Level 3 Construction students at Cambridge Regional College (CRC) have been offered an opportunity to gain valuable work experience with a major local employer. Willmott Dixon, one of the UK’s largest construction companies with a regional office in Cambridge, spent the day at CRC interviewing students on a Construction Management
Following on from the inaugural exhibition in October 2018, the Bristol Housing Festival’s (BHF) first two projects are now underway. Demonstrating innovation in technology, community building and land use, these projects are being made possible by the multiple partner collaborations on each scheme. Jez Sweetland, Project Director of BHF “I
SDL Surveying, part of Nottinghamshire-based property services company SDL Group, started the year in style by hosting a 007-themed charity ball on Friday 1st February, which raised over £12,000 for its chosen charity, The Donna Louise Hospice. The glamorous black-tie event held at a local venue, The Carriage Hall, was
When it comes to restoring an old building, you need to make sure that you are being very careful. These buildings have been standing for a long time and so any attempt at repair can lead to more problems if things are not approached in the right way. To help
One of Scotland’s most imaginative and innovative engineering design specialists has taken on a crucial role in the regeneration of Eyemouth boat yard, one of the last remaining repair facilities for the East Coast fishing fleet and the RNLI. Planning permission has just been granted for a state-of-the-art repair and
Promoting timber’s health and wellbeing benefits is the focus for Wood for Good’s next Marketing Summit on 12 March at CILIP in London. Christiane Lellig, Wood for Good campaign director, said: “The Summit is an opportunity to pinpoint how we can position, develop and market timber products within the health
Work has begun on removing the former visitor facilities at Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve, the first step in returning the area back to nature and creating extra forest for visitors to enjoy and wildlife to inhabit. The centre was closed last summer, once the new one opened in Forest
Property services provider HML Holdings said Tuesday it had acquired property management business Residential Block Management Services located in Blackheath for £675,000. Residential Block Management Services (RMBS) had been operating as a block management services business in and around the Blackheath area since 2005. It had grown to manage over
The workers take special care while preparing ready-mix concrete in the factory. It is prepared with a batching plant, under specific temperature and conditions. This plant produces the ready-mix concrete in the unhardened and mixed state. The experts of the construction industry use it in various types of products. The
Men who work in tough and demanding work environments like construction, firefighting, mining, drilling and others are required by law to wear protective gear which include footwear. While common sense dictates that employers and their employees should know to ensure that everyone working in dangerous sites is well protected, the
Level 3 Construction students at Cambridge Regional College (CRC) have been offered an opportunity to gain valuable work experience with a major local employer. Willmott Dixon, one of the UK’s largest construction companies with a regional office in Cambridge, spent the day at CRC interviewing students on a Construction Management course in preparation for them taking part in the company’s work experience programme. The ten students made such a good impression during interview that they have all been offered a place on the programme. Natalie Sidey, Wilmott Dixons Regional community engagement officer, said “We were really impressed by the attitude of the students and how engaged they are in their course. They said it was the best decision to enrol at the college and spoke really positively about the course, expressing very clear ideas about what roles they wanted to pursue in Construction, Site Management, Surveying and Design in particular.” Phillip Grimshaw, Lecturer in Design & Construction at the College, was clearly delighted for his students, saying “Employer engagement is very important and the students really value this kind of exercise. Willmott Dixon staged a series of interviews with our learners giving them the opportunity to gain vital experience and help prepare them for the work environment”. Cambridge Regional College has some of the best construction facilities in the region with professionally-qualified and experienced tutors. Past students have gone on to study architectural technology, project management, quantity surveying and building surveying at universities including Anglia Ruskin University, Westminster, Plymouth and Leeds. Students can also go straight into work in the busy construction sector or choose to become an apprentice, for instance on a civil engineering apprenticeship.
