Work on the £35 million extension to Babraham Research Campus in Cambridge will commence shortly. Local business Mick George Ltd will be completing Earthworks at the site, for MJS Construction (March) Ltd on behalf of SDC Construction Limited. The partnership announced back in October 2017 between the campus and BioMed
A month ago, the UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson suggested that a bridge across the English Channel would be a great idea. Now, the French company that runs the Channel Tunnel opened the subject to the UK government, writing to UK Prime Minister Theresa May. “The idea of a second
Skills Group is the first training provider in the region of Devon to deliver groundworks apprenticeships due to demand from the construction industry. A total of 179 learners took up the NVQ Level 2 Groundworks apprenticeship, and a further 91 are working towards a Level 3 NVQ apprenticeship in Occupational
SGB provided a scaffolding solution that made a demolition project on the banks of the River Thames a success. The demolition was completed safely due to the highly unusual scaffolding system created by the company, which had part of it covered by the river water during the process. “This was
GRAHAM has been awarded a scheme to install conventional noise barriers on the M40 motorway as part of a series of improvements on behalf of Highways England. The scheme will take place between Junctions 3 and 8 of the motorway, with the ultimate goal being to reduce noise pollution along
Energy Assets Group, Britain’s leading independent meter asset management company, has unveiled plans for rapid expansion in the ‘final mile’ electricity and gas network ownership and operator market. Energy Assets has been awarded an Independent Gas Transporter (IGT) and Independent Distribution Network Operator (IDNO) license to own, adopt and operate
After three years and more than 250,000 man hours, the four chimneys at one of London’s most famous landmarks – Battersea Power Station – were successfully dismantled and removed using a self-climbing platform technique designed by Oldham-based working at height specialists, Delta International. Established in 1977 as a steeplejack company, Delta
UK’s first dedicated Housebuilding Degree has just been launched by the leading housebuilder Redrow in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and Coleg Cambria, one of the largest colleges in the UK. Redrow’s team members will be the first students to start this degree programme in 2018. The length
Salix Homes, a social housing provider, sought legal action against Francis O’Donnell, a man who threatened housing workers at a gypsy and traveller site in Salford. He manifested aggressive and violent behaviours towards members of staff. “He began clenching his fists and I could see he was becoming very agitated
AWARD-WINNING Seymour Civil Engineering, one of the North East’s leading civil engineering firms, has launched its own company training portal set to digitally revolutionise the way construction sites are run. The portal focuses on the training and staffing side of projects allowing any site manager or client to have a
Work on the £35 million extension to Babraham Research Campus in Cambridge will commence shortly. Local business Mick George Ltd will be completing Earthworks at the site, for MJS Construction (March) Ltd on behalf of SDC Construction Limited. The partnership announced back in October 2017 between the campus and BioMed Realty will see the creation of two new buildings, with a combined 108,000 square feet of space for integrated laboratories and offices. It is anticipated that the scheme will house life sciences start-ups and scale-ups. The Campus is now home to some 60 enterprises and around 2,000 people and when the new development will be completed, the entire space will exceed the 300,000 square feet mark. The Babraham Research Campus is managed and developed by Babraham Bioscience Technologies (BBT) on behalf of its shareholders, The Babraham Institute and the Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). Cambridge is known as Europe’s leading technology cluster, with 57,000 people employed by 1,500 technology based firms. BioMed Realty recognised this potential back in 2012 when it acquired Granta Park and is now looking into further expansion in the county of Cambridgeshire. ‘’As a local business ourselves, we know the importance of sites such as Babraham Research Campus and the likes, in developing the thriving business community of our county. This development will have an impact for many generations to come on the local surroundings, and for that reason we’re pleased to play our part,” said Michael George, Contracts Director at Mick George Ltd. Mick George is one of the leading suppliers to the construction industry in East Anglia and the East Midlands. They specialise in bulk excavation, demolition & earthmoving services, ready mixed concrete, a wide range of skip hire and waste management services, commercial waste service and aggregate supply. One of the company’s main priorities is to offer support to the local community, so it donates up to £900,000 annually to community developments and projects.
