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
Europe’s first eco mosque will be based in Cambridge and is due to be completed by November 2018. It will also be the highest value mosque in Europe, worth approximately £24 million when finished. Ashtons’ Commercial Property Partner Charles Webb acted for the Muslim Academic Trust in the original purchase
The oil giant Shell confirmed that its new North Sea project will be creating jobs for 300 to 400 people in the UK and will unlock 80 million barrels of oil. The majority of those jobs will be in the north-east of Scotland and will be in areas such as
A recent survey conducted on 750 builders by the family-owned builders merchants, Chandlers Building Supplies, has revealed that 95% of them have been asked for help or advice on an issue unrelated to their trade during the course of a homeowners building project. Moreover, results show that 25% of builders
SGB have been using their ability to respond efficiently to more specific client requirements in order to supply large quantities of equipment. This popular offering by the company has allowed SGB to be appointed as the access system provider on a major new development that is taking place in Manchester.
Primary Engineer was first started in 2005, and has throughout the company’s lifetime worked to promote the inclusion of engineering in education from the earliest possible age. Susan Scurlock is the Chief Executive of Primary Engineer and was released an explanation of the company’s success as well as offering schoolchildren
Stantec, the leading global infrastructure design and delivery company, is today announcing the integration of MWH UK and MWH Treatment into the business. The completion of the integration now makes Stantec an established key player in the UK infrastructure market as well as marking a further expansion of their combined
Gaskets contributed to an “exceptionally well-built” tunnel – Costain First use of new gasket designed to reduce risk of segment cracking Only gasket that met tunnel design specification No reported segment cracking arising from high corner contact pressure The construction phase of Scotland’s biggest waste water tunnel has been completed
The jury awarded its innovative modular manholes for electrical and telecommunications ducting, made of 100% recycled plastic The delivery ceremony took place at the Dubai World Trade Center, headquarters of BIG 5, in which more than 2,500 companies from 60 countries participated. Spanish manufacturer Hidrostank has won the award for
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.
Europe’s first eco mosque will be based in Cambridge and is due to be completed by November 2018. It will also be the highest value mosque in Europe, worth approximately £24 million when finished. Ashtons’ Commercial Property Partner Charles Webb acted for the Muslim Academic Trust in the original purchase of the land and then then moved to Cambridge Mosque Trust, who are the current owners. The Construction Associate was Sarah Duncan who assisted CMT Design and Build Limited in drafting the development agreement, warranties, appointments, and building contract, so that they see the first phase of the project completed. “We were delighted to work on such a prestigious and unique development which involved a wide cross section of professionals and disciplines. We are now looking forward to seeing the result of the project team’s hard work when the Mosque opens in November,” said Sarah Duncan. Corporate and Commercial Associate Mark Watson also helped Charles and Sarah deal with the board minutes and notifications which were necessary for both Cambridge Mosque Trust and CMT Design and Build Limited. Tim Winter, Chair of the Cambridge Mosque Trust also added: “This has been a complex multinational project involving many contractors and stakeholders, and we have been delighted by the dedication and astuteness with which Ashtons have supported our various legal needs”. Ashtons Legal employs 350 people across East Anglia in its offices in Cambridge, Norwich, Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, and Thetford. It offers a full range of legal services to businesses and individuals, specialising in French property law, franchising, regulatory and road transport law, and injury services. Its commercial law solicitors are known as efficient, pragmatic, and approachable business lawyers with a flair for giving solutions how, when and where the customer wants them.
The oil giant Shell confirmed that its new North Sea project will be creating jobs for 300 to 400 people in the UK and will unlock 80 million barrels of oil. The majority of those jobs will be in the north-east of Scotland and will be in areas such as project delivery and subsea activity, according to Shell. The project marks the construction of Shell’s first new manned installation in the northern North Sea in almost 30 years and the company’s intention to reshape its portfolio. Steve Phimister, Shell Vice President for upstream, UK and Ireland, thinks that the redevelopment will give them and their 50/50 project partner ExxonMobil access to 80 million barrels of oil. “This significant investment by Shell and ExxonMobil is further evidence of rising confidence in the future of the region and it will offer a significant boost to communities across the north-east of Scotland, along with boosting the wider Scottish economy,” said Scottish Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse. The investment decision on the Penguins field redevelopment represents “a vote of confidence from two major global operators in realising the significant remaining potential of an existing asset,” said Andy Samuel, Oil and Gas Authority Chief Executive. The Penguins cluster was developed in 2002 and it produces via a subsea tieback to the Brent Charlie platform. This platform however, is getting old and it is expected to retire in a few years, so Shell will need another way of producing from Penguins. The US firm Fluor will be the construction contractors for the floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel, while Sevan Marine will be providing the technology and the technical support during the design phase of the circular FPSO. An exact date for the project start-up is not known yet, but the FPSO should be delivered in the early 2020s.
