Jet Aire, the Leeds based drainage company has started work as part of a substantial project that will see a range of sensitive drainage improvements made at a Manchester chemical manufacturing facility. The work is being carried out by Jet Aire on behalf of the drug development company CARBOGEN AMCIS.
The marketing campaign used to advertise the GRAPHISOFT ARCHICAD 21 has helped the company to win the Gold Stevie® Award. This prestigious accolade has been given to the BIM software company as part of the Marketing Campaign of the Year-Software category and as part of the 14th annual International Business
If you walk into just about any woodshop in America, you’ll find a table saw right in the middle of the room. This essential piece of technology can perform numerous tasks like cross cutting stock to length, ripping boards to width, as well as sawing on the money miters, dadoes,
Following recent success in the Far East for both its architectural and events media display solutions, G-SMATT has announced the formation of a European company. Based in Oxford, the company, which will be known as G-SMATT Europe, is led by Dr Orhan Ertughrul and will be bringing the benefits of
A warehouse can be a busy place filled with people, equipment and product all moving at the same time. Therefore, it is important that your warehouse is as organized as possible to keep people safe and to improve productivity. How can the use of professional warehouse aisle signs make a
As a homeowner, you have the right to renovate or build upon your property as long as you have proper permission from the local planning authorities… Oh, and your neighbours. Thanks to the Party Wall Act of 1996, any alterations to a wall or fence on the boundary of two
Owners planning to extend of alter their property are often confused about what works are covered by the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. The ‘etc.’ in the title is a clue that it is more than just work directly affecting walls that divide properties and indeed the scope of the
Book Course HSL is to run a 1 day course on Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) Refresher. 1 June 2016 Introduction This one day refresher course is designed for doctors and nurses who would like to update their knowledge and clinical skills to assess workers exposed to hand-transmitted vibration. HAVS is
Construction News has learned Brian Briggs will take on the role, which includes overseeing its huge Elephant & Castle regeneration programme (pictured). Mr Briggs has taken over from former head of operations, Tim Peach, who is understood to have left the business. Meanwhile, Bam Construction’s London commercial director Sean Bradley
ECS Engineering Services has delivered a full renovation of Peakirk pumping station on the River Welland on behalf of the Environment Agency, significantly boosting the effectiveness of flood defences in the area. Work carried out has included the refurbishment of the station’s pointing doors; the installation of an adjustable stoplog
Jet Aire, the Leeds based drainage company has started work as part of a substantial project that will see a range of sensitive drainage improvements made at a Manchester chemical manufacturing facility. The work is being carried out by Jet Aire on behalf of the drug development company CARBOGEN AMCIS. This new detailed contract of works has been awarded to the Leeds based drainage company following the completion of an initial contract which comprised of the full site cleanse carried out with high pressure water jets. Jet Aire also carried out a CCTV condition survey that required the use of the drainage company’s Zone 1 Rated Atex explosion-proof camera system in order to navigate a number of different sections where precautionary measures were required to carry out the work. The survey completed by Jet Aire for CARBOGEN AMCIS also utilised a team of engineers that were qualified to carry out high-risk confined space entries. During this survey, the engineers identified a number of remedial requirements. In order to solve the issues flagged up during the course of the survey, a second contract has been awarded that involves the traditional excavation and relaying of a number of areas in order to address pipe collapses in the facility as well as patch lining and repairs in the areas where the drain runs can be saved. This work is expected to be completed in December. CARBOGEN AMCIS works to deliver drug development and commercialization services to the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. The company offers a fully integrated in-house supply chain including complex APIs. The Manchester manufacturing facility also specialises in the process research as well as the custom synthesis of pharmaceutical intermediates. The company has a larger production capacity of around 4,500 litres. This significant capacity allows the company to efficiently produce early-phase APIs and a number of large scale intermediates.
