Roma Publications
Volume 15 - Issue 3
NHBC Pride in the Job Awards 2010
Winners tell us their secrets
Special Focus:
www.craigleithmasonry.com craigleithmas@aol.com
Contact 0131-440-4544
Temporary and Modular Structures. A vital cog in the construction machine
Lime in the Construction Industry
A series of contributors share their views
London 2012 Vast centre caters for world’s media
Trams in Edinburgh An update on the futuristic new transport system
www.constructionstudycentre.co.uk
Getting to grips with NEC3 6 13 14 8 10 23 1
September October October November November November December
2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010
London Solihull Manchester Glasgow Leeds Bristol London
COURSE BACKGROUND This 1 DAY COURSE will explain the philosophy behind the full range of the NEC family of contracts and will focus on the provisions of the Engineering and Construction Contract. The differences between the 2nd and 3rd Edition will be explained as well as the use of the different forms and their significant features.
SPEAKERS’ PANEL The speaker for each course will be from a panel of Lorne Alway, Nigel Clayton, Michael Nelson, Michael Rowlinson, and Richard Silver.
OVERVIEW Introduction • NEC3; Structure and content, putting an NEC contract together • The language and philosophy NEC Family of Contracts and Documents • The Engineering and Construction Contract • Main options; Secondary options; associated documents • The Subcontract • The Adjudicator’s Contract • Term Service Contract • The Professional Services Contract • The NEC Short Contract and Subcontract • Framework Contract • Term Service Short Contract Allocation of Risks and Responsibilities • Design obligations
RECENTLY UPDATED 6 13 19 16
October October October November
23 28 14 22 5 6 12
February February March March April April April
2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011
London Glasgow Solihull Bristol Leeds London Manchester
• Unforeseen conditions • Project Manager • Pricing mechanisms • Changes • Supervisor Preparing the Contract • Site Information • Works Information • Tenders and acceptance • Contract data Management Procedures • Communications • Progress reporting • Programme requirements • Early warning notices • Risk register Compensation Events • Time and money events • Assessments • Schedule of costs components • Quotations • Defined cost • Notifications • Fee • Timescales and deemed acceptance Payment Procedures • Pricing mechanism • Price adjustments • Retention • Target cost • Valuation schemes • Interest Other Contract Families • Compare NEC with other contract families including JCT and PPC 2000 – main features.
At the cutting edge of JCT 2010 contracts
2010 2010 2010 2010
Bristol London Manchester Solihull
COURSE BACKGROUND From 2005 to 2010 there has been an avalanche of revised contracts from the JCT, including its first Framework Agreement and first Partnering contract This RECENTLY UP-DATED 1 DAY COURSE brings all of these changes together, including those operating generally across JCT contracts, those contract specific, and any new contracts. The course will cover documents published at the date of the course.
SPEAKERS’ PANEL The speaker for each course will be from a panel of Lorne Alway, Ryland Ash, Jaz Bilkhu, Steven Evans and Scott Milner.
OVERVIEW Across the Contracts Changes • Section headings, integration of sectional completion and design portions supplements; simplification; abbreviation and modernisation of wording; changes in dispute resolution provisions; review of
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February March March March
2011 2011 2011 2011
Solihull Manchester Bristol London
extension of time and L+E clauses; removal of statutory material and procedural matters; Appendix replaced • Contracts covered will include the following, together with the other contracts and amendments published prior to the course: JCT 2005 Standard Building Contract • Reduced number of versions: integrated options built into the contract for – Contractor’s Design Portion; division of work into sections; third party rights; Sub-Contractor collateral warranties; Design document procedures; PI Insurance; exclusions from SBC 2005 when compared with JCT 98 including Performance Specified Work and Nominated Sub-Contractors; review of adjustment to completion date and L+E provisions; clarification of payment provisions. Related Sub-Contracts JCT 2005 Intermediate Building Contract + with Contractor’s Design • Changes including new design version; Named Sub-Contractors; division of the
0845 3133 414
Managing & assessing NEC compensation events 12 14
October October
2010 Bristol 2010 London
COURSE BACKGROUND This 1 DAY COURSE will provide a detailed insight into the mechanisms for managing and assessing compensation events and claims, including ways in which the ethos of the contract can be used to assist Project Managers, Contractors and Subcontractors. The course will also provide a detailed analysis of the contractual basis to compensation events and claims, under the 3rd Edition of the ECC Contract as well as the Subcontract, Professional Services Contract and the other Forms.
21. 8
October November
2010 Solihull 2010 Manchester
SPEAKERS’ PANEL The speaker for each course will be from a panel of Steven Evans, Michael Nelson and Michael Rowlinson
For full course content visit: www.constructionstudycentre.co.uk
NEC3 ECC advanced users’ guide GROUNDBREAKING BRAND NEW COURSE
INCLUDING PRE-EVENT CONFERENCE CALLS
11 25 27 4 15
October October Octtober November November
2010 2010 2010 2010 2010
Bristol Solihull London Manchester Glasgow
COURSE BACKGROUND This GROUND BREAKING BRAND NEW 1 DAY COURSE will provide delegates, already experienced in using the ECC, with a review of the contract in use at an advanced user’s level. It will be particularly attractive to delegates who have already been on CSC’s NEC and NEC Compensation Events courses. It is necessary that delegates should have a detailed background and a working knowledge of the form. The course will include pre-event conference calls to delegates to obtain their specific views as
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February March March March March
2011 2011 2011 2011 2011
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to course content. It will refer to worked examples, and include ‘tutorial’ type sessions and practical tips.
SPEAKERS’ PANEL The speaker for each course will be from a panel of Michael Nelson, Michael Rowlinson, Robert Shawyer and Richard Silver.
For full course content visit: www.constructionstudycentre.co.uk
“We make every effort to ensure that our courses are right up to date to include latest developments. As a consequence, the course content in our published brochures and on our webpage changes from time to time to reflect these updates. Each presented course content will be based on the latest edition of the webpage affecting the relevant course.”
works; inclusion for collateral warranties; omissions will be covered • Related Sub-Contracts JCT 2005 Minor Works Building Contract + with Contractor’s Design • Replaces JCT MW 1998; traditional form and with a Contractor Design version JCT 2005 Framework Agreement • Non-binding and binding versions • Role of the Framework Agreement; parties to work with each other, legal status of framework agreement; organisational structures; decision making; collaborative working; supply chains; information sharing; confidentiality; risk; health and safety; environmental considerations; value engineering; change control; problem solving; performance indicators; termination JCT 2006 Repair & Maintenance Contract (Commercial) • For simple, one-off jobs.
JCT 2006 Measured Term Contract • Formatting changes, added flexibility; simplification of pricing mechanisms including a schedule of hourly charges Sub-contracts for: • Standard Building Contract • Design and Build • Intermediate • Minor Works • Generic Sub-Contract • Generic Sub-Sub-Contract Constructing Excellence (Partnering Contract) Pre-Construction Services Agreement Consultancy Agreement Construction Management Appointment Collateral Warranties Bonds
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Contents PREMIER CONSTRUCTION Dear readers, There’s an exciting issue in store for you this time around, beginning with a special focus on the lime industry with input from expert contributors. Our lead focus is on temporary and modular structures, and we feature a variety of weird and wonderful projects at which to marvel. We continue our look at some of the 2010 NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award winners, paying a visit to the victorious site managers to get their views on what it takes to succeed as a house builder. Moving to our regular sections, the North West is the scene of an intriguing design project carried out by student architects, while the neighbouring North East is the scene of a vital flood defence programme. In the Midlands, we check out the temporary events structures at the Silverstone GP, before moving to London and the ITU World Championships to find out how that event benefitted from a temporary installation. Moving out of England, we visit an innovative new holiday destination in Scotland and wish we could stay longer. Over in Wales there’s news of a modular housing project that’s breathing new life into Snowdonia. A short hop over the Irish sea takes us to the Oxegen Festival, where we find out what it takes to install and dismantle the imposing main stage for the musical extravaganza. As usual, we hope you enjoy this issue’s news and views. You’re as welcome as ever to contribute yours to editorial@ romauk.net Graham Schulz, Editor
Volume 15 • Issue 3
Focus on Lime............................................................................................7 RIBA Awards 2010.................................................................................12 NHBC Awards 2010...............................................................................13 North West Reflective Room.................................................................................................38 Stockport One Stop Shop.................................................................................40
North East & Yorkshire Gainsborough Flood Alleviation Scheme........................................................44 AG Wind Power..................................................................................................47
Midlands Silverstone GP Temporary Structures..............................................................50 Stoke Affordable Housing..................................................................................51
South West Inflatable Buildings............................................................................................56 Yeovil SSD...........................................................................................................57
London & South East ITU World Championship VIP Enclosure.........................................................60 London 2012 Media Centre...............................................................................62
Wales Housing Pods.....................................................................................................78
Scotland Ecopod...............................................................................................................84
Ireland Oxegen Festival Stages.....................................................................................94
Associations English Heritage.................................................................................................96
Managing Director: Marcus Howarth Editor:
Graham Schulz
Contributors:
Lesley Coward
Production Manager: Danielle Burgoyne Advert Co-ordinator: Kelsie Howarth Published by:
Roma Publications Ltd.
t: 01706 719 972 f: 0845 458 4446
e: admin@romauk.net
w: www.romauk.net
Graphic Design by:
www.marcusmacaulay.co.uk
© Roma Publications Ltd. All contents are copyright. All rights are reserved. No part may be stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the publishers. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies however caused. Contributed material does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. the editorial policy and general layout of this publication are at the discretion of the publisher and no debate will be entered into. No responsibility can be accepted for illustrations, artwork or photographs whilst in transmission with the publishers or their agents unless a commitment is made in writing prior to the receipt of such terms.
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Fo c u s o n: L i m e
Traditional buildings require traditional materials by Paul Watts of Mike Wye & Associates Ltd Many builders and building material supply companies are experiencing lean times on the back of the credit crunch. We hear of developers laying off tradesmen and the local builders’ merchants can be rather lonely places these days. New building programmes up and down the country have been mothballed or shelved. It tends to be during economic times like these that decisions are often made to make do and mend rather than undertake new construction. There is a natural temptation more than ever to use the cheapest materials or accept the cheapest tender. The cheapness of the material may be down to the fact that it is mass produced or it may be that it is not like for like and that cement or hydrated lime is being quoted for rather than material compatible with the existing.
Far too often, people still do not understand the need for a traditionally built property to have traditional materials used on it. From flooring or render to simple decoration or pointing, buildings made to older construction methods can suffer greatly if modern materials are employed. It cannot be emphasised enough that a building constructed with a solid wall needs to have materials used in repair and maintenance that allow the moisture within the building to evaporate. Modern acrylic based paints, cement render or cement pointing should all be avoided and products like Limewash, breathable emulsion, distemper, claypaint for decoration and lime for mortar and plaster should be used for pointing rendering and plastering. The thermal expansion rate of cement is far greater than that of brick, stone or lime. This makes hard cement mortar incompatible with more traditional materials. The cement mortar is also much more rigid than lime mortar and cannot cope with the greater movement associated with traditionally constructed properties with their soft mortar and limited foundations. All this means that cement render or pointing is always prone to cracking and delamination on an old building compared to when lime is used. Rain is likely to track directly into the cracks, saturate the walls causing poor insulation and premature rot in wood or even structural failure. Unfortunately for the novice, the world of lime and breathable paints can be a confusing one. There are different forms of lime and many choices for internal decoration. To add to the confusion there can be widely differing opinions on the best materials when talking to suppliers and practitioners. There are three types of lime available: Lime Putty is slaked from quicklime with an excess of water making it a wet product. Mortars based on lime putty are the
ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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Fo c u s o n: L i m e
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most traditional and also the most breathable and can last indefinitely. In fact lime putty actually improves with age as long as it is prevented from drying out. Only when dry can it carbonate and complete the hardening process. A Pozzolan can be added to create a chemical set making it a hydraulic lime and able to set in the presence of water if required. Hydrated lime is the most widely available form of lime as it is used as a fattening agent to mix with cement where the use of cement is appropriate. Although chemically the same as lime putty, it is slaked with an exact amount of water making it a dry powder. It should not be used as a binder for a lime mortar as it could be too weak due to carbonation within the bag and may not give you an adequate mortar for building or plastering. Natural Hydraulic Limes (NHLs) are slightly more complicated as they are normally sold in different strength bandings and chemical properties. Supplied as a dry powder, they come with natural Pozzolans as impurities within the limestone, hence ‘natural hydraulic lime’. These all have a limited life and in the same way that bags of cement will absorb moisture over a period of time, bags of NHL will do likewise and need to be stored well to extend useful life.
Different NHLs are as follows: NHL2 – The weakest, usually used on soft materials for internal plastering or repointing. NHL3.5 – This is the general purpose NHL and can be used
internally and externally for building and rendering. NHL5 – NHL5 is the strongest and we only recommend this for flooring and underground work. A further complication to the banding is that different manufacturers can provide an NHL 2, or 3.5 with widely differing properties to another. As a general rule of thumb we suggest that English and German NHLs are used internally as they have a larger proportion of free lime, this means that they are much stickier and creamier but have a slower and ultimately weaker set. The French NHLs are stronger and set quicker so are better for building and external works. It is very important to note that with all work you must make sure that the mortar you make from them is weaker than the masonry that you are using it on. Pointing should be sacrificial and be allowed to erode away rather than the surrounding masonry. Before deciding on which type of lime to use the most important part of lime work is ensuring the breathability of the building, from the bare substrate through to the breathable paint applied to the plaster or render. It has been known for people who have applied a full breathable lime render and painted it with acrylic based masonry paint and therefore sealing the building. This will keep any moisture within the building and makes the breathable lime render largely a waste of time and money. If a material was not originally used in its construction then it is likely that it should not be introduced into the fabric of the building. The key phrase to remember is ‘like for like’ so if lime mortar was used to bed brickwork then lime mortar is likely to be the best material to be used to repair it. Not only it is important to research the type of materials used and source the most appropriate, it is vital to determine at an early stage if the property is listed or in a conservation area. If work is undertaken without the correct consents, this would be a criminal offence and may lead to prosecution. Mike Wye & Associates is a specialist supplier of natural building and decorating products and one of the UK’s leading lime specialists. They have been training people in the techniques needed to maintain and conserve traditional buildings for many years. In a further move to help those looking for advice, the company has an excellent free guide to the maintenance of a traditional building that can be downloaded from their website. In conjunction with a number of industry experts, the company is currently offering a series of one day seminars around the country. Contact the company for details of dates and venues for this essential day for anybody with a traditionally built property. Telephone 01409-281644, email sales@mikewye.co.uk or visit www.mikewye.co.uk ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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Fo c u s o n: L i m e
Expertise in the Lime Indusry by Roz Artis-Young, Director, Scottish Lime Centre Trust The Scottish Lime Centre Trust (SLCT) has been celebrating its 16th year of operation with the launch of several new innovative services and training packages. Established in 1994 to address the skills and knowledge gap for the repair of traditionally constructed masonry buildings, for the most part solid wall stone (and/or brick) and lime build, the SLCT has developed a cutting edge diagnosis, repair strategy and specification service even more sought after and relevant today than 16 years ago. SLCT’s growing range of services is increasingly sought after by professionals involved in the conservation, repair and maintenance of historic buildings. In parallel, the SLCT has developed a wide ranging training and education programme for the three main stakeholders in the built environment sector, owners and custodians of buildings, those that specify building materials and those on the ground building and effecting repairs as their daily business. The training and education programme is continually updated by the findings from SLCT’s building advisory work. In a cost-conscious world this cutting edge approach compliments SLCT’s impartiality which is its trademark. Over the last 16 years, the SLCT has earned its unrivalled reputation for offering this impartial, practical and pragmatic advice. Dealing with the entire spectrum of buildings, from castles to cottages, bridges to buttresses, the SLCT is increasingly brought in as a ‘trouble shooting’ service, dealing with all building defects from water ingress, leaking roofs, poor workmanship, inappropriate specification and often the results of a total lack of understanding of how buildings and their components work in tandem. The building industry offers many challenges for specifiers and contractors. Understanding building materials is potentially very onerous, and the SLCT offers the comfort of independent specialists who have this understanding in the context of a specific building -whether it’s a new product on the market, or a challenging design, the SLCT is here to help make the outcome successful. Collectively, the SLCT has more than 250 years of building experience, from builders on the ground, clerks of works, specifiers, estate management, building materials analysis and building pathology, and the list goes on. SLCT is proud of its proven track record based on experience supported by extensive knowledge, and you are assured that the advice you receive from the SLCT is based on a full understanding of all relevant facts. The SLCT believes in getting it right the first time. Our building advisory service ‘Charlestown Consultants’ has developed a site mortar testing service, where we ensure mortar mixes are consistent in terms of binder, sand and water content, whether it is mixed on a board or is discharged from a silo system and that the mortar will perform as intended on a building. The SLCT receives many, many samples each year of failed mortars, both new and old for investigation, sadly all too often it is down to inconsistent mortar making on site, and the contractor gets the blame, regardless of whether the mortar mix specified was ‘fit for purpose’. This new on site mortar testing service will give both client and contractor the comfort that the materials as mixed are indeed ‘fit for purpose’ and at least this service eliminates one of the biggest on site potential problems. Our training arm ‘Charlestown Workshops’ as well as offering one of the most comprehensive ad wide ranging training and education programmes in the UK for the built heritage has got
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together with all the UK and Republic of Ireland building lime producers to develop industry accredited awards in the use of building limes in all contexts, for new build as well as repair, conservation and maintenance. Awards are accredited to those individuals from building contracting companies attending relevant training workshops and then successfully completing a formal assessment of competence, there is even an award for site supervisors where building limes are being used. Ironically, the site working practices for the use of building limes are more or less the same for cement based mortars, but in our experience are ignored almost entirely, but building limes are less tolerant of poor site practice and builders should ignore best site practice at their peril! The industry accredited training and assessment programme covers building with lime, re-pointing with lime mortars, rendering, plastering, grouting, laying of natural stone paving, lime concrete laying, limewash and lime painting, surface repair of stone to name but a few. The lime producers have deemed the Scottish Lime Centre as the accrediting body on their behalf and we hope to partner with other training organisations to spread the delivery of training and assessment across the UK and Ireland in the future. Our intention is to produce contractors working to the best possible site practices to ensure successful work is achieved with building limes every time. Clients should gain comfort that their project is being handled by accredited operatives, so whether it is a new build project or restoration of an historic building the site practices are common in achieving a successful outcome. For further information or to enquire about any of the services offered by the Scottish Lime Centre Trust, please visit www. scotlime.org .
The Pineapple
Craigleith Masonry Co Ltd We, at Craigleith Masonry Co Ltd are a forward ‘can do’ thinking organisation and are ambitious to succeed in the ‘building conservation’ sector of the construction industry and effect the highest quality work for our clients at best value prices. We want to get back to the situation where Architects and Surveyors can simply ask for us to “fix that” or “build that” knowing we have the confidence and knowledge to do a job well. For the most part, the buildings we deal with are of solid mass wall construction, be it a combination of stone, brick and lime, what used to be called ‘stane and lime’ construction, roughly up until the 1920s it was the only way to build. If we find a building with problems, we know where to get specialist advice and seek this as a matter of course, more often than not from the Scottish Lime Centre Trust. First and foremost , we have a well qualified workforce with a structure that allows our staff members to flourish and progress, they have a route and a path to progress embracing the Scottish Government’s ambition for life- long learning. Our sites are tidy and safe and a credit to our organisational skills, our Health and Safety regime is second to none, we closely monitor our staff’s health and well-being on an on-going basis, if our staff aren’t happy, nor are we. All our sites have a Foreman in charge of them, site diaries are kept religiously, ensuring our clients will know what has been achieved each day and if there are any problems we can ‘quarantine’ them, offering you the paying customer total comfort that we are on the case. The nature of the materials we use on a day to day basis, namely natural stone and hydraulic lime binders require patience until they achieve optimum durability, so if you have a traditional masonry building, expect the highest quality repair, it might take a bit longer but you can rest assure you are in the most capable of hands. Craigleith Masonry Ltd are proud to have worked in partnership with the Scottish Lime Centre Trust (SLCT) on a number of conservation projects including reinstatement of lime finishes and re-pointing rubblework and are about to reconstruct a ‘Greek Thomson’ doorway salvaged from a building in Glasgow by providing the manpower and know how to reassemble this important piece of masonry for training and education purposes. The wealth of experience and knowledge at the SLCT is unrivalled and you can always rely on their independent, pragmatic and practical solutions for building repair, whether on new build or repair of existing buildings. Craigleith Masonry Ltd are a young but ambitious contractor and like to keep ‘ahead of the game’
but continuously developing their staff through attendance at the SLCT’s training and education programme. In the last year, Andrew Innes, owner of Craigleith Masonry successfully completed 3 National Units in Conservation Masonry with the SLCT, a qualification accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). Andrew is keen to see as many of his staff as possible also gain these qualifications as a ‘benchmark’ of competence and to demonstrate to clients their commitment to high quality work. New for 2010, Craigleith Masonry are now able to offer an independent building consultancy service, backed up by a combined 60 years of experience in the building conservation field. This service can offer full building surveys, defect diagnosis, full specifications and an on site quality control inspection service to give clients the comfort that the right materials and techniques are being employed on their buildings. Be assured with Craigleith Masonry, you are in the best of hands, we look forward to doing business with you.
Lorretto School ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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RIBA Award-winning civic project now up and running Junction, a new arts and civic centre for Goole opened in November 2009. It integrates a 173-person auditorium, workshop, foyer and café, a combined council chamber and community room and offices into a compact and flexible building. This intensity of use is intended to result in a ‘buzz’ and a greater awareness of associated activities The project was led by Goole Town Council and received support from a number of agencies. Yorkshire Forward funded £1,730,000 of the project, linked to the renewal of the markets area, under the Goole Renaissance programme. East Riding of Yorkshire Council contributed £500,000 and further funding came from Arts Council England. Housing a 170-seat auditorium, a workshop, studios, a meeting and office space and a café-bar, the multi-purpose arts centre was opened in November 2009. Now up and running, Junction is going from strength to strength, hosting theatre, cinema, exhibitions, music, dance and more.
The Design Due to budgetary constraints and for sustainable reasons, the scheme reuses the foundations and steel portal frame of the existing 1980s market building, creating an external performance space and covered areas for market stalls. A central section of the roof is raised to accommodate cinema projection. The addition of a brim (canopy) - as in a hat - and a veranda below, along the street, provides shelter, and space for traders to pitch stalls. Above, the building is re-clad in charcoal grey
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cement panels. Below, the ‘internal’ building, a new timber frame structure, is clad in Douglas fir. Here, the underside of the brim is lined in polished gold stainless steel. Architects Henley Halebrown Rorrison worked in conjunction with main contractor Houlton & Sons, theatre consultant Theatre Plan, structural engineer Techniker, environmental engineer Rybkonsult, acoustic consultant Sharps Redmore, project manager Turner & Townsend and cost consultant Bernard Williams Associates.
Hi-Lights Gateshead-based firm Hi-Lights worked on the project from beginning to end. The events specialists installed stage lighting, sound equipment, stage curtains and more at Junction, returning to train staff once the construction period was complete and guaranteeing an ongoing service and maintenance contract. The firm specialises in both static and intelligent stage and conference lighting, permanent lighting bars and dimming systems, indoor and outdoor sound reinforcement, projectors, plasma and LCD TVs and screens, portable staging systems, stage curtains and track, as well as fully installed TV and recording studios. Hi-Lights’ services range from dry hire and design to full production services and, whether you’re planning a conference, product launch, awards dinner, outdoor event, celebration or traditional theatre show, Hi-Lights can help. Visit their website at www.hi-lights.tv
NHBC
NHBC’s Pride in the Job Awards
Celebrating Excellence in Site Management The National House Building council has announced the winners of its 2010 Pride in the Job Quality Awards. Usually announced in June, the awards are presented to the best 400 site managers responsible for new build, conversion or housing association sites across the UK. In this special issue of Premier Construction, we go around the country to hear from a selection of the winners. They’ve told us the secrets to their success in getting the best out of their site teams, and their words will surely inspire the winners of the future. Pride in the Job awards are won by site managers, not sites, site teams or companies. Site managers are automatically entered into the competition if they are working on sites of three or more homes which are registered with NHBC for warranty. There are no entry forms for Pride in the Job and no need to apply. All site managers, whether they work for a large or small company have an equal opportunity to win an award and new build, refurbishments and housing association sites are all eligible. Judging by the NHBC Building Inspectors begins in July and continues throughout the year with every eligible NHBC registered site manager being considered for an award.
Categories Site managers are placed into four builder categories:
Small builder - For sole traders with responsibility for site
management or site managers employed by a company (or group of companies), who register between 3 and 50 new homes with the NHBC each year.
Medium builder - For site managers employed by a company (or group of companies) who register between 51 and 1000 new homes with the NHBC each year.
Large builder - For site managers employed by a company (or group of companies) who register 1001 or more new homes with the NHBC each year.
Multi-storey builder - For site managers working on multistorey projects, this category set required o run this type of a structure over three storeys of build are eligible e.g. steel, traditional build.
recognises the different skill site. Multi-storey is defined as for multi-occupancy. All types timber or concrete frame and
Judging Criteria The NHBC’s site inspections rely on a strict set of judgement guidelines that each potential winner must tackle. Here are some examples of what the judges are looking for:
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Consistency - Consistently high standards of site management must be shown through quality workmanship across all trades on site.
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Leadership - Excellent leadership skills, reflected by a
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Technical expertise - The ability to knowledgeably
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Interpretation - The ability to skilfully interpret drawings and specifications and successfully turn the designer’s intention into reality.
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Health and safety - Efficient health and safety controls
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The ‘X factor’ - The competition is intense and NHBC
high level of morale and motivation on site.
and skilfully resolve any issues on site, such as problematic ground conditions.
in place and evidence that the welfare of all employees on site is considered.
judges have to see something quite special to nominate a site manager for an award. From the standard of workmanship, to the welfare of staff, a site manager must get involved with every aspect on site and work to continually to raise standards.
About NHBC The NHBC is the standard setting body and leading warranty and insurance provider for new and newly converted homes in the UK. Started in 1936 as the National House-Builders Registration Council, NHBC has worked consistently to raise the construction standards of new homes and provide protection for new homebuyers. As the UK’s leading warranty and insurance provider for new homes, NHBC’s Buildmark warranty cover more than 80% of new homes built in the UK and currently protects approximately 1.7 million homes. Over the past 40 years, NHBC has protected more than 30% of existing homes in the UK. There are approximately 20,000 house builders and developers on NHBC’s Register (known as registered builders or registered developers), who agree to comply with NHBC rules and standards when building new homes. NHBC employs over 1,100 staff, including 280 building inspectors across the UK, who carry out and collect data on around one million inspections at key stages of home construction each year. As well as inspectors, there are surveyors, engineers, energy assessors, health and safety, training, registration and claims staff, who all deliver NHBC’s key services to customers. Find out more about the organisation and the awards at www.nhbc.co.uk ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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NHBC Tu l l o c h H o m e s
An award dug out of the snow
An NHBC Pride in the Job award goes to Andy Pirie of Tulloch Homes for the site at High Burnside. The development is situated just outside the tourist resort town of Aviemore, within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland.
“I’m delighted”, said Andy, “as it’s the second award in a row for the same site and there’s been a lot of work put into it. It’s always good to know that other people like the work you’re doing and it’s something I’ve had in the back of my mind as a possibility. Originally, after talking to the NHBC inspector, I was aiming for the top 30, but it turns out this site has been voted one of the top 10 in the area. It was a nice surprise to be rated so highly”. According to Andy, “A lot of the people who’ve shown an interest in the site are looking for second homes or holiday homes, and the area is ideal because it’s within the National Park, so there’s plenty for people to do outdoors”. Unfortunately for Andy, the outdoors worked against him over the winter. He and his team were left “kicking their heels”, as he puts it – presumably with much difficulty, given the two feet of snow that accumulated rapidly across the site and stuck for much longer than expected. Asked how he had dealt with the situation, he said, “There’s nothing you can do about it, obviously, and it was frustrating for me and for contractors who wanted to get their work done”. “Luckily”, he continued, “there were bits of work we could be doing internally, so things didn’t come to a complete halt. We’ve also altered our plans slightly for this year and we’re aiming to have more houses with their walls and roofs complete before
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winter kicks in so that we can do more internally if and when the heavy snow comes”. Andy is a native of Inverness and began his career in the construction industry as an apprentice joiner at the age of 18. Now aged 32, he has since had time to decide on a change of career, returning to education to gain qualifications in construction and management and proceeding to gain six years’ experience as both site manager and assistant site manager. When asked whether his relative youth ever made things more difficult for him, Andy replied, “Not at all. In fact, I think it can be easier in one way for a younger site manager, because you’re closer in age to some of the contractors and it’s easier to get along. I know that there are people with more experience than me in this business, though, and that’s one reason why I’m always careful to ask for opinions before I say how I want work to be done. I think you have to show the right attitude if you want to be respected as a manager, so I make sure I’m always on good terms with people who work for me”. As for the future, Andy is reluctant to start mapping his career out just yet, although he is aware of the possibilities that exist for a successful young site manager, He said, “I’ll possibly move on and up eventually, but now’s not the right time. There’s still plenty of room for me to learn more as a site manager yet!” Andy is overseeing a total of 75 plots, of which 12 houses ranging from 3 to 5 bedrooms are being developed as part of the current phase of work. The award winner has previously led efforts to build another 18 properties as part of an earlier phase. Plans exist to extend the site, depending on demand.
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NHBC C o n r oy H o m e s Lt d
Learn by doing
Graham Barber joins the list of successful NHBC Pride in the Job award winners for his work on the Broomfield Avenue site in Halifax. He earned his reputation for precise workmanship working for a local company of builders, and he told Premier Construction, “I’d hoped to become a plumber like my brother, but my father found me a job as a trainee bricklayer. On my first day I was given a trowel, led to an experienced bricklayer and told, ‘Do what he’s doing’. I took to it instantly and since then I’ve known that the best way to learn is by picking up the tools and learning as you go”. Graham now works for Conroy Brook, a firm with a growing reputation which is based in his native Holmfirth, near Huddersfield. Now aged 54, his career began at the age of 15 when he started work as an apprentice plasterer straight after leaving school. Explaining the approach to site management that he has developed over the last 17 years, Graham reveals the thought processes that elsewhere would make a champion chess player: “I always try to have a contingency plan in case of delays so that I can re-assign people when needed, and I try to see a few moves down the line so that I can be ready to adapt. It helps to have good people around you, and I’ll admit to being reluctant to work with new people now that I’ve found a solid group of contractors I trust, although I make a point of giving apprentices a chance on my sites. I haven’t forgotten how I got started myself!” “I always want my sites to look good”, he adds, “and I had an inkling that this site could win awards because standards here
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Award winner Graham Barber
have been high. I have my team to thank for that. I’m aware that everything you do in this industry can affect your reputation. That goes for me, my company and my contractors. That’s why I’m constantly aware of the standards we need to uphold”. The Broomfield Avenue site is situated within a mile of the centre of Halifax. It consists of 16 units, of which 8 are detached and the remainder are split into two 4-unit blocks of town houses. The largest of the detached houses is 3100sq.ft in floor area, and four of the houses are already occupied.
