Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

JULY 2019

CONSTRUCTIONMAGUK.CO.UK

GRAHAM share a place on the £400m Dounreay Framework THE BENEFITS OF BUILDING CARBON NEUTRALITY

GRENFELL TWO YEARS ON – the Fire Protection Association renews its call for change

UK CONNECT the UK’s leading provider of communication and IT solutions to the construction industry

NATIONAL FLOORING EQUIPMENT BUILDING UP THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

LENDLEASE

tops out 1 Bishopsgate Plaza

FORRME COMPLETES £2M TRANSPORT HUB & CIVIC SQUARE

AW Safety Management Health & Safety Consultancy and Training Service Provider

Do you want to keep your workforce smiling?

Do you want to be part of the growing number of construction businesses that offer on-site dental examinations, treatment, oral screening and oral health advice for their employees?

We offer on-site dental services from our fully equipped mobile clinics.

Get in touch to find out about our flexible packages designed to support your workforce with their oral health and wellbeing.

t. 07785 311684 e. Nicola.blake@cds-cic.co.uk w. communitydentalservices.co.uk CDS is a social enterprise. By contracting us, you are supporting our oral health programmes for vulnerable people.

Contents July 2019

04

Kier top the contractors league table for May with highest value of projects

06

Grenfell – the Fire Protection Association renews its call for change

10

COLAS UK’s airport development in Uganda shortlisted for award

14

FORRME completes £2m Transport Hub & Civic Square

18

Istanbul’s Supertall TV and Radio Tower releases updated images and details

20

The next moves for AI in the construction industry

27

Creating a positive Work at Height culture in construction

29

Building Performance Awards launch with renewed emphasis for 2020

33

GRAHAM share a place on the £400m Dounreay Framework

38

The Benefits of Building Carbon Neutrality

44

Construction manager appointed to develop Bellway homes in the East

46

Schöck Combar provides strong, interference-free foundations

52

Willmott Dixon lands University of Kent hat trick

06

10

14

18

27

29

33

38

44

46

52

Lapthorn Media Ltd 5-7 Ozengell Place, Eurokent Business Park, Ramsgate, Kent, CT12 6PB Tel: 01843 808 106

Production/Design Laura Whitehead laura@constructionmaguk.co.uk

Editor Maria Lapthorn editor@constructionmaguk.co.uk

Sales Executive Hannah Marshall hannah@constructionmaguk.co.uk

Editorial Assistant Francesca Amato editorial@constructionuk.co.uk

Accounts Richard Lapthorn accounts@constructionmaguk.co.uk

Editorial Assistant Angel Manderson angel@constructionmaguk.co.uk

Circulation Manager Leo Phillips subs@constructionmaguk.co.uk

Features Editor Paul Attwood paul@constructionmaguk.co.uk

Website Content Rob Turner rob@lapthornmedia.co.uk

Sales Manager Ben Seal ben@constructionuk.co.uk

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in Construction UK Magazine however, the publishers accept no responsibility for the claims or opinions made by advertisers, manufactures or contributors.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic (including photocopying) or stored in any information retrieval system without the prior consent of the publisher.

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 03

Latest News

Lawyer warns construction industry should brace itself for large fines, as CMA investigation into anti-competitive practices gathers pace A leading construction solicitor has warned that the construction sector should brace itself for the results of an ongoing investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

In March 2019 the CMA announced that it was investigating suspected anticompetitive behaviour in the supply of construction services in the UK.

George Crofton-Martin, a Partner specialising in competition law and the construction sector at leading South East law firm Furley Page, said: “The CMA has conducted a series of dawn raids in search of evidence of anti-competitive practices and cartel behaviour by a number of construction suppliers. The ramifications of the investigation are likely to be far reaching and the fines that could be imposed have the potential to send shockwaves through the industry.”

Anti-competitive behaviour is illegal under the Competition Act 1998, which prohibits companies from entering into agreements or concerted practices which are intended to prevent, restrict or distort competition within the UK.

The penalties for anti-competitive behaviour are extremely serious. Aside from the reputational damage and loss of customer trust, businesses found to have acted anti-competitively can be fined up to 10% of their worldwide turnover for the financial year immediately preceding the infringement. They can also face claims for damages from third parties who have fallen victim to anti-competitive practices.

Meanwhile, individuals found to have engaged in price fixing, market sharing or bid-rigging can themselves face unlimited fines, prison sentences of up to five years and up to 15 years disqualification as a company director. These sanctions are in addition to any fines faced by businesses for falling foul of the Competition Act. George Crofton-Martin continued: “The CMA is really focussed on construction at the moment, and businesses operating in the sector need to make every effort to comply with the law, or face serious financial, reputational and criminal sanctions. Ensuring awareness of the law and the risks through a proactive compliance policy is the first step to protecting a business and its employees.”

Kier top the contractors league table for May with highest value of projects awarded Kier are at the top of the contractors’ league table for May 2019, thanks to 12 contracts awarded with a total value of £397 million.

Construction of the new HM Prison Wellingborough contributed £253 million, while the Paisley Town Hall regeneration also contributed £22million to the total amount.

In joint second place were Hill Partnerships and Ardmore Construction with the total value both at £154 million and considerably less contracts awarded each at four and three projects respectively.

The latest edition of the Top 50 League Tables has been published by industry analysts Barbour ABI, which highlights the number of contracts awarded and the total value. This month shows that the combined value of contracts awarded to the top 50 was £2.6 billion and a total of 141 projects.

The top 50 contractors league table provides interesting analysis on construction activity throughout the UK. Even though this month we see Kier dominate the league tables, activity can change dramatically month on month by the top contractors, generally resulting in a change in the top three positions each month Other notable contractor activity for May came from Galliford Try Construction, who were particularly active, being awarded eight projects at a total cost of £116million boosting them up 12 places from last month, finishing in sixth place for May 2019.

Kier is the only contractor to again feature in the top three this month – they sat in second place in April, behind ISG, who have now dropped 25 places to finish in twenty sixth position for May. Kier’s activity this month has further cemented its top position for a rolling 12-month period with 155 awards totalling £2.27 billion. Wates Construction are experiencing a busy 12-month period

04 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

with 48 awards at a value just over £1.6 billion and Mace Limited with 22 awards at a value of £1.2 billion excluding their joint venture with Dragados on the Euston Super Station.

Tom Hall, Chief Economist at Barbour ABI said, ‘The top 50 contractors league table provides interesting analysis on construction activity throughout the UK. Even though this month we see Kier dominate the league tables, activity can change dramatically month on month by the top contractors, generally resulting in a change in the top three positions each month.

‘In May we saw a total value of £2.6 billion contracts awards, a decrease of 22% on April 2019.’

Latest News

CONSTRUCTION EARNINGS FALL 5.5% IN MAY Weekly earnings for tradespeople in the construction sector decreased last month, according to latest figures released by Hudson Contract.

trends across the construction industry, publishing the average pay for a spectrum of 17 different trades split across 10 regions in England and Wales.

Analysis of May payroll data for more than 2,200 construction companies in England and Wales reveals a 5.5 per cent fall to an average of £836.

Ian Anfield, managing director at Hudson Contract, said: “Some clients are saying there is less work in the pipeline, which is allowing them to take a more controlled approach to ongoing projects. Consequently, freelance tradespeople are doing fewer hours and this is being reflected in their weekly earnings. There is little doubt that Brexit uncertainty is causing some businesses to hold back on new investment.

The weak pound, a sign of this uncertainty, is increasing the cost of importing steel, concrete, plaster and plastic building products, which is leading to input inflation. We are also seeing smaller firms pricing up work for the larger contractors to reflect the risk of dealing with the financially troubled outsourcing sector. Whatever happens with Brexit and the wider economy, the construction industry will continue to rely on self-employed tradespeople and their ability to supply specialist

The North East saw the largest decline with average weekly earnings down 8.4 per cent to £700, followed by the South West, down 6.5 per cent to £736, and the East Midlands, down 6.1 per cent to £847.

Year-on-year earnings fell by an average of 1.2 per cent with the North East again witnessing the biggest drop, down 8.7 per cent.

The North West and London were the only regions to enjoy an increase over the last 12 months, up 6.4 per cent to £798 and 1.1 per cent to £853 respectively.

The decline in weekly earnings is in line with the subdued construction activity reported by purchasing managers in recent months, which has been attributed to Brexit-related delays in decision making by businesses.

Hudson Contract delivers the most accurate indication of sub-contractor pay

labour. Despite the fall in May, they are still earning the equivalent of an annual salary of £43,000, which compares favorably against the average UK salary of £29,000.”

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 05

Latest News Grenfell two years on – the Fire Protection Association renews its call that government changes to building regulations don’t go far enough The Fire Protection Association, the UK’s national fire safety organisation, is highlighting that, if we want to prevent another Grenfell Tower tragedy, it’s time for some immediate change.

The organisation remains firm in its message that two years after “Grenfell”, the government’s changes to building regulations and the so-called ban on combustible cladding do not go far enough in protecting buildings and the people who live in them, from fire.

“The Fire Protection Association supports a total ban on combustible building materials, to all high-risk buildings, such as schools, hospitals, nursing homes, blocks of flats – not just those buildings over 18 metres. We also want a ban on single staircases in all tall buildings, because in the event of a fire you need at least one staircase for people to be able to evacuate the building, and a second staircase for the fire and rescue services for entry. Our support of third-party certification,

to provide independent verification of building regulations services, as well as the mandatory installation of multi sensor detectors (that can detect several sources, such as heat, smoke and carbon monoxide) is also a key consideration. There is clearly much that still needs to be done, so we are keen to see change now - and will help in any way we can to ensure that we never again experience a tragedy on the scale we witnessed at Grenfell.”

The Fire Protection Association says the solution should be: • Third party certification - we welcome the acknowledgement of the value of independently verified products, but believe this assurance should be mandated and extend to the installers of products and the risk assessors • Extending the ban on combustibles to all high-risk buildings regardless of height – not just buildings over 18 metres • Ban single staircases in building in excess of 18m – to offer both an entrance and exit staircase • Mandatory installation of multi sensor detection for all high-risk occupancies – a fire detector that monitors a number of potential dangers, including smoke, heat, carbon-monoxide Jonathan O’Neill, OBE, managing director, Fire Protection Association commented:

Government must act as construction apprenticeship starts drop by almost half, says FMB The Government must review its approach to apprenticeships following statistics published today which show that construction apprenticeship starts have plummeted by almost half, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

In March 2019 there were only 694 Construction, Planning and the Built Environment apprenticeship starts compared with 1,247 in March 2018.

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “Construction apprenticeship starts have suffered a serious hit and we now need decisive action from the Government in order to reverse this decline. The Government must accept the recommendation made in the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, also published today, to make provision for full funding, at all ages, for first qualifications at Level 2 and 3. The Government is uniquely

06 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

placed to drive the apprenticeship agenda, and if Ministers want to achieve their target of three million apprenticeship starts by the end of next year, they must review apprenticeship policy, including the Apprenticeship Levy.”

Berry concluded: “Of course the construction industry itself must do more to rally around a shared ambition to promote the industry and all its merits, such as innovation, design and entrepreneurship. The drop in starts by almost half should sound the alarm that we aren’t doing enough to get the message out there. If we don’t address the skills shortage by increasing training and apprenticeships, the construction industry won’t be able to expand and grow. Introducing a mandatory licensing scheme for UK construction could help create the culture change our industry needs by improving our reputation through increased quality and professionalism and thus make us more attractive to new entrants.”

Latest News

Burton upon Trent apprentice named UK’s top Trade Apprentice at national final After beating competition at the national final in London, 18-year old Callum Abberley, a plumbing and heating apprentice at Burton and South Derbyshire College, has won a career-boosting £10,000 business bundle – as well as the chance to be part of the build team at ‘Field Day’ festival, plus two VIP tickets.

plumbing and heating, Callum caught the judges’ attention with his desire to run his own business one day. His goal is to help sufferers of dementia to live better lives through the use of technology, such as auto shut off timers ensuring gas and taps are switched off to reduce the risk within people’s homes.

The Screwfix Trade Apprentice final saw 10 of the UK’s brightest up-and-coming trade apprentices gather in London for two days, with the first day spent at the Global Academy where finalists were taught vital skills on how to take their business forward, including social media training and green screen filming. The final took place at Google HQ, where Callum wowed a panel of judges by demonstrating his passion for his trade.

Callum said: “I am so honoured to be crowned Screwfix Trade Apprentice 2019! The prize will help me to achieve my dream and specialise in helping dementia sufferers. I also want to become an ambassador to those coming into the trade. The skills I have learnt so far have helped make dementia sufferer’s lives easier and this prize will only help me develop further.

Currently working towards his NVQ Level 2 Diploma in

“The Trade Apprentice competition has been a fantastic experience. I have met so many brilliant people, who I will remain in touch with for years to come.

I would encourage anyone to take up an apprenticeship, it’s opened so many doors for me and means I can really make a difference.”

Callum’s prize bundle will see him receive £5,000 worth of Screwfix products, the chance to experience firsthand what it’s like to be a part of the build production team at Field Day along with two VIP tickets, and funds for future training and courses.

WHY OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION HOLDS KEY TO QUALITY An influential roundtable discussing how off-site manufacturing can improve build standards has called for industry and government collaboration to agree tougher building regulations for off-site construction to differentiate it from traditional build methods.

The idea was one of five recommendations to come from the event, held at the House of Commons and organised by the Westminster Sustainable Business Forum with support from the British Board of Agrément (BBA).

Speaking at the roundtable, BBA Technical Excellence Director Paul Valentine said off-site construction represented an ‘important opportunity’ to drive up standards, improve the sustainability of buildings and make it easier to meet quality assurance standards.

The BBA now intends to consider how its certification process can work with the seven-category Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) framework to better designate systems.

Nigel Ostime, Product Delivery Director at award-winning Hawkins\Brown architects, believed that off-site construction could improve the quality of housing and increase productivity but identified barriers to this, including architects’ and designers’ lack of manufacturing and assembly experience; lack of a supply chain/ central database for producers of off-site construction products; procurement practices discouraging MMC and issues with insurance/assurance of off-site construction.

The meeting debated how off-site construction requires early engagement across the build board, but current procurement practices inhibit engagement with the supply chain and fabricators at critical early stages. Procuring for value rather than lowest cost, particularly on public projects, would allow for the whole life cost and durability of an asset to be considered, rather than just the initial capital cost, leading to higher quality and lower running costs.

Another idea discussed revolved around considering housing newbuilds as ‘products’, moving towards their mass customisation with ‘designed intent’ not left to multiple levels of interpretation by differing contractors. It was considered this approach would also de-risk the industry, allowing in-use testing of the building ‘product’ and continuous evaluation and improvement of homes.

Roundtable recommendations also included: • Government should support providers of Modern Methods of Construction through investment in early product innovation and development.

• Government and industry should collaborate on harmonising current digital models and formats of buildings, so they are fundamentally interchangeable, or by creating non-proprietary central digital building model.

Government and industry should collaborate on driving better performance labelling of housing, including components like light, space, ventilation, and energy performance, empowering consumers to ask more of house-builders and drive building performance.

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 07

People on the move

FLAXBY PARK DEVELOPER CROWNED WITH OBE The developer behind plans to transform a disused golf course close to Harrogate into an exciting and sustainable new community, has been recognised by The Queen, and awarded an OBE. Entrepreneur Chris Musgrave, is managing director of Flaxby Park Ltd. He started in business in his home town of Hartlepool with his dad aged just 12, and is now renowned for transforming disused and underperforming sites into highly successful, attractive and soughafter large-scale developments.

Van Elle Appoints Malcolm O’Sullivan to Leadership Team Van Elle, the UK’s largest independent ground engineering contractor announces the appointment of Malcolm O’Sullivan, formerly managing director of Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering, to head the company’s largest division.

This appointment follows changes instigated at the company’s Piling division in November 2018 as Chief Executive Mark Cutler continues to strengthen the AIM listed contractor’s leadership team.

Malcolm has been Managing Director of Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering since 2013 having joined Stent Foundations as a Graduate Engineer in 1997. He has 20 years’ experience in ground engineering and deep foundation construction in the UK. Commenting on the appointment, Chief Executive Mark Cutler says “we are delighted to attract someone of Malcolm’s calibre to join our leadership team as we continue our improvements towards our growth strategy. Malcolm will be leading our largest division and will add value across the Group with his operational and customer-focussed credentials” Malcolm O’Sullivan commented “I am really pleased to open a new chapter in my career by joining Van Elle at this exciting time in their journey. I look forward to growing the Piling division while supporting the development of opportunities and operational improvements across the wider Group” Van Elle recently confirmed its record order book and growing strategic pipeline ahead of its full year results expected in July.

