The sports and leisure industries within the UK are booming. More people than ever before are choosing to focus on their health and fitness, thanks in part to inspiring role models within the sector. Boxing and fitness classes are becoming particularly popular, yet space for these types of facilities is
There is no cap on the impact or capabilities of technology. From phones to laptops, from satnav to Google Earth, the boundaries of what the latest devices and gadgets can do are constantly being pushed forward. Now, the home itself is starting to evolve with the times too, being redefined
Pallet wraps are made of a highly elastic plastic film made from linear low-density polyethene (LLDPE). The plastic wrap tension after application protects the contents stored in a pallet during transit. Stored items remain together in the pallet. Pallet wraps are designed to reduce damage and loss of products. Kite’s
Horbury Property Services, the repairs, maintenance and compliance business that is part of the Horbury Group and based in South Yorkshire, has appointed Mark Jagger as Senior Estimator. Mark previously worked as Design Estimator for a major building and facilities company in Derby and prior to this as Senior Estimator
The Considerate Constructors Scheme – the not for profit organisation that works with contractors, clients, the construction supply chain and communities to enhance the image of the construction industry – is introducing a series of steps that will develop the Scheme for the next decade. The Scheme, which brings value
Seymour Civil Engineering is nearing completion on its award-winning role at the North East’s first ‘super roundabout’. Work on the £75m Highways England Silverlink triple decker roundabout is scheduled to finish in just weeks with Hartlepool-based Seymour Civil Engineering contracted by John Sisk & Son to install £8m highway and kerb drainage. Seymour has been
Energy Assets Utilities (EAU), one of Britain’s leading utility network construction specialists, has appointed David Burbidge as Managing Director for England and Wales to drive growth in residential markets and to build on its success in commercial energy schemes. David brings 30 years’ energy, utilities and asset management expertise to
A mineral tile that is ultra-green, even by Armstrong Ceilings’ standards, and a bespoke version of a metal tile feature on the £1 million conversion of a former farm building into the headquarters of a wind farm developer. Community Windpower’s new head office in the old market town of Frodsham,
International design practice Ryder Architecture’s Newcastle and Vancouver teams have become one of the first practices to produce a specification in the cloud using NBS Chorus, the new flagship platform from NBS. The specification platform has not only provided Ryder with a new level of collaboration across its global business,
Leading UPS manufacturer, CENTIEL, has teamed-up with G4S Facilities Management to provide critical power protection services for clients based on the Channel Islands. With CENTIEL’s 4th generation, three-phase, modular UPS system now successfully deployed in two data centers on Guernsey, G4S Facilities Management’s engineering staff are undergoing extensive technical training
The sports and leisure industries within the UK are booming. More people than ever before are choosing to focus on their health and fitness, thanks in part to inspiring role models within the sector. Boxing and fitness classes are becoming particularly popular, yet space for these types of facilities is now limited. Consequently, the construction industry is seeing a demand for leisure centres and sports clubs. Here, we’ll look at the rise in the demand for sports clubs and leisure centres and how it benefits other businesses. Sports clubs continue to grow Last year, the Sports Club Survey Report discovered that sports clubs in England were continuing to grow despite numerous challenges. Over half of clubs that responded to the survey, claimed they expected their adult memberships to continue to increase. There was also an interesting rise in the number of volunteers working within sports centres, showing the love of sports isn’t just tied to money. The challenges of building sports and leisure centres Although the rise in the demand for sports and leisure centres is increasing, there are challenges construction workers face when building these types of buildings. A lot of the new sports clubs require a unique, modern construction, rather than a standard generic layout. They are more specialised buildings, ranging greatly in size from single gymnasiums to large stadiums. Even the refurbishment of older facilities can be a complex construction process. Just some of the issues involved in the building of sports clubs and leisure centres include high up-front costs and long project completion. How the increase in demand benefits other sectors There may be challenges within the construction of additional sports clubs and leisure centres. However, the rise in demand is having benefits on other sectors. Companies which supply fitness equipment are seeing an increase in business, as are those which supply facilities for the buildings such as JLA. An additional benefit is that these new clubs and leisure centres require new staff to keep them running. So, personal trainers are seeing an increase in demand too. However, the wider benefits are even more remarkable. As there is an increase in demand for sports and leisure facilities, it means a lot of people are focused on getting fitter. This is obviously a great benefit for society as a whole. It also means less pressure will be placed onto the NHS eventually as obesity levels drop. Obviously, this isn’t a benefit that’s going to happen overnight, but it is a promising sign that people are getting fitter and healthier. Overall, sports clubs and leisure centres are becoming more popular in the UK. While there may be challenges building and running new facilities, this increase in demand is delivering a lot of benefits to associated sectors too.