B A R R AT T H O M E S
Hamilton winner enjoys local amenities while scooping award
service charge for the site, in order to keep any undeveloped areas in good order. A spokesperson justifies the charge by explaining, “Privacy, and to some extent seclusion, along with a feeling of open space, are achieved with careful planning. To attain this, we do not necessarily build on every available piece of land – some of it may be left landscaped. To keep these areas and common areas in good order, maintenance is required.
Barratt’s Matt McLaughlin joins the ranks of the victorious NHBC site managers with a Pride in the job Quality Award for his work at the Earls Gate site in Hamilton. Hamilton is one of Lanarkshire’s major towns, offering many amenities for shopping, sport and relaxation. It is just off the M8 and lies only 14 miles from Glasgow city centre, which makes the town popular with commuters who enjoy rail and bus services and easy access to the motorway network. Luckily, residents at Earls Gate will find themselves a mere 28.1 miles from the nearest ferry port at Ayr. Hungrily, they will flock to the neighbouring ALDI store. Matt is overseeing construction of a range of stylish new 2 bedroom apartments and 3 bedroom maisonettes, which feature thoughtfully-designed accommodation over two levels. The units come from Barratt’s Stronsay, Ronaldsay, Rousay and Castle ranges. Barratt will be requiring residents at the site to contribute a
Outstanding work wins the day for David Outstanding site practice and quality workmanship on the Clayton Mills development at Hassocks in West Sussex, won the day for Barratt Southern Counties site manager David McClintock, who recently celebrated his Pride in the Job Award win. Located adjacent to the historic village of Hassocks, the development comprises and exclusive range of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes overlooking the South Downs and within a village with a strong community spirit and centered around the historic Adastra Park and Hall. The village is steeped in history-mentioned in the Domesday Book and with a church dating back 900 years to Saxon times. Hassocks is a beautiful location for rural living, yet is ideally situated, having both road and rail links to London, Gatwick and the Sussex Coast. Hassocks offers a range of shopping facilities including
supermarkets, post offices and newsagents, along with offlicences and a delicatessen. There are also leisure facilities for all ages and interests, including tennis courts, a raquet and bowls club, a football club and a wealth of excellent local golf clubs. The South Downs are accessible from the village through a network of local footpaths and include areas of outstanding natural beauty. Nearby Butcher’s Wood is famous for its bluebells and not far away are the locally infamous Jack and Jill windmills. Homes at Clayton Mills express all that is desirable in contemporary living. For example all rooms have been carefully designed and fitted with the most up-to-date appliances. With designer kitchens, beautifully co-ordinated bathroom suites and stylish lighting and decor throughout, Clayton Mills offers truly luxurious rural living. Barratt is Britain’s best-known housebuilder. They have been in business since 1958 and have built over 300,000 new homes, together with a reputation for quality, innovation and great value for money. Their commitment to product development, coupled with the highest standards of design, construction, finish and customer service, has earned Barratt every major housebuilding industry award in recent years. Barratt build for everyone. With more than 400 developments from North East Scotland to the Isle of Wight, they offer one of the widest choices of locations and prices in Britain today.
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NHBC Properties range from studio apartments to seven-bedroom topof-the-range homes. All Barratt developments are in desirable locations where people want to live and are carefully planned to provide stylish and desirable living environments. Barratt has worked hard to earn their reputation and they continue to do so, year in, year out, to improve their service. The first Barratt company was established in 1958 in Newcastle upon Tyne and then grew steadily, establishing the roots that were to support its future growth.
One of the lads Paul Bellamy has been overseeing Barratt Homes’ unique Horizons site in Castleford, a project which has taken him out of his usual comfort zone as a house builder. He explains, “This site is completely different to what I’m used to, and it’s taken a lot of adaptation as we’ve use different materials and different subcontractors to what we’re used to”. The site is part of the Allerton Bywater Millennium Community, built on the site of a former colliery, and is part of a scheme to
Sibling rivalry spurs award winner NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award winner Stewart Jones had more than the usual motivation to achieve his award – he had his brother’s example to live up to. Stewart’s younger brother has already picked up two NHBC Seals of Excellence, and the recent winner has continued his family’s strong reputation in the construction industry with a strong performance at Barratt’s ‘Evolution’ site in Edgware. Stewart told Premier Construction, “My whole family is part of the industry – as well as my brother, there’s my wife, who is a sales manager for another major house builder, and there’s my father, who is a judge for the NHBC awards, so it was about time I picked up award of my own. If only I could count on my father for a bit of favouritism, I might have picked one up sooner!” Stewart entered the industry at the age of 16 as a carpenter, and made the move into site management at 26, working as an assistant site manager. Now aged 43, he has recently made the
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The company was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1968, and in 1972 a programme of rapid expansion was launched through a series of acquisitions and the creation of new companies. During the 1990s, the group grew organically, establishing an unrivaled track record of consistent growth. In April 2007 Barratt acquired Wilson Bowden PLC and today has a network of 35 housebuilding divisions throughout Britain, selling new homes under the Barratt, David Wilson and Ward Homes brands. build 520 new homes in the area. Developers are taking part in a scheme to build volumetric and panelised estates, whose components are almost entirely pre-fabricated off-site and which are designed to be entirely sustainable. Paul says, “We’ve had subcontractors we’ve never worked with before, and as my usual approach is to make sure I’m one of the lads – approachable and willing to share the burden with the rest of my team – I’ve had to go back to my early days as a site manager and win respect from new colleagues all over again. “The number of houses here and the new people and techniques mean that it’s more than a one-man job, and I’m indebted to my colleague Philip Wood, who’s been helping me with the management side of things”. Paul began his career in the trades as a cabinet maker but suffered, as he puts it, “itchy feet”, and was eager to get into the thick of things on-site. Enthusiasm pours out of Paul as he discusses the site: “It’s a new kind of development for Barratt and it’s a first for me. Part of my job means moving with the times, and I’ve had to in order to get the award – the first time I had an award was in 1985 and I’ve been after another ever since!”
move from managing large concrete-based structures to working on housing projects with Barratt. As is Barratt’s norm, Stewart now goes by the title of ‘project manager’, and he recognises the importance of his background in fuelling his success as a manager: “I think that, as a former carpenter, I’m used to seeing sites through from start to finish. I’ve had more experience of the total build process, which I wouldn’t be able to say if I’d been a plumber, for example”. During the busier times on his site, Stewart has been responsible for as many as 250 workers. Asked if he had a particular way of managing such a large team, he replied, “I suppose you could say I try to show what I’d call a good attitude. I focus on the job without being unapproachable and I try to deal with everyone fairly and amicably. You certainly won’t see me losing my rag with people unless there’s a very good reason! “Luckily, my team members share my approach and my desire
to make this an award-winning site, so I’m starting with a big advantage. I’m also lucky to have had good quality workers coming in, and I always say you can only manage the people you have in front of you. I’ve got to know a lot of contractors, and I’ll often have a preference if I’ve seen good workmanship from them previously. I’ve been known to encourage certain firms to lower the prices they quote in order to win contracts with Barratt because I’ve been keen to have them on my site”. One contractor in particular has enjoyed a successful working relationship with Stewart. Balwant Singh Kalsi commented, “B S Kalsi & Co Ltd, carpentry contractors for Barratt’s NHBC award winning ‘Evolution’ site in Edgware, would like to congratulate Stewart Jones on winning the NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award”. Equally, Astra Selden of Joaska building Contractors Ltd added, “Joaska enjoyed the working relationship that we had with Stewart at Evolutions and look forward to working with him and his team in the very near future. He thoroughly deserves this award”. Looking to his future, Stewart said, “I came to Barratt to do exactly this kind of work and I really enjoy it. I’d love to take on another site and go for another award, bearing in mind that I’ve still got my eye on a Seal of Excellence, but I’d certainly be interested if the opportunity for promotion were to come up”. Stewart won his award for the first phase of the Evolution project, which was completed in June 2010 and brought 116 new units to the London housing market. A second phase comprising another 98 units began immediately afterwards, and a third is due to start in August and will run concurrently, adding 3 and 4 bedroom houses to the existing 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, all of which feature either a balcony or a terrace from which residents will be able to take in the landscaped surroundings complete with water features. Part of the scheme involves regeneration, as over 50 units making up dated residential blocks are being demolished to make way for the new development.
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NHBC
Comfortable modern day living in Batley down to award-winning site manager Brian Boulton of Barratt Homes scooped the NHBC Pride in the Job award in recognition of his work at Kings Park in Birstall, near Batley in West Yorkshire. Speaking to Premier Construction about his achievement, Brian said, “I’ve been in the industry for 31 years, so I understand the feeling you get when your efforts are recognised. I’m proud to be able to share that feeling. “I also get a sense of achievement in being able to mix my ‘oldfashioned values’ with the demands Award winner Brian Boulton of a modern construction project. I don’t like to sit on problems when they come up, whether it be a delay in a delivery or a health and safety requirement”. The development continues to grow, and Brian is satisfied with the way things have gone so far: “We’ve got 40 of the houses lived in so far, and one of the most satisfying aspects of the job for me is to walk away from a happy home that you’ve helped to create from scratch. “I’m still hungry for awards”, says Brian, “and if I weren’t, I’d see no point in being in this job. I enjoy coming to work, and long may that continue”.
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About Kings Park Kings Park, situated in a well established and extremely popular residential area, is a development of 63 houses. The designs selected by Barratt are the result of extensive market research into what people want in a new home. Barratt have consulted designers, architects and technical advisers in order to deliver such homes which include traditional exteriors, stylish interior layouts and extra features for “comfortable modern day living”. Kings Park was the site of a former railway cutting and was then purchased by Barratt Homes. Public open space known as “The Green” will be provided; this will comprise of a landscaped area for residents to enjoy. Featured at Kings Park are a number of home types from Barratt’s range: the Woodcote (a three storey 4-bed town house); the Norbury (a three storey 3-bed town house); the Suffolk (another three storey 3-bed town house); the Sutton A (yet another three storey 3-bed town house); the Thornes (a 1-bed apartment that sits over a garage); and a set of 2-bed and 3-bed affordable terraced houses. Residents will also enjoy the choice of educational facilities in the well-chosen location – as many as 60 centres of learning are to be found within three miles of Kings Park. Transport was another reason for choosing the site. The town of Batley boasts a well-served train station, which lies only 2.5 miles from the new development, while Leeds & Bradford Airport sits only a few miles to the north.
DAV I D W I L S O N H O M E S
NHBC Awards spread to West Yorkshire David Wilson Homes’ Andy Briddock picks up his award for the site known as ‘The Oaks’, situated in Whitwood, near Castleford in West Yorkshire. He is said to be “over the moon” with the award. Part of the Barratt group, the housebuilder has been declared one of the highest quality homebuilders in the UK, with a rating of 5 stars in a recent decision made by the Housebuilders’ Federation. Steve Jackson, sales director for David Wilson Homes Northern, commented, “This is an exciting new development ideally suited to first time buyers or growing families looking to make the next move into a spacious and flexible family home. We are delighted to be launching... and look forward to welcoming any prospective purchasers in Castleford down to The Oaks to find out about our great offering for themselves.” The Oaks is ideally placed for young professionals and families alike, with the urban heartland of Leeds less than 15 miles away making it an ideal choice for commuters wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of city living. The three bedroom Hadley house type is a shining example of the well-designed homes on offer at The Oaks. The Hadley features a spacious ground floor sitting room boasting a beautiful bay window, which allows natural light to flood into the home. Prospective purchasers will also find an open plan kitchen and dining room with French doors leading on to the patio and rear garden, providing the perfect setting for the family to come together.
Warrington site warranting awards A development on the site of the former RAF Burtonwood base has earned the NHBC Pride in the Job award for site manager Will Smith of David Wilson Homes. The 32-yearold spoke enthusiastically to Premier Construction: “I’m made up”, he said, “as it’s the first time I’ve won the award and I’d been going for it. The company encourages you to aim for awards and, to be honest, I’m quite competitive by nature anyway. I’ve got colleagues who’ve won the same award, so I wanted to be up there with them”. Will’s achievement at the site, known as Dakota View, comes in only his second year as a housing site manager, but he brings considerable experience into the role. He explained: “I started as a bricklayer at 16 and I did that for ten years. I’d already had a lot of experience working in construction with my dad, and I picked up a lot of knowledge through him and during my time as a bricklayer. Then, when I was 26, I went into commercial site management and I worked on some big projects, like the Arndale Centre in Manchester, so by the time I came into housing I’d had a lot of exposure to different aspects of the industry. “As a former bricklayer, I feel like I know houses inside out, and that ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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NHBC gives me a big advantage as a site manager. I came into housing because I was coming to the end of a commercial contract. I felt I’d done all I could in commercial builds, and I wanted to come to an employer that would give me support and share my desire for the job”. Will’s site will feature 50 new homes by the time work is complete in April 2011. Having started on site in May 2009, Will’s team has around three quarters of the work done. Homes range from 1-bed ‘FOG’s (Flats Over Garages) to 5-bed detached units,
with plenty in between. Prices range from £120,000 to £500,000. A young site manager with plenty of potential to add to his successes to date, Will knows there is room for advancement in his career. Discussing his future, he said, “I don’t expect I’ll be making any big changes in the near future, but I’m aiming at contracts manager and construction manager eventually. There’s a lot to be said for ambition, and I doubt I’d have won the award without it!”
Ardmore Construction
Retirement project scoops site management award Andrew Maull of Ardmore Construction, the company which is currently constructing Bramshott Place Village in Liphook, has won a national Quality Award in the NHBC’s Pride in the Job Awards for his outstanding project management skills.
147 (or 151, according to alternative information on the official website) high quality, stylish retirement cottages and apartments centred round an exclusive clubhouse. Set within its own park and woodland estate, adjacent to a riverside meadow, with landscaped gardens and a grade II listed walled garden, the village is less than a mile from Liphook village with its shops, restaurants, golf club and other community facilities. The clubhouse is the focal point for the community, and includes a winter garden-cum-atrium, a restaurant and bar, a hydrotherapy pool, a shop, a fitness and snooker room, a library, a laundry, an on-site nurse and doctors’ surgery, a village manager and a reception service. Residents will also benefit from an emergency alarm call system linked directly to the nurse’s office. Conceived specifically for the active over-55s to provide independence in retirement, Bramshott Place Village provides the downsizer with the wonderful combination of a private home with no maintenance or security issues.
Bill Gair, of Urban Renaissance Villages, commented: “We are thrilled that Andrew has won a Quality Award and is the project manager of our site in Liphook. It shows the total commitment he and his team have to high standards, both on site and in the homes we build. We are behind Andrew all the way and have our fingers crossed that he goes through to the next round”. Bramshott Place Village is a private, gated development of
H AG A N H O M E S
The decision maker Ken Falconer’s work on the Hagan Homes Peters Hill site in central Belfast earns him a well-deserved Pride in the Job award. On a busy site, Ken was faced with a constant barrage of decisions that needed his expert touch, as he explained to Premier Construction: “Simply because it was such a tight site, and as there was no access for the delivery of materials, everything had to be lifted into site by crane, but we succeeded. We built 50 private apartments in less than a year – I was having to make decisions at a faster rate than usual. It was nothing I’m not used to – contracts, deliveries, and the rest – but the pressure of getting things right with less time to mull things over means I’m especially proud to have picked up the award”. Ken oversaw the scheme and brought locals into the know to a greater extent than he was used to when overseeing other sites.
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One of the ways in which he achieved this was by making individual visits to neighbours beside the site, to explain what was happening and why. Ken said, “It was important to do that because people can feel offended if they’re unaware of the reasons for the disruption they suffer. We had the chance to meet face to face and explain that we were just doing our jobs, and
that we would make every effort to do it without disturbing them too much”. “We told them when we had early morning concrete pours, and suggested they wouldn’t need to set their alarms the next morning! This meant they knew the worst before it was upon them. We had very few unhappy neighbours, if any at all. We were so happy with the way we were got along that we bought all the neighbouring houses gifts at Christmas to thank them for their understanding”. Ken has been a site manager for Hagan since 2004. Before that, he entered the construction sector at the age of 16 as a trainee joiner. He said, “My father and grandfather were suppliers to the building trade and my grandfather started a pre-cast concrete business, a joiner by trade himself. It would have been unnatural for me to go into any other line of work, I imagine!” Now feasting on the fruits of his success, Ken has been promoted to contracts manager and will find an opportunity to use more widely the management style he perfected on site.
According to Ken, “When you’re a manager, people will always try to test the boundaries. It’s only natural. But that of course is the time you set your standards with regards to workmanship and quality. When you’re new in the job, one of the first things to establish is who’s in charge and how things will be done, and the standard you expect. There’s no need to rule with an iron fist, but you have to show a strong personality and let people know that you’re firm but fair. We have built up a fantastic squad of guys over the years, who give us consistency and quality time and time again”. “The most important thing is the project, so I’ve always to make it my priority to explain that we share a common goal: if we all work together to a high standard and hand over a quality product to the customer on time, we all get another chance of working on the next project”. Simplistic? Possibly, but so real in our world of competition within the construction industry.
B ov i s L e n d L e a s e
Colourful new London landmark features groundbreaking architecture A vibrant and colourful new London landmark totalling 500,000 sq ft in three 12 storey buildings, Central Saint Giles on Oxford Street, North Central London, is a striking mixed-use development that provides office space, 56 private apartments and 53 affordable homes, plus a selection of restaurant and retail units at ground level and an outdoor public piazza. As the development continues to wow Londoners, the construction industry has taken note of the site’s successes, as site manager Guy Braithwaite scoops an NHBC Pride in the Job
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NHBC award for his continued marshalling of affairs. The development is a joint venture between Legal & General Property Ltd and and MEC UK Limited which is a UK subsidiary of Japanese leading property owner and developer Mitsubishi Estate Company Ltd. Construction Managers are Bovis Lend Lease and Architects are the internationally renowned Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Structural and Mechanical & Electrical Engineers are Arup and Cost Consultants are Davis Langdon. The new development is being constructed on the former site of an MOD building, which was demolished. To ensure the development’s foundations do not intrude into the adjacent Crossrail tunnel exclusion zone, a complex cantilevered foundation for the building was developed by Arup, incorporating concrete piles that are a massive 1.5 metres thick. The building is clad on the outside in ceramic tiles in bold shades of yellow, orange, green and red. The development’s 20 facades, varying in colour and size, are set at slightly different angles, and will attract the light differently, metamorphosing the building while walking along and around it. By contrast, the recessed facades between the different buildings will be composed of fully glazed floor to ceiling elements. The development also features 17,000 sq ft of roof terraces,
‘green’ roofs and winter gardens. The building’s eye-catching design has made it look permeable and inviting. The floating island of offices and apartments above a lively public piazza will become an exemplar for high-density, mixed-use development in the city. Inside the development, the toilets for the commercial building from basement to level 10 are equally colourful and are constructed of light stone, ‘floating’ toilet cubicle doors and moulded vanity units The building’s specification includes 150m raised floors, air conditioning; 12 21-person passenger lifts and three goods lifts. Parking includes 30 car spaces and 206 cycle spaces. The development, which is designed to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, and has a 20 per cent better energy performance than the current Part L regulations has numerous environmentally friendly features. 80 per cent of the heat in the development will be generated by a biomass boiler and 60 per cent of the water falling on the roof and piazza will be collected and used. The ‘green’ roofs and roof gardens will attenuate rainfall and heat build-up. In addition, 90 per cent of the project’s demolition materials are being recycled.
TAY LO R W I M PE Y
Swapping hats Steve Brough, winner of the NHBC Pride in the Job award for his work at Taylor Wimpey’s M20 site in Withington in South Manchester, explained to Premier Construction how the role of a site manager is changing: “You have to be able to wear different hats as a site manager. You’re responsible for first aid and customer relations, you’re the fire warden – you name it! That means there’s a lot to do to bring your site up to the required standard and that’s why I’m very happy to have won. It’s the second in a row for me on this site, so it shows we’re all doing something consistently right”. Now aged 54, Steve began his career as an apprentice plumber. He took a position as assistant site manager 10 years ago and was promoted to site manager within 18 months. Explaining his desire to move away from the tools, Steve said, “I had always been involved in organising labour and materials
Half the battle already won Taylor Wimpey’s Simon Longley tells us he’s “over the moon” with his NHBC Pride in the Job award. “It’s one of the best ways you can be recognised in the industry”, he says, “and I’ll now be doing everything possible to make it into the top 100.” Letting us in on his secret to successful management, Simon revealed, “I try to run the kind of site where people get on well, where everyone is treated fairly and where people can enjoy their work. If you can achieve that, it’s half the battle won”. Simon’s site, known as Central Square, sits just outside the town centre of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire. The recent award is his second for the same site, and comes on the back of consecutive Site Manager of the Year titles in Taylor Wimpey’s internal awards.
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and I enjoyed it, so it seemed a natural move to make. I’m happy in my job and I don’t see myself looking for a change any time soon”. Steve’s site consists of 87 units in total, 36 of which are apartments and the rest of which are town houses of either 3 storeys or 2.5 storeys. Having begun on site in mid 2008, Steve is well past the half way point and expects his work to be completed during 2011. The first NHBC award for Central mon Langley Award Winner Si Square came as a surprise to Simon, who was put forward for the award with moments to spare before the 2009 deadline. He said, “I never expected I’d have time to get the site running in the way that I wanted within the time I had before the awards were announced, so I was definitely surprised. The first award has made it easier to get the second, as I now have all the people I want in place and everyone already knows what I expect.
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NHBC “I like to plan and prepare and I pay a lot of attention to detail – in everything from customer care to health and safety – and I wouldn’t expect to win an award if I’d approached the job differently”, he continued, “and it’s helped that contractors have been working a lot harder and smarter recently even before I’ve said my piece. Maybe that’s down to the recession”. Simon is from Huddersfield and still lives there – in a Taylor Wimpey home, no less. Now aged 41, he has been in the trades since the age of 16, when he began training to be a bricklayer and stonemason. He has no doubt that his background has made him into the award winning site manager he is today: “I think bricklayers are well placed to become good site managers because they’re exposed to a lot of other trades. As a bricklayer, I remember being around experts and watching how they worked. It gave me a good understanding of how to carry a job out successfully and it taught me to recognise the signs of a bad job”. The experiences gained in his early days on construction sites still motivate Simon, who said, “I’ve seen some awful sites in my time. Some reminded me of a war zone! When I became a site manager I thought to myself, ‘I’m not having that again’!” Located a mile from the centre of Huddersfield, Central Square
has so far welcomed a variety of people, as Simon has noted during his frequent rounds: “There’s a good mix of people here so far – from nurses to barristers and all different ages. It’s a good site for parking and there’s a central public square with grass and a play area, so it would be a good place to bring a young family. We made sure that the central boulevard was completed early on to give people an idea of how nice the area would be once we’ve finished building. So far, all the completed plots have been sold as far as I know, so it seems like the site is coming along well”. There is a total of 77 plots on the site, of which 23 are already completed, sold and lived in. The homes are all 3 and 4 bedroom town houses, and most have their own garages. After 18 months on site, Simon’s team are half way through their workload, leaving Simon a few moments to consider what the future holds for him: “I can see myself being a site manager for the time being”, he said, “because I’m happy in the job and I like to think I’m pretty good at it! I originally made the switch from bricklaying because I felt I’d done all I could in that job. There’s still plenty more I can do as a site manager, though, and I’m looking forward to it”. And we’re sure you’ll join us in wishing Simon all the best as he strives for the top 100.
Rugby winner goes the extra mile
management, and I think it helps that I have a background as a joiner. Having said that, there are plenty of winners who’ve gone through the college route to becoming site managers, so maybe what counts is your willingness to muck in when it’s difficult and your ability to put together and maintain a successful team”. Peter’s production director, Stuart Payne, adds, “Pete’s a real professional but also a real gentleman and we get a lot of feedback to this effect from very happy customers. The quality of our build at Caldecott Manor is second to none and this is reflected in our recent year-to-date customer satisfaction results where we scored 100% in four of the five categories covering the pre, during, post sale and handover stages”.
Award Winner Peter Biggs
For a coveted third time, one Rugby-based construction manager has won an NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award.
Peter Biggs, 53, who is a senior site manager for Taylor Wimpey West Midlands, has been recognised for his beyond the call of duty efforts at Caldecott Manor a flagship £35 million development of luxury apartments, mews and detached style homes plus spacious, executive properties on Boughton Road, situated just outside Rugby. Peter, who lives nearby in Coventry, says, “It’s always nice to be recognised for the hard work and effort you put in, but I also see it as part of my job really. Going the extra mile can be tough and demanding sometimes – especially in the winter - but it’s also very rewarding and keeps the job fresh, challenging and interesting”. Asked to put his finger on what had won him the award, Peter told Premier construction, “I try to take a hands-on approach to
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MILLER HOMES
Back in the habit Working from the Miller Homes Deansleigh site in Lincoln, Garry Bowler is delighted to have picked up his fifth NHBC Pride in the Job award. The Nottinghamborn 45-year-old shares his enthusiasm for the job with Premier Construction: “I feel as good to have won as I always have. Last year, I was lucky enough to win a Seal of Excellence award and I’ll be hoping for another soon. At Miller, you’re encouraged to go for awards. It benefits both you the manager and the company, as it lets you both display what your assets are. The setup itself is designed to make it easier to challenge for prizes, too, as younger managers and assistants are always placed with people they can learn from”. Garry has 25 years in the trades. Starting out as a bricklayer, he had the chance to observe how successful sites are run. He notes, “Bricklaying has changed in the same ways that the industry as a whole has changed. In the past, you used to be able to get away with the minimum as a bricklayer, only properly pointing the visible areas, for example. Now, that job like all jobs
Continuity breeds success Miller’s Chris Wilson has a simple formula for success. He says, “It’s simple. You have to be thorough and make sure that everybody is doing the right kind of work, but above all you have to build a successful team and keep it together”.
has to be done as close as possible to perfection. I carry that understanding into my management style”. Garry started his working life as a lorry driver and was qualified up to Class 1. He eventually succumbed to the urge to be outdoors and decided, along with his younger brother, to gain a bricklaying qualification “off my own back”, as he puts it. Years in the trades have taught Garry the important things in working life. He assures us, “There’s never any bad blood on my sites. Everyone is friendly, and at times your colleagues feel like family. I’ve been very lucky in management, because I’ve very rarely come across a subcontractor who wasn’t good enough”. Even in that case, Garry’s approach is hassle-free. He says, “I do one round of ‘telling’ during the induction we always do on Miller sites, and that’s usually enough. It’s a chance for everyone to find out exactly what’s needed, and if ever someone feels out of his depth, he’s welcome to walk away without anybody crying over spilt milk”. The winner of five awards in six years, Garry only missed out in 2006 because he was moonlighting as a contracts manager. He says, “It’s a question of filling in where you’re needed right now. I’d rather not go back to bricklaying, though. I think those days are behind me!”
Now aged 49 and in his thirteenth year as a site manager, he’s hoping that the numbers will bring him luck: “I’ve had the seal of excellence once before, as well as five of these awards, so I’m looking to keep the awards coming. I’m positive about the future of the site and I’m looking forward to carrying on the work I love doing. I was with Fairclough Homes before Miller bought them out, and it’s been a good decision for me to stay on”.
Chris finds himself among the NHBC Pride in the Job award winners for the fifth time this year, after more of his trademark golden touch has fuelled a successful build at the Littleton Green site, just outside Cannock. Built over a former colliery, Littleton Green is a mammoth site, at which Chris is in charge of efforts to build a total of 312 new homes. With around 250 of the properties ranging from two to five bedrooms now complete and handed over, Chris can see the finish line ahead of him: “Without the recession, we might just have gone that little bit more quickly. Having said that, we’ve managed to keep things going well and the houses are still going up. That’s down to it being a nice location, where people are keen to buy. It backs onto Cannock Chase and it’s in an area that’s already quite residential”.
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NHBC K ensington D evelopments
The golden rule of site management Multiple award winner Ian Wallis picks up his seventh NHBC Pride in the Job award thanks to his impressive efforts at the Lytham Quays site on behalf of Kensington Developments. Speaking to Premier Construction, Ian put his successful management style down to one simple rule: “I always treat people, on site and off, how I’d want to be treated myself. That means I don’t raise my voice and I’m always fair. I’m completely against the kind of managers who scream and shout in order to get things done. I don’t expect I’d be respected by my team if I tried that, as you have to give respect to get it back. “My job is a job like any other, as I see it, and I don’t let being the manager encourage me to think that I’m above anyone else. People on my sites do exactly what I ask of them and without that I’d have won nothing, so there’s no need for my approach to change, either!” Reacting to news of his latest award, which follows six previous rounds of recognition (one of which was for the same site) and two NHBC Top 100 awards, Ian said: “I’m delighted because I aim for it every year. It’s good to be approved by your peers and it’s lovely for your hard work to be acknowledged. I do try to give people the best possible product, and I gauge my work personally on whether I’d be happy to move into one of the homes on my site. As far as I’m concerned, if the answer isn’t ‘yes’, my job isn’t done”. It’s no surprise that Ian would quite happily pack his bags given
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the chance, as the homes he is currently marshalling are 9 luxury villas which extend an existing 228 plot development on the waterfront of Lytham St. Annes. The villas cover up to 8,500 sq ft and come with up to 6 bedrooms and external buildings or ‘granny flats’. Four of the villas are occupied, while another four are being fitted out and the remaining property is being used as the site show home. The site, which is within easy reach of Lancastrian attractions Preston and Blackpool, is to become a hot spot for celebrity spotting, although the gentlemanly Ian refuses to divulge the names and faces he’s already spotted around the site. Blackpool-born Ian is now 64, and has been in site management since the age of 48. His career began at the age of 15, when he became an apprentice joiner, and he mused, “I know I’m biased, but I think joiners make the best site managers. As a joiner, you have a longer and more fundamental involvement in the site than other contractors do, and you’re exposed to a greater range of tradesmen. There’s nothing like knowing the trade before you move into management, because it allows you to see mistakes in a flash”.
S hepherd H omes Ltd
Standards upped at Rotherham site Three-time NHBC Pride in the Job award winner Simon Steels puts his latest award down to raised standards. He told Premier Construction: “It’s an achievement to be proud of, and it’s nice to add it to my previous awards. In a way, this one was harder to achieve because of the recent recession. People have upped their standards across the industry out of necessity, and it’s been no different on my site! Simon’s previous awards came in 2006 and 2008 whilst working for the same company, Shepherd Homes. He jokes, “I’ve been winning every two years, so maybe it’s about time I raised my game and tried to win during the odd years as well!” Having moved into site management via the academic route, Simon is keen to stress that lacking a trade is no barrier to success. He said, “I think the role of the site manager has changed in recent times. The industry relies a lot more on qualifications and regulations across the board nowadays, plus site managers like me rarely have their own group of labourers, which naturally distances you from tradesmen whether you have a background in the trades or not”. Simon, who still commutes to work from his native Chesterfield, has been overseeing a 52-home development at Shepherd
Homes’ Kimberworth site in Rotherham. The 1- and 2-bed apartments there are split into three blocks: 12, 36 and 4, the latter of which has been consigned to local housing associations. Simon expects to be finished at the site within six months, and he expects to leave behind him a set of quality homes: “We’ve had all sorts of people moving in already, as the location is good for Rotherham. It’s less than a mile from the centre, and in fact there’s a good view of it from the top of the buildings. You can easily get into town on foot if you don’t mind the climb back up!”
