Premier 17-1 by PHIL AINLEY

Roma Publications

Volume 17 - Issue 1

Park Theatre

To infinity and beyond

The curtains are almost drawn on exciting new refurbishment project

Spaceport America nears completion

The Right Stuff An interview with Brian Mace of Domus Facades

Are you up to date? Contracts are changing. In the last three months the new Construction Act has come in to force and the JCT have released their 2011 editions. Get up to date and perform better with a one day training course from Construction Study Centre. See front cover fold out for details.

Leeds Arena It’s almost time to face the music

Contents PREMIER CONSTRUCTION Dear readers, This month’s edition of Premier Construction focuses on new visions. We explore how innovative ideas are shaping our generation and creating exciting new opportunities for the future. Arthur C. Clarke said: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Doors are being opened to a new world of possibilities, as illustrated by the groundbreaking Spaceport America project. It is only in the last fifty years that space travel has become a reality rather than a fantasy, yet the £133m project will see an increase in the commercial accessibility of spaceflight. With sustainability at the forefront of many new developments, technologies are becoming increasingly advanced. The new Montgomery Primary School has been designed as the UK’s first zero carbon school and will generate all electricity via photovoltaic cells. Education is being delivered in exciting new ways. Furness College will be transformed in order to create world class facilities and modern learning suites. The facilities will be work related; therefore the students will already have the skills, knowledge and understanding required in the work place. In an age of iPods, Nintendos and Wii Sport, technology and entertainment are becoming increasingly synonymous. The new Leeds Arena will provide state-of-the-art entertainment for up to 13,500 spectators, whilst bringing an extra one million visitors and generating an additional £25.5m a year for the city’s economy. We now invite you, readers, to join us as we enter a world of exciting new possibilities.

Volume 17 • Issue 1

North West Furness College .................................................................................................8 Deeplish Community Primary School.................................................................9

North East & Yorkshire Cambridge Lodge Hotel...................................................................................10 Leeds Arena......................................................................................................11 Rotherham Civic Centre...................................................................................13 Chapel Hill.........................................................................................................15

Midlands & East Anglia Saltend Bioethanol Plant..................................................................................17 Birmingham New Street...................................................................................19

South West Montgomery Primary School............................................................................23 Trowbridge Civic Centre...................................................................................19

London & South East Maurice Drummond House.............................................................................26 Havant Academy...............................................................................................29 Hackney Homes...............................................................................................30 Park Theatre......................................................................................................34 Barking Working Men’s Club...........................................................................36 TAG Farnborough Airport................................................................................37 Graff Diamonds................................................................................................48

Scotland Loch Ryan Project............................................................................................54 Innerleithen WTW............................................................................................59 Dowally Burn & Lochbroom Burn....................................................................64 Rosehall Hill Wind Farm..................................................................................67 Wagamama Aberdeen......................................................................................76

Overseas Spaceport America..........................................................................................80 Liefkenshoek Rail Tunnel.................................................................................82 BritNed..............................................................................................................83 Wintrack............................................................................................................84

Heritage Murdoch Award................................................................................................89 CSCS Heritage Skills Card..............................................................................90 English Heritage................................................................................................92

Associations Association of Technical Lighting and Access.................................................95 Fire Industry Association................................................................................98

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Assistant Editor:

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Furness College looks towards the future Architects Broadway Malyan and main contractors Eric Wright Group are working on an exciting £41 million project at Furness College, Cumbria. The campus is to be transformed by a phased refurbishment and new build scheme that will create world-class facilities including state-of-theart learning suites, student social areas, hair and beauty salons and a new restaurant. The project began in September 2010. The new build element of the project is scheduled for handover on the 19th December, followed by the completion of the refurbishment phase in September 2012 and final completion in summer 2013. The £42 million project has been funded by Furness College, Skills Funding Agency and the University of Cumbria in conjunction with North West Development Agency. The four-storey building is a Kingspan structure with copper and composite black thermastone cladding. It has been built to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standard and includes sustainable features such as solar panels. On the ground and first floors, vocational workshops including engineering, construction, motor vehicle and plumbing are show cased. The ground floor features a glass fronted hair and beauty salon with a spa, sauna and other facilities for the public. On the first floor, there is a restaurant with a refectory which will overlook the Channel and Duddon Estuary. The second floor includes learning spaces, laboratories and classrooms. The third floor will contain the management suite and university centre used by the University of Cumbria and other partner universities. This will make Furness College the first dedicated centre for the delivery of university education in Barrow. The HE floor of the building will enable the university to deliver its own HE courses whilst also providing a gateway to further support any student engaging with HE in the area.

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An interesting element of the design is the fact that the facilities are specifically work related, meaning that when the students enter the relevant industry, they will already have the skills, knowledge and understanding required in the work place. Once the new build is complete, the Learning Resource Centre will be refurbished and an external artificial sports pitch will be created. Additional landscaping will include the planting of trees and the installation of benches. Dave Green, Furness College, said: “We are extremely pleased with the progress that is being made on this exciting project, and a robust relationship has been formed between Furness College, Eric Wright and Broadway Malyan.”

New Rochdale school to receive top marks Deeplish Community Primary School, is undergoing a £2.9 million expansion that will provide purpose-built facilities to cater for a further 60 pupils. The new two-storey building is being constructed adjacent to the old school in Hare Street and will incorporate 15 classrooms. These will include a nursery, a library, a staffroom and smaller purpose designed rooms for group work. Large and small multi-purpose halls will also form part of the build, enabling the school to expand its PE curriculum. The building has been constructed using brick up to the first floor, with green and grey cladding above and a pitched roof. Design features include skylights throughout the top floor and over the large hall, flooding the interior with daylight. Other features include curved corridors and sloping eaves on the upper floor. External works include the creation of canopied play areas for the nursery and Year 1 pupils, as well as the erection of new perimeter fencing. Sustainable features include under floor heating and solar panels. The project is being carried out by Main Contractors Jackson, Jackson. Headteacher Penny Burrow said: “I think that the new building is fabulous. Jackson, Jackson has been working very closely with us; they have listened very carefully to what we wanted and have worked to give us what we have asked for.

“It has been a very good process and the quality of the build is good.” The project was first approved in March 2008, whereby work was originally intended to remodel the existing school, with the addition of a first floor to the building. After much thought it was decided that the project would actually prove more cost effective if a new school was constructed. The majority of the new school’s internal layout is identical to the remodeling proposals previously submitted to planning; however, the new design significantly improves the use of space. It is also not the first time work has been undertaken on the school, as it previously had an extension added in 1987. Jackson, Jackson Operations Director Kieren McDonnell said: “We were extremely proud to have been awarded the contract to build this local school, which secures local employment and helps support our local supply chain.” During construction, staff and pupils have moved into temporary accommodation on site.

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Hotel will extend a welcome to extra guests The £1.5 million The Cambridge Lodge Hotel extension project will provide 79 high quality bedrooms when it is completed at the end of the month. The planning application was approved by Kirklees Council on 26th July and 2010 and the project began in January 2011. The project will create 45 new bedrooms, all of which will be fully equipped with satellite TV, en suite and free WiFi. In addition, the new extension will incorporate a catering kitchen, a 50-seater breakfast area, a function room, office facilities, a basement level car park and a lift to all floors. A new link block is also being built between the extension and the original hotel and will contain a reception area and an office. The main contractors are Holroyd Brook & Eaglands Ltd and the architects and quantity surveyors are Manor Building Services. Structural engineers are Rose Consulting Engineers. The extension incorporates a three-storey, 2,000m² bedroom block to the rear and a 200m² two-storey social block to the front. The second block comprises communal areas – such as a bar, dining space and function facilities – which are separated from the bedroom block, preventing noise disturbance for sleeping guests. All rooms are double rooms with the exception of three, which will be family rooms, and a further four, which will provide accommodation for disabled guests. These rooms will include disabilities facilities in the bathrooms such as walk in showers and hand rails. There are also wheelchair ramps and wheelchair

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lifts throughout the building. The external elevations of the main extension are in Marshalls Cromwell walling and incorporate UPVC windows and a composite blue slate roof. The link block is being built in the same materials, but also features an Ashlar frontage. Landscaping will include undercover car parking facilities and peripheral plant boxes, which are hoped to soften the appearance of the building. The extension complies with all building regulation standards and has utilised several sustainable heating technologies in order to create an excellent carbon footprint. David Gething, Manor Building Services, said: “There were some problems in the first two months of the development as we discovered mining areas that had to be filled before construction could commence. However, this was dealt with very quickly by a specialist contractor that poured concrete into the voids. “All of the teams have worked extremely well together throughout the project and we have complied with all of planning regulations, such as cladding the lift shaft in metal decking to give it an industrial appearance. “This was a pleasing project for us because we appreciated what the client was trying to achieve and how they were trying to achieve it. Although this is a budget hotel, the quality and finishes that the client has demanded are certainly of a three and four-star quality.”

The Cambridge Lodge Hotel Situated just a short five minute walk away from Huddersfield Town Centre and only half a mile from the town’s bus and railway stations, the Cambridge Lodge Hotel is a 0.6 mile walk to the University and a 0.8 mile walk to Huddersfield Town’s Galpharm Stadium. The Cambridge Lodge Hotel offers 79 high quality and spacious rooms at very reasonable prices. Whether you are visiting Huddersfield on business, holiday or going to that all important family occasion, The Cambridge Lodge Hotel is the ideal place to stay. All of the rooms are en-suite and tastefully furnished. Each room is equipped with a telephone, 32” LCD television, fridge, Laptop safe, hair dryer, iron and ironing board and a fully stocked hospitality tray for your comfort. Facilities include: express check out/in, conference facilities, non smoking rooms, 24 hour reception and tea & coffee making facilities in all rooms.

£60m Leeds project prepares to face the music The exciting new Leeds Arena will provide state-of-the-art entertainment for up to 13,500 spectators when it hosts its first event early in 2013. Main contractors for the project are BAM Construction and strategic design partner Jacobs is leading a multi-disciplinary design team to conclude the design of the Leeds Arena to the RIBA stage D, having appointed Populous to offer them specialist arena architectural expertise. Expected to boost the city region economy by £25.5m, the project will create approximately 450 jobs and help to attract further investment in the area. The ‘super-theatre’ style arena will have a total capacity of around 13,500 people in a combined standing/seating mode and circa 12,500 in full seating mode. Spectators will be much closer to the stage than other traditional bowl venues as all seats will face the performance area, each of them with perfect sight-lines. The external design of the building is a stunning honeycomb design, with lights that can change colour to reflect the mood of the arena event at the time. The project reached an important milestone in November 2011, when the proscenium beam was installed. The 180 tonne proscenium beam is 45 metres long and is the heaviest piece of steel in the entire arena building, requiring two cranes – each weighing 500 tonnes – to lift it into place. Once it was lifted, twelve people worked for around 36 consecutive hours to hoist it into place. The beam now provides stability to a complex steel

structure that has involved 3,500 tonnes of steel and would stretch for 24 miles from Leeds to York if laid flat. Gordon Alexander, BAM’s Construction Manager for the Leeds Arena, said: “The proscenium steel beam is a crucial part of the whole structure of the Leeds Arena and an important milestone in the scheme as this is when the building really starts to take shape. Once in place, it will create the archway for the stage and support the entire roof structure. “Getting the beam in place at this stage is also an indication that construction is progressing as planned and to programme, which is great news.” Councillor Richard Lewis, Leeds City Council executive member for city development, said: “This is a very exciting milestone for the Leeds Arena development and it is great news that progress is steaming ahead as planned. “The arena is a hugely important construction project for Leeds – it is estimated to bring an additional one million visitors to the city and add around £25.5m per year to the city’s economy. “It is already playing a catalytic part in the wider regeneration of the city centre as further investments and developments are brought forward linked to the arena. All of this helps to take Leeds up a league and plays an important contribution to ensuring the city is in a strong economic position to recover from the current economic climate.” John Sutherland, Managing Director/ Senior Vice President for ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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the Leeds Arena operators SMG Europe, said: “Now that we have reached this significant milestone we look forward to the construction schedule really starting to accelerate ahead of the handover in 2013. It’s still a little too early to announce any events, but we have been extremely encouraged by the excitement this project is generating within the live entertainment industry.” The arena is being funded by Leeds City Council with grant support from Yorkshire Forward. Leeds City Council will use the rent and other commercial revenues generated by the associated commercial development to finance the balance of the proposal. Just over two thirds of funding is from third parties or commercial revenue generated by the scheme.

BAM Construction BAM Construction UK Ltd is part of the European construction enterprise, Royal BAM Group. Their origins in the UK stretch back as far as 1874. BAM Construction has a strong national and international profile. Their projects include the O2 Berlin Arena, Soccer City (the venue for the 2010 world cup final) and the Leeds Rose Bowl. The company has a large network of offices covering England, Scotland and Wales and projects in the education, retail, mixed use development, health, office, leisure and law order sectors.

£53 million civic centre is the jewel in the crown As part of the exciting £2 billion Rotherham Renaissance scheme, the construction of Rotherham’s new £53m civic centre is making good progress. The new development is located on the former Guest & Chrimes site by the River Don and will bring together council services from across the town centre, allowing the vacated sites to be redeveloped. Project Manager Paul Smith told Premier Construction that work was progressing well. He said: “By the time we’re finished, this development will lead to a much more efficient council service – not only in terms of being centralised, but also in terms of

the 30% saving in desk space it will provide.” Architects Carey Jones designed the centre following their success on the Frenchgate Interchange in Doncaster and the St Pauls Quarter in Leeds. Main contractor for the project is GMI Construction. The aim of the project is to provide a high quality new office development that has strong links to the town centre and brings a significant portion of the former Guest & Chrimes site back into economic use. The 16,000m² steel frame structure features composite in-situ metal decked floors that are encapsulated with a stone and metal rainscreen cladding system and drywall lift shaft construction. The exterior will incorporate brass metal work and sandstone in order to reflect the rich history of the borough and the site. The modern office building will contain three individual blocks of 5-7 storeys, interlinked at one end by a large glazed atrium. At the centre of the building is a front reception/entrance block with access via five staircases, eight personnel lifts and one goods lift. Other features include a single storey semi-basement that will incorporate a car park that is coordinated with the structure grid for three blocks. In addition, there will be store and plant rooms. Once complete, the building will achieve a BREEAM energy efficiency rating of ‘Excellent’. Landscaping, flood protection and improvements to the junction with Main Street are also included in the development. The building will open on to the town and river, creating a land mark feature within the new civic square. The publicly accessible plaza will see visitors from the town centre cross the existing

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N o r th E a s t & Yo r ks h i re road bridge and emerge into a bright public space, whilst the design also includes two roof courtyards that have the potential to be developed as garden spaces for the adjacent offices. Chief Executive of Rotherham Council, Martin Kimber, said: “We are all working together delivering regeneration. It is fantastic to see regeneration in the borough, in the heart of the town centre. “GMI Construction Group and their subcontractors are doing a great job in using local labour and sourcing local materials.” Jarrod Best, Managing Director of GMI Construction, added: “This flagship development brings together a state-of–the-art building design and specification, alongside traditionally, locally sourced materials built by a local workforce. “On behalf of the expert team working on this project, we are excited to be playing a leading role in the renaissance of Rotherham town centre, and the ongoing regeneration of the surrounding area, creating new jobs, investment and social opportunities.” Once completed in early 2012, the scheme will free existing council office sites throughout the town centre enabling alternative redevelopment to take place. GMI Construction is a well established and successful building and construction services company with a track record for delivering award winning projects for an international portfolio of developers, public sector clients and blue chip companies. The company’s operations span multiple sectors and regions. They specialise in the delivery of high quality, energy efficient and often complex construction projects worth up to £50 million - working from inception to completion and meeting tight deadlines and rigorous specifications with confidence.

Shaping the future for children and young adults The future looks bright for West Yorkshire residents living with special needs, thanks to the completion of three new accommodation blocks in Mirfield. The Meadows development was designed to cater for children and young adults with profound special needs and the new buildings will now house twenty-four young adults and six children. Completed in October 2011, the project was carried out by Main Contractors Triton Construction for the Hollybank Trust. The units were built using load bearing construction, with external elevations in a combination of reconstituted stone and cedar cladding. This incorporated wooden framed windows and roofing was completed with a mixture of cladding and Sedum. Each of the units was specifically designed to meet the needs of its occupants and has incorporated special features, including extra wide doors intended for wheelchair access. The construction of the three units comprised building two residential units for young adults, featuring twelve en-suite bedrooms. The third unit built is a six-bedroom respite care unit designed especially for children. Arranged in the shape of a letter ‘W’, each of the two young adult units is divided by a central area containing a reception, a large lounge and staff offices. Two wings on either side of each unit contain a kitchen, small lounge, assisted bathroom and six en-suite bedrooms.

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The smaller respite care unit for children is designed in a ‘V’ shape and incorporates a large lounge, an assisted bathroom, a small private lounge and six en-suite bedrooms. Interior design work - including picking colour schemes for carpets, curtains and soft furnishings - was determined by the children and young adults who occupy the buildings. External works on the site have included top-soiling and seeding of new garden areas around the buildings. The detailed landscaping is scheduled for a later date. A significant challenge that was overcome early in the project was the discovery of three mine shafts on the site, which required grouting and capping before work could continue. Triton Construction’s Paul Halloran said: “The project went very well and the only main issue was the discovery of the mineshafts which were not revealed in searches carried out prior to the contract.” He added: “However, this was the second project we carried out for the trust, with the first being in south Kirkby in 2009, so this allowed us to learn from previous experience.” Hollybank Trust has been based in Mirfield for 21 years and is now recognised as a leading centre for the care of both adults and children with complex disabilities. Services provided by the trust have changed almost beyond recognition over this time, as the number of people with complex disabilities has risen. As well as looking after the residents’ complex medical and lifestyle needs, the trust – which employs 500 staff – also strives to provide the best quality of life they can. Experienced team members include speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists. The Trust’s resources include a hydro-therapy pool with sensory lighting and sound, a spa pool and an activity hall, set up with a trampoline for rebound therapy. Alison Howard, head of residential services at Hollybank, said: “We have really pushed to become a care facility for life.

Chapel Hill project finally nears completion An exciting project to transform a row of empty shops dating from 1908 into twenty-two apartments is almost complete in Morley Bottoms, Leeds. Main contractors Mansell plc and architects Brewster Bye Architects are carrying out the £2.9m project for Yorkshire Housing. The development has been carried out in a funding partnership between Leeds City Council, Yorkshire Housing, Aire Valley Homes Leeds and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The Chapel Hill development comprises a mixture of one and two-bedroom units, all of which have been designed to achieve the Code for Sustainable Homes level 3 and Secured by Design standards. Although the building is situated on the perimeter of the conservation area, a traditional palette of materials has been selected. Interestingly, Brewster Bye Architects have fused the conventional stone and brickwork exterior with a decidedly modern interior, illustrating an innovative modern take on the traditional vernacular buildings. The apartments are single or double aspect and feature modern, high quality kitchens with contemporary laminate flooring. In addition, the bathrooms are decorated to hotel specification and feature tiling from floor to ceiling. Councillor Peter Gruen, Leeds City Council’s Executive Board member for neighbourhoods and housing, said: “It is excit-

In the past there were cases where 19-year-olds with profound disabilities were leaving school and being placed into an old people’s home or nursing home. “You can’t believe it but it still happens in some areas. We couldn’t let that sort of thing keep happening.” With growing demand for quality care for complex needs, it is now a school and care home provider for 102 children and adults who all have the choice to be looked after 24-hours-aday, 52-weeks-a-year for the rest of their lives. The majority of the children and young people at Hollybank School are dependent for everyday support from the school, including communication, mobility and well-being. All have severe disabilities, with many in wheelchairs, and some have life-shortening conditions. The completion of the three new units will continue to strengthen Hollybank Trust’s portfolio, so that those living with profound special needs will be offered the support that they require for years to come. ing to see how Morley Bottoms will look once work has been completed on this development. The Chapel Hill apartments will compliment the regeneration of the area and further demonstrates the commitment from both the council and our partners to deliver the more affordable housing across Leeds, even in these difficult economic times.” Mark Henderson, Brewster Bye Architects, said: “The project is excellent news for the area and is a good example of housing for local people in the Morley area. Following extensive community consultation, the local councillors have been very supportive of the scheme. “These projects take a long time to come into fruition and the building has been a long time in its gestation period. It will be with great relief and excitement that the scaffolding will be taken down and we will be able to see what we have created.” It is expected that handover will take place prior to Christmas so that the residents can occupy the building in the New Year.

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Midlands & East Anglia

Fuelling the future with Vivergo’s bioethanol plant With the rise in fuel prices always a hot topic of the day, investments in a secure future for the fuel industry is something that benefits everyone. One such company working towards this goal is Vivergo Fuels, who are behind a £200 million bioethanol plant based in the Saltend area of Hull, Humberside. Vivergo Fuels is a combination of Associated British Foods plc, DuPont and BP, with both BP and ABF owning an even share in the plant and DuPont having a 10% stake in the company. European Investment Bank has injected £60 million into financing the project and with 75 jobs being created at the plant once it becomes operational, it will become one of the largest biofuel production plants in Europe. The aim of Vivergo Fuels’ plant each year is to convert one million tonnes of wheat into 420 million litres of bioethanol, as well as 500,000 tonnes of high protein animal feed. Bioethanol is a bio fuel, which is a fuel source that originates from living organisms, by reducing carbon dioxide into organic compounds. It is derived from the process of fermentation and is an alcohol made mostly from carbohydrates found in crops containing starch or sugar; such as sugar beet, corn or wheat. These biofuels are then mixed with fossil fuels to cut the amount of oil that is being used, making it a hugely beneficial and renewable source of energy. With petrol prices continuing to rocket, the production of bioethanol is a huge stepping stone between both the oil and agricultural industries. A planning application for the plant was submitted in late 2007, with approval being granted the following summer. Construction began in 2008, with approximately 900 people working on the site. BioCnergy, a joint company consisting of Praj Industries and Aker Solutions has provided equipment, engineering, construction and project management services and has been helping to develop the plant with Vivergo Fuels since 2007. The main structure of the Humberside plant is a steel frame, with aluminium framed windows, reconstituted stonework for wall cladding and profiled sheeting on the roof, with aluminium

standing seam panels. Housed within the plant are eight 4400m₃ fermentation tanks, six silos to store 1500 tonnes of wheat, four cooling towers, a storage warehouse, dryers and a tanker loading bay. There is also a process water treatment plant, which condenses, collects, cleans and recycles all of the water used at the plant. These are set out across three different departments; the mill, the brewery and the distillery. Alongside the main plant is a pilot plant, which has been conceived to focus on the development of the biofuel, biobutanol; a second generation biofuel. The wheat used at the Saltend plant will be sourced locally from around the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire area, taking in 1.1 million tonnes of wheat each year. This wheat would have previously been exported outside of the UK, so not only does the plant make use of British products it retains them for use within the UK. The wheat will be milled into wholemeal flour, mixed with water, cooked, treated with enzymes and yeast and then distilled. During the process the starch is transformed into ethanol, whilst the protein becomes animal feed. At the moment 3% of fuel at UK service stations is derived from ethanol and as it is a more environmentally friendly product, Vivergo Fuels predict that its use is the equivalent of taking 180,000 cars off the road per year. It’s not a new thing either; bioethanol has been around since the start of the 20th century, however it became overshadowed in the early 1900s as oil was deemed a much cheaper fuel. This is something that has clearly seen a role reversal as of late, with Brazil being one of the leading users of bioethanol, second only to the USA. The fuel source has not had such a high profile across Europe, but it is believed that Vivergo Fuel’s Saltend plant will help to change that. With new directives and legislations already in place since the beginning of the 21st century, when the plant commences production in 2012 it will be the next step forward for a new generation of sustainable biofuels in the UK.

