Miller Homes the leading House builder company has been carrying out research into the different things that buyers look for when house hunting. It has been discovered by the leading house builder that living close to shops and amenities was top of the list for priorities when moving houses. The
The Construction Products Association, or CPA, has has been asked by the Department for Communities and Local Government in order to join an Industry Response Group. This Group is expected to work alongside Build UK and the Construction Industry Council in order to organise and develop the construction industry’s response
Xcalibre Equipment, a Coventry based, leading specialist in the design and manufacture of diamond drilling equipment report that demand for their T4D hydraulically driven diamond drilling trailer is steadily increasing throughout the UK, Europe and beyond. The T4D is diesel powered and a highly mobile self-contained towable unit, ideally suited
Leading national engineering specialist, SES Engineering Services (SES), has won a multi-million pound contract to install 519 of its award-winning* prefabricated service cupboards on a dual residential scheme at the New District of Canary Wharf, at the 42-storey residential building, 10 Park Drive and a 14-storey private rental development. SES
The British Coatings Federation (BCF) beat over 300 other trade associations in the UK to be crowned ‘Trade Association of the Year 2017’, the ultimate accolade for Trade Associations in the UK. This award recognises the continued development of the Federation, which is now recognised as best in class amongst
The Structural Timber Awards is a celebration of innovation, best practice and expertise in timber technology. Taking place on 10 October 2017 at the National Conference Centre, Birmingham, the Awards will showcase innovative solutions and ground-breaking developments from across the UK timber industry. With over 200 exemplary entries packed full
A former office building in Sheffield city centre has been transformed into 32 32 high-end apartments by Building Company Ventures with support from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. The new residential scheme on Queen Street include 24 one-bed apartments and eight two-bed apartments with completion expected at the end of December.
A market leader in concrete mixers, Telford-based Hymix, has entered a long-term supply agreement with automotive components specialists GKN and is set to relocate to the same industrial site. The agreement will give the company access to improved quality and capacity in component supply and assembly. The significance of the
On Thursday the 29th of June an agreement has been reached for the construction of Cumbernauld Community Campus. The £34.5 million construction project has been planned in order to create a new high-school as well as a theatre and arts venue. The purpose built construction project for the combined arts
Any electrical product that has active components are required by law to be properly Electro Magnetic Compatibility, or EMC, tested. As a part of this EMC testing program, certain lighting products are required to go through this testing as a part of the conformity that is required for the CE
Miller Homes the leading House builder company has been carrying out research into the different things that buyers look for when house hunting. It has been discovered by the leading house builder that living close to shops and amenities was top of the list for priorities when moving houses. The Land Director for Miller Homes, David Morgan MRICS MRTPI, has also been exploring how the list of priorities changes depending on which requin of the UK is looked at. On a Nationwide scale, the top ten priorities for house building are, Good amenities, Off-road Parking, Clear and attractive surroundings, Low crime rate, Access to transport links, Proximity to work, Good Schools, Close to Family and Friends, Average house prices and a Rural aspect. With traditional priorities, like access to good schools, transport and close to family and friends all important factors when buying houses, which factor tops the list can differ from region to region in the UK. In Scotland, good amenities topped the list of priorities for house hunters, with 62% saying they are a priority. It is found that in London and more urban areas, access to transport and off road parking are at the top of the list. Yorkshire, The North West, West Midlands, and the South East all rated off road parking as the most important factor of buying a house. London was the only region who put good transport links as the main priority for potential house buyers. More rural and perhaps areas with that bit more space between houses consider access to amenities the most important factor, these areas include Scotland, the East Midlands and the South West where 92% of those asked said that amenities were important. Wales and the North East rated how clean and attractive the property/area was as the most important factor, with 67% of those asked from the North East considering this a priority when moving house.
The Construction Products Association, or CPA, has has been asked by the Department for Communities and Local Government in order to join an Industry Response Group. This Group is expected to work alongside Build UK and the Construction Industry Council in order to organise and develop the construction industry’s response to the challenges that have arisen in the industry after the Grenfell Tower Fire. The Industry Response Group will be expected to provide a response that is inclusive and can be employed across the construction industry by using the necessary specialist knowledge and information. The group, working alongside Build UK and CIC are expected to collaborate in order to prevent duplication in their assessments. The Industry Response Group are also working hard to reassure the public that construction industry as a whole in the UK are working in order to respond to the review that has been put in place by the Government in order to make buildings and properties safer. The group will include representatives across the three main industry bodies in the UK, including Build UK; the leading representative organisation for the construction industry; Construction Industry Council, a forum established to offer a voice to all professionals in the industry; and Construction Products Association, working for the manufacturers and distributors in the industry. To begin with the Group will be expected to offer essential advice on how to make specific types of buildings safer in order to protect homes, offices and public buildings. The Group will also be asked to give advice in regards to the most up to date building methods and any other building methods that allow access from technical experts in the industry when needed. There will also be an effort to mobilize the UK when major construction work is required acting as the central government to industry communications point as well as advising the Government on the different sub sectors of the construction industry when needed as well as their ability to carry out work at speed.