M c G I N N I S D E V E LO PM E N T S
Recessionbuster chalks up another success A fourth NHBC Pride in the Job award has John Logue’s name written all over it, as he continues to lend his golden touch to the construction industry with another successful site. As John tells Premier Construction, “There was no getting away from the fact there was a recession on, but what can you do about it other than keep on working? It’s no use sitting around and moping about it – I know that much. “Whether that was the reason for our success here I can’t say, but I do know it’s been full steam ahead here from the very beginning. Everyone here has been motivated to get the job done – not just quickly, but well”. Based at McGinnis Development’s Coopers Mill project in East Belfast, John has overseen a new approach to McGinnis new build schemes, as he explained to Premier Construction: “We brought in a new system for this site, which involves bringing home buyers to the site two weeks before completion. That
lets us hear their requests and requirements and it lets them choose exactly what kind of installations they’d like us to put in. The new approach means we have to be even tighter than usual and meet all our deadlines. We haven’t missed a date here so far, and I count that as one of my most important achievements. I’m sure it has something to do with the award”. Asked for his reaction to the latest gong, John said, “I feel grand about it, to put it simply”, he adds, “and I’m lucky to have had a good team behind me all the way. As a site manager, I see no reason not to go for awards with everything you’ve got”. John is straightforward and earnest in discussing his working practices, and he maintains a simple approach: “It’s not hard to get people going and get the site running how you want it to. One people know what you expect them to be doing, that’s usually as far as you need to go as a manager. You have to be strict at times, of course, but strictness and friendliness are not mutually exclusive. I enjoy working on construction sites and more often than not I’m with people who think the same way”.
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NHBC C rest N icholson
Spitalcroft build scoops Quality Award Crest Nicholson’s Spitalcroft site team in Devizes, Wiltshire, has been awarded the NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award thanks to the hard work and dedication of the local team, led by site manager Tony Daniels. Before Tony’s team took over the site in November 2008, work on the build had slowed due to the effects of the recession. Their main challenge was to give the site more momentum and reinvigorate the project – a feat which they have already managed to achieve and intend to continue doing so as phase one, Spitalcroft, nears completion and the current phase, Drayman’s Lock, takes shape. Tony commented: “Taking over the management of the Spitalcroft site was always going to be a challenge due to the impact of the recession, which has been felt by most, if not all, of the developers in the area. “It’s great to have our efforts acknowledged and rewarded by receiving the Pride in the Job Quality Award. We’re a very happy site at Drayman’s Lock and I’m very proud of the commitment the local tradesmen working on this development have put in to produce high quality properties for this community.” With 20 years’ experience in the building industry and the management of four other successful sites under his belt, Tony was an ideal choice for the development in Devizes. A dry-liner by trade, he found his calling in construction at the age of 28 and
Wave after wave of awards at dockside site Recently placed third in the NHBC national Health and Safety awards, Crest Nicholson’s dockside site in Port Marine, Portishead, has grabbed even more of the spotlight thanks to Pride in the Job award winner Shaune Hicks, senior site manager at the development. Award winner Shaune Hicks
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Shaune, who hails from nearby Taunton, is a third of the way through a 460-unit build, which includes a range of apartment blocks and 5-storey town houses. In 2009, he won the NHBC Seal of Excellence for the same site. Speaking to Premier Construction, the enthusiastic winner said: “I definitely aim to win awards, and I make sure my stall is set out properly from day one. Everyone on the site sees my passion for the job, which is why I
Left-Right; Shaune Hicks, Barry McGrath and Tony Daniels
made the move into the industry from a career as a photographer. Tony continued: “I find working in construction very rewarding, particularly when we hand the keys to our customers and receive a fantastic reaction from them. Crest Nicholson demands that a high quality product is produced on each site and it is due to this that I know we will strive to win awards like the NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award, and potentially go further in the competition.” rarely have to try hard to win people over to the same way of thinking. I make it obvious what I’m looking to achieve. “Winning an award like this is confirmation that you’re handing over a product that’s one of the best around and that’s rated highly by people who know housing. I take massive pride in that, and I’ve let my team know their efforts as well as mine have made it possible.” Shaune has been a senior site manager at Crest Nicholson for 18 months, and was site manager for 7 years previously. Before that, he had trained as a plumber and filled various roles in the construction industry. Speaking about his future he said, “I’m at a company now that recognises that it benefits too when its site managers are successful, so I’m given the support I need to do well. As for the future, I’m certainly ambitious and I’d like to move up the ladder one day, but I’m busy enjoying this job at the moment!”
Barry goes back to school Crest Nicholson Senior Site Manager, Barry McGrath, is celebrating his continued success after winning a hat-trick of NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Awards over the past three years, as well as scooping the Seal of Excellence Award last year and this year’s Crest Nicholson Site Manager of the Year award. Barry has been at Crest Nicholson for six years and in this time has managed four sites, including the Braydon Mead site in Swindon and his current development, St John’s Park in the Wiltshire market town of Marlborough. Currently at phase three of five of the build schedule, St John’s Park is a development of 169 homes built on the former St John’s School grounds. With great views across the surrounding
countryside, Barry and his team have had to make sure they are building at a rate to keep up with demand for the properties. Barry said: “I’m really pleased to receive this award; it’s great to know that large organisations like Crest Nicholson and the NHBC take the time to thank all their employees and honour the best in the industry. “We really have the future homeowners in mind when we build our homes and I think this is one of the reasons why the quality and finish of Crest Nicholson properties is so highly regarded.” Barry and his team excelled during the monthly site inspections, which graded them on areas including health and safety, consistent high quality workmanship and site morale. “It was nerve-wracking to be inspected so often but I have a great team behind me, who, I am confident, always work to the highest standards. “I was surprised to learn I had won the award again this year and I look forward to having the same success in the next stages.”
Cala H omes
Fettes-ching new homes in Inverleith CALA Homes’ Mark Foley has picked up an NHBC Pride in the Job award for his work on the East Fettes development. Located within the picturesque Inverleith area of Edinburgh, East Fettes offers a selection of contemporary two and three bedroom apartments and penthouses designed for luxury living on a site formerly occupied by dated and now demolished offices. Set in over two acres of landscaped private grounds, East Fettes boasts an understated blend of modern contemporary architecture, excellent specification and stylish quality. With many apartments also enjoying views of the city skyline, this development offers an ideal opportunity for stylish home buyers. East Fettes will be home to 84 units, comprising 12 town houses and 72 apartments, thanks to the scheme. The development offers contemporary 2 and 3 bedroom apartments and town houses with prices starting
from £300,000. It also boasts an underground car park – a unique selling-point in Edinburgh city centre. Safety is an important feature of the buildings. The car park is secure and is fitted with remote controlled electric gates. There is a fire detection system in the car park, along with a CO extraction system. All of the stairwells to the apartments have smoke detectors fitted and a smoke extraction system installed. What’s more, entry points to the apartments and the car park are secured by means of keypad/key fob operated video entry panels. CALA Homes East Ltd have teamed up with Michael Laird Architects to bring the project to completion, and hope to see all the properties ready by September 2011, although many are being occupied as you read.
PE R S I M M O N H O M E S
Yorkshireman wins hard-fought battle with recession Richard Lillie, stepping back into site management after nine years in contracts management following a reshuffle at Persimmon, has won a Pride in the Job award for his Bridlington site known as The Cloisters. His struggle for success makes the recognition all the more
rewarding, he says, adding, “It’s fantastic for me, my staff and the company. It’s what we all need right now as we drag ourselves out of the recession. “When times are tough in this industry, you find yourself fighting for your company, your pride, even sometimes your job. That’s the message I’ve tried to get across to everyone coming onto this site, and I’ve tried to use that to motivate contractors who, from time to time, can begin to lose momentum”. Richard’s words seem to have done the trick in remarkable fashion. He puts his managerial success down to a love of sport, saying, “I’ve been involved in managing and organising things for a long time now. I’ve looked after sports teams and I’m a certified teacher within the industry. I suppose I approach man ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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management like a football manager would – trying to know when to point out below-par performances and when to praise and thank people for their work, and especially making sure that I keep people on my side and ready to do what I ask them to”. Richard originally came to site management after training as a joiner, working in the technical department of a construction company and even spending a year as a travel rep ion order, as he puts it, “to get the travel bug out of my system”. Rising up the ranks from foreman to contracts manager, he picked up the kind of experience that eventually allowed him to point his site managers to six NHBC awards in five years. Asked what he saw in his crystal ball, Richard replied, “I’d like to progress and pick up a Seal of Excellence one day, but there’s no time to waste on dreaming – if it happens, it happens!” The Cloisters is a range of 52 apartments spread across 3 blocks which reach 3 or 4 storeys. Based around a communal courtyard, the traditional brick and concrete build sits in the old town of Bridlington. Richard expects residents to begin moving in before Christmas, and hopes to have his work on the site completed within 12 months.
y Winney Award winner Ra
Youngster breaks his duck A rising star in the construction industry, Persimmon’s Ray Winney picks up his first NHBC Pride in the Job award at the age of only 30. From his site, known as Lark Rise Ray spoke to Premier Construction with pride, saying :
“I’m very pleased. I’d guessed that I was edging closer to an award over the past couple of years. For me, it’s about improving on
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our already excellent build standards, which have now been recognised as part of the awards. It’s a relief to have finally made it over the finish line”. Ray has been a site manager proper for four years, and worked as an assistant site manager for two years before that. He entered the sector after a stint in utilities and a course in site management. Not seemingly one to waste time, Ray is already dishing out advice to his assistant site manager on how to make a successful manager. He shared a few tips with Premier Construction: “I think as a site manager you have to be able to put the work in, first of all, but that goes without saying. On top of that, you have to go above and beyond what is expected – if it were easy to win awards, there wouldn’t be any awards!” Asked what he enjoyed most about his role, Ray replied, “I like to think I’m a people person, and this job puts you into situations where the way you deal with people has a bearing on how successful you are. I enjoy dealing with customers for the same
reason, especially when we receive their positive feedback”. Ray’s site is situated on the outskirts of Lowestoft, in Carlton Colville. Of the total 97 plots on the site, 25 are now lived in, while work is ongoing on a further 25. The range of 2-4 bedroom houses are being produced by a workforce averaging 50 members per day, and 27 of the properties are destined for
housing association use. As for his future, Ray shows no sign of stopping. He said, “I’m keen to progress and it would be nice to achieve promotion within the company. I’ve got my eye on a role as contract manager eventually, as it’s the natural progression for me to make”.
R isby H omes Ltd
Beverley thrills Risby Homes’ Richard Bettison has been hard at work on the former Keldgate Bar (also known as The Beehive) site in Beverley, and is said to be thrilled at the NHBC Pride in the Job Award recently conferred upon him. The exciting new development is superbly situated within a few minutes’ walk of the picturesque town centre of Beverley. It occupies an appealing central location and in close proximity to the green space of Beverley. The development offers high quality homes to the discerning buyer, providing stylish modern luxury living in a range of accommodation types. From luxury apartments to five bed, three storey detached family homes, this development has something to offer everyone. With progress increasing and a number of contracts exchanged from phase one of the pre release scheme the chance to own some of these more than generously sized apartments is being seized by eager locals. Little wonder that modern Beverley, with its mix of old alleyways and cobblestone streets, huge traditional market place, not one, but two magnificent gothic churches ,a fine old grammar school - and its kaleidoscope collection of friendly pubs, hotels and restaurants, can still attract those enlightened homemakers who put lifestyle high on their agenda. Keldgate Bar is made for such people. The development of
exclusive and individual properties lies within the historic core of the medieval town on site of the former Keldgate Bar. This centuries old gateway gave way to earlier developers in 1808 during the reign of George III. It is a secure and self-contained development conceived and built by Risby Homes, the local company that was awarded the East Riding of Yorkshire Council Chairman‘s certificate of distinction in 2002 for enhancing the built heritage of the Beckside area in Beverley.
L inden H omes
Military precision earns NHBC award Award winner Melvin Tapp
Former military man Melvin Tapp celebrates his 20th year as a construction site manager with his third NHBC award for outstanding achievement at Linden Homes’ Epsom site, known as ‘Moments at Park Views’.
Melvin entered the construction industry after an eight-year stint in the army, during which he rose to the rank of sergeant. Speaking to Premier Construction about his latest achievement, Melvin recognised the influence of his army days in his success: “There are a lot of similarities in the way I approach things as a site manager and the way I was trained to do things in the army. In both roles, you have to deal with all weather conditions, work under pressure, turn a group of individuals into a team and find solutions to problems that can crop up at any given moment. Above all, I see my role as being based on man management”. After three tours of Northern Ireland, Brighton-born Melvin left the army at the age of 25 to gain qualifications in site management. Now 53, he is in his fifth year at Linden. He said, “In my current role, I’m given the chance to win awards. That’s not always been the case with other companies, some of which focus on quantity over quality. Now I get to build the way I like to, and awards like this one are a sign that I and the company are ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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NHBC doing it right”. Technically, Melvin is the senior site manager at Park View and heads a team featuring a site manager and an assistant manager, plus a labour and forklift team. Of approximately 160 units at the site, Melvin’s team have completed around half of the homes. He expects to walk away from a finished job within 18 months, leaving behind a range of houses and flats with an Eco Homes ‘Excellent rating’. To that end, one feature of this project is the use of air source
heat pumps, the installation of which has posed one of the more significant challenges on the Epsom site. Melvin said, “These pumps are still relatively new in housing, so we had to be meticulous in making sure that everyone on site knew the hows, the whys and the wheres. Because of the pressurised gas in the system, it can be a tricky installation to master and work around. Thankfully, the systems we’ve installed are now working like clockwork. I’m looking forward to still being able to say the same about the rest of the site a year from now when the next awards are announced”.
Ambitious winner aims for Seal of Excellence Simon Foy of Linden Homes has earned the second NHBC award of his career, and shows no signs of being satisfied. He told Premier Construction, “I’m pleased with the award and I’m now looking on to the next level, and I’m hoping for a Seal of Excellence”. The Great Western Dockyard site is located in a prominent location alongside Bristol’s historic harbour. The 145 soughtafter apartments at the development will have unrivalled views across the city and the water front, as well as taking in Brunel’s SS Great Britain. Part of a wave of regeneration going on in Bristol in recent times, Simon predicts that the trendy location will be perfect for young movers, especially as the nearby ferry service allows for speedy harbour crossings. Now in his fourth year with Linden, Simon says he has found his vocation after a complicated career journey. Originally a graduate geologist, he spent the early part of his career working on oil rigs before deciding to start almost from scratch in a new career. He said, “I was always interested in physical work, and I’ve always been fond of building and fixing things, so it seemed natural”. The Bristol development has been designed by local architects
Stride Treglown with a series of linked buildings. These will present a fitting backdrop to the SS Great Britain and help to recreate the character of the original Victorian dockyard.
DEVI Electroheat DEVI Electroheat were delighted to learn that the SSGB project had received an NHBC pride in job award. DEVI, the leading heating solutions company designed, supplied, installed and commissioned the electric floor heating within the apartments as the primary heat source. The installed floor heating was a thin floor system, ideal for refurbishment projects. For the tiled areas Devimat was utilised and a dry solution to the main living areas, enabling a fast and efficient programme of works. The DEVI system is controlled by a Devilink wireless colour touch screen control system. Linden Homes chose Devilink for its ease of use and its ability to be installed at speed, keeping carcase wiring, chasing and plastering to a minimum while minimising the costs of the electrical package. It is a modern finishing touch giving, a sales advantage. Devilink has a central panel which controls the room and floor sensors wirelessly within the heating zone; this enables the user to adjust the temperatures locally or manage all the rooms’ temperatures centrally.
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S outh M ill C ountry H omes
Social housing scheme spells success for Andy A social housing development proved a winner for South Mill Country Homes director Andy Grondowski, who scooped an NHBC Pride in the Job Award for his work as site manager at the company’s Hawfield Lane development in Burton on Trent. “The inspectors said they were impressed with how clean and tidy the site was as well as with the quality of finish of the properties”, said Andy, who also puts his success down to the efforts of his trusted team. “We tend to use the same sub contractors on a regular basis and can therefore build up a rapport with them”, he added. The project comprised the construction of nine two-bedroom terraced houses located adjacent to an infant school, to provide general social housing for Trent and Dove Housing Association. “South Mill Homes generally undertake small bespoke designed quality housing developments and this is the first social housing scheme we have carried out. It was quite a challenge for us,
because, although the building side was easy, there were more conditions imposed and more paper work required in order to meet housing association requirements” said Andy, who has been working as a director and site manager for South Mill Country Homes and its sister company K & S Milner for 25 years. He started his working life as a quality manager at GEC before moving into the construction industry.
A llenbuild
Rob gets it right first time! “Getting it right first time” was the key to winning a prestigious NHBC Pride in the Job award for Allenbuild site manager Rob Schofield, who took the honours on behalf of his team working on a social housing scheme comprising 33 flats at 306 - 308 Barking Road Plaistow, London E13. “I had a good team of subcontractors working with me who bought into both the Allenbuild Health and Safety culture, and getting it right first time”, says Rob, adding that weekly site progress meetings helped ensure that high standards of quality workmanship and practice were maintained at all times by the whole team - not so much to win the award but as a matter of standard practice. “I was quite proud to hear that I had won”, said Rob, adding that the event was celebrated by all on site who were delighted to receive the accolade. Rob Schofield has been in the building trade for around 18 years having started out as a trainee site engineer. He has been a site manager with Allenbuild for eight years and has also worked as a site manager for Clugston Construction for around 10 years. The three-storey Barking Road development, built for One Housing Group, was constructed on the former site of a petrol station, which was demolished prior to the contract. One element of the scheme provides supported housing within the community and includes 15 one-bedroom flats and eight twobedroom flats. In addition there are 10 key worker flats for rent which can be accessed separately, as well as a reception suite and offices. There is also a basement level car park and a ground floor commercial unit which helps to maintain the vitality and viability of the area. The main façade of the building features flat faced terracotta cladding with glass blocks at the entrance, with the remainder of the building being rendered and topped with a single ply Sarnafil roof. Great care has been taken to make sure the new building compliments the adjacent Grade 2 listed Fairfield Hall. Formed in 2007, One Housing Group (OHG) brings together ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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three housing associations under a group structure: Community Housing Association, Toynbee Housing Association and Island Homes Housing Association. The group manages over 12,000 homes in 26 local authorities across London and adjacent counties and has over 2,600 homes in the development pipeline. These include affordable rented homes, shared ownership schemes, extra care housing, intermediate rent homes and homes for private sale. All schemes look at the need for balanced communities and therefore most include a mixture of tenures and uses. Allenbuild Ltd comprises of three regions; South East, North East and North West; operating nationally with annual turnover for 2008/2009 of £151 million. Allenbuild Ltd South East Region has a turnover of £52 million (2008/2009) and operates within London and the Southern Home Counties and undertakes new build, refurbishment and
fitting out for both public and private sector clients. Allenbuild Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Renew Holdings PLC. The company has built an extensive track record of design and build, traditional and partnering forms of contracts within the social housing, commercial, health, education and special works sectors. Adhering to the basic principles of working together in a nonconfrontational style to achieve the mutual goals, aims of the client and professional team, result in a high percentage of the company’s annual turnover being secured through long term strategic partnering relationships and negotiated opportunities. The combination of a professional and enthusiastic management team, together with a commitment of effective communication, an understanding and appreciation of client’s needs and expectations ensures the continued successful development of the company.
C hurchill R etirement
Hampshire seniors settle into smart new retirement community Churchill Retirement Living’s Mark Bryant celebrates his second NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award for his work on the Mulberry Lodge site in Emsworth, Hampshire. The 30 apartments at the development are designed to offer their owners the chance to integrate easily with their neighbours. Landscaping encourages outdoor activity in fair weather, and the Award winner Mark Bryant communal lounge promotes social gatherings. The units were completed earlier this year after a 47-week construction period, which beat the originally predicted completion date by two weeks, as Mark is rightly proud to note. The timely handover comes as a remarkable achievement in the light of a significant slowdown during the recession. Empathising with fellow construction workers, Mark said, “It can be frustrating when something like that comes along, especially if you’re used to going at it full steam ahead. On this site, we just had to take it on the chin and keep doing what we could with a view to achieving the right outcome in the end, and I’m glad to say that’s what we did”.
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Modestly swatting Premier Construction’s congratulations on his award, Mark said, “I’m proud of the award, of course, but there’s no way it would have happened if I didn’t have such a great team around me. The construction director, Trevor Jones, the architect, Lee Regan and the surveyor, Lee MacArthur, as well as the banksman, Clive Pollard, have all been superb”. Clearly, however, Mark’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. He has recently been promoted to deputy contracts manager and, at only 35 years old, his future in the industry looks bright. Commenting on his changing circumstances, Mark said, “There’s a lot more responsibility in my new role, of course, and it’s a challenge to adapt to a more office-based role, but I’m looking forward to getting into the full swing of it”.
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Temporary and exemplary – student architects make their mark on Manchester Reflective Room is a temporary structure located in the Courtyard at the Manchester Museum. It was selected as the winning design in a competition that invited 5th year students from the Manchester School of Architecture to design an environment to align with the museum’s summer events programme. It will stand in the Courtyard from 6th July until October 2010. The student design team was assisted by Prototype Unit leaders Ming Chung and Nick Tyson and Professor Neil Thomas from Atelier One Engineers. The design team intended Reflective Room as both a physical and contemplative experience. The Courtyard is revealed in a less direct way and is presented to the observer as an abstraction of the surroundings. Materials and weather are made apparent through subtle reflections, reducing the large scale to a more accessible human dimension. The structure forms a ‘public room’ where people can sit, relax and reflect. The aim is to utilise the ordinary to create the sublime. Ming Chung and Nick Tyson, Prototype Unit leaders, said: “Reflective Room is formed by two interlocking L-shaped plywood components forming a pair of benches with gradually sloping high backs. The structure is characterized by a combination of the use of contemporary machine tools and hands-on methods of assembly and construction. The laminated vertical ribs and horizontal tabs are machined from standard grade WBP plywood forming a ‘crude’ external carcass that supports the ‘fine’ birch faced plywood internal skin. The skin is precision cut using a CNC router to form a filigree into which standard black ceramic glazed tiles are embedded. This produces a fragmented reflective interior surface that varies in density as the space becomes more enclosed. It is remarkable for a relatively small budget and 6 week building programme that the students have designed, fabricated and assembled an ambitious structure in the public realm, and in doing so have re-invigorated an under-used public space.” The Reflective Room was fabricated in the Art and Design Workshops at Manchester Metropolitan University and assembled by all students involved in the project. Only £10,000
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was spent over the course of a six-week design period, a threeweek manufacturing phase and a construction period lasting three weeks. Dr Nick Merriman, Director of the Manchester Museum, said: “The Reflective Room is a great example of collaboration between the museum and the students and staff of the Manchester School of Architecture. It will bring real interest to our otherwise rather deserted courtyard and I very much hope that it will be the first of a series of installations in this space.” The Prototype Unit design team was made up of students Matthew Mills, Adam Atrakzi, Mark Bonshek, Spencer Fretwell, David Kent and Anna Parker. Matthew Mills’ design was selected from a shortlist of designs proposed by the whole of his student group. Speaking to Premier Construction from Germany, where he is enjoying a well-earned break after a year of study and graft, Matthew said, “It was a really interesting project to be involved with and I was delighted that my design was selected from among some impressive ones. My concept led me to work with reflective surfaces. Earlier in the year I had started research into ceramics. I’d had the chance to spend some time with Pilkington’s as part of my research. I was interested in the use of the glazed ceramic tile: taking this ordinary product and creating a reflective space. The hands-on experience you get from small projects like this is invaluable as a student architect, and I should thank Pilkington’s for sponsoring us with free tiles, as it would have been difficult to complete the project without their help”.
About MMU Manchester Metropolitan University is a leading university for the professions and a powerful driver of the North West economy. MMU educates and trains large numbers of the region’s legal and business professionals, teachers, health workers and creative professionals. The university enjoys an excellent reputation for teaching, applied research and project work with its communities and the North West, nationally and internationally. It is currently investing almost £300 million in its estate and facilities.
A Facelift for Burnley Nearly 250 homes in Burnley are undergoing improvements totalling almost £2million as part of a regeneration scheme. The council’s ‘facelifting’ programme is targeting houses in South West Burnley, Burnley Wood and Daneshouse this year. The programme aims to improve the external appearance of blocks and raise house prices and demand in the area. Councillor Martin Smith, the executive council member for regeneration and economic development, said, “Facelifting in Burnley has been very successful so far. “It does improve the quality of the properties and gives a better impression to people coming into the areas. We are spending as much as we can on the programme”. Work is set to take place this year on properties in Cog Lane, Prince Street, Prestwich Street, Burdette Street, Brooklands Road, Todmorden Road, Barden Lane, Colne Road, Hebrew Road and Hurtley Street. Steve Rumbelow, chief executive of the council, said: “This is about changing the housing market in Burnley for the better”. The scheme is being run thanks to funding of £1.8million from East Lancashire housing agency Elevate and £133,000 from the council’s housing capital grant. A council statement declares, “The main purpose of facelifting schemes is to contribute to the transformation of the housing market, give confidence to the community in a neighbourhood through works to external elevations of sustainable homes
including works such as stone cleaning, siliconing, pointing and gutter replacement to front and gable curtilages. “Its objectives are to improve the external appearance of a block, to assist in raising the property values, to assist in stabilising the housing market, to assist in raising demand and reducing the number of empty properties and to encourage a complementary investment in the properties by their owners”. Under the current facelift policy, the priorities of improving key residential gateways, major thoroughfares and fire walling have been delivered. This has seen more than 1000 properties being facelifted, contributing to raising property values and reducing low demand in the affected areas. There is plenty of work still to be done under the scheme. Although the majority of residential properties situated on key gateways have been facelifted, there are several blocks that have not been eligible for facelifting work due to the number of commercial premises situated in those blocks. In the main, these blocks are situated on the Colne Road and Accrington Road gateways; many of the commercial premises are in a poor state of repair with poor quality shop fronts. These premises currently detract from the overall improvement of the gateway and do not create an inviting atmosphere for customers and visitors to Burnley. Main contractor Emanuel Whittaker continues to oversee the 2009-2010 stage of the facelift, and a new tender will soon be offered out for the 2010—2011 phase.
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Modernising Preston Station Work is progressing well on two Network Rail schemes at Preston station worth over £1m that will make the station much more pleasant for passengers using the lifts and subways.
The station has two subways. One is linked to the platforms by ramps; the other is served by lifts. Both are being completely refurbished as part of the Department for Transport’s National Stations Improvement Programme (NSIP) initiative to bring about a noticeable and lasting improvement in the environment at stations. Network Rail route director Jo Kaye said: The work is made possible because of a successful industry partnership, which aims to bring the best to passengers. Network Rail and Virgin Trains will continue to work hard on bringing the improvement work at the station to fruition and develop further NSIP plans across the North West. Linsey Robinson, station manager for Virgin Trains, the company that manages the station, said: “The subway refurbishment and renewal of the lifts will deliver a very positive improvement. The Virgin Trains team members at Preston are delighted at the prospect of welcoming passengers to a far more appealing environment, with subway access that is dry, non-slip, light and clean. “We look forward to more investments transforming the station into a magnificent gateway for people arriving in the city of Preston and interchanging for other destinations including Blackpool.” Cladding is being removed from the walls and ceilings of the subways, new cladding applied, and brickwork cleaned. Measures are being taken to prevent flooding and formation of puddles, to which the subway is known to be prone. The floor
is being resurfaced, as are the ramps up to platform level. New lighting is being installed and there will be ‘line of route’ information to tell passengers about the rail network around Preston. Lancashire County Council said it was delighted that work to refurbish Preston station is underway, and it would work with industry partners to develop a master plan for the station. The council added: Through the Community Rail Partnerships radiating from Preston it is hoped to introduce special features on the platforms to promote the station as a gateway to the Fylde Coast and East Lancashire. Work in the subways is being carried out in such a way that they are always in use and there will always be sufficient width to accommodate wheelchairs. All four lifts linking platforms one to six and the station entrance/exit are being refurbished and converted for self operation by users. The lift shafts at platform level are being cleaned and either painted or clad. The lift on platforms one and two is the only way for passengers in wheelchairs to access the subway and other parts of the station. While the work is being carried out, a special lift operated by additional staff is being used to ‘walk’ wheelchairs up or down the stars. This was given the thumbs-up by disability groups in trials before the refurbishment started. Work at the station, which is being delivered by Virgin Trains and SERCO, will be finished in September Autumn 2010.
One stop shop for Stockport Council services Stockport Council is currently working to deliver a ground-breaking new five storey civic building on Edward Street in the town centre, on the site of the old Ponsonby House building.
The £12m, BREEAM Excellent scheme will provide 40,000sq. ft. of floor space and incorporate green and sustainable architectural features, including a green roof, solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system. The development will include modern and functional office
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space, housing around 400 council employees and as well as a brand new Stockport Direct facility located on the ground floor. This will offer a range of council services for residents currently provided at Hygarth House and Stopford House. Efficiency within the council will be greatly improved by reducing the number of buildings in the town centre civic complex from 11 to just 3, and the council claims that this will provide even further value for money for local contributors to its coffers. The new building has been designed to be fully accessible for
disabled and able people alike. The entrance to the building is a level entrance, providing easy access to ‘those with limited mobility’ and the lifts are appropriate for both wheelchair users and others. Fully accessible ‘Changing Places’ facilities will also be available, with enough space and the right equipment for disabled people to use them, including a height adjustable changing bench and a hoist. Barry Khan, Service Director (Legal and Property) at Stockport Council, said, “This innovative new building will not only greatly improve efficiency within the council by reducing the number of council buildings in the civic complex from 11 to just 3, but it will lead the country in cutting-edge, sustainable design. “The development will provide one easily-maintained, central base with all the essential modern facilities, enabling council departments to further improve efficiency and ensure value for money for residents.” Councillors want to name the council building after three time Wimbledon tennis champion Fred Perry. It is thought that this is what Perry would have wanted. Cllr Dave Goddard, Stockport Council leader, said, “Fred Perry is known the world over for his determination to succeed, to drive himself from excellent to exceptional. “Even when he was one of the best tennis players in the world, he continued to practise constantly, to dedicate himself to becoming continually ever better. That demanding spirit is so characteristic of our borough that it would be a great fit with our new civic complex. “We are now in the process of contacting his family and going through the appropriate process to officially name the building after him.” Carillion was selected as development partner for the scheme in early 2008. Planning permission was granted in March 2009 and work began on site in June 2009. The development is being project managed by NPS (Stockport) Ltd on behalf of Stockport Council, and the building is expected to be completed in November 2010.
