The UK once played a starring role in producing some of the world’s most valuable fossil fuels and minerals, and while the ‘golden age’ of mining may be consigned to the past, mines continue to leave a legacy on the land. Historic mines have the potential to impact today’s developers,
Anderton Concrete provided the Crossrail line in Maidenhead with a pioneering railway cable theft deterrent aiming to offer protection and security. As the area was deemed to be at high risk from cable theft, the company several products to minimise this risk, including Ander-fin, Anderlite Troughing and Ander-Loc. Ander-fin has
The construction industry’s charity CRASH was called upon to help Emmaus Village Carlton, a charity in Bedfordshire that provides employment and social enterprise opportunities for former homeless people, make its customers feel welcome from the very moment they step onsite. ACO’s award winning ground reinforcement system was then chosen for
DB Cargo UK, the rail freight operator, will be opening their new 70,000 sq ft warehouse called Wolverhampton Logistics Centre this autumn. The centre will increase the current capability of storing and handling steel coils by 1,944 coils, giving a total capacity of 3,325 coils, which is 40,000 tonnes of
Opening its doors less than a year ago in Astley, only 10 miles from Manchester city centre, Jarvie Plant is already reporting a sharp return on the investment it made in its first depot in England. The Grangemouth-based firm acquired a 3-acre site on Chaddock Lane, employing up to 10
Terry Cooper has just been appointed as Energy Assets Utilities’ (EAU) new Operations Director for the South. EAU is one of the UK’s leading multi-utility network construction companies, providing gas, electricity and water utility networks for residential and industrial/commercial markets. Terry will now oversee the operational delivery of all site
Hub South West, an infrastructure partnership, has delivered the new £44 million Largs Campus, one of the biggest projects it has undertaken. Built by Morrison Construction, the new facility aims to start a new era in education in the Ayrshire coastal town. Largs Primary and St Mary’s, the primary schools
Whitemountain Quarries won a £15 million contract to build a 1 kilometre road with two bridges in the Somerset town of Bridgwater. The construction work will begin on the 4th of April and it will include an access road to serve the Colley Lane Industrial Estate in the town and
GRAHAM Construction’s ‘visionary’ approach to whole person development has been celebrated at the prestigious Highways England Health, Safety & Wellbeing Awards. Seeing off a host of industry-leading competition, GRAHAM’s CONNECT personal development programme was named the ‘Health and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year’ at a glittering ceremony on Wednesday (7th
Leading infrastructure services company FM Conway has been working with Trime UK limited to develop a smart lighting tower that sets a new bar in health and safety. In line with its focus on innovation, the business – which operates across London and the south of England – identified the
The UK once played a starring role in producing some of the world’s most valuable fossil fuels and minerals, and while the ‘golden age’ of mining may be consigned to the past, mines continue to leave a legacy on the land. Historic mines have the potential to impact today’s developers, property owners and purchasers, and if not identified early on during a project or sale, could wipe thousands off a land or home’s value. Historic mining activity is still affecting the modern property and land development market, and it’s not just in known mining hotspots such as Cornwall, with an estimated 150,000 abandoned mines across the UK – from Lands’ End to John O’Groats. Identifying and remediating mining risks can not only help in the construction of a safe development, property or public area, but can also play a significant role during sale negotiations if a mining search is conducted early enough – potentially saving hundreds of thousands of pounds. Paul Raglan, Managing Director, Mining Searches UK, outlines how and why mining searches are crucial in today’s property and land markets, and while often seen as an inconvenience, can play a vital role in not only mitigating risk and negotiating best price, but can be a fundamental factor during development design. Damage Limitation Mining searches are essential for any piece of land to determine whether there is evidence of historical mining activity beneath it, or in the surrounding areas. This is important even for areas where there are no obvious signs of mining as closed mines leave very little, if any, evidence on the surface, but still have the potential to cause major problems if not investigated. Mine workings commonly run long distances beneath the ground from mine shafts and extend beneath land that is due to be developed – as well as existing residential properties. These shafts and tunnels could potentially cave in if not properly dealt with, causing subsidence and damage to buildings above them – so it’s important that this is addressed before this situation arises to not only save further financial investment in the future, but to also safeguard the lives of those living above. Today, closed mines are capped and filled in to stabilise them and minimise risk, but old mine-shafts were not always dealt with in this way. Cases of old shafts collapsing and causing damage to houses are regularly reported, and while being an obvious risk to safety, can also dramatically reduce the value of land. To ensure land is purchased and sold at the best price, it can prove valuable to know the finer workings of the area in question, given sizeable sums of money are often at stake. Developers aware of land with a known mine, can potentially negotiate value down considerably – but only if they are willing to invest in further investigations and remediation. Once completed, this can potentially propel value up by over 100% dependent on location. Detailed Design There are also environmental issues associated with old mine workings. Topsoil containing dangerous, naturally-occurring elements such as arsenic may be present, which can dictate where various developments can or can’t take place. For example, areas with arsenic present are usually not suitable