Every industry faces its own challenges when it comes to grappling with emerging innovations & technologies, even the construction sector. Although many whom work in the industry would say the construction world embraces change, inevitably, there are more pressing realities which can disrupt this idyll; including financial cost, ‘value engineering’
Organisers of Facilities Scotland, the only free-to-attend b2b exhibition dedicated to Scotland’s FM and workplace sector, have announced leading FM companies who will be exhibiting at the event which returns to the SEC, Glasgow on the 12 – 13 September 2018. Stannah Lifts, Viridor, Clockwork IT, Harrowgreen, Work Pal and
Simons Group has been awarded the contract for building the second phase of the new Circle Health private hospital in Birmingham’s medical quarter in Edgbaston. The Lincoln-based contractor is currently on site at the former BBC Pebble Mill studio location, working on phase 1 of the build. This new award
THE money a secondary school is expected to save by taking small steps to become more eco-friendly will be pumped back into the curriculum – benefiting more than 1,200 students in Lincoln. More than 1,600 LED lights are being installed at the North Kesteven Academy – in North Hykeham –
Developers working on the redevelopment of Lakeshore in South Bristol have reached a major milestone at the new £20m Copper Building today – a 170m long structure which will soon flank the Northern boundary of the former Imperial Tobacco site. Joint venture partners, and developers of the building Urban Splash
Integrated building solutions company J Tomlinson has solidified its growth across Yorkshire with the opening of a new support office in Wakefield and the creation of 60 new jobs. The expansion follows a number of significant contract wins and a surge in the number of new staff employed in the
Automated transport and logistics technology could be adopted on a wide scale at UK airports in the future. A report commissioned by Aberdeen Standard Investment’s AIPUT fund (Airport Industrial and Property Unit Trust) produced jointly by specialist UK aviation real estate consultancy, ChappellKing and Dornier Consulting International GmbH, explores the potential
Top fenestration specialist Sidey is a finalist in The VIBES – Scottish Environment Business Awards, recognising its commitment to the environment. Sidey is the only finalist in fenestration for the Environmental Management SME category. All the others are in food and drink with the shortlist including a flour producer, malt
The final call for potential speakers from within the construction industry, who are willing to share their knowledge, experience and lesson’s learned with their industry peers at Aberdeen’s first construction conference, will take place at an evening reception at CMS on Tuesday 14th August, 6-7.30pm. The main purpose of the
Anderton Concrete says it is ‘bucking the industry trend’ for long delivery times, thus ensuring its customers’ projects are not delayed. By comparison with timber – which has a reported waiting time of two months according to recent research from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) and is commonly used for
Every industry faces its own challenges when it comes to grappling with emerging innovations & technologies, even the construction sector. Although many whom work in the industry would say the construction world embraces change, inevitably, there are more pressing realities which can disrupt this idyll; including financial cost, ‘value engineering’ and tight timescales. At large, the construction world steady, both in terms of commercial and residential builds. To ensure the sector doesn’t swamp itself in its own projects, new technologies (aka methods and products) are becoming more necessary in order to lighten workloads. One of the biggest challenges in the construction industry is miscommunication, where new innovations are a potential solution to reducing this issue. Not just exclusive to construction, miscommunication draws out projects and can cause problems to arise. Some examples of miscommunication in construction include: the wrong product is ordered as a contractor misread an illegible hand, or the product information might be completely at odds with what was specified originally. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is doing a great job tackling these examples. With BIM, different contractors working on a single project can share and access product information all through a 3D model of the construction. Whilst mistakes do happen, it is high time that technologies such as BIM are implemented across the board to prevent the likelihood of mistakes occurring through miscommunication. Necessitating these approaches is all well and good, providing the technologies are cost-efficient. Contractors are more than happy to adopt the new advancements as long as they are a worthwhile investment. This means that the products themselves should be made to ensure longevity, sophistication, and cost-effectiveness in equal measure. Contractors are more likely to use new products if they meet the above criteria. Should contractors be expected to pay a little more for a product, then the benefits must be recognisable. For instance, if a contractor has to choose between a cheap, slow application process or a more expensive, weather-resilient and faster application process, , then they will go for the latter, particularly as the more refined adhesive will save time and labour costs. To an extent, it is important to look at the larger picture when buying new products. Products including Sika-Trocal® Spray Adhesives cost a little more than traditional methods but save time on labour, balancing out project costs. That means contractors get the more premium product for the job whilst still saving hours. Sika-Trocal® Spray Adhesives, including C-400, are less labour-intensive and reduce wear-and-tear on the operative, making for an easy and less time-consuming application. Using new products and technologies for the first time can be alienating. In order for clients to get the best out of their products, Sika-Trocal® provides comprehensive training courses at site and management levels. For the construction industry to keep pace with exponential building demands, quick-drying but cost-effective products are a complete priority. Sika-Trocal® ensures all angles are covered when creating new technologies, ensuring clients have a full understanding of how to maximise the potential of great products.
