Knauf is thrilled to announce its sponsorship of the Construction Excellence SECBE Awards 2024. The prestigious regional awards, renowned for its commitment to recognising excellence and innovation in the construction industry across London and the South East, are set to take place on June 27th 2024. As a returning sponsor,
Following the announcement of Glazpart’s Link Vent 4000 shortlisting for three awards at the Building Performance Awards organised by The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), the Glazpart team is now looking forward to attending the prestigious awards event in London on 29th February. Dean Bradley, Glazpart Sales Director
Baxi is set to unveil its district heating and thermal solutions portfolio that will help support the anticipated growth of UK heat networks at Futurebuild 2024. The exhibition, which takes place from 5-7 March at ExCeL London, is one of the built environment sector’s biggest events. The exhibition aims to
Groupe Atlantic companies Ideal Heating – Commercial Products and ACV UK will be joining forces again at this year’s Specifi Mechanical Services events being held across the breadth of Great Britain. Under their ‘Experts Together’ banner, Ideal Heating and ACV will be exhibiting at twelve of the Specifi shows, including Bristol,
LABC has showcased projects that demonstrate high quality, and exemplary standards in construction at an industry event in London attended by more than 900 leading industry figures. A panel of industry experts at the LABC Building Excellence Awards Grand Finals judged the highest quality projects, professionals, and teams from around
MCI Developments, a subsidiary of the national top 10 housebuilder Keepmoat, is celebrating after four of its employees were awarded seven coveted construction industry accolades in just 12 months. The team of individuals – who all work as site managers for MCI Developments across the North West – received Quality
A host of new features, interactive demos, international pavilions from across the globe, and a charity Gumball Rally across the country have all been announced by the organisers of the UK’s largest event for the built environment, UK Construction Week (UKCW), which makes a welcome return to London’s ExCeL from
The Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades (AEMT) was delighted to have returned to Coventry on the evening of Thursday 23rd October for the staging of its 6th Annual Awards Ceremony. With a record number of submissions across the seven categories, this year’s programme again produced some truly exceptional entries
With just a month to go until the doors open, UK Construction Week Birmingham will feature a dedicated focus to the sector on its very doorstep – the West Midlands. From 3rd-5th October, visitors to the NEC can expect to see the West Midlands’ finest construction and manufacturing companies, not
The Business Sprinkler Alliance (BSA) was delighted to support and raise awareness of sprinklers at the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) Built Environment Conference Series, taking place in Cardiff and Salford in June 2023. Following the theme of Performance, Compliance and Safety, CABE’s Built Environment England and Wales Conferences
Knauf is thrilled to announce its sponsorship of the Construction Excellence SECBE Awards 2024. The prestigious regional awards, renowned for its commitment to recognising excellence and innovation in the construction industry across London and the South East, are set to take place on June 27th 2024. As a returning sponsor, Knauf is particularly honoured to support the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) category. This category seeks to celebrate organisations and projects that demonstrate outstanding commitment to social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Knauf’s sponsorship of this category is testament to its own dedication to environmental and social responsibility. Knauf’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond sponsorship of the SECBE Awards. Knauf actively engages in initiatives designed to minimise environmental impact and support social causes by delivering to its customers, an accredited waste management service called ‘Knauf – Plasterboard Take Back Scheme’ through its partner Encore. Giving customers access to initiatives such as ProjectDIVERT, and Waste Wise Kids to divert waste from landfills and educate children on environmental conservation in local communities. The SECBE Awards has always been hallmarked by its rigorous judging process, ensuring that only the most deserving projects and organisations are recognised. As sponsors of the ESG category, Knauf is excited to be part of the judging panel and looks forward to hearing the inspiring stories and innovative solutions from participants. Emma Delaney, HR & Sustainability Director at Knauf, said: “We are eager to see the remarkable contributions and achievements within the ESG category. At Knauf, we are deeply committed to sustainability and corporate responsibility. Sponsoring the ESG category aligns perfectly with our company’s values and vision, and we are proud to support initiatives that promote positive change within our industry and communities.” Knauf extends its best wishes to all participants and invites industry colleagues to join them at the Annual Awards Ceremony Dinner on June 27th, 2024. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Following the announcement of Glazpart’s Link Vent 4000 shortlisting for three awards at the Building Performance Awards organised by The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), the Glazpart team is now looking forward to attending the prestigious awards event in London on 29th February. Dean Bradley, Glazpart Sales Director enthused, “Just to be a finalist in three awards for best product innovation for building performance is quite exceptional in its own right. The Link Vent 4000 is not only an essential product that is in much demand in our industry, but it is also now being recognised for its contribution to homeowners’ wellbeing and for the difference it makes to the quality of their lives when living in their homes.” As the only glass or glazing product to be shortlisted in this year’s awards, Glazpart’s Link Vent 4000 has been nominated for three “Best Product Innovation” awards in the following categories: Wellbeing, Air Quality and Thermal Comfort. The Link Vent 4000 has proved to be an important addition to Glazpart’s trickle vent range since it was launched in 2022 in time for the Building Regulations’ changes to Approved Document F (ventilation). Its design and easy control mechanism, as well as its availability in a vast range of colours and finishes has made the Link Vent 4000 an extremely popular choice for fabricators, installers and homeowners – especially for windows and doors of smaller rooms such as kitchens, bathrooms, hallways and utility rooms. The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) is the professional body that advances and promotes the art, science and practice of building services engineering. CIBSE also supports the community of built environment professionals in their pursuit of excellence. The CIBSE Building Performance Awards always attracts high quality entries and a diverse selection of projects, companies, people and products from across the building industry. The annual event showcases the achievements of companies and individuals who develop strategies for refurbishment and energy-efficient operation of existing buildings, design new buildings that operate more effectively and develop the products and systems that support them. Those shortlisted included detailed evidence which demonstrated actual measured performance and not just design intent or performance specifications. Dean Bradley summarised, “We are looking forward to the awards event in a few weeks and flying the flag for the glazing industry. It promises to be a great occasion.” Winners from the shortlisted entries will be announced at the CIBSE Building Performance Awards on Thursday 29 February 2024, at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London. For more information on the Awards, please visit the awards website. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Baxi is set to unveil its district heating and thermal solutions portfolio that will help support the anticipated growth of UK heat networks at Futurebuild 2024. The exhibition, which takes place from 5-7 March at ExCeL London, is one of the built environment sector’s biggest events. The exhibition aims to highlight the advancements in technologies and applications that can drive improved sustainability and heat decarbonisation. With no one-size-fits-all solution to decarbonising homes and buildings, heat networks have been identified as an essential part of the UK’s pathway towards its 2050 net zero commitment. On Stand K19, in Futurebuild’s Heat Network Zone, Baxi will showcase its thermal substations that can be provided along with pre-engineered low carbon packaged energy centres by its specialist prefabrication business, Baxi Packaged Solutions. Visitors to the stand will have the opportunity to discuss the full breadth of Baxi heating and hot water solutions that can be tailored to meet customer requirements to support the transition to low carbon heat. Stephen Hart, Baxi’s Sales Director – Integrated Thermal Solutions, will also take part in Futurebuild’s panel discussion on Innovations in the District Energy Sector for 2024 on Wednesday 6th March. An established champion of district heating, Stephen has 24 years’ experience in promoting energy efficient hydronic heating and cooling systems across 40 countries, including market leading control valve technology from Denmark and heat interface hardware and software from the Netherlands. He now heads Baxi’s Integrated Thermal Solutions business which combines Baxi’s wide portfolio of low carbon heating and hot water brands, its extensive service and maintenance capability and offsite manufacturing experience from its Baxi Packaged Solution division. Stephen said: “Futurebuild is a huge event within the building services calendar. It’s a fantastic chance for industry experts to discuss the latest innovations and advances as well as explore ways of partnering with companies like Baxi to accelerate the growth of heat networks. We look forward to lively discussions on the best ways of driving the energy transition and making heat decarbonisation a reality. See you on Stand K19!” To register to attend, visit Futurebuild.co.uk and to find out more on Baxi Packaged Solutions, see Baxi.