He plans to build 2,750 new homes on Flaxby’s disused golf course as well as a retirement village, two primary schools, a GP surgery, sports facilities, a hotel and a new village centre. Almost 50% of the site will consist of green space and Goldsborough Railway Station will be reopened offering direct rail services to Harrogate, Leeds and York.

The businessman and philanthropist has credited his late father Joe with instilling in him the business acumen that led to him being honoured by The Queen.

Chris said: “I took an unconventional route into property. From 12, I worked with my dad selling meat in pubs and clubs and from 16 worked as a market trader selling fruit and vegetables, a chance encounter resulted in me buying and selling a one-off batch of supermarket shelving. Within a few years I was supplying shelving to major supermarkets and retailers throughout the UK, through my company JCM, which in six years went from employing six people to more than 250 people, with a turnover of over £10million.”

Chris sold JCM in 1998 and he acquired several industrial and commercial properties. One of which was a redundant business park where he has since created the magnificent 700-acre mixed use Wynyard Park development near Middlesbrough. By 2015 Wynyard Business Park was home to 60 companies, employing more than 2,500 people. He had also acquired a vacant 400 acre pharmaceutical site in Kent and within 4 years transformed it into one of Europe’s top performing enterprise zones, Discovery Park, which is home to more than 100 businesses employing approximately 2,200 people.

Chris added: “We sold Wynyard Business Park to the Duke of Northumberland in 2015, and Discovery Park in 2016, so we could concentrate on building thousands of high quality new homes in the Wynyard area, as well as other quality housing sites across the UK. I’m now really looking forward to building on this success at Flaxby Park, which has the potential to be the jewel in the crown.”

Chris added: “When I was told about the award I immediately thought about my late father Joe and my mother Mary. No-one could have had better parents and the OBE is as much for them as for me.”

Last year Stockton Council recognised Chris’s contribution to the local economy by presenting him with a ‘Borough of Stockton Council Award’. He supports numerous charitable causes including Alice House Hospice in Hartlepool and Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation.

08 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

People on the move

Ryan Brown builds His way to the top Ryan Brown wins award for Director of the Year for the South of Scotland.

Ryan Brown scooped the award for Director of the Year Small/Medium Business for the South of Scotland at last night’s Institute of Director awards held at Double Tree by Hilton, Glasgow.

He beat off some tough competition in order to make the regional shortlist and was up against some tough competition with Eddie Black who is director of local business Eco-Genics.

It is awarded to the business that can show outstanding initiative, boldness and imagination in enterprise, as well as sound management practices. Entrants to this award are expected to demonstrate sustainable growth combined with a degree of commercial success that is exceptional for the size of the business.

Ryan Brown was born and raised in Dumfries and Galloway, he took the risk to start Robinsons Scotland alongside his dad in 2005 and 14 years later they have grown from 1 business to 5 with 116 employees and growing!

Serial entrepreneurs Ryan and Jim

Brown have founded several successful construction and manufacturing businesses, securing their position as true entrepreneurial champions.

With exciting and ambitious expansion plans, the Browns aren’t slowing down anytime soon and are on track to reach new heights in the years to come.

With an overall strategy for future development for Robinsons Scotland, their aim is to create a £30m a year turnover and expand their tonnage to 350 units per week, establishing further manufacturing opportunities in Lockerbie to support industry in the local area.

The other businesses that Ryan has developed alongside Robinsons such as CWP Concrete have gone from strength to strength and they have already expanded their site within the first 3 years of trading to include two factories with over 4000m² space and expanded their product range from only offering concrete panels to developing a range of precast concrete products such as A Walls and Lego Blocks that have taken the market by storm.

Ryan fought off stiff competition to scoop the prestigious accolade at this

years’ Institute of Director Awards and is cementing his place as one of the top upcoming construction directors in the industry and with no plans to slow down anytime soon, Ryan Brown and his family are set to take their companies to new heights over the coming years.

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 09

Awards News COLAS UK’S BEST PRACTICE ON MASSIVE UGANDAN AIRPORT PROJECT WINS SHORTLISTING FOR INDUSTRY AWARD

Entry now open for the PPMA Group Industry Awards 2019 The 2019 PPMA Group Industry Awards will be held at the National Conference Centre (NEC), Birmingham, on the evening of the first day of the PPMA Total Show 2019 - Tuesday, 1 October 2019.

Award entry submissions are FREE and now open to all PPMA Group members (PPMA, BARA and UKIVA) and others involved in the industry. The deadline for submissions is 17 July 2019.

Now in its eighth year, the PPMA Group Industry Awards 2019 brings together more than 300 industry professionals and stakeholders to celebrate the finest examples of innovation, smart manufacturing and entrepreneurship.

There are 12 Awards categories, ranging from most innovative technologies in processing, packaging, robotics, vision systems and ancillary equipment, to achievements in sales, export and the environment.

The ‘Apprentice of the Year’ Award serves to acknowledge the most promising young talent within the processing and packaging, robotics and automation and industrial vision industries.

Companies that have developed a comprehensive apprenticeship or training programme have the opportunity to be recognised too through the PPMA BEST Award.

All entries will be judged by a panel of eight independent industry experts, including academia, end-users, editors and engineers.

This year’s Awards, featuring a three-course gala dinner, will be hosted by UK television presenter and magician, Stephen Mulhern, who has appeared as host on Britain’s Got Talent, Catchphrase and Big Star’s Little Star.

10 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

COLAS UK’s highly-innovative and sustainable development of a full-scale international airport in the remote Ugandan bush has been shortlisted for a prestigious UK construction industry award.

The British Construction Industry Awards’ panel of judges shortlisted the firm’s Hoima International airport project - ‘Colas UK: Ambassadors for British Construction in Uganda’ - for its Community Engagement Initiative of the Year award 2019.

Based on a former royal hunting ground close to Lake Albert, some five hours from the capital Kampala, the creation of Hoima International is crucial to the development of a sustainable oil industry in Uganda.

Operating under the joint venture of SBC (Uganda), with partner SBI International, Colas is determined to ensure that the project is showcase for the best of the UK construction industry in the growing African market – particularly for outstanding community engagement.

Colas UK is working hard to protect the local environment and wildlife with robust management initiatives and careful planning. At the same time, best international practice is being maintained on site, despite the remote location.

Key to winning a place on the shortlist, however, is Colas UK’s extensive community engagement strategies. These ensure that the social value from Colas UK’s presence alongside the local communities matches the socially and environmentally fragile location, with local people benefitting from the project.

Not only have more than 800 jobs been created locally, but a role in the local community is key in Colas UK’s mission for sustainability around ethical, legal, economic and philanthropic agendas.

A multi-layered range of community initiatives have already been implemented and more are continuously being planned – all in consultation with the communities. Health, through assistance to the local health facilities and education, through support to local schools are particular focus areas. Local schools have benefitted from investment and sponsorship and equipment has been provided to health clinics.

Much-needed boreholes have been constructed in nearby villages and there are regular meetings with the local community.

Meanwhile, dedicated strategies aimed at respecting local customs and heritage are part of an overall extensive community engagement programme from Colas UK.

Awards News BIRMINGHAM UNI’S COLLABORATIVE TEACHING LAB NAMED BUILDING OF THE YEAR BY RIBA WEST MIDLANDS THE BIRMINGHAM team of national built environment consultancy Curtins is celebrating alongside lead architects Sheppard Robson following the announcement that the University of Birmingham’s £45 million project came top in four categories at the RIBA West Midlands awards, including being named the Building of the Year 2019.

The Collaborative Teaching Laboratory (CTL), which opened in 2018, is a hub for science and engineering teaching with multi-functional labs for subject-specific and cross-disciplinary teaching and team working. The team, led by Sheppard Robson, also took home the RIBA West Midlands Award 2019, the RIBA West Midlands Sustainability Award 2019 and the RIBA West Midlands Project Architect of the Year Award 2019.

rewarding projects to work on, namely due to the positive working relationship between the design team, the client and the contractor.

The whole team was focussed on creating an innovative and contemporary teaching space. We’re thrilled that this recognition by RIBA acknowledges that great architecture is supported by great structural design.”

Sheppard Robson had a vision for two flights of atrium staircase that spanned 11m floor to floor, without intermediate

support. Curtins designed a steel truss arrangement for the staircase; providing what appears to be a gravity defying staircase in an expansive and light atrium space. The need to connect to Bio-sciences was achieved through a link bridge, supported from a Y shaped column and cantilevers towards the existing building.

Curtins made the structure as light and slender as possible to provide the required vision, as well as providing minimum impact on the existing building structure.

To add to the awards success, the project was also the winner of the Sustainability Award at the Institute of Civil Engineers West Midlands Awards 2019.

Associate Matt Woodhall, the office lead for Curtins in Birmingham said: “We’re incredibly proud to be a part of this fantastic project team. CTL has been one of the most

RCM invests in own transport RCM have recently purchased their own branded delivery vehicle in order to guarantee a better service to their customers.

RCM, the complete though wall solutions provider, have invested in their own company delivery vehicle in order to better meet customer’s requirements.

In the past, RCM, part of the Benx group of companies, arranged deliveries of their building boards and facades through large third party hauliers.

Whilst still utilising this delivery network, the additional ownership of a 26t rigid vehicle brings with it many advantages.

Investing in process improvements that will benefit and support their customers by providing more efficient and cost-effective services has been one of RCM’s main commitments.

Some of the obvious benefits will include the ability to exercise greater control over the distribution to better address customer’s requirements. Operating costs will be better managed and there will be clear improvements on driver’s MPG. The number of drops per day can also be better managed, thus ensuring optimization and efficiency on a national scale.

RCM will be able to improve their customer

service, by reducing the reliance on third party providers. There will be a guaranteed capacity at all times, with the ability to support RCM’s customers on a postcode/ network basis.

The latest specification Euro 6 vehicle brings improved fuel consumption and less emissions and therefore is better for the environment.

“Delivery of our building boards and façades ranges to high value projects is now even better serviced by the recent investment in the company owned delivery vehicle. It will allow us to act much quicker and more efficiently to our customer’s needs and requirements.” (Ian Quinton, Managing Director, RCM) About RCM Established in 2004, RCM is a major supplier of complete through wall solutions to the UK construction industry.

Supplying specialist building boards, façades, breather membranes and airtightness solutions, RCM offers a fully integrated approach to the building envelope whilst delivering on time and budget.

airtightness and decorative applications, RCM’s extensive portfolio has been installed on many of the UK’s largest projects.

CPD Seminars For those interested in finding out more, RCM provides informative CPD sessions including a guide to materials, applications and specification considerations for building boards, internal and external linings and rainscreen façades, covering: • What a specifier needs to consider • Board materials and benefits • Board applications • Work on site For more details call 0800 612 4662 or email info@rcmltd.biz.

RCM are a market leader in providing innovative products and solutions designed and tested to meet the demanding needs of construction. Specified for use in external façades, fire protection, acoustic,

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 11

Project News GMI announces completion of Manchester’s newest luxury hotel development £30 million development is the third Dakota Hotel completed by GMI following the completion of other premier hotels in Glasgow and Leeds in recent years.

GMI Construction Group, an expanding building and construction services company has announced the completion of Dakota - Manchester’s newest luxury hotel development.

Located on Ducie Street, the hotel features 137 luxury guest bedrooms complete with

27 elegant suites including a stunning penthouse, the ‘Grand Deluxe Suite’, featuring a roof-top terrace, steam shower, fire and whirlpool bath - constituting the largest hotel suite in Manchester.

At the heart of the hotel there is also a signature Bar & Grill, a 104-cover brasserie as well as a chic cocktail lounge featuring a trademark Champagne Room Commenting on the development Marc Banks, GMI Divisional Managing Director said “We are enormously proud to have completed this stunning new development right in the heart of Manchester and within the fast-expanding Piccadilly Basin development – one of Manchester’s most famous historic mill districts.

“This is the third Dakota hotel development we have completed to date and we look forward to working together again with Dakota on further projects going forward”.

The success of this project – handed over on-time and on-budget, was only possible as a result of the strength of our relationship and one-team mentality.

Located within Manchester’s vibrant city centre, Dakota brings luxury living to the heart of the city easily accessible and a short distance from all major key attractions. It is situated within the Piccadilly Basin development zone, a major urban regeneration project comprising of various new residential, mixed-use and leisure projects.

One such project includes Burlington House, an 11-storey development comprising 91 residential apartments designed by architects SimpsonHaugh and Partners.

The project continues the trend for contemporary city centre living and is aimed at reinforcing the Piccadilly Basin’s links with the vibrant Northern Quarter adjacent.

Glenman Corporation delivers new housing redevelopment in Walthamstow London and South East based progressive construction company transforms an existing site in Walthamstow, North East London.

The project comprises the demolition of 16 apartments and the construction of a 3000m2 four-storey block of eight spacious ground and first-floor duplex maisonettes with nineteen modern apartments on the upper floors. This is the third project that the company delivered for the same client, the Clarion Housing Group.

John Doyle, Contracts Manager at Glenman Corporation, said: “We are proud to have been part of the Clarion Housing Group delivery team again, and to complete the Calver Court Redevelopment in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The development has been designed and delivered to maximise the existing site footprint whilst creating an outdoor balcony and garden areas for the residents. We have doubled the floor area and

accommodation from the previous building, by providing high quality and spacious dwellings for affordable rent.”

Every aspect of this recently completed project is engineered to provide the residents with comfortable, high performing homes. In this regard, the efficient fenestrations and mechanical ventilation heat recovery system are carefully designed to ensure low air permeability and completely avoid rail noise nuisance, as the building borders with National Rail’s overground line on the west side. Furthermore, the installation of energy condensing boilers and PV panels reduces electricity usage and guarantees sustainability of the project.

John Doyle added: “Ambering Park adjacent to Calver Court has benefitted from the security, boundary treatment and external lighting, and Calver Court is within close proximity to bustling Wood Street Station, trendy Walthamstow

12 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

and the Walthamstow Wetlands international nature reserve.”

Glenman Corporation is an Irish construction company specialized in the delivery of highquality projects in the residential, education, healthcare, industrial and retail sectors. In 2011, Glenman moved into the UK market and operates from its head offices in Chiswick, West London. It is committed to close client liaison and providing added value on every project.

Brendan Reynolds, Pre-Construction Director at Glenman Corporation, said: “As we expand in London and the South East we want to provide many more regeneration schemes similar and larger to that at Walthamstow. Our business depends on our ability and track record in delivering quality, eco-friendly housing that meets or exceeds local community expectations and benefits families and tenant end-users.”

Project News Lendlease tops out 1 Bishopsgate Plaza Lendlease has announced the topping out of 1 Bishopsgate Plaza in the City of London. The 43-storey tower will host a luxury hotel and 160 private homes.

Stanhope/UOL are the developer of the scheme within the heart of the City, which will be encircled by new retail, restaurants and cafes.

Several Victorian buildings on Devonshire Row will also be renovated as part of the development and a new public space will be created.

Construction completes on second phase of luxury Cheshire retirement village Cheshire West and Chester Council has reported that the over-65 population in the area will increase by 28% before 2035, while the number of over-85 residents is set to double. The local authority has recognised that this may lead to social problems, such as isolation and the inability to access vital amenities.

Inspired Villages, a leading provider of later living homes, has responded to the need for high quality homes for this demographic by developing an all-encompassing retirement village in Cheshire.

Delivered by the North West-based contractor Seddon, construction work has recently completed on phase two of Inspired Villages, Gifford Lea development.

With a build budget of £50million, the retirement village aims to provide a total of 162 properties for over 65’s in Tattenhall.

Situated just eight miles outside of Chester city centre, the second phase of development brings a further 56 new homes to the market. Phase one of the scheme created 48 apartments in 2016, with a third stage expected to commence in Q3 2019.

Cheshire countryside. The village reflects the needs of today’s retirees, who want to continue living independently, and yet take reassurance from knowing support is available should they need it. Excitement is building for the official opening of the site in July. The central facilities will provide an important focal point for residents and the general public alike to share their passions and interests.”

Ed Wootton, regional director at Seddon, said: “Following an extremely successful initial phase, we’re thrilled to have delivered another 56 new homes for the growing over65 population in Cheshire. These luxury, later living spaces are a direct response to the need for dynamic retirement communities in the area, placing the ageing population at the heart of local neighbourhoods. We’re confident that these extremely popular homes are a great addition to Tattenhall.”

