Every year construction sites and buildings undergoing refurbishment work catch fire, which results in workers being injured, destroyed properties, and unexpected costs that some businesses might never recover from. This is why it is important that protective fire measures are put in place to protect a construction site. Implement the right
The ground has been broken on a new £300 million state-of-the-art physics laboratory and shared facilities hub at the University of Cambridge. Bouygues UK was joined by members of the university to celebrate the beginning of construction. “This is a great step in the development of physics research and learning at
New spaces for students, staff and the local community have been opened at the University of Birmingham after the transformation work carried out at an area of parkland. The Green Heart project, located at the historic Edgbaston campus, was delivered by Willmott Dixon. “It has been fantastic to have been part
A new Build to Rent site has been acquired by Legal & General in Chelmsford City Centre. Contracts were exchanged for the site, which was purchased on behalf of the company’s UK Property Fund (‘The Fund’). The Built to Rent site is also known as Chelmer Waterside, forming part of
City of Bristol College students and apprentices aged 16 to 18 will benefit from support from Dickies, as the two announce their partnership. With a focus on employability and personal development, the partnership will help those preparing for a career in a range of vocational and technical trades and profession
A number of multi-million pound contracts has been awarded by Network Rail in Scotland and the North East. Totaling £467 million, the contracts were handed over under two Control Period 6 frameworks. Valued at £320 million, the most significant contract for a renewals and enhancements framework went to BAM Nuttall.
To promote period dignity for female workers in the construction industry, a campaign led by UK construction union Unite has been launched. Unite conducted a survey of its women construction members, which identified a lack of facilities, when women were having their periods, as a major issue for many workers. Unite is asking
Den has announced the launch of a suite of smart products designed to change the way people control and monitor electrical equipment, lighting and power usage in the home. Den’s vision is to use smart home devices to change the way people control and monitor power usage in homes. Its first
Construction work on a major residential scheme in Digbeth, Birmingham is expected to begin this summer, as plans get green light. SevenCapital’s Connaught Scheme will include 70 spacious new apartments, including a 27-storey landmark tower, circa 42,000 sq ft of commercial space, a community gymnasium and boxing academy. “Connaught Square
Morgan Sindall’s annual scholarship programme has welcomed 18 new undergraduates. Developed by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), the Quest programme aims to encourage students studying Civil Engineering to choose a career in the industry. “We’re thrilled to welcome our latest Quest scholars to the business and provide them with a
Every year construction sites and buildings undergoing refurbishment work catch fire, which results in workers being injured, destroyed properties, and unexpected costs that some businesses might never recover from. This is why it is important that protective fire measures are put in place to protect a construction site. Implement the right products A crucial step to prevent a fire from spreading is implementing the correct safety products, with fire extinguishers being one of the most life-saving products that one can have on site. Fire extinguishers should be located at identified fire points around the site and should be appropriate to the nature of the potential fire: Wood, paper and cloth – water extinguisher Flammable liquids – dry powder or foam extinguisher Electrical – carbon dioxide (C02) extinguisher Consider how to detect fires Although a standalone alarm unit may be sufficient for a smaller site, as a construction site grows, there is a higher risk of a fire breaking out. By installing fire detection and wireless alarm systems, one can ensure workers are alerted in the event of such an incident. Carry out thorough staff training It is so important to ensure staff are confident when using any type of fire safety equipment – they need to know what risks to be aware of and what actions to take in the event of a fire. All new employees should also receive fire safety training. Review and update your risk assessment According to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO), a ‘responsible person’ must carry out, and keep up to date, a risk assessment and implement appropriate measures to minimise the risk to life and property from fire. The HSE recommends following these five steps when carrying out the risk assessment: Identify hazards: consider how a fire could start and what could burn Identify those at risk: employees, contractors, visitors and anyone who is vulnerable Evaluation and action: consider the hazards and people identified in 1 and 2 and act to remove and reduce risk to protect people and premises Record, plan and train: keep a record of the risks and action taken. Make a clear plan for fire safety and ensure that people understand what they need to do in the event of such an incident Review: your assessment regularly and check it takes account of any changes on site.
