday life,” added Charlotte. “Surveying is a wide-ranging profession covering a large number of different areas from land and property to national infrastructure projects. Housing and assets always need to be valued, business parks don’t manage themselves, pipelines and roads need to be built.” Charlotte is a University of York Environmental Sciences alumnus who has worked over the past 18 months with key clients such as Surrey Police, Morrison Utility Services, Southern Water, Network Rail, Kent County Council and private management clients. Her goal is to qualify as a commercial surveyor this autumn and move further into Compulsory Purchase Order surveying, access and rights work and rural valuations. If you are interested in finding out more about what a career in surveying involves, please visit this website: https://www.rics.org/uk/.
AEI Cables has committed to a further prestige standard as it continues to fight against non-approved cables, proving its commitment to quality and service delivery across its markets. The cable leader is demonstrating its dedication in all aspects of the ISO 9001-2015 standard for management systems, which addresses customer focus, motivation of senior management, processes and continual improvement awarded by the cable industry body, the British Approvals Service Cables (BASEC). This accreditation is complemented further by AEI Cables’ approvals from organisations such as Lloyds, the MoD, Network Rail and LUL, as well as American and Canadian approval systems and others worldwide. The management system ISO 9001-2015 scheme assesses a company’s ability to produce and supply goods and services constantly to specification and customer requirements in a safe manner and taking into consideration the environmental needs. “AEI Cables stands for quality across all of its business dealings and this is another sign of our commitment to it. We have a proven track record but we will not rest on our laurels,” said Stuart Dover, commercial manager for AEI Cables. “With the rising issue of non-approved cabling, we bring reassurance and peace of when it comes to product performance, and we look forward to supporting our customers in the UK and worldwide.” The markets that AEI Cables operates in include construction, industrial, fire protection, defence, mining, and rail. All of the company’s products for these markets are supplied with approvals from independent industry bodies such as BASEC and LPCB covering design, manufacture and supply. AEI Cables is one of the most respected cable experts worldwide, being committed to quality, safety and service with no compromise. The company has been in use for more than 170 years and it has delivered cables for prestige projects such as Manchester Airport, the White City complex, and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
Sean Langton has been announced as director at Manchester’s Building Services Design (BSD). His presence in the North West’s engineering and construction industry has spanned almost 35 years, with experience delivering hundreds of national and international projects. “I studied building services engineering at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) but my first introduction to engineering was when I was 17-years-old and managed to secure my first job with DSSR,” said Sean. Sean moved across departments and DSSR’s joint ventures, working his way up the ranks to become an associate before joining BSD in 2013. He has been an associate director at BSD for five years and is delighted to have been promoted, following a long and varied career in the industry to become the Manchester office’s new director. “I’ve worked on all manner of projects – if you think of a building, it’s likely I’ve worked on it; or at least something similar. My work has taken me to the Sudan and Iraq completing schemes varying in size and value,” said Sean. “My varied experience – which has seen me work on completing atomic weapons research facilities, police HQs, higher education and commercial facilities, care homes and laboratories – has meant that I’ve had a really solid grounding in the industry and can tackle almost anything that’s thrown at me.” Sean will continue his work at BSD and build upon the relationships the company had been forming over the years with its clients and drive the company’s growth further. “Sean’s commitment, drive and hard work have been recognised by many across the business during his time at BSD. He’s an expert in his field, has pushed the Manchester office to become a leader in its field and continues to develop lasting relationships with key clients which are crucial to the survival of our business,” commented on Sean’s new position David White, managing director at BSD.
A new research led by the team at MyJobQuote.co.uk has found that British homeowners believe their houses require repairs to the average cost of more than £24,000. 2,581 British homeowners took part in the poll, all of whom were 18 or over and owned a property which they lived in for a minimum of 5 years and shared with at least one child. The respondents were asked to identify from a list the repair jobs their homes currently required, revealing that 48% of them had ‘dodgy plus sockets’, 43% had ‘frozen or leaky taps’ and 31% said they had ‘broken windows’. However, the most shocking finding was that 51% of them admitted that there were ‘potentially dangerous risks’ in their home, with ‘faulty electrics’ at 24% and ‘outdated plumbing system’ at 16% being the most common worries. Only 11% of respondents stated that they had ‘no repair requirements at all’ in their homes. All respondents who stated that their house needed repairs were asked what stopped them from fixing the issues in their home and 74% of them admitted that they ‘simply can’t afford to fix their home’. 39% stated that they ‘kept forgetting’ to get it sorted out, and 18% said that they were ‘waiting for someone else in the household to fix it’. When asked how much they believed they would have to spend to get their house in full working condition the average answer was £24,200. “This is a really serious matter. Our houses are a huge cost to us, but it seems many of us forget that the expenses don’t end after that month’s mortgage payment. Maintaining a home is a big responsibility and commitment, and one which it seems the majority of us just cannot afford. It can be very difficult to make ends meet when raising a family, but keeping a safe roof over your head has to be treated as a priority. Faulty wiring and dodgy plumbing can be life threatening, so it’s essential that British homes are maintained to a safe standard,” said Lisa Evans from MyJobQuote.co.uk.
