Planning permission to develop a new multi million pound Engineering building at the University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol has been granted to AHR. The plans were approved by the South Gloucestershire Council and a 8,500 sqm building that will accommodate up to 1,600 people will be built
The Government has announced a new plan to tackle homelessness with the help of Totally Modular. The number of people sleeping rough in the UK has risen every year for the last seven years and now stands at over 4,500 each night, with many more individuals and families in hotel
A significant investment has been made by one of Scotland’s largest independent plant hire firms, Jarvie Plant, in its fleet of hire equipment with the addition of telehandlers, rotating telescoping handlers (rotos), access platforms and industrial forklifts. Available throughout the company’s depot network, all of the new machines can be
FabricAir’s sustainable ventilation solution has a lower carbon footprint than conventional metal ducting, as well as enabling operational energy savings of up to 40%. In fabric ventilation systems require less energy to produce and transport, while also having a much higher and more precise air distribution due to having a
Leading utilities and construction training specialist Develop Training Limited (DTL) has welcomed a business development specialist with extensive experience in apprenticeships and further education onto its team. Appointed as Business Development Manager based at DTL’s Derby training centre, one of seven that the company operates across England, Scotland and Northern
Official statistics have been released regarding Scotland’s home builders, showing a 3% increase in new house building for 2017-18 (17,731) compared with the previous year (17,293) but highlighted a mixed picture in the detail of the figures, with 16% fewer (532) private sector-led homes completed in Q1 2018 compared with
Exhibiting at the inaugural exhibition of the Bristol Housing Festival in October is ZEDPods, the company behind a new high-quality prefabricated housing solution developed to address the shortage in affordable housing across the UK and the lack of city centre building spaces. People attending the festival can visit a complete
Lytag Aggregate Industries will be transforming the London skyline with the £250 million redevelopment of 100 Liverpool Street. The high-profile redevelopment is part of the wider Broadgate campus adjacent to Liverpool Street station and it involves demolishing 50% of the original building and rebuilding new infills in structural steel with
Scott Parnell, the civil engineering firm, has managed to receive registered trademark status on its TouchSafe® GRP palisade fencing, which is the only product available that is capable of completely eliminating electricity conduction. Produced using super strength, lightweight, corrosion-resistant materials and designed following years of painstaking research, TouchSafe® is unique
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) is inviting facilities management specialists to a bid for £2.9 billion worth of work. The Future Defence Infrastructure Services (FDIS) contracts will provide FM services across the UK defence estate. “DIO is not only one of the largest providers of housing in the UK, with
Planning permission to develop a new multi million pound Engineering building at the University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol has been granted to AHR. The plans were approved by the South Gloucestershire Council and a 8,500 sqm building that will accommodate up to 1,600 people will be built at the University’s main Frenchay Campus. “We are delighted to have received planning permission for this exciting project at UWE Bristol. The building’s expansive use of natural light, combining circulation with social learning spaces will promote openness and encourage an inclusive educational experience for a diverse range of student engineers. We are looking forward to delivering upon the University’s vision for 21st century, problem-based engineering,” said Gary Overton, AHR Director. The low energy, naturally ventilated building, created by AHR in collaboration with engineers Hydrock, provides long-term flexibility for the University, while also being designed to BREEAM Excellent standard. One of the biggest challenges faced by AHR for this building was to accommodate the large number of workshops requiring ground floor access. The issue was overcame by stepping the floors back around a central atrium, which provides natural ventilation and consistent north light, delivered through a vast 1,000 sqm saw tooth roof supported on a glulam timber structure. The central project spaces follow a vertical hierarchy, from heavy workshops and ‘making’ space on the ground floor, up to laboratories and ‘design’ space, and culminating in individual ‘touchdown’ space for quiet study at the top of the atrium. This project for UWE Bristol is not the first one for AHR, as the company had previously been involved in several projects across the University’s Frenchay Campus, Glenside Campus and Bower Ashton Campus.