The project team included architects, Pozzoni and structural engineers, Scott Hughes.

Topping out marks the new structure reaching its highest point and when complete the scheme will provide approximately 53,100 square metres of floor space.

The building will be home to the first Pan Pacific Hotel in Europe, a five-star facility that will include 237 guest rooms and the Square Mile’s first dedicated ballroom.

Neil Martin, Managing Director, Construction, for Lendlease Europe, said:

This is a significant milestone in the construction of the first high-rise residential and hospitality development built in the City of London in many years.

The building rises in steps to provide terraces and other spaces for residents and guests. When complete it will be a striking addition to the skyline.

The development offers a range of one and two bedroom properties, as well as communal social and leisure facilities, including shops, restaurants, a bowling green, gym, wellness spa and relaxation pool. Prices start at £219,000.

Jamie Bunce, CEO of Inspired Villages, said: “We’re very pleased to be completing the main facilities at our Gifford Lea community. As well as exceptional facilities, the location enjoys incredible views of the

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 13

Project News

FORRME completes £2m Transport Hub & Civic Square Northern Ireland-based construction company FORRME has transformed a former Belfast greenfield site into a brand new transport hub as part of a wider regeneration masterplan.

The Colin Connect Transport Hub and Civic Square now provides facilities for the local community as well as the infrastructure to facilitate the much-anticipated Belfast Rapid Transport (BRT) system.

With a project value circa £2m, the transport hub provides an interface between the existing Metro feeder services alongside the new BRT system to improve links to the City Centre while ensuring the surrounding community is highly accessible by bus.

Key features of the transport hub project include its complex reinforced concrete structure, including a curved structural concrete roof deck.

Externally, the building is finished in natural stone cladding, whilst internally, it features a striking pigmented board-marked concrete finish.

The new transport hub houses a main concourse, lobby, waiting area, office space and bathroom facilities for the public. The civic square, designed to host activities throughout the year, is complimented by an amphitheatre and cycle parking.

Full completion of the Colin Town Centre masterplan is due to take place in 2027, with additional projects including a mixed-use town centre development coalesced around the civic square including leisure facilities a new pedestrian / cycle link as well as a new amalgamated primary school.

Green light for new 127-home development in Bolsover Jones Homes will build 127 homes in Bolsover after acquiring a 16-acre site for development.

Cavendish Park will sit next to Jones Homes’ existing Cavendish Grange blueprint off Oxcroft Lane, where 35 homes are currently being built.

Jones Homes has secured planning consent for the new development and preparation works have now commenced on the site. As part of its planning agreement for Cavendish Park, Jones Homes will contribute in the region of £800,000 to support the local community and infrastructure as it grows.

Jayne Swift, Sales and Marketing Director for Jones Homes, said: “As relative newcomers to Bolsover, we have identified that there is strong demand for high-quality new homes in the area.

Cavendish Grange has been exceptionally well received.

Hellberg Safety PPE and Snickers Workwear – Comfort and Safety Combined The Hultafors Group Adds Hellberg Safety PPE products to its premium brand portfolio for professional tradesmen and women.

With over 50 years experience in the PPE industry, the Hellberg Safety specialist equipment includes highly advanced hearing protection products, face protection and communication solutions for personal protection on site.

From face guards, helmets and passive hearing protection with up to 3 levels of protection from low to extreme noise, Hellberg also supply secure electronic hearing protectors to suit different work environments.

Peter Dumigan, managing director of the Hultafors Group UK says, “Hellberg PPE products complement the Snickers Workwear and Solid Gear Safety Footwear product portfolios so well - in particular the newly launched Snickers Workwear ProtecWork Heat and Flame Protective Wear. The Hultafors Group now provides the UK market with an even more extensive range of EN-accredited, top quality premium brand products, ideally suited to protect the personal wellbeing and safety of the discerning professional tradesman and woman”.

Getting information on the new Hellberg Safety product range is easy - call the Hultafors Group UK Helpline on 01484 854788 or checkout the website www.hellbergsafety.com

06/06/2019 09:17:25 2019 14 Construction UK Magazine - July

CM719018 Hultafors Group UK QP.indd 1

The homes at Cavendish Park will be built to the same high standards, with luxurious details in every home. This, combined with the quality of our build and the convenient location on the edge of the town, means we are confident this next development will be equally popular. Jones Homes is firmly committed to investing in Bolsover. We are pleased to have secured more land and to be funding the delivery of the infrastructure required to support these new homes.”

Jones Homes’ planning consent requires the company to pay in the region of £460,000 towards education; £134,000 for open spaces; £169,000 for traffic monitoring and improvements; £56,000 for improvements to Mill Lane; and £12,500 for monitoring of its residents’ travel plan.

There will be public open space within Cavendish Park and a footpath and cycle link to Shuttlewood Road will be created.

in e th

.1 nds o a N dl i M

www.awsafety.co.uk

Health & Safety Consultancy and Training Service Provider

CITB Accredited Training

PPE Provider

We are an approved CITB training centre and run the following courses all year round.

Are you on the look out for high quality, value for money PPE? Then look no further than AW safety.

• • • • •

• • • • •

SMSTS SMSTS – REFRESHER SSSTS SSSTS – REFRESHER SEATS

First Aid at Work

Boots Gloves Hi Vis Hard Hats RPE

Consultancy Services

Our First aid at work training course provides the comprehensive set of practical skills needed by first aiders in most workplaces to become a confident first aider at work. Giving both the ability and knowledge to deal with first aid emergencies. It meets the standards required to help comply with Health and Safety (First aid) regulations.

Success Through Partnerships

AW Safety have over 35 years’ experience delivering expert consultancy within the construction sector.

We have supported health and safety throughout the design and construction phases of multidisciplined projects ensuring our clients comply with their duties under the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015.

AW Safety Management Ltd: Edwinstowe House, High Street, Edwinstowe, Mansfield, Notts, NG21 9PR Email: info@awsafety.co.uk or training@awsafety.co.uk Mobile: 07491 944 778

Landline: 01623 821516

Feature WHY NEW HOUSING NEEDN’T COST THE ENVIRONMENT

By David Craddock, Director at residential property developer, Elite Homes There is no doubting the urgent need for new housing projects to stem the current property crisis. In 2017, the government pledged to build 300,000 new homes in England, which is good news – potentially – for first-time buyers and others looking to gain a firm foothold on the property ladder - but what affect will this escalating construction have on the environment? The further encroachment by developers on precious greenbelt is a likely side-effect of the rush to build, whilst the construction process invariably leads to issues concerning noise and air pollution, not to mention the potential detriment caused to plant and wildlife.

Ordnance Yard, a luxury nine-home development built on the site of a 200-year-old former munitions depot in Gosport, Hampshire is an exemplar of how housebuilders go ‘above and beyond’ regulations to deliver modern, desirable schemes without compromise to the environment. Located within the Priddy’s Hard Conservation Area, Ordnance Yard represents developer Elite Homes’ first step towards a wider regeneration of a surrounding Ministry of Defence ordnance depot. The £11 million first phase, which has been approved by the local council, includes plans for 30 new homes, a micro-brewery, and an armed forces museum. Once complete, it’s anticipated the adventurous scheme will bring investment and jobs to a long-overlooked area of the south coast, transforming a desolate reminder of Britain’s industrial past into a thriving residential and tourist hub.

Consideration Although an instigator for a large-scale redevelopment, Ordnance Yard, which was delivered in conjunction with John Pardey Architects, is a standalone scheme. Its architectural highlight is the positioning of six of the nine contemporary homes, which ‘float’ between huge blast walls; the remains of the munitions depot’s original shell filling rooms. This unique, aesthetic feature encapsulates the architect’s desire to ensure the site’s heritage was not lost in its reconfiguration.

The same consideration was given to preserving the area’s natural habitat. Ordnance Yard overlooks the inter-tidal mudlands of Forton Lake, which are designated sites of Special Scientific Interest; a Special Protection area for birds and a Wetland site of International Importance under the International Convention on the Conservation of Wetlands (Ramsar site). To protect and enhance wildlife in the area, and with the support of Natural England, Elite Homes commissioned a seed mix suitable for a saline environment to encourage a thriving, long-term natural habitat. This, in time, will see Ordnance Yard’s foreshore flourishing with an array of fauna; creating a stunning aesthetic along the water’s edge and enhancing the area’s biodiversity by becoming an attractive feeding and breeding ground for birds, insects and other wildlife. A sensitive approach was also taken to the area’s flood zone, with buildings raised off the ground (entrance and storage only at ground level).

Flood defences have been installed and the existing pond brought back to life, becoming an integral part of the drainage system.

Locally-sourced The project’s sustainable aim was established prior to construction starting, with the introduction of an access road that

16 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

circumnavigated the site in order to minimise pollution and noise levels for nearby residents and businesses. This also ensured local roads remained free of heavy industrialised traffic journeying to-and-from the site on a daily basis. During construction, much of the work was carried out off-site at nearby factories. This minimised onsite working hours and reduced the need for heavy industrialised machinery, resulting in lower pollution levels and less disruption for nearby residents and businesses. Where possible, locally-sourced materials were used in the construction, and local contractors carried out the actual work.

As for the properties themselves, each is fitted with energy-efficient air source heat pumps with 8kw capacity to guarantee a cost-effective, carbon-efficient performance. An on-site drainage and sewage system has also enhanced the site’s sustainability. Unlike systems connected to a main sewer, the on-site system requires fewer pumps and less power to operate effectively. It also converts wastewater into potable drinking water; a real benefit in terms of residents’ self-sufficiency. The sustainable theme is maintained throughout the homes themselves - each exceeds building regulation levels for energy performance. Windows are specifically designed for maximum solar gain, whilst expert design along with quality workmanship and materials will ensure low-level U-value performance and excellent airtight readings are upheld.

The UK urgently needs new housing, but it’s equally crucial to ensure the environment does not suffer as a result.

The Ordnance Yard project demonstrates how, with good planning and a sense of social responsibility, luxury homes need not come at a price to the natural world surrounding it.

Company News Aggregate Industries appoints new Executive Committee member In a strategic decision to bring the Concrete Products division to the company’s Executive Committee, Aggregate Industries, a leading player in the construction industry, has appointed Simon Marriott as Managing Director of Concrete Products.

Boasting a wealth of experience in the construction materials industry, Simon started his journey as a plant manager, covering this position for seven years. He then moved to Bardon Aggregates in 1996, shortly before its merger with Camas, when the new entity became known as Aggregate Industries. Within Aggregate Industries, Simon has progressed through the ranks of the Express Asphalt division to become General Manager, before going on to be Director of the mainstream asphalt division’s Southern region.

Following a return to Express Asphalt, Simon went on to run Bardon Concrete and Aggregate Industries’ cement importing function, before becoming Director of Concrete Products in late 2015.

In his current role as Managing Director of Concrete Products, Simon will be responsible for all hard landscaping aspects of the business including Charcon, Bradstone, Masterblock, Charcon Construction Solutions and Simply Paving.

He will also head up the Marketing Communications function.

Commenting on his appointment, Simon Marriot said: “Having been a part of Aggregate Industries for the best part of 25 years, I’m delighted to join the Executive Committee. This change is the result of my team’s tremendous efforts to demonstrate the value added that we bring to the business and I am extremely proud of them. I’m more committed than ever to further growing our Concrete Products business, and I’m looking forward to what the future brings for Aggregate Industries.”

Guy Edwards, Chief Executive Officer at Aggregate Industries said: “In a market more challenging and dynamic than ever we need to remain agile and adjust our offering to customers’ needs, making it easier for them to bring to life even the most creative projects.

Simon’s extensive, varied experience within the company and the wider industry makes him a great addition to the Executive Committee.

The knowledge he has developed over the years at every level gives him a great ability to improve our customer centric approach and the quality of our offering and services for the customer.”

MARLEY SPONSORS SKILLBUILD TO SUPPORT TOMORROW’S ROOFERS As part of its ongoing commitment to investing in future roofing talent, Marley is sponsoring SkillBuild, the UK’s largest running construction skills competition.

As sponsor of both the regional qualifiers and final, Marley has also donated JB Red battens and tiles which will be used by trainees and apprentices competing within the Roof Slating and Tiling category.

Rebecca Ball, Campaign Manager – Roof Systems at Marley, said: “As the construction industry continues to face an ongoing shortage of skills, including roofers, it is vital that we support the next generation coming into the sector.

Competitions such as SkillBuild, not only work to develop competitors’ technical abilities, but also their time management, confidence and self-esteem which help form the foundations of a long and

successful career in the trade.”

Chris Messenger, who is part of the team of lecturers who train students for competitions at Leeds College of Building, said: “SkillBuild is a fantastic opportunity for our apprentices to take the technical skills they’ve developed and compete among their peers, with the winners even having the chance to compete on an international level.

“Having the support from manufacturers, such as Marley, ensures those taking part can get to grips with quality roofing products, gaining further practical experience which they will be able to use throughout their career.”

Simon Dixon, Training Manager at the

NFRC, has been working with the roofing competitors. He commented: “We’re really excited to be working alongside the CITB again for this year’s SkillBuild competition.

“With the ongoing construction skills shortage still impacting the roofing industry; competitions, such as SkillBuild, play an important role in encouraging and showcasing our best young talent and creating role models to inspire the next generation.”

SkillBuild, delivered by CITB, is the largest multi-trade competition in the UK for construction trainees and apprentices.

The series of competitions sees the very best compete against each other to be crowned a winner in their chosen trade.

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 17

Project News

Istanbul’s Futuristic Supertall TV and Radio Tower releases updated images and more details Turkish practice Melike Altınışık Architects have revealed more details and the construction photos of Istanbul’s futuristic 369 meter-tall Çamlıca TV and Radio Tower photographed by NAARO, London-based architectural photography studio.

Istanbul’s futuristic 369m meter-tall new telecommunication tower seeks a sense of motion and rhythm within its silhouette that changes when viewed from different directions around Istanbul.

Its architectural formations combine elegance and beauty with math and geometry, whose innovative concept allows inhabitable spaces to be attached to the whole of the tower’s core. The project hopes to symbolize the growth of the megacity of Istanbul.

The telecommunication tower will replace several drab structures currently in use and will combine an estimated 125 broadcasting transmitters in one structure and it will house two-story 360 view restaurant and observation deck overlooking views of Istanbul, from Asia to Europe. There will be also a public foyer, cafe, exhibition and mediatec areas inside the podium which is transformed by the existing park walkway in Küçük Çamlıca Grove.

The Panorama Elevators which rising on both sides of the building are architectural elements that feed and divide the monolithic body. Visitors will experience a vertical travel along the 180 meters towards the historical peninsula on the one side, Black Sea Coasts on the other side. They will be able to watch Istanbul from the observation and restaurant floors where located 400m above sea level.

While wind testing was employed to confirm the monumental structure’s overall stability, it was also used to develop the unique facade design and

optimize how the load of the building envelope would act on the concrete core.

The engineered facade not only provides structural optimization but allows for inhabitable space to radiate around the tower’s central concrete core.

In this unique tower which requires advanced engineering techniques both in terms of architectural design and construction methodology, all the design features, architectural planning and

material selections were made considering these processes.

The tower has reached the total height of 369 meters of construction (589 meters above sea level) last year in April.

In September 2018 the tower celebrated its first Lifting Up Process for the Construction of the inhabitable spaces to be attached to the whole of the tower’s core. In total 8 Lifting-Up Phases had been planned. Each Phase includes around 3-4 Levels each 4.5m high and weight in total around 1000-1200tones. In other words, you can imagine that each lifting up process equals to lifting up 1000 Cars at once from ground level up to 180m along the tower concrete core.

The first 4 Lift Ups had been completed last month. Top 15 Levels (aprx. 70m) of the tower which will house two-story 360 view restaurant and observation deck overlooking views of Istanbul, from Asia to Europe have been constructed. The lifting up process for the remaining 130m Facade Build up will continue during the summer 2019. The monumental tower’s engineered facade is scheduled to be completed in late 2019.

18 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

Project News

A HOME AWAY FROM HOME TAKES SHAPE IN NOTTINGHAM FOR STUDENTS ‘FLYING THE NEST’ THE TIMBER frame at Nottingham’s newest student accommodation, The Nest, is now taking shape onsite, with the view to create 57 new flats by the end of the year.