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Specsavers looks to the future with new MPH modular branch MPH Building Systems Limited has successfully installed a modular external retail unit at Catcliffe to accommodate a Specsavers franchise, the first of its kind for supermarket giant Morrison’s. With 38 years’ experience of providing modular building solutions, MPH Building Systems Limited was eager to take up the challenge of manufacturing the bespoke modular retail unit. When Woolworths closed its doors overnight, leaving the resident Specsavers franchise unable to continue trading from their premises, directors at Specsavers, Rotherham, set about finding an alternative location to serve the local people of Catcliffe near Sheffield City Centre, where an extensive client base was established. They approached the adjacent Morrison’s supermarket - situated off the Parkway Motorway, recommending the siting of a franchise within the large retail outlet. However, as supermarkets today require greater retail space to meet the ever-increasing needs of the population, Morrison’s proposed the trial of an external bespoke modular retail unit on their vast site. Bound by Specsavers’ strict UK-wide requirements, design guidelines and branding of their products, together with the constraints imposed by the Morrison’s site, MPH’s in-house CAD team began designing a modular unit to exact specifications that would house retail space, test facilities, individual test rooms, and waiting areas. In addition, the retail unit had to fit neatly on site, complementing the surroundings, and taking up as little car parking space as possible. Initially presented with several design problems including the need to integrate large retail glazing, wall space for retail units and test rooms with no external windows, MPH successfully created a versatile modular structure, in accordance with Specsavers’ design brief, which was building regulation compliant and conformed to the Disability Discrimination Act. The design incorporated signage that mirrored all UK Specsavers branches, with a fascia designed around the signage company, together with a strict colour scheme for the internal walls. The modular building was erected on foundations that could be easily dismantled, allowing the site to be restored to the pre-existing car park if requested at a future date. The design was accepted and work began on the internal fit-out requirements, comprising specific wall colourings, precision lighting for retail stands and the inclusion of internal
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fittings procured from nominated suppliers. Internal design considerations included floor loading that was capable of taking heavy foot traffic and the installation of a fresh air make up system, as all windows were restricted opening. Throughout this process, project director Jonathan Hunt of MPH met regularly with Specsavers representatives to ensure no omission of details and that the company met exact requirements. Following the exchange of leases between Morrison’s and Specsavers, foundations were laid immediately on site. Offsite preparation and manufacture of the modular building at MPH’s purpose-built factory commenced, and just four weeks after the installation of foundations, the building was delivered and positioned on site. In the four days following, specialist Specsavers shop fitters arrived on site to install the retail units and CCTV - testing equipment, telecoms and data. As well as meeting the stringent project requirements and tight timescale for completion, during the installation and fit-out MPH contended with security issues at the site. Security personnel came in to overcome this problem and after just three weeks, Specsavers Catcliffe was open for business, delighting the Rotherham directors, Morrison’s supermarket and the people of Catcliffe who had their facility back. Jonathan Hunt said, “I am delighted that the finished building exceeded our clients’ expectations in every way”. The modular retail unit was manufactured, delivered and opened for business within the anticipated timescale and to a strict budget, which was essential, due to the short term of the lease. Disruption to Morrison’s and its customers was minimal throughout. Modular buildings are an environmentally friendly option in construction, providing sustainability and thermal efficiency. They are cost-effective, with no compromise on quality. Offsite preparation reduces noise pollution, congestion and carbon emissions. When no longer required, MPH can relocate the modular building to a different site of Specsavers choice. The people of Catcliffe continue to be amazed by the new facility and the speed at which it was implemented. The Specsavers franchise is proving a great success and potentially this innovation will roll out to other supermarkets across the country. Dusan Opacic, store director, said, “We are delighted with the finished product. Well done, everyone!”
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N o r th E a s t & Yo r ks h i re Construction News
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Major sports centre’s £4.6 million refurbishment Major work to refurbish Batley Sports and Tennis Centre in a £4.6 million project led by main contractor Clugston Construction is making great progress. Last summer, the swimming pool, fitness suite and sports hall were closed as part of the exciting redevelopment. The sports hall then reopened in the following October with new flooring. The fitness suite was completely remodelled with brand new Technogym equipment. The reception is being redesigned and remodelled, and both the swimming and the dry side changing rooms will have been totally refurbished by the time work is complete. The pool hall will benefit from an upgrade of poolside facilities, including interactive water features for children to play on involving water cannons, slide and tipping buckets, which will be enhanced by new poolside lighting. It will reopen during summer 2010.
Centre manager Jaime Nalson said: “We are all very excited about this fantastic opportunity for re-development and investment in the facilities here at Batley Sports and Tennis Centre. “The water features in particular will be great for children and include interactive lighting which we can change to suit the mood of the session. For example, low and soft for relaxing swims, or flashing and multi-coloured for lively fun swims. We would ask our customers to bear with us while the work is ongoing but are sure it will be well worth the wait. Investment for the project has come from a £1.75m grant from the Government, a £2.75 contribution from Kirklees Council and £140,000 from Kirklees Active Leisure. The Batley Swimming Initiative will build on
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the already substantial investment of £11.1 million invested by the council and Kirklees Active Leisure over the last seven years into improving and modernising sports centres and swimming pools across Kirklees. Sport England and the Amateur Swimming Association have been actively involved in the design process for the entire scheme.
Innovative engineering protects Lincolnshire town The Environment Agency has joined forces with Birse Civils to upgrade flood defences in the town of Gainsborough using a number of innovative techniques. The Gainsborough Flood Alleviation Scheme will improve the condition of the town’s defences and reduce annual flood risk to over 2,600 properties from the 1 in 70 annual chance to a 1 in 200 annual chance. The scheme is currently forecast to be completed in September 2010 with a final overall cost of £16.8 million. This is a saving of around £3 million against the agency’s approved budget of £19.9 million. Gainsborough is on the eastern bank of the lower tidal reach of the River Trent. The town is protected from flooding by nearly 4km of defences in the form of sheet pile walls, mass gravity walls and earth embankments. This pattern has arisen from the pressures on space along the river from commerce and development. The area is particularly vulnerable to flooding due to the meeting of tidal and fluvial floodwaters, and the low-lying nature of the town and buildings that are located close to the river. Even at its calmest, the river has a tidal range of over 4m. As a consequence of the major floods in 1947, a flood relief scheme for Gainsborough was implemented in the early 1950s to give added protection to the town. This scheme provided a rigid flood defence along the river frontage of the town, with many of the defences constructed on existing structures, some of which were already over 100 years old. A significant tidal surge in 1954 resulted in the defences being raised for a second time. Works to replace 800m of defences were completed in 2000 at a cost of approximately £20 million. The works included traditional sheet piled walls together with a piled free-standing structure in the bed of the river. The remaining assets, which were not thought to be in urgent need of repair in the early 1990s, are the subject of the current scheme. Works to date have included replacement of 50 metres of failed mass gravity floodwall with a new anchored steel sheet-pile
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retaining wall and flood defence, installation of a plastic sheetpile seepage cut-off to increase the stability of 1.7km of existing earth embankments, as well as raising 550 metres of earth embankment. Additionally, 441 ground anchors and associated steelwork have been introduced to strengthen 730m of hard defences to reduce the risk of failure. Malcolm Dineley, managing the project on behalf of the Environment Agency, spoke to Premier Construction about some of the difficulties his team faced on the scheme. He said, “Perhaps the most complex aspect of the scheme was the tidal aspect of the river. We had to organise shifts between 4AM and 10 PM, delaying start until 6AM around residential areas. There was also no access to the work area from the river side, so we had to use bespoke platforms overhanging the river that were anchored onto the existing walls. It was an innovative solution,
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N o r th E a s t & Yo r ks h i re as was the decision to introduce plastic sheet piles in the embankments, which would otherwise have had to be raised. That would have caused a lot of disruption to locals given the use of lorries and materials it would have required”. The project embraced local community schemes and has engaged them in an artwork scheme – set to be declared the longest continuous piece of art in Europe - and provided numerous enhancements such as public access and footpath improvements and a seasonal wetland for wildfowl and conservation. Locals will benefit from a 1.5km tarmac riverside footpath to replace an existing dirt path, and the new walkway will be accessible by wheelchair. The majority of the work is now complete as of June 2010, and finishing touches are being applied to the scheme, including landscaping along stretches of the total of 3.5km of river bank affected by the recent works. September should see the overall completion of the scheme, which, according to Malcolm, has gone pleasingly well: “I’m happy with the way this project has gone. We achieved value for money and were able to use innovative solutions along the way. We’ve only had a very small number of complaints from locals. I put that down to keeping people informed at all times and letting people know about the benefits our work would bring”.
Sabre slashes costs on new HQ Sabre Structures, a steel manufacturing firm based in West Yorkshire, has provided the steel frame for its own new facility on Bretton Park Way in Dewsbury. The new facility covers 30,000 sq. ft. and will house the 40 people working at Sabre – management, admin and shop floor staff. The building features a first floor open plan office to match an open plan shop floor, which are accompanied by a staff canteen and meeting rooms. There is ample room for parking to the exterior. The standard industrial building features profiled cladding on the external elevations, punctuated by aluminium doors and windows. At a cost of approximately £2m for the project, the company has made a five-figure saving by using its own products for the work, and will make further savings now that it owns its premises. The former gas works site, which is situated only 3 miles from Sabre’s current home, is being developed by architects Brewster Bye and main contractor APP construction. Sabre’s Lee Parkinson was able to speak to Premier Construction: “As a company, we mainly produce structural steel, and our products have been used in buildings like hospitals, showrooms, warehouses and industrial units like this one. We’ve produced up to 150 tonnes of steel per week, and we’re hopeful that the new premises will allow us to extend that. “The building is almost complete and we’re at the stage of decoration and final touches, so we’re on course to be in there by the end of July. “APP have done a fantastic job for us – we knew they would, as we’ve worked with them before. They recommended Brewster Bye, and we were happy to take
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their recommendation. We haven’t been disappointed, as the building is shaping up to be exactly what we need”. Asked to share his thoughts on the future of the steel sector, Lee replied, “It looks like things are continuing to pick up after the recession – slowly but surely, mind you. Steel prices have been high recently, so that is something we’ve had to work hard to deal with, as have other firms. However, we feel it’s the right time to make this move. We have a good client base and plenty of work ordered, and I’d say we’re a well run operation with a good group of people on board. Touch wood, with the new premises it looks like we have all the ingredients we need to carry on succeeding”.
The UK’s own wind power experts As the number of commercial wind farms in the UK grows, so too does the need for expert installation and maintenance engineering teams. In 2008, AG Wind Power was founded to accommodate this need, bringing together highly trained and experienced project managers and technicians to complete projects both on and off shore. AG Wind Power is able to provide a wide range of services in order to meet all needs. AG Wind Power’s expertise has contributed to an extensive number of turbines, both old and new, from Bonus and WEG to Vestas and Repower, and the company is skilled not only in turbine erection, but also in decommissioning. AG Wind Power also provide third party operation and maintenance, which can incorporate 24/7 remote monitoring, as well as routine servicing inclusive of all labour and consumables. AG Wind Power’s focus is to keep wind farms running as smoothly and as efficiently as possible. All of AG Wind Power’s staff work to the highest possible standards when it comes to safety both on and off site, and comply with the WTSR (Wind Turbine Safety Rules) at all times. AG technicians’ experience is second to none and all are dedicated to providing safe working practice alongside an efficient service, while working to a tight schedule. Clients see AG as providing a turnkey service which is able to meet all of their needs at a very competitive rate. In short, AG Wind Power are the hands-on experts in wind power. AG Wind Power are based in Sheffield, and the firm is manned
by a highly dedicated team led by managing director Stuart Cameron, the company’s founder. Stuart is an experienced climber and has put years of his own practical knowledge into building AG Wind Power up from its foundations. AG Wind Power is currently operating within the UK and Ireland, although there are plans to move into mainland Europe and possibly even
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N o r th E a s t & Yo r ks h i re the rest of the world within the next few years. Fourteen site engineers are currently directly employed through the company, with many more available for larger projects, but the base of the company incorporates many years of industry knowledge and problem solving abilities, headed up by experienced project managers. These are the people who give the company a unique advantage in the wind industry, as if any problems arise on site, the company’s expertise enables its operatives to pre-empt and solve these difficulties safely, while keeping all projects on time and within budget. So far, AG Wind power has been going from strength to strength, as professional completion of projects has earned the company a steadily growing reputation within the wind industry’s highly competitive market. Now known for all the right reasons the company has gained a strong position when bidding for contracts. One current project is the decommissioning of the UK s first commercial wind farm in Delabole in Cornwall. This is a unique project requiring all of AG Wind Power’s skill and knowledge, and the work will be ultimately rewarding as the site is due for repowering, replacing the old turbines with brand new Vestas machines which will provide clean and efficient wind
energy to the local community for years to come. AG Wind Power has a steadily growing portfolio of projects. Another recent project of note was the completion of the first Global Wind Power installation outside of India, at Methil docks in Scotland, which was successfully completed in June 2010. Prior to that, AG Wind Power have been involved in the installation and maintenance of onshore wind farms as far apart as Achany in the Scottish Highlands, to Goonhilly on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall, as well as most places in between. Offshore, AG Wind Power have been involved with the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farms, off of the Lincolnshire coast, Beatrice off the North Scottish coast, Kentish Flats, and Gunfleet Sands, both off of the coast of Kent. AG Wind Power have also recently secured a contract with Peel Energy for the maintenance of its Vestas V44s at Seaforth Docks, a project which is now underway. This is great news for the company, as word of AG Wind Power’s know-how is spreading. AG Wind Power’s plan for the future is simple: to continue providing excellent and highly professional services for wind farm owners, operators and manufacturers, thus expanding the company’s client base and proving that its reputation is duly founded.
Construction News
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Better working strategies at the heart of council refurbishments
the construction of a three storey extension, which includes a passenger lift. Judith Johnson of North Yorkshire County Council explained the reason for the refurbishment: “This is part of our strategy to re-think the way we work. Many of our staff members don’t need permanent desks and we’ve found that we can save money by having more flexibility in the way we work. We’re looking into desk-sharing and working from home as a way to reduce the space we need and the energy bills we run up. “Depending on the nature of the work carried out from department to department, we’re aiming for 7 or 8 desks for every 10 staff members. Our flexible phone and wireless connection systems allow what we call ‘touchdown spaces’, where people can work temporarily without needing permanently reserfed office spaces. We’re making sure that cellular, enclosed offices have to be well
Main contractor F Parkinson Ltd. is currently on site, undertaking a refurbishment of North Yorkshire County Council’s offices at Northallerton. The works consist of refurbishment, extensions and alterations to the South Block of County Hall, which is central to the County Hall campus. Works include demolition of exisiting partitions, the strip out of existing finishes with the installation of new partitions, new walls, floor and some ceiling finishes, New doors are to be provided together with replacment of existing windows and the addition of brise-soleil on the south facing elevations. The works is spread over three floors with the work areas vacated during the contract. However, floors above, below and adjacent to the works are occupied with the general business of the authority not being interrupted. Also included in the works is the demolition of a small traditional construction extension and
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justified. Otherwise, people are to be expected to work in open spaces with meeting rooms to be used if the need for private meetings arises. “Another reason for the work is simply to upgrade our buildings and reduce maintenance and energy expenditure, which is something a lot of local authorities are looking into. Locally, Barnsley Council is a good example. Like other councils, some of our buildings are dated and the cost of maintenance and repair is beginning to outweigh the cost building of new, modern, efficient and better thoughy-out spaces”.
Big build-up for Keepmoat Homes Construction of 22 new or mothballed Keepmoat Homes developments during 2010/11 means that the company has virtually doubled output on the previous year. The 1,069 homes on these sites make up about two thirds of total construction on 36 developments across Yorkshire, the North East, North West and Midlands. It also secures employment for around 900 construction workers and provides training and apprenticeship opportunities for many more. Kick start funding from the Government is supporting the expansion drive on 15 of the developments.
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Said Keepmoat Homes Yorkshire Regional Director, David Ward, “Our experience in regeneration and partnerships with the public sector has been a big factor in enabling us to come through an extremely challenging time for the construction industry – particularly the housing sector. “It has enabled us to retain skilled people and be in a strong position to take advantage of the upturn in the private market place, which is now showing clear signs of recovery. Whilst still fragile, this looks set to continue during 2010/11. “As a result and with the support of our partners and
stakeholders, we are engaged in a significant increase in activity across all the regions in which we work. At the same time we are introducing a number of environmental initiatives which will drive down waste from our sites and increase the use of renewable energy sources in our homes.” In Yorkshire the expansion includes new phases of 100 homes at Tanglewood Court in Leslie Road, Kendray. The development features a selection of two- and three-bedroom affordable homes, with the three-bedroom Ashby house type having been selected as the show home. One of the developer’s most popular properties using the most modern of trends, the show home demonstrates how maximising space doesn’t have to compromise style and design. Popular with first time buyers and those with growing families, the Ashby boasts flexible living space and an affordable price The development, which is part of a £40 million investment programme, has a park by its entrance and is perfect for young families. It also has an array of local conveniences including a post office and food shops. Nearby, Keepmoat Homes’ development include The Pastures, Darfield and a new development of 161 two, three and four bedroom homes at Thurnscoe – all near Barnsley. In addition, there is a new development of 120 two- and threebedroom homes at The Fieldhead Estate, Kirklees in West Yorkshire. The development also includes new open space and play areas for people to enjoy, a ‘village square,’ new shops and traffic calming measures. As part of the construction process, Keepmoat has provided apprenticeship opportunities for seven local people. This involves on-the-job training as well as college attendance, at the end of which they’ll have a recognised qualification as well as valuable experience. Keepmoat Homes’ 10 acre Horizon development at Darnall near Sheffield features a diverse mix of 191 starter and family homes, with most benefiting from ample gardens and off-street parking. Currently available are the two-bedroomed Normanby, threebedroomed Clarendon, Kelmscott and two-and-a-half storey
Oakhurst – which is the show home house type – and the three storey, four bedroomed Somersby. Meanwhile, at Hull, St Andrew’s Square is taking shape in a £12m development of 106 environmentally friendly homes for the Woodcock Street area. Woodcock Street is really on the up, with lots of regeneration planned for the coming years. The revitalisation is being led by Gateway, Hull’s Neighbourhood Regeneration Agency, for whom the new homes are the first part of a long term plan to restore the area to being a thriving and popular place to live. Another major development is underway at The Village, in Grimethorpe - a small village surrounded mainly by green fields. A large wood borders the village to the east and the A6195 runs north to south to the west of the village. By virtually doubling output, Keepmoat Homes is demonstrating confidence that the recovery in the private housing market will be sustained. In addition, the regeneration specialist will continue to deliver partnership projects with local councils and housing associations, creating homes for rent and shared ownership. Around a quarter of the properties being constructed are for these projects. Keepmoat Homes specialises in building around 1,200 high quality, attractively priced homes a year. Their award-winning range of homes demonstrates innovation, while a wide variety of house styles and exceptional choice of fixtures and furnishings, allows customers to create their ideal home. Keepmoat Homes work in Yorkshire, the Midlands, the North East and North West, investing not just in bricks and mortar but in local people by providing job and training opportunities; and in local initiatives - to create neighbourhoods in which people choose to live. Despite all this growth and change, Keepmoat Homes’ values are the same as they were 75-years ago; a commitment to quality, a belief in the ability to make a difference and the desire to be the very best at what they do.
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A job well done at Silverstone An event of the scale of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone requires event management of the utmost precision. Thanks to an array of temporary structures, this year’s event has been hosted with the usual smoothness and panache.
GL Events Owen Brown are the sole supplier of temporary structures at this event, a contract which this year saw them supplying a massive 14,705sqm. Structures are used for applications including high end hospitality suites such as the famous Copse Corner hospitality suite, general admission catering and bar areas, administrative facilities, changing areas, information points, media centres and even helipad terminals. The Silverstone helipad terminal becomes one of the busiest airports in the UK during the weekend of the British Grand Prix. Owen Brown supplied structures from their whole product portfolio including their new Absolute and Ultimate ranges. Two huge 145m long Absolute Pavilions with a Eclipse curved roof profile were used for the Copse Corner hospitality suites; both were divided into individual hospitality chalets. Owen Brown also supplied the private club house, a 15m x 25 Absolute Pavilion with a 15m² canopy, for the British Racing Drivers Club which was used by ex Formula 1 drivers including Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell. The Absolute Pavilions and Ultimate Pagodas were part of Owen Brown’s £4.5million 2009 investment in a new range of temporary structures aimed at the outdoor events industry. The structures were designed with events like Silverstone in mind. The Absolute is flexible to a host of different event applications it comes in a single, double or triple decker, with optional balconies or terraces, a choice of three roof profiles and a host of interior décor options including segmenting the structure into individual hospitality suites. The Ultimate was designed to be a practical unit for such things as administration areas, it can stand alone or be linked together to form larger retail units or linked to another structure from the Owen Brown range to form an entrance way or break out room. Ben Keast, project manager for Owen Brown, commented, “The British Grand Prix event takes such a high volume of structures
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and is one of our largest supply contracts that it is never without some challenges. The main challenge we face each year is fitting the build of the structures around other events on Silverstone’s busy events calendar. We do this by meticulously planning the build schedule, crew numbers and logistics to ensure equipment arrives on time and in the right order. We have project managers that have worked on the Silverstone site for the past 25 years; this knowledge, coupled with our experienced build team, ensures a smooth build project. In addition to this, the structures we supplied this year needed to reflect the facelift Silverstone has undergone for 2010. I believe our new Absolute Pavilions with Eclipse curved roofs and Ultimate Pagodas helped to achieved this new look”. The Silverstone track has suffered criticism over recent years and it has been well documented that it came close to losing its place on the Formula One calendar. Silverstone Race Circuit sought investment and is now working on a new pit and paddock complex set to be complete in 2011. The paddock complex will include new garages, a media centre, a race control building, new hospitality and VIP spectator zones and a primary paddock. This will all help to bring Silverstone into the 21st Century. Alex Robertson, managing director of the leading temporary structure supplier, commented, “Our 60 year relationship with the British Grand Prix is still going strong. We have men on site at Silverstone for several months before the event, allowing us to be flexible with the build schedule and adapt quickly to any changes in the brief. We work closely with the interior decorators chosen by Silverstone to ensure a high end finish is given to all level of structures”. GL events Owen Brown has provided temporary structures to the British Grand Prix since its conception in 1950 and at the Silverstone Circuit for over 25 years. Richard Phillips, managing director of Silverstone Circuits Ltd 2010, thanked the events team for another invaluable contribution to sporting showpiece: “Considering we had less than six full months to get up and running, I think everything involved performed exceptionally well and the racing weekend’s tremendous success is entirely down to an outstanding team effort”.
Two into one does go for new primary school! Amalgamating infant and junior departments onto one site, is the new Barcroft Primary School building, under construction on a site in Willenhall, Walsall, West Midlands. The project is being carried out for Walsall Council Property Services Department by Main Contractors Willmot Dixon. Architects and Lead Consultants are Baart Harries Newall. Initial works included extensive ground remediation as the site was previously a mining area. The infant and junior departments were previously accommodated on opposite sides of a residential street. The infants were decanted into the junior school building and the former infant school building was then demolished. Construction of the new school commenced in March 2010. The new school is mainly single storey with a small two storey element housing Years 5 and 6 classrooms, a staff room and a design technology room. The remainder of the building incorporates further classrooms, an assembly hall/dining hall, kitchen, administrative areas, a nursery area and a community area. The building is of steel frame structure with external elevations in facing brickwork with terracotta cladding at first floor level, incorporating elements of curtain walling and aluminium windows, with a metal standing seam roof. Externally, a small staff and visitors car park is being created, together with play areas, a small multi-use games court, a natural habitat area with a pond, and service delivery areas. A larger parking area, together with playing fields will be created on the other school site on the opposite side of the road, once the new school has been completed and occupied and the old junior school, currently housing the pupils, has been demolished.
Stoke council seeks to boost affordable housing stock In response to recent criticism based on the lack of available affordable housing in the area, Stoke-on-Trent city council is encouraging a range of schemes designed to alleviate the situation and fulfil demand.
The project is expected to be completed in 12 months time, with the new school element being scheduled for opening in September 2011. and-rebuild scheme which will see the erection of 41 new homes, revitalising a regeneration area of the city, and including the provision of a number of shop units. The community centre will provide a meeting place for residents, as well as a new library, offices for the local residents’ association, and other neighbourhood services, according to Will Nixon, Director of Regeneration for the Aspire Group. Aspire Housing is also partnering with Barratt David Wilson Homes in the construction of 75 properties at Heritage Park, the former Silverdale Colliery site. A country park will also eventually flourish under the proposals. At the former Collins & Aikman site at Knutton, NewcastleUnder-Lyme, another 72 properties are being built next to the award-winning Mill Rise development of older people’s housing
As a result, an energetic new housing programme has been launched in North Staffordshire to provide homes and badlyneeded community facilities for hundreds of residents. The Aspire Group is leading a major drive to provide decent affordable housing, with partnership projects underway that will see the completion of around 200 new properties - the largest development programme of any housing association in North Staffordshire. Apprentices from PM Training, a social enterprise that tackles worklessness and part of the Aspire Group, will help to provide construction work. A £1 million community centre being developed on behalf of Stoke-on-Trent City Council figures in one of the projects at Ingestre Square, Blurton. A partnership with Kier is undertaking an 18-month demolishROMA PUBLICATIONS
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Midlands and a health centre. Both developments include a mixture of rented and part ownership homes, and have attracted funding from the Homes and Communities Agency, Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Aspire Housing. “Aspire Housing is developing more new homes in North Staffordshire than any other housing organisation,” said Will Nixon, who is also the Chief Executive of PM Training. “When house building in the private sector has slowed dramatically, this is a major achievement for Aspire Housing and an example of our commitment to community development.” As well as easing the housing problems of several hundred residents, the various development schemes will provide muchneeded job opportunities for young local people. “Part of this development drive is a further commitment to providing real life chances for people,” Mr Nixon added. “Apprentices from PM Training, our social enterprise arm that tackles worklessness among young people, will help deliver construction.” The Aspire Group provides more than 20,000 customers with quality affordable homes and services across North Staffordshire
New centre is biggest of its kind in the country
Now fully operational is the new £26.5 million Brierley Hill health and social care centre - the biggest of its kind in the country - constructed on a site at Venture Way, Brierley Hill. Constructed by Carillion Building, the state-of-the-art centre provides integrated services for three GP practices collectively serving 16,000 patients, three dental surgeries, audiology, podiatry, chiropody, leg ulcer services and speech and language therapy, together with providing a new home for Dudley council social care and housing services staff. The building incorporates
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and South Cheshire. Committed to improving homes and neighbourhoods, and transforming the life chances of local people, it consists of Aspire Housing, PM Training and a soon-to-be-launched charity. two public lifts and one service lift. The centre was delivered by Dudley Infracare LIFT on behalf of the Primary Care Trust and Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. Dudley Infracare LIFT was established in October 2005 to provide new primary health and social care buildings for Dudley. The company is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the NHS Primary Care Trust in Dudley, part of the innovative NHS LIFT (Local Improvement Finance Trust) National Programme. Designed by Steffian Bradley Architects, the centre has been constructed on the former site of the Brier School, which was demolished to make way for the new development. The 9,390 sq m building features two basement car parking levels with three storeys above and is structured around a steel
frame. External elevations are in a combination of brick and cladding, with aluminium framed windows and a pitched roof. External works on the project also included the construction of a new site access road, additional surface parking and soft landscaping”. Kevin Gaffney, Director of Finance at Dudley PCT said: “The Brierley Hill Health and Social Care Centre is the third PCT led LIFT building in the borough and following the success of the Stourbridge Health and Social Care Centre and Ridge Hill facility, we are extremely excited that the new building is complete. We are aware that people want to be treated as close to home as possible and the wide range of services that will be delivered
under one roof will really benefit local residents. The building looks fantastic and will become a great asset to Brierley Hill and the surrounding areas.” John Coyne, Chief Executive of Dudley Infracare LIFT said: “We are delighted that this project has been delivered on time and to budget resulting in a new landmark building for the town of Brierley Hill, from which first class health and social care services can be delivered. The building is a true catalyst for urban regeneration and displays a modern design, offering a pleasant and welcoming environment for patients, visitors and staff, at the same time as encouraging and setting the standard of future health and social care developments in the Dudley area.”
Active Learning makes a leap at Kirk Hallam Students in Kirk Hallam are preparing to get active as work begins on £2.3 million worth of sports facilities for them. As part of the scheme, work has begun on a new £1.8m sports hall for Kirk Hallam Community Technology and Sports College. The college is contributing £90,000 to the hall, which will include four badminton courts, netball courts, indoor cricket facilities, four changing rooms, a large fitness suite, a large storage area and a range of staff facilities with a reception office. Councillor Mike Longden, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for education said, “It is fantastic that the college, which already has specialist status in technology, has now added to that with specialist sports status. “These new facilities will give every student the chance to try different sports in a superb environment with the best expertise available to support them”. Work has begun on site and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The college has been awarded £450,000 as a result of its sports specialist status and has been in talks with the Football Foundation to win grant funding up to a maximum of £314,000. A £586,000 multi-use games area (MUGA) is now planned for the site, with work due to begin in July and expected to be completed by the end of the year. Principal Peter Hamer said, “We’re delighted to be able to offer our students new opportunities and increase the excellent facilities we have. “The environment, knowledge and skills we offer mean our youngsters get the best possible education which gives them a firm foundation for the future”. Mike Cash of ETC Design was the project architect, and he
Pictured left-right, pupils Paul Wright (14), Shannon Draper (14), Katie Davies (14) and Curtis Taylor-Tipton (13)
spoke to Premier Construction about his design: “Our brief was simple: to provide quality indoor sporting facilities. We’ve done similar work locally, and that inspired the design. The structure is built from specialist concrete panels, which we chose for their robustness and their speed of build. Because no steel frame is used, it’s a case of lifting the block into place and the majority of the work is done. They’re insulated precast wall panels, and they’re expected to have a greater life span than the typical clad steel build you often see on sports halls”.
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The college that doubles as an attraction Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College is on the brink of taking full occupation of its eye-catching new premises, a gleaming new structure that lies a short hop over the river from the college’s old location, a concrete building from the 1960s which is soon to be refurbished turned into an academy.