The Government has announced a new plan to tackle homelessness with the help of Totally Modular. The number of people sleeping rough in the UK has risen every year for the last seven years and now stands at over 4,500 each night, with many more individuals and families in hotel and B&B accommodation. A solution to the need for suitable housing has been pioneered by innovative construction company Totally Modular. The company has developed a new method of construction in which complete homes, designed around a steel frame, are built in a factory then simply transported to site, craned into position and quickly connected up to water, waste and utility supplies. Houses can be created in a range of sizes and formats, from single occupancy units to large family homes. Houses can be detached, semi detached or terraced, while the units can also be used to form multi-storey blocks for multiple occupancy. Totally Modular’s single-person micro home is an ideal solution for both homelessness recovery projects and the lack of low cost housing in general. This is the smallest unit Totally Modular manufactures, built from the same high-quality materials as the larger houses, it has a range of roof and cladding options, allowing each one to be matched to its surroundings. Significantly, they can be delivered and installed using a lorry-mounted crane and can also be stacked to make apartment buildings. Internally the Totally Modular micro home is light and airy. It has a double bedroom at one end, kitchenette/living room at the other and a fully fitted bathroom in the middle. Like all Totally Modular solutions, it is Eco Pack ready, meaning you can easily add electric eco heating, solar PV and battery, so can be heated and run for about £30 a year. Designed to help address the housing crisis via affordable housing, Totally Modular’s Micro Living Modular homes are fast to build and, because they do not require conventional foundations, they work well on brownfield sites. They can also be located on sloping sites, in back gardens, inner-city infill opportunities and other sites that would not be suitable for conventional construction. They are also suitable for use by on-site workers, in remote locations and even off-grid.
A significant investment has been made by one of Scotland’s largest independent plant hire firms, Jarvie Plant, in its fleet of hire equipment with the addition of telehandlers, rotating telescoping handlers (rotos), access platforms and industrial forklifts. Available throughout the company’s depot network, all of the new machines can be found in nine locations across Scotland and the North West of England. The Manitou 6m (MT625); 11m (MT1135); 18m (MT1840) and Roto’s MRT2550+ have all been added as well as 7m, 14m and 17m loadalls from JCB. “Telehandlers are such versatile machines that we often find them in high demand, so we have constantly grown our portfolio of them. Rotos are becoming increasingly popular because of the savings they offer over traditional cranes effectively comprising three machines in one – telehandler, crane and access platform,” explained business development director, David Jarvie. “Their minimal set up time increases productivity on a construction site and they come equipped with a range of safety features, such as sensors for load placement, height and slew restriction. With a wide range of attachments, clients can reduce their need for other machines such as access platforms, telehandlers and cranes,” he added. New to the range are also some specialist items, such as the 10m VJR access platform and 2.5T diesel yard forklifts. Both offer benefits for internal warehousing access and both internal and external loading on compact yards. Jarvie Plant is also looking to the future with an investment in a wider range of pallet fork trucks and personnel lift platforms for the growing industrial and warehousing sector. “Retailers are widely investing in supporting their online sales through logistics and distribution warehouses. It’s an area we can only see expanding as consumer demand increases and our machines will be crucial to supporting that growth,” concluded Mr Jarvie.
FabricAir’s sustainable ventilation solution has a lower carbon footprint than conventional metal ducting, as well as enabling operational energy savings of up to 40%. In fabric ventilation systems require less energy to produce and transport, while also having a much higher and more precise air distribution due to having a textile-based ventilation rather than the conventional metal ducting. This means that ventilation solutions from FabricAir operate with a lower pressure loss and therefore require less energy to operate. The lower pressure loss can save up to 40% on the power bill. Meeting the OEKO-TEX 100 requirements, FabricAir’s textiles confirm the company’s commitment to environmentally friendly production methods and materials. The expected lifetime of a fabric duct is long; several of the original installations from the 70s are still being used in slaughterhouses around Denmark. Moreover, due to the compact nature of the ducts, they take up significantly less space than metal ducts during transport, with calculations showing that FabricAir Dispersion Systems emit 21.3% less CO2 from transport than corresponding ducts in metal. The additional advantages that come with the usage of FabricAir dispersion technology include even, draft free air dispersion and no condensation issues, which creates the ideal indoor environment. The fabrics do not corrode, which makes this technology especially advantageous in swimming pools and other highly corrosive environments. Using flow models and permeable fabrics prevents dust and other particles from settling inside and onto the duct, rendering the ducts technically maintenance-free; should there be a need for cleaning, the easy suspension methods ensure quick dismantling and reinstallation, and the ducts can simply be washed in a washing machine.