The marketing campaign used to advertise the GRAPHISOFT ARCHICAD 21 has helped the company to win the Gold Stevie® Award. This prestigious accolade has been given to the BIM software company as part of the Marketing Campaign of the Year-Software category and as part of the 14th annual International Business Awards today. GRAPHISOFT® was first launched in 1984, and is seen to have started the BIM revolution with the release of ARCHICAD®, which was an industry first, delivering BIM software to architects. Since then, the software has been developed and advanced when possible, up until most recently and the implementation of the Stair Tool. GRAPHISOFT is still the leader in the industry, and has remained so by delivering their clients a range of innovative solutions such as BIMcloud®. The International Business Awards are known for being the world’s premier business awards program. All individuals and organizations around the world, whether they are public or private, for-profit or non-profit, large and small and be eligible to submit nominations for this awards programme. For the 2017 awards programme, there were more than 60 nations and territories. The IBAs are presented to the winners as part of a gala awards event and banquet which is to be held at the W Hotel in Barcelona, Spain on the 21st of October. GRAPHISOFT Marketing campaign for the ARCHICAD 21 drew the attention of the judges. The advertising videos that have been created to demonstrate the capabilities of the product are fun and interesting, demonstrating the design of a world famous monument like the Great Wall of China. It is great news for the company to be recognised by such a highly regarded awards scheme, and GRAPHISOFT has highlighted the hard work and dedication from the creative team of developers helping to deliver the best software for their users.
If you walk into just about any woodshop in America, you’ll find a table saw right in the middle of the room. This essential piece of technology can perform numerous tasks like cross cutting stock to length, ripping boards to width, as well as sawing on the money miters, dadoes, box joints, bevels, and more. Whether you have a hybrid grizzly g0715P table saw or another model, you obviously want to get the most out of this versatile piece of equipment. So, we’re going to provide you with some table saw tips that will help you make your saw more productive than you ever imagined possible. Always Keep Your Tabletop Clean To get the most out of any table saw, you’ll get the cleanest, most expert cuts as long as you’re capable of smoothly feeding the wood across the tabletop. Having sawdust, chips, debris and such going across the tabletop won’t make for a smooth surface and your cuts won’t be that clean. So, always keep a shop vac handy at all times in your workshop. By having a shop vac on hand, you can turn it on whenever it’s needed and use it to vacuum the tabletop so that you can make it completely clean. During the vacuum process make sure you get all the sawdust and chips off of the fence, miter slots, and top. You can even apply a wax paste or spray lubricant on the surface. This will prevent cast-iron surfaces from rusting. Leave Plenty of Space to Operate Your Table Saw As you decide on the perfect spot in your workshop or on the job site to place your table saw, you have to leave plenty of room to correctly operate it. In fact, it’s recommended that you leave at least 4 feet worth of space on each side of the blade to provide ample room. On the flipside, you also need to leave 8 feet worth of space behind the blade and in front of the blade. By giving this additional breathing room, you’ll be able to work safer, more effectively and efficiently as well. Align the Blade Properly The ideal saw alignment will give the user burn free, clean cuts. To achieve this goal, the fence and blade need to be parallel to the miter slots. If they aren’t, your cuts aren’t going to be that smooth. The best way to ensure your blades are properly aligned is to actually use a tape measure and measure the distance between the front of the blade and the slot. The more precise the measuring instruments the better. So if you’re afraid a measuring tape isn’t going to be precise enough, you can always use a dial indicator gauge for profession precision measuring purposes. Next, it’s time to measure the distance between the back of the blade and the slot. You want both of these measurements to be exactly the same. If they aren’t the same, you have to either adjust the table or loosen it, then measure it again to test the effectiveness of your adjustments. To get the best results, look at your saw owner’s manual and see the instructions on how to make the necessary adjustments. Now that the blade is parallel to the miter slots, check if the fence is properly aligned and parallel to the slots. Measure just like you did in the previous step and make adjustments according to the owner’s manual if need be. Conclusion Please use these recommendations to get the most from your table saw.