The striking new building has been designed by architects Broadway Malyan and assembled under the guidance of Miller’s project manager Shaun Kearney, who could hardly contain his excitement as he spoke enthusiastically about the project to Premier Construction: “We’re all delighted to have been involved with this project, and I’m sure I speak for the architects, the sub-contractors and of course the college staff and students when I say that. I, and of course Miller as a company, have been involved with a good number of educational projects, and this is easily one of my favourites”. Asked what made the new college an extra special contract, Shaun replied, “I think there’s just a general feel-good factor about the place. We’ve been very involved with the students, showing groups of them around, making sure they know they’re a part of this and showing them how we work. Although their main focus isn’t on the vocational side of things, the business and finance students have all been able to learn things about how we plan and manage projects. In fact, Miller is looking to sponsor students in the area, and a lot of those we interacted with during the project have expressed an interest in our industry. I’ve got a feeling we’ll be inundated with applications!” The feel-good factor Shaun mentions has apparently extended to local ‘feeder facilities’ – schools who will be sending students to the new college – who are said to have been wowed by
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both the building and its educational facilities. What’s more, Miller’s representatives have been working hard at being good neighbours: keeping locals updated with newsletters, inviting them to seminar evenings to spread the word, and eventually scoring an average rating of 36.5 under the Considerate Contractors Scheme. And Miller’s kind touch doesn’t end once the handover is carried out in the next few weeks. The company is posting a facilitation manager at the college to make sure that staff members can get to grips with the workings of their new facility with speed and ease. Among a range of high-spec features that can pose a challenge to the uninitiated is a top-of-the-range BEMS. Elsewhere in the building, a range of eco-friendly installations includes PV panels, rainwater harvesting and pre-heated water tubes whose black colour naturally absorbs heat. The impressive entrance sits under a 16m high atrium and which, as Shaun describes it, “is full of glass, chrome and granite. It looks very sleek and it has a real adult look, despite being designed primarily for teenagers”. The £27 million project got underway in April 2009 and is set to be fully occupied by the end of August 2010, with an official opening planned shortly afterwards as September begins. It is part of phase phase one of the University Quarter, a major education-led regeneration programme for the city. It will include the new campus built on a 10,000m2 site, alongside a new Staffordshire University science centre. The sixth form building centres around two atria, designed to reflect different facets of learning. Over the next decade, more than £1.5billion of regeneration funding is being invested with the ambition of transforming The Potteries into a thriving city where quality of life and opportunities for all are central.
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Blow-up buildings – a sign of things to come? Southern Inflatables, a Hampshire-based firm that has made its name in inflatable structures and games including bouncy castles, has developed a product which, according to managing director Adrian Weal, could bring a surprise package to the forefront of the construction industry.
“We have developed and tested an inflatable temporary roof”, he told Premier Construction. “It’s like an upside down bouncy castle, a fabric structure inflated with continuously running fans. It is used to provide a temporary roof during construction work. The fabric roof is placed over an existing roof or space and inflated. It typically rests on scaffolding on either side of the building”. “It’s ideal for residential and smaller commercial properties. It’s an alternative to temporary scaffold roofs. It’s cheaper and quicker for short term use and it’s safer because it gives complete coverage and shelter. That can be a bonus when there are workers on site who aren’t allowed to work in rain or snow. “With an inflatable structure, you can often get around planning laws. On one recent job, we had permission to put the temporary up for a certain amount of time, after which we deflated it and re-inflated it almost immediately afterwards, staying firmly within the local law”. Asked why the industry should move away from currently accepted practices, Adrian said, “There are established temporary roofing systems for large buildings, but for residential and small commercial applications, temporary roofs are typically made from scaffolding with corrugated steel covering”. “Those setups are expensive, they take a lot of time to put up and, most significantly, they involve people working at heights in the most dangerous conditions for long periods of time. There is no safe way to put them up and health and safety pressures to find safer alternatives are high. They frequently leak, they are very noisy in wind and workers are prone to hitting their heads on the underside scaffolding”. Adrian does graciously recognise the limitations of his product, and said, “An inflatable roof offers a massive saving in the short
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term, since it’s so quick and simple to use. The major cost of a scaffold roof is the labour to erect it, since most companies have their stock of scaffolding fully paid for and ready to go. An inflatable structure can take less than an hour to put up.. In the medium and long term, however, it’s possible that a scaffold roof can work out as the cheaper option, dependeing on the site. “There also has to be a limit on the size of the inflatable structures – we make them a maximum of 15m wide, as anything larger can become unstable in high winds. You can sometimes get past that by linking the structures together”. And what about the obvious fear – that the inflatable roof could be punctures and rendered useless? Adrian says, “Small punctures are no problem, since the fans are constantly running, as on a bouncy castle. The fans can be plugged into the mains or into petrol generators, and cost around 60p per day to run. Punctures up to 6 inches can be fixed with strong tape, and we supply a repair kit to augment that”. The new product sits alongside the firm’s existing range of inflatable structures, and Adrian is able to fire off a long list of possible uses: “The inflatable structures can be linked together to form larger structures ideal for temporary shelters, tents, decontamination changing rooms, helicopter hangars, field hospitals, sports halls, field headquarters - the list goes on and on. I remember doing work for Sussex Police after the Brighton bombing, when officers needed a temporary structure at short notice to use for scanning and security”. So what does the future hold for the inflatable roof cover? Adrian gave a frank prediction, saying, “I can see it becoming more and more popular, and one indication of that is the way our firm has proved to be virtually recession-proof in recent times because of the savings we can offer; we haven’t stopped expanding. There are still barriers to overcome for the product, however. The product itself is very simple, but things like anchorage on site require special attention, as you can imagine, and it’s a matter of getting the word out and showing that it doesn’t have to be a headache”.
Sterile unit to reach practical completion A new sterile services department (SSD) is moments away from practical completion at Yeovil District Hospital. The unit is used to sterilise and decontaminate surgical equipment, and will eventually replace the hospital’s existing unit, which is reaching the end of its operational life.
The new SSD is a modular structure which sits on top of a preexisting flat roof, and some smart engineering is to thank for the project’s success. Mike Taylor, who is a project manager in the cfes Ltd team led by medical operations manager John Davies, spoke to Premier Construction about the work: “A key objective of the development was to avoid the need to disrupt or close existing hospital operations. This was especially important given that the SSD is located over the hospital’s A+E department. However, cfes Ltd have extensive experience in this field, which was part of the reason for our appointment by the trust”. “The new unit doesn’t sit directly on the roof but on a separate steel structure which transfers load to the existing building’s super and substructure. This avoided the need for any alterations, and potential disruption, to the hospital’s operations. Keeping water out was a serious challenge but we succeeded”. “Another interesting aspect of the project is that, while complying with HBN 13 regulations that govern these buildings, as well as the NHS trust’s requirements, we had to install failsafe and independent mechanical, electrical and utility services. That was difficult given the space we had to work with, so the solution was to add a separate but adjacent structure which literally hangs on the side of the structure using a cantilever system. That allowed us to fit in all the necessary elements of the SSD, including maintenance access. “It’s been a relatively complicated project, but the firm has plenty of experience with this kind of engineering, including six SSD departments for Nuffield Health and with various NHS projects and we’ve developed a level of design I’d class as expert within the field, without which the end result would have been all the more difficult to achieve”. In addition to all the complexities that this project has generated we are also due to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating which is unique for a building of this type. The new unit is a modular structure, utilising the benefits of off-site construction methods. The installation and construction have relied heavily on cranes, as well as innovative engineering, in order to bring components into place. Explaining the need for the new unit, Mike said, “All hospitals need this type of unit, of course, whether they have it on site or
contract it out. If the unit is to be on site, then when it comes to the end of its life, the choice is either to contract out temporarily during construction of the new unit, or to do what we’re doing here. This solution allows the hospital to carry on its usual practice uninterrupted and it allows us and our NHS partners to make sure the new facility is perfect before undergoing a comprehensive transfer”. Practical completion of the new SSD is anticipated at the end of August, and the new SSD will be fully operational later in the year.
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Versatile South West contractor implements expertise Two vastly different projects marshalled by Devon Contractors are approaching completion dates in the autumn, the first of which is a 12-month refurbishment project. The firm has been at work on St. Aubyn’s church in Plymouth, converting the 1770s building into a library after a nearby library was converted into a community access centre, a project which also benefitted from Devon Contractors’ input. Work on the church is due for completion in October, and contracts manager Andy Wells spoke to Premier Construction: “We’re converting the ground floor of the church into a library, whilst the first floor will still be available as a Christian worship centre – we expect it to be used for prayers and sermons on Sundays. There’s been a lot of steel work in the church – the first floor is built on a new steel platform, whilst extra support has been put in to stabilise the building’s structure”. There have been some interesting finds, as might be expected in a grade II listed building of its era. Andy adds, “One interesting discovery was a set of original paintings of angels from the early 1900s, which had been obscured under several layers of decoration. It will be important to preserve the art, and this and discoveries like it add even more responsibility to our role – things like this remind you that you’re protecting the building, as well as enhancing it”. Simultaneously, the firm is hard at work on a new industrial complex in Holsworthy, which is approaching a completion date in September 2010. The site on Dobles Lane is to be converted from a green field site to a group of three industrial units,
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expected to be occupied by a local haulage firm and a group that produces cattle feed. The units are built around standard steel frames and insulated with composite cladding. The foot of the site features a lagoon to be used as part of the complex’s drainage system. Designed by FJ Architects, the haulage firm’s unit is of particular note, containing as it does a 1.5m ‘inspection pit’ in order to encourage compliance with haulage regulations. Andy commented, “The units are of a standard type, but they’re modified with a view to their end use. “These two projects are obviously very different in nature, and they represent the versatility we offer as a company”. The firm has existed since 1946, and is now one of the South West’s largest and most respected construction firms, operating in a variety of sectors including commercial, retail, residential, industrial, leisure, education and healthcare. Find out more about Devon Contractors by visiting www.devoncontractors.co.uk
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Bespoke VIP enclosure enhances Triathlon ITU World Championship As presenting sponsors, Tata Steel - one of the world’s leading manufacturers of steel - erected a unique temporary pavilion in Hyde Park over the weekend of 24/ 25th July which served as the VIP area and centerpiece of the ITU World Championship, the world’s premier triathlon event. The pavilion was constructed from ‘post-tensioned steel technology,’ a technique believed to be the first of its kind to be applied as a solution for temporary infrastructure in the UK and one that showcases innovative steel technology using lightweight materials as well as demonstrating the creative flair and potential of Tata Steel in design, architecture and engineering. Working in collaboration with S2 - an Australian based company specialising in the design and implementation of large span steel solutions, the Tata Steel enclosure challenged conventional thinking around the design and deployment of temporary spaces and the possibilities of enhancing ‘spectator experience’ and ‘crowd participation’ during major sporting events. During the design process, Tata Steel and S2 engaged in a collaborative process to produce a signature structure capable of temporarily transforming a key space in central London alongside serving as a showcase of the inherent strength and lightweight ability of steel. The design of the Tata Steel enclosure incorporates established engineering principles of structural behavior, determined by applying loads to a theoretical “string line” in much the same way as domed structures were designed in the early 18th century. The design team incorporated a similar process using a ‘string line’ to size members in structural steel and to determine the amount of force with which to pre-load (or store energy in) the structure. In practice, the ‘string line’ physically exists as a post-tensioned cable system and is loaded to the calculated forces by hydraulic stressing – preloading energy into the structure before the application of external forces. Once in assembled position on the ground, a stressing strand is fed through the bottom chord of each main truss and edge members, and stressed to precise loads. Stressing ensures the structure remains “active” during
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deployment without the traditional “dead weight” structure controlling the building’s force and deflection. The result is a wide-span, column free environment Matt Teague, senior design manager at Corus, commented, “The brief called for a bespoke design that would showcase innovative steel design, but also show restraint in materials used. The result is a structure, which displays both a lightweight aesthetic and strength in equal measure. We believe this is the first time post-tensioned steel technology has been applied as a solution for temporary infrastructure in the UK. The outcome is a majestic venue, which can provide a wide span space suitable to accommodate over 200 VIP guests and befits both a world-class venue and elite sport”. Murray Ellen, founder of S² Corporation, commented, “The technology that we are showcasing with this structure demonstrates the potential for post-tension steel technology to deliver for conventional ‘big span’ design, but with a significant reduction in the amount of steel required to construct. We have achieved clear spans up to 120m through post-tensioning, and the bigger we go the more benefit the technology brings. We believe the application of post-tensioned technology could provide both environmental and economic benefits and improved building performance, values we share with Tata Steel as something that could be applied beyond this project to the wider construction industry and the built environment”. The Tata Group employs over 350,000 people worldwide and has total market capitalisation of some $60 billion. The Group’s flagship company, Tata Steel, secured a place among the top ten steel manufacturers in the world with the acquisition of Corus in 2007. s2 corporation pty ltd (S²) is an Australian based company specialising in the design and implementation management of large span steel solutions. s2 occupies a unique position in the market, utilising patented post-tensioned steel technology for applications such as aircraft hangars, sporting facilities, industrial buildings, commercial premises, mining, agricultural and equine centres and rapid deployment solutions. Typical s² solutions range in size from 25m to well over 100m clear span.
Construction News
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Cox Green leisure centre on schedule Work is forging ahead on the new Cox Green leisure centre in Maidenhead, which still is on schedule to open at the beginning of September 2010.
The building has now taken shape and council staff members are busy finalising the gym equipment and interior fittings. As well as the recent resurfacing and installation of floodlights on the tennis courts, the community facilities now include a 3rd generation full size astro pitch, three floodlit
tennis courts, grass pitches, outdoor cricket nets, a multi-activity hall, a BodyZone gym with more than 30-stations, a dance studio, a sports hall and a climbing wall. Facilities have been provided with input from local community associations and also with generous funding from the Football Foundation for the new leisure centre building. The £1.3m building will be provided at no capital cost to council tax payers in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Cllr Simon Dudley, lead member for adult and community services, said he was delighted with progress. He added: “We promised Cox Green residents their own community leisure centre and we are on course for opening as planned. The centre and other facilities available in the heart of the local area will make this a hub for
Bespoke new timber structure enhances outdoor centre
www.romauk.net
fitness and wellbeing for residents of all ages.” With two recently appointed key workers, Chris Epstein and Chris Kilminster, the staff are now preparing for the official opening planned for September. Main contractor on the project is Beard Ltd, and the construction firm has been working with architects Edgington, Spink & Hyne.
his company’s brief: “Although the project team decided not to go for official BREEAM ratings, we’re managing to attain a great number of the typical BREEAM features regardless. The SIPs have an excellent thermal efficiency rating and they cut down on the wastage you’d
Longridge Boating Centre is to discard its current prefab buildings in an exciting project designed to re-home the centre in sustainable timber headquarters designed by Blue Forest. The three-storey building is raised 1.5m off the bank of the Thames to prevent flooding, and covers 6000 ft of floor space. It contains kitchens, classrooms, meeting rooms, changing rooms and a gym. The main access route is via a surrounding balcony accessed by stairs, and there is also a lift for wheelchair access. Current work at Longridge is nearing completion after work began in January 2010, and a proposed second phase to construct an adjacent building linked by a walkway is under consideration. Construction to date has relied heavily on structural insulated panels (SIPs), and Blue Forest co-founder Simon Payne explained to Premier Construction how the use of SIPs fits into
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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t get from traditional timber. “Elsewhere we’ve got rainwater harvesting for the toilets and heat loss recovery, and we’ve ensured that the building is as sustainable as can be”. Blue Forest have a long tradition in building luxury, bespoke tree houses, and the advancing firm is capable of taking on much larger projects, as evidenced at Longridge and other sites across the world, where the company has installed hotel rooms, lodges, classrooms, play areas and boardwalks. Recently, Blue Forest designed and built an eco-classroom for Beneden School in Kent, which is run entirely separately from the school’s central power system and features a whole host of eco-friendly installations, including solar panels, a sedum roof and composting toilets.
About Longridge Set in a unique riverside location near Marlow, Buckinghamshire, Longridge provides a range of exciting water sports and landbased activities aimed at young people of all abilities. The centre maintains 12 acres of water meadows and even has its own island for visiting youngsters to explore. It’s not just for kids, however: visitors range from schools and youth groups to individuals and corporate clients, not to mention the UK Women’s Olympic Rowing Team. Activities at the site range from canoeing to sailing and from abseiling to disc golf. The centre has been running for 50 years and is hoping to increase attendance to over 50,000 per year.
Lights, camera, action! Olympic standard media centre set for 2011 completion Amid a flurry of construction work ongoing at Olympic Park in Stratford, Carillion is leading efforts to establish an International Broadcast Centre (IBC) and a Main Press Centre (MPC), enabling journalists from around the world to provide round-the-clock news coverage during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The 29,000m2 MPC, which will cater for 5,600 journalists, is moving steadily towards its finish date in summer 2011. It is the first time in an Olympic Games that the print facility will be based next to its broadcast counterpart – the 55,000sq m International Broadcast Centre (IBC). Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) chairman John Armitt said, “The Main Press Centre will provide ample space and quality provision for regional, national and international journalists and staff. Work is gathering pace as we enter our busiest construction phase. “This is the first time press and broadcasters will be based in the same area and marks a significant effort to make the best use of space within the Olympic Park. The buildings are designed to be converted into business facilities after the games to serve the community for years to come.” The IBC and MPC will provide a base for over 20,000 reporters, photographers, broadcasters and support staff across more than 80,000m2. A catering village will serve an expected 50,000 meals every 24 hours and a 200m high street will have a
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hairdressing salon, a post office, a general store, a bank, cash machines and a bar. There will also be a temporary Main Press Conference room between the IBC and MPC that will cater for up to 700 journalists at a time. After the games, the facilities will create significant and much-needed business space in Hackney, with the potential to generate new employment opportunities. The MPC will offer state-of-the-art utilities, power and digital connectivity. It is based over five floors of office space designed to be converted in legacy mode for either single or multiple tenants. Designers have ensured the building is able to be easily converted for legacy use after the games. Innovations designed to meet demanding green building standards in legacy include a 2,500m2 ‘brown roof’ of gravel and moss to encourage invertebrates. This matches an aim to collect 60 percent of non-drinking water across the Olympic Park, which can then be reused in a number of ways, such as for flushing toilets. Facilities available in the MPC during Games time will include: • Five conference rooms for 1,140 people, 50 broadcast cameras, around 100 photographers and nine translation booths. • A photographers’ workroom with space for approximately 300 photographers.
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A press workroom with around 800 workstations. More than 150 private office spaces (for up to 100 staff) for agencies and newspaper organisations from around the world to rent. A dedicated internet café, TV room, results distribution centre, help desks and support functions. 29,000sq m of green office space by the River Lee Navigation, providing four storeys of workspace for journalists and photographers during the games. Innovatively designed flexibility that enables the building to be adapted in legacy for either a single tenant in the whole building or on each floor, as well as multiple tenants on each floor. A connected single strip of single storey buildings facing the canal that can be separated into ‘mews’ accommodation in legacy offering another type of quality business space in legacy. New utilities, power and digital connectivity during the games and in legacy. Furry friend habitats including over 100 bird and bat boxes.
Its 29,000m2 structure has been completed and is now being covered. It is due to be fully clad in autumn 2010. The multi-storey car park that will serve the media during the games and tenants of the development afterwards is also structurally complete. It is due to be complete in autumn 2011, once the final work inside, such as lighting and lifts, has been finished and tested. The giant structure of the IBC is already complete and fully clad. A temporary gantry structure on the outside of the building has also been finished. This will hold equipment that will service the building, such as air-conditioning units, fans and back-up generators, thereby maximising space within the building and reducing background noise for broadcasters. The IBC includes: • Around 52,000sq m of studio space over two 8-10m high floors during the games with a temporary gantry running along the 275m-long, 104m-wide building for technical equipment. • 8,000sq m of offices over five floors at the front of the building. • The flexibility in legacy to be separated into a number of units and for design features to be altered such as cladding replaced with windows. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) press operations team will move into the MPC full-time more than seven months before the start of the games. During the games, The MPC will be open to the media from 27th June to 17th August (including nearly a month of 24-hour opening spanning the games) and then 22nd August to 12th September for the Paralympic Games (including over 10 days of 24-hour opening). Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee, said, “These images demonstrate the progress we are making in delivering the best facilities for the 20,000 members of the world’s broadcasters, press and photographers
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in the summer of 2012. “Billions of people around the world rely on the international media to relay the stories of human endeavour on the field of play and capture the atmosphere of the games. The impressive plans for the IBC/MPC will help us tell these stories while leaving high performance workspace after the games for the east of London.” Andrew Altman, Chief Executive of the Olympic Park Legacy Company, which is responsible for the long term development planning, management and maintenance of the Olympic Park site after the games, said, “The Main Press Centre will become an important business and employment site after the games. The building has been designed with flexibility in mind and can be split into different configurations depending on the requirements of market demand.” Jules Pipe, mayor of Hackney, said, “The International Broadcast Centre and Main Press Centre will provide permanent employment space after the games, bringing a vital economic legacy to Hackney and East London. This will allow the digital, creative and media industries the space they need to expand, while creating high quality jobs - these industries are long established in Hackney and we would like to see them given this important opportunity. We are working closely with our Olympic partners and the industry to secure this legacy on behalf of Hackney’s residents.” The regeneration of Stratford has not only benefited employment in East London. As a UK manufacturer of bathroom pods, with its factory in the North East of England, EJ Badekabiner is delighted to have won contracts to supply in excess of 1300 bathrooms to the Athletes Village and an additional contract to supply more than 250 pods to the Premier Inn being constructed above the new Westfield Shopping Centre. EJ Badekabiner’s Commercial Director, Jack Rogers, said “This is an excellent opportunity for the British construction industry to demonstrate to the world its efficiency and capability. EJ Badekabiner bathroom pods, manufactured off-site to a high specification and quality, meet these requirements with the additional advantage of being the economic choice”.
GIG Facades GIG’s team is responsible for design, production and installation of windows, curtain walling and winter garden glazing on the project, as well as the penthouse steel structure, glazing and cladding for plot 7, at the Athletes Village. GIG’s involvement in plot 7 started in 2008. GIG advised several consulting architects regarding the use of materials like composite timber aluminium and metal windows with regard to design detailing, performance and cost. GIG won the contract to carry out the works for plot 7, Athletes Village, in 2009 from main contractor Bovis Lend Lease, who manage that construction process on behalf of the ODA. The installation of windows and glazing commenced in summer 2010. GIG are experts in delivering quality facades and bespoke curtain walling projects. The company operates worldwide and enjoys a high reputation among architects, developers and major contractors around the world. GIG’s success is based on delivering bespoke, well engineered curtain walling projects for demanding clients and for prestigious projects around the world. The firm employs 225 staff members, many of whom are based at the HQ offices and fabrication plants in Austria, near the city of Salzburg. GIG have worked with Bovis Lend Lease on numerous projects throughout the UK, and Plot 7 is the first opportunity for GIG to work with the ODA. To find out more about GIG, visit www.gig.at
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‘London’s Eden Project’ to expand Described as “London’s own Eden Project”, Butterfly World is in Phase II of development as the world’s biggest butterfly experience. 27 acres of wasteland, right next to the M25 and M1 near St Albans, have been transformed into an amazing project dedicated to the preservation and conservation of the butterfly species. The project will open fully in the spring of 2011 (Phase III) - and Phase IV will mark the culmination of the project with the autumn opening of the massive rainforest biome (bio-dome) filled with over 10,000 tropical butterflies, hummingbirds, caves, streams and rope walkways. Breheny are the main contractors for the biodome, which is part of a £25m conservation project launched by David Attenborough, who is giving his full backing to the scheme along
with fellow celebrity nature lover David Bellamy. The project has recently taken a giant leap with a promise of a £6 million investment from a mystery backer. Initially, Breheny completed the eco-friendly access route for the dome. The road is flanked by 600 metres of hedgerow to provide a wildlife habitat corridor. So far, Breheny have also provided the initial enabling works and have commenced the groundworks for the dome, construction proper of which is to start in September. Breheny’s Peter Field spoke to Premier Construction about his work on the scheme: “This is a unique project and the technical
Luxury Highgate home takes shape Main contractor Walter Lilly is leading a project that will result in a new luxury home in Highgate. To date, rapid progress has been made on the home, with plenty more work still to be done. Bob Byrne, Walter Lilly’s project manager at the site, gave Premier Construction the latest news:
“This is the second phase of the work; the first phase involved demolition and substructure work, and was carried out by another contractor. We’re responsible for the shell and the core, and potentially the fit-out that will follow. “Right now, we’re completing block work on the second floor, screeding the basement and continuing to bring in pre-cast concrete slabs for the structure. Things are moving along well and we’re working well with the architects [Robert Adam]. “I personally enjoy this kind of work – I’ve recently completed a similar project in Regent’s Park and it’s nice to see homes like this come to completion. This one will be some sight once it’s done. As you can imagine, everything about it is top of the range – the external stone work is imported specially from Portugal, for example”. Work on the project began in March this year, and Bob is aiming for a completion date of April 2011.
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demands are different to what we’re used to. We’re having to learn things every day to keep on top of it, but so far things have moved along well. Once the dome is finished, I’m sure we’ll be tired but very satisfied and proud of what is going to be an iconic building”.
MACLENNAN-LSE MACLENNAN-LSE designed and installed the waterproofing for the basement, using the MACLENNAN-LSE Polyprufe spray applied elastomeric roofing system over the decks above the basement. The system is reasonably new to the country and MACLENNAN-LSE have been using it for around five years. The inside of the basement was waterproofed with a cavity drain membrane system. The cavity drain is becoming the most
popular choice of waterproofing because of its reliability when installed by professionals. One of the major advantages is that MACLENNAN-LSE design the system to be fully serviceable. Walter Lilly have an ongoing training programme for all of their staff and Ian Maclennan from MACLENNAN-LSE has been involved with the training of their staff. MACLENNAN-LSE are involved in some of the most prestigious water proofing contracts in the country - as either designers or installers. The firm specialises in resolving problems with failed
waterproofing and in designing and installing systems for new build basements. MACLENNAN-LSE has grown every year for the last ten years but most notably in the last two. Because contractors and architects are concerned about the risks in waterproofing, they prefer often to put it in the hands of specialists. With the new Polyprufe system and some very innovative remedial solutions, the future is bright for MACLENNAN-LSE.
First new Oxford Council housing in 20 years set for 2011 completion A Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) grant is funding the redevelopment of Cardinal House, a sheltered housing block in Littlemore, Oxfordshire, a project led by main contractor Leadbitter Construction.
The scouts have been invited to add to the treasure trove and re-bury it.
The development involves the refurbishment and alteration of the existing sheltered housing block together with 20 additional new units to Level 4 of the Sustainability Code with an approximate construction value of £6.7 million. Bruce Thompson, contracts director at Oxford City Council, spoke to Premier Construction about the project: “We’re around half way through the project right now, and we’re n course for completion in February 2011. So far, it’s been a very collaborative process. We knew what to expect from the architects [Frankham Consultancy], as we’d worked with them before. Leadbitter came to the project after a very competitive bidding process, and they’ve pleased us with their efforts so far. “It’s usually housing associations who carry out this kind of project, and this is the first time new council accommodation has been built in the area in the last 20 years. “The accommodation is particularly suited to elderly people, with level entry, lifts, assisted bathrooms, level access showers, wide doorways and even warden alarms if requested”. There is to be a biomass boiler in the building, and developers have incorporated a SUDS to improve drainage. The stripping out involves the removal of asbestos from the existing building and the construction of the new extension requires connecting to the existing underground drainage systems. The original accommodation was designed with a number of internal gutters which can cause problems with roof leaks at a later date. The design of the new accommodation seeks to eliminate this potential problem by placing the gutters at the eaves, eliminating the need for valleys. Heart-warmingly, local scouts have been alerted to a time capsule found during the work; it was buried in the walls of the building over 30 years ago, when Cardinal House was first built. A Leadbitter spokeswoman said, “Leadbitter prides itself on engaging with the local community when embarking on projects such as this. We are very excited about the discovery of this time capsule and have eagerly anticipated seeing what’s inside”. ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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Community action behind UK’s largest community owned building Residents of an economically disadvantaged Luton estate have successfully campaigned for funding for a new community building, which is currently being erected by VolkerFitzpatrick. The Marsh Farm estate is to be the home of the CERC (Community Enterprise and Resource Centre), the largets community owned building in the UK. The centre is to gravitate around a central atrium and will include a market square, an indoor playground, a hall, kitchens, a cafe, a health centre, meeting and admin rooms, a dentist’s surgery, an optician’s consultancy, a police and warden post and space to be let out for retail. All this replaces a retiring building, which is to be demolished. Marsh Farm Outreach is a grassroots community co-operative made up of people who build, promote and fight for economic development and regeneration practices which are of genuine benefit to the people living in the community being developed and regenerated. The group is based on an estate in Luton, which is one of the South’s most deprived and unemploymentprone areas The group aims to develop community businesses and other not for private profit enterprises to improve the local economy, reduce unemployment on the estate and reduce ‘dependence’ on corporate ‘service providers’.
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Simultaneously, the group aims to design innovative and relevant community engagement techniques to ensure the voices of ‘normal people’ are heard and acted upon rather than ignored, marginalised or paid lip service to. As an added cultural and social benefit, the group’s members organise community festivals, music and arts events, discussions and campaigns.
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5-storey extension to Brighton school Work at Longhill secondary school in Brighton is nearing completion, in a project led by main contractor Westridge Construction.
The main body of work has been the construction of a five story concrete frame extension to the school. This will provide Longhill with new offices and reception, as well as eleven new classrooms. In addition the school has been provided with a new canteen and an extension to the existing canteen, a new toilet block, a canopy to cover the main
school play area and a music room. The works have included the installation of ground source heat pumps, water harvesting and solar panels. There have been further adaptations to the existing building including changing room refurbishment and new facilities for community groups to use, such as the Combined Cadet Force and Youth Service. School Business Manager Jimmy Hollingworth has been liaising between the Brighton and Hove Partnership (of which Westridge is a member), the council architect, and of course the school. He told Premier Construction, “The works started in July 2009 and are scheduled to be finished before the school returns on 2nd September 2010. The main building project is worth £4.5 million and the school has also
It’s Kier down south
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invested £350,000 for the refurbishment of the school changing rooms and £100,000 for the creation of a community space which was funded under the government’s Co-Location Fund”. Longhill High School is a local authority school located in East Brighton. The school originally opened in 1963 and the current expansion is designed to allow an additional form of entry from September 2010.
Swanscombe Infant and Nursery School and Sweyne Junior School shared the site, which is located to the south east of Dartford, and which adjoins a PFI high school. The surrounding area is one of high deprivation and the school has a high level of difficult children.
Kier South East is leading a project on behalf of Kent County council to create a brand new school for one of the county’s poorest areas. The Manor Primary School Pathfinder project results from the amalgamation of existing separate infant and junior schools into one ‘all-through’ primary school, a reorganisation brought about following the implementation of the Kent Primary Strategy 2006 The project is currently costed at £6.5m and will provide a single new two-form entry school building within one block. A significant part of the scheme is new build, extending onto an existing junior building. Once the project is complete, it will be possible to release part of the site to secure a capital receipt to be reinvested into the local Primary Capital Programme.