There is no cap on the impact or capabilities of technology. From phones to laptops, from satnav to Google Earth, the boundaries of what the latest devices and gadgets can do are constantly being pushed forward. Now, the home itself is starting to evolve with the times too, being redefined into what’s now commonly known as a smart home. Moreover, these kinds of households are absolutely on the rise. In fact, it’s been reported that 23% of Britons now own at least one smart home device, and that number is expected to grow exponentially in the near future too. It’s exciting and intriguing, signalling greater changes on the horizon. Consequently, let’s briefly chronicle what’s sparking the rise of the smart home. Consumer Driven The smart home is amassing more and more popularity with every passing day. Technology is making life easier, and safer, for a lot of people, to the point now that it’s being regularly integrated into the very core of people’s homes. Few people go for more than a few hours without a glance at social media or playing a games console; the demand for ease, efficiency and entertainment is higher than ever. Ultimately, this is principally what made smart home technology possible. The UK is following in the footsteps of the US here, which is the most advanced smart home market at the time of writing. Whether its people wanting the latest toys at their disposal or greater disability access in their homes, the smart home industry is undoubtedly consumer driven. It’s a wide market indeed, and it caters to literally every homeowner in some capacity. Increasing Property Values What’s new is also, usually, expensive. Therefore, it’s the consensus that smart homes do in fact add significant amounts of value to any given property that utilises them. Supplying the home with unique and quirky gadgets that truly enhance the property is something that many people are becoming interested in – particularly if they’re looking to sell property and attract buyers. Ultimately, this leads to a further facilitation of smart home appeal. It’s that extra draw and incentive to take the plunge and move to a new area, where before buyers would be cautious and apprehensive. It gives the entire market a bit of a much needed kick and a shot of vigour, causing speedier transactions and quicker moves. Construction Changes Gradually, the construction industry will likely understand the influence, and demand, the smart home industry is attracting. Retrofitting to implement these changes is still the most common way of integrating smart home technologies into a domestic setting. That said, some building businesses will probably begin to outfit these kinds of homes from the outset, with all the latest technological bells and whistles too. Building smart homes instead of eventually retrofitting common homes will undoubtedly slash costs and save time. It’s a simpler way forward that streamlines the entire process, allowing the nifty products to be made available right away. Of course, this will then lead to a further rise in the appeal of the smart home; it’s less legwork to buy a smart home upfront, than to laboriously make alterations and adjustments as time goes on.