The £5 million scheme, located at Derby Road, will feature 57 luxury, purposebuilt student studios and a ground floor commercial space.

Wayne Oakes, director at Dice – the multidisciplinary engineering consultancy, which has been working on the project since its inception last year and delivered civil and structural design services - said: “The Nest is a bespoke, student accommodation which has been designed with international students in mind – incorporating the latest in studio design, great communal facilities and all in an amazing location, close to the city centre.”

The build process has been managed by an experienced team and public’s reaction to the build has been very positive. A dilapidated building has been demolished and replaced with a contemporary structure. Dice has been an integral part of the team overcoming structural issues.

Wayne continued: “One of the key design challenges associated with this development related to the client’s wish for the building to incorporate both a masonry and timber frame superstructure which, for a five-storey building, presented numerous design complications associated with disproportionate collapse.

“In addition to this the project delivery team also faced interesting challenges during the early stages of the project due to experiencing poor ground conditions, which impacted upon the piled foundation solution and the contiguous piled retaining structure which was installed to support the public highway of Wollaton Street at the rear of the site.

welcome addition to the development of this area of the city.”

Kane Tang, project owner and director at the site’s developers, Tang Developments Ltd, said: “I am so pleased I chose Dice to work on this project. The team have supported the project, overcome the site’s challenges and worked within the team to get us to the point we are now.

The Nest is particularly being marketed at international students as everything they need will be under one roof. It will be finished to an incredibly high standard and will provide students – and their parents - with complete confidence that they will be moving into accommodation that is of a good quality.

“With two universities in the city – which are only continuing to grow - there will always be a need for purpose-built, student accommodation in Nottingham and we are actively looking for new sites to develop to meet demand.

“Derby Road has a unique, independent feel and we wanted to make sure that this was reflected in The Nest’s design. The Nest will be a modern, aesthetically-pleasing addition to Derby Road, promoting modern living in the heart of the city. The first cohort of students are expected to move in, in January 2020 and will provide an economic boost to Derby Road’s eclectic offering.”

“The international student market continues to grow, with five million students currently studying outside their home country, a number which is set to grow to eight million by 2025.

The development planning was managed by GraceMachin and the building was designed

by Nottingham-based architects Cleveley King. MPP project managed the scheme.

“We’ve worked closely with the developers and architects to create a building which has minimal impact on the environment and which complements the existing buildings in the vicinity - overcoming these challenges and delivering an impressive new structure on Derby Road. There are a lot of Nottingham teams involved in the construction of The Nest – from us on the engineering side and BEC on the mechanical and electrical engineering side, to the contractors, J A Ball, delivering the work itself – which is, of course, fantastic for the local economy and the city’s construction industry.

“There really is a hive of activity going on along Derby Road and across Canning Circus, with new sites progressing everyday – promoting the city’s commercial and residential offering.

We’re confident that The Nest will be another

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 19

Feature

The next moves for AI in the construction industry

By James Hepton, Head of e-Commerce & Marketing at Actavo Direct McKinsey claims the construction industry is ‘under-digitised’, with companies wasting time and budget using traditional paper and pen methods.

Those willing to embrace new technologies and adapt to the potential of AI in the construction industry will reap the rewards of more efficient projects, plus a long-term sustainable platform delivers a return on the costs of implementing the technology.

Actavo Direct’s James Hepton outlines the next steps for an industry looking to fulfil the potential of Artificial intelligence.

Getting a 360-degree view The days of pencil sketches in the construction industry are finished, with 3D modelling bringing projects to life and assisting in planning designs with scope for intricate detailing. However, the introduction of Business Information Modelling (BIM) has taken even 3D modelling to the next level. BIM combines 3D modelling with data storage, to produce a granular breakdown of an entire project – from physical construction details to financial and project management information – providing an accessible plan for everyone involved.

BIM delivers the ‘walk-through’ visualisation of 3D modelling and allows engineers, architects and more review projects at the planning and development stage, minimising waste in the building stage. Even plumbing and electrical work can be theorised in a detailed 3D model, reducing waste and time required on-site for tradesmen.The results are overall cost reductions, build time and emissions, giving businesses a platform to not only generate cost savings and efficiency but drive reputation management through a greener output.

Machine learning Despite what Hollywood films would suggest, AI doesn’t mean sentient robots taking over the planet. Instead, most construction benefits will come in the shape of machine learning.

As you complete more projects and gather comprehensive data sets, AI constantly learns and identifies patterns to help you improve and streamline processes in the future.

Machine learning capabilities are virtually limitless and can assist in every stage of construction. Simpler examples include tracking product stock levels in real time to ensure projects run smoothly or using weather and previous project data to predict patterns and schedule workloads to avoid disruption. More advanced machine learning can even assess health and safety risks using live video capturing tools, learning shapes to determine the risk of things like scaffolding structures and detecting whether employees are wearing suitable gear, keeping them safe on site.

The key to maximising the potential of AI is logging as much data as possible. The more information you feed, the more you’ll benefit.

Data-led projects mean time and cost savings, improved safety and greater project visibility across the whole team. Machine learning can’t magically produce algorithms to answer all our problems, but using data, it uses trial and error to solve problems.

Increased productivity For those willing to invest significantly in AI infrastructure, the opportunities are even greater. Autonomous and remote-control technology will return long-term efficiency in reduced labour costs and speedier performance.

Autonomous machinery is becoming a reality for construction, with manufacturing already underway in the production of self-driving excavators.

Autonomous machinery could unlock exponential growth for construction businesses, saving time and budget by freeing up staff to undertake important project management tasks, and avoiding health and safety risks associated with poor weather.

The emergence of a powerful 5G wireless network will also facilitate improved and large-scale processes. 5G networking will provide the platform for remote-controlled machinery, in which one operator is able to fully control on-site machines from one remote base. Similarly, the use of remote-controlled video drones means construction businesses will be able to survey and map sites, monitor for health and safety risks and even assist with the operation of remote-controlled construction equipment.

E-commerce benefits It’s not just on-site where AI will enable construction companies to flex their muscles. With many construction sites moving sales activity online, AI can help businesses grow their e-commerce offering, providing a better experience for customers and driving brand growth. Using AI, businesses can analyse huge banks of online user data to improve their offering. Understanding user queries means businesses can provide highquality automated customer support around the clock, freeing up senior employees to focus on more complex user challenges.

Machine learning is fed by customer buying habit data, like periods of high traffic, average purchase order size and more, so construction businesses can align their marketing efforts and sales materials towards their buyers’ exact needs.

This provides benefits for business and customer alike. For example, machine learning identifies buying patterns and suggests related products when a user is viewing their checkout cart – driving additional sales for the company and providing a useful service for the customer.

HEAD AND EYE PROTECTION BECOME ONE WITH THE NEW EVO®VISTA™ HELMET FROM JSP The new EVO®VISTA™ Helmet is an innovative next generation feature rich helmet which incorporates a fully retractable optical class 1 faceshield or overspec within the helmet. JSP’s Research and Development team were inspired by feedback received from people who regularly have to wear head protection alongside eye protection. A common theme was not only the compatibility issue but also the amount of eyewear lost or damaged on site after issue.

The EVO®VISTA™ Helmet has not only been designed to meet a standard but to exceed it on many levels. It combines a super strong ABS shell with the choice of either a EVO®VISTAlens™ or a EVO®VISTAshield™ depending on the levels of protection and performance required.

The EVO®VISTAlens™ functions like a spectacle but offers increased levels of protection to EN 166B 2C-1.2 FT and the EVO®VISTAshield™ conforms to EN166 2C-1.2 with impact rating of grade AT. Both are optical class 1 and have anti-mist and anti-scratch coatings offering impact protection at extreme temperatures and UV protection.

The new technology of the fully adjustable pivot arms in the EVO®VISTA® Helmet allows the lens and shield to be deployed outwards and over prescription spectacles unlike similar systems that require helmet adjustment to fit.

JSP prioritise the needs and safety of the wearer and the safety cell concept of the EVO®VISTA™ Helmet with the dual shell technology demonstrates this commitment by providing additional protection. The safety cell prevents ricocheting debris travelling up the eyewear and being in contact with the scalp as well as preventing the faceshield or overspec from impacting the scalp should it be forced back on impact.

The EVO®VISTA™ Helmet is fully compatible with JSP respirators such as the Force™8 PressToCheck™ and the Sonis® helmet mounted ear defender range. The benefits of having eyewear integrated in the helmet which is fully retractable and protected from scratching when not in use, easily deployed when needed and fits anyone with prescription spectacles will save companies money, time and worry. https://jspsafety.info/EVOVista

CM719029 JSP Safety QP.indd 20 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

1

21/06/2019 10:33:13

ENGEL’S ‘GALAXY’ WORKWEAR HAS UNIVERSAL APPEAL ENGEL WORKWEAR, a leading manufacturer of comfortable and practical workwear has the ‘Galaxy’ range amongst its collection which offers a comprehensive selection of smart

and functional clothing with the emphasis as much on comfort, style and fit as it is on being protective and hardwearing; the trousers are narrower than normal, the jackets slim-cut and all garments are available in a choice of three colour combinations.

Designed to suit every type of workplace situation this best selling collection also consists of soft-shell and winter jackets, a comfortable fleece cardigan, bib-overall and boiler suit with fabrics made from durable, two-ply cotton/polyester yarns; most items feature several spacious pockets and many other shared functional details such as concealed buttons and zippers, adjustable jacket cuffs and CORDURA reinforced jacket elbows.

Also included is the stylish Galaxy ‘Light’ range with a 210 g/m2 ‘Light’ work jacket (1290-880) that has a longer, pleated back for added freedom of movement and reflectors on both front and back for

Congrid launches in the UK offering Finnish safety and quality expertise Congrid, the Finnish construction quality and safety software company, today announced its expansion into the UK and the appointment of Daniel Hunt as UK territory manager.

The Congrid mobile app introduces new levels of transparency and communication for safety and quality on construction projects and helps deliver zero-defect buildings to clients.

greater visibility. Available with or without matching trousers (2290-880), each incorporate many practical details giving maximum comfort, weather protection and quick and easy access to tools and personal accessories; both garments are made from 65% polyester, 35% cotton and are available in all sizes.

Further details can be found by visiting www.engel.eu/en or contact Gareth Bladen at gbl@f-engel.com or on +44(0) 7759 520034.

Already the market leader in Finland, with 60% annual revenue growth and all of the country’s major construction firms using its platform, including WSP, YIT, NCC, and PEAB, Congrid is now targeting the UK. Congrid’s cloud-based app is aimed at project managers and quality managers at construction companies involved in various projects, including housing, offices, hospitals and schools.

Designed to reduce the industry’s reliance on manual, paperbased workflows by digitising on-site project management and documentation, workers use Congrid on smartphones or tablets, to manage safety and quality inspections, document defects and faults and monitor the progress of each work stage in real time, all in the same app. This approach enables construction companies to involve their contractor network in the quality assurance and safety management process without any additional costs. Everything is recorded using detailed site plans allowing for the accurate resolution of any issues and subsequent monitoring to ensure all faults are fixed.

Benefits include increased transparency and better communication between construction companies and their contractors, improved safety levels, reduced quality costs, zerodefect property deliveries and more efficient ways of working on site. The data collected allows detailed monitoring and reporting on any issues in need of attention. Future product developments include new data visualisation tools to expand what users can learn from their quality and safety data.

Congrid’s first UK appointment sees Daniel Hunt become UK territory manager, responsible for spearheading customer acquisition and hiring further staff in 2019. Already established in Finland and Sweden, the UK is the first country Congrid is moving into outside of the Nordic region.

22 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

The Cloud…

Covered!

Lightweight composite access covers designed for cloud and data centres speed-up access to underground infrastructure and fibreoptic cabling Data centres and cloud storage facilities are growing exponentially YOY, with global storage expansion estimated at 36% CAGR 2016-2021 (from 286 exabytes to 1.3 zettabytes). Locally, the UK 3rd party cloud market is the largest in Europe. This growth is driven in part by the movement towards on-demand services.

These facilities are highly specialised environments with exacting performance requirements. They are typically constructed to a tight build schedule.

However, no two are the same. Each facility has specific needs.

Unlike many other construction projects, cloud and data centres evolve quickly, once built. Servers are frequently replaced, and facilities often grow to accommodate greater storage capacity and new technologies. The internal design therefore must have flexibility for this.

To meet these new challenges, a number of designers and construction companies are turning to contemporary materials like the GRP composite channel access covers Fibrelite covers installed over infrastructure systems and fibre optic cabling at data centre emergency vehicle access point

made by Fibrelite, which offer many unique benefits.

Unique Construction Challenges of Cloud and Data Centres Internal design is key to data centre construction as it supports the extensive infrastructure, servers and cabling required whilst enabling fast maintenance, (concurrent in the case of Tier 3 and 4) and scalability. Infrastructure normally includes UPS, power distribution, cooling systems, fire systems and security systems, many of which have redundancies (up to 2N+1 for Tier 4 facilities).

As the use of cloud and data centres has increased, their requirements have evolved significantly. In recent years, this has led to an increasing need for efficiency, reliability and reduced downtime risk, which has seen an increasing focus on value over cost.

Perceived rate of obsolescence is also an important consideration, and wherever possible, facilities must be adequately futureproofed. The designers and construction companies building today’s facilities are tackling this challenge by adopting agile designs, using modern, expandable materials, and following a modular approach.

Composite Access Covers Simplify Construction and Maintenance One contemporary product being adopted to increase the efficiency of cloud and data centre construction and maintenance is bespoke modular GRP composite infrastructure/cable trench access covers.

These are made by Fibrelite and to date, have been adopted by facilities

throughout Europe, Asia and America, and specified by some of the world’s largest brands. For the last 30 years, Fibrelite’s lightweight composite manhole covers have also been specified by many leading oil companies around the globe for use on their petrol stations. Locally, this includes BP, Esso, Total, and many more. In fact, Fibrelite created the world’s first composite manhole cover, back in 1980. If you have a car, you will have walked over a Fibrelite cover many times when refuelling.

The designers and construction companies building today’s facilities are adopting Fibrelite trench/channel access covers to cover and provide access to channels housing underground infrastructure and fibreoptic cabling. Traditionally, these covers were made from concrete or metal.

However, Fibrelite’s innovative modular GRP covers are far lighter and allow safe fast manual removal, even when heavier load ratings are required (e.g. channels running between buildings with vehicle traffic).

Fibrelite covers are available in load ratings up to F900/90 tonnes, are impervious to corrosion and have a unique anti-skid walking surface.

In many instances where these covers are adopted, companies choose to specify a bespoke option, custom-manufactured to the exact size, colour, load rating and fittings (e.g. securing systems) sometimes as a retrofit replacement for previously installed concrete or metal covers.

In environments like data centres and cloud facilities where efficiency and flexibility are vital, it’s important to simplify every process possible. We’re impressed at how the level to which data centres are adopting our composite covers for just such a purpose.

Jo Stott Marketing Director – Fibrelite For more details on how Fibrelite covers are being adopted, visit their case studies page

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 23

21/05/2018 11:20 VAN RENTAL HELPS CONSTRUCTION FIRMS STEER THROUGH CHANGING REGULATIONS

016892A1_DFM_PSE 180 x 132 APR & JUN editions_F2.indd 2

Transport regulations around the UK are changing rapidly, creating a headache for many businesses that rely on vans and other specialist vehicles. Clean Air Zones will soon be common in many cities; having compliant vehicles on a company fleet is therefore essential.

RAISE YOUR SUSTAINABILITY PROFILE BY SWITCHING TO BIODEGRADABLE GLOVES Leading UK glove supplier, JustGloves.co.uk is proud to announce the addition of SHOWA 100% biodegradable nitrile gloves to its already extensive portfolio.

The range of gloves are the first of its kind and are made using Eco Best Technology® (EBT), an organic additive that is used during the production process and allows for landfill decomposition within just 5 years, opposed to the estimated 100 years plus for standard nitrile equivalents.

JustGloves.co.uk added biodegradable options to its extensive portfolio to meet increasing demand from a variety of industries for eco-friendly alternatives.

But many businesses don’t want to commit capital or sign long-term leases for new vans, especially in the current uncertain climate.

Rental provides a genuine alternative. And long-term rental from Europcar provides access to compliant vehicles without the commitment of acquisition or a long term lease deal.

With Europcar AdVANtage for Vans, access to new, white, well-specified vans, is available with as little as 10 days’ notice, at highly competitive rates. Construction firms can move away from contract hire or leasing to achieve real savings. A depreciating asset can be removed from the company’s books, and turned into working capital.

