Construction National Autumn 2017 (1CHP) by DMMonline

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COVER STORY

Award-winning barn is a Hootz!

The front cover of this issue showcases Hootz House: a play barn at Pensthorpe Natural Park, near Fakenham in Norfolk. The nature-themed indoor play area was designed by Adam Khan Architects to inspire and engage the next generation of nature lovers and conservationists, teaching them to care for the environment. It is a double award-winning structure, having been named Best Recreation and Leisure Project of the Year by the Rural and Industrial Design and Building Association in February. It is part of a larger development, which won the LABC Regional Award for Best Inclusive Building. In November we will find out if it has added an LABC National Award to that tally.

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NEWS 8 8 9 10 10 11 11 13 13 13

NI builders fear hard border post-Brexit Demolition contractors warned over fake cards Great Ormond Street announces preferred team for clinical building Robore acquire Holemasters A satisfied customer is the best advocate Grayling announces major rail investment Second Mersey crossing opens to fireworks Build UK expands and announces new chairman Architects give one cheer to government decarbonisation plan Ground stabilisation project keeps the water flowing

TRAINING, EDUCATION AND APPRENTICESHIPS 15 Construction to be one of first T-levels 15 Building begins for the builders of the future 15 The search is on for top virtual construction company 16 Training next generation talent for the construction sector 16 Cream of the crop head to SkillBuild final 17 CITB report ‘lays down the gauntlet’ on immersive training

SECURITY 19 OnGarde report continued successes with solar-powered camera 20 Providers of market leading security systems to the construction industry SCOTLAND BUILD 2017 22 Glasgow gears up for the return of top construction expo 23 Inverclyde: a riverside location with unrivalled global connectivity 24 They’ve got the lowdown on bricks and mortar 25 Summits scale new heights for Scottish construction industry 27 Specialist suppliers help contractors seal the deal 27 A far-from-fishy tale of watertight success 28 Renewable energy reforms will build on sustainability and VG Energy’s industry relationships 29 Glasgow takes the lead in supervisor training 29 Superglass gives Santa the gift of warmth 29 Floating windfarm enters production 31 Expanding family firm has all the plant you need 32 IT solutions bring economies of scale 33 Scottish show is part of an award-winning global brand 35 CPM brings precast products to Scotland Build 2017 36 One year on: repair specialist set for record growth in Scotland

WORKING AT HEIGHT 38 Stockholm hosts European access industry’s annual assembly 38 NASC Apprentice of the Year 2017 39 Safety & Access passes accreditation audits in South Korea 39 Simian/NTI partnership opens new CISRS centre in Oman 40 AIS opens first Vietnamese CISRS OSTS training centre 40 CISRS CPD update 41 Top scaffolding contractor scales new heights 43 HGV-mounted MEWP MOT exemption to be removed 43 Fall from height results in suspended sentence

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For all other enquiries: Tel: 0161 710 3880 Fax: 0161 710 3879 Email: editorial@dmmonline.co.uk Suite 2, 61 Lower Hillgate, Stockport SK1 3AW Editor: Chris Stokes Copyright Construction National. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior permission of Construction National. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. Printed in the UK by The Magazine Printing Company Plc www.magprint.co.uk

1CHP

CONTENTS ROOFING 45 Time to rethink tiles?

CONCRETE 46 Structural Concrete Alliance announces 2017 award shortlist LEGAL ISSUES 47 Are the costs of adjudication recoverable? GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS 48 Expo sees innovations for ground source industry 48 Association reflects the growing importance of the industry PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE 50 Using BIM to enable a competitive 4D future ZOOS 51 51 53 55 56 57 58 59 61

Wildlife parks attract new generations of nature-lovers – home and away Badger offers a safe haven in the wild wood Behind the scenes, practical issues are being addressed Twycross forges ahead with its masterplan Expert designs for close encounters with apes – and for your little monkeys! Dog pack finds a new home in the country Whatever the attraction, these experts can help experience it Nocturnal animals are on view when day becomes night Triple celebration marks developments at nature reserve

THEME PARKS 63 Gulliver’s: a world away from ordinary theme parks RESTORATION 64 Historic harbourside building is now home to local businesses 65 Restoring Glamorgan’s heritage is stonemason’s passion CARE HOMES 66 Homes group leads the way in cutting-edge care provision MODULAR BUILDINGS 70 Modular quality comes of age

HEALTH & SAFETY 71 Safety body launches plant ‘unintended movement’ guidance 72 Top benefits of the Cygnus wireless alarm system 72 Bull enhance Fire 360° service with risk report system 73 Assure360 – the 21st century health and safety tool for the construction industry ON THE ROAD 75 Volkswagen stacks yet more value onto its new Crafter 75 The Volkswagen heart in the Heart of England HOUSING 77 Architecture guru brings his own grand design to fruition 79 NHBC salutes housebuilding heroes from around the country 79 Award-winner’s site gets ‘thumbs-up’ from TV property expert 81 Terry follows in the boss’s footsteps 83 Border estate brings a ‘double’ for Jeff 85 Cliff brings a touch of New England to Northern Ireland 85 With five in a row, Jason aims to Seal it once more 86 It’s two in two for PiJ newcomers 87 NHBC’s very own social whirl leads to a London climax 87 Darren brings home a second PiJ for local developer 88 Family firm flies the flag for the Isle of Wight 89 Entries are now open for NHBC Health and Safety Awards

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FOR 37 YEARS NOW the NHBC has been running its Pride in the Job Awards, designed specifically to recognise the people working on the ground on housebuilding projects: the site managers and their teams. For a substantial proportion of those 37 years Construction National has been doing its bit to help showcase those award-winners to an industry-wide readership. There has been a growing cohort of winners from small builders around the country – often from family firms where the site manager and company director are the same person. These are the people we have celebrated in this issue. Over the past few months the NHBC has been staging regional events to bring forward the top 100 or so recipients of the Seal of Excellence Awards, leading to the national finals in January. In ensuing issues we will be following their journey. • Housing has been one of the main subjects of debate in UK politics recently – as recently as October there were noises from senior government figures that action is needed to avert the looming crisis. It will also be the subject of a number of debates at this year’s Scotland Build Expo, taking place in Glasgow in November. Scotland Build has established itself in its short history as the main event for the construction industry north of the border. As a media partner, Construction National is proud to support the event, as it does for its sister event in London. We have no plans to diversify into the antipodes – despite the fact that organisers Oliver Kinross’s latest venture Auckland Build won an international award for Best Trade Show Launch in June. • Another of the ever-present issues debated at Scotland Build – and an area in which Scotland is recognised as a world leader – is that of renewable energy. Coinciding with this year’s show was the news that the world’s first floating wind farm, Hywind, has come on stream. Regular readers will have followed the journey of the turbines across the North Sea from Norway. • Back in the wider UK, Brexit continues to cast its shadow over the industry. How construction will continue to attract a skilled workforce is keeping more than one senior executive awake at night. Efforts are already being put in place to plug the gap. The new T-levels, for example, will include Construction as one of the first three subjects to be introduced. A further initiative is aimed at those who already have supervisory roles but need opportunities to continue upskilling. • New technology is driving progress in construction design – and in the ways training is being offered. What began as games are now intrinsic for training: running alongside Minecraft as a design tool is MERIT, a software suite used in the training of degree students in all management functions. The CIOB Global Student Challenge uses it as a scenario for competition entrants. • That other major way of displaying design concepts is virtual reality. The ability to show a complex design to prospective buyers has been used recently by a whole variety of construction experts, from housing developers to zoo exhibit designers. • Zoos have been the subject of a series of special features in recent issues. In this issue we expand the subject area to include establishments more geared to the conservation of native species. From the Highlands of Scotland to East Anglia, major projects are underway to pass on the appreciation of our natural habitats to future generations. One such, in Norfolk, has won two awards already and is up for a third. Our front cover, featuring the Hootz House at Pensthorpe Natural Park in Norfolk, enables us to make our own assessment. q

Chris Stokes Editor, Construction National

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NI builders fear hard border post-Brexit [A HARD BORDER between Northern Ireland

and the Republic would be damaging to the NI construction sector, according to new research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Over half of construction SMEs in NI said a hard border would have a negative impact on purchasing products and materials from the Republic. Almost half purchase building materials or products from the Republic and almost one third employ people who are based across the border. Negative impacts are already being felt, the research found, with one in three NI builders reporting having their margins squeezed on projects since the depreciation of sterling following the EU referendum. Almost a quarter said the depreciation of sterling has threatened the financial well-being of their business. Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: “Our research clearly shows that a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic would dampen growth among construction SMEs. What we’re calling for today is a return to the pre-1973 arrangement that saw the free movement of people between the UK and Ireland. “There are more than 200 roads that crisscross between NI and the Republic and up to 35,000 people commute from one side to the

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other every day. Your typical NI construction firm transports materials, products and labour from the Republic into Northern Ireland on a regular basis and anything that interferes with their ability to do that quickly and easily must be dealt with sensitively. Indeed, almost one third of NI construction firms employ people who are based across the border and over half think a hard border would have a negative impact on purchasing products and materials from the Republic.”

FMB member Rory Reagan of Regan Building Contractors echoed the sentiment. “A hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic would make the day-to-day running of my business much more difficult,” he commented. “My firm employs individuals from the Republic and my fear is that they will find themselves in long queues at border checkpoints every morning. I also worry about the impact a border will have on my firm’s ability to purchase materials from the Republic.” q

Demolition contractors warned over fake cards [

A NUMBER OF fraudulent CCDO cards have been discovered at a printing company in England. The National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC) has warned demolition contractors to be extra stringent with their on-site checks. Its CEO Howard Button commented: “The NFDC were recently asked to verify the authenticity of a number of cards, which were later discovered to be counterfeit. Managers need to be extra careful checking the details of operators at induction, and ongoing spot checks are highly recommended. “The problem of fake cards is easily overcome by the use of the CCDO Smart Card Scheme, which with a single scan can verify the validity of the operator’s qualifications. In addition, the NFDC and its training company have now launched the first ‘Virtual’ Card, whereby the operator’s details are stored on an app.” q

Great Ormond Street announces preferred team for clinical building

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THE TRUST that runs Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has announced John Sisk & Son Ltd with BDP Ltd as the preferred prime contractor for phase four of its redevelopment programme – a new clinical building on Great Ormond Street itself. The design brief for the competition was created in partnership with staff, patients and families and expressed an aspiration for a building reflecting the guiding principle: the Child First and Always. GOSH chief executive Dr Peter Steer said: “After comprehensive analysis and debate the John Sisk & Son with BDP team led the field. Partly this was because of the quality of their concept design, which was really popular among the GOSH community when the design proposals were anonymously exhibited side by side. Just as important was the strength and depth within the team, who clearly demonstrated a deep understanding of the GOSH values, creativity, expert clinical planning and a robust commercial proposition. “We look forward to partnering with them to develop proposals for this special building, the success of which is essential to the future of sustainable, outstanding specialised healthcare for children and young people at this historic location.” The Sisk/BDP scheme was considered to offer a promising response to the challenge of placing a building of international significance on a terraced street. A ‘four houses’ concept responds to the domestic scale of Great Ormond Street and the imaginative ‘lily pad’ winter gardens (pictured) with spaces between them will enhance the inpatient experience, offering views of nature from every bedroom window. Internally, the design approach was praised for facilitating an innovative model of care and a high-quality, healing environment with the potential to nurture patients and families while supporting GOSH staff in their important work. The trust is now entering into an early design agreement with John Sisk & Son Ltd so that design development work can continue and the scheme can be brought forward for planning permission. q www.constructionnational.co.uk