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Groupe Atlantic companies Ideal Heating – Commercial Products and ACV UK will be joining forces again at this year’s Specifi Mechanical Services events being held across the breadth of Great Britain. Under their ‘Experts Together’ banner, Ideal Heating and ACV will be exhibiting at twelve of the Specifi shows, including Bristol, Birmingham, Nottingham, Liverpool, London, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, and Cardiff. In line with the more informal nature of the Specifi events, where networking and knowledge sharing are the focus, experienced Specification Managers from Ideal Heating and ACV will be providing visitors with invaluable advice to help them achieve their desired heating and hot water outcomes. With much focus on decarbonisation of commercial heating, Ideal Heating will be concentrating on low carbon technologies, including heat pumps and heat networks. The company launched ECOMOD – its first commercial monobloc air source heat pumps – in 2022 and is set to expand this range in 2024. Visitors to the events wishing to learn more about low carbon technologies can sign up for one or more of Ideal Heating’s CIBSE accredited CPD seminars, including the recently introduced ‘Heat Pumps – Technology and Principles’ and ‘Heat Networks and Heat Interface Units.’ Each CPD is an hour long and can be delivered online or in person at one of Ideal’s Centres of Excellence or at the person’s office. In keeping with the events’ focus on decarbonisation, ACV will be promoting its range of wall hung and floor standing electric boilers, the ‘E-Tech’ range, which can be used as a back up for heat pump heating systems. The team will also be on hand to discuss any hot water requirements. Commenting on the decision to return to the Specifi events in 2024, Richard Brown, Head of Specification Sales for Ideal Heating – Commercial Products, says: “I’m really pleased that Ideal Heating are supporting Specifi for another year, alongside ACV. These events give us a great opportunity to meet with specifiers and engineers from a variety of backgrounds and understand the design challenges they face; it’s very much a two way flow of information. Specifi provides the perfect opportunity to discuss our heating and hot water solutions further and how we can help overcome challenging system design.” Pre-registration for the Specifi events is essential. For more information on the location and times, plus to register for free attendance, go to https://www.specifi.co.uk/. For more information on Ideal Heating – Commercial Products, visit: https://www.idealcommercialheating.co.uk/ and for ACV UK go to www.acv.com/gb Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
LABC has showcased projects that demonstrate high quality, and exemplary standards in construction at an industry event in London attended by more than 900 leading industry figures. A panel of industry experts at the LABC Building Excellence Awards Grand Finals judged the highest quality projects, professionals, and teams from around England and Wales to showcase solutions to complex technical or construction issues, site constraints and technical innovation. One of the unique aspects of the awards is their recognition of the vital contribution public sector building control teams make as part of the project team in all manner of projects, from individual housing extensions to large housing developments. To this end, winners in the ‘place’ categories included nationally significant projects such as the conversion of Battersea Power Station, as well as residential projects including the conversion of Smithy Cottage in Yorkshire, and the high-volume new housing development of The Green in Devon alongside the small social housing development of Hen Orsaf in Gwynedd. Further categories included Best Non-residential New Build, won by Lancaster Energy Centre and Best Purpose-Built Accommodation, won by Eign Gate in Herefordshire. Smaller Build Projects Within smaller build projects, Best Individual New Home was awarded to Above Town in Devon and Best Residential Extension was taken by Whin Hill Road in South Yorkshire. Black Pheasant Barn in Suffolk took Best Residential Conversion to a Single New Home and Best Non-Residential Extension, Alteration, or Conversation was taken by Ince Benet in Merseyside. This year’s awards are especially timely thanks to new measures coming into force as part of the Building Safety Act. This includes professional registration of Building Control Professionals backed by competency assessments. LABC’s chief executive, Lorna Stimpson commented: “These awards showcase the breadth of projects that building control is involved in, each with their own building regulations and standards, as well as the skills and expertise needed in our industry to support them. “When Dame Judith