Following recent success in the Far East for both its architectural and events media display solutions, G-SMATT has announced the formation of a European company. Based in Oxford, the company, which will be known as G-SMATT Europe, is led by Dr Orhan Ertughrul and will be bringing the benefits of its unique, smart glass solution to the architectural and city planning audiences as well as the events industry. Orhan is joined in the senior management team by Niraj Kapur, Sales Director and they are supported by a number of experienced and skilled design and architectural personnel. Dr Ertughrul, Executive Vice President Europe, G-SMATT Europe, explained more about the company and the opportunities that exist; “We firmly believe that the digital media façade, coupled to the Internet of Things and the current ubiquity of glass façade architecture is fundamentally changing the way we interact with the City Scape. The buildings of the future will be connected and able to share information including for example local traffic updates, advice from emergency services and news from local councils. This connectivity will also allow building owners to project the purpose of their buildings into the community, change the way their buildings are perceived, create new business models and interact with people on a personal level.” G-SMATT Glass has already been successfully installed at several locations in Asia including the Shanghai Stock Exchange and one example can be viewed here https://vimeo.com/channels/1175317 The company’s newly refurbished offices at King Charles House, Park End Street, Oxford, OX1 1JD contain two walls of the media active glass, giving visitors the chance to see its capabilities for themselves. The small LEDs that provide the media capability are placed at regular intervals, 20mm on the monochromatic product up to 90mm on the colour and even the colour product will go down to about 40mm, depending on the specification. When viewed from the inside there is less than 1% reduction in visibility through the glass. This is considerably less than other current alternatives such as an overlay or frame structure which can give the impression of being in a cage or prison cell when viewed by the building’s occupants. Even when illuminated at night people within the building are not dazzled by reflection as less than 10% of the light emitted by the LED’s is reflected into the building’s interior. Company Profile G-SMATT is a Korean company that produces an innovative digital media façade product. Launched in 2013 the company now has offices in five countries and an annual turnover of about $125 M. The company believes in the transformation of the digital city scape with compelling architectural media and interactivity. Its innovative, building grade, laminated media glass provides full transparency and rich media capability. This allows developers and architects to provide a new way for people to experience and enjoy their buildings and the surrounding urban spaces without compromising on the aesthetic beauty of their original design. In the new world of the Internet of Things it also allows for unparalleled connectivity and integration, a key in the development of the smart city. G-SMATT produces both architectural and exhibition products. For more information visit https://www.g-smatteurope.com/products/architecture
A warehouse can be a busy place filled with people, equipment and product all moving at the same time. Therefore, it is important that your warehouse is as organized as possible to keep people safe and to improve productivity. How can the use of professional warehouse aisle signs make a difference in achieving those goals? Make It Easy to See Signs From a Distance One of the easiest ways to keep your people safe is to make sure that they are focused on what may be in their path as opposed to where they are going. With a large sign, a person driving a forklift can easily see where he or she is supposed to be going with a pallet or other product. This allows that person to focus on who or what may on the warehouse floor as opposed to looking up at signs looking for directions. Keep Your Warehouse Organized When your aisles are properly labeled, everyone knows where to put inventory after a shipment arrives. Your people will also know where to go to find an item after it has been ordered. By keeping track of inventory, the odds are lower that you will order items that you already have in stock, which can save thousands of dollars per year. There is also a lower risk of letting product go bad sitting in storage because it is buried under piles of other items. Help Your Small Business Feel Like a Large Company In many cases, you feel better when you look better. In the business world, it is easier to create a professional vibe for your company when you take the time to look like a mature business. You are likely to work harder when you are in an environment where standards are high. Your people are also likely to work harder when they know that the owner cares about the details. This can also have a positive effect on investors or others who are asked to provide working capital for your business. Quality Signs Last for Years Opting for a quality sign made by a professional can help you save money in the long-term. This is because you won’t have to worry about it fading, cracking or otherwise succumbing to the elements inside of your warehouse. As a warehouse sign is so vital to staying safe and staying organized, it may help to keep workers’ compensation costs down. You Can Choose From a Variety of Designs The best part about buying a professional sign is that you can get it customized to suit your needs. You can even browse professionally designed warehouse aisle signs before you make a purchase to ensure that you get what you want and need. This makes it easier to get a sign that is both functional within the warehouse setting and meshes with your brand. The right sign can make a significant impact on your warehouse. It can help improve productivity, keep costs down and make sure that traffic is able to flow in a smooth manner throughout the space. These benefits may negate or offset the initial cost of buying it. Since they are durable products, you may be able to simply put the sign up and never worry about it again.