There are currently four types of 100% biodegradable gloves available via www.justgloves.co.uk/biodegradable including disposable nitrile, nitrile gripper, chemical resistant and flock lined gauntlets. All designed for use in a variety of applications.

To find out more visit www.justgloves.co.uk/biodegradable or call the JustGloves.co.uk team on 0808 1699 117.

14/06/2019 201910:35:43 24 Construction UK Magazine - July

CM7190035 JustGloves QP.indd 1

Latest News

Melike Altınısık Architects Wins Competition for World’s first pioneer Robot Science Museum in Seoul Turkish practice Melike Altınışık Architects – MAA which has gained international recognition with their latest project Istanbul’s futuristic 369 meter-tall TV and Radio Tower, has won an international competition for the Robot Science Museum located in Seoul, South Korea . The competition hosted by The Seoul Metropolitan Government called for the ideas to design World’s first pioneer Robot Science Museum (RSM) to support public education in robotics and increase the public knowledge and interests in robots.

RSM is going to be one of the buildings in the center of the renovation area ‘the Changbai New Economic Center’ which is going to be a Cultural Center for Changdong in the northern part of Seoul and is going to be linked to the Photographic Art Museum (PAM) which is going to build next to Robot Science Museum (RSM) .

The design principal Melike Altınışık explained that idea and process behind the design. “The new Robot Science Museum (RSM) which plays a catalytic role in advancing and promoting science, technology, and innovation throughout society is not only going to exhibit robots but actually from design, manufacturing to construction and services robots will be in charge. In other words, RSM will start its ‘first exhibition’ with ‘its own construction’ by robots on site.”

This representative and semantic role to be undertaken from design to construction are as important as meeting the functional requirements at the highest level for the museum. Considering the universality of science and technology, prioritizing the advanced architectural design solutions for such a pioneering museum with a subject of innovation and robots gains a special meaning. In other words, From design to form generation, from structural design to the material, buildings designed in this manner must manifest robots, science, technology, and innovation.

A scientific, technologic and innovative mission The main character of the museum to create its own universe for the robots and their visitors, a sphere like non-directional, fluid and natural form is preferred instead of rigid geometry and orthogonal forms.

This form language, beyond the semantic aspect, is a design tool for meeting functional requirements and conditions of spatial comfort and building physics, creates a wide range of possibilities for connection with urban orientation and public spaces within its non-directional form generation. The fluid morph of building surface serves for purposes such as involving public space to interior, meeting and organizing pedestrian and vehicle movement, and creating in-between spaces. The functions on the ground floor of the building provide continuum and interaction between public outdoor spaces and indoor spaces. The people in public space between the PAM and RSM are directly faced with the scientific, technologic and innovative mission of the museum.

The robot science museum serves as a base for spreading the science culture by providing opportunities to experience the latest robotics technology such as AI, virtual and augmented reality, hologram, and running an in-depth training course to explore new robots.

The design proposal for Robot Science Museum is focused on developing an architectural language through the use of contemporary fabrication technologies and robotic construction methodologies. These design and construction methodologies ideally would allow a rich exchange of relations between its robots in construction, robots in service, robots exhibited and

their visitors. Such as a team of robots will assemble the museum’s curved metal facade, while saving time and money. Led by building information modeling (BIM) system, they will mold, assemble, weld and polish the metal plates. Another team of robots will 3D print concrete for the surrounding landscape.

A city official said, “In order to maximize the convenience of the users, we will set up a planning team and a management consulting team in advance to reflect opinions in the design and construction process during the period of architectural design plan.”

The new Robot Museum is expected to start its first exhibition on site in early 2020 and is expected to be completed with the official opening slated for late 2022. After the opening, it operates as a branch system of the Seoul Metropolitan Museum.

CREDIT LIST Architect: MELIKE ALTINISIK ARCHITECTS Project: Robot Science Museum Location: Seoul, South Korea Design: Melike Altınışık Project Team: Tan Akıncı, Özge Tunalı, Melih Altınışık Architectural Assistants: Şeyma Özübek, Hüseyin Karameşe Visualization: Ediz Akyalçın Client: Seoul Metropolitan Government Building Site: 2500m2 Area: 6500m2 Year: 2019-tbc

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 25

*

Feature

Creating a positive Work at Height culture in construction 48% of deaths in construction are due to Working at Height. Ken Diable, Managing Director of Heightsafe Systems, provides his top tips on creating a positive Health and Safety culture to mitigate Work at Height hazards in the workplace, following ten years of maintaining an impeccable Health and Safety record.

overview of safety hazards apparent across all areas – making sure that actions are completed in a set timescale to show you are serious about their involvement and are willing to make changes where applicable.

Feedback Whether individually, companywide or publicly, always provide feedback on suggestions and implementations, showing that you are serious about listening to employee’s views.

Creating, implementing and maintaining a positive Health and Safety culture within both large and small companies can encompass mitigating a wide range of hazards, as well as the mentality of personnel in the workplace.

The responsibility can sit within various roles, normally dependent on the size of the organisation. For larger businesses, it is common best practice to have a dedicated Health and Safety Manager presence per individual site, with smaller businesses’ Directors and Senior Management generally responsible for individual areas such as Health and Safety, Environmental, Quality and Technical. Whether a large or small business, it is important to set guidelines for the safest possible work environment, to ensure personnel go home safely at the end of each working day.

Does your organisation have a poor Health and Safety culture? Some cultural factors specified by the Health and Safety Executive include: • Widespread and repeat procedural violations • Failure to comply with policies, control measures and safety management systems • Management decisions that repeatedly put cost before safety • Focussing on short-term reactive measures • Hesitance to act on feedback where offered The Health and Safety Executive also specifies that key aspects of an effective Health and Safety culture include: • Management commitment • Visible management • Consistent and high-quality communication between all personnel • Active employee participation • Open door policy for concerns to be raised Whilst Health and Safety culture itself is not enforceable, it can be assessed as part of an incident investigation to address outcomes of a poor culture. Where Work at Height is

Compassion If an employee is injured or has encountered an incident relating to Health and Safety, ensure you are compassionate in the first instance, rather than discussing corrective actions from the offset.

concerned, safety measures should be the number one priority for employers. After ten years of maintaining an impeccable Health and Safety record, our directors and senior managers have created a winning formula for creating a positive culture: 1. Practical Mentality The person/s responsible for Health and Safety within your organisation should adopt a practical ‘hands-on’ approach when implementing guidelines – involving personnel through employee engagement activities such as surveys, whilst being aware of the risks that are present on a day to day basis, as well as wider considerations such as uncontrollable factors.

2. Employee Involvement Employee engagement paired with powerful leadership are winning indicators for the basis of a positive Health and Safety culture – minimising risks across your business, as well as increasing well-being for your employees. To create active involvement with your Health and Safety Culture initiative, consider the following: Leaders When it comes to creating culture within organisations, whatever the size, it is important that all Directors and Senior Management are seen to be both actively involved, as well as following measures once implemented.

Communication Hold briefing sessions with department heads and team leaders to ensure key messages are communicated throughout your organisation – establishing that employees are encouraged to address safety hazards in line with procedures.

Involvement Whether you are planning to create new guidelines, or update current guidelines, ensure that all employees are heard including full time, part time and shift workers. Running a survey across the entirety of your organisation will give you an

Reinforce Positive Behaviour Reward your employees for involvement when creating, implementing and maintaining a positive Health and Safety culture.

Committee Meetings Hold a minimum of two annual Health and Safety committee meetings – going through guidelines to give employees an opportunity to raise concerns around areas that may be failing, areas that are performing well, as well as presentation of ideas specific to their roles and associated risks.

Results Following the implementation and analysis of your guidelines, share the positive results including statistics and visual aids, this will aid encouragement of future involvement as well as working in line with specified guidelines.

3. Daily Risk Assessments For those in high risk roles, consider formalising daily risk assessment discussions whilst giving employees the opportunity to raise concerns over daily factors such as weather changes prior to work commencing.

4. Regulations The Work at Height Regulations 2005 are set out to prevent death and injury caused by a fall from height. If you are an employer or are in control of Work at Height, (including Facilities Manager roles and building owners who may contract works externally) these regulations apply to you. Ensure work is properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent personnel – including the use of appropriate equipment.

It is an unforgivable tragedy that construction workers are suffering death and serious injuries as a result of falls from height that could, with proactive safety planning, be avoided.

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 27

Awards News

Building consultancy celebrates hat-trick of awards Birmingham-based construction expert, Acivico, is celebrating a hat-trick after winning three awards at the Local Authority Building Control’s Business Excellence Awards.

Acivico won the Best Partnership With A Local Authority Building Control Team in collaboration with ProBuild360, a multi-disciplinary design, construction and planning agency, also based in Birmingham; the Best Extension Or Alteration To An Existing Home for a private residence in Edgbaston designed in partnership with The Space Studio; and the Best Large-Scale Commercial Project title for its work at Arena Central, 1 Centenary Square.

Acivico, which delivers professional services to private and public sector clients across the property management and construction industry, provided building control services for the contracts.

Richard Cymler, head of building consultancy at Acivico, said it was a brilliant testament to the hard work of everyone in the team.

“We were absolutely delighted to be nominated for these awards and to win three of them on the night is a testament to everyone at the winning companies and Acivico Building Consultancy’s surveyors.

“We have delivered landmark projects across the city of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands and pride ourselves on working in partnership with our clients to deliver their needs.

From small scale projects through to complex multi-million-pound construction schemes, we integrate with our clients to deliver customer excellence at every stage of a project lifecycle.

“We have some of the best professional expertise in the business and through our ongoing investment in our staff we ensure we invest in our clients and deliver professional advice to enable them to meet their project deadlines and ensure the project’s success” he said.

The ceremony, held in Telford, was attended by leaders from across the region’s construction community.

Acivico is a nationally recognised Building Control provider delivering technical solutions to clients across all sectors, including residential, education, healthcare, MoD and mixed use.

Amey recognised at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Awards Last week the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) awarded the Highways business at Amey two prestigious awards recognising the work undertaken to improve environmental and health and safety practices.

RoSPA recognised the achievements of Amey in the following categories: • Commended in the Construction Engineering Industry Sector Award • Winner of the International Dilmun Environmental Award James Haluch, Managing Director for Amey’s Highways Business, said: “I’m delighted that our teams in Highways have been recognised for the work we do to help keep our people safe as well as the steps we’ve taken to limit our environmental impact. Last year we launched our health and safety behavioural framework, Zero Code, which outlines the behaviours all our people need to adopt to keep themselves and others safe from harm. I’m proud to see these behaviours being embedded and the number of injuries our people are reporting reducing.

“The safety of our people will always be our number one priority. We’ll continue to build on this fantastic achievement to reach our goal of Target Zero, ensuring the safety of our workforce and our communities at all times.”

Julia Small, RoSPA’s head of qualifications, awards and events, said: “The RoSPA Awards have become the key fixture in the health and safety calendar with new sponsors and new awards this year including the Leisure Safety Awards, the Safe@Work Safe@Home Award and the Inspiration Awards. Highly-respected, with almost 2,000 entrants every year, RoSPA award winners benefit from the wide-ranging rewards of improved sector reputation.”

The RoSPA Awards scheme, which receives entries from organisations around the world, recognises achievement in health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement.

These awards follow the success of Amey’s Rail business and Amey Consulting, receiving the President’s Award (recognising 10 consecutive years of golds award status), and Amey’s Utilities Business Unit, whom celebrated receiving a Gold Medal for the first time (recognising 6 consecutive years of golds) last month.

28 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

Awards News Building Performance Awards launch with renewed emphasis for 2020

Entries are now invited for the 2020 CIBSE Building Performance Awards.

The Awards showcase the highest achievements in building performance across the construction and property industry. These are the only awards in the built environment sector that are judged on actual, in-use performance rather than projections or designed performance.

The 2020 Awards focus on all aspects of a project, product or innovation, looking for the delivery of safe, healthy, functional and sustainable buildings which operate efficiently and meet users needs.

Entry to the awards is free, with streamlined entry forms for 2020 to make it easier to enter.

Judges for the Project of the Year categories will look for evidence on the overall performance of the building in operation.

For the first time, the Product and Innovation category will include an Award to recognise new products and innovations that make a significant contribution to the wellbeing or thermal comfort elements of building performance.

This can include solutions in the areas of lighting, acoustics, air quality and renewables for wellbeing, and solutions covering heating, ventilation, cooling and humidification for thermal comfort.

The deadline for entries is Friday 13 September 2019.

LO W CARB O N GRP DAYLIGHT S O LUTIONS

LOOKING FOR MORE BREEAM POINTS? LOOK NO FURTHER. We are the first UK GRP rooflight manufacturer to be able to contribute a minimum of 1.5 BREEAM points for your new industrial building thanks to our BRE approved EPD (Environmental Product Declaration). This is in addition to any points from the metal roof system, so simply specify Zenon rooflights.

DISCOVER MORE: WWW.HAMBLESIDE-DANELAW.CO.UK/ZENON-ROOFLIGHTS T: 01327 701 920 E: techelp@hambleside-danelaw.co.uk HD_ZEN_CONSTRUK_JULYHALF_AW.indd 1

05/06/2019 18:06

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 29

Project News

KIRKWALL AIRPORT REFURBISHMENT WORK COMPLETED SIX MONTHS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE The Air Traffic Control Tower at Kirkwall Airport, Orkney, will continue to direct more than 14,600 planes landing and taking off from the island thanks to the completion of vital improvements to the structure.

The four-storey tower to the south east of Kirkwall Airport has received almost £500,000 of investment over the last three years to improve the lifespan of the structure and overall performance of the building. Phase two of this work has now completed.

Construction consultancy Perfect Circle was selected to survey the tower and design remedial works through the Scape National Built Environment Consultancy Services (BECS) framework after its building surveyors successfully led the refurbishment of glazing to Sumburgh Air Traffic Control Tower, Shetland, in 2017.

Managing director of Perfect Circle, Victoria Brambini said: “It was a privilege to be involved in the design and implementation of the works to extend the life of the Air Traffic Control Tower in Kirkwall, which provides a vital service to the communities of Orkney, neighbouring islands and mainland Scotland.”

Project leader for Perfect Circle, Euan Matheson said: “Despite weather challenges, along with ongoing airport operations, the project was completed on budget and ahead of schedule. This is to the credit of the client in providing timely assistance and input through the project and the contractors involved in managing works and resource on site to limit any delay.”

The team carried out a full survey of the tower, followed by a feasibility study and designs for the refurbishment of the building.

Phase two saw the tanking and waterproofing of the basement level to prevent any ground water entering the building from the surrounding peat land.

Internal services were also upgraded with new heating system to offices and welfare facilities and the internal finishes were also upgraded, including replacement floorcoverings, redecoration and replacement ceiling tiles.

This, along with the work done during phase one has extended the tower’s use by 25 years.

Construction was made challenging by the need for the tower to operate safely throughout the duration of the works. This required a clear field of vision for air traffic control officers to coordinate a safe and orderly flow of air traffic.

Keith Inglis, head of infrastructure services at Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL), said: “Major works to any of HIAL’s assets always present a number of challenges - from remote locations and adverse weather conditions to supply chains and operational criticality of the sites. Works in the visual control room offered a particular challenge as the project scope included replacement of the large, heavy glazing panels.

“Outside of normal operational hours the airport is in a continued state of readiness to support out of hours air ambulance

and coastguard services. Alfred Flett, Bell Contracts, Perfect Circle and Kirkwall Airport staff worked collaboratively to overcome these challenges while maintaining airport operations and deliver this transformational project.”

Colm Bell, director at Bell Contracts & Co, the project’s phase one principal contractor said: “We are delighted to be awarded the refurbishment and upgrade to Kirkwall Airport Air Traffic Control Tower. We worked closely with Perfect Circle to deliver the scheme on time and on budget. We have successfully completed various projects with Highlands and Islands Airports and look forward to working with them again in the future.”

Mark Robinson, Scape Group chief executive commented: “Ensuring Kirkwall Airport remains operational is vital for the Island of Orkney. As Perfect Circle have an existing relationship with Highlands and Islands Airports, through the BECS framework they were able to fully utilise their expertise to deliver the project with speed and certainty.”

Phase One works completed in September 2018, providing a contemporary external finish and a sustainable project in which existing materials were re-used and had their lifespan extended. Where new materials were utilised, such as glazing, the most energy efficient materials were used while being in full compliance with Civil Aviation Authority regulations.