Robore acquire Holemasters [

ROBORE, the UK’s leading diamond drilling, sawing and controlled demolition contractor, have announced the acquisition of Holemasters – a deal which will make Robore-Holemasters the largest diamond drilling and sawing contractor throughout Europe. The combination of the two companies’ knowledge and expertise in specialist sectors of construction will not only strengthen Robore-Holemasters position as the leading concrete cutting contractor in the UK, but offer their now extensive client base national and international coverage. The acquisition, in early September, will mean that with continued growth, nationally and internationally, their capabilities will also expand. Robore are already well recognised as the UK’s leading provider for diamond drilling, specialist cutting and controlled demolition services within predominately the South Eastern construction industry. The addition of Holemasters’ national coverage, technology and expertise will enable both companies to apply these specialist skills to an even wider variety of sectors – and with a combined workforce of over 200 employees puts them firmly on the map as the UK’s No 1. Robore, founded in 1986, has since grown from its London head office to become one of the largest diamond drilling and sawing and controlled robotic demolition companies in the UK, with over 100 employees. The company regularly undertakes projects of all sizes, scope and levels of complexity within the public and private sectors – working on stadiums, tunnels, bridges, motorways, rail and the London underground. Their professional teams offer bespoke cutting and demolition solutions to an extensive client base. Founded in 1996, Holemasters Ltd were formed out of Demtech Concrete Services Ltd, which started trading in 1991. It currently employs 25 staff,

90 operators and runs a fleet of over 8O vehicles with offices in Cumbria, Bolton, South Yorkshire, Redditch and Enfield. Holemasters Demtech Ltd’s main areas of operation include water, rail, civil engineering, nuclear and refurbishment – using techniques such as diamond drilling and sawing, anchor drilling, fixing and testing, bursting, chance screw piling, and remote-controlled demolition. Its specialisms will complement and strengthen the capabilities of the Robore-Holemasters teams. Commenting on acquisition, David Rickus managing director of Robore and David Bailie managing director at Holemasters, said: “We are delighted to be joining forces to expand our respective businesses. Our shared belief in the professionalism of our staff and our combined expertise and experience within the construction industry will prove beneficial to our ever increasing blue chip client base.” Both Robore and Holemasters will continue to trade under their existing names following the acquisition. q • For further information please contact Robore on enquiries@robore.com or Holemasters on enquiries@holemasters.co.uk. Alternatively visit the websites at www.robore.com and www.holemasters.com

A satisfied customer is the best advocate [

COMPANIES WILL OF COURSE publicise their own products, but the best voice to speak for them is that of the customer. That is certainly true of sewer inspection equipment company WinCan. Here we find out what a franchise-holder of one of the most well-known names in the UK is saying about its pipeline CCTV reporting software. Tony Jeeves is managing director of the Metro Rod/Metro Plumb franchise for Brighton and Gatwick, based in Lowfield Heath, West Sussex. His company utilises a variety of WinCan pipeline inspection software systems in its drainage works. In particular they use only WinCan VX for inspection reports. According to Tony: “We find this system easy to use; it looks professional and allows us to use all WRc standards, which gives clients the peace of mind they are using quality contractors with quality products.” The company also utilises the recently-released WinCan Web system for communicating results. Said Tony: “Since we have been using WinCan VX and WinCan Web we have found a significant saving in the cost of printing off reports – and the burning of DVDs is a thing of the past. Postage costs and office supplies costs are down as we are using less paper and no DVDs: unless clients specifically ask for them, when they would of course be provided. “We have also found a time saving, as our engineers no longer need to bring the USB sticks into the office for download. Data is sent via WinCan Web directly from site to our own or our customers’ computers within minutes of the survey

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being completed. That has enabled us to deliver reports to clients the same day if requested, so we can carry on earning rather than losing time. “The customer can view the video and read the report on any PC, laptop, Mac or indeed mobile phone, which offers great cross-platform usability. We can then talk to customers over the phone as they review the report and discuss any further work or repairs that may be required. That presents the opportunity to resolve the issue in one visit, saving the customer both time and money and reducing any potential inconvenience the issue is causing onsite.” Tony’s crews also use WinCan Draw and they are looking at using the WinCan VX manhole inspection module. Customer feedback is also very positive. Tony commented: “We have had many comments from clients saying how great the system is, as we can see the problem and discuss the best way to resolve the issue with the surveyors live on site.” According to WinCan’s Paul Woodhouse: “It has been a great experience working with the team at Brighton and Gatwick Metro Rod/Metro Plumb. Being able to see that the industry-driven design features we have put into the latest software packages are meeting the demands of the modern CCTV survey industry just drives us on to keep improving what we feel is already a highly practical and user-friendly system for both contractor and client.” q • For further information visit the website at www.wincan.com

Grayling announces major rail investment [AROUND £48BN is to be spent on the

rail network over the five years from 2019 to 2024, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has announced. The investment is to include more maintenance and a huge uplift in renewals to increase reliability and punctuality for passengers. There will also be a new funding process for major upgrades and enhancements, which will provide more rigour in investment decisions to make sure public spending best meets the needs of passengers and freight. Making the announcement on 12 October, Mr Grayling said: “As a commuter I know how

frustrating it is to be delayed by problems on the line. Passengers want a railway they can rely on and that’s where this huge investment will make a real difference to their everyday lives by renewing more tracks earlier and increasing maintenance to deliver far better services. “This investment is about boosting reliability and punctuality for millions of journeys, and we will do this alongside building major upgrades around the country and delivering new, faster, more comfortable trains.” The statement of funds available for the rail industry includes a direct grant of up to £34.7bn

for spending between 2019 and 2024, bringing total spending to an estimated £47.9bn once Network Rail’s expected income is calculated and added to the pot. The announcement includes funding for the early stages of developing new rail schemes. In a departure from the previous approach, the government will allocate funds separately for major upgrades following a new process to ensure they are deliverable and secure the best value for money for the tax payer. This new process will be set out in more detail later this year. q

Second Mersey crossing opens to fireworks

[THE COUNTRY’S biggest building project outside London finally

came to fruition just after midnight on 14 October, with the opening of the spectacular new Mersey Gateway Bridge in Halton, Cheshire. The opening was preceded by a spectacular fireworks display. The new 1,000 metre-long crossing is the result of more than threeand-a-half years of construction work, with the bridge itself acting as the centrepiece of a huge road project. It opened on time and under budget, after savings of over £250m were found from the original budget by developer Halton Borough Council and the construction consortium Merseylink. The entire project comprises more than nine kilometres of new roads, seven junctions, 12 new bridges and an integrated traffic control information system that uses innovative smart road technology. Almost five million man-hours were spent on its construction, with more than 25,000 people from at least nine countries working on the project. The new technology employed involves a free-flow tolling system, meaning there are no toll booths on the bridge. Dedicated cameras and sensors read vehicle number plates and special ‘merseyflow’ stickers to charge drivers. Rob Polhill, leader of Halton Borough Council and chair of the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board, said: “After three-and-a-half years of hard work I am proud to announce the Mersey Gateway Bridge is open. It’s been a

busy project which has reshaped our borough, and led to a huge amount of work across it. Now the project has been completed on time and under budget, it stands as an iconic, landmark structure that will help to put Halton on the map, while eliminating congestion across the borough.” Hugh O’Connor, general manager of Merseylink, added: “While the bridge itself is a massive achievement, this project is also about the significant amount of road upgrades and junction improvements that are integral to the connectivity of the scheme. The complexity and scale of the engineering challenge has reflected that and has helped to create a very different landscape across Halton. “I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the staff, workers and volunteers who have worked so hard to make this happen. It is the culmination of their sheer determination that has meant we have been able to open on time and under budget.” The construction joint venture was made up of Kier Infrastructure and Overseas Limited (UK), Samsung C&T Corporation (South Korea) and FCC Construcción S.A (Spain). Its equity partners were UK based BBGI, FCC Construcción from Spain and Macquarie Capital Group Limited from Australia. Just before the new bridge opened the equally-iconic Silver Jubilee Bridge was closed to traffic for refurbishment. That will take around 12 months. q www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Build UK expands and announces new chairman [ON 21 SEPTEMBER a new board was announced for Build

UK, following its AGM at which it also showcased its Inspiring Construction initiative. Kevin Louch and James Wates stepped down from their roles as joint-chairmen after two years at the helm. Mark Castle, deputy chief operating officer at Mace Group, took over as chairman, with Brendan Kerr, chief executive of Keltbray Group, as vice-chairman. Speaking of his time as joint-chair, Kevin Louch said: “It is difficult to believe that it was just two years ago that we created Build UK. The progress we have made in that short space of time has been incredible. From the very beginning we were determined to be bold and brave and do things differently. Build UK now has major clients and institutions in membership and we are directly influencing the Construction Leadership Council.” Build UK also welcomed five new members: three contractor members in AECOM, Canary Wharf Contractors and John Sisk & Son, a new client member in Heathrow Airport Holdings and BRE as an alliance member. New chairman Mark Castle set out his vision of the future: “I am determined that, as Build UK we will be leading and driving change by working collaboratively to set our expectations, agree shared objectives and achieve better outcomes, resulting in stronger, more profitable businesses for all of us. With the opportunities offered by the Construction Sector Deal, which Build UK is driving through the Construction Leadership Council, now is the time for all of us to commit to upping our game.” q

Architects give one cheer to government decarbonisation plan [THE GOVERNMENT’S PROPOSALS for decarbonising sectors of the

UK economy have been met with a lukewarm response from the Royal Institute of British Architects. Responding to the launch of the Clean Growth Strategy on 12 October, RIBA president Ben Derbyshire said: “We welcome the government’s recognition that building energy efficiency is a key component in driving clean growth. However, we are concerned that important detailed decisions are being kicked into the long grass yet again with more consultation exercises – the Clean Growth Strategy having been already delayed by two-and-a-half years. “If it is to ensure that social and economic benefits for the UK are maximised, the government cannot just focus on technological change. Market failures are preventing our sector from deploying energy efficiency upgrades to the built environment and must be urgently addressed.” He advocated standards for zero-carbon homes, together with consumer-orientated labelling, plus tax breaks and other incentives for consumers and suppliers of materials and services. If they were allied to a significant programme for domestic energy efficiency upgrades, he said, such measures would provide the step change needed. “The RIBA and the Energy Efficiency Infrastructure Group recently set out how the UK could accelerate cost-effective energy efficiency improvements,” he added. “We encourage the government to adopt these measures.” q

Ground stabilisation project keeps the water flowing [A SOIL NAILING CONTRACT has recently been completed

at Severn Trent Water’s Elan Aqueduct Rehabilitation Scheme in Powys, mid-Wales, by Aarsleff Ground Engineering. The project was carried out for the BNM Alliance – a joint venture between Barhale and North Midland Construction – and involved the design, supply and installation of a soil-nailed slope to allow the launch of a tunnel boring machine. The aqueduct was built between 1893 and 1904 and still provides drinking water from the Elan Valley to Severn Trent’s customers in Birmingham. However, after over a century of operation the aqueduct is beginning to show signs of wear and tear in three key locations and offline replacements have become necessary. On 17 July, prior to the works commencing, eight test nails were installed. They were then tested to destruction to confirm the design. Aarsleff Ground Engineering then installed a total of 670 fully galvanised, 100mm-diameter self-drilling soil nails, using a Klemm 806 drilling rig. The R32-280 nails varied from 6m to 16m in length. Sprayed concrete was applied to the excavation face before each sequence of nails was installed. Sprayed concrete is Aarsleff’s preferred method of placing concrete to provide ground support. It produces a strong, dense, well-bonded material, with the high early strength required for rock and ground support. In addition to the soil nails, approximately 670 head plates and nuts were supplied and fixed. Aarsleff then supplied and fixed a steel mesh and geotextile facing to the 1,250m2 soil-nailed wall. The project was completed on 15 September. Jonathan Greener, Aarsleff’s assistant manager for ground engineering, said: “I am pleased to work on yet another soil nail job for such a prestigious scheme. It enables us to directly transfer all our skills from one project to the next, allowing us to continually improve and achieve the best results in ground engineering.”