As a homeowner, you have the right to renovate or build upon your property as long as you have proper permission from the local planning authorities… Oh, and your neighbours. Thanks to the Party Wall Act of 1996, any alterations to a wall or fence on the boundary of two homes requires the property owner to obtain consent from their adjoining neighbour first. Neighbours are not obliged to consent immediately, and if they are not happy with the plans can instead pursue the drawn-out process of making an agreement through an appointed surveyor. The good news is that this makes the process fair for both parties – the homeowner has every right to build on their home, but not by unduly disrupting their neighbour’s peace and quiet. The bad news? Surveyors fees fall to the homeowner proposing the construction, so a party wall dispute can get rather expensive. If you’re planning construction works on a party wall, follow these five steps to improve your chances of obtaining consent quickly and smoothly, and save yourself a pretty penny. Have a Conversation Suddenly being served with a very official-looking notice (complete with a cover letter, technical drawings and acknowledgment forms), can seem both daunting and unfriendly. If your proposed construction is within the scope of permitted development, the planning office have no need to forewarn your neighbours that work is going to take place, and your letter will turn up entirely out of the blue. The easiest step to keep the following negotiations amicable is to give your neighbours a “heads up” yourself. As soon as you start planning work – or at least when the first drawings are ready – give them a call or knock on their door to find a time to meet and talk about your proposals. It will set an approachable tone throughout the proceedings, and an informed neighbour tends to be a happy neighbour. Offer to Cover their Schedule of Condition If your neighbour seems worried that your project will cause damage to their property, take the opportunity to appear more generous to your neighbours, while saving yourself some money in the long run. The best way to document the current condition of their home is to have a Schedule of Condition conducted by a surveyor. According to the Party Wall Act, all reasonable surveyor fees are covered by the party serving notice. Make an early offer to arrange the schedule of condition for them, to be conducted by the surveyor you already have working for you. This will satisfy the requirements of the Act while saving you the hefty fee of paying two separate surveyors (a significantly greater cost than a standalone schedule of condition). Pay Attention to Their Objections Nobody wants their home life to be disrupted, particularly not for several weeks at a time. To prevent a dispute, try to be understanding of your neighbours’ concerns, and take reasonable steps to demonstrate that you will be as accommodating as possible. Would it be possible to amend your plans slightly? Tweaking the size of your extension or shifting the schedule by a couple of day may be all it takes to please your neighbour and get guaranteed consent. Look for any “easy wins” where a certain aspect of your proposal particularly bothers your neighbour, but isn’t critical to you. Common concerns include perceived risks to small children or pets, particularly if boundary walls are being temporarily removed. A simple way to overcome this would be to provide them with an architect’s drawing of a hoarding or fence that will be positioned over the gap between properties while the work is carried out. Provide Clear Drawings While you don’t need to attach drawings to a party wall notice, it’s highly recommended that you provide some sort of visualisation. After all, you’re asking your neighbours to provide consent for you to potentially affect their property, and if you can supply them with an idea of what the finished result will look like, they will feel more comfortable about the scope of the work. Don’t worry about sending over technical blueprints if you don’t have them yet; your neighbours don’t need to know the exact location of your radiators. Just be transparent about the work which is covered by the Party Wall Act and try to include at least some parts of their property to give them an idea of scale and positioning. Serve Your Notice Early Having your trades lined up and being completely ready to start your project is a recipe for disaster if you haven’t served notice yet. Don’t expect your adjoining neighbours to give their approval overnight, or even over the weekend. They will probably want to seek professional advice from a surveyor, and appoint a representative for their interests during the work. It’s a big decision and attempting to rush your neighbours is more likely to result in dissent and stall your work for longer than necessary. Not every notice will go unchallenged, as some homeowners will issue a dissent simply because for them, the process is convenient and free. However, following these steps will make it far more likely that your project can go ahead quickly and smoothly, without the lengthy negotiations required for a party wall award.