A month ago, the UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson suggested that a bridge across the English Channel would be a great idea. Now, the French company that runs the Channel Tunnel opened the subject to the UK government, writing to UK Prime Minister Theresa May. “The idea of a second fixed link is something that we regularly consider in our long-term plans and we would be delighted to engage with your officials to explore the possibility further,” wrote Eurotunnel Chief Executive Jacques Gounon. “As part of the Treaty of Canterbury and the Concession Agreement which established the Channel Tunnel, Eurotunnel has the right to build the next fixed link.” Even though in the beginning Johnson’s idea of a cross-Channel bridge was dismissed as an economic impossibility and an engineering liability, Eurotunnel seems to be interested in it, even stating they have first rights to build the link. “Building a huge concrete structure in the middle of the world’s busiest shipping lane might come with some challenges,” said the UK Chamber of Shipping. Firstly, the Channel would have to include a suspension bridge able to accommodate 80m high ships, meaning it would need towers more than 500m high, said Wanda Lewis, Professor of Structural Engineering at the University of Warwick. A more likely choice seems to be a second tunnel or even a combined bridge and tunnel, as the costs would only be a small fraction of the £120 billion needed for a bridge. The idea was brought forward by Johnson during a discussion with French president Emmanuel Macron, as a way of binding the UK and France after Brexit. However, the developments on the project need to wait until Westminster and Brussels reach a deal on Brexit.
Skills Group is the first training provider in the region of Devon to deliver groundworks apprenticeships due to demand from the construction industry. A total of 179 learners took up the NVQ Level 2 Groundworks apprenticeship, and a further 91 are working towards a Level 3 NVQ apprenticeship in Occupational Work Supervision. The courses were launched 18 months ago by Skills Group and Steve Hoskin Construction Ltd, which recognised a gap in the market. “If you look at the college and university education system you have courses for bricklayers, carpenters, plasterers and tilers, all the classic trades, but there was nothing locally for ground workers,” explained Colin Vout, the Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality Manager at Steve Hoskin Construction Ltd. Ground workers are an important part in the preparation process of a construction site, because they are the ones that arrive first on site and prepare everything. “It is their job to put all the roads, drainage and infrastructure in place and build the plots up to damp proof course foundation level. The other trades then come in and build on top of that. If the ground workers do not get it right, nothing else can go right,” said Colin. The apprenticeship provides training for a specialist skill set, as well as giving learners a sense of pride. It is also beneficial for the construction company, because it enables them to demonstrate a particular standard of quality in the training of their groundworks employees. “With so many major building projects across the South West including; Sherford, Millbay, Market Quarter in Holsworthy, and various residential developments in Paignton and Torquay, demand is high for a qualified workforce,” said Mark Boulting, Skills Group managing director. “We are delighted with the uptake and success rate of our groundworks programmes and look forward to it continuing well into the future.”
SGB provided a scaffolding solution that made a demolition project on the banks of the River Thames a success. The demolition was completed safely due to the highly unusual scaffolding system created by the company, which had part of it covered by the river water during the process. “This was a challenging project due to the location of the building, which was built out into the river, from a site close to Blackfriars Bridge,” explained SGB’s Southern Design Manager, Brendan Fox. “Fortunately, Tideway knew that we have experience in designing this type of structure for other demolition and construction projects on the banks of the Thames. That experience was a key point in allowing us to create a successful scaffolding solution.” The system created by SGB included large steel brackets being attached to the concrete columns on which the building stood, later on used to support a series of beams which provided a solid base on which the scaffolding could sit. Because the system was going to be regularly covered by water, it had to be strong enough to be able to accommodate the force of the water flow and adapt on a daily basis. The team on site had to remove and reinstall the toe-boards every few hours to make sure they were not going to get damaged by the flow. “The scaffolding had to be constructed in such a way that it could be reduced in height, as the demolition work gradually lowered the height of the building,” explained Brendan. “The demolition materials had to be removed from the site via the river, so our design had to include various protection and containment features, which would prevent those materials from falling into the water. We also had to allow for the presence of a large barge carrying an 80-tonne crane which was floated in alongside the building.” Brendan concluded by saying that no matter how challenging a project is, safety always has to come first. Therefore, the system was subjected to a BS5975 Category 2 internal approval procedure and a client approval, before being used on the demolition work.