for home gardens or parks but are safe when surfaced with concrete, and can be used for car parks, playing fields or roads. Identification of these areas is key to not only minimise land wastage, but this information can better inform early development designs and plans, putting every available space to best use. Essential Expertise Before any negotiations, plans or exchanges take place, it is crucial to call the experts in. A team of specialists will check all available archived records of the land and surrounding areas – including Aerial surveys and Ordnance surveys, town plans, estates and maps, as well as using research from mining historians. Using all this information, a full risk assessment and conclusion should be provided as part of a detailed report. Where significant mining features are identified, ground investigation is recommended to clarify any associated risks. In the worst-case scenario, where investigation confirms the presence of mining features, property can be rendered unsuitable for mortgage and available for cash purchase only, often with a commensurate drop in value. It is always wise for developers of new communities to eliminate the risk of this happening from the start by ensuring that thorough mining searches have been conducted on any piece of land due for development, and not just those earmarked for residential areas. Some developers purchase land direct from construction or remediation companies, which have already taken steps to address mining concerns – including remediation – leaving developers free to press on with their plans. However, developers need to ensure that a trusted and industry recognised mining search organisation has been used by the seller, as well as requesting all certificates to ensure that the land is completely safe for commercial or residential construction. Although the results of a mining search can often uncover unwelcome information, knowledge really is power, and it is crucial to detect and fix potential problems before they occur. While many of the UK’s mines closed decades ago, they are still a key consideration in today’s property and development industry. By addressing at the earliest possible stages, developers can not only save time and money in the long term but can also ensure the construction of safe and attractive communities, designed around the best use of the land. https://www.miningsearchesuk.com/
Anderton Concrete provided the Crossrail line in Maidenhead with a pioneering railway cable theft deterrent aiming to offer protection and security. As the area was deemed to be at high risk from cable theft, the company several products to minimise this risk, including Ander-fin, Anderlite Troughing and Ander-Loc. Ander-fin has proved to significantly reduce the frequency of rail cable theft where installed. The product responds to a very distinct market need: in the current Network Rail control period, the rail industry has lost more than 200,000 minutes to cable theft costings millions of pounds. An incident like this costs the industry up to £300,000. “We installed Ander-fin on Crossrail at Maidenhead because it is quick and easy to install and offers a unique, cost effective method of cable theft prevention. Given the high cost of cable theft and the risk to life I would like to see this product installed on all major schemes going forward. It has gone down as a great success with our client Network Rail and I believe they will insist on using this product in the future,” said Steve Snell, Project Engineer for Balfour Beatty, the company that oversees the Network Rail project. Manufactured from glass filled nylon, Ander-fin has a failure load in excess of 2kN, it is easy to install and it enables cables to be secured to troughs every metre in high risk areas. “Ander-fin is a revolutionary cable anchoring system which is designed to tension and secure the cable to the trough, preventing its removal. For this high-risk stretch of line on Crossrail it offers a cost-effective solution which should reduce the amount of time lost through cable theft,” commented Sharon Rice, Rail Manager at Anderton Concrete. Anderton Concrete is a UK market leader in the supply of cable protection products to the rail industry. The company has been manufacturing precast concrete products for more than 50 years and its extensive rage includes drainage catchpits, signal bases, point rod rollers, ballast boards, posts and postmix.
The construction industry’s charity CRASH was called upon to help Emmaus Village Carlton, a charity in Bedfordshire that provides employment and social enterprise opportunities for former homeless people, make its customers feel welcome from the very moment they step onsite. ACO’s award winning ground reinforcement system was then chosen for car park improvement works. CRASH and Emmaus Village Carlton have been working together on a number of projects over the years. Previous to this collaboration, the old building was so cold that Companions (residents) had to work in their coats, gloves and hats and customers used to complain about it. The next job that followed the improvement of the internal facilities was the development of the parking space. In order to create more spaces, a grass lawn area was designed for the new car park. ACO Water Management donated £9,000 worth of its lightweight ground reinforcement system, GroundGuard. The permeable gravel-filled system is over 90% porous and delivers a highly efficient rate of surface water run-off. This was a key consideration, given the fact the car park was to be built over a piece of grassland. The sustainable benefits of GroundGuard were a huge selling point, as not only is the system environmentally friendly, but it is also cost-effective as it eliminates the expense of having to install a supplementary drainage system. In addition, GroundGuard is quick and easy to install, which ensured that the project was going to be completed in the specified five week timeframe. The system holds the gravel in place and helps keep the maintenance down to a minimum. Overall, it has delivered on all aspects of the project and the parking area is now safe, clean and aesthetically pleasing. The 250 sqm car park is located just a short distance away from the bistro and will help relieve the current pressure on the main car park, which can become very busy at lunchtimes during the week.