Leading utilities and construction training specialist Develop Training Limited (DTL) has welcomed a business development specialist with extensive experience in apprenticeships and further education onto its team. Appointed as Business Development Manager based at DTL’s Derby training centre, one of seven that the company operates across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, is James Evans from Leicester. In his new role, James will be responsible for managing key accounts, including major utility and construction companies, performing skills analysis, matching DTL’s training courses to customer needs, promoting apprenticeships and offering bespoke courses. “I am excited to be joining DTL and eager to make an impact straight away, giving my accounts a thorough analysis of their training needs. I’m looking forward to learning new skills and sectors at the same time as being able to bring both DTL and the companies we work with my knowledge of training and apprenticeships,” commented James on his new appointment. Before joining DTL, James spent nine years as business development manager at an FE college where he was responsible for the quality and delivery of various sectors, managing a team of assessors as well as marketing apprenticeships across a range of sectors. Prior to that, he was an trainer assessor with a private training provider. Married with three children, James coached his son’s junior football club and is a Leicester fan. He also enjoys running and outdoor activities with his family. DTL is the UK’s leading accredited provider of compliance, technical, and safety training, supporting thousands of firms with their needs. Clients include some of the UK’s largest and best-known organisations from the utilities and construction to the defence, healthcare, facilities management and telecommunications sectors. Training programmes cover water and environmental, gas and energy, safety, electrical and mechanical, apprenticeships and management development delivered at DTL’s seven dedicated training centres in Linlithgow near Edinburgh, Romford, York, Derby, Bolton, Swindon and Lisburn near Belfast, or onsite at clients’ premises. DTL also provides bespoke and consultancy services, tailoring training programmes and initiatives to the requirements of individual clients.
Official statistics have been released regarding Scotland’s home builders, showing a 3% increase in new house building for 2017-18 (17,731) compared with the previous year (17,293) but highlighted a mixed picture in the detail of the figures, with 16% fewer (532) private sector-led homes completed in Q1 2018 compared with the same quarter in 2017. With the private sector playing a key role in assisting the Scottish Government to meet its ambitious affordable housing targets, Chief Executive at representative body Homes for Scotland (HFS) Nicola Barclay commented: “We are encouraged to note these latest statistics indicate a positive overall picture for affordable housing approvals as well as the wider sector. Whilst the extreme weather conditions earlier in the year made delivery challenging, it is essential that we are not complacent when it comes to our efforts to increase supply across all tenures. “As well as enabling increased activity from smaller builders, sustained confidence from investors is essential to support growth from medium to larger builders within a competitive UK environment. It is also crucial that the labour market is geared up across the sector, with skills shortages already creating challenges on sites across Scotland. “In addition to the above, the Planning (Scotland) Bill represents a key opportunity to recalibrate our planning system so it can deliver what the people of Scotland need: enough high-quality homes in the right places to meet need and demand. HFS is working hard to persuade politicians and communities that a good system is one in which we collaborate effectively in order that precious time, resource and funds can be channeled into the development of vibrant places and the delivery of more homes.”
Exhibiting at the inaugural exhibition of the Bristol Housing Festival in October is ZEDPods, the company behind a new high-quality prefabricated housing solution developed to address the shortage in affordable housing across the UK and the lack of city centre building spaces. People attending the festival can visit a complete ZEDPod starter home that comes fully fitted, ready for immediate occupation. The pods offer a high-quality housing solution that can be erected within days and generates more energy than it uses. Designed by RIBA award winning architect Bill Dunster, the zero-carbon ZEDPods are prefabricated homes with a difference, offering almost instant housing solutions without the land and site issues associated with conventional new build. “Importantly the ZEDPod concept decouples housing provision from land prices using air rights over car parks. This enables affordable, quality city homes where land is scarce or expensive to be put up quickly, helping keyworkers to live near their work and at the same time maintaining precious parking spaces,” explained Bill Dunster. Small but perfectly formed, each ZEDPod is a fully ‘Space Standards’ compliant home, providing a high performance, low energy housing solution, delivered at a fraction of the cost of comparable solutions, with minimal demand on existing services and infrastructure. Features include photovoltaic roof panels, integrated battery storage and heat pumps for domestic hot water, together with super insulated construction and triple glazed windows. Each unit incorporates its own front door and private balcony area. Inside is a fully fitted kitchen and dining area and a lounging space with TV. Stairs lead to a mezzanine floor with home office desk, double bed, good sized bathroom, wardrobe and storage space. The ZEDPod homes come in a variety of design options and can be tailored to a range of accommodation needs. They are ideal for city centre organisations including City Councils and Housing Associations, colleges and universities, hospitals and emergency services, as well as other private sector companies with extensive city centre car parking assets.