A recent survey conducted on 750 builders by the family-owned builders merchants, Chandlers Building Supplies, has revealed that 95% of them have been asked for help or advice on an issue unrelated to their trade during the course of a homeowners building project. Moreover, results show that 25% of builders have helped a homeowner through a personal crisis and one in four workers say they are asked regularly for financial advice. 80% have advised on home furnishing choices, while almost a fifth said they have been asked to help with completing school homework and childcare. “While a refurbishment or renovation project is being completed, builders often find themselves consumed into the customer’s family life, so in many ways it is not surprising how involved some builders can become in their customers day to day lives,” said Sue McKinney from Chandlers Building Suppliers. More than 80% of respondents said that they ‘loved their job’ and close to 90% would still choose a career in building and construction even if they could turn back time. The survey also found that 55% of builders have another job, such as fireman or sports coach/trainer. The stress within the industry comes from ‘chasing payments and getting paid’ (54%), ‘the weather’ (47%), ‘ordering/waiting for materials’ (45%), ‘vat and tax returns’ (44%), and ‘managing apprentices’ (42%), while the most enjoyable part of it is ‘pride from a great job’ (86%) and ‘on site banter’ (81%). “Research suggests that those who are happy and healthy are more productive and enjoy a better quality of life. Reducing stress levels among builders is an important mission for Chandler Building Supplies. Early this year we ran “Yoga with Your Boots On’ to help alleviate stress and increase levels of well-being among builders. We are also very mindful of the need for quick ordering and efficient delivery so builders don’t have to hold up a job by waiting on materials – which we appreciate can be very stressful,” said Sue.
SGB have been using their ability to respond efficiently to more specific client requirements in order to supply large quantities of equipment. This popular offering by the company has allowed SGB to be appointed as the access system provider on a major new development that is taking place in Manchester. Since being awarded this contract, SGB has supplied a large integrated mastclimber access solution for the middlewood Locks Development that has been built in Salford, Manchester. The mixed use development in Manchester includes the creation of six blocks that will stand between eight and 11 storeys high. There will also be an access system that is required and will be able to accommodate the different requirements that will be posed by a range of different parts on the site. The client for this project is BCEGI and they were in need of an access systems supplier that have the capacity to design and install a bespoke solution. SGB have these qualities and would be able to support the requirement with the provision of equipment, a flexible service and detailed technical back-up and support. The Middlewood Locks Development has been valued at £700 million, and was one of the first major projects to be undertaken by client BCEGI in the north west. This previous development also saw SGB deliver 91 single and double mastclimbers in order to meet the requirements of the project. The Middlewood Locks development is a part of a 24-acre regeneration scheme, with SGB offering a full installation and management service that was able to meet their client’s requirements. Hopefully the partnership that has been formed on this project will be beneficial for both BCEGI and SGB in the future. SGB is a part of Brand & Energy Infrastructure services was first established because of a merger of Harsco Infrastructure and Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services.
Primary Engineer was first started in 2005, and has throughout the company’s lifetime worked to promote the inclusion of engineering in education from the earliest possible age. Susan Scurlock is the Chief Executive of Primary Engineer and was released an explanation of the company’s success as well as offering schoolchildren a more hands on experience for engineering. The methods that have been used by the business to train teachers and link them to the industry while also working to bring engineers in to the classroom have been described by some as a nice initiative. However, over the course of 2017, Primary Engineer has been working to grow up, and become more than just a little initiative, and get more and more of a following. In January, the University of Strathclyde accredited Primary Engineer Postgraduate Certificate in Engineering STEM, which is a part-time master’s level course that takes a year to complete. As part of the company’s work, teachers interview engineers in order to develop a range of strategies that can then embed engineering in to the classroom and then work to evaluate the impact of these changes. This form of impact research has allowed Primary Engineer to develop their own base and has, as a knock on led to a continued improvement of all of their activities. Teachers have been working together as a part of this research and development from all areas of education, preschool, primary, secondary and college lecturers included. Primary Engineer has also had an amazing year as it has also featured in the Scottish government’s skills plans and has also begun to work with the Advanced Forming Research Centre at Strathclyde University as well as trade associations, universities, councils and blue chip companies. Primary Engineer is based in Burnley has is also working to develop connections with councils and schools in this area, giving the work carried out by the company a national impact.