The ground has been broken on a new £300 million state-of-the-art physics laboratory and shared facilities hub at the University of Cambridge. Bouygues UK was joined by members of the university to celebrate the beginning of construction. “This is a great step in the development of physics research and learning at the University of Cambridge. We look forward to moving in to our new facilities and opening our doors to the wider research community and the public to increase understanding and foster discovery,” commented Professor Andy Parker, Head of Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge. The development will provide a purpose-built centre for world-leading physics research, bringing together all of the Cavendish Laboratory’s research groups under one roof. Located at the West Cambridge campus off Madingley Road, the flagship building of the development will be named the Ray Dolby Centre to recognise a £75 million gift from the estate of sound pioneer Ray Dolby. It will house a range of laboratories, offices, clean rooms, workshops and multiple lecture theatres. “Bouygues UK and our sister company Bouygues Energies & Services have been involved from the start on this exciting scheme, working alongside the University of Cambridge’s existing project team to develop proposals for a new world-class laboratory. It is exciting to break ground on this project that will see us bringing innovation, a collaborative approach and our technical expertise to create a new home for major academic research,” said Fabienne Viala, Chairman of Bouygues UK and UK Country Manager for Bouygues Construction. The new facility is expected to be completed in 2022.
New spaces for students, staff and the local community have been opened at the University of Birmingham after the transformation work carried out at an area of parkland. The Green Heart project, located at the historic Edgbaston campus, was delivered by Willmott Dixon. “It has been fantastic to have been part of the team creating this stunning parkland for the University of Birmingham and its local communities to use. University of Birmingham is exceedingly forward-thinking in terms of deliverable and sustainable technology and the implementation of the Pavegen system in particular is a real step forward. I’m excited for the Green Heart Festival later in the year, where we’ll celebrate our joint vision for the space coming to life, with students, staff and communities enjoying the space to its full potential,” said Nick Gibb, director of Willmott Dixon in the Midlands. The renovation works have delivered spaces for performances and events, markets, a café and bar, and dedicated areas for art and sculptures. Willmott Dixon has also installed a Pavegen walkway that generates data and off-grid electricity for USB charging point benches. This way, the Green Heart has comprehensive WiFi coverage and digital information totems. In addition, the project has also restored historic walkways as envisaged in the University’s original design from the early 1900s. “We are proud to play our part in this fantastic development, embracing design and the latest technology to provide a unique environment for the University of Birmingham community,” commented Pavegen CEO and founder, Laurence Kemball-Cook. “The Pavegen walkway provides a versatile platform that converts users’ footfall into off-grid energy to power local applications – we are monitoring it via a cloud-based platform.” The Green Heart was designed by Churchman Landscape Architects, with support from Associated Architects. A weekend-long event will be held in June 2019 to celebrate the official launch of the area.
A new Build to Rent site has been acquired by Legal & General in Chelmsford City Centre. Contracts were exchanged for the site, which was purchased on behalf of the company’s UK Property Fund (‘The Fund’). The Built to Rent site is also known as Chelmer Waterside, forming part of a major mixed-use development in Chelmsford. This development will provide a landmark urban regeneration scheme for the city, comprising 421 residential apartments, associated landscaping and local retail amenities. Taylor Wimpey will develop the Build to Rent homes, which will consist of 104 studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments in two adjoining Freehold blocks. This acquisition marks the first Build to Rent scheme for The Fund, and will sit alongside recent investments in hotels, healthcare and student accommodation. “This acquisition is in line with our strategy for the UK Property Fund to increase our exposure to alternative operational assets, whilst demonstrating the breadth of our wider fund management platform which has enabled us to collaborate with our well established Build to Rent team. As we continue to actively diversify our holdings into more alternative sectors, Build to Rent will remain a preferred subsector alongside operational hotels, self-storage and student accommodation, giving us real time access to occupational markets with a robust rental growth story,” said Matthew Jarvis, Senior Fund Manager, UK Property Fund, at LGIM Real Assets. “Chelmsford in particular has strong location dynamics, benefitting from a 40% increase in average prices over the last 10 years, according to the UK HPI. With excellent commuter links to London, it is also set to experience notable population growth, placing further demand on housing,” Matthew Jarvis concluded.