Following on from the inaugural exhibition in October 2018, the Bristol Housing Festival’s (BHF) first two projects are now underway. Demonstrating innovation in technology, community building and land use, these projects are being made possible by the multiple partner collaborations on each scheme. Jez Sweetland, Project Director of BHF “I am delighted that these first two projects of the Bristol Housing Festival demonstrate our commitment to innovation, collaboration and learning together. These projects show how we can create prototypes that we believe will help us learn how we build healthy communities and contribute solutions that may help start to tackle the challenges of our housing crisis.” ZEDPods in St. George This ZEDPods development proposes 11 homes over the Chalks Road carpark, adjacent to St George Park. It pioneers a way to create an 100% affordable and low carbon housing development over an existing land use, a car park in this case. A ZEDPod is a new concept in high-quality, rapid build, modular low energy homes that can use air rights above existing land within city centres, such as car parks. The ZEDPod apartments can be raised above existing car parking spaces, which continue to be available for public parking. The homes have been optimised for energy efficiency and the lowest possible running costs, with solar panels to generate renewable electricity in the day, quiet running heat pumps for low energy heating, controlled ventilation which recovers usable heat from inside the building whilst bringing in fresh air, triple glazing, LED lighting and energy efficient appliances. This environmental and socially focused development will deliver much needed affordable housing in the area for young professionals and others at risk of housing crisis. By creating a mixture of tenures, a new community model will be created to ensure that the support networks are in place for the tenants. The scheme will offer something truly innovative, a first for the city and of its kind in the UK. The development rethinks existing land use, often in central locations, demonstrating a new possibility in helping solve the housing crisis, whilst at the same time providing beautiful, low carbon housing. This project is a collaboration between Bristol Housing Festival, ZED Pods Ltd, a Bristol based Housing Association, the YMCA, Bristol and Bath Regional Capital and Bristol City Council. A public consultation for the scheme will be held on the 1st March 2019 at the Beehive Centre, BS5 7AW between 3pm – 8pm. There will be a chance to meet members of the project team and learn more about the proposals. Dr Rehan Khodabuccus, Operations Director of ZED Pods Ltd. “We are excited to have started the planning process and hope to be working with Bristol City Council to deliver 11 Pods to help key workers, and young people with affordable new homes” Bill Dunster OBE, Design Director at ZED Pods Ltd said “I’m very pleased that after designing these new homes we can, if planning is agreed, make a real difference to people in this community, with no loss of car parking space” LaunchPad The LaunchPad development is an innovative modular accommodation solution for young independent adults, ready for a new start in life and will be located on the car park at the bottom of Alexandra Park, Fishponds BS16. The Project will be for young people moving on from supported housing as well as students from Bristol University. Together, they will be making use of their shared skills to self-manage the scheme. The 31 new homes will create a mixed community which supports the young residents’ journey to independent living. It will also bring students together with other young people to create a better sense of community amongst those who are passionate about connecting with others and proactively building a new community. LaunchPad has been made possible through collaboration between 1625 Independent People, University of Bristol Students Union, The University of Bristol and United Communities. Oona Goldsworthy from United Communities says; “By investing in LaunchPad, United Communities and our partners are saying, ‘there is a different way to provide homes’, quickly, on land that otherwise wouldn’t be used. These modular homes will create a brand-new mixed community, which after 10 years can be moved to another location”
SDL Surveying, part of Nottinghamshire-based property services company SDL Group, started the year in style by hosting a 007-themed charity ball on Friday 1st February, which raised over £12,000 for its chosen charity, The Donna Louise Hospice. The glamorous black-tie event held at a local venue, The Carriage Hall, was the perfect setting for an action-packed night of entertainment, reception drinks and dinner. The headline feature of the event was its charity auction, led by SDL Auctions’ managing director and auctioneer, Andrew Parker. The charity lots auctioned were generously donated by SDL Surveying’s network of surveyors and included; two tickets to the Henley Regatta, a themed helicopter ride and four tickets to a rugby league game. The evening was rounded off with a live band and a casino, with guests using ‘funny money’ in a bid to win a new iPad, which had been donated for the event. SDL Surveying’s chief operating officer, Simon Jackson, commented:” It was a fantastic night in which we managed to celebrate the strong results we achieved with our key partners in 2018. It is their hard work, alongside the power of our people, which has enabled us to continue to be successful for 30 years. “Most importantly the night provided a platform for our chosen charity, The Donna Louise, to shine and raise more money for the fantastic work that they do for children and young adults with life-limiting conditions and their families.” Donations are still welcome and can be made via the fundraising link – https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Team/SDLCharityDinner/
