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Members head to prison KIER GIVES CIOB A PREVIEW OF THE GOVERNMENT’S FLAGSHIP PROJECT IN WELLINGBOROUGH
Kier took CIOB members on a tour of the new prison in Wellingborough in Northamptonshire recently. The prison, a flagship project for the Ministry of Justice, is a design template for extensive government investment into custodial facilities nationwide. Kier demolished the former prison in 2018/2019, and began work on a £250m new build in summer 2019. To deliver the Ministry of Justice’s requirements, the company has utilised the benefits of offsite construction and advanced digital technologies. Members had the opportunity to visit the 11.5ha site, which will provide 1,680 prisoner places in 2021. Its 13 main buildings were at different
“To deliver the Ministry of Justice’s requirements, Kier has utilised offsite construction and advanced digital technologies” stages of construction, providing an opportunity to witness the logistics and scale of the operation. Kier’s head of bid management, Rebecca Wade, also delivered a talk on Kier’s journey with the prison and the application of digital tools and design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) on the flagship scheme. ●
The 11.5ha site will provide 1,680 prisoner places in 2021
A group established by a Birminghambased CIOB member to advance innovation is celebrating reaching nearly 500 members in a few months. Hassan Emam, principal consultant for planning and controls at LogiKal and a member of the Birmingham Hub committee, established the West Midlands Construction Analytics meetup to share knowledge about innovation and construction analytics. The group began with a LinkedIn group and meets monthly. Meetings include software developers presenting new tools, for the industry to provide feedback, as well as academic experts presenting research on subjects such as 4D printing. Emam founded the group when he became frustrated with the industry repeatedly facing the same challenges and wanting to find new ways to find efficiencies. Having explored how AI is being applied to other industries – as part of his PhD – he wanted to see how it could benefit construction. “I am hugely motivated personally to see change in the industry which is why I created the group. It’s great to have knowledge sharing and learn from others’ experience so we don’t repeat the same problems. It also provides great support,” he says. In his job Emam has established LogiLab – LogiKal’s research lab – and is training the team members in using AI for project controls. He has also delivered a presentation at Project Controls Expo about the applications of AI in construction, and at the same event was awarded the Global Project Controls Consultant award. AI in Construction can be found on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin. com/groups/8814236.
Hassan Emam of LogiKal
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