Pallet wraps are made of a highly elastic plastic film made from linear low-density polyethene (LLDPE). The plastic wrap tension after application protects the contents stored in a pallet during transit. Stored items remain together in the pallet. Pallet wraps are designed to reduce damage and loss of products. Kite’s 5×5 pallet wrap system, one of the UK’s safest ways of reducing health and safety issues associated with hand wrapping pallets, is now available to buy in bundles on the Kite Packaging website. The employee-owned business has introduced new hand stretch bundles which will help save its customer’s time and money thanks to their operational efficiency boosting qualities. When used with industrial tools and supplies such as pallet floor scales and pallet hand wrapping systems, the new product can significantly enhance and streamline warehouse workflow. While industrial pallet scales ensure accurate weighing of pallets, pallet hand wraps ensure pallet content protection during transportation. This hand wrapping system is particularly useful for businesses looking to boost their green credentials and reduce their use of plastic as it reduces the amount of pallet wrap used by up to 60%. The 5×5 pallet wrap dispenser, which was previously only available on a rental basis, can also now be purchased as a permanent addition, meaning businesses no longer have to enter into a contract. Ergonomically designed to improve comfort and efficiency, these hand held pallet wrap systems allow operators to walk forward around pallets in order to dispense the film in a natural position with no bending or stretching required. This combined with its pre-stretch gears that release film at the optimum elastic point, ensures a reduced risk of any health and safety issues that can arise. The bundles are each made up of a 5×5 shrink wrap dispenser and nano technology pallet wrap, with a wide variety of pallet wrap specifications to choose from so businesses can find the right pallet wrap for their business. Product packaging ranges from bubble envelopes and cartons to pallet wrap systems. Whatever your business niche is, it’s crucial to choose a product packaging that is environmentally friendly. When using pallet wraps, it’s crucial to determine the items you’ll be storing. Square boxes and even loads should have an elastic wrap, with static material to cling to flat box edges. For uneven boxes, the loads need an elastic pallet wrap with more thickness and strength, and higher tear resistance. Irregular edges of uneven loads may tear or rip the pallet wrap during transport. For very uneven loads or boxes with different sizes, shapes, and weight, experienced staff should wrap the items to avoid damage using high-quality wraps with superior tear resistance. If you want to find out how else you can improve your environmental operations, please visit www.kitepackaging.co.uk.
Horbury Property Services, the repairs, maintenance and compliance business that is part of the Horbury Group and based in South Yorkshire, has appointed Mark Jagger as Senior Estimator. Mark previously worked as Design Estimator for a major building and facilities company in Derby and prior to this as Senior Estimator at Interserve Power for 2.5 years, where he headed up projects for power line replacement and maintenance and new high voltage underground connection works. For both roles, Mark responded to tender enquiries, including providing full pricing for projects. At Horbury Property Services, Mark will track, record and reply in full to all appropriate tender opportunities, which includes completing pre-qualification questionnaires, submitting relevant documentation required by the organisation and estimating costs to carry out projects. Richard Sutton, General Manager at Horbury Property Services, said: “We’re pleased to welcome Mark to the business as we continue to expand our team. He will play an important role in responding to tenders, both in the public and private sector as we help local authorities and commercial landlords to carry out cost effective planned maintenance, refurbishment and fire safety programmes.” Horbury Property Services provides a full range of services, including inspection, installation, repair and maintenance of fire doors, joinery works, fire stopping, sealing, fire compartmentation, fire alarm and emergency light testing, portable appliance testing, electrical testing and installation work, building fabric repairs as well as external cladding and render repairs. In addition, the wider Horbury Group provides dry wall partitioning, painting and decorating, ceiling and flooring upgrades, de-mountable screens. The company has regional offices in London and South Wales together with a South Yorkshire Head Office ensure a truly national capability enabling its teams to successfully deliver responsive repairs or large planned refurbishment and maintenance programmes. For more details, visit www.horburypropertyservices.com or call 01709 917555.