Organisers of Facilities Scotland, the only free-to-attend b2b exhibition dedicated to Scotland’s FM and workplace sector, have announced leading FM companies who will be exhibiting at the event which returns to the SEC, Glasgow on the 12 – 13 September 2018. Stannah Lifts, Viridor, Clockwork IT, Harrowgreen, Work Pal and Nurture Landscapes are just a handful of the UK’s leading facilities manufacturers and suppliers that are attending this year’s event. They join safety and fire safety companies who will also be exhibiting at the co-located events Health & Safety Scotland and Facilities Scotland. All three events are part of the Scotland Works series, which provides a unique opportunity for professionals to access 150+ exhibiting companies and four streams of professional content dedicated to helping them maintain a safe, secure and cost-effective business – all with one free visitor badge. In addition to the plethora of exhibiting companies, visitors to Facilities Scotland will gain access to a free-to-attend CPD accredited professional seminar programme under the theme ‘Building the Scottish FM powerhouse’. The programme features a series of talks from prominent voices from Scotland’s facilities industry who will discuss and debate latest trends shaping the FM market in the region. Tim Else, Director from event organiser Western Business Exhibitions comments, “We are delighted at the quality of exhibiting companies that are taking part in this year’s event.” “Visitors will be able to meet these brands face-to-face and get bespoke advice for their business. It is the ideal platform for FM’s to combine a year’s worth of education and supplier sourcing into just two days.” Free visitor registration is now open at www.facilitiesevents.com
Simons Group has been awarded the contract for building the second phase of the new Circle Health private hospital in Birmingham’s medical quarter in Edgbaston. The Lincoln-based contractor is currently on site at the former BBC Pebble Mill studio location, working on phase 1 of the build. This new award brings the total contract to £33.5m and, when complete, will be the second largest private hospital in the UK. The hospital is based on an expandable model which can be adapted and expanded to meet clinical demand now and in the future. Phase 1, which includes three operating theatres (expandable to six), an endoscopy procedure room, and 18 in-patient bedrooms, is due to complete in March 2019. Work is already underway on Phase 2, a dedicated rehabilitation centre, which is expected to be complete in July next year. “We are delighted that our relationship with Medical Properties Trust and Circle Health is going from strength to strength,” said Simons Chief Executive Tom Robinson. “Being awarded with the next stage in this fantastic project is testament to the progress and quality of the work already undertaken on Phase 1. The hospital is going to be a great addition to Birmingham’s renowned Medical Quarter and a project of which we will all be exceptionally proud.” Paolo Pieri, CEO of Circle Health, said: “This rehabilitation facility is a game-changer in UK healthcare, bringing the latest technology and the proven European methodology for accelerating the care of neurological patients, and also for those who have undergone surgery on bones and joints. “When Circle Birmingham Hospital opens next year, it will deliver a truly state-of-the-art experience, combining leading doctors with the most advanced equipment, and rapidly become the must-go location for planned surgery. No one will be in any doubt that Birmingham is a global centre of excellence for healthcare.”