New school has a spring in its step The new Springbank Primary School in Eastwood, Nottingham, is fast reaching completion. Main contractors Kier Marriott are carrying out the £4.5m project, which was designed by Nottinghamshire County Council. The project consists of a new building, a wildlife/conservation area at the top of the site and a football pitch. It began in November 2010 and is expected to be completed later this month. Designed in an H-plan, the school comprises a lightweight steel frame structure with predominant brick cladding, whilst a few of the areas are finished with Sto Render. The building comprises of two wings - the East and West - which are linked to form an H-plan. Teaching areas are retained within the West wing whilst the East wing features a reception, admin facilities and a Head Teacher’s office, along with a hall, kitchen, community use facility and the pre-school and foundation classes, which have a combined hard and soft play area. The link between the two

wings contains nurture facilities and a central resource area. The nurture area and all of the classrooms open onto external landscaped areas. External works have included a 55m x 36.5m soccer pitch and terraced retaining walls by use of stacked gabion retaining wall filled with stone, stacked concrete block walling system and a series of pressure treated timbers. One of the main aspects of the building’s design is the incorporation of sustainable features. Great efforts have been made by both the architects and the main contractors to minimise visual and audio disturbance, which has been achieved by means of both temporary and permanent acoustic fencing around the site. With environmental sustainability at the forefront of this development, the pond and the conservation area at the top of the site provide wildlife diversity and serve an educational purpose. Where possible, perimeter hedgerows and mature trees have been retained. ROMA PUBLICATIONS

Midlands & East Anglia Interestingly, the project has also included an extensive drainage system to reduce and manage flood risk. French drains and a large attenuation tank have been installed to control and manage ground water, which should significantly improve the flood risk within and around the site. Gordon Adatsi from Nottinghamshire County Council explained: “We always take the environment into consideration when designing a school. We have also carefully considered the impact of the design and construction work on the neighbours by making significant efforts to accommodate and manage the concerns of all interested parties throughout the consultation and construction process. “This derelict site has now been transformed to provide delightful facility for the benefit of pupils and the community. The design has optimised the levels across the site and provides safe access for all via ramps. The building provides secure teaching and learning environment and the large volume of interior spaces created by the high ceilings provides a sense of freedom and free thinking. “Everyone – staff, students and the construction team alike – are delighted with the finished product. This is an excellent design that we hope will benefit the children and community for many years to come.”

School Improvements The new Springbank school is part of Nottinghamshire County Council’s £100m plans to improve existing schools and create new learning spaces across the region. The Council started a review of school buildings across the county following the cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future school programme, and the programme will work to the three Rs set out by the Government for school building works – refresh, refurbish, reuse. Councillor Reg Adair, the County Council’s Cabinet Member for

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Finance and Property, said: “I am delighted that these schools will reap the benefits of this funding as they are in need of urgent attention due to their poor condition and many not have enough classroom space for the extra number of anticipated pupils in the near future.” Councillor Philip Owen, the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “This is the first phase of an ambitious programme which is the largest ever investment the Council has made to improve the condition of local schools. “We are committed to making sure that Nottinghamshire children have a good start in life with the educational opportunities that they deserve.”

Outside Structure Solutions Formally known as Covered Outdoor Solutions, Outside Structure Solutions is based in Cambridgeshire and specialises in providing outdoor canopies for the school and leisure market. Whilst under its former name, the company worked with Kier Marriott and Nottingham County Council to provide outdoor canopies for use in external teaching and recreation at Eastwood Primary school. Outside Structure Solutions was brought on board due to its ability to match the specific design requirements of the school. Over three days it installed a 9 metre wide canopy, with everything running smoothly from start to finish. Outside Structure Solutions company director Bill Caldwell said: “Outside Structure Solutions are specialist suppliers of outdoor canopies for schools and the leisure market and our products are designed so that they are suitable for use wherever they are needed.” The canopy will now offer the students of Eastwood Primary School protection from all weather conditions including rain and harmful UV rays.

New Street, New Start New Street Station, one of the busiest and most important rail hubs in the country, will soon be transformed into a world-class interchange through a £600 million improvement project, known as New Street Gateway. The improvements will create an icon for Britain’s second city, and set new standards for comfort and convenience which will benefit rail travelers up and down the country. The project began in September 2009 and is expected to be complete in early 2016. The first phase (the construction of the concourse) is expected to be complete in 2012/13 and the second phase (the atrium) the following year. The New Street Gateway will remain fully operational throughout. Advantage West Midlands, the regional development agency (RDA) for the West Midlands, have contributed £100m – the largest investment in a single project by any RDA in the country – whilst the Department of Transport is providing a total of £288m, pledged in two stages. The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform will provide £100m, and the Government will provide £388m. Network Rail (Britain’s railway infrastructure operator) committed £128m and Centro a further £10m, along with other contributions from the private sector. The programme is being delivered by a heavyweight team comprising Advantage West Midlands, Birmingham City Council, Centro and Network Rail. The partnership was formed to deliver an iconic landmark befitting Birmingham’s status as a fulcrum for the British transport network, and relieve the strain which has blighted New Street in recent years. Approximately 60% of the trains travelling between London and the North of England each day pass through New Street and the total number of people who use the station each week equates to the entire population of Manchester and Liverpool combined. Yet New Street has received little improvement or enlargement since it opened in the 1960s, and now receives more than double the number of passengers it was originally designed to handle. As a result of this onerous workload, the existing facilities have come under increasing strain and the facades of the station

have become aged and tattered. The Gateway project will make the station wider and more accessible, reducing congestion and inconvenience for passengers, and give the facility a fresh, dynamic image for the 21st century.

Specific Improvements The existing platforms will be made brighter, clearer and more accessible, with 8 new entrances, 14 new lifts and 42 new escalators providing better access for all. Meanwhile an iconic new façade will build on Birmingham’s emerging reputation for good design: a grand concourse (three and a half times bigger than the present hall) will create a new focal point for the building, enclosed by a 2,800m² atrium filled with natural light. In addition to these essential improvements, the shopping centre above the station will receive a complete makeover, and the exterior of the station will take on a gentle curving form, and will be covered in reflective sheets of metal. The façade will incorporate three high-technology digital displays reporting train timetable information, which will enhance movement through the station and make the entrances to the concourse clear and easy to find. Finally the project will facilitate a major commercial mixed-use development opportunity for two 30-storey towers to the southern aspect, all surrounded by pleasant new public spaces and squares. Several sustainable and environmentally considerate features have been included in the design. Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) will help manage storm and surface water that runs off surfaces, preventing flooding and the overloading of sewers, whilst systems for harvesting rainwater and grey water have been included to facilitate essential functions such as toilet flushing. Green roofs will provide a plethora of environmental benefits, soaking up storm water and air pollution while absorbing carbon dioxide and providing a valuable city centre wildlife habitat. ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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Midlands & East Anglia Recent milestones The project reached a major milestone when Birmingham City Council completed the purchase of The Pallasades shopping centre, directly above the station. The Pallasades is key to the redevelopment of the entire area as part of the flagship scheme, a fact recognised by Councillor Mike Whitby, Leader of Birmingham City Council and chairman of the New Street Funders Board. Cllr Whitby said: “This is a significant development in the Gateway project and its speedy acquisition means that the momentum is building towards delivering a completely new rail station for Birmingham, the region and the UK. “The purchase of the Centre was an important component of the plan, and shows our commitment to the project and our determination to ensure Birmingham has a station fit for the future. “Network Rail is a key partner in our proposals and they will continue to undertake the day-to-day management of the Centre, through their current agents Savilles. So, it will be ‘business as usual’ for tenants, staff and shoppers alike – a New Start for New Street begins now.” Mick Laverty, chief executive at Advantage West Midlands, said: “This is an important and positive step forward for the Gateway project, particularly in such a challenging time for the economy. “Our £100 million investment is still the largest investment in a single regeneration project by any regional development agency in the country and shows our commitment to creating a worldclass rail hub for West Midlands. “During the downturn it is vital that government funding from Advantage West Midlands and partners in the public sector keep major physical developments moving forward, creating jobs and changing lives long after the global economy has picked itself up and brushed itself down.” Neil Thompson, construction director for Network Rail, said: “The commercial agreement is a significant development for the project. Network Rail has been working on detailed designs for

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the station, following the launch of visionary concepts last year, which will enable us to start on site as early as possible. “The public has made it absolutely clear they back our plans to transform New Street and this deal means passengers are one step closer to the station they deserve.”

Stannah Predominantly known for its worldwide business as a producer of the famous stairlift, Stannah is an independent UK based family business. It is a large commercial and industrial company, specialising in lift and escalator service and repair throughout the UK and Ireland. It has contracts with a number of high-profile companies, including Network Rail, many high street retailers, leading brands and blue chip organisations. Stannah is currently involved in the installation of escalators for the Birmingham Gateway Project which prior to work commencing on the project involved tendering via Network Rail and its consultants and a tender process with main contractor Mace. The company began the tender process 12 months before receiving official contracts, but with work beginning at the end of 2011 with the installation of the first 17 machines everything so far has run according to plan. Escalator and Moving Walkway Manager for the UK, Ian Carter said: “Stannah Lift Services Ltd has always been at the heart of the group and has built its reputation over the years on its high level of engineering experience, quality and project management skills which enables us to secure such prestigious contracts. “Today it can offer any client lift, escalator and servicing requirements throughout the UK, from a single unit up to a multinational supply chain.” Stannah is also proud to wave the British flag and sees the future of its company existing in the hands of the next generation. By heavily investing in apprentices it puts money back into the people who make the company the success that it is.

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UK’s first zero carbon school is an architectural exemplar The new £9 million Montgomery Primary School has been designed as the UK’s first zero carbon school. Constructed by main contractors BAM and designed by NPS Exter, the school has been designed to meet PassivHaus standards. The scheme, carried out for Devon County Council, is a demonstration project through the Zero Carbon Task Force. The school is located in Redvers Road, Exeter and caters for 420 pupils plus a day nursery. It has been built adjacent to the original school, which was demolished once the new school was completed. The school and nursery facilities are integrated within one building, whilst further facilities include a large hall and a smaller studio that provides facilities for sport, performances and community activities. In addition, there is a catering area and classrooms that link to the associated external teaching spaces. The external elevations of the building comprise a highly insulated concrete sandwich construction and a monopitch single ply membrane roof. External works have included the creation of a multi use games area, external play areas, external teaching spaces and a car park. In addition, there has been extensive landscaping. A number of challenges were presented during the project, including an extremely restrictive site and one of the worst winters on record. However, all challenges were successfully overcome and the school was completed on schedule in time for half term. This allowed the teachers to move from the old school and set up in the new building in time for the returning pupils. The school is designed to meet the stringent PassivHaus

standards which require buildings to have extremely low energy usage whilst providing excellent comfort conditions in both winter and summer. The PassivHaus design approach has a successful track record in mainland Europe and has been used for the construction of 25 schools in Germany and Austria. The Flemish region of Belgium has recently implemented a school building programme in which every school is to be PassivHaus certified. Montgomery Primary School is the first PassivHaus school in the UK. Taking the requirements of zero carbon and PassivHaus on board demanded that the a number of criteria be met including the fact that adoption of the PassivHaus standard set a limit of 15 kWh/m2/yr for heating, compared to the current demand of between 113 – 164 kWh/m2/yr for a school built to current Building Regulations. The school also had to be super insulated with all components of the building envelope insulated to a U-value below 0.15 W/ m2/K. In addition the building had to be air tight with a minimal air leakage, <0.6 air changes/hour which equals an air permeability value of less than 1m3/hr/m2 @ 50 Pa. Controlled ventilation had to be comfortable, healthy and sustainable. In terms of heat recovery, the major part of the warmth from exhaust air is fed in again to the fresh air supply with a heat recovery rate above 80 per cent. The zero carbon element required that all electricity is provided on-site via photovoltaics. As a result, over 1,200 sq m of PV panels have been mounted on the roof of the building. In summer, the electricity generated from the panels will be sold to

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S o u th We s t the National Grid, which will in turn generate an income for the school. The robust design of the building is expected to not only pass current requirements but to meet the demands of predicted future climate to 2080. These are tough demands that called for a construction approach that offered future-proofed long-term performance. NPS determined that the high thermal mass and air-tightness of precast concrete panels formed an important part of the solution. In order to increase the cost-effectiveness and buildability of precast prefabrication, a modular approach was developed in which all the classrooms were designed as identical units that incorporate toilets, cloakrooms and stores. This also allowed the provision of a draught lobby to maintain air temperature and control air leakage whilst providing direct access to outside. The high thermal mass and air-tightness of the precast concrete panels means that a traditional boiler is not required; rather, the ‘body’ of the heat source is the pupils and teaching staff. The variable air volume mechanical ventilation system will also be provided with electric heater batteries in individual classrooms for extreme weather circumstances. Arthur Tatchell, Director of Architecture at NPS, said: “We used the PassivHaus principles to design the building because this is a well known, well respected, measurable method. We are now in the process of having the building accredited and expect to receive our certification in December 2011. The PassivHaus system was also a significant step in achieving a zero carbon rating.” “The insulation in the building is massive and the standard of air-tightness around windows and doors is so high that the company who came in to test it had to run the test twice as they did not believe the result. They said that it is the most airtight building they have ever measured.”

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Solar Sense A 167.79 kWp solar PV array was installed at the new Montgomery Primary School by Solarsense UK Ltd, the South West’s leading solar company. Comprising 714 Sanyo 235Wp solar modules and nine SMA Sunny Tripower 17000TL inverters, the array is split over the purpose-built South-facing roof and a second flat roof, using an A-frame mounting system. It was specified to meet the school’s entire annual electricity requirements, and is a major contributing factor to the carbon neutrality of the building. With a predicted annual energy yield of 167,873 kWh, the solar alone will save approximately 148,708 kg of CO2 every year.

New vision for Trowbridge Civic Centre Trowbridge Civic Centre has been transformed by a £5m project that will allow Trowbridge Town Council to consolidate their activities in a single building whilst providing social and leisure opportunities for the local community. Hydrock Consultants were the designers and project managers and Beard the main contractor for the project, which began in August 2010 and was completed earlier this month. The original 1970s single storey Civic Hall has been partly demolished and the footprint extended on one elevation. A new two-storey perimeter around the existing performance hall has been constructed, creating offices, additional letting space, a conference and entertainment centre and a cafe. The new Trowbridge Civic Centre features a standing seam roof and walls that are clad in a combination of sweet chestnut, brick and copper coloured metal cladding. In addition, some reconstituted stone and stone effect blocks have been used to complement the other materials. The building is significantly more efficient than its predecessor and includes sustainable features such as an air source heat pump and under-floor heating. Moreover, energy efficient double-glazing has been installed throughout the centre to work with the additional insulation that has already made the building extremely energy efficient. Landscaping has comprised a new terrace and deck area outside the building, along with the planting of trees. The main

entrances have also been re-landscaped and the north side of the building has been remodelled. Dave Lawes, Hydrock Consultants, said: “The project has gone extremely well and we have managed to complete the project on programme. Everyone has worked well together and I believe we have created a very beneficial and efficient building.”

Transforming Trowbridge The refurbishment of the Civic Centre comes as part of the ‘Transforming Trowbridge’ project, which aims to transform the former industrial town into a vibrant commercial centre for Wiltshire. The project began in 2001, when several agencies joined together to develop a ‘Vision for Trowbridge’. It is led by Wiltshire Council in partnership with developers, businesses and Trowbridge Town Council. Schemes in the town include the completion of Shires Gateway, a retail led scheme with 75,000 sq ft of shop units. Parkridge Developments Ltd has completed the project, which has seen high street names such as Next and New Look sign up. Barton Finch has also completed the first phase in the redevelopment of the former Ushers Brewery bottling site, which has resulted in the opening of a new 44,000 sq ft Sainsburys supermarket. Adam Nardell, Wiltshire Council’s Vision Director for Trowbridge, said: “We have been working together for some time to maximise Trowbridge’s potential. For too long, it has been the county town in name only; we all felt that our residents deserved so much more.”

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145 guests will spend the night in the cells The transformation of Maurice Drummond House into a 145-bed boutique hotel is well underway. Named after Sir Maurice Charles Andrew Drummond (18771957), a British soldier and a senior officer of the Metropolitan Police, the original eight-storey building was built in the 1930s as accommodation for police officers. The project will see an additional two storeys added at roof level and complete internal refurbishment, along with minor landscaping. Principal contractor Rees Mellish Ltd and architects Assael Architecture are carrying out the £7.5m project for Periquin Limited, with a scheduled completion date of May 2012. The project began in September 2010 and several phases are now complete. These include: asbestos removal, major structural alterations, first fix mechanical and electrical works, first fixing internal partitions and new external windows. In addition,

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the external brick work has been cleaned and the initial stages of steel work for the roof top extension have been completed. As part of the planning approval, a contribution was made to the local authority to refurbish the public space in the centre of the square in front of the building, whilst the building itself also has hard and soft landscaping to the sides and the rear. Stephen Willmore, Assael Architects, said: “The original building had become redundant and had suffered from vandalism over the years. This was an exciting opportunity to refurbish, renovate and reuse an existing building. We have also been lucky enough to work with an imaginative client and enthusiastic project and construction managers that have helped to move the project forward. “It is always interesting to work with an existing building as there is something there to respond to. We were very fortunate

Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t that the local authority and the client were forward looking enough to allow a very clean, contemporary and modern extension for the building, which has created an interesting combination of the old and the new. “Of course there have been some constraints – there are always difficulties involved with working in an existing building, and the construction team are working on a relatively tight site in a residential area. However, the contractors have all performed magnificently and everyone is extremely pleased with how the project is progressing. “Essentially what we’re looking at is an old building in a state of disrepair, which has been brought back into use and re-established as a local landmark, hopefully in time for the Olympic Games in 2012.” Mark Rees and David Mellish, Rees Mellish Ltd, added: “This is a very interesting project. The new hotel will completely change the use of the building, creating a landmark building for the area and giving the 1930s building a more contemporary, modern feel.” The hotel is one of several new hotel developments planned for Greenwich. A 90-room Travelodge is due to open soon at Deptford’s Deals Gateway, with another planned for the former Greenwich Industrial Estate and a third at the former Co-op building in Powis Street, Woolwich. Earlier this year, Greenwich Market’s developers won an appeal to construct a large hotel in King William Walk and the owners of Bar du Musee and Greenwich Clipper Hairdressers in Nelson Road have applied to convert the Grade II listed buildings’ upper floors into a 21-bedroom boutique hotel.

Rees Mellish Ltd Rees Mellish is a progressive and innovative concept in the provision of project and construction consultancy. They provide their clients with extensive personal contact at principal level, with interaction at all stages of the project and a service that is tailored to suit specific, individual client needs. The company provides innovative construction and property solutions through sound expertise and resources complemented by in-depth regional knowledge and experience. Rees Mellish aim to gain a full understanding of their clients’ business objectives in relation to service provided in order to deliver a positive, proactive, resourceful and progressive solution to meet their clients’ needs.

Assael Architects Assael Architects have a responsive, flexible approach to design and continuously strive to innovate in everything that they do. The company work to achieve design solutions that continue to build on their reputation for tenacity, innovation and quality. As part of their overall philosophy, they aim to make informed, environmentally aware choices not only in the running of their business, but also in the creation of sustainable buildings and communities. The company has achieved accreditation under ISO 9001

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and are working towards an Integrated Management System incorporating ISO 14001 environmental management and operational Health & Safety OHSAS 18001.

SW ROOFING SOLUTIONS Based in Battersea, South London, SW Roofing Solutions was set up by director Andrew Collier to provide the best flat roofing technology to both the commercial and domestic markets. With over 15 years’ experience in the domestic and commercial arena, SW Roofing Solutions are ideally placed to offer a wide variety of products from various manufacturers to provide total roofing solutions using top quality products. For the Greenwich project, the company worked as a sub contractor for Rees Mellish Ltd and were responsible for the installation of approx 2500 m2 of Alwitra Evalon membrane across various roof areas. This included installing vcl, insulation and membrane to multiple roof areas at The Greenwich. As members of the NFRC, they are certified and trained installers for Alwitra, Sarnafil, Protan and Kemper single ply systems. They also specialise in Green Roofs as well as PV Solar installations along with bespoke aluminium fabrication. SW Roofing have worked on both large public sector projects down to small domestic design and build projects and can offer specialist advice and solutions across a wide variety of quality roofing products. Their office is open 5 days a week and they have built up a reputation for being one of the most competitive and reliable firms in the business.

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Gatwick Airport’s Premier Inn reaches for the sky Lengthy delays and tired travellers are a bad combination, so it stands to reason that constructing hotels near to an airport is a worthwhile solution. Gatwick Airport is certainly no exception and soon weary holiday makers will be sleeping easy in a brand new Premier Inn.

Grove Developments and Prudential are behind the latest development, which will see a new £30 million plus hotel on the horizon at the London based airport. Expected to be the world’s largest and tallest largest and tallest Premier Inn, the ten-storey development will cover an area of 22,000 sq m. The metal-clad building is situated on top of

a far park and when completed, it will provide 630 bedrooms along with all other features synonymous with the hotel chain. This will no doubt be welcome news for holiday makers and commuters alike, who will be eager to take advantage of a welcome place to stay should their flights become delayed. Works began just after Easter 2011 and the project has an estimated time of arrival in late 2012. The original design for the project was provided by Dexter Moren from Moren Gregory. It is also proving to be an exciting project for Grove Developments. Company Founder and CEO, Surinder Arora, said: “Unlike most Premier Inns which are made from a timber construction, the Premier Inn at Gatwick will be a more traditional build.” As the hotel is being erected at the airport, the construction process has had to work around issues of security, including air traffic restrictions. Whilst this might be a nightmare scenario for some, the experienced team has

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managed to navigate the issues and the project continues to progress as planned. Surinder Arora said: “The site did pose a few problems, just like with any other project, however Grove Developments are used to working on projects in and around the airport, so it hasn’t cause too many problems.” Main contractors McAleer & Rushe will reteam with Grove Developments to build two further Premier Inns. With landscaping and some groundwork to round off the exterior features of the hotel, the contemporary building should be a success when it lands.