Prior to winning the contract, Aarsleff had showcased its previous work on soil nail projects of similar size to the main contractor, demonstrating its technical capabilities and expertise while simultaneously assuring the client of cost, time and quality. When the work was completed, 2% of the working soil nails were ‘acceptance tested’, to validate the design and provide assurance regarding the quality of the installation. Aarsleff Ground Engineering Ltd is the UK trading arm of Danish contracting giant Per Aarsleff A/S. As a leading exponent of soil nailing the company can offer a one-stop solution – from design and supply to installation and testing – for all slope stabilisation projects. Aarsleff is also able to offer a wide array of services, comprising piling and ground beams, drilling and grouting, ground anchors, sheet piling and retaining structures, sectional flight auger piles and mini piles. q • For more information about Aarsleff and its soil nail solutions call 01636 611140, email info@aarsleff.co.uk or visit www.aarsleff.co.uk www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Construction to be one of first T-levels [CONSTRUCTION WILL BE ONE of the

first of the new T-levels to be introduced, the Education Secretary has announced. Delivery of the new courses will begin in 2020. The other subjects to be introduced then are ‘digital’ and ‘education and childcare’. First announced, in 2016 and backed by £500m every year in additional funding, the qualifications are a key milestone in transforming technical education in the UK and extend the offer for young people to study a technical qualification at level 3 – equivalent to A-levels. Education Secretary Justine Greening said: “We are transforming technical education in this country, developing our home-grown talent so that our young people have the world-class skills and knowledge that employers need. “As we prepare to leave the EU, it is

more important than ever that we create an outstanding further education and skills system, giving all young people the opportunity to fulfil their potential and deliver a better future for our country.” The T-level panel for construction will be chaired by Julian Weightman of Bordercraft Group, a small building company based in the North East. His appointment was warmly welcomed by the chief executive of the FMB, Brian Berry. Mr Berry said: “Construction SMEs train twothirds of all apprentices and make up 98% of the construction industry, so it’s vital that the new T-levels work for small builders. “Julian is committed to increasing the quality of vocational education and over the past two years he successfully chaired the bricklayer and

Building begins for the builders of the future

[WORK HAS STARTED on a brand-new £13m campus development

at Leeds College of Building. Main contractor Clugston Construction and architects Fuse Studios were joined by representatives from the college and Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership at a turf-cutting ceremony in September. The development is due for completion at the end of next year. The new state-of-the-art complex, sited alongside the college’s existing South Bank campus, will include a 5,200m2, four-storey building with a range of classrooms, workshops and an impressive central atrium. The college’s principal, Ian Billyard, said: “We are very pleased to start work on our new campus, within weeks of securing planning permission for it. Clugston Construction has a strong presence in Leeds and a successful track record of working on a wide range of high-profile education projects, throughout the North of England and beyond, which made the company the ideal partner for this contract.” The development is being supported by an £11.9m grant through the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Growth Deal. As part of the funding, £1m will also be spent refurbishing the older North Street campus. Leeds College of Building has been providing specialist further education on construction since 1960, and offers more than 200 courses across a huge range of disciplines. The college has built a reputation for first-class education and training. Steve Radcliffe, managing director of Clugston Construction, commented: “We are delighted to start work on this impressive project. The project is especially notable because it will play such a crucial role in contributing to the future talent of the construction sector, at a time when there are clear skills shortages in the industry. q

plasterer apprenticeship trailblazer group. Julian will be able to bring this recent experience to the table when leading on the development of the construction T-level, which arguably will be even more challenging.” A vital part of the T-level concept is the inclusion of a three-month work experience period within the course, which is already being seen as a potential stumbling block. Brian Berry commented: “Given that CITB statistics show the number of young people in construction-related further education far outweighs the number of apprenticeship places being offered by employers, we need to find a solution to this problem. We owe it to young people to ensure we can deliver on what we promise, so this needs to be properly thought through.” q

The search is on for top virtual construction company

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ENTRIES OPEN on 10 November for the Chartered Institute of Building’s Global Student Challenge. The competition offers students a chance to learn skills to stand out from the crowd, as well as an opportunity to compete head-to-head at the finals to win mentoring from industry leaders and CIOB past-presidents. The challenge is open to students based anywhere in the world on a built environment first degree-level course. Teams manage their own virtual construction company, using MERIT software. Developed at Loughborough University, MERIT has been used to train young professionals since 1988 as part of in-course modules in degree programmes. The software enables students to develop business management skills, requiring them to take decisions on staffing levels, estimating and bidding, managing cash flow and capital and seeking investment opportunities. The winning team at the finals – to be held in Toronto next year – will receive a cash prize and each team member will also be personally mentored. Past mentors include Alan Crane CBE, Bob Heathfield and James Wates. The deadline for registration is 27 February next year, with the game starting in earnest in March. The finalists will be announced in April, with finals week beginning in Toronto on 25 June. This year’s winners were Tartan Construction from Glasgow Caledonian University (pictured). It was the third time in succession that students from Glasgow Caledonian have won the competition, following on from Cali Construction in 2016 and Saltire in 2015. q www.constructionnational.co.uk

Training next generation talent for the construction sector [A NEW ONE-YEAR further education course designed to help young people access the skills needed to enter the construction industry began teaching its first intake on 1 October. Part of the industry’s Inspiring Construction recruitment campaign, the Bridge into Construction course aims to ensure that young people have the training and skills the industry needs, and that employers have access to the next generation of talent. The course, a collaboration between Build UK and the FE umbrella organisation Collab Group, is being piloted by two establishments: Sheffield College and South Thames College. It will provide a consistent level of training and competence to equip students with the introductory skills they need to embark on an apprenticeship in construction. Currently too many young people decide to leave the industry after further education because of a lack of the appropriate skills required for an apprenticeship. Research by CITB and IFF Research shows that at present at least one third of young people completing a construction further education course do not continue into employment within the industry. The newly designed course, which was developed with strong employer input, allows construction and the further education sectors

to implement a construction vocational route at least four years ahead of the Government’s timetable, as set out in the Post-16 Skills Plan. Ian Pretty, chief executive of Collab Group, commented: “The Bridge into Construction course will extend opportunity, increase social mobility and contribute to our economy. Often, employers in the construction industry have found the further education system difficult to navigate, but the breadth and depth of the Collab Group network provides a route for employers to access a consistent and flexible training service. Bridge into Construction demonstrates how Collab Group colleges and industry can work in partnership to deliver the training – and the talent – that our economy needs.” The format of the course follows a projectbased teaching style which allows the participating students to understand the lifecycle of a construction project – from the tendering stage through to design, construction and post-construction. It will also provide students with qualifications, including the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment, as well as a strong foundation for a future career in the industry. Berkeley Group is supporting the initiative by offering work experience to students embarking on the course. Students will also visit a number

of ‘live’ construction sites as part of the Open Doors initiative, which runs from 19-24 March next year. Students are expected to complete the course by next July. In a joint statement, employment coordinators Rachel Hall and Danielle Buckley at Berkeley Group constituent companies St James and St William, said: “As part of the Berkeley Group, St James and St William are passionate about supporting people who wish to embark on a career in construction. Bridge into Construction is a new and exciting project that will present our business with candidates who are keen to learn more about the construction industry. We are privileged to be a part of this programme and look forward to supporting the candidates and offering invaluable work placement opportunities.” Build UK’s chief executive Suzannah Nichol MBE added: “I am delighted that our members are supporting our new Bridge into Construction programme. This initiative provides a real opportunity for employers to recruit locally for the skills they need from a pool of talented, apprenticeship-ready young people.” q • More information on the course is available from Build UK on 0844 249 5351, email info@BuildUK.org or visit BuildUK.org

Cream of the crop head to SkillBuild final

[CONSTRUCTION APPRENTICES from across the UK have been

awarded places in the national final of the country’s longest running construction skills competition. Organised by CITB, SkillBuild has been showcasing the talents of apprentices for over 40 years. The competition sees construction trainees competing in their particular skills: including bricklaying, carpentry, joinery, wall and floor tiling, and painting and decorating. Following success in the regional heats, apprentices from around the country have progressed to the final, to be held at the Birmingham NEC from 16-18 November. They can also potentially join Squad UK for the WorldSkills Kazan 2019 competition in Abu Dhabi.

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Leif Tarry, partnerships manager at CITB, said: “Taking part in SkillBuild is a great way to kick-start a very successful career in construction. As the largest multi-trade competition in the UK for construction trainees and apprentices, SkillBuild gives learners the chance to showcase their skills and gain recognition for their talent. Competitors are really put to the test in their chosen field. I’m delighted that these nine trainees will be heading to the UK national final to fly the flag for the South West.” Construction National will be reporting on the successful competitors and following their journey to Abu Dhabi in future issues. q

CITB report ‘lays down the gauntlet’ on immersive training

Construction training courses and/or apprenticeships are available at the following colleges: Blackpool and The Fylde College T: 01253 504 343 E: info@blackpool.ac.uk W: www.blackpool.ac.uk

Bispham Campus, Ashfield Road, Bispham, Blackpool FY2 0HB

Bradford College

T: 01274 433333 E: information@bradfordcollege.ac.uk W: www.bradfordcollege.ac.uk Great Horton Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1AY

Chichester College

T: 01243 786 321 E: info@chichester.ac.uk W: www.chichester.ac.uk Westgate Fields, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1SB

[

A REPORT FROM CITB, published in September, lays out how the use of digital technologies such as virtual and augmented reality can produce workers with greater ability and help modernise the industry. The report, A New Reality: Immersive Learning in Construction, carries the message that immersive learning has the potential to revolutionise training delivery, produce ‘work ready’ employees and transform the perception of the construction sector. Immersive learning allows students to be fully involved in an interactive, digital environment. It means trainees can practise crane manoeuvres, scale wind turbines or visualise the detailed 3D build of a skyscraper – all without leaving the classroom. CITB’s report, the first of its kind for the construction sector, contains 36 interviews with stakeholders and 10 best practice examples. It shows how immersive learning can be cost-effective for employers and training providers and help reduce skills shortages by attracting more young people to construction. In the report’s foreword Andrew Wolstenholme OBE, co-chair of the Construction Leadership Council, wrote: “This report lays down the gauntlet for employers, trainers and the government to tackle key issues such as greater efficiency, skills and growth through innovation. It highlights the need to encourage take-up, standardise approaches and encourage collaboration between sectors, such as gaming, to develop successful applications.” The report says a number of challenges must be addressed to realise immersive learning’s potential. These include improving understanding of what immersive learning is, increasing expertise in using the technology and avoiding fragmented training provision. Steve Radley, CITB’s director of policy, said: “Immersive learning has huge potential. It can enhance construction’s appeal to a generation raised on gaming and virtual environments. It will also enable construction to compete with other sectors, such as engineering, which young people often view as an appealing industry because of its use of technology. “Leadership, standards and collaboration are essential to harnessing the potential of this technology. We look forward to working with employers, trainers and the government to maximise the huge benefits immersive learning can bring.” Best practice case studies highlighted in the report include: Heriot-Watt University’s series of virtual reality games and experiences – such as working at height – to immerse learners into the industry; CITB’s plant simulator facility; and Gaia Technology’s mocked-up construction sites for Liverpool John Moores University and Coleg Llandrillo Cymru. The report outlines the opportunities immersive learning can bring to an array of stakeholders. For trainers, immersive technology can free-up capacity, making student assessments swifter and allowing trainers more time to focus on skills development. For trainees, immersive learning offers a stimulating and quick way to learn. For government, the new form of learning offers a chance to improve the quality, efficiency and safety of construction workers. q