THE money a secondary school is expected to save by taking small steps to become more eco-friendly will be pumped back into the curriculum – benefiting more than 1,200 students in Lincoln. More than 1,600 LED lights are being installed at the North Kesteven Academy – in North Hykeham – during the summer holidays by Lincolnshire-based Greenio, a company that specialises in the installation and maintenance of renewable energy systems. Once completed, the project will offer savings of over 125,000kg of carbon dioxide per year – saving the school more than £270,000 over the next 15 years, or almost £25,000 annually. Paul Allison, head of finance at North Kesteven Academy, said: “Our students and 150 members of staff will return to the school in September to a brighter and better working environment. “It is a pleasure to be working with Greenio as it is a local company that has a great track record of delivering renewable projects, specifically in the education sector in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. Our governors instantly gained confidence in Greenio that we would see required savings in what is, for us, the largest one-off project on our site in the last five years – especially at a time when funding for the sector is under great pressure. “We enjoy some outstanding facilities at North Kesteven Academy and are proud of our breadth of curriculum and the opportunities presented to our students, especially in the performing arts. The money we will save from this project can be ploughed back into building on this.” Using an innovative funding model, the installation is cost neutral, with the school paying the difference in savings for the duration of a five-year payback period in order to cover the capital cost of the equipment. Anna Wooster, managing director of Greenio, said: “We have been working with the North Kesteven Academy since the beginning of 2016 so we are looking forward to helping the school take steps to become more eco-friendly over the summer holidays. “We’d also like to thank Paul Allison for his hard work on what is the biggest project the school has seen over the past five years. He took the scheme on when he first started at the academy over 12 months ago, taking it through the multiple different stages before getting it finalised and signed off by the governors. He has been a big driving force in making this happen, which will have a major benefit to Lincoln pupils for decades to come. “LED lamps have revolutionised energy-efficient lighting, taking over from incandescent and standard fluorescent tubes. Customers can enjoy the benefits of a system that delivers significant savings in fuel costs and carbon emissions as LEDs consume up to 90% less power than incandescent bulbs. “Schools changing their lightbulbs will always be in a positive position as there are no upfront costs. We have been involved in dozens of educational projects since we started in 2013 and many schools have bought new equipment such as laptops and books with the money they have saved. Others have invested in their staff development and even hired extra members of staff.” Greenio, based in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, is now starting to work with local councils across the UK to reach out to schools and offer them cost-saving heating and electrical solutions. Anna added: “Our engineers will be working at North Kesteven Academy throughout the summer holidays, however for previous educational projects, we have worked during term times, including late out-of-hours shifts, to ensure the smoothest transition and ensure no classes are interrupted.” To learn more about this project, or to find out how you can improve your carbon footprint and save money, contact Greenio on 0800 810 0565.