Havant Academy gets ready to shine Havant Academy is undergoing an exciting refurbishment and extension project that will refurbish old facilities and create new faculties for its students. Formerly Staunton Community Sports College, the school was saved from closure in 2009 when it was given the opportunity to become an Academy. Since then, the school has embarked upon a determined mission to treat each student as an individual and ensure that each young person receives the education that best suits them. The INFINITY Learning Programme enriches the students’ learning by providing engaging, multi-sensory transferable learning experiences within every activity. It will support their ability to learn in their preferred style, helping them to become independent and autonomous learners. This means that they will be prepared for life, college, university and work and will have the skills necessary to acquire knowledge and enhance successful personal and social pathways. The £7.5m refurbishment project began in August 2011 and is expected to be complete in November 2012. In July 2011, Mayor Ken Smith was invited to attend the celebration of the new partnership between Havant Academy and BAM Construction. The event was organised by an enthusiastic group of students known as BAMbassadors. The principal aim of the internal refurbishment is to set up new faculties within the Academy by suiting the curriculum accommodation into different areas of the building. In order to reflect the strong vocational ethos of the school, a new motor vehicles workshop will be constructed along with a specialist catering ROMA PUBLICATIONS

Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t facility and a hair and beauty department. The new large dining hall is the social hub of the campus and the main entry point for the buildings, providing a new heart for the campus. Landscaping will comprise a new library courtyard space, the demolition of surplus buildings and the upgrading and improvement of the external areas, including new fencing and security arrangements at the entrances. Some new tree planting will also take place whilst the existing sports fields will remain unaffected by the project. A key aspect of the project is the development of teaching master-classes. John Cantwell, HCC Property Services, explained: “The master class element means that more than one group of students can be taught at the same time. For example, there is a master class within the literacy and language faculty that will allow 90 students to be taught in one area. The space is being developed with a high level of audio visual equipment – including multiple projection screens and a full sound system – which will mean that the lessons can be taught in an immersive environment. “The new courtyard will be the main feature in terms of the design aspirations. A number of the specialist bases, for instance the hair and beauty salon and catering suite, are fed directly off the space. As a result, the faculties become like shop windows

to the dining area, or a street within the campus. This idea is based around the concept of the students being able to see other students participating in exciting lessons, which will hopefully encourage them to become interested in doing different things.”

Hackney Homes maintain standards of living Safety and security is at the top of the list as Hackney Homes continues to invest in the welfare of its residents on a number of key projects and planned programmes to improve living conditions across its estates. Created by the London Borough of Hackney and launched in 2006, Hackney Homes is a non-profit scheme that was originally set up to manage council homes in the Hackney area. It was implemented to provide repairs and maintenance for the properties within its portfolio; offering important and much needed services to residents and the local community. It continues to achieve this through the introduction of modern housing that takes into account the views of its tenants, whilst introducing high standards within each housing estate. Hackney Homes already has set maintenance services already in place; these are legal requirements that Hackney Council must abide to. However, the ongoing programme will also include external repairs and upgrades that are not usually seen as a top priority. This includes high-tech security systems such as an aroundthe-clock CCTV network, along with improvements to entry ways, footpaths and communal TV systems. Faulty lifts are now repaired within two hours between 8am and 6pm during Mondays and Fridays and properties will be repainted every eight years to ensure that they remain as fresh as the day they were first painted. In addition, Hackney Homes has also looked into improving this important area by replacing outdated heating systems with more energy efficient alternatives. This not only offers better value for money for residents, but also offers a brighter outlook during the cold dark nights. Hackney Council’s approach isn’t just about introducing a standard process of repairs and improvements either, as residents are given as much say as possible when it comes to the finer details. This even includes asking for their opinions on

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the style and colour of the work being implemented. Residents are also updated of any delays or disruptions to planned work, which ensures that all of the operations run as smoothly as possible. In summer 2010, Lakehouse was announced as a partner for Hackney Homes, along with Mansell, Balfour Beatty’s UK construction services business and Essex-based contractor Mulalley. Each became important contractors on what was a four-year framework, costing £350 million. The framework was split into three individual sections and covered areas such as Decent Homes, Planned Maintenance and Responsive Repairs. Speaking about becoming a partner, Lakehouse Chief Executive Steve Rawlings said: “The Hackney Homes framework was a massive win for Lakehouse, and further demonstrated our growth and success in social housing, where we are recognised as one of the leading service providers in the south east. “To be selected as one of only three contractors for the high profile partnership made all our hard work worthwhile.” Lakehouse’s work focused on two of the framework’s three areas, which included Decent Homes and Planned Maintenance. It had been referred to by Lakehouse Communities and Regeneration Director Gary Bruce as “a fantastic achievement.” Hackney Council has invested £184 million in the programme since its inception back in 2006, which has seen the properties within the Hackney Homes estates benefit from brand new kitchens and bathrooms. Despite a reduction in government funding for Decent Homes, the development has still received a guaranteed £33 million in funding for 2011/12. A further £27 million in funding has been provisionally set for 2013/14 and 2014/15 and Hackney Council also invested a further £4 million throughout 2011 and into 2012. The cut in funding may have resulted in Hackney Council having to prioritise where it spends its money, but it has not stopped the process from moving forward. It has simply meant

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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t a greater focus on repairs and improvements to external work, with roofing and brickwork leading the way. Decent Homes partner Mansell is no stranger to working on large contracts such as Hackney Homes, with its owner Balfour Beatty having previously worked on affordable homes projects for Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and Riverside Housing Association, amongst others. This has included the internal and external refurbishment of existing properties, as well as new build projects. Chief Executive of Balfour Beatty, Ian Tyler said: “We were delighted to have been appointed to this framework and look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship with Hackney Homes and the local community to deliver improved housing for residents.” As part of its involvement in the four-year framework, Mansell became involved in maintaining internal and external work across Hackney. This included working with the DSSL Group on a wireless CCTV system which can be accessed at anytime by both DSSL and Hackney Homes’ staff. Allowing any faults to be rectified within a 24 hour period, this means that residents can rest assured that a secure and reliable system is in place to benefit them. As specialists in security DSSL has linked individual sites to one another across the Hackney Homes portfolio in order to offer an increased sense of safety. DSSL Group company MD and project manager, Bob Lack, said: “We linked one site to begin with to approve of the concept and then we built it up five sites at a time. “There are now 60 sites across the borough of Hackney linked on this wireless network.” Hackney Homes has made a sizeable investment over the last 10 years in order to improve the safety and security of its estates and the CCTV cameras installed by DSSL now monitor all aspects of the estates on a daily basis. Partner Mulalley was recognised for their hard work at the recent Association of Consultant Architects awards ceremony. Due to a number of money saving process introduced during its work on the framework, Mulalley was awarded the PPC/TPC award. President of the ACA, Terry Brown said: “Their study was a first-class example of constructor-led innovation for the benefit of the whole Hackney Alliance, not just the client or an individual constructor.” In order to receive the award Mulalley demonstrated the value that engineering under PPC2000 could bring to the project, which was not only innovative, but also introduced ways of saving on costs. In light of the cuts in funding on the scheme, this was seen as big boost that further benefitted Hackney Homes. Head of Asset Management for Hackney Homes, Jonathan Oxlade, said: “This award is good recognition of our work with Mulalley and partners which has led to innovative and better ways of working.” Mulalley Director Bruce Benson added: “It is just recognition for the added value that has been brought to this programme by the Hackney Alliance.” With funding in place for the Hackney Homes scheme to continue its four-year framework tenants will certainly appreciate the benefits of being a Hackney resident for a good while longer.

Greentherm Mechanical Services Formed in 2006, Greentherm Mechanical Services Ltd are a well established company employing around 50 people and working on a number of authorities across a full range of mechanical services; including commercial, domestic, industrial and electrical. Traditionally local authority based the company has worked on projects for several London boroughs including Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham, Newham, Hackney, Bexley and Southend on Sea. Before procuring the original framework on the Hackney Homes project, Managing Director John Allsopp worked with partner Tony Ashford in putting together the original bid and presentation that successfully got the company the contract.

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Tony has worked at senior management positions establishing several ALMOs within the London area as well as working with many housing associations. Tony is an established national speaker on the conference circuit covering specialist subjects such as The Partnering Ethos, Value for Money initiatives and Procurement Best Practice as well as promoting the role of residents within social housing projects. He is also actively involved in the development and application of LED lighting technology. John, Tony and the team started work this year on Hackney Homes and have so far completed 27 properties with 185 further properties in the pipeline at the beginning of January 2012.

DSSL Group Since 1996 the Essex-based DSSL Group has been specialists in the field of safety and security. Working on a new a £1 million pound wireless CCTV infrastructure for Hackney Homes, DSSL Group’s work ethic is to offer a competitive service that includes development, design, integration and installation of CCTV, access control and perimeter protection systems. DSSL Group company MD and project manager Bob Lack Bob said: “We’re recognised as being a group that is very flexible and can respond to any security situation; whether it involves access control, building protection or CCTV. “We’ve got a good background in working for local authorities, police services, central government and the industry of petrochemical, pharmaceutical and power stations within the area of Essex.” Recognised by its clients as being flexible enough to respond to any project involving CCTV, access control or perimeter protection systems, DSSL prides itself in its reputation for excellence and ingenuity. It strives to be at the forefront of delivering wireless technology and IP systems to its broad base of clients and maintains the Hackney Homes security system on behalf of Mansells. Designed and installed especially for Hackney Homes, DSSL system is one of the UK’s largest Housing CCTV networks, consisting of 1500 cameras and 118 digital video recorders.

Harris Steel Set up in 2004, Harris Steel is a supplier and installer of steel work products, working for many local authorities and building contractors. The company has carried out Reactive and Planned works for Mansell Construction, and worked on Decent Homes for Mulalley and Lakehouse. On Decent Homes, Harris Steel is providing new metal balconies, steel doors, hatches, steel ladders and its Reactive and Planned work includes steel doors, hatches, barrier gates, high security locking systems, plating, grills and all types of steel fencing. Harris Steel director Janet Harris said: “Our company objective is to provide safety, security, quality and value to meet our customers’ requirements.” She added: “We use top quality welders, our installations are to a high specification, and we do a considerable amount of bespoke work offering free on-site survey services.”

RSS Playmakers RSS Playmakers have been in business for over 20 years providing specialist playground inspection and maintenance services. The company is currently responsible for over 1,500 play areas throughout England and Wales. Since 2002 the company has been dealing with Hackney Council, undertaking all of its local housing playgrounds planned inspections and maintenance work. More recently this has been through a contract merge with construction services company Mansell and sees RSS Playmakers continue to provide specialist playground maintenance services in this area. Director of RSS Playmakers Chris Lodge said: “At RSS Playmakers we are very serious about playground safety and are dedicated to making playgrounds as safe as possible.”

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Park Theatre prepares to take centre stage

The Park Theatre project is now well underway, with a scheduled completion date of October 2012. The £2.5m project will see the transformation of an existing building into a state-of-the-art theatre and modern apartment complex. With uses varying throughout the years from a Blacksmiths to most recently a centre for the charity organisation ‘Sense’, the building has undergone several refurbishments and extensions. Unfortunately, many of these have been of poor quality and have left the building in a state of disrepair. Designed by architects Hugh Jones and Farrell, the project will restore the building to its former glory and re-establish it as a landmark in the Finsbury Park area. Located in close proximity to the Finsbury station, the theatre is situated in an area that is home to a high concentration of Arts industry professionals. In order to convert the building into a theatre, several necessary modifications have been made. These include raising the roof to accommodate the technological galleries and careful removal of a portion of the upper ground floor slab to gain the double height aspect inside the main auditorium. As the lighting rigs required for a theatre draw a high voltage current and the capacity wasn’t available on the existing network, the incoming voltage cable street from the street has been removed and a substation has been installed. As a result of this major undertaking, the theatre now has unlimited electricity. In addition, the gas supply has been taken back to the meter and the water connection has been diverted and brand new connection installed. The theatre features two separate auditoriums, with a capacity of 200 and 90 people respectively. On the ground floor, there will be a foyer, bar and box office. Above this on the first floor, there will be a bar and a cafe with a cantilevered glazed bay area. This bay area will be a prominent feature for members of the public during their commute to Central London via Finsbury park, situated at the end of Clifton Terrace. Other facilities will include: a green room, three dressing rooms, wardrobe, prop store and public and disabled toilet facilities. Jordan Russell, freelance project manager, described some of the interesting features: “The main auditorium will feature a tension wire grid, which will allow the technician to move silently

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above the stage and shine light through the grid without interrupting the main beam of light. This is a relatively new system that has been used in some of the more prestigious venues, such as the Camden Roundhouse. “An open atrium space between the bars and the front of the building and the auditoria will make it possible to look down to the lower ground floor, where the stalls are for the main auditorium. Alternatively, spectators may gaze upwards to view the upper ground floor, which is where the circle level of the main auditorium is. Another interesting aspect is a glazed bay area that extends out over the payment, providing an eye-catching feature that people will see as they emerge from Finsbury Park station. “Not only will the auditorium be fitted out to a high standard, but the back of house area will benefit from air conditioning, ventilation, heating and a modern fit out. “This is an extremely interesting project as we are completely changing a building that has undergone many transformations over the years, most recently in the 1950s and 1960s. The project is progressing very well and everyone is pleased with what we have achieved so far.” A unique aspect of the project is the two-floor extension of the existing building in order to create a modern apartment complex. The sale of the one and two bedroom apartments, which are valued around the £250,000 mark, is an integral part of the cash flow needed to complete the project. Main contractor for the project is Forgewood Group Limited.

Office and retail development to hit the West End Set to open in 2012, an exciting new development will transform the site known as Marcol House whilst retaining its historic features. Acquired by Great Portland Estates plc (GPE) from Istithmar World PJSC, Marcol House is a Grade II listed office and retail development. It consists of three amalgamated sites in central London, Regent Street and Margaret Street which fall under the name of Marcol House. Work commenced in early 2010 on the 111,548 sq ft project, which is located on the corner of Regent Street and Margaret Street, just 150 metres north of Oxford circus. This followed the completion of work in 2011 on an existing 25,200 sq ft office building at 23/24 Newman Street. The completed commercial development will see the creation of seven floors of commercial office space. As Marcol House is a listed building it will retain its external features, but will be modernised internally to meet its intended office requirements. GPE acquired the West End development in 2009. As part of the arrangement this included the formation of a profit share and debt structuring agreement with European real estate bank, Eurohypo. As part of the agreement and to help provide funding, Eurohypo will reconstruct a profit share arrangement in the project, whilst the remainder of the funding has come from Great Portland Estates plc itself. Chief Executive of Great Portland Estates plc, Toby Courtauld said: “This deal will add two high quality West End developments to our exciting and substantial programme at a time when

we think conditions in the office market will favour the landlord. “We hope to be able to use this structure on other deals in the future and we look forward to working with our partners to make the most out of these high quality developments.” GPE has taken on the project by paying an upfront cost of £10 million, with an agreement included for a share of any potential profits in Marcol House’s future. Under the arrangement for Marcol House, GPE has provided all the development costs, which combined total £78.1 million and if the profit sharing and debt structuring scheme is the success that it aims to be, the debt structure plan will become a template for the company for more developments to come. Acting as development manager, the company will receive £26.3 million in return, splitting the remainder of the profit equally between GPE and Eurohypo. The excess of the combined property is valued at £165 million and will be split evenly between the two companies. Co-Head of Eurohypo, Max Sinclair said: “It is our view that Marcol House is a fundamentally high quality asset and that working with GPE in this way is the best approach to recreating value in the medium term.” He added: “We are delighted to work with GPE on a property with undoubted potential in a location where they have an unparalleled track record in generating value.”

Loveld UK Based in Belgium, Loveld started in 1985 and is now one of the

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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t major architectural pre-cast companies in Western Europe. The company has two factories, one based in Belgium and the other in Holland. Its production capacity is up to 125000 sq metres of pre-cast cladding panels a year. Loveld specialises in architectural pre-cast, which includes panels with a finish ranging from acid-etched concrete, to sand blasted and polished concrete. It also specialises in a range of cast-in cladding materials, including bricks, ceramic tiles and natural stone. The company will produce and install self-bearing stone faced cladding units on Marcol House. The cladding units are selfbearing, so all the vertical loads are transferred direct to the foundations, meaning no vertical loads are transferred to the steel structure of the building. Director of Loveld UK Ltd Bruno Vanhulle said: “Loveld always focuses on offering a complete concept for the cladding. Working in close relationship with window contractors and other interfaces.” “We have undertaken numerous jobs in London where we incorporated the windows in our panels providing a completely finished and waterproof façade. We are always happy to brainstorm with the clients and architects to come up with the best and most cost effective solutions.”

IBSECAD IBSECAD is a leader in the CAD co-ordination field. From their global office network, they provide drawing office solutions using advanced 3D technology. The company aims to help speed up the design process by allowing clients to visualise how initial plans can be translated into sophisticated 2D, 3D and 4D CAD models. For the Marcol House project, IBSECAD fused the gap between design and construction by transforming the design drawings into working drawings using a BIM platform. Once the project is complete, IBSECAD will hand the information back to the client, who will keep the 3D representation for the life cycle of the building. David Robinson, IBSECAD, said: “The sooner people start using BIM, the better the project will run. It is important that it starts with the design team and is not left with the trades to start

it later. It’s a team effort and everyone needs to enter into it to reap the full effects.”

79 new apartments to be provided by Essex scheme The redevelopment of Barking town centre has entered an exciting new phase, as the transformation of the former Barking Working Men’s Club nears completion. Main contractors KDJ Developments and architects Boast Architects are carrying out the £6.5m project for the Inner London Group, who will deliver the project to the Estuary Housing Association. The majority of the project has been funded by the Housing and Communities Agency, with the remainder being privately funded by the Estuary Housing Association. The scheme has involved the creation of 79 apartment units above a car park area and 10,000 sq ft of commercial space on the ground floor. The eight-storey building contains a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom apartments with bathroom facilities. The new Kings Reach complex features an attractive rendered facade with a variety of finishes, including coloured render, masonry and terracotta tiles. An interesting aspect of the design is the way in which the building is articulated in order to provide the maximum of sunlight to as many units as possible, giving the apartments a light and spacious feel. A small amount of external landscaping will take place, including a small landscaped area directly above the commercial area.

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Project Manager, Robert Lombardelli, said: “This is a very tight site and the building takes up the majority of the site itself. However, the teams have worked well together and the project is advanced. We are entering the final fit out stage and I expect that some of the apartments will be complete in January, ahead of the scheduled March 2012 completion date.” The Kings Reach development is part of the part of the regeneration of Barking Town Centre, which will include improved connections between Barking Station and areas to the north of the Northern Relief Road. In addition, the redevelopment of Lintons Estate will accommodate 600 new high quality homes an enterprise centre for small business start ups.

KDJ Developments KDJ Developments is a developer of quality homes, designing and building high specification properties to suit a wide range of needs in terms of price and size. The company prides themselves on developing homes that meet the practical needs of their customers whilst at the same time bringing them pride and pleasure. It is the aim of KDJ Developments to undertake every project – however large or small – with the same enthusiasm

and professionalism, producing a home that everyone can be proud of.

Boast Associates Boast Associates are a RIBA registered architect’s practice, based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The practice was established in 1996 on the strength of a number of commercial, retail,

industrial and residential projects. Since then, they have accrued a wide range of experience in various sectors, including residential, offices, industrial, leisure, retail and interior design. Their spacious offices are fully equipped with current CAD technology which enables them to promote their work with 3D photo-realistic visualisations.

Construction high-flyers in airport expansion Construction of a second, 120,000 sq ft, hangar is underway and progressing well at TAG Farnborough Airport, Europe’s leading business aviation airport which is looking to the future and the London 2012 Olympics. The state-of-the-art three bay wave shaped hangar has been built by Inseen Construction and designed by 3D Reid. Associated high-end office space and workshop facilities border the hangar’s 100m span bays. The new hangar complements existing buildings at the airport, including another three bay wave hangar. It will allow TAG Farnborough Airport to offer its customers even more aircraft hangarage space and additional facilities, including new office accommodation. Commenting on the new development, TAG Farnborough Airport CEO Brandon O’Reilly said: “The new hangar will further enhance the airport’s dedicated business aviation product facilities and give our customers greater choice and flexibility. The new building complements the existing hangar and terminal and underpins the success of TAG Farnborough Airport as Europe’s

leading business aviation facility.” TAG Farnborough Airport is Europe’s leading all-business air-

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port. It is a key gateway for prominent business decision makers flying to and from the UK. The airport is biennial host to the world’s leading airshow, the Farnborough International Airshow. Farnborough is the birthplace of British aviation and is the home of the country’s first powered flight in 1908. Under a recent planning decision, the airport is permitted to increase aircraft movements from 28,000 to 50,000 per year and these will be phased in through to 2019. Brandon O’Reilly said: “This means that TAG Farnborough can meet more of the growing demand for business aviation which facilitates overseas trade, inward investment and generates local jobs. “The airport is taking an industry leading stance on noise mitigation and climate change. It continues to engage with the Farnborough Aerodrome Consultative Committee and the local community to tackle important environmental issues.” Within easy reach of London, TAG Farnborough Airport has direct motorway and rail connections. Helicopter shuttles from Battersea take 10 minutes to Farnborough. London Heathrow is also within easy reach. TAG Farnborough Airport is part of TAG Aviation. The other companies within TAG Aviation include: TAG Aviation Europe, TAG Aviation Asia and TAG Aviation Services (UK). TAG Aviation is part-owned by the TAG Group which has a worldwide portfolio of enterprises including Formula One motor racing (McLaren Mercedes) and commercial real estate. Farnborough Airport’s in-house construction department led by Simon Horsley, managed the construction of the TAG Farnborough Airport Terminal Building. The success of the project, completed on time and below budget, led to the formation of Inseen Construction. The Inseen Construction Ltd team consists of specialists within

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the aviation industry, supported by experienced professionals from commercial new build and refurbishment environments which the company believes offer a wide range of services to their clients from the majority of construction sectors. The company has a proven track record of delivering high quality projects for the aviation industry. Recently they have specialised in the fast-emerging business aviation market, offering top-end solutions to match the culture of the industry. Inseen Construction have established an enviable reputation within their client base, demonstrating competence, enhancing team working and providing the highest levels of customer service and satisfaction. Their team of highly skilled, proactive and creative individuals offers immense commercial value to clients. The company’s morals and ethics are founded on the principle of team working, client service and the need to exceed expectations. The company’s vision is to be a respected and trusted partner delivering highly skilled services to clients within construction and refurbishment services. They achieve this by supporting and enhancing their clients and customers projects with bespoke services to meet their needs, aspirations and goals. The company’s values include: being professional and passionate about the construction industry, whilst being ethical, innovative and honest at all times; continuing to prioritise a focus on time, cost and quality of projects for clients from inception to completion and taking ownership of projects and ensuring that they embody the values of integrity and respect. The company also seeks to care for their project teams and the communities in which they operate and to provide safe and secure working environments and enhance the reputation of the construction industry.