Lytag Aggregate Industries will be transforming the London skyline with the £250 million redevelopment of 100 Liverpool Street. The high-profile redevelopment is part of the wider Broadgate campus adjacent to Liverpool Street station and it involves demolishing 50% of the original building and rebuilding new infills in structural steel with the addition of three new floors to a create modern, mixed-use space. A key requirement for the main contractor, Sir Robert McAlpine, was to source a concrete solution which would enable more floors to be cast without compromising the dead load of the overall structure. The obvious choice, then, was to use Lytag from Aggregate Industries’ highly innovative lightweight aggregate solution, which can effectively reduce the composite deck concrete slab load by approximately 25% over normal weight control while offering the same level structural performance – enabling 100 Liverpool Street to – literally — reach new heights. In addition, Lytag is made from secondary aggregates; therefore offering a much more environmentally friendly alternative to standard concrete. Thanks to its unique properties, it can help to significantly reduce the amount of material required on a project, along with the associated carbon emission produced in delivery. “The redevelopment of 100 Liverpool Street is a major milestone in Broadgate’s evolution into a world-class, mixed-use destination for London. This project wouldn’t have been structurally or architecturally possible without Lytag and its unrivaled capabilities. Not only did it enable us to take the project from conception to construction, and create a superior sustainable high rise structure but it was also instrumental in helping the building to achieve an Excellent rating in BREEAM,” said Barry Mellor, Commercial and Technical Manager for Lytag. Working with its specialist London Concrete unit, Aggregate Industries has supplied 5000m3 of Lytag to the project, with the building featuring an array of sustainable features that complement the significantly reduced carbon footprint. As a result, 100 Liverpool Street is expected to receive an Excellent rating in BREEAM.
Scott Parnell, the civil engineering firm, has managed to receive registered trademark status on its TouchSafe® GRP palisade fencing, which is the only product available that is capable of completely eliminating electricity conduction. Produced using super strength, lightweight, corrosion-resistant materials and designed following years of painstaking research, TouchSafe® is unique because it doesn’t contain any metal components, ensuring total safety from possible electrocution incidents. “We wanted to make a product that would make incidents such as electric shocks and electrocution a thing of the past whilst removing the need to earth or bond the fence. This further reduces risk on site and increases commercial efficiencies,” said George Woollard, Design & Specification Manager at Scott Parnell Rail. “A lot of hard work has gone into designing our TouchSafe® palisade fencing and making it the best product it can be. We believe TouchSafe® represents the future of palisade fencing and we’re extremely proud that it has been granted trademark status,” George added. Scott Parnell’s palisade fencing is used for screening off electricity installation areas by a variety of industries, including rail networks and electricity supplier organisation. The product is also ideal for the aviation sector as the composite materials are radar-neutral; therefore not disrupting radar signals. Moreover, the fencing is well suited to marine environments as the non-corrosive materials are able to withstand saline damage. All dimension specifications comply to BS accreditation standards. Unlike many fencing products, TouchSafe® is supplied in fully-assembled panel form, making it easier and quicker to install on site. The Scott Parnell story started in 2012 when friends Dave Scott and Steve Parnell spotted a gap in the market for an independent merchant and decided to go into business together. With 70 years combined experience in the drainage and civil engineering market they wanted their company to be a smaller, independent merchant, specialising in groundworks and civils – helping it to stand out in the marketplace.
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) is inviting facilities management specialists to a bid for £2.9 billion worth of work. The Future Defence Infrastructure Services (FDIS) contracts will provide FM services across the UK defence estate. “DIO is not only one of the largest providers of housing in the UK, with a stock of nearly 50,000 homes, it is also responsible for managing land and buildings across hundreds of diverse MOD sites,” said DIO’s Commercial Director, Jacqui Rock. “We are pleased to be working with CCS to procure these contracts. We wants to make DIO easier to do business with and adopting this route to market is one of the ways that we hope to achieve this, while enabling us access to a wider, more diverse and increasingly resilient supply base,” he added. This phase of the FDIS programme includes the procurement of new Hard FM arrangements for four Regional Prime contracts and five contracts that will replace the current National Housing Prime. With a collective value of £2.9 billion, excluding additional works, a later stage of the process will procure a National Training Management contract to replace the current National Training Estate Prime. “This procurement is a part of the FM Marketplace, which is changing the way in which central government and the wider public sector procure their FM deals, delivering great value for the taxpayer. We are proud to be working in partnership with DIO and supporting delivery against their commercial strategy for common goods and services,” commented CCS Strategic Category Director – Buildings, Sam Ulyatt. The award of places to suppliers on each of the framework lots is expected to be completed by the end of February 2019, with call off competitions starting soon afterwards.