The investment in Kirkwall Air Traffic Control Tower has contributed to the local economy - with more than five local contractors and sub-contractors from Orkney being employed during phase one and two of the works – as well as creating a comfortable working environment for all that use the facility.

Perfect Circle provides the broadest range of consultancy services available to the public sector and was appointed to deliver the Scape BECS framework.

Ensuring Kirkwall Airport remains operational is vital for the Island of Orkney. As Perfect Circle have an existing relationship with Highlands and Islands Airports, through the BECS framework they were able to fully utilise their expertise to deliver the project with speed and certainty.

30 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

Get qualified with the Institute of Risk Management “We have just offered someone an IT Risk and Assurance role because they had already completed the IRM certificate and it showed at interview. They had the natural language of risk and the risk approach in a commercial setting. That will be a great help in building my professional ERM team.”

Alastair Allison MSc, CISM, CMIRM Director of ERM, Risk and Compliance Bupa Insurance

“The risk management field is gaining in prominence within the Infrastructure industry and clients have developed a very high expectation of the risk management function. IRM qualifications are a necessary quality benchmark.”

Companies we have worked with:

Vinay Shrivastava, IRM Board member Director, Turner & Townsend Infrastructure

“In business you are surrounded by professional people with qualifications in their specialisms and having a formal qualification in risk management reinforces that it is a vital component of successful business.”

Phil Parratt, CIRM Risk Manager, Kier Group

Keep up with the IRM’s work in the infrastructure sector by joining our dedicated Special Interest Group www.theirm.org/infrastructureSIG Developing risk professionals

Project News NEW IMAGE OF £1BN REGENERATION OF LONDON OLYMPIA A new image of the Central Towers, which will form part of the £1billion redevelopment of London’s Olympia Exhibition Centre, in West London, has been released by multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy Pell Frischmann.

The project, which is being spearheaded

by Deutsche Finance International (DFI) and Yoo Capital (YC) will revamp the existing exhibition halls, and add 51,000m² of office, studios and co-working space across its site. The new centre will also house a four-screen arthouse cinema, a 1,000-seat performing arts space, a 1,500-seat theatre, 900m² of performance and rehearsal space, a new jazz clubstyle restaurant and venue, shops, cafés, hotels and new public space, including pedestrianised squares and a sky garden.

The historic façades of the exhibition centre, on Olympia Way, will be fully restored and spaces, such as the historic Pillar Hall, will be opened to the public. UK consultancy Pell Frischmann is providing lead structural engineering services across the development.

The site, in Kensington, West London, was built in 1886 as the National Agricultural Hall, according to the designs of architect Henry Edward Coe. Today, it is one of city’s premier venues and hosts more than 220 exhibitions and events each year, including the ‘Olympia Horse Show’ and ‘Stylist Live’. Events will continue to be held during development.

Key features of new £1bn project, which will welcome its first tenants in 2023, will include: • A 1,500-seat theatre • A 1,000-seat performing arts venue • Two hotels • A 4-screen cinema

• 670,000 sq. ft. of creative office space, including new co-working space • Upgrades to the existing event and exhibition spaces • A 200,000 sq. ft. logistics centre The revamp of this historic London site is expected to create more than 3,000 new construction jobs over the next five years, as well as approximately 5,400 new jobs across the local area upon completion.

Pell Frischmann’s Division Director of Structural and Civil Engineering, Mike Hitchens, said: “We are excited to be working on the redevelopment of the Olympia estate, with its many challenges it is a real opportunity for us to show what we can do.

The site has a rich history and is an important landmark for UK industry and the local community – and the project will create the latest go-to destination in the capital with not just an exhibition centre but a wealth of public realm and creative facilities.”

Plans for new homes in Devizes given the go-ahead Plans to build 123 homes in Devizes have been approved by Wiltshire Council.

Housebuilder Bellway has now commenced construction work on land off Quakers Walk, with the first homes due to be completed later this year.

The development will be known as Quakers Walk and will include a range of two, three and four-bedroom properties, as well as areas of public space.

Christel Hawkins, Sales Manager at Bellway South West, said: “We are naturally pleased to have received planning permission for our Quakers Walk development. There is a growing demand for new homes in Wiltshire and we are committed to helping meet this need. We have worked closely with the local planning authority to ensure we deliver a range of homes to suit people on all stages of the property ladder, from first-time buyers and downsizers to growing families. We are expecting a high level of interest in the homes at Quakers Walk and we are planning to release the first properties for sale this autumn.”

32 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

Project News GRAHAM share a place on the £400m Dounreay Framework Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) has awarded six framework contracts to be carried out on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), as part of a decommissioning services framework for Scotland’s oldest nuclear reactor site at Dounreay.

Organisations appointed to DSRL’s decommissioning services framework: • Nuvia; GRAHAM; Oxford Technologies; Thompson of Prudhoe • AECOM E&C UK; MW Hargreaves; Kier Infrastructure and Overseas; Morson Projects; NIS; NSG Environmental; Squibb Group; Westinghouse Electrical Company UK • Dounreay Decommissioning Framework (DDF) Alliance; Cavendish Nuclear; BAM Nuttall; KDC Contractors; JGC Engineering and Technical Services • Dounreay Wood Alliance (DWA); Wood; Aquila Nuclear Engineering; GD Energy Services; Orano Projects • Jacobs UK; Atkins • Nuclear Decommissioning Ltd (NDL); James Fisher Nuclear; REACT Engineering; Shepley Engineers; WYG Engineering; JBV Demolition; RPS Consulting Services The framework, worth up to £400 million and initially set-up for up to four years, with the possibility of extensions of up to an additional three years, will take work at the site into a new phase when historic wastes from the shaft, silo and lowlevel waste pits are due to be retrieved, repackaged and consigned to modern waste facilities.

Stephen Adamson, DSRL Head of Commercial Services, said: “This agreement will deliver real and visible signs of progress towards achieving our mission. It is about

forming long-term partnerships so that the successful companies can work alongside our own Dounreay staff, ensuring a firstclass team combining the best site skills and experience with the wider industry knowledge and innovation that the supply chain can offer.”

Construction of a size reduction facility, shaft and silo decommissioning and demolition of historic active laboratories are just some of the projects expected to be delivered.

Nuclear focus In recent years a focus on the nuclear sector has seen GRAHAM commissioned to work on several highly complex, safetycritical design and construction projects on storage and disposal facilities across the UK. Steve Beattie, GRAHAM Contracts Director at Dounreay commented “We are looking

forward to working in partnership with Nuvia, Oxford Technologies and Thompson of Prudhoe on this significant project. Our knowledge of the Dounreay site is already extensive as we recently completed a Grout Plant Facility and constructed two Low Level Waste Vaults involving the total excavation of 243,000m3 of rock.

“Valued in excess of £22m, our expertise was also commissioned to construct a new shielded Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) Drum Store Extension and an Unshielded Waste Store Extension for shielded waste containers next to the existing Dounreay Cementation Plant (DCP) complex.

“The site’s decommissioning is now well underway, and GRAHAM is playing a key role in what is widely recognised as one of Europe’s most challenging nuclear closure programmes.”

Engaging with the community Steve Beattie continued, “We pride ourselves on our community engagement philosophy and aim to utilise the construction phase of our projects to give local people skills which will be of future benefit, both for them as individuals and the community as a whole.

“During our works we will commit to a series of community development initiatives, including work placements and the recruitment of trainee positions, which will aim to support Caithness and North Sutherland’s socio-economic agenda.

“We also plan to work with local training suppliers to develop its workforce involved in the project, particularly supporting some to achieve NVQ Level 2 and above qualifications.”

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 33

Company News Bouygues UK recruits first higher education students as Ambassadors for its Cardiff Innovation Campus project Bouygues UK, the construction company building Cardiff University’s cutting-edge Innovation Campus, has welcomed its first higher education Ambassadors on site.

Five student volunteers from diverse backgrounds and areas of academic study at Cardiff University have been recruited to write, blog and share social media posts about their exclusive insights into the build on the city centre site.

Bouygues UK has worked with student Ambassadors in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) on projects at schools in Margam, Port Talbot and Penarth, but this is the first time Bouygues UK is partnering with students at a higher education establishment to help with community communication.

Three of the new student Ambassadors have visited the site to see how Bouygues UK and Cardiff University are working together to transform a former disused rail yard into a state-of-the-art campus for high-tech job creation and student start-ups, and to create further expertise in compound semi-conductors.

Nick Toulson, Bouygues UK CSR manager for Cardiff Innovation Campus, said: “It is so encouraging that we have students from such diverse courses as Medicine, Urban Planning and Development and Civil Engineering. The student Ambassadors at the comprehensive schools we were building were amazing at

informing their friends and peers about what was going on with the build, so we were really pleased when Cardiff University wanted to replicate the scheme at the Innovation Campus.”

Nick added: “The Ambassadors will not only get to see how the site is developing from the inside, but they will also gain access to Bouygues UK’s expertise in design, construction management, health and safety and quality – all disciplines which I’m sure will help in their future careers.”

Luke Morgan, a third-year medicine student, is one of the Ambassador cohorts.

He explained that the complexity of the project and the abstract thinking and

forward planning that is required to get over challenges with the build is what attracted him to be an Ambassador. It is a very busy site where Bouygues UK is able to bring together a diverse range of people with their own parts to play and do the job to the standard required, which is a real feat of organisation.”

Fellow Ambassador, Nuzha Nadeem, a first-year Civil and Environment Engineering student, originally from Abu Dhabi, said: “It’s been a very good experience.

Normally in University, we get to hear the theory, but here we get to see engineering in practice. Hands-on experience of work on site really matters as our job is physically being here.”

Willmott Dixon invests in Sussex growth Willmott Dixon has officially opened its new Sussex office with an event which brought together company leaders and representatives from both Crawley and Surrey County Council.

The audience heard how Willmott Dixon is committed to supporting business growth across the South East, and the importance of establishing and maintaining positive relationships with local authorities to stimulate more growth across Sussex.

The event also saw Chestnut Tree House – the children’s hospice for Sussex – presented with a cheque for £7,104.12 which was raised by the team at Willmott Dixon following a sponsored skydive.

The new base in Crawley expands the company’s presence as it looks to deliver more projects that play a key role in the county’s future.

The opening comes shortly after the successful completion of L3 Technologies’ new flight simulator production and training facility on Gatwick Road in Crawley.

Willmott Dixon which built the world-leading Nexus facility for L3 Technologies adjacent to another project it delivered - South East Coast Ambulance Service’s new home at Gatwick Diamond – and is plotting more opportunity by opening its new office at the Regus in Manor Royal Business Park, Crawley. Another project the company recently completed was the Littlehampton Wave leisure centre, opened its doors to the public in March.

34 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

The new office in Gatwick has been designed to promote an agile, collaborative, project-led working approach. It will accommodate both preconstruction and operations staff, with partners and customers also encouraged to utilise the space.

Project News Work starts on first phase of construction at St. Modwen Park Gloucester St. Modwen has just started work on the first phase of its 900,000 sq ft industrial and logistics development in Gloucester, marked by a ground-breaking ceremony on site.

ESSEX SCHOOL EXPANSION ONE OF THE FIRST IN EAST ANGLIA TO BE DELIVERED UNDER NEW FRAMEWORK THE Deanes Academy in Benfleet, Essex, expansion will be one of the first projects in East Anglia to be delivered through the Department for Education (DfE) Construction Framework.

Pick Everard – the independent property, construction and infrastructure consultancy – is providing full design and engineering services for the new school block, including architecture, building services and structural and civil engineering, working in partnership with the project’s main contractor, Cadman Construction.

Due for completion in summer 2019, the project will see a 1970s school block demolished and a new building constructed, consisting of science laboratories, art, graphics and food rooms, as well as office facilities and special educational needs and disability (SEND) spaces.

Paul Darlow, regional director at Pick Everard, said: “Having had little upgrades since its initial build in the 1970s, the technology block at The Deanes Academy was identified as needing significant modernisation.

Due to the block not being watertight, energy efficient or up to current regulatory standards, the decision was made to demolish the building and construct a new, state-of-the-art block in its place.

“The project proposes to construct a two-storey 1,478m2 new building containing nine specialist classrooms, office and ancillary facilities with a maximum capacity of 344 students and teachers.

The ceremony was attended by Senior Construction Manager for St. Modwen, Richard Bailey, as well as representatives from St. Modwen’s Principal Contractor which was awarded the contract, Winvic Construction Ltd. Adjacent to junction 12 of the M5 motorway, the first phase on site – including three units totalling 173,413 sq ft – is expected to complete in December 2019, with the potential to support approximately 230 jobs when occupied.

In addition to the first three speculative units on site, St. Modwen can also deliver build-to-suit facilities up to 400,000 sq ft over the coming years, offering flexible warehousing space for businesses looking to move to the site’s prime location.

Pete Davies, Development Director for St. Modwen West and Wales said: “We are delighted that work at St. Modwen Park Gloucester is now underway, and the ground-breaking ceremony marks the first milestone in the successful regeneration of the site. High demand for premium and logistics space with excellent links to the M5 motorway is the driving force behind this building programme, which will allow us to bring significant jobs and inward investment to Gloucestershire. This 900,000 sq ft development is in line with our wider core purpose of changing places and creating better futures.”

National construction company, Winvic Construction Ltd is the appointed contractor for the scheme.

Ben Shearman, Operations Manager for Winvic said: “We are thrilled be working with St Modwen again and we are looking forward to delivering the first three units at St Modwen Park Gloucester at the end of the year. Winvic takes pride in its record of project delivery to industry leading standards and will ensure we deliver a first class scheme.”

St. Modwen Park Gloucester is one of three St. Modwen sites in Gloucestershire alongside the £22 million Gateway 12 Business Park and £150 million mixed-use scheme at Littlecombe in Dursley.

“The new building aspires to high standards of sustainable design and operation optimising passive daylight design, natural ventilation with a high efficiency thermal fabric. In order to minimise disruption to the site, the construction team has reconfigured car parking and vehicle access to suit the proposals. The project team is working closely with the school to develop a programme of complementary learning activities while the project is on site.

“School engagement will enable students to understand the complexities of building design and learn more about developing careers in building design and construction. Work is now progressing well and we look forward to seeing it complete very soon.”

Stuart Cadman, framework director at Cadman, said: “There are a number of challenges to consider during this project, such as time constraints and cost efficiencies that must be met – however, we have already developed a close working relationship across the multidisciplinary team and our collaborative approach has enabled us to fast track the initial planning stages and we are glad to see that works have started on site.”

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 35

Lime Based Building Products Preserving the past and protecting the future

EcoRight manufactures a comprehensive range of ecologically sound lime based building products, supplying throughout the UK.

www.ecoright.co.uk 0845 8733888

Eco-minded architects and home builders are increasingly using lime mortars, plasters and renders in new build projects and building conservation.

EcoRight products are suitable for most applications for brick and stonework and provide superior aesthetics and technical performance.

EcoRight manufactures a range of highly durable lime products that can be used without specialist knowledge, “just add water, mix and serve�. They have been used in many high profile projects such as Chelsea Barracks, The Tombola Building, Ram Brewery and Camden Lock .

EcoRight offer a range of textures, finishes and colours meaning a perfect solution is available for any project.

The EcoRight team has unrivalled knowledge and experience of lime based building materials and are available for advise, site visits and education.

EcoRight are a member of the RIBA CPD Providers Network and offer a variety of presentations covering all aspects of lime mortars, plasters and renders.

Feature

The Benefits of Building Carbon Neutrality Carbon neutrality is an imperative global goal to halt global warming. But it can also have a significant benefit on a company’s performance.

The risks of climate change now need little introduction. We are already starting to live with the impacts of a changing climate on communities, businesses and infrastructure.

Within the construction industry, it is well established that higher and more prolonged periods of heat have significant impact on worker productivity and increase the risk of thermal overheating in new build homes, not to mention the risks posed to sites by more frequent flooding.

The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report in October last year delivered the unnerving news that we have less than a 12-year window to act on climate and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. It made plain that limiting warming to 2°C will not be enough to prevent the most serious impacts. In order to achieve this goal, we need to reach global net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

And now there is a more public face to the voice for change. Protests by Extinction Rebellion and school children around the globe have been recently dominating headlines, meaning climate change has suddenly pushed its way to the forefront of public consciousness with pressure for action on carbon neutrality rising with it.