Developers working on the redevelopment of Lakeshore in South Bristol have reached a major milestone at the new £20m Copper Building today – a 170m long structure which will soon flank the Northern boundary of the former Imperial Tobacco site. Joint venture partners, and developers of the building Urban Splash and Places for People, alongside architect Nick Brown of Ferguson Mann, gathered on the roof of the new structure to mark the “topping out” construction milestone, which sees the 7-storey building now at its highest point. Copper Building will offer 136 new apartments for local people, many of which will be launched for sale next month. Guy Ackernley is director of residential sales at Urban Splash – the company who restored the original Grade II Listed Cor-Ten building at the site, before turning its attentions to the land where the factory once stood. Speaking at today’s event he said: “It’s been quite the milestone reaching the building’s highest point and being able to enjoy some stunning views of the 10 acres of gardens and a panoramic aspect of the surrounding area too.” Added Mary Parsons, Places for People: “Our working partnership with Urban Splash continues to flourish and I am delighted that we’ve marked another achievement today as we strive to bring more beautifully designed new homes to South Bristol.” Designed by Ferguson Mann, the architecture practice founded by former Bristol Mayor George Ferguson, the new building draws its inspiration from the nearby orchards whilst also reflecting the designs of the original Skidmore, Owings and Merrill Cor-Ten building. Nick Brown from the practice explained: “Clad in copper, the building’s warm exterior complements its adjacent Cor-ten steel cousin – the original ‘70s building – across the way. We’ve revived the original connection of the two buildings with a new entranceway that opens up a view down to the original structure, echoing that now lost connection between the factory and office. Ultimately, by designing a new building which very much has a relationship with the existing one, we’ve certainly enhanced this already awesome community.” Elaborating on the autumn sales event – which will take place on Saturday 29th September – Guy concluded: “The homes here are going to be very special with the entire South façade featuring fully glazed balconies overlooking the original building, lake and vast outdoor space. They really are set to be stunning properties. We cannot wait to bring these much anticipated homes to market in September, before welcoming our residents next year.” Residents moving into the building next year will benefit from 10 acres of gardens as well as being in close proximity to the centre of Bristol. Anyone wishing to register their interest ahead of the sales launch should email live@urbansplash.co.uk or visit https://www.urbansplash.co.uk/blog/designing-lakeshores-copper-building for more information.
Integrated building solutions company J Tomlinson has solidified its growth across Yorkshire with the opening of a new support office in Wakefield and the creation of 60 new jobs. The expansion follows a number of significant contract wins and a surge in the number of new staff employed in the region by the contractor. As well as being appointed to deliver repairs and maintenance works by social landlord, emh homes, at the beginning of the year, J Tomlinson has also begun working in partnership with Home Group – one of the largest housing associations in the UK. The Nottingham-based company was appointed as repairs and maintenance contractor for Home Group’s Yorkshire region in April. The contract, which includes gas servicing, will see J Tomlinson working in partnership with Home Group to support the housing association’s continued commitment to ‘providing a quality repairs and maintenance service’ for its customers. The contract officially commenced on June 1st, with J Tomlinson working across a significant geographical coverage comprising over 5,000 properties stretching from Keighley, West Yorkshire, to Scarborough, East Yorkshire. To support the Yorkshire extension, the business has opened a new office in Wakefield, located off Junction 40 at Silkwood Park. It is the third office for J Tomlinson, which launched a West Midlands regional office in Canwell, near Sutton Coldfield, in 2016. Martin Ardron, operations director (pictured back right), commented: “J Tomlinson has a wide range of existing partnerships across Yorkshire, and – over the years – has opened a number of smaller depots to support the delivery of existing contracts. We are pleased to have inhabited a new base at Wakefield, which not only marks significant growth of the business, but also represents the beginning of what we hope to be an excellent relationship with Home Group and its Yorkshire-based residents.” During the contract mobilisation period, the company recruited 60 new staff from office-based Customer Liaison Officers (CLOs) to skilled tradespeople. One such employee is 25-year-old Adam Barker who joins the company as an Apprentice Electrician having recently started his fourth year of studying for an NVQ Level 3 diploma in Installing Electrotechnical Systems and Equipment. Adam commented: “I’m looking forward to my time at J Tomlinson, I’ve been made to feel very welcome already. I feel that J Tomlinson will provide the support I need to finish my apprenticeship.” Margarita Morrison, director of maintenance at Home Group, said: “We’re really pleased to be working with J Tomlinson. This new appointment forms part of our commitment to continuously improving the quality of services for our customers when it comes to maintenance and repairs. We’re confident J Tomlinson will help us offer the best service possible.” Other Yorkshire-based clients of multi-service company J Tomlinson include North Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Housing Association and East Riding Council. J Tomlinson, which was founded in the 1950s, is based in Nottingham and works primarily across the West Midlands, East Midlands and Yorkshire, increased its turnover from £74 million in 2016 to £87 million in 2017. It employs more than 400 people. It provides a range of integrated building solutions including construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical services (M&E), and facilities management, and works across all major sectors, including healthcare, social housing, student accommodation, commercial and industrial. For more information about J Tomlinson, visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk.