GRAHAM has been awarded a scheme to install conventional noise barriers on the M40 motorway as part of a series of improvements on behalf of Highways England. The scheme will take place between Junctions 3 and 8 of the motorway, with the ultimate goal being to reduce noise pollution along the route. The commitment to deliver these improvements is set out in Highways England’s Delivery Plan. Highways England has been working in partnership with the M40 Chiltern Environmental Group (M40 CEG), Wycombe District Council and South Oxfordshire District Council, to develop proposals to reduce noise along the M40 corridor between Loudwater (near junction 3 of the motorway) in Buckinghamshire and Wheatley (near junction 8) in South Oxfordshire. The organisation has been liaising with the M40 Core Group since 2005 over road noise along the M40 corridor. Following feasibility reports into using photovoltaic enabled noise barriers and PV panels, Highways England asked suppliers to develop a more cost affordable solution, and in 2016 the decision was made to revert to conventional noise barriers. Noise barriers are planned for sections of the M40 as it passes near High Wycombe, as well as near the Buckinghamshire villages of Lane End, Stokenchurch and Chepping Wycombe. Five of the sites involve direct work to highway structures, and account for 1.9km of the proposed 4.9km of barrier. The contract will be overseen by Dave Brown, who was recently appointed to lead on GRAHAM’s collaborative delivery framework (CDF) with Highways England. Upon award of the scheme, Dave said: “GRAHAM is pleased to be leading on this scheme for Highways England, which will make a huge difference to residents based along the M40 motorway. “To ensure the scheme is as cost effective as possible, the supplier has identified innovative solutions at Loudwater Viaduct, limiting barrier height while still maintaining a reduction in noise. “GRAHAM is committed to undertaking schemes like this in a collaborative manner, engaging the local community and working closely with Highways England to deliver improvements which will be beneficial for those who reside in the area.” GRAHAM’s civil engineering team has been involved in some of the most prestigious projects within the UK and Ireland, including the Tennison Road Bridge Replacement for Network Rail, the A138 Chelmer Viaduct for Highways England, and the high-profile M80 Stepps to Haggs Upgrade in central Scotland. The company has a very strong civil engineering track record which is underscored by two recent short-listings in the Major Civil Engineering Project of the Year (over £50m) category at the 30th British Construction Industry Awards 2017.