New station will span the Thames The brand new Blackfriars National Rail Station in London is nearing completion. Built to replace an older facility, it will be the first railway to span the Thames and will provide a greater capacity for train services. Balfour Beatty were awarded the contract to deliver the Blackfriars Station and Bridge Reconstruction Scheme, which is a vital part of the £5.5 billion government funded Thameslink investment managed by Network Rail. Jacobs & Tony Gee are the architects for the scheme, which is headed by Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Major Projects Division as part of an integrated Balfour Beatty Team. The contract was split into two distinct phases. Stage One provided for the setting of an agreed target cost and timelines for the completion of the Stage Two major works. In addition, it covered a wide range of advanced works at and around the existing National Rail and underground stations, along with the railway bridge across the River Thames. The first step of Stage One - demolition - commenced in October 2008. Stage Two commenced in 2009 and will deliver a new station that will have the capacity for 12 car trains and provide increased opportunities for more trains to stop at the station every hour. The project will actually result in three new stations: the North Station, the South Station the Blackfriars Underground Station. The North Station will have a new common entrance hall that will provide superior connections to the Tube. It is a curved glazed structure with a curved roof upon which 4,000 PV panels

are mounted. The station will incorporate a ticket office, new platforms and escalators to the underground station. In addition, it will have a new roof over the entire platform length. The South Station on the South Bank will provide better access to the Tate Modern and the surrounding area. Smaller in size than the North Station, it is the first station to be built on the South Bank for 120 years. It is an architecturally impressive building that features a glazed concourse and a concrete structure that supports the tracks above. The station will incorporate a ticket office and access to the four platforms. Part of the station will be opened in December 2012. The redevelopment of the Blackfriars Underground Station is nearing completion and the station is scheduled to be open at the end of this year. The works have involved the construction of a steel shield structure over the track to enable the demolition of the station above, which has been completely rebuilt to modern standards and includes a ticket office and escalators down to the platforms. The west side of the Blackfriars bridge has been strengthened and widened by approximately 6m. Three new rows of rib arches support a new bridge deck and two new terminating ‘bay’ platforms above, creating four platforms in all. Engineers built the bridge out to the west over one row of the remaining redundant piers from the former rail bridge. These new bay platforms will open in spring 2012. The demolition works were particularly challenging due to the

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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t fact that the station is located on a very tight site between two buildings. This resulted in logistical challenges posed by site access and egress, as well as the demolition itself. So far all challenges have been overcome with minimum impact. Materials required for the overall project have been transported by barges on the River Thames to avoid road congestion. It is estimated that around 14,000 tonnes of material was required in order to build the station’s new bridge, platforms and the roof spanning the river. The overall project is due for completion in May 2012. Blackfriars station first opened in 1886 as St Paul’s by London Chatham and Dover Railway. It was designed by John Wolfe-Barry and Henry Marc Brunel.Four years later, a new underground station was opened and the station was renamed Blackfriars by Southern Railway in 1937. The entire stationwas modernised in the 1970s, with the exception of the destination wall, which has been preserved at the mainline station platform. Blackfriars is now visited by more than 44,000 passengers a day and serves as a main terminus between Kent and South London. The Thameslink Programme tackles overcrowding on some of the UK’s busiest routes and is to be completed in time for the Olympic Games.

ICL Solutions ICL Solutions has worked on major construction projects over the last 11 years, providing CCTV, access control, biometrics and time and attendance systems tailored to individual project requirements. As an engineering focussed company, ICL prides itself in designing and supplying systems that fully meet the needs of its clients. Working closely with Balfour Beatty’s team at Blackfriars, biometric access control systems were installed to deliver high security, with time and attendance accountability. On both

New bus service set to arrive on schedule The South East Hampshire Bus Rapid Transit remains on schedule as it rapidly approaches its completion date. Designed to provide a much more efficient service, the scheme is planned to become Phase 1 in a much wider BRT network. Valued at £15 million, the Hampshire County Council funded project is being developed on a section of disused railway between Redlands Lane in Fareham and Ticborne Way in Gosport. The aim of the service is to provide a reliable alternative to travelling by car through a high-quality bus transportation service between the Fareham to Gosport route. Once in place, it should ease congestion and unblock the limitations on regenerating the Gosport peninsula, whilst hopefully convincing eager travellers to think twice about taking their car for a spin each day. This will be achieved by giving buses priority at signalised junctions and the introduction of a more modern experience for passengers. As well as the use of solar powered lighting at bus stops and key junctions, real-time and electronic display information will be used in shelters and pillars along the route, allowing passengers to be updated on the expected arrival time of the next bus. The bus stops themselves have also been modified in order to

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CCTV and access control, a mixture of hard wire and wire free transmissions system were used to ensure delivery of service in a difficult working environment. When Balfour required bespoke time and attendance monitoring at remote locations we designed portable clocking units, built specifically to deal with this. These units send all the data back via GSM to their central database. ICL Solutions Managing Director Darren Elvin said: “Company relationships are very important to us and we pride ourselves on delivery of service. “At ICL Solutions we don’t employ salesmen, we have engineers that design and specify and know how the kit works; which includes how it all goes together and what it will deliver.” He added: “Sound advice and value for money are the key building blocks for lasting relationships.”

provide the best possible travel experience and feature 24/7 CCTV cameras and parking for cyclists. Main contractors BAM Nuttall commenced works on Phase 1 on 2nd September 2010. In addition to a number of key operations put in place before work commenced on construction, BAM Nuttall were also responsible for installing environmental measures to protect the local wildlife. The company also had to demolish existing structures and redistribute all of the rail tracks and sleepers that were no longer needed on the site. The busway carriage is formed from asphalt and was constructed using traditional road construction techniques. In addition, special acoustic fences were introduced in order to minimise noise pollution. With the road construction, fencing and drainage now complete, the next stage will comprise the installation of bus stops whilst the junctions along the route are finalised. During the construction of the project, access to the 3.4km long site has been severely restricted, with only four entry points for deliveries of plants and materials. In order to minimise traffic disruption, temporary traffic works were also introduced at

Newgate Lane. With the final touches being added over the coming months, Phase 1 of BRT is set to open during spring 2012.

The Highways Agency paves the way forward Plans are currently in place from the Highways Agency to improve England’s road network through a mix of widening roads and improving hard shoulders in and around the areas of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport and it is in charge of the strategic road network across England. It was originally set up in 1994 to build and maintain the road network, but now offers travel information and actively manages the use of the roads. This involves dealing with every minor or major problem that could arise across the motorways and major A roads that stretch the length and breadth of the country. Its work includes traffic management, reduction of congestion and improving safety on the roads that it oversees. The Agency has a duty to keep road users updated on the latest developments on planned maintenance work and accidents that unfortunately occur and is always working towards ways to reduce the impact that road users have on the environment. The Highways Agency understands the importance of knowing how its network can deliver the best service and that’s why it interacts with road users where possible. Its aim is to become the world’s leading road operator and with a strategic road network currently valued at over £88 billion, the Highaways Agency is doing its best to achieve this. As part of its continued pledge to meet the requirements of our ever evolving world, the Highways Agency works towards a number of initiatives to improve road surfaces and traffic flows. Road signs to redirect traffic can only offer a temporary measure, especially if it’s a highly congested route, and so alternative measures need to be introduced. One such road that suffers from the high volume of traffic that passes its way on a daily basis is the M25, one of Europe’s busiest motorways. This was a concern of the Orbit Multi Modal Study, which was a study designed to look towards future problems that will arise on the road network. The purpose of the study was to offer manageable solutions to any problems that may arise. In May 2009, work commenced on widening the carriage ways between Junction 16 and 23 of the M25, transforming the road from three lanes to four in both directions. When work is complete the new lanes will use the hard shoulders that were

previously in existence for the fourth lane, whilst introducing new hard shoulders to take their place. The first stage of the operation, Junctions 16 to 18, was completed in summer 2010, with junctions 18 to 21 reaching completion a year later. The remaining work on Junctions 21 to 23 began in May 2011 and is currently set to run until June 2012. When finished, the new wider roads will help relieve congestion. This is important as it is scheduled to finish during summer 2012, just in time for London’s hosting of the 2012 Olympics. On a long-term basis the widening scheme will improve both road safety and journey times for motorists. In addition, it promises to stem the amount of noise pollution affecting residential areas with the use of ‘noise’ reducing fences. The contractors working on the widening scheme are Balfour Beatty, Egis Road Operation UK, Skanska and Atkins and together all of the companies formed the appropriately named Connect Plus. A similar widening scheme was introduced between Junctions 27 and 30 of the M1 to supply four dual lanes instead of three. This scheme makes up part of the Design, Build, Finance and Operate contract which is scheduled to finish by June 2012. The £6.2 billion project will see Connect Plus keep the motorway maintenance contract until 2039. Another motorway improvement project currently in the works is the hard shoulder running scheme across a 25km stretch of the M1, between Junction 10 and 13. This area is an important section of the motorway as it creates a link between London, the Midlands and to the North of England. The scheme began work in autumn 2009 with a 3 year project time and is designed to reduce congestion that has previously occurred at Junctions 11 and 12. The implementation of the scheme introduces a variety of key features to the existing section of the motorway and will improve travel conditions through an upgrade of innovative features. It will employ new responsive technology to keep drivers informed of what is happening on the roads ahead, which should speed up response times to any incidents that would ordinarily cause huge disruptions. The hard shoulder running scheme does this by providing drivers with informative signs, including important prompts for when to reduce speed if there are large queues ahead. It will also include signals with speed limits on that will indicate the availability of less congested lanes, so that the ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t traffic can be easily managed and directed to alternative routes. The signals will be positioned so that drivers have plenty of time to make informed choices, so that there are no last minute snap decisions behind the wheel. As the information can change to offer the best possible driving solutions the signals will be used to enforce mandatory speed limits and to inform drivers of when not to use the hard shoulder. The scheme will also include 37 designated emergency refuge areas, located at 800 metre intervals, as well as the introduction of new roadside telephones for emergency purposes. The hard shoulder running scheme will also include a new congestion and incident management system. A scheme like this clearly takes a lot of organisation on a daily basis and so a control centre, operating around the clock, 365 days a year, will monitor the M1. This will include a CCTV camera system, road sensors and a system that will keep control centre operatives alerted to any major changes in the amount of traffic on the road. This will allow the control centre team to respond accordingly, so that during extremely busy times they can open up the hard shoulder for drivers’ use, reducing congestion. The Highway Agency’s continued commitment to improving the roads in Britain has also recently seen improvements on the A421, M1 to Bedford route and will continue to offer support and advice to the huge volume of road users that travel the network every day. With Connect Plus’ maintenance contract lasting for 30 years and the Highway Agency directly monitoring the network, the roads around England are set to continue to evolve and adapt, to meet the demanding needs of its users.

Arcelor Mittal RPS UK ArcelorMittal is the biggest steel making company in the world with a presence in over 60 countries. It also has a world class mining business with over 20 mines in operation and development across the globe, making it a market leading operation in steel sheet piling.

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ArcelorMittal RPS produces steel sheet piles in Luxembourg from 100% scrap metal, using electric arc furnaces. The process involves placing scrap metal into furnaces, where it is melted down and turned into liquid steel. This is then purified to produce a very high yield of liquid steel for the sheet piles; making it a very green process. ArcelorMittal RPS UK has worked with the Highways Agency contractors supplying steel sheet piling to motorway widening and hard shoulder running schemes in the UK. This includes technical input and advice at the design stage resulting in weight efficient solutions; meeting the strength criteria of the finished structure, but using less steel. The weight efficient AZ steel sheet piles from ArcelorMittal provide the Highways Agency with a significantly lower environmental impact as well as cost benefits.

Chiltern Thrustbore Ltd For 17 years Chiltern Thrustbore Ltd has been specialists in horizontal directional drilling and laser guided auger boring. Over the past two years the company has extended its work base to also include sewer rehab projects, such as dealing with pipe bursting, drain relining and site excavation. The company currently has ten rigs for directional drilling and auger boring in its fleet, which includes seven drills, installing pipe sizes ranging from 32mm to 900mm, to three auger bores, covering 100mm to 1200mm. Chiltern Thrustbore worked as a subcontractor for the Highways Agency on M1 J10-J13 widening motorway crossings. The company employed cost cutting methods, which helped speed up the operation and reduce costs. As part of its work on motorway crossings Chiltern Thrustbore pushed steel pipes, at either 610mm or 508mm beneath the live carriage way, to meet its clients’ exact requirements.

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New developments for Newton Prep School With schools around the UK screaming out for extra facilities for their students, it’s always refreshing to see new projects that help to develop the needs of their students. One such development is Battersea Park’s Newton Prep School, which is currently undergoing an exciting extension project. Under the scheme, the learning areas will be extended via two brand new buildings on either side of the existing Edwardian building. The £8.5m project will also see the installation of a new music school and sports hall in addition to a new lower school. Main Contractors Broadoak Construction began work in March 2011. When complete, the school’s new departments will offer staff and pupils superior facilities. The three-storey lower school will comprise classrooms, a lower school assembly hall, WC facilities, a lift, a secretarial area, a nursery and an external play area. The music school will include practice areas, a dance studio, a control room and an auditorium complete with tiered seating. The four-storey school will not only help students

to find their voices, but it will also house a gymnasium and changing room facilities. The steel frame buildings feature a terracotta rain screen clad facade and a polyester powder coated window system. The steel frames and external walls have now been completed and the anticipated overall completion date is mid-2012. Broadoak Construction are no strangers to working on exciting projects, having already worked with leading name clients such as Hilton and Marriot. Surveying director, Bob Allen, added: “We undertook the project with the same aim that we always set out with, which is to give our client excellent value for money and a pleasurable experience through the building process. “All of our work needs to benefit the client

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and we need to be sure that our hard work is going to good use. I am pleased to say the construction continues to go well.” The chairman of the school said: “At Newton Prep we are committed to investing in modern, state-of-the-art facilities to ensure that our pupils receive an excellent education. As Churchill said, ‘We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.’” All of thehard work will no doubt pay off when the students and parents get to see the finished results.

Makeover for worldfamous historic club A major refurbishment project is underway to renovate and upgrade the Rackets Building at the world famous West Kensington club. The club is the home of the annual Aegon ATP tournament and planned work on the site includes stripping out some of the existing features, as well as the demolishment of an existing link to the building. This is intended to divert services that are currently available at the club, whilst at the same time removing a number of redundant services no longer required. The scheme also involves the conversion of former offices on the site’s first floor into a new function suite and lounge. Throughout its history, the club has been an exceptional sporting venue and today hosts the world famous AEGON Championships and the World Rackets Championships. It also hosts leading Real Tennis events, including the British Open and the ATCO Super Series Squash Finals. Current works include plastering and the installation of a new concrete spiral staircase. In addition, new mechanical and electrical services (including air conditioning) are also being installed. Main contractors for the project are Cuffe plc. This privately owned company was formed in 1983 and undertakes a wide ROMA PUBLICATIONS

Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t range of construction activities, predominantly throughout London and the south. Work so far has included structural alterations to the building in order to create more space, better viewing facilities and better circulation. In addition, the construction of a new single storey extension will link the Rackets Building with the main building. This extension will feature glazed external elevations and partially glazed roofing. Further refurbishment will include the replacement of the entire 10m by 25m glazed roof of the building. The new roof will feature more modern solar reflective blackout glass, which will prove highly efficient in the summer months. The viewing galleries will also benefit from redecoration, along with the installation of a new timber viewing stage area and new handrails. The ground floor ladies dressing room is being completely reconfigured and fitted out to include the installation of new flooring, new showers, new fixtures and fittings. Like the viewing gallery, this will also benefit from some redecoration. On the first floor, an external terrace is being installed, along with new paving, new copings, new balcony handrails and new doors. Established in 1886, The Queen’s Club was the world’s first multipurpose sports complex. The club offers its members the opportunity to play lawn tennis, real tennis, rackets and squash on some of the finest courts in the world. It is a unique private members club, set in ten acres of grounds and is conveniently located two minutes walk from Piccadilly and District tube lines. Along with first class sporting facilities, the club also of-

fers excellent entertaining and dining facilities, including an elegant restaurant, cafe, museum, and the President’s Room; all of which are located within the Members’ Clubhouse. This, together with the array of rackets sports, available is why The Queen’s Club remains one of the most coveted memberships in the country. Architects for the project are EHP and the contract administrators are Gardiner & Theobald LLP. The 31-week project is due for completion in February 2012.

Refurbished sea defence will protect thousands of homes The High Knocke to Dymchurch Sea Defence – Frontage A project is now complete, offering peace of mind to the thousands of residents who live directly behind it. The Environment Agency funded refurbishment scheme has ensured that the standards of protection provided by the sea defence are significantly higher than those of the previous defence, which required frequent repair. Taking into account the anticipated sea level rise for the next 100 years, the project will offer substantial protection for the next century. Works commenced on site in February 2009 and were completed in June 2011. Under the £29m project, a new wave return wall and primary defence wall have been created, along with a stepped revetment to provide easy visitor access to the seaside. The sea defence was constructed using reinforced concrete and stands at approximately 2.2km long and 8m high. Although some of the concrete was cast-in-situ by the main contractor, Birse Coastal, most of it (around 44,000 tonnes) was precast by Macrete in Northern Ireland and then transported by sea on a three-week delivery schedule from Belfast to Rye Harbour. Interestingly, precast concrete access step units at the town centre and in-situ concrete promenade surfaces have a deliberately exposed aggregate finish to provide extra grip underfoot. This effect was achieved by applying a retarder to the finished surfaces and washing out unset laitance the next day. The project team has received various awards for their efforts. This includes a British Construction Industry Award in September, with the team being successful in winning in the Civil Engineering £3-£50m range. In addition, they have won an ICE South East Excellence award, and their engagement with the community led them to win a Considerate Constructor Gold Award.

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Peter Richardson, Environment Agency Project Manager, said: “Because we were working close to a residential development, this made building extremely difficult. “Effectively, we ended up having to build a haul road along the seaward side of the existing defences, which ultimately became encapsulated within the permanent works to provide a lower promenade. The promenade now exists over two levels: the high level, which has always been there but is now greatly improved; and the lower level promenade, which was used as a haul road and crane platform during the construction process. “We undertook constant noise and vibration monitoring throughout the entire process. We were set some extremely stringent standards and, as a team, were able to meet these

throughout the course of the project. “It was a very interesting project to be involved with, particularly due to the difficult environment and the fact that access was restricted. We were also working in a busy tourism area and so had to ensure that this industry was not impacted by the works that were being carried out. As a result, we made every effort to keep as much of the area open as possible. “During the project, we built up very strong relations with the local parish council, district council and local community groups and we are extremely grateful for their support. Everyone is delighted with what we’ve achieved, and the awards speak for themselves.” ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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A diamond in the rough The Graff Diamonds flagship store on New Bond Street, London is currently undergoing an extensive renovation and expansion project. The first phase of the project is now complete and the next phase is due to open in Spring 2012. Architects for the project are Nightingale Associates and the main contractor is Delcon Construction. The refurbishment project has incorporated both state-of-the art technology and traditional architectural practice, creating a building that is both classically beautiful and strikingly modern. The security of the building was a substantial consideration. A large number of cameras are successfully hidden within the detailing, whilst the facade is steel reinforced behind the stone and thick colour-corrected multi laminate glass. For the figured hand-carved Portland stone facade, models were specifically carved for the cast railings, with the designs loosely based on early nineteenth-century pattern books. The sixteen marble columns of the interior are made of Diano Reae marble, which was selected especially for the job from a single large block in Carrara. The showcases have been designed with the help of a firm of robotics engineers and have a computer controlled motor system that gently rotates them. This means that the jewels can be accessed from within the showroom whilst displays can be mounted on both salon and street sides of the showcases. The timber cases are composed of pre-war Cuban mahogany and Nightingale Associates selected specially designed and carved details and brackets in gilded brass (ormolou). These were made in Paris, as France is the only place where the appropriate mercury-gilding can be successfully completed. It is expected that the completed project will establish some-

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thing of a benchmark in the world of high quality jewellery and fashion.

Rosguill Developments Rosguill Developments has been delivering exceptional construction services since 1988. Working with high end clients such as Cartier and Graff Diamond, the company specialises in specialised fit outs for high street stores. The company also works on new build and residential developments along with commercial developments such as schools and hospitals, specialising in interior finishes such as dry walls, ceilings, flooring and plastering. With a team of passionate, knowledgeable and dedicated professionals, Rosguill Developments promise to provide a second to none service and assist their client in achieving their exact requirements. They are committed to the creation of long term client relationships and thoroughly understand the importance of commercial realities whilst delivering innovative construction to the highest standards of quality. For the Graff Diamond project, Rosguill Developments was responsible for the dry walling, carcassing, joisting and ceiling works. Frank McBride said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were extremely pleased to work on this prestigious project. Working for Graff Diamond was a challenge for us as our standards had to match theirs. It was a demanding and testing project with a wonderful result at the end of it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rosguill Developments specialises in high end fit outs because that is what we love to do.â&#x20AC;?

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£25 water improvements bring clear benefits to Scottish Loch Scottish Water’s £25m Loch Ryan project is making good progress, bringing a modern waste water treatment system to Stranraer, Leswalt, Kirkcolm and Cairnryan. The scheme is necessary to satisfy the legal requirements of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive and Shellfish Directive, and will deliver significant improvements to the water quality and shellfish environment in Loch Ryan. The project involves collecting and treating flows from various locations around Loch Ryan before discharging them into the Irish Sea (the flows have previously been discharged into the Loch). The scheme is being carried out by a Leslie MWH joint venture, with the works based in various locations over the course of the project programme. The development includes the construction of a tertiary treatment works at Cairnryan; four pumping stations; the laying of 22 km of pipeline of various sizes from 125 ml up to 560 ml, and the construction of a new secondary treatment works. The project involves the demolition of the existing waste water treatment works (WWTW) at Port Rodie and the retirement of three WWTWs at Cairnryan, Leswalt and Kirkcolm. New facilities replacing the old treatment works include a new pumping station being built at Port Rodie which serves Stranraer. From Port Rodie, the flows will be pumped to another new treatment works being constructed at Smithy Hill near Leswalt, after which the flows will undergo secondary biological treatment before

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being pumped to Larbrax Bay to be discharged into the Irish Sea. The secondary treatment works includes an inlet works with screening, screening handling and grit removal processes, primary settlement; a plastic structured media biofilter; sludge management comprising holding tanks and thickening processes; final settlement facilities and a pumping station to discharge treated effluent. At Cairnryan, a newly constructed joint tertiary treatment works will serve the needs of the village and the new Stena terminal nearby. This has many advantages – an 8km pumped waste water main is no longer required to Stranraer. A shorter 2km main to the new WWTW will reduce construction costs and total life cost of the project. Stephen Hepburn, Construction Manager, Scottish Water, said: “This is great news for the area. After years of studies and surveys to assess the best option for an extremely difficult civil engineering challenge, Scottish Water is removing the permanent discharge of waste water to Loch Ryan. “The waste water from the surrounding communities will receive a greater level of treatment than is currently provided.” He said: “The construction work is having a minimal effect on local residents and businesses. We will continue to extensively consult local people and groups in the region as we have previously.” “This consultation ensures our project progresses in harmony

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with the various community interests in and around Stranraer.” Scottish Water has kept the community informed to date by holding regular local stakeholder meetings, distributing a frequent email newsletter, briefing councillors and council officials and attending community council meetings. This work will continue over the course of the project. The Loch Ryan project aims to give the town of Stranraer and the smaller communities which surround Loch Ryan the same quality of waste water treatment as the rest of Scotland. Speaking on a recent visit to the Loch Ryan Project, local MSP Alex Fergusson said: “What gives the Loch Ryan project an even greater level of importance in this particular instance is the huge potential for Stranraer that lies within the entire redevelopment of the waterfront, following Stena’s impending move up the loch. This presents a fantastic opportunity for Stranraer, which will be all the easier to grasp if the quality of the water in Loch Ryan is of the highest standard. This massive investment by Scottish Water will bring that about sooner rather than later, and I welcome it.” The project is expected to be complete by Autumn 2012. The Leslie MWH Joint Venture (JV) is a fully integrated JV with local civil partners, delivering both water and wastewater as part of a framework for Scottish Water. The JV has local offices and staff based in Barrhead, Glasgow.