Automated transport and logistics technology could be adopted on a wide scale at UK airports in the future. A report commissioned by Aberdeen Standard Investment’s AIPUT fund (Airport Industrial and Property Unit Trust) produced jointly by specialist UK aviation real estate consultancy, ChappellKing and Dornier Consulting International GmbH, explores the potential efficiency gains from automation across airport-related functions such as cargo-handling and logistics operations, as well as passenger transportation both to and within airports. This includes London’s Heathrow, which recently received the formal support of Parliament for its third runway plans. Nick Smith, AIPUT fund manager, said: “Autonomous technology promises enormous benefits to airports and the service companies that support them, transforming the way airports work and improving efficiency and safety, both for passengers and other airport users. At Gatwick, for example, 90 per cent of the airport’s airside vehicles are stationary at any one time, which is both hugely inefficient and demands a vast amount of space. A much smaller pool of electric-powered autonomous vehicles would drastically cut costs, free up land, reduce emissions, and improve safety. In Düsseldorf, a newly developed robotic car parking system has demonstrated a 60 per cent reduction in required parking space compared with human drivers. He added: “Airports and airport real estate providers need to be ready for the introduction of automated technology as soon as operational and safety regulations permit. AIPUT intends to stay ahead of the curve by embracing automation, working with our tenants and partners to build autonomous technology into our site masterplans; which we believe will adapt and future-proof our UK estate assets, ensuring that our clients’ buildings and facilities will be able to accommodate and benefit fully from the rapid development of autonomous technology.” Trials of a variety of autonomous technological applications have already taken place at several UK airports, says the report. The first trials of automated airside vehicles have been completed at Heathrow in collaboration with IAG Cargo and Oxbotica. Gatwick, meanwhile, recently became the first airport in the world to trial the use of autonomous vehicles to shuttle staff across the airfield, demonstrating that autonomous vehicles can operate safely in highly complex airfield environments. This winter in Norway an autonomous snowplough was tested at Fagernes Airport – a single machine was able to clear an area of 68 acres in an hour. Autonomous technology increases the precision with which snowploughs operate, improving safety during the removal of snow and while driving in formation and low visibility, says the study. The UK Government has signalled its support for the industry, with the announcement of £22.4 million of funding under the Industrial Strategy for off-road self-driving vehicles, which it believes will revolutionise productivity in a range of sectors, including mining, ports and airports. As in many other fields of technological development, airports provide the test bed for a plethora of different autonomous applications, say the researchers. AIPUT, which currently holds two million square feet of buildings at Heathrow, dedicated to supporting the airport’s freight and logistics service providers states that it will ensure “it is at the forefront of planning for and providing the cutting-edge facilities that greater automation will require”.
Top fenestration specialist Sidey is a finalist in The VIBES – Scottish Environment Business Awards, recognising its commitment to the environment. Sidey is the only finalist in fenestration for the Environmental Management SME category. All the others are in food and drink with the shortlist including a flour producer, malt whisky distillery, and a deli. “Being a finalist in these awards is testament to the focus we have put on the environment over the last ten years,” says Robert Fitzpatrick, Group Accreditations Manager-HSQE at Sidey. “Our results are impressive. Today we have zero landfill from our manufacturing facilities and between 90 and 100 percent recyclable recoverable waste, which is a massive improvement from the eight-to-nine percent ten years ago. “We first achieved 100 percent recycling from manufacturing waste in 2015 and have maintained it every year since. Now we operate lean manufacturing processes where waste is seen as bad and non-productive.” Sidey‘s commitment to sustainability is backed up by an impressive array of environmental certification. It was one of the first window manufacturers in the UK to get ISO14001:2015 and has ISO 9001:2015 and OHSAS 18001:2007. Sidey is also one of the only companies in the UK with the latest BS 8213-4:2016 standard for Survey and Installation. Finalists for The VIBES have been selected across nine individual award categories. They aim to recognise the different ways organisations are implementing environmental best practice in their daily activity. Bob Downes, chair of SEPA and head of The VIBES judging panel, adds: “The VIBES – Scottish Environment Business Awards are a great chance to recognise business leadership in sustainable environmental investment. This is at the core of SEPA’s One Planet Prosperity regulatory strategy. New approaches for delivering environmental improvements provide businesses with opportunities to enhance their sustainability and economic performance. “The Awards celebrate businesses which are already stepping up to this challenge and are leading by example and are an excellent opportunity to recognise and reward these companies for going beyond “business as usual” and driving sustainable growth through innovation. It is very encouraging to see so many of Scotland’s businesses leading the way and making a difference which will not only support the environment but also protect their bottom line. I would like to congratulate each of this year’s finalists and wish them luck for November’s ceremony.”