The Considerate Constructors Scheme – the not for profit organisation that works with contractors, clients, the construction supply chain and communities to enhance the image of the construction industry – is introducing a series of steps that will develop the Scheme for the next decade. The Scheme, which brings value and benefits to thousands of communities and partner contractors, clients and suppliers across the UK and Ireland, will work with the industry to create a new focus on Social Value. It will also focus on driving deeper community and public engagement, a more focused strategy on consumer facing marketing and PR, a comprehensive programme of listening and partnership and an assessment of new technology initiatives that can develop the core benefits of the Scheme. To develop the Scheme further it will be searching for a new Chief Executive, while it has confirmed the securing of a new service agreement with the Scheme’s operational delivery partner from 1 January 2020. ”This announcement sets the Considerate Constructors Scheme on a path for the next 10 years,” said the Scheme’s Executive Chairman, Isabel Martinson MBE. “Our new strategy and structure will mean that the Scheme will be well equipped for the next phase of its journey. “The appointment of a new Chief Executive is part of this development. They will report directly to the Executive Chairman and the Board. They will support our networks, work with senior decision makers and creatively invigorate community engagement, business development and marketing, ensuring value for communities, contractors, clients, the supply chain, local authorities and the public. They will bring insights and perspectives that refresh our strategies and our approach to all stakeholders.” Edward Hardy, who has been the Chief Executive of the Considerate Constructors Scheme for the past 10 years, will step down at the end of 2019 when the new Chief Executive takes up the role. The Considerate Constructors Scheme has a third party delivery partner that manages the day to day operations and implementation of the Scheme. The signing of a new delivery and service agreement underscores the successful partnership that has been created by the Considerate Constructors Scheme alongside the Scheme’s owners, the Construction Industry Council (CIC) and the Construction Products Association (CPA). “The Scheme’s wide adoption, support and partnership across the UK and Irish construction industries are testament to the hard work, vision and innovation the Scheme has brought to the construction industry. The Considerate Constructors Scheme has measurably improved the image of construction,” said Mrs Martinson. The new Chief Executive will lead the strategic direction of the Scheme, how the Scheme works with communities, with customers and with a broad range of organisations, interest groups, local and national government and other key stakeholders. New tools will be developed to understand and measure Social Value. There will be a strengthening of where the Considerate Constructors Scheme delivers key value, including: the development of its Ultra Sites programme; contractor and subcontractor registration; and an assessment of how it may be able to be more effective geographically. The Scheme will also review its marketing and communications strategy and how it might provide additional value to industry Public Affairs work. “We are entering an exciting time for the Scheme,” Mrs Martinson continued. “We have a tremendous opportunity to focus on the key benefits demanded by the industry, to work on our consumer conversations, to engage with media and public interest groups, NGOs and other stakeholders. We have a unique delivery platform; the Considerate Constructors Scheme will become more accessible to the public, continue its effectiveness with the industry and broaden its outreach and messages.” The search for the new Chief Executive has begun with an appointment expected in the coming months.
Seymour Civil Engineering is nearing completion on its award-winning role at the North East’s first ‘super roundabout’. Work on the £75m Highways England Silverlink triple decker roundabout is scheduled to finish in just weeks with Hartlepool-based Seymour Civil Engineering contracted by John Sisk & Son to install £8m highway and kerb drainage. Seymour has been on site for 102 weeks to date and has been crowned ‘Supply Chain Partner of the Year Civils UK’ at the Sisk Supply Chain Awards for the last two years for its work on the project, with particular mention made about the quality of work and its collaborative approach. Ryan Browell, Contracts Manager at Seymour, said: “It’s definitely been one of the largest projects that I have been involved in throughout my career. “I think the main challenge has been working around traffic management. We worked collaboratively with a host of other contractors such as those looking after the piling, bridges and laying of the roads.” He added: “We are very pleased with the work and we know that it’s going to make a real difference on one of the UK’s primary transport corridors.” Seymour has installed drainage utilising the latest shaft sinking and microtunnelling techniques which has enabled continuous traffic flow on the A19. The four key areas of Seymour’s work involved: Main highway and land drainage Trenchless crossing undertaken by micro tunnelling techniques Sinking three shafts – the deepest being 13.5m deep Installation of combined kerb drainage It has also provided 24-hour on-site support. Health and safety on this project has been of the highest calibre, working to Highways England’s ‘Raising the Bar’ standards given the nature of the location of the works and the risks involved. The scheme in North Tyneside, at the A19 and A1058 Coast Road junction, has been ongoing since summer 2016. Three layers have been created – the Coast Road on top, a junction in the middle and the A19 on the bottom. Once complete, the project will dramatically reduce queuing time for motorists travelling along the A19 at peak times. Highways England has confirmed the scheme is on schedule to finish in March and the work is now entering the final stages. Picture caption: Ongoing work at Silverlink.