Transforming waste water provision Stephen Hepburn, project manager, said: “Removing the permanent discharge into Loch Ryan is necessary to satisfy the legal requirements of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive and Shellfish Directive. “This project will deliver significant improvements to the water quality and shellfish environment in Loch Ryan. The effluent from the surrounding communities will receive a greater level of

treatment than is currently provided, and the permanent effluent discharge will be removed and re-routed to a new WWTW in the hills to the south west of Stranraer. “The reason we decided to route all the flows to one single WWTW is because this option offers the best whole life cost, as well as satisfying the environmental, planning, third party and operational issues for the Loch Ryan cluster of schemes. “The current Port Rodie WWTW hosts large underground settlement tanks which provide primary treatment. Sludge is extracted via valves above ground. Our project will re-use these tanks as storm storage within the network, providing relief in times of exceptionally heavy rainfall. Exceptional storm flows will be directed along the current outfall pipe so there is minimal impact on the waters of Loch Ryan. Once any heavy rainfall abates we can re-direct stored storm waters to the new WWTW. “A number of outfall locations for the new WWTW were considered along the coast, both north and south of the harbour town of Portpatrick. Some were more suited to specific potential treatment works locations. The main considerations were: geology of the coastline; accessibility for construction plant and equipment; sufficient space for construction at the landward side of the construction; availability of a fresh water supply to assist in drilling operations; length of outfall pipeline to ensure 1:50 dilution in the sea water; and provisional cost for construction. The potential environmental impacts from the outfall construction operation were also an important factor.”

Stena at Cairnyran partnership One of the local villages, Cairnryan, was originally part of the overall Loch Ryan scheme. With the addition of the new Stena ferry terminal at Cairnryan, a deal was reached to treat effluent from the village at a new WWTW at the terminal, which would be jointly funded and would also treat the ferry terminal waste water. This has many advantages. An 8km pumped waste water main ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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is no longer required to Stranraer. A shorter 2km main to the new WWTW will reduce construction costs and total life cost of the project. The new waste water main will direct flows from Cairnryan into the terminal, and the existing small WWTW at Cairnryan will be retired. The new WWTW offers tertiary treatment, so the treated effluent will have minimal effect on water quality in Loch Ryan. The Stena Terminal WWTW will be adopted by Scottish Water once complete.

Planning permissions and design approval The planning applications and negotiations were led by the Scottish Water Planning Team. Catherine Souter-Bell, Planning Consultant with Scottish Water’s Shared Services team, said, “Extensive discussions and negotiations were held with Dumfries and Galloway Council on the design of the pumping station. We eventually settled on a design that was harmonious with the overall look of the buildings in Stranraer. “A more modern design with a curved roof was deemed inappropriate, so we submitted a traditional design with a pitched roof which fits in with the character of the surrounding area. The pumping station was also designed to fit with the aspirations of the Stranraer Waterfront Urban Design Strategy and Masterplan. “The proposed waterfront location for the Port Rodie pumping station was also the source of some local opposition. Although it is adjacent to the site of the current WWTW and as such a large amount of existing underground infrastructure could be re-used, we had to successfully demonstrate that there was no other practical location for the pumping station other than Port Rodie.”

Extensive consultation and community work Ongoing consultation with the relevant statutory bodies (such as Dumfries and Galloway Council and Scottish Natural Heritage), non-statutory bodies (such as Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and National Trust for Scotland) and the local community has been a key part of the project from the very beginning.

Mark MacLaren, Scottish Water regional communities manager, details the ongoing work to consult the community: “A community forum has been established by Scottish Water, which meets regularly to update various community groups (resident associations, Chamber of Commerce, Police, Harbour Masters, community councils etc.) on the progress of the project. The community forum acts as a one-stop-shop for discussion of any concerns or queries directly on a face-to-face basis with the project team. “This direct approach has paid dividends. Community organisations and individuals have commented positively on the open and transparent way Scottish Water is consulting and sharing information with them, and this approach is set to continue through the construction and commissioning phases of the project. “An E-letter has been sent out every few months to update local stakeholders and residents on the work. This approach has enabled Scottish Water’s project communications team to save costs on mailing, as most recipients are happy to get the information electronically.” Dedicated pages on the Scottish Water website are updated regularly with the E-letters, press releases and project information.

About the area Stranraer provides an important ferry service to Ireland and is the birthplace of an illustrious list of famous people, including footballers and authors. Stranraer is Dumfries and Galloway’s second largest town and the administrative centre for West Galloway (Wigtownshire). The town is home to 13,000 people – major employers are the Caledonian Cheese creamery and the aforementioned ferry terminal. Stranraer has a rich maritime history, being a major Scottish port for centuries and a key location for anti U-Boat work in World War II. Stranraer itself sits on the bank of Loch Ryan,a sea loch bristling with Scotland’s only natural oyster bed.

£3.6m transformation for Innerleithen WTW Scottish Water is making a significant investment in the Innerleithen area of the Scottish Borders. In January works to construct a new £3.6m water treatment plant will begin, offering cleaner, fresher water to communities living throughout the Tweed Valley. Works will include a new water treatment works (WTW) further up the hill, away from the existing floodplain. The new WTW will

comprise a membrane plant with chemical dosing facilities that will remove naturally occurring elements and any cryptosporidium organisms from the raw water supply. Following this, the existing storage tank will be used to hold the drinking water from the treatment works before it is supplied to the local community. Main contractors for the project are Ross-shire Engineering and the scheme has been designed by URS Scott Wilson.

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S c otl a n d Malcolm Miller, Construction Manager at Scottish Water Solutions 2 Limited, said: “Works are going well so far and everyone is looking forward to seeing the works begin on site. All of the consents are in place in terms of planning, land ownership and all of the relevant environmental bodies. We have also made a significant effort to engage with the local community.” The single storey building is expected to be 43m long by 13m wide and will be clad in profile sheeting. Internally, the building will comprise a control room, welfare facilities, toilets, a small laboratory and a large plant room floor containing all of the process equipment. External landscaping will include tree planting, mounding and an open water course. In addition, the existing dry stone walls have been retained and mature planting will be retained around the perimeter of the site. The project has proved challenging in terms of the design, as Malcolm Miller explained: “There have been some difficulties in terms of integrating the building into the landscape, as it is a fairly large building in an exposed location. With regards to the design, we have tried to create the impression of an agricultural building that blends into surrounding landscape. In simple terms, we have deliberately made it ‘uninteresting’ to look at. “The new plant complies with Scottish Water standards and has incorporated numerous environmental considerations. In particular, the building has a lower carbon footprint and we aim to minimise the amount of power used for pumping and process work. We have also met the operational and planning requirements to avoid excess clutter on the site.”

Pentair Pentair X-Flow, formally under the brand name Norit, develops and supplies membrane technology to the municipal and industrial markets. Pentair Clean Process Technologies UK are the

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UK sales and service operation for the group. The company’s involvement on the Innerleithen WTW project was providing the core technology and supporting ancillary equipment, which acts as a barrier for Cryptosporidium. Country Manager Steve Weston said: “We supply technologies, solutions and service to the water industry, both industrial and municipal. This includes drinking water, waste water and process water applications.” He added: “We have over 700 mega litres per day of installed UF capacity in the UK. More than 60 mega litres of this capacity is in Scotland where we have a number of sites commissioned providing drinking water to the local population.” Pentair Clean Process Technologies also supports the Food and Beverages industry with various forms of membrane solutions, as well as hygienic valves under the Sudmo banner and CO2 recovery systems and instrumentation from Haffmans.

Scottish Water project edges closer to completion Scottish Water’s £34m Dunoon Waste Water Improvements scheme is fast coming to completion, with further improvements currently being made to the infrastructure. The scheme aimed at improving the waste water infrastructure in Dunoon and to protect the natural environment in the coastal waters of the Firth of Clyde, saw the addition of a gravity sewer being laid in the town. Contractors GMJV, working for Scottish Water, recently restarted work on laying a pipeline across the entrance to the Western Ferries terminal. GMJV is currently working to deliver improvements to pipework, associated structures and outfalls from Sandhaven through to Bullwood Quarry. Black & Veatch is constructing the new treatment works at Bullwood. In order to progress with this particular section of the project, Scottish Water, in its constant liaison with local residents and road users, introduced traffic management measures around the Western Ferries terminal. Part of an area used for car parking at the terminal was temporarily closed to allow contractors working for Scottish Water to continue with their work. It will result in the near completion of the new gravity sewer being laid. Mr Rick Griffin, Scottish Water’s project manager, said: “This is a key element of the works and we have liaised closely with the local authority and Western Ferries to ensure we can progress with it while minimising any disruption in the area.” 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 facility. One of GMJV Contractors certainly went the extra mile during one day’s work last year, when his quick thinking might have saved the life of a canoeist who got into difficulty in the Firth of Clyde. David Torrance, who was working for GMJV, contractors on the Dunoon sewerage scheme, was finishing work at the town’s West Bay shortly after 4pm when he noticed something in the water about 200 metres from the shore. He initially thought it was a seal, but then realised it was a person and heard very faint cries for help. David quickly called 999, and got through to HM Coastguard. Clyde Coastguard called out the Dunoon Coastguard Rescue team and dispatched the police launch Rhona to locate and identify the object. The Royal Navy Rescue Helicopter R177, which was in the air on exercise, was sent to assist. The police launch, after arriving on scene, was able to confirm that the reported object was a man who had been canoeing.

It is understood that he capsized his craft and fell in the water. He was winched into the helicopter and taken to the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, after spending an hour in the Clyde. Scottish Water is the sole provider of water and waste water services to an area of 79,000 square kilometres (over 30,000 square miles), a third of the area of Britain. And Scotland has a longer coastline - over 11,000 kilometres (over 6,800 miles) with a small and relatively dispersed population which requires a large number of small water and waste water treatment works. Scottish Water is the fourth largest water and waste water services provider in the UK and at £1 billion it is in Scotland’s list of top 20 businesses by turnover.

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Glencorse project continues to impress Scottish Water’s flagship project, the new Glencorse Project, continues to make excellent progress under main contractor Black & Veatch and has picked up an impressive CEEQUAL rating. CEEQUAL is the assessment and awards scheme for improving sustainability in civil engineering and aims to demonstrate the commitment within the civil engineering industry to put environmental quality and community support at the heart of a project. Since the CEEQUAL scheme was launched in 2003, more than 60 final and 20 interim CEEQUAL Awards have been given. Glencorse is clearly among the upper echelons of such projects, having been awarded a rating of 84% - well above the minimum for the top banding.

Ministerial Visit Minister for the environment Roseanna Cunningham checked up on the progress of the works as it entered its final construction phase. Ms Cunningham was delighted to view the massive strides being made in this important project: “I am delighted that the residents of Edinburgh and visitors to the city will soon be enjoying some of the highest quality drinking water in Scotland from this state of the art treatment works at Glencorse. The new works uses the latest technology and will be more resilient and better able to cope with changes in the quality of the source water. “I have been impressed by the efforts made by Scottish Water to minimise disruption to local residents during construction. Great care has also been taken to ensure the works will blend in with its surroundings and have as small a carbon footprint as possible. This is truly a treatment works for the 21st Century.”

About the works When completed, the Glencorse WTW will supply good, safe drinking water to around 450,000 consumers in Edinburgh and parts of Midlothian. The works have been carefully designed to have minimal impact on the landscape. The construction has been sunk into the ground such that the highest point of the building will be just 7 metres above ground level. Furthermore, green roof technology

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will be used to cover the tops of the buildings. This ‘living’ roof means that the works will blend into the countryside and the final landscaping bunds will make the works almost invisible from surrounding properties and the main road. As part of the project, Scottish Water is installing 15km of new pipelines. The twin pipeline will take the clear, fresh drinking water from Glencorse into the existing water supply network in Edinburgh. Instead of having the pipes produced elsewhere and transporting them to the site, a mobile pipe production plant was set up adjacent to the pipeline working area. This unique approach meant that the pipes could be manufactured significantly longer; at lengths of up to 22 metres rather than the normal maximum that can be transported on a standard lorry of 13.5 metres. Longer pipes equal fewer joins and a significant reduction in the construction period. The location of the plant also meant a reduction in lorry journeys to and from the site of up to 75 percent. This has helped to minimise the carbon footprint of the project. The majority of the work will take place in agricultural fields but the pipeline does need to cross public roads at some points. Scottish Water has been working closely with the local communities in order to minimise disruption. The route of the pipeline has taken account of several important issues such as: The hydraulic model - water flows through the pipes using gravity, avoiding the need for expensive pumping. Disruption to the public – this has been minimised by sighting the pipeline in farm land. The pipeline will be tunnelled under the City of Edinburgh Bypass to avoid disruption of this major road. Nature and archaeology – the route has been designed to avoid sites of archaeological interest and the habitats of protected species such as badgers. Also, Scottish Water is minimising tree-felling and damage to hedgerows by taking the pipeline through existing gaps or areas of sparse vegetation where possible.

Treatment The treatment process at Glencorse will consist of: Coagulation – Colloids and other impurities in the raw water need to be removed. Coagulants like alum (Aluminium Sulphate)

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S c otl a n d are used to help bind the impurities together to form particles. This process is called solid-liquid separation, and requires precise dosing (measurement in milligrams per litre) and pH control along with good mixing to be effective. Flocculation – By adding chemicals called polymers, the particles formed during the process of coagulation are further increased in size for effective removal. The choice of the polymers used may differ with the quality of the raw water. Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) – This is a clarification process in which the impurities are floated to the surface, instead of being allowed to settle at the bottom. A mass of fine bubbles is created by saturating the water with air under high pressure, and these are then released and mixed with the flocculated raw water to help float the impurities to the surface. These impurities gradually collect to form a layer on the top which is skimmed at regular intervals into a separate channel, whilst the remaining water underneath, is allowed to pass onto filters. Rapid Gravity Filtration – This process removes any remaining impurities through filtration using either sand or a mixture consisting of anthracite (coal) and sand. CoCoDAFF - Glencorse will be design using the innovative CoCoDAFF (Counter Current Dissolved Air Flotation & Filtration) system. This method of treatment combines the dissolved air flotation and rapid gravity filters into one process unit. This reduces the treatment works foot print size and reduces the size of the flocculation tanks as some flocculation occurs in the CoCoDAFF units. This helps significantly in achieving the “low impact” building and aids in visual mitigation of the structure(s). Sludge – This is the by-product left over from the clarification and filtration processes. This is disposed of by passing it directly to the sewer where it can be treated in a waste water treatment works away from Glencorse. Find out more about the project by visiting www.scottishwater. co.uk/glencorse

New hydro electric schemes give Perthshire the power Renewable energy is something that all homes hope to benefit from, so the implementation of two brand new hydro electric schemes in Perthshire will have energy savers buzzing throughout 2012. Located just north of Dunkeld at Dowally Burn and Lochbroom Burn, the dual hydro electric schemes are the brain child of Atholl Estates and are currently in the final stages of development. When completed they will each generate approximately 1500 MWh of renewable energy, enough to provide 450 homes with power. Valued at £1.7 million each, work began on the previously greenfield sites in Perthshire in April 2011 with Lancaster based Askam Construction Ltd, as the main contractor with the turbine supplied by Gilkes of Kendal. Overseeing the project as construction design consultant and supervising engineer was Inter Hydro Technology. The company took the project from its initial conception through to a commissioned scheme with cost and project management expertise provided by the Edinburgh office of Gardiner and Theobald, along with support from a team of sub-consultants including Atmos, Ash and Waterman. As the project nears the final stages of development all that remains is the installation of the mechanical and electrical equipment. Work already carried out on the hydro electric schemes has involved the construction of the pipelines, approximately 2 km

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in length, with a diameter of 600 mm; as well as power houses at both Dowally Burn and Lochbroom Burn. These power houses, which are 70 sq m x 5 m high, were constructed with locally sourced larch timber cladding and smooth render. The work carried out has also including some landscaping on both projects, which was implemented to screen parts of the buildings from adjacent properties. With reference to the project, Inter Hydro Technology Associate David Bond said: “It was carefully considered to ensure that we got the most energy production out of each site, whilst remaining at a reasonable cost.” He added: “On completion, the entire pipeline was buried and all the landscape was reinstated to what the site looked like prior to it being opened up.” The installation was undertaken with a lot of care being paid to the surrounding area, which was important to Atholl Estates who has been a part of the area for generations. This was something

that Inter Hydro Technology respected when taking on the project and so every effort was taken to ensure that disruptions to the local community were kept to a minimum. David said: “There was a challenge at Lochbroom Burn as the site was adjacent to an area of conservation and on the Dowally Burn site there were some areas of archaeological interest too.” However thanks to a carefully considered plan of action, this situation didn’t prove too problematic for the company and it was able to work around it pretty quickly. He added: “Thankfully we had good planning and leading times so everything was pretty much resolved before we actually started construction. “If you have a plan to begin with then at least you can identify when something could go wrong and do something about it.” Scottish homes should soon start to feel the benefit of the hydro electric scheme, when both sites begin generating for the first time towards the end of March 2012.

Green Cat puts wind farm developers wise A renewable energy consultancy, currently specialising mainly in wind farm developments, Green Cat Renewables (GCR), provides specialist services to a variety of clients ranging from landowners to developers on schemes anything from one, two, or three turbines up to 30 turbines. Green Cat Renewables is made up of a multidisciplinary team of wind and small scale hydro specialists; planners, environmental consultants; civil, electrical, highways, geotechnical

and mechanical engineers as well as installation engineers and specialist technicians. This year the company has project managed 11 projects, together totalling 20 turbines with an approximately 25 Mw capacity, with further schemes involving a total of 38 turbines producing approximately 50 Mw of power already scheduled for next year. “We use a variety of methods in terms of building out - from

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balance of plans to a multiple contract approach - whatever best suits the client. We start from the very early stages of the development, taking it through the planning process to gaining consent and assisting with the build in terms of selecting the right contractor and the most suitable form of contract, then carrying out a watching brief and working closely with the contract team and client to ensure timely delivery to the client’s specification.” said Mr Andrew Aveyard of Green Cat Renewables. He added that the company has also carried out Due Diligence work on several projects. This involves reviewing the work involved to compile a report for investors. Unlike most consultancies, Green Cat Renewables is prepared to carry some of the project development risk, particularly where this can help control the outcome, ensuring a far greater level of commitment to projects than consultants “selling hours”.   Historically, the company has been involved in wind farm projects in Scotland but has now expanded its operations to several schemes in England. “Initially we grew out of Aberdeenshire and from there expanded to cover the whole of Scotland and the Islands, then on into England” said Mr Aveyard. One example of the exceptional level of expertise and support available from Green Cat Renewables is illustrated by the services provided by the company on the West Knock Wind Cluster turbine project constructed in 2011. Green Cat Renewables provided technical support from initial site identification, feasibility assessment, environmental assessment, planning support, detailed design, procurement and construction project management. The key development issues associated with this project - initially a three turbine development - were: civil aviation radar; grid connection and landscape and visual impact. However, through a process of thorough consultation and considerate project design, a scheme that was acceptable to all of the consultees was developed. As this was a farm diversification project, great care has been taken to manage the risks in such a way that all of the potential problems were dealt with before committing significant expenditure. This significantly reduced the potential for wasted effort. The key requirements for a project of this nature are: open areas of land heavily exposed to the wind; proximity to the 11kV

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or 33kV electrical supply, and no special environmental classification or special restrictions on use of the land specified. Even large modern wind turbines such as those used in this project can be accommodated in a relatively small land area. Leasing land to commercial wind farm developers can bring in a rent of around £10,000 per MW per annum. However, if a farmer develops the project himself, then the income per turbine can be many times this level. A project of this sort will generate an income for up to 25 years. At present, electricity generated by wind power attracts not only a base level electricity price, but various enhancements due to it being a clean renewable source, giving a total price per unit of renewable electricity of between 9.5p/kWh and 23.5p/ kWh depending upon size of scheme. The West Knock Wind Cluster turbine project was procured under a multi contract approach favoured by GCR because it offers considerable cost savings by splitting the project into a number of contracts which are managed independently. Before the detailed civil / structural design was started, GCR conducted a detailed site investigation and then produced a Geotechnical Site Investigation ‘interpretive report’ which was used as the starting point for the both the detailed civils design and the detailed foundation design by Enercon Gmbh. GCR undertook the detailed design for the civils work and supplied and collated all the information needed to carry out the tender process to determine the preferred contractor. Once the contractor had been agreed, GCR and the contractor worked closely together to provide further engineering designs that provided additional efficiencies that reduced the cost of the civils work. The planning consent for the wind cluster contained a series of planning conditions much of which were minor, however, a few of them will be more onerous including conditions relating to off site works on the public highway and getting SEPA/LPA approval for construction method statements. GCR worked

closely with SEPA/LPA and submitted various technical data and a construction method statement which was accepted, with all the planning condition subsequently being discharged. Enercon were chosen as the turbine supplier and GCR helped the client negotiate and agree a turbine supply contract and EPK contract (service / warranty agreement). In addition, GCR reviewed the Enercon electrical design and the checked the scope of supply of the overall grid connection with the Enercon and SSE provision to check that nothing was missing. The client decided to work with the Co-op Bank. GCR then worked closely with the Co-op Bank and all the solicitors to take the project through all the required credit checks, project set up, and agreements that were needed to be put in place before signing off and providing the client with the finance required to pay for all the project elements, including ordering the turbines, grid connection costs and civils contractor. Once the project had reached financial close, the scheme

commenced on site, where GCR undertook construction supervision of all the elements. The client also appointed GCR as CDM co-ordinator for the project, so initially all the pre-construction information was collated and passed onto the Principal Contractors with whom the construction phase plan was developed and then used by all the different contractors as the project progressed. Site visits were undertaken to check that the Principal Contractor (as defined in the CDM Regulations) was undertaking responsibility for management of day to day Health and Safety on site and that the work was being undertaken safely. The project was constructed and connected to the grid on time and within budget, with the turbines energised and starting to generate power at the beginning of November 2011. GCR helped the client with their OFGEM accreditation and power purchase agreements, with the wind cluster anticipated to generate 7,500MWh a year for the next 25 years.