When it comes to restoring an old building, you need to make sure that you are being very careful. These buildings have been standing for a long time and so any attempt at repair can lead to more problems if things are not approached in the right way. To help you with this, we have put together some tips on how to restore an old building. Keep reading to find out more. Look For Water Damage Before you get started on your project, you need to make sure that you are looking out for any sort of water damage. Water damage can be a warning of serious structural issues and it can easily appear around the floors, windows and ceilings. Make sure to double check the sill plate as this is an important structural part of the building. Choose Good Materials When you are investing in some materials and products to help with your building restoration project, you need to make sure that you are choosing the right ones. You want products that are built to last and aren’t just going to lead to more problems down the line. If you choose a trusted provider, you’ll be safe in the knowledge that their products can be trusted also. For example, there’s the company W.R. Meadows who ensure every product they create meets EPA standards. Having operated in the industry since 1926, they have extensive experience in creating construction materials that are of the highest quality for their customers. Get A Good Team A building restoration project can be very complicated and so you need to make sure that you have a team of people that you can trust to work on the project. Every member of the team should be trained to deal with this sort of old building to ensure the structure remains and that everything is approached in the right way. Train your team carefully and make sure that everyone knows how important this project is. Start With The Practical Elements Our next tip for those about to embark on a building restoration project is to start on the practical elements rather than the aesthetic. Think about starting off with the roof, the windows and the masonry in the building. Once you have completed these then you can move on with things like the aesthetic. You should also think about taking a look at the mortar in any fireplaces or chimneys in the building. Non-Threatening Quirks Our final tip is to make sure that you take advantage of any sort of non-threatening quirks. If the old building has some design quirks that have changed over the years, it is often a good idea to embrace these rather than change them. As long as the building will be structurally sound with these quirks in place, you should be able to embrace them. Final Verdict If you are planning a building restoration project this year, make sure that you take on board all of the advice that we have given you in this article. Think about choosing the right materials for the project and embracing any sort of quirks that the building has. This should help you to have a successful project and a structurally sound building.
One of Scotland’s most imaginative and innovative engineering design specialists has taken on a crucial role in the regeneration of Eyemouth boat yard, one of the last remaining repair facilities for the East Coast fishing fleet and the RNLI. Planning permission has just been granted for a state-of-the-art repair and maintenance facility at the Borders port as part of an ambitious £2 million investment. The designs and planning were prepared for the Edinburgh-based Applied Engineering Design (AED). The plans envisage the removal of existing sheds and their replacement with modern buildings which will accommodate bigger boats as well as facilitating year-round working. The vision for the project also encompasses slipways and offices, education and hospitality facilities. It is the latest high profile project for AED, which has also been commissioned for work on the multi-billion pound Battersea Power Station development in London – dubbed the toughest project in the world – while last year AED successfully took on the restoration of the iconic but troubled Ross Fountain in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens. Tim Hetherington, Director of AED, said: “The connection of the Eyemouth boat yard with the sea is unshakeable and it is a key employer in the town, providing work for up to 20 people. Without it, boats would have to go to Arbroath or Whitby for out-of-water repairs. “The plans we prepared employ the latest civil and structural engineering techniques for work in the inter-tidal zone, the multiple sheds which will increase the range of boats the yard can handle and the educational facilities, including a viewing gallery. “When the transformation is complete Eyemouth boat yard will be embraced as a focal point in the community which will provide valuable training and apprenticeship opportunities as well as skilled jobs.” The yard was taken over last year by Patrick Flockhart, who intends to turn around its fortunes with investment in plant and people. Trading as Eyemouth Marine, it intends to become a “garage for the sea”, but also to serve “sea, wind and shore”, using marine skills to serve onshore industry as well as offshore wind arrays. It is anticipated that, with the necessary permissions, work will begin on the Eyemouth yard in the middle of 2019. AED was founded in 2008 and now has offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Bath. It has a turnover of £650,000 and employs 10 people. Unusually, AED still undertakes most detailed design and coordination work in house. The company serves individuals and businesses in sectors including industry and commerce, sport and education, infrastructure and property maintenance.