Xcalibre Equipment, a Coventry based, leading specialist in the design and manufacture of diamond drilling equipment report that demand for their T4D hydraulically driven diamond drilling trailer is steadily increasing throughout the UK, Europe and beyond. The T4D is diesel powered and a highly mobile self-contained towable unit, ideally suited for taking core samples from asphalt or concrete roads. The T4D accepts cores up to 350 mm (13.5 in) in diameter and has hydraulically operated front and rear stabiliser feet. Xcalibre provides a wide range of drill motors, both single and two-speed, which will ensure optimal performance. In addition, the company has calculated that the TD40 can reduce drilling times by as much as 75%, when compared to a standard hand fed machine. The complete unit features a good size water tank with large diameter filler and a five litre fuel tank that provides up to three hours operation. The T4D is powered by the latest Hatz 1B40 diesel engine, fitted with both an electric and recoil starting mechanism. Hatz engineers provide the engine complete and ready to install, helping to reduce the overall manufacturing process. Xcalibre Equipment markets their products throughout the UK, Europe and in North America. With Hatz dealers and service specialists situated around the globe, users of the T4D can be assured that genuine spare parts and qualified maintenance engineers are on hand, should the need arise. “The T4D is becoming a very popular machine in our product portfolio,” explained Xcalibre’s Roland Knott, “therefore we needed a proven, lightweight engine that is promptly available and made ready for our production teams to fit. The 1B40 ticks all these boxes and we have been delighted with its performance”, added Mr. Knott. Xcalibre Equipment Limited was incorporated in 1987 and has established itself as a leading organisation in the design and manufacture of specialist diamond drilling equipment. Xcalibre build hydraulically powered coring trailers, diamond drilling rigs, electric and hydraulic driven drill stands, including hand held core drills, together with petrol, diesel and electric driven power packs. They also provide a wide variety of diamond coring machinery for both civil and marine applications. Equipment can even be supplied for use underwater or in hazardous environments. Xcalibre are a globally recognised manufacturer of well-engineered, safe and reliable core drilling equipment. The company remains based in Coventry, in the centre of the UK. Hatz diesel engines have been around since 1910. From their manufacturing base situated at Ruhstorf, Germany, Hatz produce a range of modern diesel engines from 3 to 60 kW. The company has subsidiaries in the USA, South Africa, Australia, and China together with a presence in most European Countries. Their UK subsidiary, Hatz GB Limited, has its facilities centrally located in Hinckley, Leicestershire.
Leading national engineering specialist, SES Engineering Services (SES), has won a multi-million pound contract to install 519 of its award-winning* prefabricated service cupboards on a dual residential scheme at the New District of Canary Wharf, at the 42-storey residential building, 10 Park Drive and a 14-storey private rental development. SES has been appointed by Canary Wharf Contractors Limited and started work on site earlier this month. Building on its extensive offsite manufacturing experience in the Southern region, SES is due to provide full mechanical and electrical (M&E) services, including the creation and installation of its service cupboards to 519 apartments. SES will utilise its engineering expertise and dedicated offsite manufacturing facility, Prism, to design and deliver each of the cupboards which incorporate all essential mechanical and electrical plant and equipment. The service cupboards include a heat interface unit, a heat recovery unit, cooling interface unit, underfloor heating manifolds, BT Home Hub and space for a washing machine. By creating the cupboard modules offsite, SES has avoided multiple trades on site working in a congested area, along with the associated logistical and health and safety issues. The win represents a major milestone for SES’ Southern operation and is testament to the company’s reputation for delivering innovative, cost and time saving offsite manufacturing solutions on logistically challenging city-centre projects. SES was only last year awarded a major contract with Canary Wharf Contractors Limited to provide shell and core mechanical services across all 26 floors of the One Bank Street banking and office building. David Jenkins, SES’ Regional Director South, commented: “This project win demonstrates that SES is firmly considered as one of the most trusted M&E partners in the region. “We’re proud to have been appointed once again by Canary Wharf Contractors Limited and are excited by the challenge of delivering our biggest ever order of prefabricated cupboards, an innovation borne from the factory floor of our Prism facility. “Given the scale of this project, these two high-rise towers present another unique logistical challenge and are the perfect programme to harness SES’ offsite expertise. “Our Prism facility is at the forefront of M&E installations, meaning we can offer the most effective solutions to even the most technically complex projects, adding real value to our clients so we’re delighted to be able to demonstrate this again on this scheme.” Set to broaden and extend the Canary Wharf Estate, adding to its vibrancy and continually expanding cultural, community and commercial offer, the New District represents one of central London’s’ largest privately owned development sites extending to 22 acres.