DB Cargo UK, the rail freight operator, will be opening their new 70,000 sq ft warehouse called Wolverhampton Logistics Centre this autumn. The centre will increase the current capability of storing and handling steel coils by 1,944 coils, giving a total capacity of 3,325 coils, which is 40,000 tonnes of steel. The coils are transported by the company via rail to the site and then distributed to manufacturers across the West Midlands to produce products such as white goods and cars. J F Finnegan is the Principal Contractor responsible for the design and construction of the Logistics Centre, as well as the coordinator of the installation of the new internal rail line. “We are delighted to be working with DB Cargo UK and William Saunders (Employers Agent) on this project. Our extensive experience of working within the manufacturing and industrial sectors was fundamental in securing this scheme,” said Paul Ballantyne, Commercial Manager at J F Finnegan Limited. Based in Sheffield, J F Finnegan Limited was established in 1945 and specialises in industrial, manufacturing, and retail schemes. The work on site commenced at the beginning of this month, while the steel frame is due for erection in late April with the completion of the scheme anticipated in autumn 2018. DB Cargo UK started manufacturing in Wolverhampton back in 1966 and since then they have been making significant investments on site and creating job opportunities for the local community. It is the largest freight haulier in the UK and it operates freight and infrastructure services, as well as passenger charter trains throughout the country. It transports a multitude of freight, including intermodal containers, metals, coals, biomass and aggregates. By providing a full range of logistics, supply chain and associated services, customers can choose a single supplier to transport freight all around the UK, on time and with minimal environmental impact.
Opening its doors less than a year ago in Astley, only 10 miles from Manchester city centre, Jarvie Plant is already reporting a sharp return on the investment it made in its first depot in England. The Grangemouth-based firm acquired a 3-acre site on Chaddock Lane, employing up to 10 staff and investing heavily in a wide range of hire equipment, including telehandlers, dumpers, excavators, site accommodation, vehicles, generators and lighting. In January, Manchester was confirmed by Deloitte Real Estate’s latest Crane Survey as one of the fastest growing cities in Europe, highlighting a booming construction market as a key driver. Residential and office developments across the city are on the rise with a 60% increase in the number of units being constructed, and in excess of 1.5 million sq ft of business space is being developed across six new schemes. It’s a trend, say company bosses, which has been reflected in the flow of local firms who have visited their Manchester facility. “Our customers range from small to large businesses in a diverse mix of sectors and we have quickly established a name for providing high quality plant and a reliable service,” explains regional operations manager, Dave Ingleby. “We are aiming to provide a customer focused service where we understand the client’s needs and we’ll go that extra mile to meet the requirements of developers and contractors.” This proactive approach is winning the business new clients such as a property developer working on the conversion of a bonded warehouse in the city centre. Following detailed discussions around the complexities of the project, a tailored package of accommodation units, a power generator, small dumper and excavator were all delivered. An 18m telehandler was also supplied to allow materials to be delivered at height. But it’s not just in Manchester where Jarvie’s plant has been distributed. The depot is close to junctions of the M60 and M61 making the entire north-west area accessible. A ground works contractor currently has static welfare units on hire at three prestigious housing developments in Crosby, Handforth and St Helens; while several rough terrain fork trucks are out to a cladding company with one as far south as Welshpool. In addition to the spike in construction activity in the area, there are also some major infrastructure projects ongoing. A £1bn extension of Manchester Airport is underway and the sprawling Metrolink system is being extended with a new 3.4-mile line to the Trafford Centre. “With so much activity across the region it is vital that developers complete their projects safely, on time and within budget,” adds Mr Ingleby. “Using our own transportation we can deliver vital plant equipment direct to site and we are finding this proactive, helpful service is being well received.”