Promoting timber’s health and wellbeing benefits is the focus for Wood for Good’s next Marketing Summit on 12 March at CILIP in London. Christiane Lellig, Wood for Good campaign director, said: “The Summit is an opportunity to pinpoint how we can position, develop and market timber products within the health and wellbeing agenda. “Our previous summit identified the opportunities and challenges for the timber market, now it’s time to look at how we get our products up to speed and ideally ‘healthy material’ certified.” The Summit will be in a workshop format with speakers including Christos Michael from CapitalHolz 100, Colin Wheatley from Medite Smartply and Kevin Underwood from the British Woodworking Federation. Christos and Colin will be sharing their experiences of bringing health and wellbeing to the forefront of their marketing and product development, while Kevin will delve into the results of BWF’s cradle-to-cradle feasibility study for joinery products. The discussion will cover the key issues raised in the previous summit including certification and the practicalities of doing this, identifying sales channels and ideas on how to promote products as healthy. On the morning of the Summit, a workshop with Wood for Good supporters will take place to discuss the next six months of the campaign’s activity. Following both events, attendees are invited to the Building Centre for the launch of the annual Wood Awards plus an opportunity to view the Forest of Fabrication exhibition. Book your space for the Wood for Good Spring Marketing Summit. www.woodforgood.com
Work has begun on removing the former visitor facilities at Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve, the first step in returning the area back to nature and creating extra forest for visitors to enjoy and wildlife to inhabit. The centre was closed last summer, once the new one opened in Forest Corner, run by an RSPB-led consortium, working with Nottinghamshire County Council. The partnership managing the forest includes Sherwood Forest Trust, Thoresby Estate and the Woodland Trust. The building of the new visitor centre was also supported by funding from D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, who provided £500,000. The old visitor centre was located within an area of internationally important forest habitat – a legally protected Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), and had to be moved as being so close to the ancient oak trees was having a detrimental effect on them, and the structure of the woodland. Natural England, the Government’s advisor on the natural environment, helping to protect England’s landscapes and nature, had been pushing for the buildings to be moved outside of the protected area for many years, which is one of the reasons the new centre was relocated. Dave Parker, Area Manager for Natural England said the work forms part of an in an exciting and ambitious project to restore the historic forest to its former natural glory whilst providing a new and improved visitor experience. “We have been working closely with Nottinghamshire County Council and more recently the RSPB for more than 15 years to enable this project to take place,” he said. “The area where the former visitor centre stands is of such international importance that for both conservation and legal reasons it must be removed to reduce the impact of the structures on nearby ancient trees and the surrounding woodland habitat. “The removal of the centre will restore the land to a valuable mix of lowland heathland and wood pasture, providing an opportunity for rare Sherwood habitats to be re-created and expanded. It’s fantastic to see this work now progressing to benefit visitors, local residents and of course the forest’s very special wildlife.” Ross Frazer, RSPB project manager, said the work needs to be done with extreme sensitivity to avoid damaging the nearby ancient oaks, many of which are more than 500 years old. “We have spent the early part of the year ensuring adequate protection for the trees and the ground in some parts of the site, so that they are not damaged during the work,” he explained. “This is not a case of demolishing the buildings with heavy equipment, but carefully taking the buildings down and removing them. “We know there was a lot of affection for the old centre, but we hope that visitors will understand that it had been built in an area which wasn’t suitable, and this work is being done for the good of the forest that we all love and want to protect. “It’s an exciting prospect, to be taking down concrete and taking up tarmac to allow nature back in – this doesn’t happen very often!” Nottinghamshire County Councillor John Cottee, Chairman of the Communities and Place Committee, said: “This marks another chapter for this world-famous country park. The old visitor centre has been a long-standing fixture and certainly holds a lot of fond memories for many visitors, but the time has come for it to return back to nature. “There has been a high level of expertise and planning involved to ensure this restoration work goes as smoothly as possible.” Once cleared, the forest’s conservation team will then begin the task of restoring the site to nature, helping to create around a further four hectares of forest for the public to explore, and some important wildlife habitat. Howard Ward Associates (HWA) is providing engineering, arboricultural and ecological support on the project. Director Dan Bailey said: “It’s great to be working with the RSPB on this worthwhile remediation project to restore the area of the former visitor centre back to nature. “It is very rewarding to work with a client who is so passionate and focused on their objectives which, in this case, have a direct impact on an area of natural beauty so closely linked to Nottingham.” The work is being carried out by Edwinstowe contractors, Woodhead, who also built the new visitor centre and car park. The majority of the forest’s paths will be unaffected by the restoration works, but visitors are urged to take notice of signage around the site, and can see more information at www.visitsherwood.co.uk