The British Coatings Federation (BCF) beat over 300 other trade associations in the UK to be crowned ‘Trade Association of the Year 2017’, the ultimate accolade for Trade Associations in the UK. This award recognises the continued development of the Federation, which is now recognised as best in class amongst trade associations across the UK. The BCF also won ‘Marketing Campaign of the Year’ for the ‘DIY Safe Antifouling Initiative’, and were highly-commended in the ‘Magazine of the Year’ category, for the coatings industry magazine ‘Covered’. Linda Cavender, Chief Executive of the Trade Association Forum said “BCF have had another outstanding year, growing from strength to strength addressing their members’ needs, undertaking some great lobbying activity and achieving record levels of growth. Their high level of professionalism and great effectiveness as an organisation has meant that this year, the judges had no difficulty in declaring BCF the very worthy winner of the TA Best Practice Awards Trade Association of the Year for 2017.” Commenting on the win, CEO Tom Bowtell said: “This award recognises the dedication of the BCF team in proactively supporting our members’ interests. Our small team of 12 has created some outstanding lobbying campaigns, using our internal marketing strengths, and unprecedented technical expertise in the area of regulations affecting the coatings industry. I’m proud to lead such an energetic and focused team of professionals, who always go the extra mile for members, and thrilled to be publicly recognised as amongst the best trade associations in the UK.”
The Structural Timber Awards is a celebration of innovation, best practice and expertise in timber technology. Taking place on 10 October 2017 at the National Conference Centre, Birmingham, the Awards will showcase innovative solutions and ground-breaking developments from across the UK timber industry. With over 200 exemplary entries packed full of outstanding, pioneering projects, products and people received, this year’s Structural Timber Award judges have had an onerous job of shortlisting entries into each category. The judges have been overwhelmed with the high standard and variety within every category. Each of the judges have assessed a handful of the 17 categories on a strict and confidential marking system to establish the shortlisted entries. The finalists for this year’s Structural Timber Awards can be found online: http://www.structuraltimberawards.co.uk/2017-finalists The awards will be presented to the winners at a high profile dinner on the 10 October 2017 alongside Timber Expo and as a major event in the timber calendar, the event will attract 600 national business leaders and high profile decision makers from the construction industry. With over half the tables already sold, your attendance is imperative in order to network with some of the industry’s most influential people. Last year, the awards saw leading industry ambassadors raving about their success. Andrew Carpenter, Chief Executive of the Structural Timber Association said: “I am proud to have played a part in the Structural Timber Awards. I have been blown away by the breadth and quality of entries that we have received. It is truly inspiring to see so much activity in the sector and to witness so many boundaries being pushed. The depth of expertise across all categories was impressive and the exceptional number of entries clearly demonstrates the upturn in the industry.” This is an event not to be missed and promises to be an enjoyable evening of celebrations and a high-profile networking opportunity. If you would like to book tickets to the Structural Timber Awards – please visit www.structuraltimberawards.co.uk or alternatively contact Amy Pryce, on 01743 290 001 or email amy.pryce@structuraltimberawards.co.uk Tables of 10 are available for just £1650 +VAT and the event presents a fantastic opportunity for you to host and entertain key clients.
A former office building in Sheffield city centre has been transformed into 32 32 high-end apartments by Building Company Ventures with support from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. The new residential scheme on Queen Street include 24 one-bed apartments and eight two-bed apartments with completion expected at the end of December. Building Company Ventures has invested £800k into the redevelopment of the Omnia One building which will have an end value of £4.2 million, with Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking backing the project with a development loan worth £820k. The Omnia One building has been owned by Building Company Ventures since 2004, and was operated as serviced offices until redevelopment works began in April this year. Sebastian Brown, director at Building Company Ventures, said: “There’s a strong demand for residential property in Sheffield at the moment, and the new apartments are in a great location. “This is our largest redevelopment to date, and the support we’ve had from Lloyds Bank has been important in helping us achieve this. “The bank was keen to get involved from the outset, and helped us getting started with the project straight away.” Lloyds Bank supported Building Company Ventures when the firm acquired the Omnia building 12 years ago, with a finance package worth £1.7 million. Danny Brooks, relationship director at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, added: “Being only a short walk from the city’s bars, shops and restaurants, we’re confident the new high-end flats will be a hit. “Lloyds Bank is committed to supporting SMEs and since 2011, we have grown our net to SMEs by more than 29 per cent, building on six years of consistent lending growth.”