The UK built environment contributes 40% of the UKs total carbon footprint of which the large majority occurs in downstream building, but new construction contributes 48 million tonnes of CO2 annually1. With this in mind, the construction industry is not only vulnerable to growing demands and expectations to help deliver more sustainable and more climate resilient infrastructure, but to contribute to reducing emissions across their own operations..

There is also opportunity for the construction sector. As we look to decarbonise the economy, building low carbon, energy efficient infrastructure will be essential. The construction industry will be a key player in this and the opportunities for innovation and ultimately more sustainable buildings and spaces will continue to grow. Also significant is the opportunity when taking steps to reduce operational emissions. By reducing energy usage from hydrocarbon-based fuels during construction, in addition to lowering emission levels, operation costs can be reduced and project margins improved.

Going carbon neutral is, a journey, but there are steps to take to make it manageable, unlocking business benefits along the way.

Why tackle climate?

With any sustainability or climate action plan, it is usually advised to carefully assess the risks and opportunities specific to your business. The major physical risks of climate change are no doubt well-understood in the construction industry with its large and complex supply chains, reliance on natural resources and vulnerability to extreme weather and changing climate.

The calls for carbon neutrality might appear highly ambitious and even a little doommongering at times, but they also present significant opportunities to the food and beverage industry – from meeting increasing consumer preference for low carbon products; costs saved through energy reduction programs; greater innovation to achieve competitive advantage; enhancement of brand reputation; better preparedness for future legislation and the building of more financiallyand climate-resilient supply chains.

Many stakeholders now want to see that companies have properly accounted for climate change. Consumers are increasingly opting for more environmentally friendly brands, with employees wanting to work for more responsible companies3 and the investor community making plain their commitment to withdrawing shareholder backing if climate is not adequately addressed.4 Tackling climate should now be seen as an opportunity to keep stakeholders happy, secure business and safeguard long-term investment. There is also the opportunity for contract-winning credentials. For example, government and large civil construction projects now require that contractors have PAS 2080 certification - the Carbon Management in Infrastructure standard.

How do you achieve carbon neutrality?

Setting science-based targets is key. Globally, 24 companies from construction-related sectors have already committed to do so3.

While ambitious, these targets provide a roadmap to reducing emissions in line with the trajectories needed to adequately limit warming.

So how do you get there? This can be challenging for the construction industry where the majority of emissions are in the supply chain. However, many will find that around 80% of the total supply-chain spend will be with fewer than 100 suppliers and it is by prioritising and engaging the largest of these suppliers that you can have the biggest impact. Implementing procurement criteria and collaborating with your suppliers can often improve their credentials, helping them to grow and enabling you to gain preferential procurement deals whilst reporting reduced emissions Energy efficiency processes will play a big part and the good news is, these come with the potential for substantial financial savings.

With the rise in Climate Change Levy rates from April onwards, this could also avoid growing taxation costs. Incentivised on-site and office energy reduction measures will help companies to achieve continued improvement in energy efficiency. The benefits of this will be compliance with current legislation like the Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme (ESOS) as well as encouraging engagement with your internal stakeholders who will ultimately be key to helping you reach your targets.

Renewable energy often plays an important role in a carbon neutral commitment. This also comes with more good news in that renewable energy has been reducing in cost and competing with fossil fuels. Research

38 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

Feature shows that 75% of FTSE 100 companies now use renewable energy4. Generating renewable energy or purchasing renewable energy via assured renewable energy certificates, allows companies to confidently report that the energy used is zero carbon. On-site there are now an increasing number of hybrid plants available (some which have moveable solar panels to generate energy) and the increased fuel efficiency saves money with the added bonus that they create far less noise – often a point of contention with site neighbours.

As we don’t yet inhabit a zero-carbon economy, achieving carbon neutrality solely through operational changes can be a tall order. Recognising that fully eliminating the use of hydrocarbon fuels on-site is currently not always feasible, offsetting is a way to compensate for the environmental impact.

Tackling remaining emissions across your value chain can be supported through offsetting with verified projects. The additional opportunity here is that you select projects which mean most to you and your stakeholders. Verified high quality credits come from a variety of social impact projects, usually in developing countries, which have a real and important effect on peoples’ lives and the environment. Such projects can focus on deforestation, health, renewable infrastructure and biodiversity. Projects like this are aligned to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and, therefore, enable an organisation to demonstrate their commitment to these global objectives which can be included in their sustainability reports.

maintenance and use of the built environment accounts for 45% of total UK carbon emissions (27% from domestic buildings and 18% from non-domestic buildings). In 2017 the UK Government struck an agreement with the construction industry to halve emissions in the built environment over the next eight years.

However, forward thinking at the Berkeley Group has meant the company has already commenced its journey to carbon neutrality through carbon positive operations and by initiating work to enable new homes to operate at net zero carbon by 2030.

Berkeley Group becomes carbon positive

Rising above the pack

In 2016, the Berkeley Group set themselves an ambitious goal to become not only carbon neutral, but carbon positive. Having already undertaken steps to reduce their operational emissions by addressing out-of-hours energy consumption, beginning the transition to renewable energy sources and implementing site-based carbon management and action plans, the Berkeley Group approached EcoAct to assist with their ultimate goal of carbon positivity.

As the first major carbon positive housebuilder in the UK, the Berkeley Group has demonstrated themselves to be at the forefront of sustainability and climate action.

In consultation with the Berkeley Group, EcoAct delivered a package of assured renewable energy certificates from hydro, wind and solar photovoltaic projects in the UK to complete the company’s transition to more environmentally friendly energy, along with a tailored portfolio of carbon credits to offset more than the Berkeley Group’s remaining emissions. This included EcoAct’s own ambitious LPG gas stove project within a conflict zone in Sudan.

Carbon offsetting has been commonly misunderstood in recent years, but as an internationally-recognised market mechanism to achieve carbon neutrality, it plays a vital role in climate action. Well-conceived and rigorously verified offsetting projects deliver the promised carbon reductions whilst improving lives and supporting sustainable development. We are proud to have helped the Berkeley Group achieve their goal whilst funding valuable social projects in line with their specific company values.

The UK housebuilding industry has been under increasing scrutiny as a major contributor to UK carbon emissions. According to the Technology Strategy Board, the construction,

“The Berkeley Group is taking action to reduce carbon emissions, and while our primary aim is to become more efficient in the way we consume energy, we recognise that continued reduction of our emissions through changes in behaviours, procedures and technology will be an ongoing process over a number of years”, said Helen Wickham, Head of Sustainable Business and Reporting, The Berkeley Group. “Offsetting our remaining carbon emissions is therefore fundamental to our sustainability goals, and EcoAct has been an instrumental partner in helping us to achieve this.”

This project has a strong focus on female empowerment.

• The Barbosa Fuel Switching Project in Brazil that produces ceramic bricks using renewable biomass as a substitute to wood to fuel the kiln, reducing deforestation.

• The Madre de Dios Project in Peru that reduces deforestation, biodiversity loss and the threat of illegal logging by setting up surveillance and forest management practices in a vulnerable area of the Amazon rainforest.

• Wind generation projects located all across India that support the important transition to renewables in a large developing country.

Turning challenge into opportunity The construction industry plays a crucial role in the development of society and the pressure of delivering sustainable and more climate resilient infrastructure, in an increasingly efficient manner, will grow. The opportunity to demonstrate competitive contract-winning credentials on climate whilst contributing to mitigating the severe impacts of climate change are significant, particularly if companies take advantage of them now.

On the path to positivity For the Berkeley Group it was important that offsetting was not simply about purchasing enough certificates to counteract more than their remaining emissions in order to reach their goal, but to ensure the company invested in the right projects. Aside from requiring projects to be verified by internationally recognised standards, the Berkeley Group wanted them to be intrinsically aligned to their values and to the impacts associated with their business sector.

These included: • EcoAct’s own Darfur Low-Smoke Stoves Project that provides access to LPG gas stoves to families to replace open wood fires in the home and reduce the hours spent chopping and collecting firewood.

Respiratory problems, often caused by open fires, are a leading cause of death in Africa.

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 39

Company News 100 years of safety remembered and celebrated Crabtree, part of the family of brands at the UK’s leading electrical group Electrium, is 100 years old this year and has celebrated this fabulous milestone with a series of events and activities.

Crabtree began on 17th April 1919 when John Ashworth Crabtree designed a quick make and break switch.

Marking this momentous occasion, members of the Crabtree family flew to the UK to attend a special memorial service in Walsall on Crabtree’s Centenary and were joined by colleagues past and present for a gala evening to celebrate the brand’s history.

Colleagues also held special events with customers throughout the country.

Mike Cash, Group Marketing & Channel

Manager at Electrium commented: “Throughout the year we’re encouraging customers to share their memories of Crabtree.

From using our products as an apprentice, up to the work they still do with Crabtree, simply tweet @electriumnews and use #CrabtreeCentenary to share your story.”

When it launched in 1919, Crabtree had a motto: “That which is built soundly endures well”. It was inscribed into the company plaque and rightly so. Crabtree was built soundly enough to provide 100 years of electrical safety to its customers and here’s to another century of the same.

Specialist Workwear Business Launches Apprentice Fund for Building and Construction Industry Customers A leading supplier of personalised workwear has launched a fund to support apprenticeships in SMEs, providing branded uniform for new starters in the building and construction industry this summer.

The Workwear Express Apprenticeship Fund is giving away £1,000 in free, branded workwear to small and medium sized employers from its range of uniform starter packs, put together with building trades and construction business in mind.

The initiative forms part of the firm’s ongoing commitment to apprenticeships providing the opportunity to be awarded one of four packages of head to toe branded clothing to the value of £250 which could clothe up to 10 new starters or existing apprentices.

General Manager Simon Maw, who was the firm’s first ever apprentice, 13 years ago, has first-hand experience

of the benefits that an apprenticeship can bring: “The value of apprentices to a growing business like ours are huge. We have a number of apprentices in a variety of roles within our business, we’re essentially developing our staff to meet both our current and future needs from day one on the job.

Our business is built on protecting your brand. We know that having appropriate, high quality branded uniform for apprentices and new starters ensures that they are giving your customers the right impression of your business from the day they arrive on site.”

Speaking on a video made by Workwear Express’ own apprentices to promote the fund, Mark Collins, an apprentice in the Key Accounts Department says: “Having the correct branded uniform makes apprentices like us feel like part of a team and it also helps your business to look professional, because we can be professionally clothed ambassadors for your business.”

The fund is open to businesses that would like to benefit from a financial boost to pay for workwear for new starters, students and apprentices. Four grants of £250 will be awarded, covering a variety of workplaces including logistics and transport, manufacturing and facilities management, construction, catering and hospitality, healthcare, business and office work.

Workwear Express customer Michael Oakley, Operations Manager from process services company Conduent said: ‘’I have been using Workwear Express to create and provide incentive based prizes and welcome gifts to all new starters to our core company.

We often make very large orders through to the team here at Workwear Express and some of the call out points I would like to make about the treatment we receive are as such: Beth and the team are always timely, warm and supportive – we have great conversations over the telephone and the rapport between our business and Workwear Express is top notch! The quality of the products are very good and the prices are in line with what we can afford within our budget spending.’’

Workwear Express is leading supplier of personalised workwear, uniform and promotional clothing. A full-service company, it has more than 100,000 active customers across its three divisions – e-commerce, key accounts and international. It offers services including embroidery, print and transfer all under one roof.

40 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

Building up the construction industry How businesses can help to close the construction skills gap Over 3 million tourists head to Barcelona every year to see one of the most impressive Catholic churches in the world, the Sagrada Familia. What many don’t realise it that the building’s construction isn’t even complete and it won’t be until 2026 — 147 years after construction work began.

However, as less people join the construction industry, can we guarantee that the church will ever be finished?

In this article Connie Johnson, vice president of marketing at surface preparation equipment manufacturer National Flooring Equipment, explores how the construction industry can end the skills shortage.

Construction has always been a vital part of our lives, culture and economy. In 2017, the UK’s construction industry generated £113 billion, which represented 6 per cent of the country’s economy. The UK construction industry also contributes to employment, with 2.93 million people currently working in the sector, representing 10 per cent of all employed people.

Despite the construction industry being vital in providing us with housing, contributing to our economy and increasing employment, the industry has declined since construction of the Sagrada Familia began.

Demand Construction businesses are currently under pressure to provide more infrastructure at a faster rate. However, the industry is struggling to encourage young people to enter the field and only about ten per cent of construction workers are aged between 19 and 24. On the opposite end of the spectrum, 15 per cent of UK contractors are in their 60s and planning to retire soon, creating more of a skills shortage as experienced construction workers leave the field.

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has reported that the UK industry must find 157,000 new recruits by 2021 to keep up with demand for more infrastructure. So how will businesses source the skilled workers to meet this demand?

Perception is key Common misconceptions about construction have contributed to the growing skills gap in the industry.

Construction is often perceived as a dirty, outdoor job that does not require much skill. However, the construction industry includes a range of disciplines such as architects, engineers, surveyors, bricklayers and many more. All of these are challenging and rewarding careers that require a broad range of skills.

Construction businesses are often also perceived as oldfashioned, but many are starting to invest in technology to remain competitive. In many areas of construction, including surface preparation, contractors have traditionally completed work using hand tools, which makes work time consuming and labour intensive.

By investing in powerful, modern equipment, contractors can work more quickly, efficiently and safely to meet demand. By

42 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

promoting their investment in technology, businesses can highlight improvements in the sector and change outdated perceptions.

Inspiring a new generation According to data from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), young people often perceive construction careers as a path for people who do not get a place at a college or university. Its data also found that people aged 14 to 19 scored construction a 4.2 out of ten on its appeal as a career option.

Businesses and education should work together to encourage younger people to see construction as an appealing career opportunity. Teachers should help young people to challenge stereotypes and understand the multiple skills and disciplines required in the industry.

Businesses can also work with local schools to show students real life examples of careers in construction and challenge any stereotypes before it impacts a student’s opinion.

Responsibility A lack of understanding about who is responsible for developing the next generation of construction workers is one of the main barriers to tackling the skills gap. Everyone in the industry should be concerned about the growing skills gap and do what they can to ensure the future of the sector.

Businesses, schools and trade bodies must work together to show students that construction can be a rewarding career that involves more than wearing a hard hat and working in a dirty, outdoor environment. Trade bodies can support companies to provide safe, efficient and modern workspaces for employees and challenge perceptions about the industries. Businesses and schools can also collaborate to ensure students have the opportunity to see construction as a potential career in the future.

National Flooring Equipment has over 50 years’ experience in the industry and aims to increase knowledge and understanding across the industry. We offer quarterly training sessions so that contractors can understand how to efficiently and safely use surface preparation equipment during construction work, which will hopefully help close the skills gap present in the industry.

We often forget that buildings like the Sagrada Familia would not exist without construction workers. Supporting the industry is the best way to ensure that buildings, both impressive and for everyday life, are built to meet the demands of our growing population.

National Flooring Equipment has over 50 years’ experience in the industry and aims to increase knowledge and understanding across the industry. We offer quarterly training sessions so that contractors can understand how to efficiently and safely use surface preparation equipment during construction work, which will hopefully help close the skills gap present in the industry.

Website www.nationalequipment.com

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 43

Company News New construction manager appointed to develop Bellway homes in the Eastern Counties

The thrilled dad-of-three saw the managerial role as a fantastic opportunity to apply his skills and knowledge to help develop the new region, which is based in Huntingdon.

Bellway Eastern Counties is currently building homes in Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.

A new construction manager is bringing his industry knowledge and experience to Bellway’s new Eastern Counties division.

Two developments – The Furrows in Warboys and Bower Place in Cottenham – are already open, while work has started at new developments in Houghton Regis and New Cardington in Bedfordshire.

Northampton-born Chris Russell – who has been working his way up in the industry ever since he left school in 1997 – started out in his new role as a construction manager earlier this year.

Chris lives in Mawsley, Northamptonshire, where he’s been living with his wife Charlotte for eight years, raising his seven-year-old son Arthur and twin girls, Poppy and Tilly, aged five.

Chris, 39, said: “The region was introduced earlier this year, and the team has been working really hard to develop sought-after homes in the new area since. There’s never a dull moment in the job.

“One day I can be carrying out site visits – and the next recruiting new staff.”

Willmott Dixon awards REL £1.9m M&E contract Willmott Dixon has selected REL Building Services to deliver the M&E package for a new £12m facility at the University of Hertfordshire.

Part-funded by the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the three-storey ‘Business Hub’ is due to be completed in 2020. Designed by Bond Bryan, it will bring business incubator, social, and teaching facilities all under one roof.