Property services provider HML Holdings said Tuesday it had acquired property management business Residential Block Management Services located in Blackheath for £675,000. Residential Block Management Services (RMBS) had been operating as a block management services business in and around the Blackheath area since 2005. It had grown to manage over 2,000 units in 160 blocks mainly in the South Eastern quartile of London. RBMS’ employees would remain with the business and operating from its existing offices. RBMS reported annual revenues of £803,000 for the year ending 31 December 2018. The transaction included additional performance related retention payments of up to £169,000 which would be subject to the achievement of certain criteria and be payable 12 months from the acquisition date. ‘We are pleased to welcome all the team at RBMS into the HML Group. The business will become a valuable addition to our network of offices in London and provide ideal coverage for us in this important geographical area,’ said Rob Plumb, Chief Executive of HML.
The workers take special care while preparing ready-mix concrete in the factory. It is prepared with a batching plant, under specific temperature and conditions. This plant produces the ready-mix concrete in the unhardened and mixed state. The experts of the construction industry use it in various types of products. The reason behind its popularity is every batch of ready-mix concrete is different and is based on the type of construction project. So, whenever there is a demand for the concrete on-site, the truck can bring the ready-mix concrete to the section where it is required directly. It enhances the flexibility of the project. Therefore, it is used in various civil and residential construction projects. Three Types Of Ready Mix Concrete Plant That You Must Know There are three types of ready mix plants that produce the different types of ready mix concrete. They are as follows. Transit Mixed Concrete or Dry Batch Ready-Mix Concrete Plan Here the mixing of the concrete depends upon the rotating speed of the mixer. It has three stages. When the professional loads water and materials to the drum, its speed is is 2 RPM. After a particular time, it rotates with the average speed of 8 RPM. When the mixture needs to be discharged, it rotates at the highest speed of 13 to 15 RPM. This higher speed makes sure that everything is mixed in the drum properly. Wet-Batch or Central-Mix Plants Another name for this type of plant is a pre – mix plant. It means that the concrete is mixed well in the plant and loaded into the mixer of the truck. The professionals believe that the wet-batch plants provide higher productivity in comparison to the dry batch ready-mix plant. Therefore the former is preferred generally. Shrink Mixed Concrete Plant In such plants, different mixing drums execute the mixing operation. First, the plant mixture does the work. After this, the drum mounted on the truck does the rest. This truck is then transported to the construction site for the further process. Also, the length of the mixing performed on the truck depends upon the extent of mixing done in the drum for the first time. Advantages Of The Ready-Mix Concrete It provides various advantages to the professionals working on such projects. Have a look at these benefits to know better about the ready-mix concrete. Ready-Mix Concrete Is a Quality Product During the on-site concrete mixing, many times the workers do not pay much attention to the quantity and the quality of the materials. They do not consider which tools are good for the process. The ready-mix concrete plant offers the best ready -mix concrete in the controlled conditions. It Saves The Time And Cost Of The Project It is not always easy to meet the deadline of the construction projects. Also, the increasing costs can make things difficult for the clients. To tackle such situations, Ready-mix concrete will save a lot of time. When the workers are not engaged in mixing the concrete for the variety of tasks, it means that they are saving a lot of time. It will help in the quick completion of the task. Structures Made Up Of Ready Mix Concrete Are Durable When you get your dream home constructed, you pray it to be the perfect construction. You put all your hard-owned money on it and pray that you do not have to spend more in its maintenance and repair for a long time. Ready-mix concrete makes it possible for you. It offers durability to the structure that makes it robust. Also, the structure made up of ready-mix concrete will only require a little maintenance. Thus, it is surely going to save you money. It Is An Environmentally Friendly Option When the requirement of the concrete is estimated in the project, the mixer produces only that particular amount. It leads to less wastage of the materials. It saves the area from the pollution of any sort. Therefore, it can be said that the ready-mix concrete provides some major benefits to the structure. If you are impressed by its features and need a trustworthy ready mix contractor like RMS Concrete, you have various options online. You can pick one for your construction projects as well.