Owners planning to extend of alter their property are often confused about what works are covered by the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. The ‘etc.’ in the title is a clue that it is more than just work directly affecting walls that divide properties and indeed the scope of the Act goes considerably wider than that. There are in fact 3 distinct types of work falling within the Act and each has its own type of notice: Party Structure Works A ‘party structure’ will generally be either an internal wall or a shared garden wall but it can also be a floor structure dividing flats or offices of different owners within a building. Section 2 of the Act sets out various works to a party structure that must be notified to the adjoining owner including cutting in (e.g. to insert beams), raising, underpinning, cutting away from (e.g. removing a chimney breast) and exposing the structure to the elements. The Act does not differentiate between drilling in to a wall to insert a rawl plug and cutting in to insert a steel beam but it is generally accepted that some works are too minor to warrant a notice being served. The statutory notice period is 2 months but if an adjoining owner does not respond to the notice there is a ‘deemed dissent’ after 14 days. Where notices are dissented to surveyors, or an Agreed Surveyor, must be appointed and a party wall award agreed prior to the works commencing. Adjacent Excavation The type of work that catches many owners out is excavation close to shared or adjoining structures. Section 6 of the Act requires notice to be served where an owner is excavating within 3.00m of shared or adjoining structure and to a greater depth than the foundations to that structure. The distance is extended to 6.00m for particularly deep excavation such as piled foundations. The notice period is shorter than for party structure works at just 1 month but there is again a deemed dissent after 14 days. Statutory notice periods are not particularly relevant as if an adjoining owner consents they will normally be willing to waive the notice period and if they dissent and appoint a surveyor they should be agreeable to waiving the remainder of the notice period once the award is agreed. New Walls at the Boundary The Act also covers the construction of new walls either up to or astride the boundary. A wall built astride the boundary will be a party wall and requires the adjoining owner’s express consent. New walls at the boundary are covered by Section 1 of the Act and the notice period is 1 month. Unlike other the other 2 types of notice there is not a deemed dissent after 14 days so if there has been no response by the end of the notice period works can commence. Notice only need be served when the new wall is touching the boundary so it could be built back slightly to avoid the requirement – while that may avoid the possibility of surveyors’ fees the downside is that the right of access provided for works covered by the Act could not be invoked. The chances of a notice being consented to are much improved where it is served in good time and accompanied by clear plans showing the detail and scope of the works. Adjoining owners are also more likely to consent if they feel they are being kept informed so it’s well worth calling to see them (perhaps with a box of chocolates!) and talking them through the proposals before the formal notice is served. Article written by Justin Burns BSc (Hons) MRICS FFPWS of Peter Barry Party Wall Surveyors
Book Course HSL is to run a 1 day course on Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) Refresher. 1 June 2016 Introduction This one day refresher course is designed for doctors and nurses who would like to update their knowledge and clinical skills to assess workers exposed to hand-transmitted vibration. HAVS is a complex condition that requires practitioners to have a good understanding of the anatomy and neurology of the hands. Examination skills are difficult to maintain if they are not regularly practised. The implications of poor practice or misdiagnosis are significant for both the employer and the employee. Course Content Those parts of The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations relevant to clinicians Risk assessment – how to recognise a good one? How to calculate vibration exposure Health surveillance – HSE’s tiered approach and the content of health records Clinical assessment to include a review of standardised tests and differential diagnoses Clinical management to include diagnosis, staging, the interpretation of sensori-neural threshold test results and treatment Worked case scenarios Who should attend? The course is open to occupational physicians, occupational health nurses and general practitioners with an interest in occupational health who have successfully completed the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FOM) two day Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome course. Assessment This course is intended for professional development, there is no formal assessment and therefore no proof of competence. HSL has applied to the FOM for CPD approval. Course presenters Dr Jon Poole MD FRCP FFOM is an accredited consultant occupational physician at HSL Dr Howard Mason PhD is a principal scientist at HSL and co-author of the FOM’s HAVS review Venue The course will be run at the HSL laboratory in the spa town of Buxton. Buxton is in the heart of the Peak District and has good links to mainline train stations and Manchester International Airport. Details of hotels in the Buxton area can be found at www.visitbuxton.co.uk. Cost The cost of this course is £425 per person (includes course notes, certificate of attendance and lunch/refreshments). Book Course Please note the invoice option is not available within 4 weeks of the course date, or for overseas customers. For further dates and additional information email: training@hsl.gsi.gov.uk or contact the Training & Conferences Unit at HSL directly on +44 (0)1298 218806. Back to Health & Safety Training Courses Back to the top Source link