REL will be responsible for developing the M&E design to optimise performance, energy efficiency and costs. The installation of the £1.9m solution is expected to take eight months.

The Business Hub will feature a ground floor social space, an area dedicated to business incubation, providing local entrepreneurs with access to all of the University’s facilities, and a new learning space for students.

Hertfordshire LEP has invested £2.5m from the Local Growth Fund towards the construction of the building as part of its strategic priority to support business growth and innovation within the county.

REL has a long-established relationship with Willmott Dixon and has worked with the contractor on several major projects, including the award-winning St Albans Museum and Art Gallery.

Covers swaps plastic for paper As part of its commitment to help sustain the environment, Covers Timber & Builders Merchants will no longer be providing plastic bags to its customers.

The business, which has its headquarters on Quarry Lane in Chichester, West Sussex, will offer 100 per cent recyclable paper bags instead. However, the company still hopes to limit the number of bags being used by customers by checking during purchases that using a bag is absolutely necessary.

Covers, which has been nominated as a ‘Constituency Responsible Business Champion 2019’ by Gillian Keegan MP, is a keen advocate of eco-friendly initiatives. These include using electric forklifts and solar panels at its depots.

Henry Green, who is Managing Director at Covers, said: “As a business we recognise how important it is that we play our part to protect our environment and do everything we can to be eco-friendly.

Our plastic to paper scheme is one small way we hope to improve our impact on the environment.

“We hope our customers will support us in our mission by only using a paper bag if absolutely necessary.”

44 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

Company News SOLAR-POWERED, MULTI-CAMERA CCTV TRAILER GO GREEN - use a renewable source for your site security Quick and easy to install - construction sites are particularly vulnerable to crime and have ever changing requirements and landscapes, our system provides better adaptability. Installing a Solar-Technique trailer system is significantly easier and cheaper with no health and safety issues, and only requires an initial 2-hour installation.

Not dependent on a local power supply - Because the system is solarpowered, the need for an electrical power source is almost eliminated.

Backup battery cells inside ensure that the device remains fully operational even through days of low light.

Full Remote access and control - Solar-Technique trailers require minimal engineer visits and are 99% configured remotely.

You’ll enjoy remote management, flexibility and real-time intelligence with our innovative solar powered security system. You or a monitoring company can be immediately alerted to unauthorised activity on site using state of the art, wireless sensor technology and DeepMind analytic camera technology.

Green Footprint - Opt for the more environmentally responsible choice.

Become a considerate constructor and help protect the planet!

Saves Money - No more costly man guards or patrols and no requirement to run generators overnight to power your security.

The power comes from the sun!

Call us today or visit our website CM719009 Solar Technique HP Advert.indd 1

0845 4507937 www.solar-technique.co.uk

18/06/2019 16:31:41

COLAS BACKS CORNISH QUARRYING WITH MAJOR INVESTMENT COLAS is making a multi-million-pound investment in its Cornish quarrying operation, reflecting the Colas Group’s global strategic commitment to quarrying.

Colas UK has invested £2.5 million in a bespoke crushing plant and £1.5 million in mobile plant at the Carnsew quarry near Falmouth. This allows the operation to be undertaken entirely in-house and underlines the UK business’s strategic commitment.

Quarrying and mining are a key part of Cornwall’s history and present - whether it be quarrying for granite, China Clay or – as fans of Poldark will have seen - Cornish tin.

Currently, Colas Cornwall Quarries delivers half a million tonnes of granite a year – which is used in local construction and

roads. And the company has identified rock armour and sea defences as a key business area going forward. But, while the county has been shaped by quarrying and mining, Colas is committed to being a ‘good neighbour’ and there will not be any noticeable difference in the impact of the operation for the local community.

Stewart Struthers, Director of Products, says: ‘We are making this investment as part of the review of the Colas Group’s quarry assets worldwide...Quarry development and product types will be entirely under Colas’ control, giving the flexibility to focus on specific markets such as rock armour for coastal protection works. Having greater

control over the operation is a great step in our plans for expanding the business.’

The plant at Carnsew was installed in one week and is supplied by Metso. It consists of six tracked mobile units, one jaw crusher and rock hammer, two cone crushers and three screen units. The jaw crusher can take 600mm granite blocks and is equipped with a scalping belt, metal detection belt and water suppression system. All plant units are tracked, with the crushers being radio remote controlled. This allows the machines to be established in a variety of configurations allowing Carnsew to vary production to produce a wide range of materials.

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 45

To ensure high-precision radiation of moving tumours, the ‘MRIDIAN’ combines real-time imaging using magnetic resonance tomography (MR) with a linear particle accelerator (Linac).

Photos: ViewRay, reprint free of charge.

Schöck Combar provides strong, interference-free foundations A French cancer treatment centre is utilising groundbreaking equipment that combines MRI and external-beam radiation therapy. This innovative solution is heavy and required special foundations incorporating Schöck Combar glass fibre reinforcement – installed for both its strength and its ability to guarantee no electromagnetic interference.

The Paoli-Calmettes Institute in Marseille is one of the leading cancer treatment centres in France. It is an extremely innovative environment and one particular piece of equipment is among the world’s first radiotherapy appliances to combine MRI and external-beam radiation therapy in order to to simultaneously image and treat the cancer. Unlike conventional X-ray scanners the ‘MRIDIAN’ does not utilise ionising radiation. It focuses solely on the tumour and leaves the surrounding tissue unharmed.

New unit weighs over ten tons The new high-tech system, which weighs over ten tons and cost around £7m, is sophisticated in its performance. But to ensure the highest levels of precision, two main installation challenges had to be overcome – the strength of the foundations and the avoidance of any electromagnetic interference. Schöck Combar glass fibre reinforced polymer was the ideal solution. A load bearing reinforcement that absorbs tensile forces in concrete and is also completely nonmetallic – so no risk of electromagnetic interference.

46 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

The ‘MRIDIAN’ generates a strong magnetic field and can respond very sensitively to electromagnetic interference, impairing imaging precision. No iron whatsoever may be present in any of the materials within the safety zone and that includes the concrete reinforcement. We opted for Schöck Combar as it met all the technical requirements and has very reliable certifications.

Electromagnetic interference can affect precision Structural engineer Jean-Luc Galéa explains: “The ‘MRIDIAN’ generates a strong magnetic field and can respond very sensitively to electromagnetic interference, impairing imaging precision. No iron whatsoever may be present in any of the materials within the safety zone and that includes the concrete reinforcement. We opted for Schöck Combar as it met all the technical requirements and has very reliable certifications.” The strength of Combar was vital too, given that the foundations had to support over ten tons of technology (a required load-bearing capacity of over 5000lb/m2).

Slab had to be cut and the centre insulated Initial foundation work involved the anchoring of micropiles more than ten metres deep. A reinforced concrete floor slab was then cut out around the centre of where the MRIDIAN had to be insulated, leaving an octagonal outline. Anchors were placed at various planes on each of the eight sides and Combar rods were inserted at the top and bottom of each edge to act as reinforcing anchors. Then alternating rods were inserted to absorb the shear loads. As general contractor Stephane Roldan explains: “To reinforce the upper and lower levels, we created grates, each made up of 12mm diameter Combar rods. The rods are sturdy, but easy to machine and the plastic clips, ties and spacers were very useful in allowing fast and accurate placement”.

Combar straight bars of varying diameters

The new reinforcement of the lower floor slab plane is a grate made up of 72 glass fibre reinforced Schöck Combar rods

The reinforcing anchors are in place. Plastic spacers facilitate assembly of the top reinforcing grate

A more effective alternative to steel reinforcement For decades, steel rebar has been commonly used as the reinforcement in concrete construction. Despite its strength, steel is not the ideal solution for reinforcement, especially in corrosive and electromagnetically sensitive environments. Schöck initially developed Combar (derived from ‘composite rebar’) back in the 1990s as an alternative to reinforcing steel. More recently it was issued with general technical approval (abZ) by the German Institute for Construction Technoloy – for all applications and with a service life up to

100 years. The approval procedure being similar to that required for European Technical Assessment (ETA).

Combar has a wide range of applications In addition to medical and research facilities – where the the functionality of highly sensitive instruments can be signifcantly affected by conductivity from steel reinforcement – there are a number of other applications for Combar. Some examples being: • Boring machines, when used in shaft walls of tunnels, have a problem as they cannot drill through steel reinforced walls. With Combar the machine can cut directly through the head wall.

• Bridges, marine and harbour constructions benefit from Combar as any corrosion risk, even from salt, is eliminated.

• In high voltage transformers and power plant reactors, inductive currents are generated within the reinforcing steel.

The heat will affect the rebar strength if too close to the coils. Combar remains unaffected.

For enquiries, in the first instance visit www.schoeck.co.uk; contact: design@schoeck.co.uk or tel: 01865 290 890

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 47

“ We puchased a Bay-Lynx mixer because it had the best quality of all the mixers we looked at. In addition their support and follow up are second to none. �

-Dominic Avelli, Avelli Construction

Made with either steel or aluminum, Bay-Lynx volumetric concrete mixers are tested and proven to be able to withstand all the physical tolls of working on a concrete job-site.

Bay-Lynx mixers are extremely precise for mix design with accuracy unparalleled in the industry. Controlling your concrete has never been easier.

Unlike other mixers, we are the only manufacturer to offer the Ultralite mixer with an aluminum aggregate bin that provides weight savings, improved aerodynamics, and will not rust.

Combining the Ultralite advantages with the mechanically linked cement metering system, the Bay-Lynx volumetric mixer will transform your business.

Contact our UK office to find out how we can provide the right solution for your business.

www.BayLynx.co.uk Phone: 0161-403-0003 Unit 6 Aragon Court Manor Park Industrial Estate Runcorn, Halton, WA7 1SP United Kingdom

THE EXACT RIGHT MIX

Case Study

How Dyer & Butler control manpower & costs via smart hubbado software hubbado have brought a new dynamic to Dyer and Butler’s personnel recruitment and resource management over the last 6 months. By automating back-office processes, providing direct access to a community of competent workers and delivering real-time project spend analysis they have seen notable gains in cost reduction, improved project management and quality of work.

They have recently partnered with Dyer & Butler on two Canary Wharf development sites at South Quay Plaza (SQP) and Westferry Printworks. The former a slender 68-storey glass and steel tower which is one of the tallest residential towers in London and the latter a vibrant new waterfront neighbourhood. The schemes will provide new homes, a school, shops, restaurants, bars and a varied range of green open spaces. Construction works are nearing completion at SQP and are underway at Westferry with the excavation of a sheet-piled basement, deep drainage

and new utility infrastructure to serve the developments needs.

Dyer and Butler engaged hubbado expertise to build a strong, multi-skilled and qualified community of white and blue collar individuals; required to compliment their existing project teams.

Alan Babbage - Project Manager (Dyer & Butler Ltd) The recruitment industry in construction is broken. It is outdated, expensive, overcrowded and inaccurate. We find ourselves paying higher fees for less able workers and our project performance is suffering as a result. KPIs within quality, safety, cost, programming and reputation are all effected by this and things need to change. Some of the difficulties we currently face are: • recruiters have limited subject knowledge about the roles they are looking to fill; • excessive and often hidden mark-ups on resources;

• a high turnover of poor performers when seeking strong workers; • the processing of illegible time-sheets and inaccurate invoices; • deploying costly commercial resource in dealing with Labour Only suppliers and queries; • potential for fraudulent activity whereby ‘ghost’ time-sheets find their way into the system and there is a real lack of transparency on project spend.

Online timesheets and CIS ready invoices The hubbado system has provided me a central portal where I can manage and control my sub contractors community.

I can check their experience and certification, view availability and negotiate rates, online and without the need for recruitment agents. It runs on automated processes which provide electronic time-sheets and invoices. This improves accuracy and replaces archaic paper-based systems. The workforce finds it fun and easy to create profiles, complete time-sheets and keep a better handle on their earnings.

Cost Control I have access to an online dashboard which allows me to assess my different projects, set spend limits and warnings against different resource types, analyse my monthly spend against the programme and interrogate labour costs to improve future planning. The hubbado mark-up is set at a transparent 10% which is comforting for me as a client, and the contractors that we employ.

Dyer and Butler are currently working with hubbado to see what future features could be developed to further optimise their business performance and provide them with a competitive advantage.

Website: www.hubbado.com Email: Rob Munro - rob@hubbado.com

50 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

Case Study hubba do Home

Invest

£

My roles

Your Jobs

Assignments

New applicants

Live jobs

Approved - 2

Assignments Queried - 1

Pending - 1

Drafts

0

Member Community

view all

Active

Starting soon

Ending soon

Draft to review - 1

4

5 NEW

344

1 0

Total

Draft Totalto review

Create new

Review timesheets

Review draft assignment

92

List of job titles, List of job titles, List of job titles, List of job titles, List of job titles,List of job titles.

Recently saved searches

List of job titles, List of job titles, List of job titles, List of job titles, List of job titles,List of job titles.

Information security 41

23 JUL

IT Network

Project Management

Total

+45

John

Timesheets

Timesheets view all

view all

Find a candidate

List of job titles, List of job titles, List of job titles, List of job titles, List of job titles,List of job titles.

View all

+3

05 JUL

+34

14 JUN

“Ground workers”

“360 Machine Operators”

“Security Guards”

Ground workers in Construction

360 Machine Operators in Construction

Security Guards in Construction

34

IT infrastrucutre & DevOps List of job titles, List of job titles, List of job titles, List of job titles.

3 NEW

13

Financial crime & regulator compliance List of job titles, List of job titles, List of job titles, List of job titles, List of job titles.

New Features Software Developement 20

Introducing Assignment Renewals

!

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad

View Assignments

© 2016 Hubbado Limited. All Rights Reserved. Contact us

List of job titles, List of job titles, List of job titles, List of job titles, List of job titles,List of job titles.

Agent Dashboard

1 smart hub to control manpower and project costs

Construction UK Magazine - July 2019 51

Company News

Willmott Dixon lands University of Kent hat trick Willmott Dixon will deliver its third project for the University of Kent following a £10 million contract to build Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS).

It takes the value of its work with the university to over £40m, following the successful delivery of a new home for the School of Economics this year and the award-winning Sibson Building in 2016.

The company will start on site shortly with its latest project, a three storey facility to allow the university to locate KMMS in purpose-built accommodation providing a modern environment for students and academics to learn and conduct research.

Alongside the lecture theatre and seminar spaces there is also a GP simulation suite.

Designed by the architect Hazel McCormack Young and procured via procured via Major Works England and Northern Ireland, a part of the Scape National Construction framework, KMMS will be ready in time for the start of the 2020-21 academic year. It is a joint venture between University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University.

Willmott Dixon has been present on the University of Kent campus since 2015 when it was appointed for the Sibson Building, a new facility for the Kent Business School and the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science. It then followed this with the new Economics building located in the north-western part of the campus.

Roger Forsdyke, managing director for Willmott Dixon in the Southern Home Counties said, “We are delighted to be working again with the University of Kent. We’ll

be bringing our experience from the previous two projects to ensure we create another centrepiece that will provide an excellent learning environment for many generations to come.”

Mark Robinson, Scape Group chief executive said, “Through using our framework, the University of Kent is guaranteeing certainty that Kent and Medway School will be delivered with efficiency and real value embedded at its heart.

“The project will have lasting benefits beyond

52 Construction UK Magazine - July 2019

the build process, which promises to help provide our health service with cutting-edge research and the next generation of medics.”

The project is yet another example of Willmott Dixon’s track-record in the university sector with recently completed projects including creating the new Green Heart for University of Birmingham, a new medical school in Chelmsford for Anglia Ruskin University, Coventry University’s Centre for Advanced Low-Carbon Propulsion Systems and a new central hub for sports at the University of Warwick.

BUILD Sponsored by

BUILDING TECH

CIVILS

ENERGY & HVAC

SURFACE & MATERIALS

TIMBER

GRAND CONCRETE DESIGNS LIVE EXPO 8-9 OCT

9 -10 OCT

8 -10 OCTOBER | NEC | BIRMINGHAM

Register

FREE

The UK’s largest built environment event INNOVATION | PRODUCTS | LEARNING | NETWORKING

Modern Methods of Construction

Fire Prevention

Digital / BIM

hods of 7.Digital Modern Methods of Construction 11.

Digital / BIM 11.Construction / BIM

Health & Safety

11. Digital / BIM

ukconstructionweek.com #UKCW2019 SPONSORS

|

@UK_CW–––--