Croydon College

T: 020 8686 5700 E: info@croydon.ac.uk W: www.croydon.ac.uk College Road, Croydon CR9 1DX

Kendal College

T: 01539 814700 E: enquiries@kendal.ac.uk W: www.kendal.ac.uk Milnthorpe Road, Kendal LA9 5AY

Leeds College of Building T: 0113 222 6061 E: info@lcb.ac.uk W: www.lcb.ac.uk

North Street, Leeds LS2 7QT

We are the UK’s leading provider of Apprenticeship training Find out more at:

http://www.liv-coll.ac.uk/Apprenticeships-a4.html

College information: 0151 252 3000

The Sheffield College T: 0114 260 2600 E: info@sheffcol.ac.uk W: www.sheffcol.ac.uk

City Campus, Granville Road, Sheffield S2 2RL

South Thames College

T: 020 8918 7777 E: info@south-thames.ac.uk W: www.south-thames.ac.uk Tooting Centre, 71 Tooting High Street, London SW17 0TQ

Weymouth College

T: 01305 761100 E: igs@weymouth.ac.uk W: www.weymouth.ac.uk Cranford Avenue, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 7LQ

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OnGarde report

continued successes with solar-powered camera

[

RAPID DEPLOYMENT CAMERA SPECIALISTS OnGarde are reporting significant continuing growth in their site security business – utilising their unique solar-powered CCTV tower. The unit is designed specifically to protect sites and plant where there is no on-site power supply available. Mike Fleck, director of OnGarde, is not surprised by the success of the product. “We used to get a lot of calls from customers where the availability of power on a site was a real issue,” he explained. “It could be for a greenfield site where none of the long-term infrastructure has been put in place, or – as is often the case – on extremely remote sites, where external power is just not possible.” The most notable feature of the product is the three large solar cells built into the sides of the camera tower. These are backed up by fuel cell technology, which allows the system to operate for up to six months without the need for maintenance and refueling. Another key feature is the use of a thermal camera, which means no external lights are needed – further reducing the power required. An example of just how effective the solar camera is can be seen from a recent incident in South Wales (pictured top), where potential thieves were spotted and left the site after an audio warning was given. Mike added: “As part of our customer service, OnGarde include a free site visit should there be the need to replace the fuel cells. That approach means that our clients do not need to worry about supplying power or sending personnel to top up the fuel level in generators. This factor alone offers them a significant saving.” q www.constructionnational.co.uk

Providers of market leading security systems to the construction industry [ V-360, providers of the next generation

of on-site CCTV towers, access control, and fire systems for construction sites, has opened a new headquarters in London. As a result of their success, new, larger premises have been chosen in Watford enabling V-360 to provide an efficient service to customers nationwide, from their bases in Glasgow and London. Suppliers of security CCTV equipment since 2011, V-360 use the latest technology to provide products that are designed to meet the demands of construction sites in the 21st century. The V-360 CCTV Tower is a cutting-edge, frontline security solution in the shape of a seven-metre tower made from military-grade metal work. The tower houses power units, a DVR and a high-definition PTZ camera which records HD quality footage of the area under surveillance and enables smartphone remote viewing in real time. In the event of an incident, the data is transferred to ACS registered monitoring partners and emergency services using high-

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speed 4G technology. Should an intruder gain unauthorised access to a site, V-360 operators can engage directly with them, issue a live audio challenge, and request a police priority response. The only suppliers of the V-360 CCTV Tower, representatives from the company look forward to showcasing it at the London Build Expo 2017 this October.

Also on display at the London Build Expo is the V-Stile and the newest version of related software. The V-Stile is a biometric turnstile designed to provide a site with scalable access control. Site managers and authorised users can view reports generated by V-Stile via a secure online cloud. The system is fully CSCS integrated and will contribute towards a site’s BREEAM score. The V-Fire Wireless Evacuation System will also be available for demonstration. The system is designed for use in the construction industry and can be easily installed and moved around the site to ensure full coverage is maintained throughout a project. With a wide range of detectors, sounders and call points, the V-Fire can provide site managers with peace of mind. q • V360 will be on stand D81 at London Build Expo in the London Olympia on 25th and 26th of October. For more information about V360’s products vist www.v-360.co.uk

If you are one of our many online readers simply click on any of the logos listed below and you will be automatically directed to that company’s website. To get your company’s website listed on this page just give us a call on 0161 710 3880 or email ian@dmmonline.co.uk

Cable Management Systems

Saving Time, Saving Money

Innovative Manufacturers of Adhesives, Grouts, Cements and Coatings

New & Used Portable & Modular Building Sales. • Alteration • Refurbs • Installation • Relocation

Online Tradesman Search Facility & Directory

Suppliers and Distributors of Scaffolding and Access Equipment

Construction Finance Specialists

Think Roofs, Think NFRC

High Speed 4G Wireless Broadband Routers

Working within the Construction Industry • Health & Safety Training • Roofing Training

Your partner for working safely at heights

www.astapowerproject.com/bim

www.competentroofer.co.uk

www.cotacabin.co.uk

www.scaffoldingsales.co.uk

www.nfrc.co.uk

www.nimrod-training.co.uk

www.skyhook-gb.com

www.rotafix.co.uk

www.stockporttradesmen.com

www.ultimatefinance.co.uk

www.4grouter.co.uk

www.xsplatforms.com

atoz

Asta Powerproject BIM – affordable 4D planning

construction national website

Welcome to our A to Z guide of the websites of some of the industry’s leading players.

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Glasgow gears up for the return of top construction expo [

SCOTLAND’S PREMIER EVENT for the construction industry returns to Glasgow in November, with more content, more networking and more entertainment than ever. Scotland Build has established itself firmly in the calendar of the prestigious Scottish Events Campus (SEC). This year it will be taking place from 22-23 November. The event is part of the Oliver Kinross suit of construction industry events and is now in its third year. Entry to the show is free by way of entry tickets downloadable from www.scotlandbuildexpo.com. Scotland Build is attended by thousands of high-level construction professionals from across Scotland, including contractors, developers, government, architects, distributors and many more. The show features an exhibition and multi-streamed conference and workshop floors. There will also be Meet the Buyer sessions, hosted buyer meetings, speed networking, recruitment opportunities and entertainment. Highlights of the show will be the five summits addressing key issues in the industry today: architecture, digital construction and BIM, infrastructure, sustainability and – perhaps most crucial in this changing world – what the future holds for the industry. Another important session, common to Oliver Kinross events, is the Women in Construction

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Afternoon Tea, to be held in the VIP Lounge on 22 November. Over 150 exhibitors will be showcasing the very latest products, solutions and technology across the whole construction sector to the thousands of construction professionals who will be in attendance. Such is the high regard the show is held in that organisers are proud to announce the endorsement from the Scottish Government. In a letter welcoming the show, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work, Keith Brown MSP, wrote: “The construction industry is a core sector of the Scottish economy, providing infrastructure to businesses across all sectors of the economy. We continue to work with the industry to promote best practice and research and development to foster construction excellence. “This event is a great opportunity to access major developers, contractors and suppliers from across the country. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the exhibitors and attendees from within the construction industry who have come together to take part in this prestigious exposition. “Best wishes for a very productive, successful and enjoyable event.” Among the media partners is Construction National, which will be offering copies of the publication for visitors to explore in calmer moments in the coffee lounge. q

Inverclyde: a riverside location with unrivalled global connectivity [

HOME TO A WIDE VARIETY of established businesses, the Inverclyde region offers a warm welcome to new companies looking to become part of its successful business community. Riverside Inverclyde – ri – has investment and development opportunities for a range of organisations, large and small – all of whom can benefit from access to a wide choice of development sites. The area is firmly established as a hub of business activity thanks to the success of ri, currently celebrating its 10th anniversary. Established to facilitate regeneration across all of Inverclyde, ri works in partnership with Inverclyde Council, Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Government and to date has driven forward £75m worth of investment. Inverclyde is also included in the Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal, with a further £30m of infrastructure investment planned within the area. As well as having such a high level of sustained investment and proven infrastructure, at Inverclyde they know that connectivity is vital. Businesses can also gain a competitive advantage from substantial rent and rates savings, as well as harnessing the talents and skillsets of a local workforce. The 3.7-acre development site at Cartsburn is ideal for a regional headquarters or a smaller office presence for all kinds of companies. Steeped in heritage and history, Cartsburn itself has been upgraded thanks to major investment, with ri concentrating its input on major infrastructure improvements – including remediation, drainage and a new site entrance. Up to 70,000ft2 of office development can be available within 18-24 months, with ri currently seeking developers to

ensure the delivery of the project. Commuting employees will love the fact that the site will offer up to 250 parking spaces; plus, they’ll be just a five-minute walk from Greenock Central Station, with four trains every hour to Glasgow Central to the east and Gourock to the west. Greenock Ocean Terminal is a five-minute drive, and being only a 20-minute drive from Glasgow International Airport – with Glasgow city centre and its International Technology and Renewable Zone (ITREZ) a further 10 minutes – means global connectivity is already built into Cartsburn. Customised design and build options on an ownership or lease basis are being offered, and

as a Tier 2 Zone within the Scottish Enterprise Regional Selective Assistance scheme, Inverclyde can also potentially offer up to 30% of support towards any capital expenditure or job creation within the area. Said Andrew Bowman, head of business investment and operations at ri: “Cartsburn is just one of a host of opportunities available to developers and we’re keen to speak with interested parties.” q • To discuss the options available visit Stand E14 at Scotland Build, alternatively email andrewb@riversideinverclyde.com or call 01475 749820.

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They’ve got the lowdown on bricks and mortar

[IF YOU WANT to know all about bricks,

then Scotland Build is the place to be this November. It’s there that specialist supplier All About Bricks will be showcasing their extensive range of slop mould, extruded and handmade and stock bricks from top European manufacturers. All About Bricks – or AAB – have been supplying the UK for over 20 years. Their expertise covers the whole process, from design and specification through to supply. AAB’s parent company is De Rijswaard Baksteen – a leading Dutch brick producer which began operations at their site in Aalst back in

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1900. Since then, the company has developed its production centre into a fully automated, market-leading facility which produces over 120 million bricks every year. The company has also branched out and set up successful businesses in Germany, Belgium and France. In the UK, AAB stock and sell over 400 types of Dutch, Danish and German clay facing bricks including the innovative Click and Brick Flex Systems. In addition to the De Risjwaard Baksteen range you will find high-quality products from manufacturing partners Egernsund Tegl, Daas Baksteen and Celina Klinker.