Hackitt threw down the gauntlet to the whole construction industry in 2017, the building control sector was the first to focus on improving skills, proving its competence and bringing in new generations of talented workers. “The winning projects at this year’s Building Excellence Awards are shining examples of quality, professionalism, and high standards expected of registered professionals. They clearly demonstrate the progress made since 2017, as well as setting a bar for future projects to aspire to.” Criteria used to choose the winners included employing creative solutions to improve sustainability and energy efficiency, as well as cooperative team working. The Best Small New Housing Development was taken by Chestnuts, Hertfordshire, whilst the Best Medium Volume New Housing Development was named as St Mary’s Vale in Leeds. The Best Large Social Housing Development was the Former George Gay Gardens in Swindon. Entries for the 2024 Building Excellence Awards are now open. Find out more on the LABC website: www.labc.co.uk/awards Winning projects www.labc.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
MCI Developments, a subsidiary of the national top 10 housebuilder Keepmoat, is celebrating after four of its employees were awarded seven coveted construction industry accolades in just 12 months. The team of individuals – who all work as site managers for MCI Developments across the North West – received Quality on Site accolades in the Premier Guarantee Excellence Awards, which are handed out each month in recognition of developers who consistently deliver quality workmanship and site management. Award winners Mark King, Dan Cook, Jon Baldwin and Pete McGuinness manage MCI Developments sites in Leigh, Ellesmere Port, Oldham and St. Helens. Mark was presented with three awards, Dan received two and Jon and Pete were awarded one each. The business, which delivers high quality affordable homes, also picked up the ‘Best Affordable Housing Scheme in the UK’ gong in the Premier Guarantee Excellence Awards for its Bridgwater Street site in Leigh, which is managed by Mark King. This award is judged by an independent panel of experts, who assess sites up and down the country. In addition to the award wins, MCI Developments has also recently been shortlisted for a duo of top industry accolades – ‘Best Affordable Housing Site Under £10 million’ in the Insider Housing Awards and ‘Homebuilder of the Year – Independent’ at the Affordable Housing Awards. Commenting on the award wins, Craig Murphy, Regional Managing Director at MCI Developments, said: “I’m extremely proud of the team who have received the ‘Quality on Site’ awards. These accolades recognise the quality, rigorous health and safety regulations and client satisfaction that everyone at MCI Development strives to achieve, day in and day out. The fact that seven awards have been picked up by four employees in just 12 months is a testament to the commitment, tenacity and hard work of our team to deliver the best possible homes for our partners. “We focus on creating high-quality, sustainable homes that our clients are proud of and from which they want to create thriving communities. We are proud to play a part in creating future homes for so many people.’’ MCI Developments is a specialist in land acquisition and has established relationships with strategic organisations including land agents, private landowners and the public sector. Its aim is to deliver affordable, quality, energy-efficient and sustainable housing alongside its partners in the North West to a large range of specifications, from smaller schemes to large, mixed-use projects. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A host of new features, interactive demos, international pavilions from across the globe, and a charity Gumball Rally across the country have all been announced by the organisers of the UK’s largest event for the built environment, UK Construction Week (UKCW), which makes a welcome return to London’s ExCeL from 7-9 May 2024. The multi award-winning show will see the debut of a new Live Demo Theatre; Skills and Training Hub; a construction-specific Recruitment Zone; new C-Suite Summits; a ‘Gumball Rally’ which finishes at UKCW London; a host of international exhibitors housed in pavilions from India, China, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Germany and France. UKCW London is once again co-located with Concrete Expo and The Offsite Show, as well as the UK’s premier event for the self-build sector, Grand Designs Live. New features at UKCW London include: Sam Patel, UKCW event director, commented: “Construction is a fast-paced and evolving industry, and so our show needs to reflect that – hence the new areas which focus on skills, training and recruitment to address the skills gap which we all know has been affecting the sector for a number of years.” Registration for UKCW London is now live (and free) through the new-look website. The London show is complemented by its sister event, UKCW Birmingham, which takes place at the NEC from October 1-3. The NEC was the birthplace of UK Construction Week in 2015 and the trade show has grown to become the UK’s