Wind farm client blown away by contractors’ performance Taking shape in a project where the entire contract team have been highly commended for their work is the new Rosehall Hill Wind Farm in Sutherland in the Highlands. The site will comprise 19 1.3MW turbines measuring up to 59m to hub and 90m to blade tip with a total power capacity of 24.7MW, generating electricity for the estimated equivalent of 13,000 households a year and carbon savings of around 27,000+ tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. The scheme is being carried out for E.On. Morrison

Construction are main Contractors for the civils works, Power Systems are carrying out the electrical works and Scottish Woodland are undertaking tree felling on the site. Tom Harrison of E.On said: “Morrison Construction have done brilliantly - in fact we have had a good team all the way through. We have had no issues with the contractors, who have all worked well. The site has been kept tidy, the works has been done professionally and we have had compliments from the public and other people visiting the site from within E.On. It’s

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S c otl a n d been a success story all roundâ&#x20AC;? Before works could start on the wind farm site, all of the requirements of planning conditions relating to the beginning of construction needed to be satisfied. One such planning condition related to the upgrade of a mile long section of the A839 public road. This upgrade needed to be completed before works could start not only to satisfy planning conditions, but also because the road was not in a good enough state to withstand construction traffic. Given the poor condition of the road, this was a big task. The road was closed and traffic diverted via the A837. The works involved making the junction larger, so that turbine delivery vehicles and any other construction traffic can easily turn into the site, minimising any disruption to other traffic. The road improvements have been completed and a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;dry runâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for the turbine deliveries was recently successfully carried out from Ivergordon to the site. Currently the turbine foundations and hardstandings are in place and some forestry work is still ongoing to clear the site. The turbine areas have been cleared, with over 3000 tonnes having already taken to markets in the form of wood pellets, panel boards and construction grade timber. The remainder was not mature enough for market and was mulched on the site.. Conservation management plans are being implemented to protect the Black Grouse and Greenshank on the site. These include tree felling to create the open ground favoured by the species. The civils works will be completed and the site will be demobi-

lised in December 2011 due to expected adverse weather conditions, with the works re-commencing in February 2012 when the turbines and switchgear will be delivered. A temporary electricity connection will serve the site after it is installed in April 2012 and will remain in place giving a limited export from June 2012, until the site is fully connected in August 2012.

Fresh start for Beattock Primary School Beattock Primary School at Craigielands Park near Moffat, is undergoing an exciting transformation. The old school has been demolished and a new state-of-the-art primary school has been built in its place. Dumfries and Galloway Council expect that the project will be complete by the end of winter, with the school opening its doors in the new year. The dated 1960s building has been replaced with a modern three-classroom design that incorporates a multipurpose hall and nursery within the 1.5 acre site. Dumfries and Galloway Council have funded the project and their in-house design and construction teams, DG Design and DG First, have carried out the works. The new school features a cross-laminated timber, which has formed the walls, internal partitions and roof. These components were delivered to the site ready-fabricated and offered a significant advantage in reducing the construction time. In addition, the school includes several sustainable features, such as a biomass boiler, solar panels and rainwater harvesting.

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Whilst construction works are carried out, the children have been temporarily relocated to the former Moffat Academy building. Lindsay Baker from Dumfries and Galloway Council said: “The project has progressed very well and we are currently on schedule. We hope that the children will be moving back in soon so that they can have a new start and a new year in the new school. “This is the only primary school in this small community and so the project is very important. I think it is excellent that we are able to invest in this new facility for the local community.” The Beattock Primary School project was commissioned by the council’s education committee in June 2008, followed by the design development and tendering processes in 2009/10. The cost of the project is around £2.6 million.

Dalmarnock Substation charges ahead A new substation is being built at Dalmarnock in preparation for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The new indoor substation and equipment will allow for the removal and relocation of existing apparatus from an area that will become the Atheletes’ Village for the Games. Works on the 275KV substation began in October 2010 and are expected to be complete in December 2012. A substation is a component of an electricity transmission or distribution system that facilitates the transformation of voltage

from high to low (or vice versa) using transformers. In order to minimise the capital and operating costs of the system, the transmission substation transforms the voltage to a level suitable for transporting electric power over long distances. Once the power has been transported to where it is needed, a distribution substation transforms the voltage to a level suitable for the distribution system. NKT Cables are supplying and installing high voltage cables on the project. A substation does not generate electricity; it simply converts

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the power transmitted through existing transmission lines to lower distribution voltages for use in homes and businesses. The £25m building was designed by ScottishPower Power Systems and construction works have been carried out by main contractors Iberdrola. Funding for the project came from Scottish Power’s investment programme. Comprising approximately 550m² of floor space, the twostorey steel frame structure is clad with Kingspan cladding. Landscaping will include a car parking area that is in keeping with the existing substation. Tony Hagan, Iberdrola, explained: “The project comprises two parts: the new building and the installation of extensive high voltage cables in the area. The new development will contain both control equipment and new electrical equipment that will connect to the existing HV networks. Interestingly, the building has also incorporated flood prevention technologies – essentially it is a steel building on stilts – in order to create a bespoke design that protects the equipment that we are housing. “Works are progressing very well and we are extremely pleased to have worked on such a high profile project that will make important provisions for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.” The Dalmarnock Substation is part of a multi-million pound investment by ScottishPower Energy Networks to connect the 2014 Commonwealth Games City Legacy Homes and reinforce electricity supplies in the wider Cambuslang and Rutherglen areas. Craig MacDougall, SP Energy Networks Major Projects Managers, said: “This is a significant project that will help to ensure that the infrastructure is in place to allow the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games to be a success. “Not only will it mean that the 6,500 athletes visiting Glasgow in a few years time will be able to feel at home, it will also supply the hundreds of permanent houses in the new neighbourhood that will exist after the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, and reinforce the long-term reliability of supplies in the wider area. “We have been working very closely with Glasgow City Council and South Lanarkshire Council to plan this major upgrade. Although there will be traffic management schemes in operation, we are working hard to complete the project as quickly as possible and without the need for full road closures.”

Athletes’ Village On 9th September 2010, Glasgow City Council approved the City Legacy Consortium’s planning application for the first phase of the Athletes’ Village for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. The Athletes’ Village, located in close proximity to the River

Clyde, will accommodate approximately 7,000 athletes in more than 1,000 new permanent housing units. The masterplan proposes a new inner city housing neighbourhood for Glasgow and has maximised the re-use of brownfield land for residential development. Once the Games are complete, it is set to be the largest and most ambitious of the new neighbourhood projects that are being developed in the city. The new residential community will include 304 private homes, 400 homes for rent and a new 120-bed elderly care home. Leisure and retail units, community buildings, transport connections, local facilities and amenities and green spaces are also part of the plans that are being developed. It is proposed that the entire Village will be car free with a looped bus service that will use electric vehicles. In addition, it will also have its own extensive transport mall, providing regular and frequent bus access to all of the Games venues. The site is directly adjacent to the proposed National Indoor Sports Arena and the National Veledrome, which will allow competitors to walk to two of the largest competition venues.

Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games The first Commonwealth Games was held in 1930, setting the gold standard for international multi-sport events. In addition to many Olympic sports, the Games also include several sports that are mainly played in Commonwealth countries, including rugby sevens, netball and lawn bowls. The Games are overseen by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), which also controls the sporting programme and selects the host cities. At the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, seventeen sports will be played over eleven days of competition. These sports will include everything from badminton, squash and weightlifting to hockey and aquatics. One of the key strengths of the Glasgow 2014 bid was that the city already had 70% of the planned venue infrastructure in place. In addition, Glasgow has a strong sporting tradition and has undergone something of an economic and cultural renaissance in recent years. Indeed, the editor of US travel magazine, Frommer’s, voted Glasgow one of the top ten must-see, upand-coming destinations for 2006. Moreover, Glasgow was the only UK destination listed in the ‘Top 10 cities’ section of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2009. In order to ensure safe and effective transport for athletes and spectators during the Games, the road networks are being improved. The extension to the M74 will be a huge boost to the city, whilst the East End Regeneration Route – which will connect the M74 and M8 in the East End of the city will also provide excellent transport links for the Games and beyond.

New council homes for Fife An exciting new project at Ostlers Way, Kirkcaldy, will see the creation of 32 new council houses. The development is part of Fife Council’s new build programme, which has recently celebrated the news of a £840,000 grant from the Scottish Government’s Innovation and Investment Fund. This will be the fourth time that the council has successfully bid for Scottish Government capital in order to facilitate their five-year plan to build new homes in the region. Councillor Brian Goodall, chair of the Housing and Communities committee recently visited the Ostlers Way site in order to view the progress being made. He welcomed the funding news, saying: “I’m really delighted that once again we’ve managed to secure Scottish Government money to help us build even more council ROMA PUBLICATIONS

S c otl a n d homes in the Kingdom. “We have already begun to deliver our programme of new build council houses in other areas, in partnership with the Scottish Government and this additional support will ensure that we can keep up the pace with our new build programme and continue to improve access to housing for people who need it most. It’s also great to be able to announce this news as we stand on site, viewing the progress at our developments in Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline – it really is a great week for our new build plans.” Councillor Donald Macgregor, vice-chair of the committee, added: “This is great news and the Scottish Government money will be put to good use to help us continue to provide housing in areas of Fife which are in greatest need.” The development will comprise modern detached, semi-detached and terraced houses, ranging from one to three storeys in height. In addition, there will be three amenity bungalows and three properties that will be suitable for wheelchairs and facilitate tenants with specific needs. The proposal also includes the provision of landscaping and a large area of public open space. In addition to the Ostlers Way project, 30 new council homes will be built in Blacklaw Road, Dunfermline. The development will comprise a mixture of two, three and four-bedroom one and two-storey detached and semi-detached homes. There will also be eight amenity bungalows and three properties that will be suitable for wheelchair users. Housing Minister, Keith Brown, said: “Fife Council is to be congratulated for helping reverse the decline in council houses. “The local authority has enthusiastically embraced these positive measures, helping to increase supply and deliver quality, affordable rented homes for people. “These developments, backed by £840,000 from the Scottish Government, helps the local house building sector by supporting jobs, which provides a boost to the local economy. “In addition to this funding, the Scottish Government will also back local housing associations in Fife to the tune of more than £3.5m to build a further 116 affordable houses in the area.” The new grant will take the total funding from the Scottish Government to over £5m which, along with over £15m investment from the council, is supporting the development of 189 new affordable homes across Fife.

The £840,000 grant will be used to support 29 new council houses for rent on sites at West Port, Cupar and the former primary school at Shore Road, Anstruther Wester.

Another round for Helius Energy A new £60.5 million power plant is under construction in Rothes, Speyside, Scotland. The plant will use Scotch Whisky distillery by-products to generate electricity, produce animal feed and drastically cut carbon emissions. Fichtner Consulting are the project managers; the civils contractor is Robertson Construction Northern Limited, the power plant contractor is Aalborg Energie Technik and the process plant contractor is Wellman Robey Limited. The plant is thought to be the first of its kind in the world and will generate 7.2MW of electricity – enough to power 9,000 homes – most of which will be for export to the national grid. It is estimated that the plant will save 46,642 tonnes of CO2 emissions. The project will create approximately 100 jobs during construction and it will employ around 20 full time staff when operational in 2013. Gavin Hewitt, Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, said: “This project underlines the Scottish Whisky industry’s commitment to investing in the future. In 2009 the industry made a commitment to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels as a source of energy. The project shows how we can create a virtuous circle within the Scotch Whisky production process. The project is benefitting from initiatives such as the Renewables Obligation Scotland, which is vital for renewable energy schemes such as this to go ahead.

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“The innovative project is an excellent example of what can be achieved through collaboration between Scotch Whisky distillers. It will be a welcome boost to the region in these challenging economic times.” Frank Burns, Managing Director of Helius CoRDe Ltd, added: This innovative project demonstrates how Scotch Whisky byproducts can be put to good use to provide a big boost to the environment and ensure there are new sources of energy available for future generations. It also shows distillers working

together, and in partnership with third party expertise, for the future benefit of the entire industry. Without that collaboration the Rothes plant would not be possible.”

The Combination of Rothes Distilleries (CoRD) The Combination of Rothes Distilleries (CoRD) has been processing co-products from the Speyside whisky since 1904, when it was set up as a joint venture to serve the five distilleries then operating in Rothes. In its early days, it specialised in the drying and processing of surplus distillery pot ale into fertiliser cake. In 1970, CoRD opened its first joint processing plant and handled two key co-products of distilling, draft and pot ale, in order to produce a finished nutritional animal feeds prduct (Distillers Dark Grains). A second processing plant was added in 1974 and today CoRD handles co-products from up to 16 Speyside distilleries owned by its shareholders: The Edrington Group, Chivas Brothers, Glen Grant Distillery Co, Inver House Distillers, Diaego Distilling and Ben Riach Distillery Co.

Helius Energy plc Helius Energy plc was established to identify, develop, own and operate biomass fired renewable electricity generation plants. This will help meet the growing need for reliable power from renewable sources. Helius possesses a significant combination of knowledge and renewable energy markets, biomass energy technologies, biomass fuel sources, project development, implementation and operation of power generation plants. Adrian Bowles, CEO of Helius Energy, said: “We are delighted to start construction of this plant in Rothes and look forward to delivering low carbon renewable energy into the national grid on schedule.” Helius is also developing 100MWe projects in Avonmouth and Southampton.

Helius CoRDe Limited Helius CoRDe is a Joint Venture Company, comprising Helius Energy, CoRD and Rabo Project Equity BV to develop, build own and operate the proposed biomass CHP project at Rothes.

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The bells will ring for St. John’s Kirk An exciting project to restore St. John’s Kirk to its former glory has been completed by main contractors Laurence McIntosh and architects LDN Architects LLP. The £2.5m transformation is the culmination of years of fundraising for the ‘Vision for the Future’ project, which has made the church more accessible and suitable for arts, culture and heritage events. The church was established in Perth in 1126 and is one of the most important parish churches in Scotland. In 1559, the church played host to the main architect of the Reformation, John Knox. The sermon he preached was so controversial that it sparked a series of riots which resulted in the destruction of Perth’s monasteries. Improvements have included the enhancement of the entrance and the improvement of general access for disabled people. Furthermore, additional accommodation – comprising meeting rooms, toilets, office areas, cloakroom and disabled toilets – has been introduced, along with the upgrade of existing services and the installation of more comfortable and flexible seating. One of the main features of the

refurbishment is the new adjustable stage, which can be flat or stepped depending on the purpose. This will allow the church to become multifunctional, making it more accessible to the general public. Enabling works commenced in Easter 2010 and finished in August 2010, with the church remaining open throughout. The church closed for the refurbishment phase on the 1st September 2010 and works were partially complete for the Easter service in 2011. Gordon Butt from Hardies, who were the project managers and cost consultants for the project, said: “This was an extremely interesting project to work on and we had full approval from Historic Scotland. The project was not without its difficulties, as we had to deal with severe weather last winter and the discovery of several important archaeological finds. However, we have had a very strong

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team that has worked exceptionally well together. Everyone is delighted with the end result.” During the project, human remains were found on site. Excavations also revealed the medieval wall foundations, traces of wooden floor and a small Victorian cellar. Now that the refurbishment phase is complete, a total of £39,000 will be spent upgrading the operating system that rings the Kirk bells. The Carillon of bells was commissioned in 1935 and includes some Kirk bells that date back to the 16th century.

Built for the community, by the community A special new community centre is being built in Lochgelly, Fife. The new Benarty Community Centre is more than just a community centre. The new facility will incorporate: a library, council services office, 200 capacity function suite with bar facilities, sports hall, gymnasium, shower and changing facilities, youth room, child care and crèche facilities, exhibition space, cafe and local police centre. Joe McGuinness, Fife Council, explained: “It’s a community centre and more. The council are looking at reducing the number of buildings that they occupy and invest in buildings where need is greatest. The new Nen Benarty Community Centre will replace three existing community centres, a separate library, a local council office and a police station. All Council services will move into the new centre, which will also provide all of the activities you would expect from a community centre, such as Adult Learning classes, youth activities, leisure and recreation opportunities and out of school childcare provision.” The £3.81m building is being built by Fife Council and has been designed in consultation with the existing members of the community centre. There has been a lengthy lead into the building phase, comprising wide consultation with members of the community, existing users of the facilities and the staff that will move into the new centre. The single storey building comprises a steel frame with timber panel infill and a masonry external skin. The roof is a combination of full pitched standing seam roofing, sheet roofing and flat roof membrane, whilst the floors are made of concrete beams and block work and feature under-floor heating. The external finish is a mixture of facing brick and facing block work with smooth rendered panels and a selection of contrasting textures. The centre has been built to BREEAM ‘Very Good’ standards. Exterior landscaping will comprise car parking space, shrub beds and tree planting. In addition, the existing football pitch has been preserved and Fife Council plans to develop outdoor sports facilities at a later date.

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Joe McGuinness said: “This is a community-led project and it is the first community centre to be built by Fife Council in 30 years. It is a radical project in the sense of what we’re trying to do, which is make all of local services available and accessible under one roof. We have been working with the local community throughout the project and have developed a real partnership, with the community taking the lead all of the way. What we’re creating is something that the community already has ownership of.” Construction began in summer 2011 and is expected to be complete in July 2012.

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New school design is a class act Construction of the state-of-the-art, ecofriendly replacement Dunfermline High School is well advanced, in a project to provide a building with the capacity for 1,800 pupils at St Leonards Place, Dunfermline. The project is being undertaken for Fife Council by Main Contractors BAM. Architects for the scheme are also Fife Council. The environmentally-friendly school which has three classroom wings incorporates solar heating, rainwater collection and quality architectural design features, along with a vertical wind turbine that will provide electricity to the school. The new building features three classroom wings with state-of-the-art heating. In addition, the school will have CO2 and heat monitors in all the classrooms, solar shading, top-level insulation, environmentally-sound materials and 40% of the heating will come from renewable sources.

The contemporary design incorporates room for a sports hall, two gyms, a dance studio, assembly hall, mini theatre workshop, library and conference accommodation. Mary Stewart from the council’s Development Department said that the school would have a “lot of child-friendly” space. She added: “The design of the school is deliberately flexible to allow for future classrooms and communal spaces for different age groups are carefully arranged and separated. “The architects have successfully addressed the purpose of the building to create a facility that will not be intimidating in scale or form, but that will still be distinctive to a range of

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age groups.” She added: “Overall, this is a positive design response to the need to create a stimulating but secure learning environment for a range of child and adult users.” Currently the shell works, fit out, external works, and installation of underground utilities are all complete.

New ASDA Forfar is complete BAM Construction has recently completed the construction of a new Asda Superstore in Forfar, Angus. The store has created over 230 jobs in Forfar, with 80% of those recruited previously unemployed. The store offers additional competition in the town rivalling the local Tesco. Lisa Rooke, Asda’s Property Communications Manager for Scotland, said: “We first announced our interest in Forfar in September 2009 and began consulting with the local community in 2010. Throughout the process we were delighted to receive a high level of support for our plans from the local community. Many people recognised the benefits of regenerating this site, creating employment opportunities and delivering the wide range of quality goods at Asda’s famous low prices that our customers expect.” Having received planning permission for the development in February 2011, construction on the £15m project commenced in May and the store opened to the public in November. Located adjacent to the town centre at the St. James House site on St. James Road and New Road, the 50,000 sq ft (gross) store replaces the industrial buildings and offices that previously occupied the site, in the process creating a significantly smaller footprint. The Asda store has been designed to reflect both the former buildings on the site and the older stone buildings along St. James Road and The Vennel. The building has incorporated local stone and the roof was specifically designed to fit with its surroundings, which include a school and housing developments. Colin Sangster, Asda’s Acquisition Surveyor, explained: “This is a sensitive town centre location that sits adjacent to a Conservation Area and the design had to be sympathetic to its surroundings. Each site has its individual characteristics and we always strive to deliver a design that fits well with the area. Despite the constrained nature of the site, work progressed well and we are delighted with the end result. Our team have enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Angus Council and Architecture and Design Scotland.” Energy efficiency was an important concept for the design of the building, and the new store is at least 38% more efficient than a typical Asda building built in 2005. Built to BREEAM ‘Very Good’ standards, the store features extensive glazing to the checkout mall to encourage natural

daylight into the building, whilst the roof lights allow natural daylight penetration into the food hall. There is also energy efficient lighting in the frozen cases and cold rooms, and automatic light dimming technology has been utilised in order to conserve energy. Heat reclamation units will recycle waste heat in order to

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S c otl a n d heat other areas of the store, and the bathrooms feature water efficient taps and low flush toilets. External landscaping has comprised tree planting and the creation of a public space on the site that links to the town centre. Pedestrian access to the store from the High Street is created by a link way from Little Causeway. In addition, there is ample car parking, with ‘Parent and Child’ parking spaces, spaces for customers with disabilities, and cycle spaces in order to encourage the use of more sustainable forms of transport.

BAM Construction

property development, design, services engineering facilities management and plant hire. The company works closely in the UK with the civil engineering company BAM Nuttall and with BAM PPP, which specialises in public private partnerships. Each of the companies is part of the Royal BAM Group, a worldwide construction services enterprise. BAM Construction has a large network of offices covering England, Scotland and Wales and projects in the education, retail, mixed use development, health, office, leisure and law order sectors.

BAM Construction provide a seamless service in construction,

Noodles at the ready: Edinburgh wagamama opens at last The eagerly anticipated Edinburgh wagamama opened its doors to its first customers on Wednesday 2nd November 2011. The opening reflects the enthusiasm of local residents for the worldwide chain to set up in the capital. In 2007, a campaign group was launched on Facebook calling for a wagamama restaurant in the city. Since then, seven similar groups have been created, each of them accruing several hundred members. Since the first wagamama restaurant opened in London’s Bloomsbury in 1992, the company has developed a reputation for its fresh food and great service. wagamama is now an award-winning global brand, with accolades including: ‘London’s most popular restaurant’ (2006-2010) and ‘official coolbrand’ (2003-2011). The Edinburgh restaurant is wagamama’s fourth site in Scotland. Ingrid Williamson, wagamama Director of Marketing, said: “After much anticipation wagamama is finally opening in the Scottish capital, and we could not be happier. We have wanted to open in Edinburgh for a long time, so are thrilled we can finally share wagamama with everyone and look forward to new and existing wagamama fans tucking into some of their favourites.” Located in the former Bank of Scotland on Castle Terrace and Lothian Road, the 130-seat restaurant comprises two floors and around 10,000 sq ft of space. New double glazed units have been installed in the original facade in order to create an attractive entrance, whilst there is a wheelchair lift to the side and accessible bathrooms on the main floor. Malcolm Miller, Project Managager at wagamama, said: “The project did face some difficulties. For instance, a road closure was required in order to provide an increase in water supply pressure. In addition, the building was previously a bank; this created difficulties with the strip out and structural changes due to reinforced floors and walls. Despite this, the renovation works ran smoothly.” Since the new wagamama restaurant opened, it has received glowing reviews. An Edinburgh Spotlight review said: “All of the dishes served to us were delicious and our neighbours at the table commented on how pleased they were with their curry choices. “There are explanations on the menu about all the dishes and types of noodles, so those new to this type of cuisine can easily understand what they’re choosing. “Time allowed for us to have coffee and tea after our meal and we both concluded that we couldn’t fault the quality of the food or the experience of dining in Edinburgh’s newest restaurant. “We will definitely be returning and exploring some of the dishes on the extensive menu.” The new wagamama is open Monday – Saturday (11am to 11pm) and Sunday (12.30pm to 10pm) and also offers a take-out menu and children’s menu. Main contractors for the project were Thompsons Contracts.