Stantec, the leading global infrastructure design and delivery company, is today announcing the integration of MWH UK and MWH Treatment into the business. The completion of the integration now makes Stantec an established key player in the UK infrastructure market as well as marking a further expansion of their combined service offering in the UK. The change, effective from 1 January, means that MWH UK and MWH Treatment will now be known as Stantec and Stantec Treatment. This follows the merger in March 2016, which saw the creation of a combined business with 22,000 employees globally, across 400 locations, spanning six continents. The union of the two companies presents the UK business with an excellent opportunity to build on its reputation as a leader in the water sector and expand its expertise further into infrastructure, energy and resources, environmental services and buildings. Stantec believes that bringing this diverse technical excellence to bear will help it tackle the biggest challenges facing the utilities, infrastructure and built environment sectors. Stantec has identified four key areas that the industry will need to focus on in 2018 and beyond: Putting the customer first: designing with the community in mind, so that projects deliver the most benefits for communities and customers. Resilience: safeguarding infrastructure, environments and quality of life to meet the challenges of climate change, operational disruption and future shifts in population. Affordability: developing plans, programmes and solutions that are financially sustainable and affordable in the face of sponsors and regulators need to drive cost effective solutions for business, communities and the customer. Creativity and innovation: ensuring that latest ideas, processes, technologies and best practices are deployed in every project. Stantec will work with its clients and partners to tackle these four challenges collaboratively over the coming years. Cath Schefer, UK Managing Director of Stantec UK, said: “The move to Stantec is an important and exciting step forward for our business that has a 150 year history and a rich heritage. Throughout the integration process, it has been clear to all of us that Stantec and MWH values are very well aligned. “With infrastructure development high on the UK agenda, our ambition is to deploy our expertise across multiple sectors and be a part of the many new programmes and projects due to begin over coming years.” Paul Bresnan, Managing Director, Stantec Treatment, said, “We’ve worked hard to become a leading design & build organisation in the UK water sector, reaching this position by consistently delivering and outperforming for clients. This new development signals our ambition to build on this success. “We are already seeing the benefit of bringing together our combined knowledge and experience and we are confident that this will drive the growth of our UK business.”
Gaskets contributed to an “exceptionally well-built” tunnel – Costain First use of new gasket designed to reduce risk of segment cracking Only gasket that met tunnel design specification No reported segment cracking arising from high corner contact pressure The construction phase of Scotland’s biggest waste water tunnel has been completed with the benefit of an innovative tunnel segment sealing gasket developed by VIP-Polymers Ltd. The 3.1-mile-long Shieldhall Tunnel beneath Glasgow has been one of the first projects to make use of the rubber gaskets manufactured by VIP, which are designed to reduce the risk of segment cracking during installation. The tunnel boring machine broke through in October 2017 after spending 15 months creating the 4.7m-diameter tunnel for Scottish Water. Its journey from Craigton to Queen’s Park, across the south of Glasgow, has created the largest-diameter bored tunnel in Scotland. Global seals and gaskets manufacturer VIP, based in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, was commissioned to provide all the tunnel segment gaskets (TSGs) by construction joint venture Costain VINCI Construction Grands Projects. The cast-in TSGs used incorporated VIP’s new patented compliant compressible corner technology, which ensures delivery of consistent load performance along the entire perimeter of the gasket. This eliminates the risk of a build-up of pressure at one or more of the gasket’s corners during installation, which could contribute to segment cracking. Matthew Levitt, VIP Technical Business Development Manager, said: “Our new cast-in TSGs have performed very well throughout the Shieldhall Tunnel construction process, demonstrating exceptional levels of reliability. “Segment cracking is a concern for all partners in tunnel construction projects as it can result in delays and additional cost. Clients have welcomed the opportunity to make use of a new technology designed specifically to minimise these risks.” Sam Simons, Tunnel Lining Supply Manager for Costain, said: “The decision to manufacture segments with VIP gaskets for Shieldhall was taken late in the approval process when it became clear that only VIP gaskets could meet the specified requirement for compressible corners to prevent hard spots. “The steel fibre reinforced concrete segment manufacturing process was achieved within the tightest of specifications, and all manufactured rejections were less than 0.25%, including exact gasket positioning. “Overall, the VIP gaskets contributed to an exceptionally well-built tunnel, with no reported segment cracking arising from high corner contact pressure, or segment ram loading