largest built environment event. Details on the Birmingham programme of events and speakers will be announced in due course, but exhibition space is already filling up – to enquire for your business, contact Info@ukconstructionweek.com To find out more about both shows and to register for UKCW London for free, visit https://ukcw-london-2024.reg.buzz/cab-pr Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades (AEMT) was delighted to have returned to Coventry on the evening of Thursday 23rd October for the staging of its 6th Annual Awards Ceremony. With a record number of submissions across the seven categories, this year’s programme again produced some truly exceptional entries from right across the electro-mechanical arena. The Doubletree by Hilton, ideally situated at the M6/M69 intersection, once again played host to the gala presentation dinner, during which professional endeavour, product innovation, skills development, engineering prowess and service delivery were all acknowledged and celebrated. Operated by the AEMT and produced by Touchwave Media, the awards programme acknowledges the skill, effort and sheer dedication of the people and businesses serving today’s complex electrical and mechanical service, maintenance, and repair sector. With sponsorship provided by a host of leading industry names, well deserved industry-wide recognition was given to those businesses and individuals that are excelling in their professional endeavours. The 2023 AEMT Awards Winners are as follows: – PRODUCT OF THE YEAR Sponsored by DFA MEDIA GROUP Menzel Motors: Pressurized Explosion Proof Motors for Zone 1 Customers that operate larger Motors in Hazardous Areas, typically refineries and chemical plants need to prevent ignitable gasses from entering operating machines. The Menzel system allows large Modular Motor operation in Zone 1 CACA or CACW, normally from 450mm frames and larger at all voltage ratings, combining Menzel’s well known flexibility, expertise, and speed of response with the requirements for Zone 1 Operation. Custom built to site requirements and highest safety standards. Highly qualified staff ensure that Menzel can respond at very short notice: With EXP systems in stock readily adaptable and deployable at short notice this is a unique feature for a medium-sized motor manufacturer such as Menzel. PROJECT OF THE YEAR Sponsored by EMiR SOFTWARE MKE Engineering Group: Browndown Pumping Station The project took place at a water utility company pumping station that was experiencing frequent tripping of equipment. Originally commissioned in the 1970’s it was in desperate need of an upgrade. Using ABB Ultra Low Harmonic drives potential issues with harmonics have been mitigated, whilst providing a clean user-friendly operating system. Feedback from the customer has been excellent, not for just the elimination of the rogue tripping but also for the sizeable energy savings. SERVICE CENTRE OF THE YEAR Sponsored by ABB Avonmouth Engineering Services Avonmouth Engineering Services’ custom built 70,000 square foot site is the largest single workshop facility for electrical and mechanical repairs in the UK. Alongside its second 20,000 square foot division in Cheltenham, the company provides an extensive range of inhouse and onsite services for the repair, overhaul, and upgrade of electromechanical technologies across the entire rotodynamic industry, with a special focus on reliability services and the pump industry. SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR Sponsored by MEGGER TEC Electric Motors TEC motors currently hold over £16 million pounds worth of Power Transmission stock in the UK, all available for immediate same day shipping; whether the requirement is a 0.09kw or a 645kw motor, a compact frame, a B56 or Brake motor, as UK’s largest independent electric motor stockist, TEC has the product. In over 18 years the company has sold over 1.5 million motors providing 24 hour, 365 days a year emergency solution to all AEMT members. CONTRIBUTION TO SKILLS & TRAINING Sponsored by SULZER Ian Pattinson: The Faraday Centre Ian, a devoted member of the Faraday Centre Limited for 23 years, began his engineering journey at English Electric, honing his expertise before transitioning to impactful roles at British Steel. Passionate about Power Distribution and Transformers, he later became a High Voltage lecturer dedicating himself to safety and education globally. Ian’s legacy encompasses exceptional teaching, consultancy, and an enduring commitment to shaping engineers and fostering a safety driven industry culture. RISING STAR AWARD Sponsored by TEC ELECTRIC MOTORS Josh Bottomley: EMiR Josh Bottomley is Team Manager for Hosted Services and EMiR Support. Josh manages a team of support engineers who provide technical and maintenance support for EMiR Software and EMiR-Cloud, the electro-mechanical industry’s leading ERP software solution. Over the last 4 years, Josh has gone from unqualified apprentice to EMiR Support Team Leader and now heads up a team of support engineers, inspiring them to perform at the highest levels and trying hard to improve our service every day. DIVERSITY IN ENGINEERING AWARD Sponsored