City of Bristol College students and apprentices aged 16 to 18 will benefit from support from Dickies, as the two announce their partnership. With a focus on employability and personal development, the partnership will help those preparing for a career in a range of vocational and technical trades and profession with extended opportunities for learning. “We’re excited to be working with City of Bristol College as part of our commitment to instil pride in the next generation of tradespeople. Workwear can play a big part in feeling confident and ready to do a good job, but we know that’s just one aspect to starting a career on the right note. By supporting colleges like this to motivate and encourage students and apprentices, we hope we can make a difference to the careers of future tradespeople,” commented James Whitaker, Marketing Director for Dickies. The global workwear brand will also deliver talks by inspirational speakers and mentors and sponsorship of the College’s Student Awards, as well as provide items of specialist clothing and student induction packs to help students and apprentices with their studies and development. “A skilled, knowledgeable and motivated workforce is an essential ingredient for building a strong and sustainable economy. Our students were delighted with their Dickies induction packs containing essential items to help them make good progress in their studies and career development,” said Emma Jarman, Vice Principal – Curriculum and Quality. “Our partnership with Dickies will enable us to continue developing rich and stimulating learning experiences of our students and apprentices through co-design and co-delivery of our curriculum and engagement with current and highly respected industry practitioners,” Emma added.
A number of multi-million pound contracts has been awarded by Network Rail in Scotland and the North East. Totaling £467 million, the contracts were handed over under two Control Period 6 frameworks. Valued at £320 million, the most significant contract for a renewals and enhancements framework went to BAM Nuttall. The contractor will replace and refurbish structures across the rail route, as well deliver improvements at stations. Meanwhile, two Geotech frameworks worth a combined £147 million have been awarded to Story Contracting (London North East) and QTS (Scotland) as part of the procurement process. “We are exceptionally proud of the collaborative work QTS has carried out during the last control period, with some outstanding geotechnical projects delivered across Scotland. It is a testament to the hard work of our team during the CP5 contract, and the strong relationship that we have built with Network Rail, that has allowed us to be successful in this CP6 tender process,” said Alan McLeish, QTS Managing Directo. “Our expertise and commitment to finding further efficiencies for Network Rail by using innovative plant and methods, stands us in excellent stead to continue providing a high standard of work over the next five years,” he added. In addition, five-year contracts have also been awarded, with an option of two-year extensions on the Geotech framework. “Work to renew our infrastructure is increasingly important to improve reliability for our passengers, and making sure we have the right suppliers to deliver those improvements is paramount. We look forward to working closely with our supply chain to build on the progress that has already been made and ultimately, build a better railway for our customers,” commented Kris Kinnear, Interim Regional Director for SNE. The latest contract awards complete the procurement activity for Scotland and North East, which is anticipated to hold one of the largest work-banks for the coming five-year funding period.
To promote period dignity for female workers in the construction industry, a campaign led by UK construction union Unite has been launched. Unite conducted a survey of its women construction members, which identified a lack of facilities, when women were having their periods, as a major issue for many workers. Unite is asking companies to sign up to the campaign and deliver four initiatives: • Ensure each site or depot has a designated female toilet, which is always accessible, regularly cleaned and lockable • Handwashing facilities with running water and soap are provided in all welfare facilities • Sanitary bins are provided and they are cleaned and emptied regularly • Sanitary products are provided in a dispenser in a discreet location, free to workers. “Unite is asking construction employers to sign up to four basic demands which will ensure that women workers can experience period dignity,” said Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail. “With ever growing skills shortages in our industry, it is absolutely essential that construction becomes more attractive to women workers. A small step in achieving this is to ensure that women construction workers can have period dignity at work. Unite welcomes Multiplex’s role as a trailblazer in signing up to the campaign and will continue to highlight other sites and companies which also sign up in the future,” Gail added. The first site to sign up to Unite’s campaign is the Glasgow University Campus development which is being built by Multiplex. Other sites are expected to sign up in the coming weeks.