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wagamama Aberdeen Last year, Thompsons Contracts completed a 10-week project for wagamama, which involved the fit out of a vacant unit within the Union Square shopping centre in Aberdeen. The empty 240m² unit has now been transformed, with works including: a screeded floor; partition walls; sprinkler system; electrical, plumbing and mechanical installations and all floor, wall, ceiling and feature finishes. A testimonial for Thompsons Contracts reads: “wagamama

have employed Thompsons on a number of both new build and refurbishment projects and have always found that they achieve a very high standard of finish whilst implementing our design briefs in a professional and cost effective manner. Given the quality of the all-round service that they provide, I would have no hesitation in recommending their company to anyone who has a requirement for construction, shopfitting or reactive maintenance service.”

Ringing out the bells for Paisley Appropriately titled The Cloisters, a new residential development is coming to Paisley, bringing a modern structure to the historic Renfrewshire town. Valued at £8 million, The Cloisters is a five storey development, built to offer private accommodation to residents via 95 one and two-bedroom flats. The site situated on Cotton Street in the heart of Paisley, is the latest property in the portfolio of developments from Westpoint Homes. Its construction is being undertaken by main in-house contractor, Westpoint Construction, the building division of the company. Westpoint Construction is currently working through the second phase of a planned five phase build and when finished The Cloisters promises to bring a modern build to the historic town. It is the handy work of Glasgow based architects Young and Gault LLP and work commenced on Phase 2 of the project in March 2011. With everything currently running to schedule this ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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area of the development is set to finish in February 2012. The Cloisters is being built on the site of what was formerly a council office building in the town. This posed a few initial problems when it came to removing the old structure, which involved a carefully planned operation. Speaking of the initial stages of The Cloisters’ construction, Contracts Manager for Westpoint Construction Alan Bryans said: “There was a major demolition job which took six months to finish prior to the development getting underway. “The previous building this replaces was six or seven stories high and a lot of the structure had to be hand demolished due to the proximity of the adjoining police station.” Alan added: “Thing was, next to the police station was the court, so if things had gone wrong then the crew wouldn’t have had too far to go to sort it out.” So far work on Phase 2 of The Cloisters has seen the erection of the timber frame and the attachment of the metal clad roof to the property. Westpoint Construction is now working on the external brick and stonework, with the internal fit-out to follow directly afterwards. Materials used in the construction have included real stone, concrete blocks, render, facing brick, and UPVC double glazed

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windows. The exterior is natural stone with brick panels and a particularly attractive design feature is the inclusion of ornamental metal and glazed balconies to all two-bedroom apartments. 16 balconies are overlooking the picturesque view of Paisley Abbey, offering residents a daily glimpse of the town’s heritage. The apartments have been fitted out with gas central heating and when completed the building will feature luxurious en-suite flats, complete with private courtyard parking and communal areas. There is also a small amount of landscaping to be completed on the project, which will provide residents with a communal garden. Westpoint Homes is currently one of Scotland’s leading developers, specialising in residential properties that mix traditional homes with contemporary looks. The construction of The Cloisters is yet another move forward in creating a modern sensibility to an area steeped in history.

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To infinity...and beyond! Spaceport America is set to become the world’s first purpose-built, commercial spaceport. The £133m project is the result of almost two decades of effort to increase the commercial accessibility of spaceflight. The project has provided jobs for almost 800 construction workers, whilst the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) expects approximately 2,000 long-term jobs to created. It will also generate important tourism businesses for the area, such as hotels, restaurants and tour guide arrangements. Spaceport America is owned and operated by the State of New Mexico in the United States. The spaceport is located on 18,000 acres of stateowned land, just west of the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range (WSMR). The spaceport will contract services from WSMR and will utilise the range’s unique restricted airbase in order to create a new way to travel into space. The newly constructed three-storey, 110,152 sq ft Terminal Hanger facility was named the ‘Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space’ in October 2011. This iconic building was designed by Foster + Partners and URS. The western zone of the facility houses support and administrative facilities for Virgin Galactic and the NMSA, whilst the central zone is the heart of the facility and contains the double-height hangar to store up to two White-Knight-Two motherships and five SpaceshipTwo spacecrafts. The eastern zone contains the principal operational training area, departure lounge, spacesuit dressing rooms and celebration areas. The restaurant and mission control room have direct east views across the apron, runway and landscape beyond. The Terminal Hangar Facility was designed to meet LEED Gold standard, so the development comprises several sustainable features such as earth tubes under the earth berm to cool the building, underfloor radiant cooling and heating and natural ventilation in mid season. Phase One of Spaceport America construction is 95% complete. The spaceport is on schedule to be completed on its Phase One construction at the end of 2011. Phase One construction is made up of the spaceport’s large runway, which is completed, the Terminal Hangar Facility that Virgin Galactic will use, the internal roads, fencing, electrical system, water/sewer systems, and the dome-looking Space Operations Center. Phase Two construction is made up of the final build out of the permanent Vertical Launch Complex facilities, the visitor/ welcome centres, and a visitor centre on the main spaceport campus. The southern road to the spaceport is also part of Phase Two, which is projected to be complete in 2013. At that time, the spaceport becomes fully operational. Both Phase One and Phase Two construction are part of the already-funded State of New Mexico’s original $209 million spaceport construction budget. Officials at Spaceport America have been working closely with entrepreneurial space leaders like UP Aerospace, Virgin Galactic, and Armadillo Aerospace, as well as established aerospace firms like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and MOOGFTS to develop commercial spaceflight at the new facility. The

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economic impact of launches, tourism and new construction at Spaceport America are already delivering on the promise of economic development to the people of New Mexico.

McDADE-WOODCOCK McDade-Woodcock Inc has been an Industrial based electrical contractor for 32 years, specialising in high-tech electrical products and solutions, including industrial construction and water and waste water treatment. McDade-Woodcock Inc provided electrical work on the

Spaceport America project, based in New Mexico, including site and electrical communication and electrical work in the airfield and fuel storage facility. This also included electrical work for the site’s fencing and gates, the wastewater treatment plant and its water booster pump station. President and CEO of McDade-Woodcock Inc, Rob Rives said: “We’re the premier industry leading electrical contractor in the South-West, we have the financial capacity and bonding ability to tackle almost any size project and we have a long established reputation of quality.” He added: “For McDade-Woodcock and for me personally, we always wanted to get involved with NASA and space endeavours and this was a pioneering one as it’s the first one!” McDade-Woodcock Inc installed runway guidance signage and wind cones, a 2.5 mile communication and airfield ductbank and over 10 miles of 25kv ductbanks. It also installed SCADA communications (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), a system used to remotely monitor the infrastructure of a network, as well as 1.5 miles of fibre optic cabling, 36 miles of 25kv power cable, 25kv power electrical system distribution equipment and back up generation equipment. The company also used a number of innovative items on the project including the use of environmentally friendly lead free 25kv power cables from Southwire and all of its site lighting made use of solar energy.

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Belgium’s biggest infrastructure project powers ahead Currently the biggest infrastructure project in Belgium, The Liefkenshoek Rail Tunnel project involves the construction and maintenance of the civil infrastructure for a new 16.2 km freight-only railway in the bounds of the Port of Antwerp undercrossing the River Schelde and the Canal Dock. In 2013 the new tunnel will connect the left bank of the River Schelde with the right, linking the western and eastern docks of the city. The project, valued at 680 million Euros, is intended to provide a solution for the large rise in goods transport by rail which is expected in the area. The scheme is a design, build, finance and maintain agreement, with a maturity period of 41½ years (3½ years for construction up to availability, plus 38 years after the achievement of availability for maintenance). The project involves the construction and maintenance of civil infrastructure (with associated electro-mechanical systems where essential for maintenance of the civil infrastructure) to provide for others to construct, maintain and operate the railway. The project is being carried out for Infrabel N.V. Following several tendering phases the contract was awarded to the successful bidding consortium LocoRail NV in November 2008. This consists of the Belgium company CFE NV, the French VINCI Concession SA company and the Dutch company BAM PPP. Mott MacDonald Ltd will be Technical Advisors to the Locorail consortium’s lending bank. The project comprises a double-track route from Bundel Zuid to the Antwerp North marshalling yard, which runs under three

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water bodies: the Waasland canal (through the already existing but never used Beverentunnel), the River Schelde and the Kanaal dock. The rail link consists of 4.8km of embankment, 4.2km of open and covered trench, 1.2km of existing tunnel (re-opening of the already built but never used Beveren Tunnel) and almost 6km of double-bored tunnel with an internal diameter of 7.3m. The two single-track tunnels roughly 5,970m long are being created by shield driving and an internal diameter of 7.3m, as well as several km of tunnels by cut-and-cover with deep diaphragm walls and cement-bentonite. The tunnel boring machines (TBMs) made by Herrenknecht, are approximately 8.4m in diameter and have a conic tail skin. The tunnelling installation including five trailers, is about 110m long. Both TBMs are fitted with an electric drive with an installed thrusting force of roughly 60,000kN and the operating pressure of the TBMs amounts to 4bar. The TBMs are equipped with a closed cutting wheel, which rotates in front of the shield. By mid 2013, the building works will have been completed. In

the period 2012-2014 Infrabel will execute the works on tracks, signalling infrastructure and overhead wiring in several stages. Infrabel will integrate the new rail infrastructure into the surroundings in a sustainable way by building a compensation

area at Groot Rietveld in Kallo, three noise buffers around Kallo, Verrebroek and Zuidelijke Groenzone and noise screens. From the spring of 2014 onwards the rail infrastructure of the Liefkenshoek rail connection will be tested.

Powerful connection for BritNed Owned by privately run company BritNed Development Limited, BritNed is the first subsea electricity interconnector to exist between the UK and the Netherlands. Designed to push beyond the boundaries imposed by just one European sector, BritNed is a cable that stretches across the North Sea, creating a connection between two countries that rely on a source of energy. It is 260 km in length and has 100% accessibility and with a constant supply flowing back and forth to where it is needed, BritNed was conceived to offer a safe, reliable and extremely efficient source of electricity. With already a capacity of 1000 MW BritNed certainly has the power to do just that. BritNed commercial director René Kerkmeester said: “Via market coupling BritNed provides UK traders for the first time a gateway to the highly liquid European market. “Earlier experience of coupling across border markets has witnessed an increase of liquidity and volumes and the creation of a stable reference price. “We expect that the UK market will now benefit from the same experience.” BritNed connects the Isle of Grain, north Kent, in the UK with the industrial area of Maasvlakte, near Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and it’s this union that is truly at the heart of the process. Devised and put into operation as a joint venture between National Grid Holdings One PLC in Great Britain and TenneT Holding B.V in the Netherlands, the process aims to strengthen the European energy market by ensuring that there is a reliable supply of electricity flowing between the two countries. By putting BritNed into operation, the aim is to work towards streamlining the electricity market in Europe, so that it can eventually become one international electricity market. As the supply is for both domestic and industrial consumers, BritNed auctions the cable’s capacity on the open market and the price of the electricity is dependent on costs within both power markets. It is believed that this will eventually even out the escalating costs of electricity, to create a fairer process in the future. It doesn’t buy or sell any of the electricity; instead companies that trade on BritNed will have the ability to bid on the basis of one day ahead, known as implicit auctions, or through set capacities, known as explicit auctions that allow the purchase of capacity up to one year in advance. This forward thinking process will benefit both consumers and the industry as a whole and offers a more secure source through a connection between two separate, yet established markets. Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne said: “This is good news for our energy security, for UK renewable and for consumers. “It plugs the UK directly into a wider European electricity market, allowing us to import our peak needs cheaply rather than hold expensive plants in readiness.” As a company, BritNed Development Limited is funded commercially so that it functions as an independent business that can be regulated and monitored to ensure the highest standards of safety and efficiency. This is something the company prides itself on and by investing in the interconnector BritNed Development Limited has been able to join the wider European electricity market. Budgeted at around €600 million the BritNed cable went live in April 2011 but was first conceived in 1999 when a study into its feasibility was started. This was followed by an offshore seabed survey before the company awarded contracts to its construc-

tion partners in 2007. Work officially commenced on the project in Maasvlakte in September 2009 as part of a three-pronged process that saw the subsea cable manufactured and installed below the North Sea. This was followed by two convertor stations, one at either end of the cables and then electrical equipment needed to complete the process of transferring the current was installed. In order to lay the cable, two HVDC power cables were bundled and buried together approximately a metre below the seabed of the North Sea, at a depth of between 30 – 50 metres. This operation required over 30 special cable-laying vessels and support vessels and was split into seven sections. The BritNed cable carries a current of electricity with a voltage of ± 450 kV DC and is a combination of two 250 km sea cables and two land cables laid together at 7 km in the Netherlands and 2 km in Great Britain. The BritNed cable weighs 23.000 tonnes and due to the distance of transmitting across both marine and land cables it was designed to carry a direct current. This meant that at either end of the cable, a convertor station was constructed to transform the direct current into alternating curROMA PUBLICATIONS

O ve r s e a s rent, which is the current that is transmitted in both countries. The convertor stations, approximately 5 hectares in size, were built at the Isle of Grain and Maasvlakte to either convert alternating current into direct current, or DC back into AC. This required the installation of electrical equipment and components and so at the centre of each station is the valve hall which contains 12-pulse optically triggered thyristor valves, to make the conversions. An AC cable system connects the convertor station with the Isle of Grain’s 400kV substation, whilst the convertor station at Maasvlakte links via an overhead line to the TenneT 380kV substation. To regulate the AC power system voltage seven convertor transformers were installed at each station, with six working on the operation at each location and one remaining transformer acting as a spare. BritNed’s Interconnector was installed to the highest standards of civil, electrical and marine engineering and its implementation adhered to its policy of providing safety for its staff, its customers and the environment it operates within. As mentioned previously, BritNed has been in the pipeline for over a decade and so every care was taken to work with local experts to ensure that the disruptive impact it could have on the area was kept to a minimum. With work complete, testing took place in late 2010, with the first explicit and implicit auctions beginning in March 2011. BritNed provides greater opportunities for import and export, by opening up access to all players in the market by increasing the diversity of supply. Executive director of National Grid, Nick Winser said: “Our investment in this interconnector means that we are joining a much wider European electricity market. This ability that we will now have to move power across national borders means we can use the full potential of renewable energy from wind – making

it easier to import when wind is not available and export when there is a surplus.” Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne added: “Renewables win as it means surplus wind power can be easily shared. Consumers win as a single European market puts pressure on prices.” With plans for an additional 10GW of electricity available under the North Sea by 2020 BritNed Development Limited believe that with BritNed in place, the connection should encourage similar processes in the electricity grid in the coming years.

A winning track for latest pylon development A new high-voltage pylon has been developed by Dutch electricity transmission operator TenneT. Known as the Wintrack, the conception of the pylon was put in place to improve the effectiveness of new constructions and to reduce the amount of space that pylons consume. Wintrack is an innovative pylon that offers minimalist design, by replacing the existing lattice tower with two smooth poles for a slimmer and more efficient design. The pylons are slender and grey in appearance, so that their colour matches the skyline of TenneT’s home in the Netherlands and have been shaped to offer a more aesthetically pleasing look to the Dutch landscape. The Wintrack pylon consists of a bi-pole, which is a pair of pylons, with wire bundles held one above the next. The high-voltage wire bundles are kept closely together to reduce the intensity of the magnetic field, which is traditionally generated through the route of the high-voltage connection in lattice towers. This reduces the ‘magnetic field zone’ in Wintrack pylons by over 60 percent; which is far below the magnetic fields of traditional lattice pylons, where the conductors hang next to each other. This smaller magnetic field is produced as a result of two 380-kV circuits being placed close together within two separate pylons and it means that new electricity connections can be constructed without any major disruption to the landscape. This is also beneficial to residents of an area where a Wintrack pylon is to be constructed, as the pylons are designed so that the space around the high-voltage lines can be used more effectively, to encourage the construction of new developments within the vicinity. In 2005 Dutch Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment introduced strict guidelines for any extensions of high-voltage lines, to help minimise long-term exposure of

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magnetic fields to humans. It was a precautionary policy, but one which TenneT followed to ensure that the limit value of 0.4 microTesla was not exceeded. Whereas previous guidelines issued by the Ministry stated that construction of any development was restricted to a strip of land around 300 metres behind high-voltage lines, the Wintrack reduces this restriction to less than 100 metres. This helps to cut the problem of not being able to construct schools and homes unless they are behind the 300 metre mark. The diameter of the Wintrack pylons ranges from 2.4m on the underside to 0.5m at a height of 57m; with two tubular sections per pylon. The weight of the bottommost tubular section is 40 t, with the topmost at 13 t and the length of each tubular section is 28.5 m. At its tallest the Wintrack pylon is 65m tall and is made from steel (S355). Its design has the option of combining multiple electricity connections on one pylon. The first test of the Wintrack pylon was overseen by TenneT and the research agency KEMA back in 2008, where it passed the short-circuit test, by being subjected to a huge surge current of 50 kA for 0.5 seconds. The short-circuit test saw the pylon subjected to increasingly high current intensities until 50kA was reached for 0.5 seconds, to peak at 125 kA. A noise nuisance test followed in 2009, with the first installation of three Wintrack pylons taking place in Bleiswijk, in the west of the Netherlands in 2010. The pylons were constructed along the A12 motorway, from The Hague to Gouda, and were the construction of Volker Wessels Telecom Network Solutions, who won the contract due to their minimalist look of the pylons. The Wintrack pylons were designed by Zwarts & Jansma Architects, collaborating with KEMA.

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O ve r s e a s The foundations of the Wintrack pylon were constructed by European constructor Heijmans and made use of a reinforced concrete slab. For each pylon built on a vibration-free installed pile construction, there is also a reinforced concrete dump which is produced using a higher quality of concrete to bear the load. TenneT has plans for the new pylons to be used within infrastructural projects across the Netherlands on a much larger scale; with over 450 km of new high-voltage lines constructed across the country in the foreseeable future. TenneT is the premier electricity transmission operator across the whole of the Netherlands and parts of Germany; with approximately 20,000 kilometres of high voltage lines. In 2008 it took over connections to the high-voltage grid and in 2010 it acquired E.ONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s German high-voltage grid. It was formerly responsible for administrating high-voltage levels of 220 kV or higher, however it currently manages the 110 kV, 150 kV, 220 kV and the 380kV grid, as appointed by the Transmission System Operator by the Office of Energy Regulation. Through projects in the East, West and South of the Netherlands TenneT continually work to improve the high-voltage grid. The company works around the clock so that there is always an uninterrupted and continuous supply of electricity to its 35 million end users and ranks within the top five gird operators in Europe. TenneT understands the needs of its customers, so that whenever they need electricity there will always be a reliable supply. TenneT is also responsible for maintaining and investing in the transmission grid, whilst making sure that the grid is of 100kV or higher. It must ensure that all electricity transmissions take place as intended throughout the Netherlands and that it contributes to an integrated electricity market in Central Western Europe.

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Amongst its customers TenneT includes grid operators, electricity producers, consumers and Programme-Responsible Parties. TenneT considers itself as the connecting piece between producers and consumers, which includes constant communication between the community; which is seen by the company as a vital necessity for its development. Not only does TenneT monitor the reliability of the transmission grid, but the company also strives to be at the forefront of technological developments and always aims to anticipate the change in societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s need for electricity transmission. This is achieved via a comfortable balance between managing a reliable electricity supply and its social responsibilities as grid administrator. It does this by providing services that support the development of sustainable energy supplies and by supporting free-marketing operations. TenneT is an independent TSO, with a responsibility to people, society and the environment, with quality and integrity at the heart of its corporate key elements. It understands that by adhering to proper market operations and by continuing to supply electricity in the most reliable way, it is a valuable asset to improving social and economic developments. All attempts are made to limit the effects that its operations have on the planet, by keeping track of its CO2 footprint in order to prevent unnecessary air emissions, where possible. Moving forward TenneT is working towards the acquisition of a more prominent position among TSOs in Western Europe when it comes to its corporate social responsibility. The use of the Wintrack pylon is just one of the ways that it is doing this.

Heritage

Hidden cost of lead thefts threatening our Heritage Ray Robertson, Secretary, Lead Contractors Association Stealing lead from a church roof is no longer the victimless crime traditionally portrayed. Record metal prices have resulted in regional / national organised gangs that methodically strip vulnerable sites, with the lead easily distributed through the UK network of metals reclamation merchants. Increasing demand world wide for lead acid batteries has also spawned large scale thefts by the container load to be shipped directly abroad from UK ports. More often than not the “vulnerable sites” are church properties in remote locations where access is open and visitors are encouraged. This has meant the repeat targeting of some churches with the thieves simply waiting for the lead sheet to be replaced before stripping it off again. Although perhaps involving relatively few people directly, the damage caused to the external building structure and internal decoration, as well as its precious, often irreplaceable contents is heartbreaking to those locals affected. It is reported that between January and August 2011, the cost of lead stripped from ecclesiastical properties had exceeded £3.5M - more then the whole of 2010. More than 5,000 churches in the UK have now suffered from a theft of lead and this is not a problem which is going away. Although lead thefts have been escalating chronically over the past three or four years, it affects relatively few. Ironically it has been the recent increase in the theft of copper cable and resulting massive inconvenience to thousands of rail commuters and cost to transport, power and communication companies (and their insurers) which has dramatically raised the public awareness of “metal thefts” and led to demands for action. Now there are investigations into security systems, alarms, lighting and lead theft deterrents such as Smartwater and Led-Lok. Neighbourhood watch schemes such as Church Care and National Church Watch have quickly become a focal point for the community. The entire UK metals reclamation network (colloquially “scrap metal merchants”) has come under the microscope, with calls for changes to legislation, stricter regula-

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Heritage tion, licensing, banning of cash scales, improved identification procedures, record keeping, Certificates of Origin, etc. The latest Guidance Note from English Heritage provides a thorough review of the theft of metal situation and contains extensive advice on preventative measures to be taken. From the Lead Contractors Association (LCA) point of view, the raising of the profile of metal thefts is welcome and no doubt in time some of the measures already being considered and implemented may have the desired effect in eventually curtailing the current epidemic (although nothing will have the same effect as a dramatic fall in metal prices). In the meantime however, our heritage is at risk from an as yet unconsidered threat. Initially, lead sheet being stolen from a roof at least provided work for the leadwork specialist engaged to replace the metal like for like. Demands for the skills of the experienced lead craftsmen increased to the extent where LCA members undertook to work to an agreed schedule of rates and an organised system approved by Ecclesiastical Insurance which meant the rapid response by a leadwork specialist when a theft occurred. It also meant an installation carried out in accordance with the UK Code of Practice (BS6915) and which was sympathetic with the demands of the original roof design. However this organised system lasted barely more than a year, as the rapidly increasing occurrence of repeat thefts from the same properties led to a dramatic scaling back in the value of the claims cover provided by the insurers. This effectively forced individual Diocese to look at alternative materials, cheaper than lead sheet with little scrap value, therefore less likely to be stolen, a move which is now being reluctantly accepted by English Heritage. Even in those cases when lead sheet is being used as a like for like replacement for stolen metal, the installation work is now given to local general

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roofing contractors offering cheaper prices than the specialist. This is the hidden cost of lead theft â&#x20AC;&#x201C; effectively a two pronged attack on the specialist craftsman. A building that has been covered in lead for centuries was probably designed specifically for that metal and that is obviously the best choice for re-covering (English Heritage latest guidance notes state lead should be retained wherever possible).