A range of distribution centres enables them to maintain a stock of over six million bricks for immediate delivery. It also enables them to deliver quickly and efficiently to 100% of the UK, to meet the most demanding client and project schedules. Bricks supplied by AAB can be seen on a multitude of striking buildings around the country. They include large residential buildings, public buildings such as Sheffield Children’s Hospital (pictured in the advertisement below) and one-off bespoke designs. They include the striking Owers House in Cornwall, which featured on the long list for the 2016 RIBA House of the Year Award. q

Summits scale new heights for Scottish construction industry [MORE THAN A STANDARD EXHIBITION,

Scotland Build features over 50 hours of CPDaccredited content, allowing visitors to develop their skills. There are also opportunities to learn of exclusive contract and tender announcements from the largest projects in Scotland in the residential, commercial and infrastructure sectors. Visitors can gain access to endless networking opportunities and hundreds of facilitated one-on-one meetings to create new business. And because it is, after all, a day away from the office, there’s plenty of live entertainment on offer. The core sessions of Scotland Build will be the five ‘summits’, addressing key issues in the industry. They will be the Architecture Summit, the Digital Construction and BIM Summit, the Infrastructure Summit, the Sustainability Summit and the overarching issue of the Future of Construction Summit. That last will be opening proceedings in Conference Room 1 and will dominate the first day there. Inevitably, the first subject under discussion will be Brexit and the potential effect on the industry. Other topics will include the UK housing crisis, master planning and urban regeneration projects in Scotland. Speakers will include representatives from Kier Scotland, East Ayrshire and Glasgow Councils, Robertson Group and McTaggart Construction. Also on the first day, in Conference Room 2, the Digital Construction and BIM Summit will provide a vast array of knowledge and insight to help keep companies moving forward with all the latest standards, insight and best practice in BIM implementation and the digital construction revolution. Sessions include The Future of Digital Construction, BIM and the Latest Technology and VR in Real Estate: What’s Real and What’s Hype. Speakers include representatives from the Scottish Futures Trust, ECD Architects and Robertson Group, who will be presenting a case study on the new Orkney General Hospital project. That session, which takes place in the morning, will be followed by the Architecture Summit. Presentations on architectural conservation,

developments on campus and regeneration will be followed by a panel discussion on the Future of Architecture and a case study presentation on Tackling the Housing Crisis. On day two – 23 November – Conference Room 1 will host the Infrastructure Summit. Topics will include Scotland’s infrastructure plans and major infrastructure projects, the future of infrastructure and offsite implementation. A presentation on Leadership, Ethics and New Concepts in Construction Project Delivery will conclude the summit. Meanwhile, Conference Room 2 will be home to the Sustainability Summit. There, delegates can discover the latest projects, innovation and policy in sustainable building and construction across the country. Passivhaus projects in both non-residential and largescale residential developments will come under the spotlight, as will sustainability in both design and the supply chain. The session will include the presentation of research findings on Energy Efficiency in Scotland: A Summary of Key Findings from Energy Saving Trust and Scottish Enterprise Market Research, by Ian Cuthbert of the Energy Saving Trust. A major highlight of the first day will be the NAWIC Women in Construction Afternoon Tea. All those involved in construction from all areas are invited to join the National Association of Women in Construction in the VIP lounge. Women in all areas of the industry can learn of new opportunities and hear from the most influential women in construction through various conference presentations, panel discussions and open debates. The networking session will conclude with snacks and beverages for all those attending. NAWIC’s Cristina Lanz Azcarate commented: “It is great to be back and continue to be part of an event which has rapidly established as a regular fixture of our industry’s calendar as well as NAWIC’s own. Last year’s Women in Construction Morning Tea was a success and we are looking forward to building on it through our 2017 collaboration.” q

A major highlight of the event’s first day will be the NAWIC Women in Construction Afternoon Tea www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Specialist suppliers help contractors seal the deal

[BRINGING A VERY SPECIAL expertise to Scotland Build will be

NCC Materials Consultants and Distributors. NCC is totally independent, operates nationwide as a specialist materials consultant and is the national distributor for some of the world’s leading materials in a number of specialist applications. That includes acid-resistant linings and coatings, resin flooring and coating, concrete repair and protection, and structural bonding and strengthening. They also encompass structural waterproofing, tank, bund and secondary containment lining, and movement joint sealing and waterproofing. NCC has been established for more than 30 years and its regional technical directors in the North of England and Scotland have unrivalled expertise, with a combined total of more than 150 years of experience. They work with a network of experienced contractors who themselves have the expertise and experience to apply the materials successfully anywhere in the UK. The company can also provide an on-site training and supervisory

service for customers’ own facilities maintenance teams or term contractors, for when site restrictions make it impractical to bring other contractors onto the project – as with some nuclear facilities or complex manufacturing plants, for example. NCC also provide a free advisory service throughout the UK in all of their specialist areas, to help ensure customers make the right choice of materials and method of application, and appoint the right contractor for their project to see it through to a successful completion.

EMSEAL movement joint systems: watertight by design

EMSEAL movement joint systems are increasingly well-known all around the world and have been used on many different types of buildings and structures over the past 30 years. They were developed to accommodate the extreme service conditions that buildings and civil engineering structures are exposed to in the USA and Canada and they are now available in the UK from NCC. It is a truism that ‘everything in America is bigger’ and in terms of movement joints that is certainly true: bigger buildings and structures, bigger temperature variations and extremes, bigger cars, vans and trucks – not to mention A RECENT PROJECT of note carried out using specialist materials from NCC was the statefrequent seismic events. of-the-art Lochailort Salmon Hatchery in the Scottish Highlands, for Marine Harvest. One of the It’s not surprising that North America’s largest and most advanced recirculation centres in the world, Marine Harvest’s new 13,500m² fish buildings and infrastructure have suffered bigger hatchery and recirculation centre will produce 5 million smolts (the young salmon before adulthood) damage and generally have bigger problems and for the company’s saltwater salmon farming sites and 6 million parr (the stage before the smolt) for a bigger number of problems. Now the full range stocking their freshwater loch ‘on-growing’ sites. of EMSEAL movement joint systems designed The new recirculation centre can pump 10 to solve those problems is available here – from million litres of water through the building per initial design to installation on site, and all hour. The unit comprises a freshwater intake, provided by NCC. a water treatment plant, egg incubation facility EMSEAL produces a huge range for new and varying sizes of circulation tanks. and refurbishment sealing for all kinds of Marine Harvest wanted a tank lining system movement joints. All are designed to ensure that was fast to apply and quick to harden, not watertightness, but also to provide weather, only to get the tanks up and running as soon chemical, traffic and fire resistance as required. as possible, but also to ensure that their tanks That is all achieved while accommodating remained in an ‘as-new’ condition, with no risk expansion and other movement – with up to of leachates into the water. The lining had to 100% joint movement capability. be WRAS certified, have a dense, low-friction At the same time the integrity of fireproofing surface and be proven in use with marine life. It also had to be very smooth to ensure that the and fire-resistance can be restored or maintained young fish did not damage their scales when they were transferred out of the tank on their way to with EMSEAL systems, some of which can also the sea pens. provide excellent acoustic insulation. Full details NCC Scotland supplied QuickSpray Industrial W – a high-performance, polyurea resin-based are available at NCC’s specialist EMSEAL website protective coating and lining system from VIP GmbH – as the ideal solution. NCC and VIP have at www.emseal.com. q extensive experience of providing aquaculture farms around the world with polyurea resin-based

A far-from-fishy tale of watertight success [

protective systems with high chemical resistance and approvals for potable water and/or marine life contact. q

• You can visit NCC Scotland at Scotland Build 2017 on Stand E32. www.constructionnational.co.uk

Renewable energy reforms will build on sustainability and VG Energy’s industry relationships [

LONG-AWAITED REFORMS to the UK’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will make green technologies more accessible to developers and the construction sector as the demand for sustainability continues to build, VG Energy is predicting. The leading UK renewable energy expert has welcomed the newly announced changes and believes they will open up opportunities for those looking to harness renewable energy into their development plans. VG Energy points out that the support fund will treble from £430m in 2016 to £1.15bn in 2021 as the government looks to create an energy system for the nation that is secure, affordable and clean and to encourage investment. VG Energy is widely recognised as ‘The Trusted Energy Partner’ within the UK today, with customers supported by an experienced team, and is ideally positioned to identify renewable technology solutions for a development project and deliver support through each phase of its deployment. Its experts have successfully installed over 650 commercial biomass boiler projects across the UK, along with wind and solar solutions, partnering the construction industry and continuing to build effective and profitable relationships throughout the sector. Creating a long-term partnership approach is evident throughout VG Energy’s relationships. Customers see the added value throughout the feasibility planning stage through to the installation of technologies, including health and safety expertise, and technology asset management with servicing and maintenance solutions. It is the complete renewable energy turnkey solution. Steven Rawding, managing director of VG Energy, sees the RHI reforms as a welcome opportunity to help deliver more energy-efficient buildings and build more partnerships, as sustainability becomes ever more crucial to the construction sector.

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He said: “The non-domestic RHI has largely supported agricultural and leisure sectors to date, mainly with solid biomass technologies, and on the domestic side large properties with high heat demands. “However, the signs are that we are now moving on to another stage of development, with energy intensive industries, businesses and organisations among those finding that the figures add up for their green energy plans, as well as more district heat networks looking to invest in renewable technologies. “We believe this new landscape will open up opportunities for property developments coming off the drawing board to harness the cutting edge technology that exists and deliver more sustainable building solutions. “We see lots of scope when it comes to the construction of buildings with large public footfalls and high energy use, such as hospitals, educational establishments and office complexes. “We are looking forward to supporting more developers, construction groups and infrastructure experts, using our insight and experience to help them deliver the renewable technology that will add real long-term value to their projects.” q • For more information on VG Energy visit www.vgenergy.co.uk, call 01563 829 990 or visit them at Scotland Build on Stand F27.

Glasgow takes the lead Superglass gives Santa in supervisor training the gift of warmth [

ONE OF THE recurring themes of debates at Scotland Build and conferences around the country is addressing the skills gap. Many initiatives are in place, mainly placing emphasis on entry-level skills. Now, just a couple of kilometres away from the SEC itself, a partnership between City of Glasgow College, the Building Contractors Training Group (BCTG) and education consultants Learn, Direct & Build aims to transform how construction supervisor training programmes are delivered. BCTG Construct is a consortium of educators, industrialists and designers. Its aim is to create a blended learning programme to help reduce technical skills gaps by offering supervisors an ‘anytime, anywhere’ learning experience. Linzi Shearer, BCTG Construct’s project manager and lead researcher, said: “A key benefit of the blended learning programme will be improved competence for supervisors and managers by allowing them to gain new or refresh existing knowledge. This will lead to greater efficiency in the management of construction sites, create safer working environments and improve the overall standards within the UK construction industry. Ultimately this solution will contribute towards the reduction and elimination of post-handover defects.” Douglas Morrison, project lead for STEM and innovation at City of Glasgow College and BCTG Construct project sponsor, said: “The widening technical skills gap in the industry means we need to look at innovative educational solutions. This new partnership will help us to anticipate and respond to the needs and expectations of existing and emerging supervisors, ensuring they have the required skills and experience for their role.” q

Floating windfarm enters production

[SCOTLAND REACHED another milestone in furthering its

[STIRLING-BASED insulation manufacturer Superglass has gone straight

on to Santa’s ‘nice list’ after gifting him insulation to make his grotto even warmer and toastier than ever. While he is in residence at his seasonal Scottish base – the Christmas cabin at the Woodland Experience in Balfron – Santa will enjoy the warmth of his cosy new grotto, where he will be based throughout chilly December. Superglass provided their Multi Roll Loft Insulation to insulate the grotto, at North Ballochruin Farm – less than an hour from both Stirling and Glasgow. The sales director of Superglass, Andy Murray, paid a visit to Santa to deliver the rolls of insulation in person, and to have a go as one of his helpers. Said Andy: “It’s a great privilege to meet Santa Claus in person. Every year he brings presents for children around the world, so we thought it was about time that we gave him something back: especially when he’s coming all the way to Scotland. “The Santa Experience is a family favourite for people from across central Scotland and we wanted to help keep Santa warm as he meets the children.” Ken Hendry is the owner of the Woodland and Santa Experience. Ken commented: “While it’s a little bit warmer than his North Pole base, Santa’s grotto in Balfron can get very cold in December. Thanks to Superglass, though, this year will be a welcome break from the chill for Old Saint Nick.” q • For more information call 01786 451170, email sales@superglass.co.uk or visit www.superglass.co.uk. Superglass are at Scotland Build on Stand D11.