Energy Assets Utilities (EAU), one of Britain’s leading utility network construction specialists, has appointed David Burbidge as Managing Director for England and Wales to drive growth in residential markets and to build on its success in commercial energy schemes. David brings 30 years’ energy, utilities and asset management expertise to his new role, having served in senior management positions with Power On Connections, Eon and Babcock International. “I am very excited to be joining EAU at a time of significant opportunity for the business,” said David. “We are expanding our utility network construction capabilities to include fibre-to-the-home to satisfy growing demand among housebuilders for a one-stop solution to all their utility needs. “At the same time, we continue to invest in our success in commercial Short Term Operating Reserve (STOR) schemes, while actively exploring emerging opportunities in the distributed generation market.” David will be responsible for EAU operations based at Northampton and Birstall (West Yorkshire). His focus is on developing an agile connections business that sets the standard for network construction, meets all customer utility requirements through a unified service offering, and creates asset ownership opportunities for the Energy Assets Group. He will also play a key role in driving EAU’s strategy to expand the reach of the company’s products and services across Britain. Says David: “I am delighted to be part of a team with a clear vision for the future, working alongside like-minded people who share the same ambition, values and principles.” On 1st February 2019, EAU announced that all of its utility network design and construction operations, including Future Energy Group and Dragon Infrastructure Solutions, were being rebranded as Energy Assets Utilities. The company employs 300 people and also has operational centres in Livingston and Alva in Scotland. www.energyassets.co.uk
A mineral tile that is ultra-green, even by Armstrong Ceilings’ standards, and a bespoke version of a metal tile feature on the £1 million conversion of a former farm building into the headquarters of a wind farm developer. Community Windpower’s new head office in the old market town of Frodsham, Cheshire, uses 300m2 of the new Dune eVo MicroLook tile in the back offices and canteen, and 250m2 of acoustic mineral tile Perla 0.95 dB (which performs to Sound Absorption Class A) in closed cell offices, both on the ground floor. In addition, 900m2 of metal MicroLook 1800mm x 300mm metal lay-in planks have been used in open-plan areas and corridors on the first floor. The new fully-recyclable Dune eVo tile and grid, the first ceiling system in the industry to gain Cradle to Cradle accreditation, provides Class C sound absorption as well as a brighter white aesthetic and excellent durability due to a reinforced fully-painted edge. The metal tiles at Community Windpower were specially over-perforated so their ultra-micro perforations continue around the edges of the plank to give an even greater aesthetic and acoustic performance. The highly light-reflecting Armstrong systems were specified for the 20,000ft2 steel-frame building by Community Windpower managing director Rod Wood on the recommendation of specialist lighting manufacturer XAL who provided lighting throughout the new office. The precision of the Dune eVo and Perla tiles was particularly needed to maximise the indirect illumination from XAL’s scheme, notably the suspended Mino linear system upstairs and XAL’s ultra-slim Task office system in the downstairs boardrooms. He was looking for ceiling systems that were “modern, artistic and bespoke” to complement the lighting systems. “They are one of the key features interfacing with modern lighting designs,” he said. “The linear panel works well with the rectangle structure of the building and their clean and bright features also help with this. They have accommodated pitch issues well as well as light wells, air-conditioning and lighting. “Armstrong had products that suited our building and the contractors were confident they could be installed. I’m very happy with the result.” The Armstrong systems were installed over two weeks, on the upper floor to sloped internal eaves, by a team of up to eight from Heatons Ceilings who are a member of Armstrong’s Omega national network of approved specialist sub-contractors. Chris Heaton said: “The metal ceiling is at high levels/atria in the building which made it challenging to install but it really does look amazing from the ground floor. There are not many jobs with this specification in such long planks, especially as they were sloped to both sides. Instead of having a 10mm border the edges were perforated edges for aesthetics as well as acoustics. It is a little special and kind of a one-off. The Armstrong products worked and performed well to give a fantastic end result.” Community Windpower is at the forefront of wind energy development in the UK with over 800MW built, under construction and in development. As proven renewable energy specialists, the business is experienced in the identification, design, development, construction and operation of onshore wind farms and currently has six operational wind farms in Scotland, with a further three approved for development. More information is accessible via the Armstrong Ceilings website https://www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en-gb/.