Terry Cooper has just been appointed as Energy Assets Utilities’ (EAU) new Operations Director for the South. EAU is one of the UK’s leading multi-utility network construction companies, providing gas, electricity and water utility networks for residential and industrial/commercial markets. Terry will now oversee the operational delivery of all site works throughout England and Wales. With an experience of over 27 years, Terry has worked his way up from the position of Water Engineers through a number of management roles before taking up the position of Operations Manager. During the last four and a half years he has worked as Utilities Manager in the Middle East on the Qatar Rail underground metro. At EAU, Terry will take responsibility for end to end delivery of site works, providing support from project design right through to execution, whilst building relationships and supporting sub-contractors along the way. “I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to work in such a challenging market for EAU, which is a very well-regarded and leading provider of multi-utility networks. EAU is highly professional and I am very much looking forward to being part of a forward-thinking and dynamic management team,” said Terry. Energy Assets provides metering and related services in the I&C segment of the utility market and is the largest independent provider of I&C gas metering services in Britain, by number of assets owned and managed. The Group offers utility suppliers and end-user consumers of energy a broad spectrum of expert multi-utility metering services, from the provision and management of new and replacement meters through its Meter Asset Management division to the delivery of multi-utility networks – including gas, electricity and water – through Energy Assets Utilities. It also enables customers to collect and analyse energy consumption data and provides a suite of control technologies to help drive energy efficiency and carbon reduction.
Hub South West, an infrastructure partnership, has delivered the new £44 million Largs Campus, one of the biggest projects it has undertaken. Built by Morrison Construction, the new facility aims to start a new era in education in the Ayrshire coastal town. Largs Primary and St Mary’s, the primary schools incorporated into the new campus, moved in yesterday together with Early Years nurseries. The relocated Largs Academy will also join them on the 18th of April. The new campus will accommodate more than 2,000 pupils and is part of North Ayrshire Council’s biggest ever investment that includes two theatres, a gym hall believed to be the biggest in the UK, and art classrooms with balconies that enable outdoor working with vires of the stunning Largs Coastline. “The facilities at Largs Campus are going to be the best in Scotland. We will have the best sport facilities in Scotland, if not the UK,” said Councillor John Bell, cabinet member for education and youth employment. “We have invested heavily in the nursery and have state-of-the-art facilities that incorporate parent rooms, family rooms and imaginative play and learning areas for our young people. I am so proud of this facility and know that the young people have a fantastic environment to attain and achieve.” Moreover, this project supported 25 work placements, 13 apprenticeships and created 73 jobs. “Students have been given exposure to the construction industry, small businesses have expanded and there has been a positive impact on the local economy,” added Allan Cunningham, operations director of Morrison Construction. “hub South West is delighted to handover this wonderful new learning environment to North Ayrshire Council,” said Michael McBrearty, chief executive of hub South West. “Largs Campus is an impressive and contemporary educational facility set in a fantastic location. It will provide an inspirational environment in which pupils can learn and thrive. It will be a real asset to the local community.”
Whitemountain Quarries won a £15 million contract to build a 1 kilometre road with two bridges in the Somerset town of Bridgwater. The construction work will begin on the 4th of April and it will include an access road to serve the Colley Lane Industrial Estate in the town and two bridges: one an in-situ concrete arch structure over the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal and the second a 52m long single span steel composite bridge over the tidal River Parrett. “We are delighted to deliver the much anticipated Colley Lane Southern Access Road Project on behalf of Somerset County Council and fully understand the importance of the project to the local community. Whitemountain are committed to delivering a quality project that exceeds client expectations on time and within budget,” said Mark Kelly, MD of Whitemountain. “We look forward to engaging with and supporting Somerset County Council and are committed to providing social value and community welfare in the delivery of the project, fully aligned with Somerset County Council’s Sustainability Plan,” he added. The new link road will be crossing the site of a former brickworks, where the clay extraction pit has been filled with cellophane waste. The embankment of the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal Bridge will need to be built over it. The new carriageway will give motorists the opportunity to access the Colley Lane Industrial Estate from the South, avoiding travelling on Taunton Road during rush hour traffic. It will also open up brownfield development sites between the River Parrett and the Taunton and Bridgwater Canal to support the delivery of planned housing and employment land. One of the contributors to the development is Hinkley Point nuclear power station who invested £2 million as part of a £100 million commitment to support community projects.