position as the leader in wind energy production as Hywind, the first floating wind farm in the world, started to deliver electricity to the Scottish grid. The 30MW wind farm, operated by Norwegian energy giant Statoil, in partnership with Masdar, is located off Peterhead and will power approximately 20,000 households. Production began on 18 October amid celebration including an official opening by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Ms Sturgeon said: “This marks an exciting development for renewable energy in Scotland. Our support for floating offshore wind is testament to this government’s commitment to the development of this technology and, coupled with Statoil’s battery storage project Batwind, puts us at the forefront of this global race and positions Scotland as a world centre for energy innovation.” Scotland’s role in renewable energy production has been the subject of debate at Scotland Build in successive years. q www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Expanding family firm has all the plant you need [

A RETURN VISITOR to Scotland Build will be Grangemouth-based Jarvie Plant. A mainstay of the Scottish plant industry, the family-owned firm – now in its third generation – will be renewing old acquaintances and forging new friendships. Jarvie was founded in 1960, initially to provide plant and equipment while clients’ own equipment was being repaired. Demand for the service grew steadily, along with a reputation for the quality and reliability of the equipment supplied. Over the decades the range of available equipment has expanded to include a full catalogue of site solutions: plant and tool hire, mechanical handling, site accommodation and welfare, power and lighting, and vehicle rental. More than half-a-century on, traditional family values are still at the core of everything they do. The determination to provide consistently high levels of customer service and value across all specialist divisions is summarised within the company’s QMS by the simple motto: Jarvie delivers! The past few years have seen a period of unparalleled expansion. Last year saw the opening of a new depot in Aberdeen – the company’s eighth – and the relocation of the Dundee depot to larger, purpose-built premises. This year has been marked by the company’s expansion into England, with the establishment of a Manchester branch. “The site we have acquired in Manchester shows real commitment to the growth strategy of the business in establishing a presence south of the border,” commented newly appointed regional operations manager Dave Ingleby. Jarvie Plant’s sales director Ian Hutchison added: “Opening our Manchester depot is a significant milestone for Jarvie Plant but it is just one of a

number of exciting developments in our business.” True to the firm’s roots, however, the first hire secured at the new Manchester branch was to a Scottish contractor! The expansion will continue next year with the opening of a tenth depot at Nairn, near Inverness. Continuous investment in equipment has been one of the keys to Jarvie’s success. Their core range of plant includes telehandlers, excavators and dumpers. In fact, the company acquired the first telehandler in Scotland, back in 1960, and the fleet now includes Scotland’s largest rotating telescopic handler – the Magni RTH 5.35, which has a reach of up to 35m and can lift loads or personnel up to 1,000kg. It was recently deployed on Scottish Power’s South West Scotland Renewables Connections Project in New Cumnock (pictured above). The vast array of plant also includes a full range of excavators, MEWPS and fork lifts. And it’s not just the big stuff that Jarvie supplies. Further investment this year saw the acquisition of new Wacker Neuson DW90 dumpers. The machines have a smaller footprint than traditional dumpers and can easily manoeuvre around confined and busy sites, moving material faster and significantly improving cycle times. Site accommodation and welfare facilities on offer range from 22ft island units to mobile welfare vans, both of which have appeared on the company’s monthly special deals list. The list includes blast-resistant and fire-rated accommodation. The complete service is further enhanced by a range of power generators, compressors and bowsers. For larger sites a complete office complex can be

supplied from the JPX modular system. In addition to investment in equipment and premises, Jarvie has invested heavily in its most important asset: its people. In particular, health and safety are extremely important. ISO certification includes ISO 9001:2015 quality management, ISO 14001:2015 environment management and OHSAS 18001:2007 occupational health and safety management. Annual third-party audits ensure the awards are maintained. CHAS accreditation reflects the success Jarvie has had in reducing accident and incident statistics by 50% over five years. Over the summer a different market has been introduced to the benefits of hiring from Jarvie Plant. Many major events have utilised their equipment to good effect. Golf tournaments such as the Scottish Open benefited from Jarvie’s range of forklifts, especially as they caused very little or no damage to the delicate turfed parts of the course such as the manicured greens and fairways. In addition, festivals such as the TRNSMT Festival in Glasgow and the Fringe in Edinburgh were dotted with Jarvie equipment as part of the vital infrastructure that makes events tick. Without plant and machinery such as generators, mobile accommodation, tower lights and access platforms these important international events wouldn’t have run as smoothly as they did. One of the company’s long-standing relationships is with their beloved Heart of Midlothian. A number of sponsorship programmes over the years have cemented that relationship and this year the company saw a more practical element arise at the club’s Tynecastle ground. A major refurbishment project includes a significant element of Jarvie’s plant, including tower lights, an HD tandem roller, 8-tonne excavator, 9-tonne dumper and a 10ft safestore. “Through regular sponsorship initiatives we’ve had an affinity with Hearts for a number of years, so we were delighted to be asked to be part of this major project,” said Ian Hutchison. “As the project gathers pace we’ll have more kit arriving on site, including an 18m access platform and an 18m telehandler.” q www.constructionnational.co.uk

IT solutions bring economies of scale [

THE FIRST electronic computers arrived in the 1940s. At first, they were gigantic. Over time, they became smaller and did more things, including receiving and sending information, now known as data. They assumed the roles of typewriters, books, cameras, maps, fax machines and a host of other communication technologies. EHPs used them, as did traffic wardens, tax inspectors and journalists. Jump forward a few years. In the early 2000s, Belfast-based technologist Richard Martin got fed up with seeing local authorities waste money. With like-minded colleagues, he began writing bespoke software that would help them to deliver services more efficiently. The first service they tackled was building control. His kitchen table idea became a company, Tascomi, that was soon competing with larger IT companies. In time, all 26 local authorities in Northern Ireland bar Belfast were using Tascomi’s cloud platform for building control, licensing or public protection. Next, the company extended to the Republic of Ireland, to provide a country-wide public protection system for the Health Service Executive. This was a valuable learning experience because the innovative system brought together 600 users from 26 counties. Tascomi was offering web-based access to an off-site data centre,

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providing truly mobile working to multiple users, who could use any web-enabled device — a laptop, a tablet or a mobile phone. Organisations would not require dedicated servers or specialist hardware and their data would be secure, held on a ‘private cloud’ at one data centre, not shifted arbitrarily around the country. Bryan Snowden, Tascomi’s business development consultant, said: “We know that security is incredibly important to local authorities and it’s at the heart of our system. We are also the only entirely web-based public protection system on the Local Authority Software Applications framework run by Crown Commercial Services.” He added that, through Tascomi’s web-based, customer-facing portals, customers are able to pay for and track council services. This hugely speeds up transactions and reduces bad debts. Tascomi has grown quickly in a short time. Based in Hillsborough in County Down, it now employs 40 people. After its Irish contract, the next step in the company’s development came in Wales. Bryan Snowden said: “The driver was the fact that Welsh heads of public protection saw the need to share services to achieve economies of scale.” A joint IT Procurement Practice framework, involving 19 of the 22 Welsh unitary councils, went out to tender in 2012. It was won by Tascomi. q

Scottish show is part of an award-winning global brand [

SCOTLAND BUILD is part of the Oliver Kinross series of building expos that is currently expanding around the world. The flagship event has become London Build, which was established in 2015 and now takes place every October. Immediately preceding Scotland Build will be Auckland Build. Auckland Build was launched last year and immediately attracted enormous attention. In fact, in June it scooped the award for Best Trade Show Launch at the Association of Event Organisers (AEO) Excellence Awards 2017. The AEO Excellence Awards bring together around 1,000 leading global event organisers and represent the best that the events industry has to offer. Neil McKenzie, managing director of Oliver Kinross, said: “It is a fantastic achievement not only for Oliver Kinross, but also the New Zealand events industry to have won the AEO’s Best Trade Show Launch category. “The focus of the event was to ensure that the exhibition was led by education, training, workshops and presentations, to help support

and develop the local industry. We feel the award judges respected the bold move Oliver Kinross took in launching the new format construction show.” The professionalism of the event organisers at Oliver Kinross was reinforced barely a fortnight later when event organiser Selena Moseley won the Conference Professional of the Year Award at the highly respected Conference Awards. Selena is pictured (centre) receiving her award. The success of the brand arises from the three key pillars of Oliver Kinross events – content, entertainment and networking. Delivering high-level and cutting-edge content – CPD-accredited speakers, panel discussions and workshops – is essential to ensure the expos progress the industries they serve. Plus, to create a relaxed environment for business to be carried out and to ensure visitors want to spend as much time as possible at the events, they must be fun and entertaining. The importance of business events in providing face-to-face networking is paramount. At all Oliver Kinross events significant provisions are

put in place to ensure exhibitors and delegates benefit from extensive and powerful networking opportunities, such as Meet the Buyer sessions, a Business Matchmaking Service and hostedbuyer meetings. All that experience and professionalism will be brought to bear at Glasgow’s SEC in November to ensure Scotland Build does its bit to help the Scottish construction industry to thrive. q

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CPM brings precast products to Scotland Build 2017 [

WITH THEIR SALES TEAM in the heart of Newmains in North Lanarkshire, the CPM Group know the importance of the Scottish market and its need for good quality concrete drainage and retaining wall products – as well as high customer service levels. This is why CPM are exhibiting at Scotland Build Expo 2017 where they will be exhibiting their Perfect Manhole System and the Redi-Rock™ modular retaining walling products used extensively throughout Scotland. The Perfect Manhole (right) was launched by CPM in October 2009 and has changed the way industry professionals install precast concrete drainage systems with its bespoke base – available pre-benched in any configuration within days of requisition – a sealed wide wall chamber ring, a rubber joint and sealed cover slab. The system is the most economic, safe and efficient method of installing a watertight manhole. Designed to last a minimum of 120 years, the Perfect Manhole System gives up to 40% savings on greenhouse emissions compared to traditional manhole construction. It eliminates the need for ready mixed concrete to form the base, chamber benching and to surround the manhole, thus reducing the number of vehicles on and off the construction site. A complete manhole can be installed in as little as 25 minutes with safe site practice proving to be a real winner, as the pre-benched Perfect Manhole reduces the need to work in confined spaces. It also eliminates the need for wet trades, resulting in rapid construction and a reduction in the time taken for the excavation space to be open. A 1200mm Perfect Manhole base will be on show at Scotland Build. It is also readily available in 1500mm and 1800mm diameters which are accepted by all major water companies and included in Sewers for Adoption (7th edition). On show alongside the Perfect Manhole will be CPM’s Redi-Rock™ modular walling – an ingenious, space saving solution that complements any development. The ‘big block’ system has the appearance of stone and is available with three different finishes, offering freedom of choice and an attractive finish to any project. Whether it be a flood protection project to heighten river banks, a housing project that allows for more land-take, or a security wall to ensure an installation is protected from vehicles, Redi-Rock™ is a great choice. CE Marked and BBA approved, Redi-Rock™ is versatile enough to achieve height without compromising on strength and is dry laid, resulting in extremely fast installation times and cost savings. Redi-Rock™ modular walling installs like giant LEGO – and who doesn’t like playing with LEGO! Each block has a dome and groove design, making them fast and easy to install – all that is required is a small excavator and two to three people. Successfully used throughout Scotland, Redi-Rock™ has been the

modular walling block of choice on numerous projects throughout the country – including the Carnoustie Golf Course, home to the Open Championships seven times, and the Fort William Caravan Park, as well as protecting properties along the River Garnock in Dalry. To complement the Perfect Manhole and precast drainage products, CPM manufacture a host of water management solutions, including products for stormwater management, flood protection, wastewater management and flood prevention. These include flow control chambers which are manufactured either in one piece or as sectional chambers complete with a pre-formed base, benching, weir wall, split wall or head wall and Downstream Defenders® – an advanced hydrodynamic vortex separator for the effective and reliable removal of fine particles, oils and other floatable debris from surface water runoff. This innovative design delivers high efficiencies across a wide range of flows with a much smaller footprint than conventional or other swirl-type devices. It is the perfect choice for any catchment likely to convey high quantities of contamination. Included in the water management range is the Hydro-Brake Optimum® chamber, comprised of a precast concrete chamber base containing a bespoke Hydro-Brake Optimum® flow control. It is delivered to site ready for immediate installation and, as the flow control is already installed inside the chamber, installation is cut to a fraction of the time compared to conventional methods. q • For more information on CPM’s complete product range visit Stand C19 at Scotland Build. Alternatively call their Scottish sales team on 01698 386922, email scotland@cpm-group.com or visit www.cpm-group.com