by PREFORMED WINDINGS Hidrostal: Incorporating Avonmouth Engineering Services, Bedford Pumps & Hidrostal At Hidrostal GB, ED&I is embedded into its culture. From recruitment to career development, alongside everyday life at work, the company ensures that its employees feel supported, valued, and accommodated whatever their individual needs. As part of the UK Home Office sponsorship scheme, Hidrostal has a strong focus on wellbeing with EAP Programmes, MHFAiders and Wellness rooms onsite. Its Diversity & Equal Opportunities policy has been adopted by the AEMT as a blueprint for others. SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD Sponsored by AEMT Dave Beresford: Preformed Windings This year, the AEMT is honoured to recognise Mr. Dave Beresford with the AEMT Special Recognition Award for his exemplary performance throughout his career. He started his career as a time served winder back in the sixties progressing to works manager and took responsibility for moving his then business to Newcastle. He has conducted various roles including technical manager, technical sales, and coil shop manager. His sense of community is highlighted by the positive connections made all over the world. Just by mentioning his name you are bound to bring a smile to those who he has worked with and known throughout the decades. His dedication to sustainability and quality has led him to innovate techniques such as press cooling and chiller insulation when forming coils. These improved processes have led to increased efficiency and reduced waste. Most of all, his enthusiasm to share knowledge and educate apprentices, colleagues and customers alike really resonated with the AEMT’s management committee. It exemplifies the values the AEMT holds true to its heart – education, community, and quality. Commenting on the awards
With just a month to go until the doors open, UK Construction Week Birmingham will feature a dedicated focus to the sector on its very doorstep – the West Midlands. From 3rd-5th October, visitors to the NEC can expect to see the West Midlands’ finest construction and manufacturing companies, not only exhibiting but hosting networking events, holding demonstrations and staging seminars. Nathan Garnett, show director commented: “We want to be able to give visitors and exhibitors as much access to education, resources and innovation as possible. The great thing about the Birmingham show is we have so many incredible businesses and professionals in the West Midlands, that we are able to shine a real spotlight on local authorities in the construction and manufacturing industries.” FinditinBirmingham are one of this year’s show partners; an online search engine that connects global organisations to local businesses allowing them to engage with the local supply chain. This year they will host two networking events that take place before doors open to UKCW Birmingham itself, allowing visitors and exhibitors to meet local contractors and specialists. The first event takes place on Wednesday 5th October in collaboration with Lendlease; a global construction and real estate company. The second event will take place on Thursday 6th October with West Midlands Housing. Both networking events will be held between 8-10am. Register your interest on the FinditinBirmingham website. The MTC (Manufacturing Technology Center), based in Coventry, will be holding live demonstrations of the work it has done with large-scale ground-penetrating radar (GPR). This yellow, wedged shaped object assists with infrastructure asset management and scanning structures such as bridges and rail tunnels to inspect for subsurface defects with the help of the automation of data processing. This aims to improve quality, speed, and safety of inspection which provides greater objective insight into asset conditions and reduces time spent by examiner in hazardous environments. In the Offsite Alliance Hub, Birmingham Housing Week will be launching the city-wide MOBIE Schools Challenge with TV presenter and architect, George Clarke. To coincide with this, they will be running Hackathon workshops across the day to get their creative thinking started. Professionals and students will work with each group to help them collate and present their ideas in short, group thinking and design workshops. They will be asking the city’s young people, as future designers and creators of Birmingham’s next generation of housing, ‘What do you want from the future homes and communities in Birmingham?’ and exploring a range of topics and questions including: UKCW has also announced an extensive seminar and speaker programme to take place over its six stages. Keynote speakers include Andy Street, Mayor of West Midlands, who is due to take the Main Stage on 5th October to discuss The West Midlands and Manchester devolution and rebirth, the devolved future for the respective regions and the impacts on the built environment. Also on the Main Stage will be Deborah Cadman OBE, Chief Executive of Birmingham City Council, discussing the local authority’s collaboration with Birmingham Housing Week as she is interviewed by George Clarke about housing plans for the city. This will take place on opening day, Tuesday 3rd October. Coventry University will also be in attendance at UKCW Birmingham, offering visitors the chance to try their state-of-the-art training simulator. Here you can experience a virtual reality simulation of a real-life construction site, which can offer a range of scenarios to prepare future construction workers before entering the workforce. You will also find Midlands based exhibitors such as: Register for UKCW for free now UKCW Birmingham Registrations Follow us on social media @uk_cw #UKCW2023 Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Business Sprinkler Alliance (BSA) was delighted to support and raise awareness of sprinklers at the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) Built Environment Conference Series, taking place in Cardiff and Salford in June 2023. Following the theme of Performance, Compliance and Safety, CABE’s Built Environment England and Wales Conferences were held at Salford University and Cardiff Metropolitan University on the 20th and 22nd June. Attracting expert panels interacting with a wide range of construction and property sector professionals, the technical leadership conferences cover the key issues within the sector today, including building safety, construction materials, quality, performance and zero carbon within the built environment and all tailored to the key issues for audiences the UK regions. In Salford, the keynote address from the recently appointed Deputy Chief Inspector of buildings, Chris Griffin-McTiernan, shared an insight into the setting up of the new Building Safety Regulator (BSR) including the latest on the registration of high-rise residential buildings (HRBs), the new duty holding regimes, and the future regulation of the building control profession. A particular number that stuck out was that a third of consultations with the BSR over high rise buildings still raise a concern but this is an improvement over the past 12 months. It was perhaps reflected by the audience questions as to whether the market is changing or waiting for new instructions. Richard Harral, CABE’s Technical Director added to this by explaining the significant scope within the Building Safety Act, describing it as the largest piece of legislation since World War II. A fact that had not registered before now and signals the scale of the journey. The act brings clarity to the question of responsibility and emphasises the importance of understanding one’s role within the framework. Ray Quinn of BB7 gave an interesting insight into the role of the fire engineer and how that needs to progress. One element that caught the eye was how he highlighted the outcome of protecting people and property came together needed to be discussed and addressed. Perhaps more telling as people discussed safety was his strong line in that when all is said and done there is no point of “zero risk”. In both Salford and Cardiff there were sessions on the thorny subject of product regulation.The overriding sentiment was that products should deliver on their intended purpose when installed correctly, living up to their claims. Equally within that is the need for those selecting such products to understand their role within that process as designers. The mechanisms to deliver that are still developing. Other keynote speakers in Salford and Cardiff included Jon Vanstone (Chair of the Interim Competence Committee), Hanna Clarke (Digital and Policy Manager at CPA), Amanda Stubbs (Partner at Trowers & Hamlins) and Dr. Hywel Davies (Chief Technical Officer at CIBSE). Tom Roche, Secretary of the Business Sprinkler commented: “While continual progress was being made, the industry is still on a journey to the full implementation of regulatory change. The notion for waiting for everything to be clarified is just not practical in a sea of so much change. What we can see is how safeguarding people and property can form clear objectives.” Competency is central to the thinking on changing the construction and fire safety sectors, “it is essential to possess and maintain expertise in your area of specialism and acknowledge your limits.” These technical conferences gave the BSA the ideal platform to discuss the benefits of sprinklers to protect people and their property, and how active fire protection can play a role in sustainability. “We are delighted to lend our support to these regional events, where we can see education and knowledge are key,” said Tom Roche, Secretary of the Business Sprinkler Alliance. “It was very encouraging to see a greater understanding of the benefits and an increased adoption of sprinkler systems.” The Business Sprinkler Alliance advocates greater business resilience by enhancing protection against fire through the increased acceptance and use of fire sprinklers in commercial and industrial premises. For more information or to book a place at upcoming CABE regional events for Scotland on 6th September and Ireland on 19th September, visit https://www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org/events For more information about the Business Sprinkler Alliance visit www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