GRAHAM Construction’s ‘visionary’ approach to whole person development has been celebrated at the prestigious Highways England Health, Safety & Wellbeing Awards. Seeing off a host of industry-leading competition, GRAHAM’s CONNECT personal development programme was named the ‘Health and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year’ at a glittering ceremony on Wednesday (7th March) in London’s Connaught Rooms. CONNECT is an innovative whole person wellbeing programme, which has been developed and championed by GRAHAM – a privately-owned company, ranked 16th in the Sunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track 250. Based on cutting-edge research across performance, health and wellbeing, CONNECT has already produced eye-catching results, as GRAHAM’s Managing Director – Civil Engineering Leo Martin explains. “Since the initial pilot programme, we have seen employee turnover for participants fall to just 1 per cent, while 85 per cent of participants have rated the programme as ‘excellent’ on an independent survey,” said Leo. “CONNECT has been an unparalleled success and as a result we are extremely proud to have been awarded this prestigious accolade by Highways England. As a business, we understand the importance of health and safety performance across the construction industry, particularly in the Highways sector. This award is further validation of our deep expertise and understanding.” The awards are dedicated to health, safety and wellbeing achievements, excellence and innovation across Highways England’s supply chain and road users. Indeed, the prestigious accolade follows GRAHAM’s recent attainment of Investors In People’s Platinum and Wellbeing accreditations. As a measure of GRAHAM’s belief in CONNECT’s ground breaking impact, it will invest over £1m throughout 2018-19 to roll out the programme to all of its 2,200+ employees spread across the UK and Ireland. “We are now beginning a full roll out across the entire business. Our commitment to driving excellence in health, safety and wellbeing led to the development of the CONNECT programme, and we are now reaping the benefits of its implementation,” continued Leo. “CONNECT is a valuable tool, which can significantly impact the attraction and retention of talent within our industry. It is adaptable to other construction companies and has the potential to be a unique, breakthrough model programme for wellbeing in the UK workforce.” Jim O’Sullivan, Chief Executive of Highways England said: “It’s well known that safety is our first imperative and I am delighted that these awards highlight that. The camera system, for example, will ultimately save lives. The submissions show how innovative ways of thinking will make things safer for those working on and using our strategic road network and these awards also highlight the mental health and wellbeing of staff is as important as feeling safe in the workplace. I look forward to seeing more achievements in years to come.” GRAHAM is continuing to develop its partnership with Highways England following the successful delivery of a number of contracts over the last few years, including the Chelmer Viaduct valued at £21 million, as well as the completion of the Great Howard Street bridge replacement scheme for Liverpool City Council (£8 million), procured through the Highways England CDF Lot 2 Framework. Last month the company completed a milestone beam lift at the A47 Saddlebow Interchange in King’s Lynn as part of a £3.5 million bridge strengthening project. GRAHAM is also currently undertaking a scheme to install conventional noise barriers on the M40 motorway as part of a series of improvements between Junctions 3 and 8 of the motorway, with the ultimate goal of reducing noise pollution along the route.
Leading infrastructure services company FM Conway has been working with Trime UK limited to develop a smart lighting tower that sets a new bar in health and safety. In line with its focus on innovation, the business – which operates across London and the south of England – identified the need for a safety feature to guard against towers becoming unstable in a site environment. Paul Cerexhe, Head of Plant and Workshops at FM Conway explained, “We are aware that most lighting tower suppliers offer a safety system that prevents a tower light unit being moved whilst the mast is in the upright position. However, in keeping with our ultimate site safety ethos, we wanted to create an additional system, just for our own use, that would only allow the mast to be erected if the stabiliser legs had been properly deployed.” Paul and his team approached leading lighting manufacturer, Trime UK and outlined its specific requirements. To comply with this request, Trime engineers set about developing a series of sensors attached to each of the stabiliser legs that relayed back to the control panel confirming that the legs were in position prior to the lifting of the main mast. Following several successful trials, FM Conway confirmed an order for 16 of Trime’s X-ECO LED lighting towers fitted with this individual accessory. Another deciding factor why FM Conway decided to invest in the X-ECO is its market leading environmental benefits. X-ECO LED is an energy saving lighting tower with many sustainable features built-in as standard. Trime has calculated that the X-ECO uses approximately £336.00 less in fuel each month, when compared to many lighting sets currently available. These savings equate to a reduction in C02 output by around 888kg per month. Thirteen X-ECOs can be loaded on one single truck which potentially means less traffic on the already busy UK highway network and potentially reduced delivery costs for users of Trime sets. “Keeping an open mind when we receive specific requests from organisations is just one of many factors that have pushed us on as a market leader in the manufacture of site lighting towers,” says Paul Hay, Trime (UK) Limited, Managing Director. Paul Hay continued, “We were pleased that we could work with FM Conway to satisfy their particular requirement. It is a testament to their focus on providing added safety features on the equipment they supply to site.” Trime has significant knowledge in the lighting tower market with individuals completing over 50 years of experience in developing and marketing environmentally sustainable lighting sets for the construction and rental markets. Trime UK is headquartered in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Based in Sevenoaks, Kent, FM Conway delivers construction and maintenance services for roads, buildings, structures and public spaces across London and the south east. The business has over 50 years’ experience in championing innovation to drive cost efficiencies for public and private sector clients.