Men who work in tough and demanding work environments like construction, firefighting, mining, drilling and others are required by law to wear protective gear which include footwear. While common sense dictates that employers and their employees should know to ensure that everyone working in dangerous sites is well protected, the government understands that if left to common sense and individual choice alone, a lot of people will either be too greedy or bull headed to comply. To this end, the federal government through the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has a clear guideline on this issue. In fact, the penalty for violating this guideline is about $12,600 for violations termed as “serious”. If an employer fails to meet the specification, they could be fined $12,934 for every day they continue to fall short of the standard. Continued infractions can attract fines of up to $129,336. To learn more read this article here. This at least shows you how importantly the government takes this issue of foot safety at worksites. What is a Heavy Duty Work Shoe? So, what exactly are heavy-duty work shoes or work boots? These are footwear that are constructed to withstand and protect its wearer from the dangers of certain work sites. This includes that danger of heavy objects falling on the feet, sharp objects piercing through, electrocution or electric shock from static electricity or other electric shock hazards and hot objects burning the worker. This type of footwear must therefore provide all-round protection to the feet. You will usually find them to be bulky and heavier than regular footwear because of the materials they are made of. We will talk about this in more detail as we proceed. Importance of Heavy Duty Work Shoes Heavy duty shoes are very important to two classes of individuals. These are the employer and the employee. The Employer Above we mentioned a few fines an employer will be required to pay to the government if they fail to ensure that their workers have their feet fully protected at all times. Aside from the fees listed, there are other costs to the employer. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2016, about 100,000 foot injuries resulting from occupational accidents were reported. This translated to about 10 days of lost labor. If this were to happen in your workplace as an employer, you will need to spend some money replacing that individual. This could be easy or difficult depending on the skill level of the individual you need to replace. Aside from this, as an employer you will also spend money in compensation to the worker. So you will be losing funds on a number of sides – paying fines to the OSHA, spending money on new employment and compensating the injured worker. All these are avoidable with the right foot wear. The Employee The employee bears the direct brunt of the incident. The pain of the injury, the disability (permanent or temporary) that might arise from it, the possible loss of employment not to mention the psychological trauma that can also arise from the situation. Important Factors to Consider When you are ready to choose a heavy duty shoe, there are some important points to consider. These factors cover some important sections – the toe, the sole, and the upper. The Toe Safety shoes or heavy duty shoes must provide solid protection to your toes from both falling objects and impact against hard surfaces. To this end, there is usually a protective cap in the toe area. This cap can be made of steel, aluminum or composite materials. Steel is quite common but may not be suitable in certain work environments, especially those that do not allow metals. Steel is also heavier than the other two so if weight is an issue for you, go for one with an aluminum or composite toe cap. The Sole The sole provides most of the protection as it is the part that comes in contact with different types of surfaces. They are usually made of different types of rubber or Thermo Poly Urethane (TPU). Both offer good traction, are oil and slip resistant and also very tough. However, those made of TPU are lighter. The Upper The upper and top of the boot are also very important. Depending on your field you may need a material that is fire resistant. Either way, the material has to been tough enough to compliment the protection the toe cap provides. It should also be tough enough to withstand other dangers like sparks of fire from welding machines, splashes of hot liquids and more. There are other important things to look at like the construction, the fit and the style. Some boots like the men’s waterproofed work boots by Ever Boots offer a mix of style and safety. They are also constructed to offer maximum comfort as well as protection. Here’s a little thing to note; when trying on a new boot, do so wearing the type of socks you will be wearing regularly and also try it out either in the afternoon or at the end of the day. The reason is that your feet expand slightly through the day. By trying the boot out with the right socks and after your feet have expanded, you will get the right fit and so ensure you are comfortable even when your feet expand during the day.