Cemex UK has set up a volumetric concrete and screed service in Dorset to serve smaller building projects. Above: The Valuemix operation in Poole It is the second outlet for Cemex’s Valuemix operation; its first was set up in Altrincham in 2014 to serve the Manchester region. Two volumetric vehicles have now been put into operation based at Cemex’s Poole readymix site. Business manager Rob Zsigo said: “This new business in Poole is a development in the customer offering by Cemex. As one of the country’s leading building materials supplier we will now be able to offer local small to medium businesses and individuals, the same quality and innovative products that we supply to large contractors building major constructions such as 20 Fenchurch Street and Crossrail in London.” As in Altrincham, Cemex’s volumetric vehicle meet the higher safety standards of a HGV, it says, even though – due to a historic quirk of law that has yet to be addressed – volumetric vehicles are only required to meet the much lower engineering plant standards, like mobile cranes. The results of a Department of Transport review of the relevant legislation are long overdue. Consultation on its proposals closed in March 2015 and the results were published in August 2015, but since then, nothing. A volumetric mixer is an HGV that carries the individual materials in separate bins required to make concrete such as cement and sand and mixes them at the customer’s site. Cemex says that there has been a growing trend in the market to supply materials via volumetric vehicles, with an estimated two million cubic metres of concrete delivered annually to customers. A report published last year by Regeneris Consulting found that the volumetric sector was worth £210m a year to the UK economy, Cemex’s Valuemix division provides small to medium construction businesses, local builders and individuals with quality assured concrete and screed from as little as half a cubic metre, for a small path, paving and foundation type projects, up to loads of eight cubic metres for larger building projects. All loads have the QSRMC (quality scheme for readymix concrete) assurance. This article was published on 5 Aug 2016 (last updated on 5 Aug 2016). Source link
While Cabinet Office minister Ben Gummer proclaims the benefits of the government’s action on flooding, his father gave him a ‘must try harder’ report. Above: Lord Deben Ben Gummer, the paymaster general, insists that the government’s National Flood Resilience Review was “an important step in the fight against flooding as these new measures will help to protect communities from the perils of extreme weather”. But his father John Gummer, who was John Major’s environment secretary and as Lord Deben is now chairman of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), said the review “falls short”. Lord Deben’s committee set out in detail the failings of the National Flood Resilience Review, saying that it was too short-term in its outlook and failed to provide a comprehensive, long-term strategy to address the risk of flooding. The review also ignores the risks posed by flooding from heavy rainfall overwhelming sewers. The report lacks specific detail in terms of what will be done by when and does not explain how the £700m extra for flood risk management in the 2016 Budget will be spent. Lord Deben said: “We welcome the publication of the National Flood Resilience Review, but it falls short of what the CCC has been calling for. As well as implementing short-term measures, such as better protecting key sites before flooding hits, we need a new and comprehensive, long-term strategy to address flood risk in this country. As the review acknowledges, there is also poor understanding about the chance of flooding among the UK public, and a significant number of key infrastructure sites remain vulnerable. Further flood events on the scale seen last winter can be expected, and the situation is set to get worse with climate change. There is still much work to do to protect our homes and communities from the risks that flooding poses, now and in the future.” This article was published on 8 Sep 2016 (last updated on 8 Sep 2016). Source link
22 July 2016 | Martin Read A group assessing the financial return of potential sustainability measures in the NHS has reported that combined heat and power (CHP) is most likely to provide the greatest return on investment. The Securing Healthy Returns report, published this week by the Sustainable Development Unit (SDU) for NHS England and Public Health England, includes analysis of 35 sustainability measures that it says could achieve a total £400 million of cost savings, and reduce carbon emissions across the NHS by a million tonnes a year, by 2020. Of 18 energy-saving measures covered in the report, CHP provides the highest annual potential cost savings (£26.4m), followed by staff energy awareness and behaviour change (£21.5m), high-efficiency lighting (£7.2m), and reducing temperature set points by 1 degree Celsius (£6.2m). According to the SDU, use of CHP in the NHS has the potential to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 3,750 tonnes a year – the equivalent of removing 1,250 cars from the road, the carbon dioxide offset of a forest more than three times the size of Sherwood, or the salaries of more than 1,200 newly qualified registered nurses. One early adopter of CHP cited in the report is Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, which has introduced the technology to its Birmingham Heartlands Hospital and Solihull Hospital in partnership with CHP provider ENER-G. The SDU has released an online tool in tandem with the report to assist trusts in implementing sustainability improvements. Source link