Den has announced the launch of a suite of smart products designed to change the way people control and monitor electrical equipment, lighting and power usage in the home. Den’s vision is to use smart home devices to change the way people control and monitor power usage in homes. Its first wave of products includes Smart Light Switches, Smart Sockets, Motion Sensor, Smart Remote and Den’s Smart Home Hub. Den also includes its revolutionary Smart Tags for tracking the location of appliances even if they are moved around the home & monitoring appliance power usage – whether laptops or phones from room to room or the location of high-risk appliances like irons and hair-straighteners, Den can track them at all times. Den is the only firm in the world with the patent for truly smart switches and plugs that fit seamlessly into the home – deliberately identical to the plugs and switches the UK is most used to. Den deliberately adds modern tech driven functionality without changing the habits and rules of the household. “Conventional light switches and socket outlets have been around for more than 100 years and have barely changed – we’re not the first to build wireless switches, they have been available for more than 20 years, however every single wireless switch in the world today has replaced the switch we’re familiar with for buttons or touch pads that are complicated and hard to use. We’re the only company in the world who’ve built wireless switches without taking away the original switch we’re so familiar with. Super excited having released products today. We are looking forward to following up with additional features and products in the coming months and years,” commented Den’s Founder and Chairman, Yasser Khattak. All devices can be controlled and monitored via a smartphone app, and can integrate with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home as of today. Den’s Smart Tags allow users to track which appliances are draining the most energy and alert users to safety concerns. In the case of irons and hair straighteners, for example, Den can inform users about what they’ve left running too long, and if not responded to, automatically switch them off. Den has also received its latest round of funding of £2 million, bringing its total investment to £5 million. This will be used in the production of the next range of devices for the home, including Den’s Smart Dimmer Switches as well as the entire range with chromed metal finishes. Funds will also be used to expand operations and the team, to enable further product integrations such as Homekit and explore opportunities with further integrations like IFTTT.
Construction work on a major residential scheme in Digbeth, Birmingham is expected to begin this summer, as plans get green light. SevenCapital’s Connaught Scheme will include 70 spacious new apartments, including a 27-storey landmark tower, circa 42,000 sq ft of commercial space, a community gymnasium and boxing academy. “Connaught Square is already one of the most significant and talked about regeneration projects to date in Birmingham, as it bridges the gap between the main city centre and the growing creative quarter. So throughout the entire design process it has been imperative that what we create and deliver is the right fit for the area, the city and importantly right for the community that will form as a result of Connaught Square,” said Damien Siviter, director at SevenCapital. Part of the city’s wider plans to regenerate Digbeth, the development will further cement the area’s position as Birmingham’s Creative Quarter. The 5,000 m² Connaught Square will be constructed in two phases, incorporating a new riverside walkway and terrace alongside the River Rea, which runs through the middle of the development and will be opened up as a feature to the public. During the construction period a number of jobs will be created, with the project also set to support apprentices at the nearby South and City College. “Digbeth has recently been listed as one of the coolest places to live by The Times, but through Connaught Square and the wider future regeneration works currently in planning or construction within the area, we want to make sure that it goes beyond cool, to become one of the best places in the UK,” said Damien. “We’ve been working tirelessly over the past few years to design a scheme that will enhance the city and create a new destination where people will want to live, work and spend their leisure time, and what we have now, we believe will deliver that,” he added. The date for the completion of the first phase of the development is expected to be March 2022, followed by the whole site in August 2023.
Morgan Sindall’s annual scholarship programme has welcomed 18 new undergraduates. Developed by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), the Quest programme aims to encourage students studying Civil Engineering to choose a career in the industry. “We’re thrilled to welcome our latest Quest scholars to the business and provide them with a head-start into the industry. After 10 years of being a part of this scheme, it’s fantastic to see how Quest scholars from previous years are continuing to develop their careers with us and I wish our latest cohort well as they join the Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure family,” said Simon Smith, Morgan Sindall’s Infrastructure managing director. Over the next four years, the scholars will undertake placements around the business, while being mentored by a member of the previous Quest cohort and a chartered supervising civil engineer. “I am incredibly proud of what these young people achieve. Our Quest scheme offers scholars the opportunity to work on some exciting high-profile and major civil engineering projects across all of our sectors. They undertake highly responsible roles from their first undergraduate placements and; when they graduate they progress quickly in their early careers. I’m pleased to say that in recent years we have seen an increase in women amongst our Quest cohort where we now typically have a 50/50 representation of men and women scholars,” commented Tony O’Donnell, the company’s engineering director. Freya Buchan, Quest Scholar, also talked about his excitement to start working with Morgan Sindall and learn about the industry and its prospects. “I have been impressed by how closely they work with their Quest scholars so I’m eager to get the best out of the experience.” Applications for the 2019 Quest Scholarship open in March.