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Originally both schools admitted up to 90 pupils but in recent years the rolls have fallen substantially below this. In September 2008, it was agreed that they should be amalgamated into an all-through two-form entry primary school (The Manor School).A new head teacher and deputy head were appointed by the interim governing body. There was some resistance to the amalgamation initially, but one of the deciding factors was the commitment to provide new fit-for-purpose buildings. Externally, the new block will create a three-sided courtyard enclosing a Key Stage 1 (KS1) play area, which in turn will link to soft landscaping associated with a small informal amphitheatre, enhancing the outside learning opportunities for the pupils. The existing playing field will be retained and an extension created to the hard games courts to ensure sufficient area is provided. The building design gives a school on two floors, each with eight paired classrooms. The site slopes and the lower ground
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floor classrooms, which house the nursery, foundation years and grouped KS1 and KS2, open onto play areas. The upper ground floor classrooms open onto a wide access corridor and will accommodate the further KS1 and KS2 classrooms. Each pair of classrooms will have a sliding partition between them, which can be pulled back to enable a larger group to be taught together. All classes have designated external teaching space. The classrooms will be fully insulated, which will enable the access corridor to remain unheated. The hall, at the front of the building, has been designed as a focal point for the school, both from the outside and as the heart of school activities. Its permanent stage and the facility to mount stage lighting will mean that high quality productions can be put on. It has also been possible to create a dining area around it so that the hall can be used for longer during the school day, without disturbing activities by having to put out dining tables and chairs. The administration area will be relocated into the old, refurbished part of the school, which lies at the front of the site. This will also house specialist spaces for IT and AEN group work. Both the schools already enjoyed good ICT facilities such as wireless broadband access and interactive whiteboards throughout their buildings. This will be replicated in the new building, with back up hard-wired systems. The project is currently on target to achieve BREEAM ‘Very Good’ status. Careful attention is being given to insulation and natural ventilation and the scheme incorporates a green roof and rainwater recycling. An existing pond and a nature garden will also be preserved. Biomass boilers were considered, but rejected on the basis of bulk transportation up constricted residential roads. There is also currently no local depot to ensure long-term supply. Ground source heating required an area equivalent to the playing field to be excavated and laid to coils, which was regarded as a prohibitive cost. Consequently, the scheme uses an air-source heat pump and heat transfer/recovery from the classes in winter. Work on the new school is set to be complete by the end of the year.
New blueprints for Blueprint Blueprint school in Aylesbury is to relocate to a new building being constructed in its existing grounds by main contractor Beard Ltd. Construction of Blueprint’s new school began on June 1st 2010. Phase 1 of the construction will result in the completion of the new school building in March 2011. At this point, staff and students will occupy the new school so that the next phases of construction can begin. This will involve the demolition of Blueprint’s old buildings, improving roads access to the new school and the construction of a car park and Landscaping. The entire project is due to be completed by October 2011. Beard’s project manager for the site, Gary Murray, spoke to Premier Construction, saying, “Right now we’ve just completed the steel frame and work is being done on the floor slabs. The project is still in its early stages, but I have a good feeling about how it will look once it’s done. We’ve done work at other educational facilities recently, including Magdalen College in Oxford and Abingdon School, so I’m looking forward to a similar success story. The important thing right now is to maintain the good start we’ve had - continuing to avoid disruption to the existing school and keeping up good relations with local residents, who have all had a personal visit from me to keep them informed”. Short stay schools (Pupil Referral Units) in Buckinghamshire provide a wide range of services to support students by working with them, their parents or carers, their schools and other professionals. They provide education to students who have been permanently excluded from school, those who are out of school due to chronic illness, pregnant schoolgirls and young mothers. They also provide support for students who risk social exclusion because they find it difficult to cope in a mainstream setting.
£3 million business park moves towards completion At Woodbridge business park in Guildford, in Surrey, architects Harris Partnership and main contractor LJI (MPG) Ltd are responsible for a complete overhaul of facilities, refurbishing an existing unit and putting in six more, which are being built from scratch. Part of the park will be occupied by builders’ merchants Travis Perkins, while the rest are designed for general use. In all, there is a mix of class A1 and class B8 units, which are accompanied by 100 parking spaces, plus an additional 27 units serving the B8 units alone. The latter incorporate a ramped access leading to a river walkway between the Ladymead area of Guildford and the southern boundary of the site. Part demolition of existing structures on the site will allow for associated landscaping around the site, as well as improvements to the access road linking the site to the A322 Woodbridge Road, from which the development takes its name. Premier Construction spoke to Neil Cank, project manager for LJI (MPG), who has been with the firm for 12 years. Neil gave an update on the site’s progress: “As I speak, the steel frames are intact and we’re looking at a completion date, for the bulk of the project, in November. It’s a design and build project, and the quality of finish is shaping up to be very neat, crisp and clean. There’s a mix of brick, York stone, ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t glass and other cladding across the facades, which gives the place the feel of a good location to work in. “On top of that, it’s already an ideal location for a business park and it’s very well served by local transport”. The park sits a short walk from the University of Surrey, slightly to the north of the centre of Guildford, which itself sits a short distance from the M25 and London. Neil has been enjoying the project, and added, “The architects have been especially good to work with, always seeing problems before they arise and taking steps to get past them. That’s the way everyone should work, if you ask me”. LJI (MPG) have an established working relationship with Travis Perkins, having previously completed similar projects for the firm at a variety of bases across the UK. Neil adds, “Having worked with someone before, you know what to expect and it’s easier to get into the swing of things. We’re a trusted contractor for Travis Perkins, and they’re a pleasure to work for”.
New academies to boost education in Essex The town of Witham, in Essex, is enjoying the biggest ever investment in secondary education in the area following a decision by central government to secure the funding for two brand new schools for New Rickstones and Maltings Academies. Each academy is having its teaching and learning facilities transformed with new building programmes worth over £25 million each on their present sites in Conrad Road and Spinks Lane. Construction work is due to be completed by September 2011. A large team is working to replace Maltings and New Rickstones buildings with the best that money can buy for September 2011. Together with the Trust, the two Academies, Braintree District and Essex County Council, the Design User Group embraces leading representatives from national companies. These include Carillion, the building contractor responsible for appointing the design architects; Mott MacDonald, who are running the whole project; Partnership for Schools, the public body responsible for delivering the government’s ‘Building Schools for the Future’ programme in the secondary sector; as well as from the Government’s Department for Children, Schools & Families. Such a massive investment will have huge benefits for the local Witham economy. Ian Foster, Chairman of the Academies Enterprise Trust speaking at the announcement of Carillion’s appointment, called for the contractor to ensure as many jobs as possible go to the local workforce. He said, ‘I am excited at the prospect of massive investment in educational and leisure facilities in Witham. It creates excellent opportunities, not just for the Academies but for the local community as well. Andrew Redmond, Director of Facilities at the Trust, told Premier Construction, “To be blunt, the buildings were becoming dilapidated and it was the right time to think about replacing them. The Maltings facilities, for example, dated as far back as the 1930s. “As an organisation, we insist on a BREEAM rating of ‘very good’ as a minimum, and in this case it’s possible we’ll achieve an ‘excellent’ rating. The Maltings building is heated by biomass boilers and rainwater harvesting is used to irrigate a pond that will be of benefit to the science department. “Other than the eco-friendly features we’re insisting on, a major design point is the layout and width of the corridors. We wanted to make movement around the building easier and more intuitive,
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as well as making the place safer, of course”. Andrew’s work covers facilities occupied by at least 8,000 students. Asked whether their numbers added any pressure to his role, he said, “A little, perhaps, but this is a nice estate to work with and the effort it takes is more than worth it”.
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Kent BSF work moves ahead The latest of a series of projects being carried out as part of the Kent Building Schools for the Future scheme, Northfleet School for Girls is undergoing an impressive revamp under main contractor Willmott Dixon and architects HMY. Innovatively, the school is to be based around five Learning Centres: The Physical World, which takes in science, geography and resistant materials; Creative Design, Media & Performance, which includes art, textiles, graphics, media, dance, drama and music; Health and Society, which contains PE, PSHE, health and social care, cooking and psychology; Business and Enterprise (maths, business studies, IT, law and retail law); and Communications and Culture (English, history, modern foreign languages, RE and citizenship). Each of these Learning Centres will have flexible spaces which will allow for groups of 100+, smaller groups, individual and satellite
spaces, ‘catch-up’ (learning support) and ‘reach-up’ (teaching for gifted students). The acoustics are designed to offer a calm, quiet atmosphere and the environment is intended to be finely balanced, with natural light and ventilation and lighting managed to offer the best views of the many available computer screens and whiteboards. Students are to be well marshalled with easy lines of sight designed into the build, as well as plenty of CCTV coverage. The school has specialist business and enterprise status, which allows for partnerships with local businesses. Among other badges of
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recognition, pupils and staff have recently achieved a bronze Eco Schools award. The head teacher, Mrs J Wilson, called it “testament to the hard work of our staff and students and our ability to develop and meet our plans for Building Schools for the Future”.
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Middlesex school in expansion project Longmead Primary School in West Drayton is being extended and refurbished in a project led by main contractor Priory Gates. The build is an expansion by one form of entry. Extended across two storeys, the new look school makes use of traditional brick walls and concrete pre-cast floor slabs with a wooden flat roof. The exterior is given a modern look with coloured brick facades and solar-reflective PVC windows, with both PV and solar panels gracing the roof. Plans for a wind turbine exist, despite reservations among some locals. The project architects are Purcell Miller Tritton, who came on board after a provisional design had been put together by another firm. PMT recognised design flaws such as extra
classrooms going unaccompanied by extra toilets and, once the design had been rectified, the project got into full swing. Six new classrooms are now being added to the school with an associated nursery. Work also extends to a library expansion. A significant challenge of the new build has been to integrate it into the existing site. Steel work has been used to solidify the point at which the new build joins the old. The plan is for the school to remain operational throughout the £2 million build, a
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target which has so far been met as the work nears completion in advance of the 2020-11 academic year.
West End redevelopment continues The Grade II listed former Regent Palace Hotel in Piccadilly is being converted by a team led by Sir Robert McAlpine to provide a mix of office, retail, residential and restaurant space around a central atrium at the cost of around £50 million. Three of the corner pavilions which make up the hotel’s original façade have been retained and significant sections of its art deco interiors restored and reinstated. A sophisticated temporary works solution was formulated to allow for excavation
of a deeper basement while avoiding the need to install flying shores across the 60m wide site. The hotel’s famous Titanic Restaurant and Atlantic Bar and Grill have been dismantled and removed for later reinstatement. Timber and plaster features were carefully recorded with latex squeezes taken from all profiles. The Quadrant encompasses properties on the west side of Regent Street, including parts of Swallow Street down to Piccadilly. On the east side of Regent Street, The Quadrant takes in four city blocks, bounded by Brewer Street to the north. The Crown Estate’s scheme for this redevelopment has three parts: Quadrant 1 – the Café Royal block Quadrant 2 – the Quadrant Arcade block Quadrant 3 – the former Regent Palace Hotel block, presently being redeveloped Quadrant 3 includes a pioneering environmentally sustainable fuel cell and combined cooling heat and power plant. It forms part of Regent Street’s broader Quadrant redevelopment which will also see Alrov Group create a luxury five-star hotel at the site of the former Café Royal. Since 2002, The Crown Estate has been investing over £750 million regenerating Regent Street to create an international destination of quality, heritage, style and success. Together Quadrant 1 and 3 will improve and revive a 1 million sq ft built area and create a 44,000sq ft public realm area, including the introduction of a large new traffic free area just off Piccadilly Circus on Glasshouse Street and Sherwood Street; this will represent the most significant improvement to the quality of London’s public realm seen in the West End over the last 30 years, after Trafalgar Square. Work on both projects is expected to be complete by 2013.
Simplicity Mouldings One team hard at work on Quadrant 3 is that of Simplicity Mouldings, who have been lending their expertise to the plaster ceilings. The surveying and careful dismantling was carried out under asbestos risk conditions; the work has involved removing existing sections, re-strengthening for reinstatement and completing the scene with restored and remodelled fibrous plaster sections to match. Already involved in the project for 18 months, technical director
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David Pratt expects a team of up to 20 on-site colleagues to begin the final phase of works in earnest as 2011 begins, in a completion stage expected to last until the following summer. David told Premier Construction, “This is a relatively complicated contract that takes a lot of care and hard work. We have a team in our manufacturing workshop repaiaring and casting, so there will be up to 30 of us involved at peak times. This, along with restoration work we’ve been doing at St. Pancras for Galliford Try, is one of our larger contracts – typically, we do work ranging from small, private ceilings to larger, multi-million pound work”. David founded the company in 2002 along with two business
partners, Robert Shand and John Pye, adding their combined experience together to reach over 90 years’ worth of practical expertise in the management team alone. Simplicity Mouldings operate across the UK with a base in Kent, specialising in materials such as fibrous plaster, GRG mouldings, polymermodified GRG, lime render and GRC, which are all manufactured in-house. Find out what the experts can bring to your project by visiting www.simplicitymouldings.co.uk
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Pods used for affordable homes in Snowdonia Wooden framed pods are to be used to build four affordable homes within the Snowdonia National Park. Delighted residents and community councillors watched as the £500,000 project began in Dolwyddelan, near Betws-y-Coed. The rural village has a shortage of homes, especially for young families. Now, members of social housing association Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd hope the pods will help to alleviate the situation. The innovative project is called Ty Unnos (A House in a Night), and is based on a traditional Welsh folk tale, in which a person who successfully builds a house on common land in one night then becomes the owner of that house. The pods are put together on site and clad in stone and wood. A slate roof is then added to the pod to complete the building. Tai Clwyd chief executive Alwyn Llwyd said the new homes at Dolwyddelan, which should be ready by Christmas, were ‘cutting-edge’. “These houses are being built using sustainable wood grown in Wales (the wooden frames will be made out of sitka spruce trees), and will help residents live in a ‘greener’ way”, he said. Elements to help this include heat recovery systems and solar panels which heat water. “It’s sure to lessen the cost of running a home”, Alwyn added. The houses, designed by Elements Europe, are being built on land run by the Forestry Commission on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government, and are outside the usual boundaries set out for development. Because of this, a clause states that local people should be given priority for tenancy. This is the second partnership project between the commission and the housing association, the first was completed at Dinas Mawddwy
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in October last year. Forestry Commission Wales will approve the design of the houses, which will be built on a 1.5 acre site in the village to the Welsh Assembly Government’s standards for sustainability. Llion Derbyshire, FCC Wales area land agent, said, “As the largest single land manager in Wales, Forestry Commission Wales is doing all it can to help the Assembly Government to meet its targets for affordable housing, especially in rural locations”. Gwyn Roberts, the clerk of the Dolwyddelan community council, who also lives in the village, said the idea of building affordable housing was first raised in 2006. “This is a really exciting scheme for local residents, and gives young families and couples the opportunity to stay in the area”, he added. He said rising house prices had made it very difficult to rent or buy over the past few years, especially in rural locations such as Dolwyddelan. This scheme is in fact the first move in 40 years to increase the availability of social housing in the immediate area. One of those who could benefit is local Kirstie Jones. “It’s very difficult to get a house here, and I’ve been on a waiting list for nearly six years”, she said. “I have a little boy of four, and he starts school full-time in September. I’d like to stay here. We are the fifth generation of our family to live in the village, and I’d like to carry that on”, she said. Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd was established in June 1974 as a charitable Housing Association to provide houses for rent with an emphasis on housing the elderly and young low income families who cannot afford to buy a house on the open market. It manages 1,650 homes across north Wales in Denbighshire, Conwy, Gwynedd, Flintshire and north Powys.
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Welsh heritage benefits from £4 million investment Work to upgrade part of National Museum Cardiff is ongoing, in a project carried out by OPCO Construction and led by the Museum’s buildings manager Peter O’ Hanlon, who spoke to Premier Construction:
“We’re refurbishing approximately 650m2 over 1½ floors of the existing upper west wing of the museum. The work covers four galleries, two new plant rooms, a staircase, a lift and the roof. “The Museum is a grade 1 listed building, so the general approach to the use of materials and techniques has been sensitive, working closely with the local planning authority and Cadw [the Welsh heritage authority]; materials
and details employed match with the existing building in both scale and detail”. As Peter explains, the objective of the project is to create a ‘flexible’ space for the display of contemporary and modern art with controlled temperature and humidity levels, as well as fully controllable light levels. The idea is to eventually accommodate a wide range of art forms including film and video, and to be able to create a sub-division of the gallery, perhaps through removable screen walls. Elsewhere, the construction team intends to expose and express worthy architectural features where appropriate and maximise use of wall and floor space for gallery display. Work involves the repair and refurbishment of the roof, which will include new roof finishes, roof lights, repairs to parapets and in some parts additional roof areas. A safety fall arrest system is being installed to provide safe access for future maintenance. The internal spaces are being stripped back to their original finishes and are being re-modelled with new walls, ceilings and some new floor finishes.
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All refurbished gallery areas will be fitted out with new lighting, audio visual, IT and security installations, while the existing goods lift is being completely refurbished and will provide full disability access to all levels of the wing. Two additional plant rooms are to provide fully controlled air conditioning to the gallery spaces and a dedicated AV plant room is to provide IT and AV services to the West Wing gallery spaces. “We’re about 55% of the way there”, says Peter, “and we expect work to be completed by January 2011”.
Cosy Cardigan for Welsh seniors Work is underway on an £8.8m housing scheme in Cardigan to help accommodate elderly people. The Extra Care project is Ceredigion’s first and will provide 48 self contained flats designed specifically with older people in mind on the Bathhouse site behind Theatr Mwldan. The construction team is led by main contractor T Richard Jones Ltd and work is expected to be completed by December before the development’s first residents should then move in during January 2011. Developers are aiming for a design level comparable with the best available for purchase in the private sector, yet at affordable rents. The scheme is being built with the assistance of a £5m
Cllrs Evans and Lewis with Phil Dennis
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Wa l e s grant from the Welsh Assembly Government. Domiciliary care and support services, delivered on-site by a multi-skilled team, will be available for those Maes Mwldan tenants who need them and a host of desirable community facilities will offer opportunities for interesting and active social lives. The leader of Ceredigion County Council, Cllr Keith Evans, together with chairman Cllr Haydn Lewis and cabinet member responsible for social services, Cllr RG Harris, recently joined Phil Dennis, director of operations for Family Housing to perform a topping-out ceremony on the site of the new housing scheme. Cllr Evans explained, “Maes Mwldan will deliver a new approach to providing for the needs of people in Ceredigion as they get older. It will combine comfortable modern accommodation with quality care and support when people need it. The scheme has been designed with older people in mind and the range of services and facilities available will enable residents to lead as full and active lifestyle as they can. Ceredigion County council is pleased to be working with our partners Family Housing Association in developing the scheme. This day marks a milestone in the development of the project and we look forward
to seeing the first residents move in.” Brian Smith, chairman of Family Housing, commented: “We would like local residents to understand our experience in providing high quality housing services for older people. We are delighted to work with Ceredigion County Council to offer these services in Cardigan.”
About Family Housing Family Housing is part of Gorwel Consortium, a group of housing providers including Cymdeithas Tai Cantref, Bro Myrddin Housing and Grwp Gwalia, who together provide affordable housing in South and West Wales. Established in 1975 as a non profit-making organisation, it provides high quality, affordable homes and services and now manages over 2,000 properties throughout the Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot areas, providing homes to meet the differing housing needs of a wide variety of people. Family Housing Association (Wales) Ltd has charitable status and is affiliated to the National Federation of Housing Associations and Community Housing Cymru.
Hiccup-free project remodels Welsh school A £6m investment has brought about a complete makeover for Ysgol Y Dderwen, a Welsh language primary school in Carmarthen. Led by main contractor T. Richard Jones (Betws) Ltd., the project has now been completed in time for the new school year in September 2010. Head teacher Huw Watkins spoke to Premier Construction about his revamped place of work, saying, “The project has gone without hiccups and the contractors have done a very good job where health and safety is concerned. It was important to minimise disruption for both parties and I’m happy to say we achieved that even though there’s not an inch of the original school that hasn’t been touched”. The school’s new buildings feature the usual array of classrooms – one for each of three classes in every age group at the school, as well as designated ICT space and an after school area. Part of the funding has come from the nearby Trinity University College, and has gone towards a special observation room equipped with a one-way mirror and cameras. The room is to be used to aid teaching courses offered by the university. Project architects based at Carmarthenshire County Council have followed the original style of exterior brickwork and
Student digs meet the 21st century A team comprising Carter Lauren Construction and Rio Architects has carried out an ambitious £2.9 million plan to improve student accommodation in Cardiff. 65 apartments and studios are now set to welcome a new wave of students for the beginning of the 2010-2011 academic year. Carter Lauren’s contracts director, Nigel Hanney, spoke to Premier Construction enthusiastically about the new homes: “The standard of student accommodation within the principality
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interspersed coloured render to match the school’s colours of green, yellow and orange. Work on the school began in September 2008 and the new look facility was officially unveiled in a ceremony at the beginning of July 2010.
has dramatically improved since my own days as a student, living a mere 100 yards away from these apartments in far lesser equipped accommodation. It is evident that the standards have changed and that high standards are the norm, rather than the exception. This development at Richmond Square is a further progression in providing even greater standards and will set a new benchmark for the possibilities we now offer students. The facilities within the homes are exceptional, with top of the range bathrooms and fully equipped kitchens.” “As a means to assist the client, we are in a position to offer the works ahead of schedule on a sectional basis and I praise the attitude and commitment of our site team and supply chain. It is the first serious project we have carried out for this client, who is currently seeking new projects and we are liaising with regard to our involvement. This is particularly rewarding to know your work is being well received.” Lee Protheroe, in charge of Rio’s design team, is confident that the new build has made a valuable contribution to the local streetscape. He said, “Richmond Square has evolved in deference to the existing Victorian character of Richmond Road. The architectural language of the main elevation along Richmond Road adopts a modern interpretation of the existing traditional Victorian design of the street.” Predominately a masonry – based 3-storey structure, the apartments’ modern elevations facing into the communal, landscaped, south-facing courtyard have been formulated with a
Preserving structural importance in Wales The influence of Great Britain’s ancestors can be felt across the entire country through many remarkable constructions that still stand today and provide us with a rare glimpse into the lives of Britain’s forefathers and the buildings that they thought were worthy of creation and development.
mixture of white render, timber cladding and brickwork finishes. Traditional pitched roofs are interrupted by gables that respond to splayed window bays with contemporary stone bays below. Work began on the site in June 2009 as a set of existing properties were demolished prior to the piling and vibro compaction operations to secure the site. Nigel Hanney spoke to Premier Construction from the site as he visited to mark the formal handover of the first section of the project on 22nd July 2010. events packages to present visitors with a more integrated range of heritage tourism products and to ensure that the project benefits the wider community and the tourism industry. Heritage Minister, Alun Fred Jones said: “I’m delighted with the European funding received. The historic environment of Wales is diverse and striking; it is one of the main reasons why so many people like to visit Wales.”
Today, many structures that were once great in stature, splendour and presence are now feeling the effects of time, weather and general abandonment; however, Britain’s Governments are determined to maintain vital construction links to our past and have put in place various authorities to preserve and upkeep buildings of significant historical prominence throughout the UK. In England, English Heritage takes care of important structures and the Scottish Government has placed Historic Scotland in charge of the maintenance of old buildings throughout the country. In Wales, Cadw is the historic environment service of the Welsh Assembly Government. Cadw is a Welsh word meaning ‘to keep’ and its mission is to protect, conserve and promote the built heritage of Wales. Many of Wales’ great castles, bishop’s palaces, historic houses and ruined abbeys are now in the care of Cadw. Cadw is committed to developing and highlighting the history of Wales and, in May 2009, the Heritage Minister, Alun Ffred Jones, announced that £19m had been secured to develop Heritage Tourism in Wales. The project, which has been largely funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and EU Convergence Funds, will maximise the economic value of heritage through an increase in the volume, length and value of visits individuals make to Wales. Cadw made a successful bid under the Environment for Growth objective of the EU Convergence Funding framework and, as a result, £8.5m will be provided by European Funding which will account for 45% of the total project costs with the remaining monies provided through the Welsh Assembly Government including Cadw and the Targeted Match Fund and various other delivery partners. Within the project, which will run until December 2014, Cadw will work with communities, heritage partners and the tourism sector across the country to develop heritage tours, trails and ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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Caerphilly Council invests in gas safety Across its housing stock, Caerphilly County Borough Council has been maintaining a system of rigorous checks and repairs of late. Every year, about 50 people die in the UK from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by heating appliances and flues which have not been properly maintained. Many others also suffer ill health as a result of more intermittent or low-level pollution. When gas does not burn properly, as with other fuels such as coal, wood or oil, excess carbon monoxide is produced, which is poisonous. A regular service of a heating and hot water system is a statutory requirement under health and safety legislation. Not only does this ensure that the system is safe, but also that it is clean and functioning both as effectively and economically as possible. Every house managed by Caerphilly CBC that contains a gas central heating system is inspected and serviced at least once a year by specialists contracted to the council. At the same time, the council maintains a promise to send out a technician within two hours of a leak being reported. An estimated £10 million has recently been allocated to a planned service and maintenance and responsive repairs framework, which covers all gas fired appliances and heating systems in over 10,000 council properties spread across six lots. The first lot is made up of more than 700 properties in Lansbury Park, and lots 2 and 3 cover the Rhymney Valley and a total of over 5,000 units. Lots 4, 5 and 6 cover a further 4,500 properties in the Eastern Valley, Gilfach and Graig-yr-Rhacca areas. The lots have each been contracted out to a separate firm: lot
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1 is the territory of GM Douglas; lot 2 is looked after by Geoff Griffiths Plumbing & Heating; and lot 3 is assigned to DNA Heating. Meanwhile, lot 4 is managed by Gasflair, and lots 5 and 6 are the responsibility of Gibson Specialist Technical Services and RD Mechanical Services respectively. Geoff Griffiths, whose firm of 10 employees is on call 24/7 as part of the contract agreement, spoke to Premier Construction: “I’ve been contracting for the borough since 1982, and all the people we employ are from the borough’s catchment area. At the moment, this is one of our biggest contracts and we do it alongside other contracts and private work. “It can be a pain to get the call late at night, but that’s what we’re signed up to and it’s all part of the job. My son and I take the on-call work. Because of the way the framework is set up, it’s a nice, manageable contract that’s enjoyable to be signed up to. I’m just hoping for a better winter this year than we had last time around!”
Millions invested in Caerphilly housing stock Caerphilly County Borough Council, as part of a wave of framework contracts announced recently, has committed millions of pounds towards general repairs and maintenance in its housing stock. The frameworks cover all aspects of repairs, including a focus of roofing and other external works, wiring and bathrooms, and are typically limited to 48 month contracts. Caerphilly CBC owns and manages 11,079 properties within its catchment areas. The council is committed to maintaining Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) conditions in all of its properties, an undertaking similar to the more familiar Decent Homes scheme. Despite extensive investment, councillors have recently determined that the funds needed to bring up the whole of the housing stock to WHQS levels by the government-mandated deadline in 2015 are not available, and that to borrow them would place the council at unacceptable risk. After a long debate a vote was taken earlier this year and the council agreed to transfer its stock to a Registered Social Landlord. This will firstly involve a ballot of council tenants and approval from the Welsh Assembly Government. Before the ballot takes place, there is a detailed process of consultation with all tenants over a period of 12 months. Tenants are being given as much information as possible, according to the council, regarding what will happen if they vote for transfer or if they vote to stay with the council. Also, the council will appoint an independent tenant advisor (ITA) so that the tenant
consultation process is fair and accurate, and tenants will be involved in the recruitment of that advisor. The leader of the council, Lindsay Whittle, said, “I’ve had many sleepless nights agonising over the options before us. In an ideal world we would all want to retain control of our housing stock, but we must be realistic and look at the financial implications, especially in light of the budget pressures we will be facing over the next few years�.
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Ecopod – the new luxury holiday base A new leisure initiative is taking the term ‘eco-friendly’ to the extreme, using low-carbon geodesic structures as complete holiday homes that sit with minimal environmental impact in one of Scotland’s most naturally beautiful locations.
Ecopod is a light-filled, open plan and chilled out space located between Oban and Fort William. It commands sweeping views of Loch Linnhe, the mountains of Mull and the Kingairloch coastline - a therapeutic pleasure in itself, without even taking into account the luxurious interior of the pods, which combines classic soft furnishings, high-end audio-visual equipment and an array of locally-sourced produce and toiletries. Further fuelling your correspondent’s envy, the first ecopod guests recently wrote home declaring the ecopod “Easily one of the most spectacular places to spend time in Scotland”. Jim Milligan, whose partner Nicola has joined him in launching the project, spoke to Premier Construction: “Our German business partners had previously designed domes that were used mainly for staging events, and we saw their expertise as ideal in using the same concept to construct eco-friendly holiday homes. They’re perfect for couples and they’re a first of their kind. With so many unique aspects, we’ve taken our time to get the product right before taking up our planning permission to expand. Now that we’re 100% satisfied with the first one, we’re beginning work on more”.
The Project’s Beginnings Jim has been hard at work, putting his own back into the majority of the preparation and construction of the pods. He said, “The ethos is that the pods are effectively temporary structures. They’re totally modular, and can be constructed and dismantled with no footprint on the surroundings. They offer a lot of carbon savings compared to traditional constructions, and in the end the first one took four men only two days to complete”. Jim and Nicola were both brought up in Argyll before their early twenties were spent in the sprawling metropolis of Glasgow. A few stints spent independently in various European cities and Australia further cemented their love for home and gave them a few ideas on what people wanted (or didn’t want) when on holiday.
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The couple have been busy investing in the town of Appin, where Nicola has set up an award-winning cafe with her sister Laura and Jim has set about overhauling a local information centre and shop. Realising that land was available for development in the area, Jim began a three-year process of design and planning application, after which he is now finally seeing the benefit of his endeavours.
Cutting Carbon Jim recognised in the conceptual stages of the project that he and Nicola would have to submit an eco-friendly proposal to local planners if it were to be approved. Not seemingly one to settle for a job half done, however, Jim has ensured that almost every imaginable aspect of the pods will be environmentally friendly. The ecopod’s geodesic dome shape is conducive to maximum heat retention through its convectional properties, therefore minimising the requirement for additional heat. All the appliances have been carefully selected so that power usage is kept to an absolute minimum, and all wood used is FSC-accredited and comes from sustainable local forests. Furniture in the pod has been selected as recycled classic pieces or hand-crafted from renewable sources. High-efficiency wood pellet biomass stoves are used to heat the pods, while a tankless, instantaneous hot water supply ensures maximum efficiency with no wastage whatsoever. The attention to environmental detail doesn’t end there, as Jim has put a plan in place which ensures the conservation of various species including oak and birch trees, birds, bats and squirrels. At the same time, guests have the option of donating 10p per unit of electricity to the local primary school. The money will be ring fenced to teach the children about environmentallydriven initiatives. The project is set to become even more conducive to a clean environment in the near future, as Jim is currently considering the possibility of installing wind turbines at the site. Even the project’s website has an ‘eco mode’, which you can try out at the aptly named www.domesweetdome.co.uk
GHA’s 414 new homes Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) is investing in hundreds of high-quality new homes in one of the biggest social housing new-build projects in Scotland of recent times.
Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and GHA’s Tenant Chair Sandra Forsythe last year marked the launch of the £57million project at Shafton Road in Knightswood - one of the first of the sites where work is under way. A total of 414 homes are planned, in partnership with Scottish housebuilder Cruden, at nine sites across the city in Phase 2 of GHA’s new build programme which is providing apprenticeship opportunities for local young people. Work is nearing completion on the first three sites which will see the creation of 55 new homes in Drumchapel, Knightswood and Pollok.. Work on a further 265 homes at four sites in Yoker, Pollok, Linthouse, and Pollokshaws has also started while another 94 homes are due to be built on sites in Duke Street/High Street and Govan. The project is supported with funds from the Scottish Government and construction is being carried out by Scottish housebuilder and contractor Cruden. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The launch of this new build programme represents a significant step in delivering essential new housing that will benefit GHA tenants. “The Scottish Government is committed to the regeneration of
Glasgow’s most disadvantaged communities. “We will work with our partners to ensure the people of Glasgow reap the benefits from large scale housing and regeneration projects.” Sandra Forsythe, Tenant Chair of GHA, said: “We are delighted work has started on our Phase 2 new build project and we are really looking forward to handing over the keys of these stunning new homes to the lucky tenants across nine communities in Glasgow. “We’re also thrilled that we have been able to work with Cruden to create apprenticeships specifically for young people in the local catchment area.” The nine sites will see: • 26 homes built at Airgold Drive/ Ledmore Drive in Drumchapel • 13 at Shafton Road in Knightswood • 22 at Halley Place in Yoker • 16 at Kempsthorn Crescent in Pollok • 70 at Brockburn Road in Pollok • 80 at Holmfauldhead Drive in Linthouse • 93 at Riverford Road in Pollokshaws • 47 at Summertown Road in Govan • 47 at Duke Street/High Street in the city centre The homes – which have Secured by Design accreditation,
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S c otl a n d a police initiative which helps cut crime by improving home security – are for tenants coming from areas which are part of GHA’s clearance programme. Tenants serving on all the Local Housing Organisation (LHO) committees in the new-build areas – Great Western Tenant Partnership, Clydeside, Pollok Tenants’ Choice, Clydeview, New Shaws, Compass and Cernach, – were closely involved in the specification and design of the new homes. They worked with GHA’s new build team, Cruden and their design teams including Glasgow architectural firms Anderson Bell Christie and Hypostyle. The new properties have between one and four bedrooms and include terraced homes, cottage flats, flats and semi-detached homes. 18 will be to wheelchair standard. The new homes are also environmentally friendly, achieving a ‘Very Good’ rating under Ecohomes standards, an assessment scheme run by Building Research Establishment Ltd (BRE) which grades each house. GHA’s Phase 2 new-build programme follows the completion of Phase 1 which saw 259 homes built in the north of Glasgow. Alex McGuire, GHA’s Executive Director of Regeneration, said: “These new homes are great news for our tenants – and are another piece in the regeneration jigsaw which benefits Glasgow as a whole. As well as building new homes people want to live in, we are determined to help build communities right across the city.” The Community Benefit clause included in all GHA investment contracts delivers local training and employment initiatives which benefit residents of Glasgow. In support of GHA’s Community Benefit Clause, Cruden has already created opportunities for four apprentices on the initial sites with further apprenticeships to come across the nine sites. Cruden’s four-year apprenticeships are certified by Construction Skills and trainees will work towards a City and Guilds certificate. Cruden is also creating jobs for local people with further employment opportunities being created as the programme rolls out, these being co-ordinated through the City Council’s
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Regeneration Agency Network. Allan Callaghan, managing director of Cruden Building and Renewals Ltd, said: “Cruden is committed to building high quality homes that will regenerate communities across Scotland. In doing so, we are not only providing first class homes, we are also creating real employment opportunities for young people by delivering on-the-job training and teaching life-long skills through our established apprenticeship scheme. “Our apprenticeship programme provides a solution to help young people gain the practical skills they need such as joinery and plumbing to join the workforce. We aim to work with local people and local firms wherever possible throughout the construction process and it is our hope that the training we deliver will have a lasting impact on the communities long after the homes have been completed.” Cruden Building & Renewals Ltd and Cruden Estates Ltd have combined forces to bring expertise in the areas of regeneration and residential property, working in partnership with GHA.
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Rebuilding a community, transforming lives The first phase of a housing regeneration project in the Vineburgh area of Irvine is underway in a project comprising the construction of 82 houses. Ashleigh (Scotland) Ltd is carrying out the construction project for Lead Developer Cunninghame Housing Association, and has appointed nine young apprentices from Ayrshire to assist with work on the scheme. The apprentices, aged between 16 and 19, are being trained in a variety of disciplines including joinery, bricklaying, painting and plumbing over the course of their four-year apprenticeship. North Ayrshire Council leader David O’Neill said Vineburgh has a strong sense of history and local pride. He added: “Politicians nowadays often speak about sustainable communities and I’m not sure everyone understands what we mean by that. “Basically a sustainable community is one where local people take pride in the area, take good care of their houses and play a part in
keeping the community alive. From what we’ve seen here, Vineburgh is well on the way to becoming a first-class sustainable community and we should all be proud of that.” The redevelopment of Vineburgh will: achieve high design quality to create homes and spaces which are desirable; introduce planting and trees to transform the character of the area and change perceptions of the area. The design and layout of the new Vineburgh will also make it safer and more secure for everyone living in the area and will help to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. All homes will have high levels of insulation, making them more energy efficient and more economical to heat. There will be a broad range of house types, which will meet current and future needs; for example 10% of new houses will be adapted for wheelchair use. This significant project will deliver
New funding fuels NHS Grampian projects
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approximately 300 affordable new homes and be developed over four phases. Approximately 200 new rented houses will be provided over phases 1 to 3. Phase 2 of the project will provide 104 properties (86 for rent and 18 for sale on a new supply shared equity basis); phase 3 will provide 73 (45 for rent and 28 for sale on a new supply shared equity basis) and phase 4 will fully comprise housing for sale by the successful private developer.
basis for the way ahead, given the constraints on investment in buildings and equipment. Richard Carey, chief executive said:
New funding will be used to support landmark projects across NHS Grampian facilities. Funding takes into account works already under way, such as Foresterhill’s emergency care centre and the Chalmers hospital redevelopment in Banff. It will also finance the replacement of important medical equipment estimated at £5 million and target high priority maintenance that is necessary in hospitals and clinics across the North East. Other improvements that will be completed this year include: •
Upgraded outpatient and day treatment facilities for cancer services • Improvements to Fraserburgh Hospital, where main contractor Mansell is leadind a £2.5 million refurbishment scheme • Funding contribution for a new centre in Aberdeen to support the treatment of alcohol and drug abuse • Grants for dental premises across Grampian to support the Dental Action Plan In addition to approving the record level of spend this year, the board also heard the outcome of an initial review of capital expenditure priorities. Further work will be done on this process as part of the detailed planning of how services and facilities will change. A key part of this work will be to assess the impact of reduced funding levels over the next five years. NHS Grampian believes the capital plan provides a solid ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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S c otl a n d “The Board has approved the plans to spend £72m on projects and maintenance in the current year. This is the largest annual spend by NHS Grampian by far and will benefit services across the area. However, we need to plan responsibly for the future and highlight that decisions will need to be made over the next five years”. Graeme Smith, head of service development, said: “The decisions made today will allow many important projects
to go ahead or be completed. Other projects will continue to be refined to make sure we get the best for the funding available.
Water project puts the environment first
Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO), or storm overflow, at the Holy Loch Caravan Park at Hafton. This work will also be completed in about three months. The work at Brandon Street and Holy Loch will form part of a chain of seven pumping stations which will pump sewage from the top of Holy Loch to the Dunoon Waste Water Treatment Works being constructed at Bullwood. At West Bay, which will be the biggest pumping station in the chain, Scottish Water are making good progress and are working on a shaft or well which will collect sewage before it is pumped to the WWTW. Scottish Water are also excavating a well in rock at the East Bay pumping station adjacent to Coal Pier and they have started construction of sewers and a pumping station at Ardnadam. At the site of the new WWTW at Bullwood, contractors Black & Veatch, have started the construction stage and recently laid the foundations for structures which will form part of the WWTW. Mr Doug Fowler, the project manager, said: “We are continuing to make good progress with this key environmental project for Dunoon and are pleased to have started the work at Holy Loch and to be starting the work in Brandon Street. “Our construction activity is now in full swing on the chain of pumping stations and likewise at the site of the new waste water treatment works, where we successfully completed the largest of our concrete pours.”
Scottish Water has begun another key part of its work to improve the waste water infrastructure in Dunoon and protect the natural environment in the coastal waters of the Firth of Clyde. Main Contractors GMJV are working on the construction of a large storm water chamber in the grassed area at the foot of Brandon Street, Dunoon. The chamber will contain an overflow screen which will operate in periods of heavy rainfall and the screen will minimise the environmental impact of storm overflow discharges in storm conditions to East Bay. GMJV started work on the scheme as they continued to make progress on other parts of the Dunoon Waste Water Improvements project, which is expected to cost about £34 million and be completed in late 2011. The scheme will remove a large number of untreated sewage discharges which currently flow into the Holy Loch and the Clyde and will provide biological (secondary) treatment at a modern treatment plant. The same contractors have also started work at Holy Loch where they are installing a pumping station with an attached
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“We will move on to look at how we get the best out of what could be available over the next five years. We are in a good position to do this in Grampian - our health plan was published last month and we aim to further involve our staff and the public in the decisions that need to be made”.
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Skye welcomes affordable housing The Lochalsh & Skye Housing Association is overseeing a project to build a flush of affordable accommodation at the Pier Road site in Armadale on Skye. The association is providing an in house clerk of works and CDM
co-ordination for the 42-week design and build project, which is still on site and is due to be completed in late August. The development comprises 11 affordable housing units on a green field site. The houses are a mixture of single storey and storey and a half and are made up of 2 detached, 2
semi-detached, a terrace of 3 and a terrace of 4. The construction is based on standard footings, ground bearing slab ground floor, timber frame clad with rendered block, timber roof trusses, sarking and natural slate roofs. The houses are each fitted with either an NIBE Fighter 360 exhaust air heat pump or an NIBE Fighter 2005 external air heat pump to provide the heating, hot water and ventilation needs. The project represents a continuation of the working relationship between LSHA and main contractor UBC, and is being built to the limits set by the Scottish Government’s Housing Association Grant system. Despite recent uncertainty over the availability of funding for this and similar associations, an LSHA spokesperson said, “We continue to work
Extension to boost South Lanarkshire health
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up future projects, including a proposed second phase of 6 affordable houses at the Pier Road site through a design and build contract with UBC”. Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association was formed in 1983 to provide good quality affordable housing options to the Skye and Lochalsh area. The registered social landlord is managed by a committee of volunteers.
before this one was the refurbishment of Carluke Leisure Centre with a value of £2.9m. This is my first project using this contractor (Maxi Construction Ltd), and relationships are going well. We’re half way through the construction programme and we’re on schedule and on budget.”
A project to extend the South Lanarkshire Lifestyles centre in Rutherglen, Glasgow, continues to develop. Premier Construction spoke to Thomas Tallan, the contract administrator running the design team from the feasibility stage through to handover, which is anticipated in December 2010. He said: “Since the first SL Lifestyles centre opened five years ago, the scheme has proved very popular. This work is being done to make the facilities even more accessible and wider-ranging and we’re hoping to make the extension look like it was part of the original build. “We’re using a brick and block style with a steel frame, as well as buff and terracotta banding. The aluminium curtain walling and the Kalzip aluminium roofing both have a silvery finish, too. Foundation supports are a mixture of piling and mass concrete foundations to accommodate the varying ground conditions as part of the site was once a quarry. “We’ve also arranged the work into phases to allow the centre to carry on operating throughout. The first phase involves structural work on the extension, followed by a stage of internal alterations and finally finishing off the extension with installation of rear decking to provide a covered external area.” Thomas brings a wealth of experience and local knowledge to the project, as he explained: “I have worked on several smaller refurbishments which have all gone well. These mainly included upgrades of elderly care homes, office spaces and so on. My most recent larger project ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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S c otl a n d Once work on the facility is complete, locals will benefit from 320m2 of extra space, a new foyer and reception desk, a café bar with a seating area, extra offices and a staff room, facilities for the disabled, a meeting room that can be used as a cinema, an arts and crafts area, a fitness studio, staff changing rooms, a function room and dance studio, a kitchen with a dining room extension, a quiet room, and personal care rooms for disabled people.
SL Lifestyles This integrated community leisure, lifestyle and social care centre was the first of its kind in Scotland when it opened in 2004. The centre, with leisure facilities ranging from a 25 metre swimming pool to a modern gym, has become a favourite place for locals to spend their leisure time. South Lanarkshire Leisure Ltd was formed on 1 April 2002 and is responsible for the management and operation of sports and recreation facilities on behalf of South Lanarkshire Council. These sports and recreation facilities include 22 leisure centres (nine of which have swimming pools), six golf courses, a water sports centre, a play centre and numerous outdoor pitches for a vast range of outdoor activities. The facilities are spread out over the whole of South Lanarkshire
from East Kilbride to Blantyre, Cambuslang, Rutherglen, Hamilton, Strathaven, Larkhall, Carluke, Lesmahagow, Lanark and Biggar. The trust also has a wholly owned trading subsidiary (South Lanarkshire Leisure Trading Ltd) which looks after the vending and catering side of the business.
Edinburgh tram project moves on despite hiccups Construction of a 21st Century ‘transport solution’ for Scotland’s capital is now well underway. The city’s largest thoroughfare and busiest shopping destination, Princes Street, has tram tracks laid, around 50,000 metres of pipes, ducts and cables have been diverted from the route and significant work is progressing in the west of the city with off-street works from Haymarket to Edinburgh Airport. The first tram of the fleet of 27 arrived in the city in April and sits proudly at the tram stop on Princes Street as a popular visitor exhibit. In fact, by the end of July, more than 60,000 people had passed through its doors. The depot at Gogar, which will house the trams, will be ready later this year to receive additional vehicles as they are delivered. A recent statement from Richard Jeffrey, chief executive of Edinburgh Trams, read, “On-street works are currently behind schedule because of a well-publicised contractual dispute with one member of the construction consortium. However, Edinburgh Trams remains confident that the full route can still be delivered within 2012, and we are rigorously pursuing the contractor to deliver within the terms of their contract. “The reality of a modern, integrated public transport scheme for Edinburgh grows ever nearer and I, along with my incredibly capable team, remain committed to the delivery of the project in 2012”. Contracts for the project have so far been handed out to major contractors such as Farrans, awarded the contract to finalise the diversion of utility infrastructure, who have been working alongside the main consortium made up of CAF, Siemens and Bilfinger Berger.
OHAL continues new build programme Established in 1985, Orkney Housing Association (OHAL) is the only housing association operating within Orkney. It is a charitable not-for-profit organisation with a membership open to anyone interested in supporting its aims.
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Currently, OHAL is pushing through building projects at sites including 7 units as the second phase at St Marys in Holm, 20 units on Old Scapa Road in Kirkwall and a further 32 units at the second phase of the Wellington Street development in Kirkwall. Future plans include another 36 units in the third phase of the Wellington Street development. The association builds approximately 40 new houses each year, funded by borrowings and Scottish Government capital grants. The grants reduce the amount of borrowing needed for each house and enable rents to be kept at an affordable level. They also enable the association to provide low cost home ownership
options such as shared ownership and shared equity for those unable to afford the full price of a house. The Association’s Low Cost Home Ownership (LCHO) system is funded through the Scottish Government’s Low-Cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) which includes a range of options to help households to get onto the housing ladder. LCHO options are schemes aimed at helping people on low incomes who wish to own their own home but who cannot afford to pay the full price of a house and arebe available to first time buyers and existing or previous home owners unable to sustain or move back into home ownership due to a significant change in their household circumstances. For more information about OHAL, visit www.ohal.org.uk
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Health centre keeps up with the times As part of the £1.2 million modernisation and upgrade of Kirkcaldy Health Centre in Fife, several services are relocating to the Seaview Ward at Whyteman’s Brae Hospital. Podiatry, speech and language therapy, paediatric services and administration support services relocated on May 22 this year as part of a planned move, allowing Muirfield Contracts’ refurbishment of the four GP practices at the health centre to begin. The project allows for the development and expansion of patient services at the health centre, with additional consulting rooms and clinical space, along with a new patient reception and waiting areas. Dr Les Bisset, Clinical Director of Kirkcaldy and Levenmouth Community Health Partnership, said: “Work is progressing well on the project.
The refurbishment of Kirkcaldy Health Centre will help to respond to the anticipated extra demand which is expected to materialise through the increase in the population of Kirkcaldy over the next 10 or 15 years”. Client project manager Athol Murray spoke to premier Construction, saying, “The project has been divided into six relatively small phases, which allow work to go on without disrupting the centre. We’ve made good use of the weekends for the same reason. The current phase, which will finish in September, involves structural alterations, decoration, a new alarm system and a general service upgrade.
Wind turbine defines eco-friendly science building A science park in Glasgow is soon to be augmented by a new ultra-sustainable building, designed by HAA Design and built by Speyroc.
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“There has been no down time for the centre so far, and the contractors have done well to avoid disruption. I’m hoping the project will continue to move along smoothly as we move towards a completion date in March 2011”.
and heat pumps, part of the justification for an ‘A’ rated energy performance certificate. The building is designed to be naturally ventilated in accordance with CIBSE guidelines, and features a 30m green wall to add to its eco-friendly status. Speyroc’s Alexander Haig told Premier Construction, “We’re all very proud of the bulding and we’re looking forward to its official unveiling this autumn”.
The Venture Building is located at the entrance to Kelvin Campus in the West of Scotland Science Park, four miles North West of Glasgow city centre. The building is visible from Maryhill Road (the A81) and sets new standards in design. The 61 acre science park has a mature landscape, amenity space, good parking provision and use of conference facilities and meeting rooms. Other occupiers close by include Glasgow Vet School, The Beatson Institute, Iomart and BioReliance, as well as over 30 other firms. The Venture building is designed and constructed to an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating, having scored 82.45%. Flexible open plan office and laboratory accomodation is divided into sections ranging from 1000 sq. ft. to 31,500 sq. Ft, and gravitates around a stunning three storey atrium with a feature bridge link. Renewable power comes from an 11KW Gaia wind turbine ROMA PUBLICATIONS
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Lasting memories built on temporary structures You’d be forgiven for looking straight past a concert stage when faced with a choice between a seemingly simple pile of nuts and bolts and the stellar act parading around on top of it, and nowhere more so than at this year’s Oxegen Festival, held in Naas, Co. Kildare. Such luminaries as Muse, Dizzee Rascal, Fat Boy Slim and the Stereophonics were all on show at the July event, none of which would have been possible without the temporary stages put up by events specialists like Michael O’Byrne of Roundshire, who gave an interview to Premier Construction: PC: What were you doing at the festival? MO: We brought in the main stage. We’ve done the same every year since 2002. This time, we used a new curved roof. Otherwise, this work is fairly typical of the one-off stage builds we do in the Irish market.
PC: Tell us about the stage. MO: It requires 110 man-days to build and 60 man-days to dismantle, so that’s effectively four days to erect and two days to take down; we use a mix of skilled (height workers and forks) semiskilled and gen-op labour. We had a 100 tonne crane and used 6 teleporters of various sizes, as well as a 60ft straight boom MEWP. The covered area is roughly 25m2.
PC: Is this a bespoke design? MO: It’s a standard design from our partners StageCo Belgium - a ‘Boogdak(Curved Roof)XL’, with an additional roof portal and a larger floored area to allow for the needs of a festival with multiple acts on each day. The stage floor is Layher scaffolding with a StageCO flooring system. Towers and roof infrastructure and superstructure are designed and built by StageCo or their contractors.
PC: What are some of the difficulties in putting together a project like this? MO: The weather (if it’s too sunny), the weather (when it’s too wet, which is much more common), and the weather (if it’s too windy both during construction and after). There is little time for errors; the deadlines are real and largely unchangeable. Transport is also subject to the vagaries of the weather when equipment is coming by ferry to a tight schedule.
PC: Do you find it rewarding? MO: There is great satisfaction in getting 12 truckloads of steel, aluminium, PVC and timber off the trailers and built, and then dismantled and back on trailers within the space of 7 or 8 days. Putting on a performance for 80,000 people who don’t really notice what you’ve built is the sign of a job well done.
PC: What does the future hold for your sector? MO: Although the music business is traditionally regarded as recession proof, the current year is a challenge. This has quite a lot to do with the internal cycles of the business: which bands are touring and whether they are “indoor” or “outdoor” acts,
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but it is also affected by the general economy and consumer confidence - not least by the cost of tickets. Next year will be very interesting, as two indoor venues and a new stadium (The Grand Canal Theatre, the Conventions Centre Dublin and the Aviva Stadium (formerly Landsdowne Road)) are all opening in a 12 month period. That should provide a bit of a bounce!
PC: Tell us about your firm MO: Roundshire is a partnership run by me and my business partner, Michael Kerr. We work with StageCo Belgium and cover the Irish and UK markets. We set up on our own in 2003, and we’d previously had a lot of experience between us. We’ve toured with bands like U2, the Rolling Stones and Bon Jovi. We can provide stages from 15x10m up to 30m wide, but most of our work tends to be for larger events in Croke Park, Marlay Park, Slane Castle and so on. We’re currently working on the design of the stage for the first concert in the new Aviva stadium. We also supply skilled, semi-skilled and gen-op labour on a subcontract basis to promoters, venues and event organisers. We’re interested in doing more work in the UK, given the size of the market. In Ireland, we’re looking to broaden the range of products we have to offer, particularly for smaller events.
Speedy new route to Derry Airport A scheme is underway to quicken the journey from Maydown to Derry airport, with improvements to the current route well underway. The A2 forms part of the Northern Key Transport Corridor linking the Belfast Metropolitan Area to Derry via Coleraine. The existing corridor is a mixture of motorway, dual and single carriageway. The scheme consists of the provision of 6.6km of dual carriageway. Between Maydown and Campsie, the improvement is predominately online with the section east of Campsie being predominately off line. Main contractor Lagan Construction is charged with the estimated £25 million job in co-operation with the Department for Regional Development (DRD). Clearing work to remove vegetation began in February 2009, and the project is currently at the stage of mainline construction,
Successful operation by contractors fulfills doctors’ orders Construction of a new state-of-the-art multi-million pound trauma and orthopaedic facility has recently been completed at Craigavon Area Hospital in Northern Ireland, in a project winning praise for the contractors. Constructed for the Southern Health and Social Care Trust by Farrans Healthcare and designed by Milligan Reside Larkin in association with P O’Hagan Architects, the £11.8 million Trauma and Orthopaedics Unit is the final phase of a £17 million investment plan designed to improve waiting times for services. The Trust praised the contractors saying: “Farrans Healthcare have been very flexible in their approach and have offered innovative solutions to any issues which arose. We are delighted with the new Trauma and Orthopaedic Unit. The workmanship is of the highest standard and the building was delivered with the minimum of disruption to services on the site”. The unit includes two laminar flow theatre suites, one for orthopaedics and one for trauma; a seven-bed recovery area and a 15-bed ward with seven single en-suite rooms. The unit links directly to the existing hospital’s internal theatre street, allowing bed-bound and ambulant patients privacy and dignity from admission through both surgery and recovery to final discharge. At its heart are its unique theatres that utilise the latest innovative skirtless ultra-clean laminar flow ventilation canopies to control airborne infection during surgical procedures. The operating tables are situated in a theatre-like environment with the backdrop of the surgeon’s control panel with integrated PACs monitors on a colourful feature wall. Other innovations include new high-pressure laminate wall panel systems
with the majority of earthworks and drainage now complete. A major bridge, the Faughan river crossing, is now complete, as are three smaller bridges along the upgraded highway. Work on the project began in early 2009 and is expected to be complete by late 2010. Project sponsor Malcolm Glover of the DRD spoke to Premier Construction, saying, “There is a particular focus on the environment as part of this scheme. Around 1.5km of badgerproof fencing has been installed and earth barriers have been put up to protect nearby houses from traffic noise”. These are just two of many measures taken with a view to achieving a CEEQUAL rating of ‘very good’ or even ‘excellent’. Roads minister Conor Murphy commented, “This project has considerable local support. The improvements will greatly improve journey times for both strategic traffic and other road users in the local community and will, in turn, contribute towards the continued economic development of the north and efforts to improve road safety”. with colour co-ordinated glued joints which further aid infection control; blinds integrated into glazed screens, copper ironmongery, and ample natural daylight. Speaking at the opening of the new unit earlier this year, Northern Ireland Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said: “This is a superb new facility which will bring real benefits to patients and staff. The new unit provides a topclass facility for people in this region who need trauma and orthopaedic services and will ensure that the health service continues to provide safe, high-quality services for the people of the Southern Trust area. It means patients are able to have their treatment locally, rather than having to travel to Belfast”.
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Ensuring a bright future for the past English Heritage exists to protect and promote England’s spectacular historic environment and ensure that its past is researched and understood. English Heritage is the government’s statutory adviser on the historic environment. Officially known as the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, English Heritage is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The powers and responsibilities of English Heritage are set out in the National Heritage Act (1983) and today they report to Parliament through the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Although sponsored by DCMS, English Heritage works with a range of government departments, notably CLG and Defra, to help realise the potential of the historic environment. English Heritage is funded in part by the government, and is also part funded from revenue earned from their historic properties and other services. In 2008/09 the organisation’s public funding was worth £132.7m, and income from other sources was £48.1m. English Heritage works in partnership with central government departments, local authorities, voluntary bodies and the private sector to conserve and enhance the historic environment, broaden public access to the heritage and increase people’s understanding of the past. The organisation meets these responsibilities by: acting as a
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Baptist Church House in Camden, one of many buildings under the protection of English Heritage
national and international champion for the heritage; giving grants for the conservation of historic buildings, monuments and landscapes; maintaining registers of England’s most significant historic buildings, monuments and landscapes; and advising on the preservation of the historic environment. English Heritage also encourages broader public involvement with the heritage, promotes heritage-related education and research, cares for Stonehenge and over 400 other historic properties on behalf of the nation, maintains the National Monuments Record as the public archive of the heritage and
generates income for the benefit of the historic environment. English Heritage is currently running a five-year investment programme for its properties. Based on an audit of all the organisation s properties, £30m is being targeted at those sites with the most commercial potential, in order to make as many sites as possible self-financing. Projects range from major refurbishment and restoration works at Kenilworth Castle to relatively small but significant improvements to exhibitions and interpretation, catering and retail facilities. In the construction sector, English Heritage has joined forces with ConstructionSkills to call for concerted action across the construction industry, the built heritage sector, educational establishments, careers organisations, funding bodies and
government departments to tackle the continued shortage of heritage building skills. English Heritage has also published research demonstrating the shortage of craft skills across the country and a Skills Action Plan which they are now implementing. This includes raising the profile of vocational training and the built heritage construction sector and attracting more young people to pursue careers within it. The plan is also geared towards encouraging the use of suitably skilled and qualified people, and developing qualifications to ensure that traditional building knowledge and skills can be attained from GCSE to Master Craft level. Find out more at www.english-heritage.org.uk
A ‘Secured’ way to live Secured by Design recently celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009 and Premier Construction spoke to Alan McInnes, General Manager of ACPO Secured by Design, to discuss the vital role the initiative continues to play in everyday life
What is the background to Secured by Design? The Secured by Design (SBD) initiative has its origins in 1989 and began as a regional crime prevention project in south England. Within 18 months it had become a national police project. The scheme is owned by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and is the corporate title for a group of national police projects that focuses on the design and security of new and refurbished homes, commercial premises and car parks, in addition to acknowledging quality security products and effective crime prevention projects. Achieving Secured by Design status will mean a particular building will have a police accreditation for the level of security it has obtained.
social housing that is constructed throughout the UK and a significant proportion of refurbished properties. By insisting on the Secured by Design award, Housing Associations ensure that effective levels of security are installed and through the proven reduction of crime this leads to a reduction in maintenance costs and a higher tenancy rate if it is an environment that is thought to be more secure. All of which is cost effective and welcome when spending public money. The project is very well established in public buildings and shopping malls; for example, Bluewater in Kent and Brindley Place, Birmingham have Secured by Design awards. The scheme is also quite prominent in commercial industrial units, schools and hospitals. When working on such big projects as these, officers can often be involved with the contractors for a number of years. However, we are committed not to slow or frustrate the planning process, so early consultation is essential.
What is Secured by Design’s main objective and how does the initiative work? The main idea of Secured by Design is to design out crime. We look at numerous aspects of different sites including the layout, location and building features and assess what may generate a crime risk. There are numerous easy methods and features that can be used to prevent the possibility of crime and anti-social behaviour. An example of this would be if there is a terrace of houses and the end wall was left entirely blank. With no windows placed on the wall, the chances of the spot becoming a congregation point with people playing ball games or spraying graffiti is significantly higher. Simply placing a window on that end wall introduces natural surveillance by the occupiers and significantly reduces the risks. Unrestricted footpath access to the rear of homes is also a high risk feature. In addition to improving design specifications, there are also physical requirements that can help to secure a property, including prerequisite security standards for doors and windows. The doors must reach British Standard PAS 24 and the windows must be British Standard BS:7950. Nationally, Secured by Design is offered by approximately 300 police officers who specialise in the SBD security discipline and who are readily available to help contractors or architects on how they improve their construction to meet Secured by Design status. If the recommendations are adopted, a Secured by Design award will be given.
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Is your timber FSC-approved? The Forest Stewardship Council is an international, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world’s forests. It was founded in 1993 in response to public concern about deforestation and demand for a trustworthy woodlabelling scheme. There are national working groups more than 50 countries including the UK. FSC UK is a registered charity. It is supported by NGOs including WWF, Greenpeace and the Woodland Trust. Every year an area half the size of the UK is cleared of natural forests: temperate and tropical, North and South and on every continent. These forests, which once covered half of the planet, are irreplaceable and their loss has profound economic, social and environmental impacts. Sixty million indigenous people and countless species of plants and animals are wholly dependent on forests to live and forests support up to 1.6 billion of the poorest people in the world. The products of this illegal trade can be found throughout the UK, from building sites to private homes. We think this is unacceptable and we exist to make sure people can buy timber and wood products with the confidence that they are contributing towards safeguarding the world’s forests. The FSC runs a global forest certification system with two key components: Forest Management and Chain of Custody certification. This system allows consumers to identify, purchase and use timber and forest products produced from wellmanaged forests. The Forest Stewardship Council’s “tick tree” logo is used on product labels to indicate whether products are certified under the FSC system. When you see the FSC logo on a label you can buy timber and other wood products, such as paper, with the confidence that you are not contributing to the destruction of the world’s forests. FSC UK is legally and financially independent of FSC international. It sets forest management standards for the UK, promotes the system and provides an information service.
FSC certification in the construction industry FSC developed the Project Certification Standard in response to the construction industry’s wish to be able to promote their successful use of FSC timber and to help eliminate breaks in the chain of custody caused by lack of certification among contractors. It is a one-off certificate which covers only the specified project and does not relate to any other project carried out by any of the parties involved. It can be put in place speedily once contracts have been awarded and subcontractors can be included at short notice. There is no reason why a contractor should not achieve permanent Chain of Custody if there is demand for several projects using FSC timber. Project certification can be a useful
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‘trial run’ and once the system you set up has been proven you will be well placed to apply for permanent COC. Project Certification is the ideal solution for ensuring that your site does not use any illegal timber, and for promoting your company’s environmental and corporate social responsibility policies. There are two options: Full Certification, with a minimum 50% of the cost or volume of FSC timber and/or verified post consumer reclaimed timber, with the balance meeting FSC Controlled Wood standard; and Partial Certification, where named elements only (such as doors or windows, cladding or flooring) are FSC certified, and there is no requirement for controlling the remaining timber. The FSC timber in both cases can be either 100% FSC, mixed sources (produced under a chain of custody standard that allows the controlled inclusion of some non-FSC wood) or FSC Recycled (which must be verified as post-consumer reclaimed timber).
