A third man has now died as a result of a tower crane collapse in Crewe six weeks ago. A tower crane being assembled by hire company Falcon at a new-build care home development in Crewe toppled over on 21st June. David Newall, aged 36, and Rhys Barker, 18, were killed in the collapse. David Webb, 43, was injured and taken to hospital. All three were Falcon employees. Cheshire police, investigating the incident with the Health & Safety Executive, said on 2nd August that Mr Webb had now also died as a result of his injuries. His family said: “Dave died from doing a job that he loved and was very passionate about. Dave was a fun loving character who lived his life to the full. He was known for his large personality and sung his way through life. “He will be sadly missed by his partner Nathalie, children Maisy and Charlie, his mum Jenny, his sister Julie, his brother Mark, their families and his many friends. It’s a heartbreaking time for the family as we lost Dave’s beloved father Alan six days before Dave passed away. Cheshire police said that they were continuing to work alongside the HSE and local authority building control to establish the full circumstances of the incident.  

Bridge beam selection just got a whole lot quicker and easier following the launch of an app-based tool by ABM Precast. The app is available from the Google Play Store for Android and the Apple Store for iphones/ipads by searching ABM Precast. Intuitive to use, the app guides the user through the selection process in six questions to provide an instant recommendation of concrete bridge beam configuration along with extensive data on all the key engineering elements. The speed of calculation is such that structural designers can easily explore different possibilities quickly to optimise their bridge design. Mike Sanderson, ABM’s business development manager noted, “Engineers can still work their way through our data book if they wish, but the app is designed to give a speedy and reliable answer in a fraction of the time. The user just inputs details such as the clear span, width, overall depth, bridge configuration, deck toping depth and edge detail required and the program makes a selection from nearly 150 available beam types.” Structural engineers, estimators and project managers will find the ABM Precast app saves time and provides the flexibility to consider multiple options easily. Downloaded and installed in seconds, it is available whenever and wherever needed. ABM is one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of precast and pre-stressed concrete structures. The company operates its main manufacturing facility in the UK from Tuxford in Nottinghamshire and is perfectly placed to service all parts of the country.  Substantial investment means that they can produce bridge beams of up to 120 tonnes and over 40 metres in length. The company also manufacture other pre-cast and pre-stressed concrete components and has operations in Ireland and mainland Europe.

The Diales technical team are delighted to have been shortlisted for their role in delivering the iconic BMW sculpture at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2016. The team were nominated, and shortlisted, in the both the Small Projects (of under £1 million) and the Structural Artistry categories. The Institution of Structural Engineers host the prestigious annual awards, judged by an esteemed panel of international engineers. Winners will be announced at a gala awards dinner to be held in London on November 17th. Members of the Diales technical team have been supporting these breath-taking creations, from sculptor Gerry Judah, for a number of years; including this year’s centrepiece, the Five Ages of Ecclestone, which celebrates the Formula 1 giant and his contributions to motorsport. Stuart Holdsworth, Hooman Baghi and Bruno Postle, the Diales Structural Engineers for the project said: “We believe that innovation and experience are the prerequisites of a successful design and we love to rise to a challenge.  The Goodwood sculpture is an excellent platform for demonstrating our skills and capabilities. We are truly honoured to receive this nomination for our role in bringing these ground-breaking artworks to life.” Stuart Macdougald-Denton, Head of the Diales technical team added: “It is important to remember that the sculpture would not have been possible without the inspiration and artistry of the sculptor, Gerry Judah; the dedication and enthusiasm of our in-house team to transform Gerry’s ideas into a practical reality; and the skills of the metalwork specialists, Littlehampton Welding, who fabricate and erect each segment of the steelwork.  It is the talent, commitment and collaboration of all those involved that has enabled this innovative structure to be delivered to a tight programme and budget.”

Neil Craig, head of operations for HSE in the Midlands said: “We welcome the guilty plea entered by Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd. Merlin has acknowledged that it failed in its legal duty to protect people on the Smiler ride. “Those injured on 2 June last year had every right to expect a carefree and fun day out. “The incident was profoundly distressing for everyone involved, both physically and mentally. It left some with life changing injuries. “We hope this first milestone will help those affected to continue their recovery from this tragic incident.” Please find below a selection of visual material for use in media reporting: Download .zip file of available materials (79mb) Source link

©Reuters New World Development, the property developer controlled by one of Hong Kong’s most powerful families, said it had received the shareholder votes needed to push through a $2.8bn offer on the listed shares in its China subsidiary after a failed attempt two years earlier. The company said it had overcome a headcount test requiring at least 75 per cent of shareholders to accept the offer. The test is based not just on shareholder value but the number of shareholders as well. More On this topic IN Property In 2014, that stopped NWD from taking the subsidiary private for $2.4bn, forcing the controlling family of Cheng Yu-tung, who is 90 years old, to wait at least 12 months to make another offer. The latest bid for New World China Land had received approval from about 97 per cent of shareholders, NWD said in a statement on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. As of Friday, the company said in a filing that it had not secured the needed headcount to complete the deal. The Cheng family controls both NWD and the Chinese group and has worldwide interests including the jeweller Chow Tai Fook as well as hotels such as The Carlyle in New York and a 150-acre property redevelopment on London’s Greenwich peninsula. The eventual success of the deal could pave the way for similar offers in which tycoons and their families seek to take private listed companies in which they already hold a controlling stake, bankers have said. The original deal had been considered part of a routine empire reshuffle by the billionaire Cheng family and its failure was seen as a serious loss of face. Shares in New World China jumped to an eight-year high in January when NWD made a second offer of HK$7.80, a 26 per cent premium to its undisturbed price. On Monday, shares in the company closed at HK$7.68 before announcing it had received the necessary support from shareholders. Although Hong Kong dropped the headcount rule two years ago, the test, which originated in Victorian times, is still required by the Cayman Islands and Bermuda — two jurisdictions in which three-quarters of Hong Kong-listed groups, including NWCL, are domiciled. Minority shareholders late last year foiled a $13.7bn merger of two companies controlled by Li Ka-shing, one of Asia’s richest businessmen. Investors vote against a proposed merger of Cheung Kong Infrastructure and Power Assets Holdings — the latest stage in a reorganisation of sprawling business empire that started in January last year — even after Mr. Li sweetened the deal. HSBC advised New World Development on the deal. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. You may share using our article tools. Please don’t cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web. Source link