Energy Assets Group, Britain’s leading independent meter asset management company, has unveiled plans for rapid expansion in the ‘final mile’ electricity and gas network ownership and operator market. Energy Assets has been awarded an Independent Gas Transporter (IGT) and Independent Distribution Network Operator (IDNO) license to own, adopt and operate gas and electricity networks and the company has launched Energy Assets Pipelines and Energy Assets Networks as independent gas and electricity network ownership entities. Working alongside its direct labour division and Dragon Infrastructure Solutions (part of Energy Assets) the businesses are also partnering with independent utility construction contractors and residential and commercial developers to provide innovations in asset-based finance, network design, network ownership, compliance and management. Colin Lynch, Energy Assets’ Chief Executive Officer, says the move into ‘final mile’ network ownership comes at a time of great opportunity for the house builder and developer sector. “Britain stands on the brink of the biggest house building programme for generations,” he said. “With the government’s stated aim of creating 300,000 new homes every year, the question is – how can developers and contractors make the most of this opportunity? “To help house builders and NERS and GIRS approved contractors deliver the most cost-effective and efficient utility networks, we’ve created ownership vehicles that will speed up design and approvals timescales and offer innovative asset-based finance packages. We are also one of just a handful of independent operators authorised by OFGEM for both gas and electricity network ownership and management.” As part of this drive, the Group’s recently-acquired business Utility Distribution Networks Ltd, an IDNO, is being rebranded Energy Assets Networks and will be building on its established relationships with house builders and contractors to drive expansion across Britain. Gas network ownership will be managed through Energy Assets Pipelines, a new business that will leverage the Group’s extensive gas network design and asset management expertise. Debbie Edgar, Managing Director of Energy Assets Networks, commented: “The launch of Energy Assets network ownership continues to transform the competitive landscape in the ‘final mile’ of utility connections and ownership. The flexibility that is available to IDNOs such as Energy Assets Networks creates innovative finance options for contractors and developers that the existing distribution network operators simply cannot match.” John McLuskey, who is leading Energy Assets Pipelines gas operation, said: “With Energy Assets’ proven asset management expertise and our track record in delivering process innovation, we see great opportunities opening up for our customers to speed up network construction through expert design certification, compliance support and flexible funding options, resulting in a more cost-effective utility provision.” www.energyassetsnetworks.co.uk www.energyassetspipelines.co.uk
After three years and more than 250,000 man hours, the four chimneys at one of London’s most famous landmarks – Battersea Power Station – were successfully dismantled and removed using a self-climbing platform technique designed by Oldham-based working at height specialists, Delta International. Established in 1977 as a steeplejack company, Delta has evolved through the years and is now well known for its expertise in providing tailored solutions for projects that require working at significant height and on complex schemes. Delta International was appointed by Battersea Power Station Development Company to carefully remove the four concrete chimney pots, which had suffered serious corrosion and decay since they were decommissioned in the early 1980s. The original chimneys have been replaced as part of the multi-million pound redevelopment of the site. Delta’s Technical Director, Nigel Matthews, played an instrumental part in designing the bespoke self-climbing platform allowing engineers to dismantle and remove each of the four concrete chimneys with no lost timeaccidents or delays. Delta International’s vast experience and knowledge was invaluable in putting forward engineering design solutions for a site that was not without significant challenges. Built in the 1930s and 1950s, the chimneys rise 51 metres from the ground and were in a significant state of disrepair, all of which had to be taken account of when proposing a viable solution. The main issues were not just access and height but also the efficient and swift removal of the severely corroded chimney stacks once dismantled. Delta also had to allow for the fact that there were people working directly underneath the Delta team throughout the project. The tailored solution was to erect the self-climbing platform which slowly rose up to the top of the chimney while simultaneously installing a safety ladder providing a primary access route to the platform. Once it reached the summit of the chimney, a series of temporary beams were fixed to the top of the stack allowing the platform to reach the summit. At the top Delta’s engineers installed a scaffold across the chimney opening allowing for a platform to be suspended on the inside. This allowed for essential stabilisation work to be carried out on the internal tiles of the chimney (a reinforced wrap that would prevent any debris from falling during the deconstruction process). Nigel explained: “As skilled and experienced engineers working at height on complex projects presents little difficulty for us but Battersea Power Station had on-site challenges that no-one could have predicted. “One such challenge was discovering that each chimney was 40% thicker than original reports had stated. We had to come up with a solution quickly and one that would not cause any delays or increase costs on the project.” The chimneys were removed using specialist equipment that could penetrate the concrete