CPM’s Redi-Rock™ has been the modular walling block of choice on projects including the Carnoustie Golf Course (left) and along the River Garnock in Dalry www.constructionnational.co.uk

One year on: repair specialist set for record growth in Scotland [THE UK’S LARGEST surface repair specialist, Plastic

Surgeon, is set for record growth in Scotland – just twelve months after the launch of its dedicated Scotland Division. The firm has completed over 25,000 hours of work and made more than 52,000 repairs in the last year to help businesses across Scotland quickly hand-over sites and repair unwanted damage. Plastic Surgeon, which operates throughout the UK, provides a specialist damage repair service to a range of industries, including construction, housebuild, insurance, cruise, facilities management, manufacturing and retail. Their highly trained finishers repair a range of damage caused during the course of the construction process, whether by accident or general wear and tear. Sandra Geddes, Scotland sales manager, commented: “We’re incredibly pleased with our growth within the region since the official launch of our Scotland Division at last year’s Scotland Build Expo. By launching a dedicated division, we’ve cemented our position as the largest repair specialist in Scotland as well as across the UK.” Geddes continued: “We’ve built fantastic relationships in Scotland and now work with some of the largest construction companies – including Kier, Robertson Construction, Laing O’Rourke, Interserve and the Heron Brothers – as well as most of the housebuilders, from Barratt Homes to Taylor Wimpey and Cala Homes.” In the last year, the Scotland team have repaired almost 10,000 items

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and saved a staggering 639 tonnes of waste from landfill as a result of repairing and not replacing. As pressure on the construction industry to reduce waste increases, taking an environmentally friendly approach to repair is vital. Plastic Surgeon specialise in measuring waste savings and provide a dedicated customer portal for all clients to measure their individual landfill savings and money saved. Mike Aitken, Plastic Surgeon’s UK sales director, commented: “With finishers based across the region from Dumfries to Inverness, we can quickly respond to the needs of our clients and have the scale to manage big projects to a tight deadline.” q • Find out more about the range of repairs Plastic Surgeon complete at www.plastic-surgeon.co.uk or visit them on Stand E39 at this year’s Scotland Build Expo.

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Stockholm hosts European access industry’s annual assembly [

FRIDAY 13 OCTOBER saw the Annual General Assembly of the UEG (Union Europaischer Geruestbaubetriebe) – the umbrella body for European national trade bodies in the access and scaffolding sector – at the Scandic Continental Hotel in Stockholm. The event was hosted by the Swedish scaffolding organisation (STIB) and was attended by 52 delegates, including the NASC which represents the interests of the UK scaffolding industry on the group. UEG president Martin Angele of the SGUV of Switzerland reviewed UEG activities during 2017, noting the activities of its European Regulations Working Committee and the recent publication of practical guidelines for scaffolding contractors. Herr Angele then looked forward to a full programme of activities in 2018, which will include a UEG panel discussion in June where the focus will be on CEN TC53 and scaffolder training. He also noted that risk assessment guidelines would be developed by UEG during the year. An application for membership from the Federation des Entreprises de Construction d’Echafaudages (FECEL) of Luxembourg was approved at the assembly, bringing the total number of national organisations represented on UEG to 10. Additionally, there are 10 UEG associate members, representing principal supplier organisations in Europe. Further applications for both UEG membership categories are anticipated in 2018. Next year’s UEG General Assembly will take place on 12 October and will mark the 10th anniversary of the organisation since the inaugural assembly took place in Potsdam in 2008. NASC is a founder member of UEG. q • For further details visit www.ueg-eu.org

NASC Apprentice of the Year 2017

Winner of the 2016 award Kier Phur of TRAD Scaffolding Company Ltd

[THE NASC HAS been inviting

nominations for its Scaffolding Apprentice of the Year award which is sponsored by both the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and the Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS). The successful candidate needs to be conscientious, have shown a willingness to learn and develop skills, and to have gone above and beyond the call of duty while working their way through the qualification. A trophy and £500 cash prize will be awarded to both the winning apprentice and their employer, with a trophy and £250 cash prize going to the runner up and their employer. The winner and runner up will be invited to attend this year’s NASC AGM, being held at the Intercontinental Park Lane Hotel in London on 24 November, where the result will be announced and they can be presented with their prizes in person. q

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Safety & Access passes accreditation audits in South Korea [ CISRS ARE DELIGHTED to announce

that, following the recent audit visit to South Korea, Safety & Access Ltd and its two local partners have successfully passed their annual accreditation renewal audits, as the Overseas Scaffolder Training Scheme (OSTS) continues to flourish. Safety & Access have been offering scaffolding-related training courses CISRS Level 1 Scaffolder, Level 2 Scaffolder, Basic Inspection and Scaffolding Supervisor training in South Korea for around 4 years. The region has continued to train and qualify their scaffolders via the CISRS OSTS despite a downturn in fortunes of the oil and gas sector, thanks mainly to the commitment of Samsung Heavy Industries and the scaffolders working at their shipyard in Geoje. CISRS OSTS currently has over 5,000 operatives registered to the scheme worldwide, with around 3,000 of them receiving their CISRS training in South Korea. Rick Statham, joint managing director of Safety & Access Ltd, commented: “We

are really pleased to report that the two centres in Geoje and Ulsan have passed the stringent audit criteria. Both of these locations are very important strategically in relation to the local shipyards. In addition to the successful training programme so far with Samsung Heavy Industries, we are pleased to report that we have also secured a significant amount of government funding which we will be offering to our clients shortly.”

Following the accreditation visits several update meetings were arranged with local oil and gas representatives from Shell, Statoil and Chevron to report on progress of the scheme so far, together with local availability. Safety & Access continue to grow their overseas business, with training facilities in Nepal, Oman and South Korea along with the two UK centres in Nottingham and Immingham. There also plans for further domestic and international development next year. q

Simian/NTI partnership opens new CISRS centre in Oman [

SIMIAN SKILL INTERNATIONAL Ian Fyall, operations director for Simian and National Training Institute (NTI) – Skill, echoed the sentiments of Mr part of the Babcock International Group – Uzzaman, saying: “Simian has partnered have joined forces in order to gain CISRS a reputable worldwide company in NTI, OSTS accreditation for a new centre in who are part of the Babcock Group. the Sultanate of Oman. We look forward to working together in Following a pre-accreditation visit by delivering quality scaffold training in the CISRS scheme manager Dave Mosley in region for years to come. The centre is April, Simian/NTI took the decision to in pristine condition and it shows the source a new location for their new OSTS commitment of both companies to deliver practical facility, which is adjacent to a quality product.” another of NTI’s training establishments The investment in the facility has paid in the Ghala Industrial Area of Muscat. off, as the centre has gained approval to “NTI Oman are proud to be working deliver CISRS OSTS courses at Level 1, in association with Simian Skill and Level 2, Basic Scaffold Inspection and CISRS scheme manager Dave Mosley with Simian Skill and to become the first CISRS approved Scaffolding Supervisor training. NTI staff at their centre in Oman training centre in the capital (Muscat) The first courses will be running in a which can offer scaffolding programmes that meet PDO’s revised matter of days, with a waiting list for CISRS scaffolder training already criteria,” said NTI business development manager Mohammed building up. Initial courses will be delivered by experienced Simian Atif Uzzaman. “We are committed to offering world-class learning instructors Andy Sharp and Abid Gul, who will train and mentor local solutions to the Omani market.” instructors until they are suitably qualified and experienced to deliver The training centre is fitted out to a very high specification and OSTS courses themselves. Simian/NTI went to considerable expense to provide new materials and Dave Mosley said: “Congratulations to Simian/NTI, they have created equipment for the centre audit, which took place on 9-10 of August. an excellent facility here in Oman. They have been very keen to come on Newly fitted-out air-conditioned classrooms and an on-site restaurant board with the CISRS OSTS scheme and already have a number of clients ensure that delegates will enjoy a very comfortable training experience. seeking CISRS training. We wish them every success in this venture.” q www.constructionnational.co.uk

AIS opens first Vietnamese CISRS OSTS training centre [ LEADING INDUSTRIAL TRAINER AIS Training is expanding its

global reach after opening a training centre in Vietnam. The state-ofthe-art centre, which will be run in conjunction with AIS Training’s partner in the territory Black Cat Insulation Technical JSC, will offer internationally-recognised scaffolding and insulation courses. AIS personnel carried out their own intensive seven-day audit – prior to the successful CISRS accreditation visit. The centre has now been accredited by global scaffolding body CISRS as an official Overseas Scaffolder Training Scheme centre and is approved to offer a range of CISRS courses, including Level 1 Scaffolder, Basic Scaffold Inspection and Scaffolding Supervisor training. The new training centre will be used by Black Cat to upskill and improve the competencies of its own employees, as well as servicing the training requirements of the lucrative Indo-China oil and gas and construction markets. Black Cat employs around 200 people in Vietnam and is wellrecognised as a key supplier to the Indo-China oil and gas and

Dave Mosley (left) with AIS/Black Cat staff during their accreditation visit

industrial sectors, providing and installing insulation, protective coatings and passive fire protection systems via scaffolding. The move will strengthen the existing business relationship between AIS and Black Cat. Currently Black Cat acts as agent and distributor throughout Indo-China for AIS’s award-winning technical insulation products, which are used to protect machinery and BACK IN THE UK the CISRS CPD programme has been running for just over three months. structures from corrosion, weather, noise and Despite some initial negativity from parts of the sector regarding its introduction, the course has temperature extremes. proved to be very popular with those that have attended. In just over 12 weeks a total of 16 AIS director Paul Attrill said: “We are courses were delivered at approved CISRS providers across the UK, and demand for courses delighted to establish this new state-ofcontinues to grow. Feedback from delegates has been very positive. the-art training centre in Vietnam and Scott To of Cornwall firm Hewaswater Scaffolding Ltd, who attended a CPD course at LTC in are pleased to now be part of the CISRS Plymouth, said: “The content was very good and it covered most aspects of our business nicely. Overseas Scaffolder Training Scheme. This is Initially I was sceptical; we had a wide range of scaffolders with a huge amount of experience on a great achievement for AIS and Black Cat in the course, yet I can confidently say we all learned something.” raising standards. CISRS has collaborated with several providers – National Construction College, Simian Skill, “Current skills training in the area Safety & Access and LTC Training Services – to provide a series of fully-funded courses and others adheres to local standards, but there is are offering special introductory rates for the new programme. q a real drive by Black Cat to bring skills and competencies in line with UK standards – which are globally acknowledged as being the highest quality available. “Over the past 12 months AIS Training has developed its own worldclass scaffolding centre in the North of England and we intend to replicate this success in Vietnam. “Alongside our partners Black Cat, we want to establish this new facility as a training centre of excellence in the Indo-China region, where people can be trained to internationallyrecognised standards.” Dave Mosley, CISRS scheme manager, added: “Congratulations to AIS and Black Cat on gaining CISRS OSTS accreditation in Vietnam. They have a great facility, and with the support and expertise of AIS UK instructors I am sure they will be very successful. The introduction of CISRS OSTS is a major step forward for the scaffolding sector in this region.” q