A market leader in concrete mixers, Telford-based Hymix, has entered a long-term supply agreement with automotive components specialists GKN and is set to relocate to the same industrial site. The agreement will give the company access to improved quality and capacity in component supply and assembly. The significance of the agreement, and the combination of the GKN facilities and the new Hymix building, will greatly increase the capacity, reducing lead times dramatically, which will bring major benefits to both companies. Hymix has a reputation for innovation, which has led to the universally acclaimed new P2 model. The relocation will provide a separate workshop for the development of new designs so that investment into innovation can continue. The assembly of specialist machines and temperature controlled stores will also enable the business to better service the aftermarket. Nick Humpish, Managing Director of Hymix UK, said working with GKN will allow the company to continue to grow and develop new technologies for the heavy building materials sector, with the Hymix Engineering Team having already expanded to take advantage of the new facility. Mr Humpish said: “We are always looking at ways we can do things better. The move to GKN will give us the chance to bring forward many of the exciting developments we have underway. One of these is the recently launched new P2 model. As well as this mixer weighing less, and therefore able to carry more, it delivers advanced functionality focused on safety and ease of operation. The machine is built with systems chosen for reliability, and is expandable to meet the evolving needs of a demanding industry. “Expanding production capability on a single site will also save time and money and ensure we not only remain competitive in our industry, but also continue to lead the field in innovation. The Hymix P2 offers the mix and delivery performance of all Hymix Machines, but uses modern materials, techniques and proven components to offer lighter trucks with more carrying capacity. GKN will add world class automotive quality, increased capacity and on time delivery for a perfect mix! “This is a very exciting time for Hymix, and we are very much looking forward to working at the new site, and enjoying the advantage of working with GKN.” As a supplier to Hymix, GKN will provide a quality driven process consistent with the demands of TS16949 and a level of operational management that will deliver effective production control. With existing on-site E-coat facilities and a new shot blast and powder coating facility specific to the agreement, the result is excellent corrosion resistance with a uniform durable finish coat. Hymix is a private company which began in 1988. The company employs sixty staff, all of whom will be moving to the new production site and offices.
On Thursday the 29th of June an agreement has been reached for the construction of Cumbernauld Community Campus. The £34.5 million construction project has been planned in order to create a new high-school as well as a theatre and arts venue. The purpose built construction project for the combined arts and high school project will be built on the site of the existing Cumbernauld High School. The new project will lead to a brand new secondary school that will be able to accommodate 950 students. This capacity is required following the merge of Cumbernauld and Abronhill High Schools that took place in the 2014-15 academic year. The construction project will also create a new theatre and arts venue that will be used by the Cumbernauld Theatre Trust Ltd and will contain 400 seats in the main auditorium as well as a box office and a collection of different digital arts rooms. Built into the theatre and arts spaces will also be other performance spaces, administrative offices and other support spaces needed to make the new theatre and arts venue popular and operational. This construction project is taking place on behalf of North Lanarkshire Council, and completed by hub South West. This work is thought to be the latest project that has been started by the construction and infrastructure partnership. The lead contract for the construction work is Morrison Construction, who have expressed their hope for a successful development with their partners Hub South West and North Lanarkshire Council. Morrison has worked with this partnership on three projects over the course of three years. No doubt this construction work will be just as successful. These projects that have been carried out over the course of the last three years are all school projects, with the partnership designing and building Clyde Valley Campus and Greenfaulds High School.
Any electrical product that has active components are required by law to be properly Electro Magnetic Compatibility, or EMC, tested. As a part of this EMC testing program, certain lighting products are required to go through this testing as a part of the conformity that is required for the CE marking on a product. It being vital to obtain the CE marking on a range of lighting products, the electrical testing of products is an important factor of the development process before a product is put on to the market. The LIA Laboratory is the largest independent test laboratory in the UK for the ISO 17025 requirements and the product certification, or the ISO 17065, on behalf of the National Certification Body. While being at the forefront of this testing market, the LIA are focused on making sure that they stay at the cutting edge of technological developments. By making sure that they have access to state of the art equipment, the laboratory can deliver a wide range of fast and affordable EMC services. Whether the service required is just a quick check or a more comprehensive inspection, LIA have the capacity to test products to ensure that they are operational and safe. LIA offer faster checks as well as checks of one mode voltage, full tests for one mode voltage and tests that can take place for a product with a dimming function. LIA also boast a service which offer assistance with the constraints of the market as well as the reduction of risk and the ability to demonstrate safety and conformity needed with relevant legislation and regulation. The Laboratory that is operated by the Lighting Industry Association work to offer the best service possible while carrying out the tests and inspection, with the cost of the tests starting at £700.