10 reasons to choose the FSC You can buy wood products, from all types of forest, with a clear conscience when you see the FSC logo. FSC certified forests are managed with consideration for people, wildlife and the environment The FSC label guarantees that the trees that are harvested are replaced or allowed to regenerate naturally Parts of the forest are protected entirely, in order to protect rare animals and plants FSC protects the rights of indigenous people to use the forest. If they have sacred sites in the forest these are exempt from felling The forest owner must use local workers to run the forest, and provide training, safety equipment and a decent salary. The forest owner is often obliged to support the community in other ways, such as through the development of schools FSC is a market-based initiative which also ensures better conditions for the forest and the people whose livelihoods depend on it FSC gives an assurance that future generations will be able to enjoy the benefits of the forest All the wood is tracked from the forest to the store. Every link between the forest and the consumer is certified to make it clearly identifiable which wood is FSC certified and which is not FSC is the only wood certification scheme endorsed by the major environmental charities, including WWF, Greenpeace and The Woodland Trust The FSC label is not only available on wood for furniture. It can also be found on floors, decking, paper, printed matter, charcoal, kitchen utensils, even venison
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Japanese knotweed – a nightmare or a manageable problem? Why is Japanese knotweed such an expensive problem on so many construction sites today? The focus on the re-development of Brownfield sites in recent years has meant that many contractors have had to deal with the problem that is Japanese knotweed. Failure to recognise or manage this problem in good time can lead to potentially unnecessary and costly last minute solutions.
There have been discussions about new treatments for Japanese knotweed; one potential treatment is a biological control. This would involve the introduction of the sap sucking Aphalara psyllid from Japan. This is a host specific bug i.e. it won’t create new problems with other plants. There are many advantages to biological control, not least that it will reduce the vigour (and hence spread) of large areas of Japanese knotweed, which are currently not being treated. However, the release of biological organisms into a new environment is strictly controlled and is subject to scrutiny and legislation. Once the decision has been taken to release this insect, it could take up to 10 years before it controls Japanese knotweed successfully and it is not guaranteed to eradicate the Japanese knotweed completely. Developers will still need to factor in sufficient costs and time to manage any knotweed on site. The key challenges for the battle to control Japanese knotweed
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in the next few years are likely to be getting the necessary funds to treat the large land bank that developers and others have. While this should be through a relatively inexpensive herbicide programme, lasting a minimum of three years, there is a temptation to not spend the necessary money. This may not be the best strategy as with every year that passes, the knotweed will cover larger areas on the re-development sites and, when the time comes to develop the site, the solution may prove very expensive. To put matters into perspective a herbicide programme for a small area of knotweed on a site (20m² of visible growth), may cost as little as £2000.00+VAT to treat over 3-4 years. At an
annual cost of £500.00+VAT, this is not an expensive option and, if you have the time, why not use it? You could even claim Land Remediation Relief for the work! To contrast this, a budget cost for the ‘dig and dump’ methodology ranges from £800.00 (ex VAT) to £2500.00 (ex VAT) per 20-tonne load. To excavate the 20m² as above would consist of more than ten such loads. Within the Japanese knotweed industry, there are a number of new techniques that are being developed. One developing technique is that of reduced level excavation (typically to formation level), and then encapsulating the knotweed under a specialist root barrier. Root barriers can then be sealed effectively to the new or existing buildings structure provided always that the surface to be sealed to is clean and firm. This technique can be cost effective and is an approved method of dealing with Japanese knotweed. Construction companies may wish to keep Japanese knotweed away from their sites, and indeed there have been instances of knotweed being imported onto site in loads of crushed concrete or soil. The more usual problem that arises on construction sites is when knotweed is already present on site and is spread in an uncontrolled manner across the whole site. Trevor Renals of the Environment Agency states that: “Japanese knotweed is unlike any waste a developer is likely
to encounter on a Brownfield site. If you remove 99% of most contaminants, the tiny residual that gets spread around the site usually doesn’t do much harm. Try that with Japanese knotweed and within a few years you’re back to where you started. It is a waste that can perpetuate itself, which is why we have to be so strict with its management.” Costs can escalate if knotweed is spread by site clearance or demolition works across the area to be developed; typically remediation costs will rise tenfold. If you have or suspect you have Japanese knotweed on your development site, than you need to take the following steps: •• Identify the problem. Is it knotweed? •• Quantify the problem. How big an area(s) does it cover? •• What options are available for this site? •• How much time is available to manage this problem? A professional Japanese knotweed company could provide you with simple cost effective solutions, so that when you need to develop the site, you are able to do so. However they can only do this, if they have enough time. The answer to whether it is a nightmare or a manageable problem is in reality down to the options that you have. The more time you have to manage the problem, the more options you will have. If you have time, use it wisely!
Choosing the right roofing contractor When it comes to roofing, most people say get in the local builder. This could be the biggest mistake you could make. Roofing is a specialised trade and should be treated as such. The local builder may be quite proficient at roofing, but then again he may not be. General builders are jacks of all trades: bricklayers, plasterers, window fitters and much more. A reputable roofing contractor is a specialist in roofing; he may specialise in all types of roofing, while some only work on flat roofs and some will only work on slate and tile. It is normally the larger company that specialises in industrial roofing and cladding. A reputable roofing contractor will know the pitfalls of the work
he is contracted to do. He will also be able to explain to you in plain English why certain work has to be carried out to make the roof both safe and watertight. For instance, if you have a slate roof at the moment and would prefer a concrete tiled roof, you may think that it is a straightforward job replacing one with the other. Wrong. Concrete tiles are much heavier than slate, therefore your roof will require strengthening. Bolting extra pieces of timber on every second or third roof truss does this. If this were not carried out you would notice in a year or two that your roof had developed a bow, after a period of time this could lead to a complete collapse. If you look at some old peg tiled properties you will notice that they often have a bow; peg tiles are very heavy and when you
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A s s o c i ati o n s consider the many thousands that are used to cover a roof area the weight is tremendous. Look inside the roof voids of these properties and you will see that the timbers used in the old days were mostly oak or in some cases complete trunks of immature trees. Over a period of many years these timbers have changed shape due to the weight of the tiles and the weakening of the timbers by wood boring insects like woodworm. The various councils now list many of these properties and even when they are renovated the shape of the roof could remain the same, but you will find that all the roof timbers have been strengthened to prevent further movement. In order to prevent any problem arising, your roofing contractor and surveyor should work together to ensure that all safety aspects are fully covered. Remember, your roof is one of the most vital parts of you property: it should be regularly inspected and minor repairs carried out as they occur. In the long run, this could save you being faced with a repair bill running into thousands of pounds.
Who is reputable? “The last time I used a roofing contractor he turned out to be a cowboy”. How many times have you heard that? “He knocked at my door and told me my ridge tiles are in a dangerous condition. He was on the roof for twenty minutes and charged me £350.00”. There are horror stories every day from members of the public. Unfortunately, the roofing industry is infested with rip off merchants; you only have to watch the news to see that when the tornado hit the south coast the police had to set up road blocks to keep the cowboy roofers out. It seems that these people are just waiting for a disaster to happen so they can cash in. Rule number one is never to employ a door- knocker; these are the worst of their kind. The usual type of people who will knock on your door are travellers, they are tarmac layers in the summer and roofing contractors in the winter. They will normally want cash payments and in extreme conditions have been known to forcibly take you to your bank to withdraw the cash.
Even if you look through the yellow pages, whom do you choose? Behind many of those impressive adverts lies a firm of cowboys just waiting for you to call. You may think that a company is reputable because the advert has trade association logos all over it. Don’t be fooled by that - many of the companies using trade association logos are not and have never been members of any trade association. The Confederation of Roofing Contractors would advise you always to ring the trade association first to see if your contractor is an approved member. The yellow pages have dedicated two pages in the back of every book to trade associations; their telephone numbers and addresses are now published. In truth, the majority of roofing contractors are reputable; it is the minority that give the industry a bad name.
How can I ensure that a roofing contractor is reputable? The Confederation of Roofing Contractors was formed in 1985 to protect the general public against unscrupulous roofing contractors. Since then, the confederation has expanded to become an elite organisation specialising in the provision of roofing services to all market sectors. Members of the confederation are totally committed to providing all clients with a quality driven service that reflects good craft skills, working practices and reasonable fees. A strict vetting procedure ensures that only reputable roofing contractors are afforded membership, the fringe element is totally excluded. The confederation has approved members in most areas of the country and a list of members in your area is available by phone, fax, or letter. Today’s reputable roofing contractors not only have to have a vast knowledge of roofing, they also have to be well versed in all aspects of health & safety, another reason why you should not employ a door knocker with a ladder on his shoulder. Gone are the days when a man could climb a ladder with his mate at the bottom holding it in position. Today, scaffolding is a vital part of the roofing contractors equipment, and erecting and dismantling it is also a skill. It is also your duty to provide adequate safety precautions to comply with current health and safety regulations. Your contractor should make you aware of this need. Members of the Confederation of Roofing Contractors are instructed to supply sufficient information at the commencement of a contract to satisfy client needs. This information should include rates/total price/extra over items, technical information and additional options, if relevant. Each quotation for the general public must reflect their limited technical knowledge. All wording should be self-explanatory and avoid over technical bias. Care is taken to describe exactly what the quotation covers. Every effort is made to finish contracts on time, to price agreed, to the total satisfaction of the client.
What if my roof starts leaking and the contractor has ceased trading? Unfortunately this happens time and again. You often find that when you need a repair carried out under the terms of your guarantee, your contractor has either ceased trading, disappeared, or is trading under a different name. You are then left with another bill to pay to have the roof repaired. By using a member of the Confederation of Roofing Contractors you need never worry about this happening to you. All members are able to offer an exclusive fully insured 10-year back up guarantee. This covers you in the event of the contractor ceasing trading for any reason whatsoever; it even covers you if the contractor retires. The insurance backed guarantee covers both domestic and commercial properties; there is no limit as to the cost of the contract. The Confederation of Roofing Contractors is available to assist you with any problems you may have with your roof, even if your contractor is not a member. They exist to protect you and will give you any advice you may need. Visit our web site on. www.corc.co.uk
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Staining windows to perfection Stained glass specialism isn’t a profession you hear about everyday and the beauty and splendour that can be seen in stained glass windows is often taken for granted as simply being there. However, producing stained glass is an art form that requires skill and precision and is just as intricate as it looks. Susan McCarthy is the director of Auravisions Ltd, a nationwide stained glass specialist company based in Essex, and she took the time out to talk to Premier Construction to discuss the complexities of stained glass production.
What is involved with Auravisions Ltd? Auravisions Ltd is a stained glass specialist company set up 1991 which completes everything stained glass related from small in-situ repairs to re-leading of large stained glass windows. We also design and make new windows for domestic, commercial and public projects. Approximately 75% of our work revolves around Church windows, either producing new ones or repairing existing ones.
How difficult is it to produce stained glass that successfully meets the high specification of Church buildings? It can be very challenging but we work closely with our clients to ensure that we produce designs that last and that we use imagery that is enduring. The designs have to be relevant to the building and what the building represents; what we create has to be fit for purpose and relate to those that frequent the church and those that may only visit once. We are currently undergoing window work with a Church that wants to convey the celebration of a Churchwarden’s life; a member of the diocese who was particularly dynamic in all of the Church’s activities. The Church wants it to be a commemoration of the positive contributions she made over many years and it is our job to make the design both personal and universal.
The process begins with a design that has been approved and altered accordingly by the client’s specifications. This is then drawn up to a full size scale drawing or ‘Cartoon’ – a design which gets as close to the look of the finished product as possible. We then trace a cutline over this from which the glass cut before it is acid-etched, painted, stained or enamelled. It is then put up on a glass easel against the light to ensure the colour and glass selection is correct. It is then assembled over the cutline using lead strips (calms), which are soldered together and cemented to render watertight and solid. Structural elements that are needed to support the window when it is placed in the stonework are added in the form of glazing bars.
What makes Auravisions Ltd stand out over their competitors? We work nationwide if required, enjoying the variety that this brings. We are accredited with the Professional Accredited Conserver-Restorer (PACR) body and we have a regular customer base including the many churches we have worked for over the years, architects, and the Churches Conservation Trust and building contractors, who not only return to us but also recommend our services to others.
How complex is the stained glass procedure and how long can it take? The time scale can vary depending on the size of the window, the processes that are used and how complicated the design is. We create traditional painted windows using time honoured techniques and kiln-fired paint work. The amount of time the glass spends in the kiln depends on how many layers of paint are required, as a design could entail not only the initial painted details but added colour using stain and enamels, each with their own firing temperatures.
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Think Third Party Certification Says Fire Expert Leigh Hill, a leading fire technical expert and business development manager at Warrington Certification, highlights the importance of ‘third party certification’ for construction products in addition to CE marking, which will be mandatory in all European member States including the UK, Sweden and Finland if the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) is implemented in 2012. In the case of fire protection products and services, independent third party certification is critical to ensure that a product or solution is fit for purpose and will deliver the designated fire performance in a life or death situation. However, many manufacturers are under the impression that CE marking their products will remove the need for third party certification, but this could not be further from the truth! CE Marking was adopted by the European Union to establish a single market, allow free trade and foster economic development within the member states. In many cases CE Marking has allowed products to be imported from all over the world and this is where potential quality and performance issues can come in to play. In some areas products can be self-certificated to demonstrate compliance with the essential requirements of the Construction Products Directive (CPD). While CE Marking permits a product’s access in to the EU, it is not an approval or quality mark nor is it intended to be a marketing tool. CE is a “marking”, which demonstrates that the product has fulfilled the minimum requirements imposed through the CPD. In some cases there is no requirement for independent testing or verification of the factory production control. CE marking also does not address the issues of compatibility, for example on which doors a particular piece of hardware can be used, and for which fire resistance period it is suitable. This can have serious consequences as a product will only give the desired level of fire performance if it is partnered with the correct sub-components and is installed by a competent installation contractor. Increasingly using third party certification allows manufacturers to demonstrate performance differentiation and gain a market advantage over their competitors. A CE marked product is immediately more attractive if it has the additional benefits of independent third party certification, such as CERTIFIRE, the well established product conformity scheme offered by Warrington Certification. CERTIFIRE was launched in 1988 to provide a third party certification mark for passive fire products and although voluntary, CERTIFIRE’s popularity has grown considerably since product manufacturers increasingly appreciate the benefits that independent product verification brings. The five key elements to CERTIFIRE take it far beyond CE marking and include inspection and surveillance of a factory production control system, initial type testing on independently sampled product, design appraisal against a technical schedule, assessment of a defined field of application and on-going audit testing. Fire performance is only one aspect of the performance that is evaluated under the scheme. The product must also be ‘fit for purpose’ and in addition to the fire performance and quality aspects, CERTIFIRE addresses the other essential characteristics relevant to the product to ensure maximum performance in a fire situation.Warrington Certification’s CERTIFIRE scheme enables a product manufacturer to distinguish his products from the rest. A good example of where CERTIFIRE is ideal is with doorsets that have fire or smoke resistance. With so many different types of doorset, ironmongery and glazing apertures for example
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Part of the rigorous testing which fire doors have to undergo to achieve CERTIFIRE
available, it is very easy to specify a complete doorset that will not perform in a fire, even when it is assembled from tried and tested products from reputable manufacturers. The interaction of all the components of a fire door is critical to its ability to function satisfactorily and provide the intended fire performance. If each of the components have been approved to a recognised scheme such as CERTIFIRE, specifiers can be reassured that all the components will work together in a fire situation. In a nutshell, third party certification offers the specifier, architect, contractor, building owner, regulator or any combination of these confidence when purchasing or selecting the product. Choosing a product, which carries the badge or mark of a reputable third party certification body, will give safeguards as to the performance of the product in its end use application. Also, in the rare event of a failure, it will help to mitigate against the accusation of possible negligence, which may be directed towards the one of the individuals mentioned earlier. For more information, contact Warrington Certification on 01925 655116; alternatively, visit www.warringtonfire.net
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Superior drainage systems offer ultimate fire safety Peter Jennings, Technical Director for ACO Building Drainage, looks at existing standards relating to fire safety in public sector buildings and explains how the latest drainage technology is helping to reduce the risks. It goes without saying that fire safety is a critical consideration during both the specification and construction of public buildings, such as office blocks, retail outlets, places of assembly, hospitals, schools and hotels. As a result, one area in particular that requires considerable thought is the design and installation of drainage systems. These are intrinsically open systems designed to allow liquids to drain away from restaurant kitchens, shower rooms and from rainwater or flooding. However, the open nature of these systems presents open channels through which flames, smoke and toxic gases can easily spread from room to room and floor to floor in the event of a fire. Indeed, in the worst case, the relatively narrow aperture of a drainage channel can actually act as a venturi, increasing the speed at which flames and fumes can travel and therefore spread. While standards have been introduced in recent years to provide design guidance for minimising the risk of flames, smoke and fumes, such as the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety Order) 2005, Building Regulations Approved Document B Fire Safety, April 2007, BS EN 1366-3:2004 Fire Resistance Tests for Service Installations and BS EN 13501-2:2003 Fire Classification of construction products and building elements, the task of specifying the correct building drainage remains a challenge as there is still a lack of widely recognised and appropriate universal standards for companies to work to. To address the problem, leading manufacturers, such as ACO Building Drainage, have developed innovative new technologies, including a range of high performance floor gullies that are effectively fire proof and, perhaps as importantly, can provide a high degree of automatic smoke protection. These new systems have also been designed specifically for multipurpose applications and allow for easy installation with modern building and construction techniques. Traditionally, drainage products have generally been manufactured using plastic and aluminium, which makes them unable to withstand the high temperatures of up to 1,000°C that are often found in building fires. By comparison, the latest gullies are manufactured with cast iron bodies with a melting temperature of at least 1,120°C. Equally, to prevent the drainage gullies and connecting pipework from providing a path for the passage of fire, smoke or noxious gases, these gullies feature unique fire protection cartridges.
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Perhaps most importantly, these new cartridges are tested and certified to meet BS EN 1366 Part 3 – Fire Resistance Tests for Service Installations – Penetration Seals, and are constructed from an intumescent material that expands dramatically when the ambient temperature reaches approximately 200°C. As a result, the rigid cast iron body forces the cartridge to expand inwards causing it to block off the gully outlet entirely from fire and smoke. Furthermore, the fire protection cartridge can easily be retrofitted if the building undergoes a change of use, where fire protection is later required. In addition, this latest generation of drainage gullies has been designed in accordance with BS EN 1253 Gullies for Buildings meaning that they can be installed without the need for further performance and safety testing. Moreover, they offer specifiers a broad range of grating styles, in either stainless steel or nickel bronze for use in solid or suspended concrete floors, and in both new build or refurbishment projects. They are also compatible with a wide range of floor coverings, including tiled, resin, cementitious or flexible sheet flooring applications. The latest building drainage systems have also been designed to improve the flexibility and ease of use for specifiers and installers still further. For example, the latest gullies from leading manufacturers are supplied with membrane clamps as standard, while a wide range of gully tops are available for various floor finishes, including insulated floors, eliminating the need to specify additional raising sections. There are also options for gullies to be supplied with wetroom gully tops, which incorporate an integral, hermetically sealed polypropylene fleece to ensure watertight connections with proprietary roller or brush applied tanking systems, as well as rodding eyes for use with all types of floor finishes and double seals on the covers ensuring air and watertight access. Naturally, fire safety plays a key deciding role when planning, designing and building both public and commercial facilities. In particular, it has always been critical to prevent the risk of flames, smoke and toxic gases spreading through conduits and drainage systems by specifying and installing appropriate solutions. With the advent of new building drainage technology, the pressure of this task can be somewhat alleviated, leaving contractors to rest assured that these systems provide highly effective fire protection and meet the appropriate standards, without compromising on the ability of gullies to carry out their primary task of water removal. For further information, contact ACO Building Drainage, ACO Business Centre, Caxton Road, Elms Farm Industrial Estate, Bedford, MK41 0LF. Tel: 01462 816666. Email: buildingdrainage@ aco.co.uk. www.acobuildingdrainage.co.uk.
Are your contractors approved? The objective of the Security Industry Authority’s Approved Contractor Scheme is to raise performance standards and to assist the private security industry in developing new opportunities. The scheme is voluntary and was developed in consultation with representatives from across the industry; it covers those parts of the industry that are regulated by the SIA and the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (as amended). Choosing an ACS accredited supplier for the provision of your contract security services will help you to meet your security obligations to your staff, shareholders and other stakeholders. Approved contractors are demonstrably committed to customer service and the compulsory licensing of their staff. This means their customers can rest assured that every private security operative deployed on their premises will be working within the law. The benefits of using an Approved Contractor are wide-ranging:
Continuity of Service Suppliers of security services who are not Approved Contractors are only able to deploy staff that physically hold a valid SIA licence; to do otherwise is a criminal offence. Approved Contractors could be given special dispensation to deploy staff who have completed their training and are waiting for their SIA licence application to be processed. Approved Contractors
will therefore be able to offer greater flexibility and operational effectiveness when supplying security services.
Best Practice and Continuity of Quality You can be confident that the employment practices of the supplier have been extensively assessed in respect of quality and best practice. Should the Approved Contractor subcontract, you can be assured that they will only do so to other SIA Approved Contractors, thereby maintaining the integrity of your security supply.
Clear Customer Focus and Increased Flexibility You can expect effective customer-focused procedures in place to overcome any issues that arise in service delivery. The ACS Standard encourages service customisation, rather than ‘off-the-shelf’ packages. This will help ensure that the services delivered more closely reflect your precise requirements.
Leadership and Innovation The ACS is a progressive quality initiative. It’s also a voluntary scheme. You can expect accredited providers to be highly responsive to change and swift to adopt new methods and best practices.
The Extended Police Family The status of the ACS is recognised by the police and offers the potential for enhanced working relationships. The aim is to provide practical benefits through ‘joined-up’ police, business and community initiatives.
Case study – The SIA in Northern Ireland Launching licensing in Northern Ireland, SIA Chief Executive Bill Butler recently welcomed the first security suppliers in Northern Ireland to achieve Approved Contractor status: “Today heralds a new era for the private security industry in
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A s s o c i ati o n s checked, an SIA licence will show that they are. “We all rely on this industry to keep us safe and to protect our property and possessions, it is only right that we expect set standards of competence and honesty. “I am determined to tackle infiltration of this industry by crooked operators who exploit it for their own personal gain or for the gain of criminal gangs. SIA regulation is the right tool for the job.”
SIA regulations in detail
Northern Ireland. We have worked closely with the Northern Ireland Office, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, those working in the private security industry and other stakeholders to ensure that all those requiring an SIA licence are aware of the new legislation.. “I believe that a professional, regulated private security industry has a valuable and worthy role to play in helping to reduce crime, disorder and the fear of crime. We will be working closely with our partners at the Police Service of Northern Ireland to ensure that those working in the industry do so legally. “Buyers of security services can have peace of mind and confidence knowing that approved companies have reached stringent and wide ranging standards.” Northern Ireland Security Minister Paul Goggins, accompanying Bill Butler at the launch, said: “Northern Ireland will now benefit from the tough regulation offered by the Security Industry Authority. People working in the private security industry should be properly trained and
It is now an offence throughout the United Kingdom to work unlicensed in the following designated sectors: • Cash and Valuables in Transit • Close Protection • Door Supervision • Public Space Surveillance (CCTV) • Security Guard • Key Holding • Immobilisation, restriction and removal of vehicles To obtain a licence, applicants must: • meet training standards set by the SIA and attain a national qualification • provide proof of identity and age • undergo a criminal record check • have the right to work in the UK • not have been sectioned under the Mental Health Act in the last five years. More than 313,000 people are now licensed to work in the regulated security industry throughout the UK and there are 648 companies recognised as SIA Approved Contractors.
The new Planning Policy Statement: what it means for archaeology and you by Peter Hinton, Chief Executive, Institute for Archaeologists ‘Planning Policy Statement 5: planning for the historic environment’ (PPS5) was published in March of this year. It replaces PPG 15 and PPG 16, which have been the cornerstone planning policies for the heritage sector in England for nearly twenty years. It represents one of the most significant opportunities in decades for archaeologists, their clients and the public to get more from archaeology (for time and money put in). In order to realise this opportunity, the whole sector has to think creatively and radically about how archaeology is practised and how the PPS may best be implemented. To take this forward, the Institute for Archaeologists (IfA) discussed the new PPS and how it may be implemented at their April annual conference in Southport. While participants acknowledged that PPGs 15 and 16 (and especially 16) were ground-breaking and have enabled a robust level of archaeological practice and development of significant new information and understanding; it was concluded that the extent and quality of public benefits that government and archaeologists desired could not be delivered consistently because of failures in the way in which the market functioned.
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IFA Excavations of Bronze Age Cist burial
PPS5 however changes everything. It gives archaeologists the potential consistently to • help the property sector get the best out of developmentled investigations • deliver stronger research through a more collaborative approach • focus on understanding and enhancing cultural significance • promote public participation and support • build the expectation of professionally accredited quality
public understanding and appreciation through a wide range of publications and accessible media. This is key for sustainable development. We would like to see a network of staffed resource centres linked to local authority Historic Environment Records, around which public and professionals can coalesce to explore and research the past of their locale, and more opportunities for participation in decision-making and the archaeological process, working with but not supplanting professional experts. For our profession we wish to see strong recognition of our skills, versatility and range of professional services to clients and society IFA 17th century defensive ditch Belfast
But archaeologists need to achieve this in the face of the challenge from substantial cuts that could significantly weaken local government historic environment services and alter the way in which development-led archaeology is managed. To tackle these complex issues a group of specialists has convened to scope out the challenges posed by current practice, the opportunities afforded by PPS5 and the means of achieving them. The group hopes to reach all parts of our multidisciplinary sector, and is committed to promoting a broad and rapid debate about PPS5 across England, and, as far as planning policy permits, across the UK. The outcome of this debate will be structured guidance for implementing the new PPS in a way which demonstrably produces even greater public benefit, which is more cost-effective for those that commission it and which is more rewarding for those that undertake it.
What has changed? The vision for the property sector For the property sector we wish to achieve efficient implementation of the planning system, helping it to meet nationally consistent, fair and proportionate obligations, and to be recognised for the contribution it makes to society through the work of archaeologists. We want our sector to promote better
The Institute’s role The Institute is facilitating the working group of individuals who have volunteered to help facilitate and report on cross-sectoral discussions. The members have strong links with the curatorial, contracting and consulting sectors; local authority conservation officers and buildings conservation professionals; academia; archives; museums; the property and construction sectors; community archaeology groups; and archaeology training and skills development groups. It is planning seminars with a wide range of audiences to gather and develop ideas that will refine the goals and improve delivery, delivery that will help defend PPS5 principles from being weakened or lost in reform of the planning process. The outputs of the project will need to draw on good practice case studies and will include detailed recommendations for improved standards, guidance and training for planners, the archaeological sector and others. Such guidance should cover how to design, manage and implement investigation and understanding of all elements of the historic environment - built, buried, and submerged – in a way that realises the public benefits that PPS5 envisages. We will report in later editions upon the findings and recommendations of the group and just what these mean for you.
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Finding out more about lead
LCA launch the next 25 Years More than 70 architects were among an audience of over 100 that attended the launch of the 2010 Directory of Specialist Leadwork Contractors. Organised by the Lead Contractors Association (LCA) and jointly sponsored by the Lead Sheet Association (LSA), the launch took place at the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining in Carlton House Terrace, London. 2009 saw the LCA celebrate their Silver Jubilee and Chairman David Martin opened the 2010 Directory launch by assessing the objectives he had set last year. These are: • More specifications nominating LCA members for the lead work • Every leadwork project of historical, architectural or commercial significance to be carried out by a member of the LCA • Contractors involved in leadwork that thought they knew how to design and install the material to prove it by applying to join the LCA and having their leadwork standards checked. In looking back, Mr Martin considered that each objective had been addressed with varying degrees of success and he saw no reason why this momentum should not be continued as the LCA start their next 25 years. He closed his presentation by posing the question to the architects and specifiers in the audience as to whether they had a responsibility to not only cover materials and standards of workmanship in their specifications, but also to ensure a registered competent contractor was used to install. Joss Campbell, Chairman of the Lead Sheet Association welcomed the opportunity to put the case for lead sheet in modern day construction, emphasising the unique proven long term sustainability of the material that had now been in use in UK construction for centuries. He emphasised the green credentials of lead, its total recyclability and, given its low melting point and comprehensive national materials reclamation network, the minimal carbon “footprint” of producing and using lead sheet.
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Not least among the advantages of using lead sheet, he said, was the availability through the Lead Contractors Association of a quality controlled workforce to install the product, which maximised its long term performance credentials. Mr Campbell went on to explain the complexities of the London Metal Exchange which set the price for lead but which was nevertheless at the mercy of market speculators who had no interest in the industry other than to trade in metal warrants the same as they did in stocks and shares on the London Stock Exchange. Given the relatively small use of lead sheet in construction (some 200,000 tonnes world wide compared to 6M tonnes (and rising)
in car batteries) the price of lead was therefore out of the hands of the UK sheet manufacturers and contractors. The recession and performance of the stock exchange had caused speculators to look for other markets in which to trade and the London Metal
Exchange had proved an easy target, resulting in the spectacular price surges in recent years of the metals, including lead, that were traded on the LME. The price surge in the LMA lead price in 2008 had led to the unwelcome escalation in thefts, particularly from vulnerable ecclesiastical properties. Thankfully, as a result of better site security, DNA type identification through using such as Smartwater and an improved accountability through the reclamation network, theft issues now appeared to be subsiding. Mr Campbell said now the general expectation was for a period of metals price stability, as the financial stock markets were recovering and traders were returning to them for the more varied options than were available on the LME. Carl Edwards, Managing Director of the CEL Group and Chairman of the LCA Promotions Committee then explained the differences between the three types of lead sheet available in the UK market, as there was often confusion among specifiers, or worse, a general assumption that they were all the same. Rolled lead sheet was the most commonly used, produced from a refined cast slab on a computer controlled rolling mill that achieved thickness tolerances of +/- 5% at any point on the sheet, as required by the European manufacturing standard BSEN12588. Traditional sand cast sheet is the oldest method of production (circa 16thC), where molten metal is poured onto a bed of sand, skimmed to the required thickness whilst still molten and then cut to size when cooled. Machine cast, or Direct Method (DM) sheet is produced by immersing a rotating, water cooled drum into a bath of molten lead. The lead solidifies on the surface of the drum and is lifted from the bath and peeled away in sheets as the drum rotates. For further information about the LCA phone 01342 317888 or Email rwr@lca.gb.com For technical or training information contact the LCA on 01622 872432
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