transfer, cracks or leakage, meeting the tunnel lining specification without compromise.” Conventional shot-joining of TSGs can result in the compression cavities within the extruded profile filling with rubber. This greatly limits compression, increasing the risk of corner point loading, and cracking. VIP’s new corner joint, which has a UK patent, with international patents pending, maintains the TSG compression cavity profile right to the corner edge. Extensive testing has shown this eliminates the risk of a build-up of pressure at one or more of the gasket’s corners during installation, which could contribute to segment cracking. Prior to manufacturing any gaskets, members of the Costain waterproofing team witnessed corner loading (T and Cruciform) and pressure testing of the gaskets in VIP’s testing facilities in Huntingdon. Over the last 18 months, VIP has manufactured more than 19,500 individual TSGs for the project. These have been cast into each tunnel segment at FP McCann’s site in Drakelow, Derbyshire, England. Dave Derbyshire, Operations Manager for Underground Products at FP McCann, said: “For this contract we used cast-in gaskets supplied by VIP for the first time. “The geometry of the segments meant that the gaskets required intricately formed corners to fit the steel moulds correctly and provide a draft angle to the sealing face of the key and adjacent segments along the Z axis. “Technical representatives from VIP visited our facility at Drakelow prior to segment production, to ensure the correct fit was achieved on all six segment types. Once they, and ourselves, were satisfied with the gasket fit, they went into production. “During the segment manufacturing programme VIP delivered gaskets on time, and to a consistent quality. Their technical back-up team was always on hand, but rarely needed.” The £100-million Shieldhall Tunnel is one of the most important wastewater infrastructure projects in Glasgow since Victorian times. It will help tackle flooding and improve river water quality across the city. The 1,000-tonne tunnel boring machine, longer than 14 buses and named Daisy the Driller by a Glasgow schoolboy, began the process of creating the tunnel in July 2016, and completed it on 13 October 2017, when it emerged at the bottom of a 16-metre-deep shaft. The giant sewer will provide 90,000 cubic metres of extra storm water storage, equivalent to 66 Olympic swimming pools.
The jury awarded its innovative modular manholes for electrical and telecommunications ducting, made of 100% recycled plastic The delivery ceremony took place at the Dubai World Trade Center, headquarters of BIG 5, in which more than 2,500 companies from 60 countries participated. Spanish manufacturer Hidrostank has won the award for the most sustainable product of the year at the 10th edition of the GAIA Awards, The Big 5 award for green built environment solutions. The BIG 5 DUBAI, which took place from 26th to 29th of November, is the main construction and civil engineering fair in the Middle East. The jury, composed by panel of industry experts chaired by Anwaar Al Shimmari, director of the Department of Design of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development of the United Arab Emirates, wanted to recognize HIDROSTANK innovative modular manholes for electrical and telecommunications ducting, made of 100% recycled plastic, from over 100 competing products. The GAIA Awards, open not only to exhibitors but also to all operators whose products are distributed within the MENA Region, have become a reference for the industry due to their recognition of equipment and construction products that are committed to moving towards a increasingly sustainable environment. Receiving the award, Hidrostank’s commercial director, Juan Gazpio Irujo, said: “20 years ago we bet on a much more sustainable world. Our challenge was to change the mindset of traditional contractors with a eco friendly alternative to concrete manholes. So we are really proud of being recognised today by such an important jury.” “More and more administrations are considering sustainable procurement to improve the efficiency of public procurement and use the power of the public market to promote important environmental and social benefits at the local, regional and global levels”, says Juan Gazpio, Commercial Director, in the photo . “Today it is not enough to be competitive. Sustainability is in the DNA of our clients and we have known how to integrate this variable into our productive model”. The activity of HIDROSTANK is especially focused to emerging countries (LATAM, MENA…) where these modular manholes make it possible to speed the execution of their numerous projects up in a much more sustainable way. The Expansion of the Panama Canal is perhaps one of its main international references. The spanish company supplied to the winning consortium Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC), led by SACYR, its modular manholes in the urbanization works. HIDROSTANK Access chambers enable the contractors to significantly reduce the execution of the works and fulfil the arranged deadlines at the beginning of the project. The high resistance of the HIDROSTANK cable pit make it a real alternative to traditional concrete systems. “Not only are they ecofriendly, but also their modularity makes transport easier, a simple and quick installation on site, without the need for heavy machinery, and a reduction in manpower,” says Alberto Ayesa, company manager. ” This will lead to significant savings and a much more sustainable construction.”