and dismantle it steadily. All debris was carefully removed using rubber chutes suspended below the self-climbing platform. In addition, Delta’s painstaking removal of the chimney had to be undertaken with other teams working beneath them for the entire duration of the de-construction. Delta’s Operations Director, Paul Bentley, said: “Health and safety is always paramount, particularly when working at such heights but knowing that we had people working below us for whole duration of the project meant extra vigilance. And we achieved it. Over the three years it took to complete using 250,000 man hours, we had no lost time accidents – a major success for such a complex project.” Delta International has more than 40 years of experience of working at height on complex projects. Nigel concluded: “This significant expertise proved invaluable on the Battersea Power Station project and we are proud to have been part of the restoration work for such an important London landmark. “While the type of at height project has changed over the years, skills, expertise and experience remain a vital component. Currently we are using a similar bespoke climbing system to dismantle a chimney at Sellafield nuclear plant. We have recently removed and replaced an entire roof of a major industrial unit while work continued uninterrupted beneath us for the duration of the project.” Key facts: · Health and safety stretched not just to workers on the deconstruction project but also a family of falcons nesting in Battersea Power Station structure. · As part of the dismantling process, Delta extricated a circular section of one of the chimneys which will be placed on display in the new development. · 500 small segments of the old chimneys were extracted, preserved and given to residents living in the local area · A total of 600 tonnes of concrete and 72 tonnes of lining tiles per chimney were removed swiftly and silently from the site Delta International is experienced and expert in the inspection, maintenance and demolition of tall industrial structures, including chimneys, cooling towers, flare stacks, silos and pipelines. Delta work predominantly in the European power and refining markets and have some of the largest companies in these sectors as clients.
UK’s first dedicated Housebuilding Degree has just been launched by the leading housebuilder Redrow in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and Coleg Cambria, one of the largest colleges in the UK. Redrow’s team members will be the first students to start this degree programme in 2018. The length of it will be three years and it will offer its students a full overview of house building skills, including house building quality, project management, health and safety, business skills, negotiation, relevant aspects of law, mathematics, and economics. Each year they will complete six modules and in the future it will be open for other house builders as well. There will be six block weeks of classroom teaching each year, which will be taught by LJMU’s Department of the Built Environments, Coleg Cambria, and business experts from Redrow. The rest of the time will be filled with virtual learning, practical site visits, and tutorials, which means that students can continue working with Redrow during their studies. Nominations for the programme will be made among the team members with a level three qualification or a minimum of five years in the industry. “The development of the BSc (Hons) Construction Management in Housebuilding in conjunction with Coleg Cambria and Redrow, is an example of how the Department of Built Environment at LJMU is proactively seeking to address the education and training requirements of employers with bespoke needs. Our home undergraduate portfolio, whilst diverse, cannot fulfil the needs of all parts of the industry, and as such this type of development helps us achieve one of the Department’s long term aims, which is to provide diverse education and training at all levels, to fulfil industry requirements moving forward. The development of innovative programmes with high calibre partners will help us achieve that aim,” said Professor Alison Cotgrave, Associate Dean at the LJMU Faculty of Engineering and Technology.
Salix Homes, a social housing provider, sought legal action against Francis O’Donnell, a man who threatened housing workers at a gypsy and traveller site in Salford. He manifested aggressive and violent behaviours towards members of staff. “He began clenching his fists and I could see he was becoming very agitated and potentially violent by his body language. I felt intimidated and felt in danger for the safety of myself and my colleague,” said a housing worker in a witness statement. At the court hearing at Manchester Civil Justice Centre, it got found out that O’Donnell shouted expletives and threatened to ‘bang’ a housing worker and get him sacked during one incident at the Duchy Road Caravan Park in Salford on the 3rd of January this year. The court also heard that during another exchange, Salix Homes advised the man to complete an application form so he can move on to the site, to which he replied he would move there ‘whether you like it or not’ and said in a threatening manner to one of the workers that he would ‘see you again’. O’Donnell was granted a six month Injunction Order, with Power of Arrest, which prohibits him from entering the gypsy and traveller site and from threatening or being violent with any employees or contractors of Salix Homes. This decision will stay in place until the 4th of July. “Salix Homes will not tolerate violence or aggressive behaviour towards our employees, when they are simply doing their job,” said Sue Sutton, Executive Director of Operations at Salix Homes. “We welcome the judge’s decision to grant an Injunction Order in this case and I hope it sends out a very clear message that we take all reports of anti-social behaviour incredibly seriously and we will not hesitate to take swift action where necessary.”