International design practice Ryder Architecture’s Newcastle and Vancouver teams have become one of the first practices to produce a specification in the cloud using NBS Chorus, the new flagship platform from NBS. The specification platform has not only provided Ryder with a new level of collaboration across its global business, but the cloud-technology has enabled the team to develop their specifications in the office, on-site, and even mid-flight from the UK to Canada. The two-year project is a heritage restoration site in Vancouver, St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church, so the choice to use NBS Chorus with its UK and Canadian content libraries was another benefit to the whole team. Adam James, principal of Ryder’s Vancouver team, said: “NBS Chorus is a welcome addition to Ryder’s digital toolkit of collaborative design tools. The data driven framework of Chorus allows us to rapidly specify building components and materials in manner that integrates with our existing building information modelling tools, while working in geographically distributed teams.” Aimed at those professionals who need to produce high quality specifications efficiently, NBS Chorus is a pioneering collaborative specification platform, which supports global design and construction. The use of cloud technology, ensures that those using the new platform have the latest software and global content at all times – including the latest standards and regulations. This offers an invaluable improvement in collaboration and efficiencies across whole teams, allowing the different players in a construction project to work in a single place, on the same data. The platform also enables users to integrate the model and the specification, which saves time and reduces the risk of information becoming out of sync. NBS CEO, Richard Waterhouse, said: “It’s not overstating it to say that the launch of NBS Chorus heralds a revolution in our business. “As we’ve seen from the results of our recent NBS Construction Technology Report, 63% of over 500 respondents are already using cloud technologies, and we want to ensure our customers are part of this digital disruption that’s happening across the industry. “It was a perfect fit for Ryder to be one of the first to use and complete a specification in NBS Chorus as they were involved in informing and developing the platform to ensure it provided the solution they needed – and I think it’s done exactly that.” NBS Chorus has also been developed with Uniclass 2015 as its native classification structure, and as set by BS EN ISO19650 and the UK National Annex, should be used as the classification structure on all BIM projects. With access to 24 hour support, NBS is reinforcing its message that it is ready to support global construction projects. Since announcing expansion across two continents in 2017, acquiring Canada-based Digicon and setting up in Australia, NBS has updated the NBS National BIM Library and BIM Object standard tools to include Canadian and Australian content. NBS, who provide technical information, specification and BIM tools to construction industry professionals as well as services for building product manufacturers recently announced a £31.8m investment from LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group. To find out more about NBS visit www.theNBS.com
Leading UPS manufacturer, CENTIEL, has teamed-up with G4S Facilities Management to provide critical power protection services for clients based on the Channel Islands. With CENTIEL’s 4th generation, three-phase, modular UPS system now successfully deployed in two data centers on Guernsey, G4S Facilities Management’s engineering staff are undergoing extensive technical training to be able to provide first level support, PAN Island. Wayne McKane, critical power and HVAC engineer, G4S Facilities Management confirms: “We chose CENTIEL as our partner and trusted advisor to deliver these important projects as the company is a leading manufacturer at the very forefront of the industry. At the start of 2018, we were looking for a truly modular solution to ensure efficient running and maintenance of systems within data centres, where our staff could be easily trained to exchange modules if required. We were also looking for the very latest technology to ensure maximum availability combined with a low total cost of ownership and CENTIEL ticked all the boxes. “So far, only CumulusPowerTM, CENTIEL’s 4th Generation Modular UPS has been installed on the Islands,” continues McKane. “However, the association between our two companies now means G4S will have access to CENTIEL’s full product range to fulfil the needs of our valued client base regardless of their size or power protection requirements.” Louis McGarry sales manager, CENTIEL confirms: “The G4S Facilities Management team visited our R&D facility and factory in Switzerland earlier last year as part of their selection process. Dealing directly with a manufacturer can have numerous advantages in terms of speed of implementation and the replacement or supply of spare parts for example. CENTIEL provides comprehensive training and ongoing support for our partners, plus we are planning numerous marketing and technical seminar ventures to showcase our industry leading product and joint service capabilities with G4S Facilities Management in the future.” CumulusPowerTM known for its “9 nines” (99.9999999%) system availability and low total cost of ownership through its Maximum Efficiency Management (MEM) and low losses of energy, has now been installed in datacenters and comms rooms in over 60 countries across five continents. More than 50 MW of critical power loads are now protected with CumulusPowerTM in locations across the world including: the UK, Singapore, Australia, Germany, Spain, the Czech Republic and now the Channel Islands. For further information please see: www.centiel.co.uk