However, lead sheet is a soft metal, which is conversely both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. In the hands of a skilled and experienced craftsman, lead sheet can be shaped by hand to fit the most complex and ornate details which are found on our historic properties, in order to provide comprehensive and maintenance free weather protection that (untouched) will consistently perform for more than 100 years. Because it is a soft metal, lead sheet reacts to temperature changes by expanding and contracting. The specialist leadworker knows exactly how to allow for this thermal movement in the sizing and fixing of each individual detail. However also because it is a soft metal which moves, lead cannot be sealed down on all sides and still perform, so increasing its vulnerability to theft. Installing lead sheet properly is therefore a specialist craft that requires a degree of skill and knowledge which the general roofing contractor is unlikely to have, regardless of their competence in other materials. Even when badly fitted though, lead sheet is such a superb roofing material it will take time to show duress and eventually

fail, by which time the installer has been paid and has no interest in returning to site to address the problems that their lack of knowledge has created. When a lead theft occurs there is an increasing temptation to change materials. Even when lead sheet is re-installed, there is the mistaken belief that money can be saved by using a non specialist. These two consequences of lead theft have resulted in a sharp fall in demand for the services of the specialist leadworker, at a time when the entire UK construction industry continues to suffer from the economic downturn. When metal prices ease (as they will), when lead thefts decline (as they will), when demand for lead sheet revives (as it undoubtedly will because of its unrivalled long term maintenance free performance), where will the specialists be to make sure it is fitted with the skill, knowledge and careful attention to detail it deserves? Let’s hope there are still some left, as I for one would hate to see the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral covered in asphalt. For more information on the Lead Contractors Association go to www.lca.gb.com

Described by Managing Director Nigel Miles as a “once in a lifetime” project, the spectacular leadwork involved in the refurbishment of the Regent Palace Hotel in London under main contractors Sir Robert McAlpine has won the Murdoch Award for NDM (Metal Roofing & Cladding) Ltd for a record third time.

Sponsored by Associated Lead Mills as part of their commitment to quality in metal roofing, the Murdoch Award is an annual competition organised for its members by the Lead Contractors Association, the Murdoch Award winning project is effectively the very best of the best. Any refurbishment project requires careful attention to the existing detail, but this was taken to the extreme at Regents Palace with the demands of restoring eight lion cartouches which decorated the corner of each mansard. Each single cartouche was 1.160m high by 1.250m wide and three dimensional in section, with the timber and lead generally weighing a combined 300kg per cartouche. A total of 5m² in Code 7 lead sheet (178kgs) was used for each cartouche and whilst from a distance they appear to be identical, from close up it can clearly be seen that each lion’s face is slightly different around the mouth and jaw. “These beasts are quite magnificent and it has been a privilege to work on them,” said NDM Operations Director Chris Deady. “I think they have been beautifully restored and it is a tribute to the skills we have on or staff that I believe we have exceeded the very high standards demanded by the architect Donald Insall.” There were congratulations also for Geoff Neal (Roofing) Ltd of York and John Fulton (Plumbers) of Glasgow who were named by the judges as finalists for the 2011 Murdoch Award by the judging panel for their work at St Nicholas Church (Wetwang) and the Pearce Institute, Glasgow, however both agreed that NDM were worthy winners of the 2011 competition. Graham Hudson, MD of sponsors Associated Lead Mills was delighted with the decision of the judges, particularly as it was his own company that was involved in supplying the lead sheet from Jamestown Metals for the project. “I think this is the first time since we have been sponsoring the Murdoch Award that ALM have actually been involved in supplying material for the winning project, so I am doubly pleased that such a very special job has been acknowledged with the ultimate accolade for leadwork,” he said. More photographs of all the entrants to the 2011 Murdoch Award and Murdoch Sponsors Award competitions can be found on the LCA web site www.leadcontractorsassociation.com

Regent Lions Roar NDM to 3rd Murdoch Award Success

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Heritage

English Heritage Backs CSCS Heritage Skills Card A landmark decision by the English Heritage Executive Board has sent a clear message of support and endorsement for the CSCS Heritage Skills card. The Board have agreed to modify their procurement rules by launching a pilot programme with immediate effect, whereby only contractors holding the CSCS Heritage Skills Specialist Leadworker card will now be engaged to work on significant EH projects involving lead sheet. This positive response to a proposal submitted by EH Conservation Director Bill Martin, marks a successful conclusion to a long running campaign by the Lead Contractors Association (LCA), supported by the National Heritage Training Group (NHTG) and UNITE the Union, to have the specialist craftsman formally recognised and endorsed by the UK’s leading heritage client organisation. Having achieved such a positive result for leadworkers, the challenge is now there for other craft trades to follow suit and achieve the required “critical mass” of heritage skills card holders for their sector. English Heritage Director of Conservation Bill Martin said:

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“Our recent decision to require the provision of CSCS Heritage cards for any craftsperson working on lead roofing projects on our estate to a value of £75k and over is testament to this great progress by the LCA. “I hope that this decision will encourage other clients in the sector to do likewise and will of course send a strong message to the other crafts trades that provision of a properly trained and qualified workforce is something that will increasingly be recognised in procurement areas.” Nigel Miles, new Chairman of the LCA, welcomed the pilot programme, which will run until 2015. He said: “The backing of English Heritage by this landmark decision finally provides formal recognition for the specialist leadworker and we hope to now work with EH to quickly lower the minimum value so that by the end of the pilot programme in 2015, the requirement for CSCS Heritage Skills cardholders can be applied to all refurbishment projects as well as any repair and maintenance involving lead sheet of any significance.” The decision also provides encouragement and a direct com-

mercial incentive for other heritage crafts that now have the challenge of reaching the required “critical mass” of card holders in their own sector, in order to be similarly recognised by English Heritage. Paul Simons, Chairman of the National Heritage Training Group, challenged other craft trades to quickly follow the leadworkers’ initiative. He said: “The preservation of craft skills and knowledge is essential for the future of our built heritage, but this can only happen if demand for those skills is maintained by those charged with maintaining of our historic properties. I now look to other national organisations such as the National Trust, CADW and Historic Scotland as well as government and local authorities to follow the precedent set by English Heritage.” As further support, the Heritage Lottery Fund have indicated that, whilst they are unable to make the Card a mandatory requirement for its grant programmes, they have agreed to raise awareness of the CSCS Heritage Skills Card and to promote its importance in their guidance for grant applicants. Further information regarding the CSCS Heritage Skills Specialist Leadworker card can be obtained direct from the Construction Skills Certification Scheme or through the Lead Contractors Association (info@lca.gb.com tel: 01342 317888)

Arboricultural show a resounding success The biggest event of its kind in the UK, this year’s ARB show for the arboricultural industry, held in early June, was a resounding success at its new showground on the Bathurst Estate, in Cirencester. The new venue offered a variety of superb trees to host the practical demonstrations and the popular 3ATC tree climbing competition that so many visitors enjoy. Run by the Arboricultural Association, the show’s fresh, inspiring and varied demonstration program offered something for everyone - from the absolute novice to the most experienced practitioner. Show visitors were also able to get advice on anything from climbing and work techniques to the latest products and climbing kit from over 70 trade stands.

The arbjobs.com sponsored 3ATC (Arboricultural Association Arborist Tree Challenge), another popular attraction that ran this year. Open to all levels of competitor, the 3ATC was divided into three categories of competition, from novice through to expert and premier climber. This year’s practical demonstration sessions included the safe configuration of rigging equipment, dismantling techniques, and work positioning on and aerial rescue from pole. The workshop sessions included the design of arborists’ hardware, competent hand splicing, the ARB Approved Contractor scheme and exploring Borneo’s rainforest canopy. Also of interest was the launch of the new Stihl MS201 T chainsaw and the Tree Climbers’ forum. ROMA PUBLICATIONS

Heritage Another major event in the arboricultural world is the association’s 45th National Amenity ARB Conference 2011, which is being held on Sunday 18th to Tuesday 20th September 2011 at the University of Warwick. The largest and most established annual conference dedicated to arboriculture, this event is the focal gathering of amenity arboriculture managers in the UK, consultants, local government managers, contractors and educators. With new regulations and standards directly relevant to arboriculture appearing more frequently, Arboricultural Association Conferences provide vital information to help those attending keep ahead - including formal lectures and seminars -plus networking and a great social environment.

About the Arboricultural Association Since 1964, the Arboricultural Association has been the national body in the UK and Ireland for the amenity tree care professional in either civic or commercial employment: at craft, technical, supervisory, managerial or consultancy level. There are currently 2,000 members of the Arboricultural Association in a variety of membership classes. The objectives of the Arboricultural Association are to: advance the study of arboriculture; raise the standards of its practice; foster interest in trees through publications, exhibitions and the stimulation of research or experiment; assist in the training of students in disciplines where arboriculture is a major subject and to cooperate with other bodies having similar aims. People able to care for trees are generally either consultants (tree advisors or arboriculturists) or contractors (tree surgeons or arborists). Consultants provide specialist opinion on tree health, safety, preservation, trees and buildings, planning and other law. Consultants use their training and experience to form opinions about arboricultural issues. Subjects on which arboricultural consultants will commonly advise include: • • •

•

• •

Assessing trees for hazard and where appropriate specifying remedial work Investigating cases where trees are alleged to be involved in structural damage to buildings Providing advice in relation to tree preservation law and where necessary, expert evidence to the planning inspectorate Providing advice in relation to trees and development and when necessary, expert evidence to the planning inspectorate Formulating tree and woodland management plans Investigating accidents caused by tree failure

Services typically required of an arboricultural contractor are: • Tree maintenance (pruning, bracing or fertilising operations) to a relevant British standard • Tree felling including dismantling of dangerous trees or trees in confined spaces. • Pest and disease identification and control. • Advice on the above. For further details, see the Arboricultural Association’s web site: www.trees.org.uk

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

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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 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

The duo have done restoration work with both English Heritage and Natural England. Their experiences have helped them to reach the conclusion that not only is a conservation-focused business an extremely viable enterprise, but that their traditional skills are lacking across the UK. And that’s without mentioning their love for the work.

Meet the conservation specialists Mike and Gary Simpson, a father and son team, run a specialist conservation firm called Heritage Consolidation from their base in Northumberland. Their specialities include stonemasonry and lime-based mortars, along with plastering and render. Recent years have seen them take the admirable and, some would say, bold decision to focus entirely on heritage restoration work. ROMA PUBLICATIONS

Heritage

Stone restoration and repair: the use of St. Astier Lithomex mortars By Ugo Spano, St. Astier Limes Today all of us are charged with ensuring the survival of our historical and vernacular built heritage through careful and considered conservation, restoration and renovation. Much of the masonry replaced in the last thirty years has resulted in the partial or complete removal of predominantly structurally sound masonry that has suffered from little more than face weathering. This superficial weathering is often through neglect and lack of maintenance of basic building details such as gutters and down pipes. Where replacement stone has been used in these circumstances, buildings have been left with thin skins of new stone that seldom match the true characteristics of the original; many of the thin skins are backed up in concrete, brick or other inappropriate materials, or with significant voids behind the new veneers. Therefore, a highly invasive intervention is carried out in what was an otherwise stable structure. In most cases, the mortar used for repairs, restoration or conservation contains cement. In these buildings, the use of cement mortars promotes condensation build up, salt reactions, and generally the long term survival of the building. In general, surface repairs are required to provide a good visual match for the existing masonry. The physical properties of the masonry may vary from one part of the building to the next and the ability to vary the properties of the repair mortar is an advantage. For surface repairs to be successful, the materials employed need to have certain characteristics. They should: • • • • • •

Have characteristics similar to the host masonry Have adequate bond strength Have a good modulus of elasticity Be vapour permeable Be durable Be capable of being dressed with similar tools to the original masonry • Remain workable to allow details to be fashioned • Match in colour and texture • Adsorb water sufficiently in wetting and drying periods to match adjacent masonry • They must always be reversible They should not: • Become significantly stronger than the surrounding masonry • Have a significantly lower rate of absorption or adsorption than surrounding units • Create a barrier to diffusion St. Astier natural hydraulic lime mortars provide a valid alternative to cement mortars or cement/lime mixes and, if applied correctly, they will have a much longer life. Environmentally, they offer far greater efficiency than cementicious mortars by reabsorbing CO2 and not compromising the recyclability of the building materials.

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Lithomex is a very cost effective, versatile mortar widely used for repair, restoration and stone simulation. Stone colours are precisely matched. Tonalities and surface finishes are easily achieved by trained masons. The UK is one of the largest users of Lithomex, as colour matching services and training are available. St. Astier Limes specialists, when required, actively work with the specifier, giving technical advice to establish the most appropriate mortar for the proposed intervention. If mortars are not dosed or mixed properly, if they are not cured and protected correctly, if the application surfaces are not properly prepared, if suction is not controlled, if salt movements are not taken into consideration and so forth, the result will be a failure. For more information, clarification or for any query, please contact: technical@stastier.co.uk

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Working at height? You can count on the ATLAS safety net The Association of Technical Lighting and Access Specialists (ATLAS) has been supporting its member companies in the working at height industry since 1946. It has been continually striving to improve working practices, technical quality and accepted standards in the steeplejack and lightning protection sectors. The benefit is naturally felt by member companies, but also extends to clients of members who work within this specialist sector. ATLAS was formed to promote the common interests of steeplejacking and lightning conductor engineering companies. By working to maintain a high standard of conduct, combat unfair practices and encourage safety and efficiency, it offers its members access to the best industry knowledge and advice available. ATLAS is governed by a council elected annually by the membership which meets four times a year. Meetings are open to all ATLAS members to participate in discussions on industry topics, to pose questions and to meet with other member companies to further both their own development and that of the industry. Outside the quarterly meetings, work continues throughout the year in the form of committee activity, ensuring that ATLAS remains at the forefront of all industry developments, influencing decisions, improving standards and reporting back to its members. Membership of ATLAS is carefully monitored and all companies are obliged to abide by the association’s constitution and code of conduct.

Association Objectives •

• • • •

To ensure high standards of safety, both for management and operatives, through a comprehensive range of training and qualification To protect others who may be affected by their operations To maintain a high standard of professional conduct and ensure members comply with current regulations To represent to clients a hallmark of quality and efficiency To secure equitable forms of contract with clients and to discourage unfair and unsafe work practises

Leadership ATLAS is fronted by figures who have built up years, if not decades, of industry experience, and who all share a belief and willingness to work for the benefit and betterment of the industry. The association’s presidency is currently held by Graeme Fisher. Graeme joined the established steeplejack and lightning protection company A.W. Elliott in 1974, and through the years held positions as contracts supervisor, contracts manager, contracts director, managing director, and company chairman until 2004, when the business assets were sold to Omega Red Group. Graeme has been an active member of ATLAS since the 1980s, becoming heavily involved in lightning protection matters and representing ATLAS on BSI technical committees for lightning protection and earthing for over 20 years.

Find out more To find out how your company or organisation can benefit from ATLAS membership, visit www.atlas.org.uk ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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Apprentices needed as construction sector faces potential retirement time bomb “Due to an ageing workforce and a limited injection of new blood, the construction industry now faces a potential retirement time bomb,” says Mark Farrar, Chief Executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council and Industry Training Board for the construction industry. “When you look at the age profile demographics across the whole construction industry, there is a tendency towards older employees - certainly a significant number are coming up to retirement age in the next five to 10 years. Coming through behind them are fewer people - due to the recession in the early 1990s where the industry lost many people who never returned. “Statistics indicate that in the next 10 years there will be around half a million fewer 16 - 24 year olds in the country as a whole, and this at a time where firms may start to fight hard for good quality young people in the shape of apprentices or undergraduates coming into their sectors. So the construction industry does have a fight on its hands to make sure that it accesses good quality people - and from a smaller pool of talent. “The sectors ageing workforce will need replacing and hence one of our main focuses is on promoting the entry of new talent into the industry and trying to assist the industry in driving young people to us for training.” To this end, CITB-ConstructionSkills have organised a series of events which have successfully driven a 47% increase in take-up of apprenticeships.

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Sixty-five more savvy employers signed up to get their hands on the UK’s best young talent following these events run as part of the CITB-ConstructionSkills’ Positive Image campaign. With over 200 employers now committed to offering apprenticeships in areas ranging from carpentry to craft masonry, CITB-ConstructionSkills is calling on companies to follow suit and invest in the skills today that will drive future growth. CITB-ConstructionSkills ran a programme of employer breakfast meetings, construction challenges, careers events, and one-to-ones with its staff and staff from the National Construction College (NCC) as part of National Apprenticeship Week (NAW). The events brought employers face-to-face with over 600 young people interested in the sector. Well over a quarter of the employers who attended an event have committed to take on apprenticeships. Martyn Price, from CMC Ltd, one of the employers attending the event, said:

“I am delighted to be associated with National Apprenticeship Week to support the benefits that apprentices can bring to any business. The pledge demonstrates our ongoing commitment which in turn we anticipate will continue to benefit our business for many future years. The Positive Image campaign’s drive to recruit the brightest and best talent is really paying off.” Mark Farrar added: “These events helped show employers the wealth of keen young people who are eager to work in the construction sector. We were delighted to see so many firms sign up to offer apprenticeships. However, there is an opportunity for many more employers to get involved and leave a lasting legacy for the construction industry. It’s only by investing in the workforce of tomorrow that we will survive.” In July, further research indicated again that employers feel there are significant gaps in their employees’ skills, which could seriously limit the potential for growth in the industry in the coming years. In a CITB survey of 1450 employers in the sector, specific skills gaps identified included understanding the implications of green issues (43%), identifying potential new business (39%) and not having sufficient IT skills (43%). A further 32% also stated that their management team’s ability to identify the training needs of staff was an area that needed improvement.

ROMA PUBLICATIONS

A s s o c i ati o n s

Fire protecting community critical buildings By Graham Ellicott, CEO Fire Industry Association Earlier this year a local news story caught my attention; three schools in Farnborough had arson attacks in less than a fortnight. The schools involved were Robert Tinsdale School, Belle View Primary and North Farnborough Infant School. The latter’s buildings suffered £30,000 of damage following the arson attack on one of its outhouses which was situated just metres from a gas tank! Local Rushmoor Fire Station manager Ben Smith said: “These deliberate fires cause considerable disruption, cost huge amounts of money and put lives at risks.” Apart from the financial considerations from arson attacks on schools due to building loss, there is the possible loss of coursework, teachers’ aids and records, as well as the psychological impact on pupils, particularly young children, and staff. In addition, schools are often the focal point of the community, hosting the meetings of the local Senior Citizens and the Mums and Toddlers Group. Unfortunately after a serious fire some schools may not be rebuilt and this was nearly the case after a previous arson attack in Farnborough at Pinewood Infant School. Hampshire County Council decided not to rebuild and only a determined fight by the local community which went all the way to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator overturned their decision. Between 40 and 50 fires in schools are termed serious fires, involving insured building losses in excess of £50,000, with some 20 of these involving losses of more than £250,000. However, it’s not just schools that are experiencing large loss fires - these are on the increase in general. This is very bad news for UK PLC as 80% of businesses that have suffered a serious fire don’t reopen and jobs are lost, which impacts directly on the wider community. Currently insurers are paying out approximately £4M per day for fire losses and that’s of course where buildings and assets are insured so the real fire loss figure is undoubtedly higher. The most recent fire statistics report that there were 328,000 fires in the UK in a year - that’s nearly 900 per day and worse still, currently over 300 people per year die in fires in England. The rationale of the Building Regulations in the UK is that, ‘in an emergency the occupants of any part of a building should be able to escape safely without any external assistance’ (Approved Document B to the Building Regulations). However, in many cases the designer(s) of buildings/structures or the owner of an existing building may want to go further and increase the level of fire protection installed in the building so as to give the fire services more time to extinguish any fire that might occur. This could lead to a reduction in the amount of damage caused and thus, in the consequent insurance claim. This addition will provide extra comfort to insurers and also the Firefighters, who may have to enter a fire-ravaged building after the occupants have escaped. In summary, the FIA believes that designers and building owners should consider the use of more fire protection in buildings that are critical to the community, such as public buildings including schools, hospitals and community centres. The value to the country of keeping these buildings operational far outweighs the small additional cost of an extra level of fire protection. Extra fire protection is not just a ‘nice to have’ exercise, it could mean the difference between a community critical building surviving or not in the event of a fire. The FIA is a not-for-profit trade association which promotes professional standards in the UK fire safety industry. The Association has a produced a Best Practice Guide to help the

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Responsible Person get to grips with their fire safety duties in commercial premises. It is free to download on www.fia.uk.com.

Taking measures to protect you from asbestos Employers of building maintenance and repair workers are required to carry out a risk assessment before undertaking any work which exposes, or is liable to expose, employees to asbestos. They must take the appropriate steps required by the Asbestos Regulations to prevent or reduce these risks. However, in many cases, the employers and their workers have little or no information about the premises where they will undertake work and are not aware if materials containing asbestos are present. Consequently, it is difficult for them to consider the risks, or decide if precautions may be needed. A duty to manage the risk from asbestos in non-domestic premises was therefore added to the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations in 2002 to address this issue. These requirements have since been brought forward unchanged in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 as Regulation 4. Those who own, occupy, manage or have responsibilities for premises that may contain asbestos, will either have: • •

A legal duty to manage the risk from asbestos material; or A legal duty to co-operate with whoever manages that risk

They will be required to manage the risk from asbestos by: • Finding out if there is asbestos in the premises, its extent and what condition it is in • Presuming the materials contain asbestos, unless you have strong evidence that they do not • Making and keeping up to date a record of the location and condition of the ACM’s or presumed ACM’s in their premises • Assessing the risk from the material • Preparing a plan that sets out in detail how they are going to manage the risk from this material • Taking the steps needed to put their plan into action • Reviewing and monitoring their plan and the arrangements made to put it in place; and • Providing information on the location and condition of the material to anyone who is liable to work or disturb it.

Normally, non-licensed work includes work on asbestos-containing textured coatings, asbestos cement and certain work of short duration on asbestos insulating board. The duties imposed by regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 supplement the provisions of some of the duties imposed by other sets of regulations, in particular the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 which require the client to provide designers and contractors who may be bidding for the work or who they intend to engage, with the project’s specific health and safety information needed to identify hazards and risks associated with the design and construction work. Asbestos awareness training is a legal requirement for most employees and supervisors working in the construction industry. In addition to initial training, the Approved Code of Practice which accompanies the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 also states that refresher training should be given at least every year. Therefore, there is an ongoing annual legal requirement for refresher training to be carried out for the identified employees. ARCA is the leading supplier of asbestos awareness training aimed at building and maintenance workers. To find out more or to arrange a no obligation meeting to discuss your employees asbestos awareness training needs please contact ARCA on 01283 531126.

In the United Kingdom, work on asbestos has by law to be carried out by a contractor who holds a licence under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, although there are exceptions. ROMA PUBLICATIONS