Construction News has learned Brian Briggs will take on the role, which includes overseeing its huge Elephant & Castle regeneration programme (pictured). Mr Briggs has taken over from former head of operations, Tim Peach, who is understood to have left the business. Meanwhile, Bam Construction’s London commercial director Sean Bradley has left the contractor. Mr Bradley had been with Bam for almost 20 years, according to his LinkedIn profile. He has been replaced by a senior commercial manager in the business, Rod Pavey. Source link
ECS Engineering Services has delivered a full renovation of Peakirk pumping station on the River Welland on behalf of the Environment Agency, significantly boosting the effectiveness of flood defences in the area. Work carried out has included the refurbishment of the station’s pointing doors; the installation of an adjustable stoplog and automated weed screen; a renovation of the pumping station plus an inspection and overhaul of existing pumps on-site. Since winning the Environment Agency refurbishment contract for the pumping station, ECS has been able to complete the entire project within a matter of months, enabled by experience gained as an appointed framework contractor to the agency. Peakirk pumping station plays an important role in protecting properties that lie upstream of the facility, so completing the work swiftly was of the utmost importance. The centre piece of Peakirk’s flood defences are its pointing doors, which have received a complete renovation from ECS. This required the removal of the pointing doors from the central sluice structure, so they could be transported to ECS’ fabrications workshop for re-engineering and painting. The existing mitre posts were also replaced, with the new alternatives trimmed to size during the reinstallation of the gates. However, challenges arose during the project when the existing stop log guides were deemed unsuitable for use during a dive survey, meaning the central structure could not be initially dewatered to remove and reinstate the pointing doors. ECS tackled the problem by erecting a temporary dam, allowing engineers to install improved guides and a fully adjustable 5,000 kg stoplog. With adjustment from 6800 mm to 8000 mm and motion enabled by a rack and pinion drive with a balancing gate, the new stop log provided a modern solution of increased versatility for the needs of the end user. Once the central structure had been dewatered, debris could be cleared and the gates could be removed. To operate the newly renovated pointing doors, ECS delivered a mechanical counter balance system, which utilises a weight stack to actuate the gates in the event of flood conditions. In addition, the existing weed screen cleaning system at Peakirk required attention. The system was unreliable, and its effectiveness was further hindered by the fact that the automated grab systems were not compatible with the existing weed screen, increasing the build-up of debris. ECS duly replaced the weed screen to provide an appropriate fit with the automated grab, as well as incorporating new maintenance platforms, task lighting, level sensors and improved controls. The new controls were integrated into the existing framework by ECS, enabling a full electro-mechanical refurbishment that has greatly improved clearing efficiency and flood safety. Peakirk operates six separate pumps onsite, three diesel and three electric variants. All of the pumps required dismantling, inspection and assessment – with the Environment Agency requiring a full record of findings regarding each of the pumps. Refurbishment work could then be carried out, followed by subsequent reinstallation and testing. The electric pumps had suffered particularly from wear, but were renovated and reinstalled to safeguard pumping capacity at the facility. Furthermore, a condition survey of the supporting infrastructure around the pumps and pump chambers discovered that the steel work was in a poor state of repair, so these elements were fully replaced by ECS. To complete the comprehensive overhaul of the facilities, ECS turned its attention to the pump house. Due to an Environment Agency policy to reduce manual lifting at facilities, ECS was required to upgrade the overhead lifting equipment. The addition of electrical drives and hoist systems, coupled with plug-in or radio remote pendant controls, eliminated any required manual involvement to operate the crane. Lighting was also a concern, as the existing installation was mounted on the ceiling, which made maintenance difficult. To remove the need for specialist access equipment, ECS installed low level, energy efficient, LED lighting in the diesel pump room, greatly improving accessibility. Jamie Wesley, Contracts Manager at ECS expanded: “The project at Peakirk demonstrates our full breadth of electro-mechanical services, as well as the integrated approach which has seen us tackle a number of high profile projects on behalf of the Environment Agency. Our state-of-the-art facilities at our headquarters, our extensive knowledge of conducting on-site operations and the versatility of our product offering means we were are to deliver within a short time frame even in the face of unforeseen challenges.”