AWARD-WINNING Seymour Civil Engineering, one of the North East’s leading civil engineering firms, has launched its own company training portal set to digitally revolutionise the way construction sites are run. The portal focuses on the training and staffing side of projects allowing any site manager or client to have a clear snapshot of staff-on-site and their training credentials, whilst automatically prompting the system administration team before employee training requires renewal. Martin Russell, Training Systems Administrator said, “We set out looking for a cloud based, transparent system, that would manage our training needs and be accessible from a multitude of devices across all our sites for all user levels, whether it be a site manager or a client. “Seymour is always thinking about ways in which technology can be used to make employees jobs easier and departments more productive. “We wanted an intelligent system that would automatically present the training team with the information they needed on a daily basis, improving the efficiency of the whole process.” The portal uses a QR code format which allows users to see exactly what certifications each employee has all in one place, at the click of a button, from any location. An important aspect of the portals development was its mobile friendly functionality, so all users working on site have access to the portal via their mobile device. Martin said: “Our clients will soon be able to request access to the platform, which will allow them to see what qualifications each employee on site has, along with their certificates which are all uploaded to the platform. “The intelligent search function within the new portal will allow the site managers, as well as users from other departments across the business, to quickly find out this information for themselves. We can already see that through this system we are streamlining operations.” One of Seymour Civil Engineering’s greatest assets is that they have their own vetted, trained, and highly skilled workforce. The smart, automated system has worked to simplify the management of the training for the company’s 210 team members. Martin continued: “Seymour Civil Engineering carries out the majority of their staff training in house, and as a responsible employer we’re taking the initiative to upskill our workforce, constantly investing in training and retraining to ensure their competency. “The system is so advanced that it shows pending training, what training groups are currently booked in, and automates three-month warnings for upcoming training expiry dates. Seymour made the decision to build a bespoke platform from scratch, due to the lack of suitable alternatives on the market. Martin said, “When we originally went to market, we did find systems that we could buy off the peg, but they were not designed specifically for the civil engineering sector, nor did they have the intelligence we were looking for. As a development team, we came together and asked the question, could Seymour build what was needed from scratch? Could we create a platform that was bespoke to the company’s needs?” “It’s brilliant to see the system in everyday use, making the jobs of employees across the business easier. The development team have delivered something that is a real asset to the company. “The portal is in its infancy and we have already identified improved functions following feedback from users which has provided us with a host of exiting future developments planned for 2018 and beyond. Off the peg packages mean you get what you’re given and alterations and additions are not always possible, whereas with our bespoke built portal, there’s so much room for development and the sky’s the limit. “The system places us ahead in the industry, purely because we have created something that is tailored to our specific needs. “It’s development is likely to also be beneficial to the civil engineering sector, and the idea of white labelling the portal and distributing it to other company’s similar to ourselves has been discussed as an option for the future.” Karl Brennan, Pre-Construction Director said “Seymour recognises the importance of sustainability and the role our industry has to play. By investing in technology and significantly reducing the amount of environmental resource consumed each year by the business, we are able to make year on year contributions toward achieving sustainable development goals. “The training portal is a prime example of how Seymour utilises innovation to create opportunities whilst contributing to society. We are also extremely delighted to have been presented with the CECA award for training company of the year after judges were impressed with our achievement.” “It is great to gain recognition after all the hard work that goes into ensuring our employees have the skillset they require to carry out their duties to a very high standard.” Seymour was recently awarded Training Company of the Year 2017 at the recent CECA NE Awards in recognition to their commitment to training and upskilling as well as their innovative and exemplar solution to ensure all staff have the training they require to undertake their daily tasks and offer continual personal development.