The final call for potential speakers from within the construction industry, who are willing to share their knowledge, experience and lesson’s learned with their industry peers at Aberdeen’s first construction conference, will take place at an evening reception at CMS on Tuesday 14th August, 6-7.30pm. The main purpose of the event is to officially launch Build It Aberdeen, a conference and exhibition being organised by Mearns & Gill in partnership with The Aberdeen Association of Construction Professionals, Aberdeen Society of Architects, Aberdeen Association of Civil Engineers, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and Women in Property. Build It Aberdeen, which takes place on the 30th November at AECC, and which has the theme ‘Building the Future Together’, aims to directly address some of the challenges currently being faced by the industry. Speakers are invited to share details of educational and inspiring case studies and projects, along with new innovations and solutions, each helping to put the North-East construction and property industry on the map. The full conference programme will be released in early September, with speakers from Aberdeen City Council, Construction Industry Training Board, Construction Scotland Innovation Centre, Equate, Homes for Scotland and The Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment already confirmed. Michelle Forth, Director at Safety Scotland and Chairwoman of the Build It conference committee said “We are absolutely delighted with the support that Build it Aberdeen has already received from individuals and businesses across the North-east. The positive response has reinforced our view that it is the right time for us to come together as an industry, to share our experiences, skills and lessons learned, and to begin looking at building the future of North-east construction together.” “Collectively, we are already aware that we need to address issues such as the skills-gap, and a reluctance to embrace innovation within construction, and the launch event on the 14th of August will give companies the opportunity to see what role they can play at the inaugural conference on 30th November. We will also be sharing details of some of the key speakers that we have confirmed for the conference, as well doing the last push for potential presentations.” Spaces at this event are now limited, and if you would like to secure yours, please email isla.stewart@mearns-gill.com by Friday 3rd August.
Anderton Concrete says it is ‘bucking the industry trend’ for long delivery times, thus ensuring its customers’ projects are not delayed. By comparison with timber – which has a reported waiting time of two months according to recent research from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) and is commonly used for fencing projects – Anderton Concrete, part of Ibstock plc, can deliver to customers within 2-3 days from ordering. This allows Anderton to provide its customers with continuity of supply so they can take advantage of the sales opportunities which come their way. This will place them in a competitive position as the traditional sales season looks set to be extended thanks to the recent good weather. Shaun Forrester, Sales Director at Anderton Concrete, comments: “It is well known that there are longer waiting times for popular building products. We are bucking this trend and are continuing to deliver to our customers within 2-3 days of their order being placed. We are able to achieve this thanks to our strategic growth plan. Whilst we continue to invest in our production facilities, we only take on new customers when we are satisfied we have the capacity to meet their requirements, from this we can ensure our customers have continuity of supply and know that their next delivery is only a few days away as promised. “We are expecting a strong third quarter for sales and with this in mind we are advising our customers to plan ahead to ensure orders and deliveries are met efficiently. We have a proven track record of supplying precast concrete products to the construction industry, and our customers know they can reply us to give them the products they need, when they need them.”