CISRS CPD update [

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Top scaffolding contractor scales new heights [

TOP 10 SCAFFOLDING FIRM Palmers Scaffolding UK Ltd are currently on site at the prestigious, £34.5m Devonshire Park re-development project in Eastbourne (pictured right). The company is supplying VINCI Construction UK with a bespoke scaffolding service and modern access solution. The project is creating a nationally important cultural and tennis destination and includes internal refurbishment to the Congress and Devonshire Park Theatres and the famous Winter Garden. It will also see the re-modelling of its front entrance and a renovation and redecoration of the historic tennis pavilion. A new show court is also being created as part of the development. The large-scale construction contract will span a two-year period and Palmers have initially been drafted in to provide scaffolding and access to the Devonshire Park Theatres. Palmers managing director, Lindsay Harle commented: “Palmers are pleased to be providing a range of conventional tube and fitting scaffolding and other modern access solutions to part of this prestigious large-scale project and working alongside client VINCI Construction UK. We hope to be there for the duration of the job, offering a full range of services and expert access support.” Ian McFarlane, Palmers’ director of business and project development, added: “Being pre-qualified as a second tier sub-contractor enables us to quickly – and safely – meet the needs of the UK’s top principal contractors and suppliers on top fast-track construction projects like this Devonshire Park job in Eastbourne. It another fabulous flagship project to be involved with VINCI Construction UK.” For more than 135 years, Palmers have provided a quality scaffolding service to all industries – working on some of the most important sites and prestigious projects in the construction, railway, airport, petrochemical, power generation, offshore fabrication, marine and nuclear market sectors. In the renewable energy sector Palmers Scaffolding UK has secured contracts providing modern access and scaffolding solutions on a number of premier waste-to-energy plants. Two of the contracts are in Scotland: at the Levenseat EfW plant and MRF waste management site in Lanark and the Viridor ERF plant in East Lothian. A third is at the Port Clarence renewable energy plant by Tees Dock near Middlesbrough. The Levenseat EfW plant and MRF waste management site in Lanark is run by Palmers client M+W Group (UK) and consists of a variety of tube and fitting and system scaffolding solutions on the £111m project. Managing director, Lindsay Harle said: “Industrial scaffolding is one of the sectors we have excelled at for decades and it’s fantastic to be involved with such modern, high quality construction and energy projects in Scotland and the North East.

“We are fully committed to developing long-term relationships with our clients on prestigious contractual work like this and we can provide an economic and versatile service that not only meets but exceeds our customers’ requirements.” Ian McFarlane added: “The scale and wide variety of safe scaffolding required on contracts like these makes Palmers the perfect choice. We have the experience, equipment and excellence to deal with whatever is required – from the early design phases, through erection to striking. This all helps keep these exciting, essential contracts on time and on budget.” q

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HGV-mounted MEWP MOT exemption to be removed [THE UK GOVERNMENT has announced that the current exemption

from annual MOT inspections for HGV-mounted mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs) is to be removed. The announcement was made by Jesse Norman MP, minister for Roads, Local Transport and Devolution. From next May, MEWPs mounted on a heavy goods vehicle-based chassis with a gross vehicle weight up to 44 tonnes will be required to undertake road worthiness inspections at an approved MOT inspection site. This will also affect the requirement for these vehicles to be submitted to Whole Vehicle Type Approval before being registered for the first time. Larger MEWPs, which come under different rules, will continue to be exempt for practical reasons. The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) was one of the key respondents to the initial consultation carried out on the issue, and has also worked in close conjunction with machinery operators, rental companies and other industry bodies including the Construction Plant-Hire Association (CPA) to formulate its response and to vocalise issues and potential problems concerning the proposal and its implementation. During the consultation, operators and owners of lorry-mounted MEWPs pointed out that current technical guidance requires a strict inspection, maintenance and thorough examination regime, which means HGV-mounted access equipment is constantly being assessed and therefore already subject to more stringent testing in terms of safety and roadworthiness than the current HGV MOT regime requires. A number of concerns were raised surrounding the measures. They included the practicality of testing machines annually during a set month – in line with MOT expiry and renewal dates – when in many cases the vehicles will be on-hire and away from home depots, in some cases for months at a time. Moving vehicles off-site to fulfil an annual MOT inspection will be a cause for major expense and inconvenience, and may force often very large vehicles to travel on the highway to a test centre before returning on site to continue with contracted work. There were also concerns that many testing centres will not be able to handle the very largest and heaviest vehicles, some of which have MEWP equipment mounted on board that can extend to 90m in height. Some operators queried whether it may therefore be possible to build in an MOTcompliant roadworthiness certification into their existing regular inspection, maintenance and thorough examination regimes.

Rupert Douglas-Jones, technical and safety officer at IPAF, commented: “We are continuing to work with the Department for Transport to fully interpret the proposed lifting of the MOT exemption for HGV-mounted MEWPs and to minimise the impact for owners and operators of this specialised equipment. As soon as further information is available from the DVSA on the planned approach and timing for bringing these vehicles into testing we will let all UK members know. “The exemption has not been lifted for all categories of HGV-based specialist equipment. There may still be some flexibility in the way these changes are applied and phased in to minimise disruption to normal business operations. We will continue to convey the concerns and suggested solutions IPAF members express when it comes to complying with the revised legislation.” q

Fall from height results in suspended sentence [

A SOLE TRADER from London was given a suspended prison sentence after an employee fell through an unprotected hole in the ground floor of a building he was refurbishing. The worker fell into a basement below and suffered serious head injuries. The investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found failures in health and safety management had led to a number of fall-from-height issues on site, including a lack of sufficient edge protection to prevent workers from falling through the opening in the floor. Speaking after the hearing, on 18 October, HSE inspector Matt Raine said: “Falls from height remain one of the biggest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries. Had the employer in this case implemented adequate control measures to protect the health and safety of his workers, this incident could have been prevented.” q www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Time to rethink tiles? Concrete and slate tiles continue to be a highly popular option due to the high quality ﬁnish that can be achieved. However, there are a number of situations where alternative materials, such as steel tiles, provide the best option. Here, MIKE LEIGH of Decra discusses the factors to consider.

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GALVANISED STEEL TILES, such as the Decra range, combine a steel core with a durable multilayer coating that replicates the look of traditional finishes such as concrete, clay and even wooden shingles in a range of colours. The nature of steel tiles means that despite their increased strength they are up to seven times lighter than clay or concrete alternatives. This has a number of benefits during both installation and throughout the lifespan of the roof. The reduced weight makes the tiles easy to handle on site, allowing for a quicker and potentially safer installation. The lower weight is also a benefit in situations that require the contractor to manage the overall weight of the completed roof on the underlying structure. The Decra system weighs only 6.8kg per m2 compared with anywhere between 55kg and 80kg per m2 for clay tiles. This makes the lightweight steel tiles ideal for Flat to Pitched (FTP) roof conversions. Despite the strengths of a flat roof system there are situations where a flat roof is no longer the best solution. If an existing flat roof has begun to suffer serious degradation it may mean that installing another flat roof system is not a viable option. An FTP conversion allows the roof profile to be re-modelled, which not only enhances the overall aesthetics of the building but can also provide thermal benefits, enhance security and improve surface water drainage. The Icopal FTP system consists of a bespoke, lightweight steel frame, which is made of standard components meaning it is easy to design and construct. By installing such a system with the lightweight Decra tile, a pitched roof can achieve a life expectancy of up to three times that of a flat roof. Another important factor to consider when designing a roof is the conditions that the building will be subjected to. In the past, the installation of roof tiles often relied on a combination of the mortar and the weight of the tile courses to hold them in position. However, the increasingly frequent extreme weather that the UK has seen in recent years has proved that this is not always sufficient. This is the reason why the code of practice for installing traditional roof tiles (BS 5534) was amended and now requires every tile on each course to be mechanically fixed, with additional clips and fixings required on the perimeter tiles. Despite the lower weight, a steel tile system can deliver a more wind resistant option. The interlocking design of the Decra system is designed so that fixings pass through the overlapping nose and tail of the tiles into the roof batten underneath – this process ensures that all tiles are fixed top and bottom to give greater wind uplift resistance. Properties in coastal and exposed areas, such as the Scottish islands, are at particular risk of severe damage from high winds. For example, in November 2015, the Shetland Islands were subjected to 200mph winds and as a result many of the houses with traditionally tiled roofs sustained significant damage. A number of properties had large sections of the roof removed completely by the wind, leaving homeowners exposed to the elements. However, residents of the Hjaltland Housing Association’s ‘Hillock’ scheme (pictured top) did not suffer the same issues thanks to the Decra Classic tiles that had been installed there three years earlier. The

Decra tiles stayed firmly in place and remained undamaged despite the exceptional strength of the wind. The interlocking design also provides the added benefit of increased security and vandalism resistance. Furthermore, products from across the Decra range have been certified in line with the Secured by Design scheme. This can be an important consideration when designing a roof for buildings that are frequently left unattended such as churches and community centres. An example of this is Saint Columba United Reformed Church near Liverpool, where the distinctive steep pitched roof ends just a metre from the ground making it a frequent and easy target for vandals. Following repeated rounds of repairs and maintenance a more permanent solution to the problem was required. As the result of a recommendation from a nearby church, Decra’s Stratos tile was specified. This unusual design, of which there are only five examples in the UK, also demonstrates the versatility of steel tiles. The church, built in 1964, features a roof made up of numerous inverted pyramid shapes that create a pitch of 65 degrees. The Decra Stratos tiles are suitable for applications with a pitch of anything from 12 degrees to vertical making the product ideal for use on the steep roof of the church. Furthermore, steel tiles do not restrict the installer to using the traditional method of overlaying tiles and pinning them in place. Decra’s flexible tiles, which can be contoured to provide a fully interlocking roof covering, were used to overcome the additional challenge presented by the curved rises to the eaves. Finally, for specifiers and contractors who are looking to improve the environmental impact of their developments, a product with eco-active properties should be considered. The launch of Decra Noxite has allowed all the benefits of steel tiles with the added advantage of actively improving air quality. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and Nitric Oxide (NO) are together referred to as NOx, an air pollutant that presents a particular problem in urban areas. NOx is created as a by-product of fuel combustion in car engines and over time can cause serious respiratory illnesses that reduce life expectancy. Decra Noxite neutralises NOx in the air and the resulting harmless particles are simply washed away by rainfall. Liscard Primary School (pictured above), a mixed community school in the Wirral, Merseyside, needed extensive refurbishment of its roof. Taking the opportunity to specify a roof that would also neutralise harmful particles in the air, the school opted for Icopal’s innovative Decra Noxite. In fact, it was the first project worldwide to use the product. When selecting a roofing material it is important that a range of factors are considered to ensure the best possible solution is chosen. Steel tiles such as the Decra range offer a lightweight, easy to install alternative while also fulfilling the need for a robust product that will withstand even the most extreme weather. Furthermore, with durable coatings designed to mimic the appearance of traditional tiles there is no need to compromise on the aesthetics of the completed building. q • To find out more about the Decra range visit www.decra.co.uk. www.constructionnational.co.uk

Structural Concrete Alliance announces 2017 award shortlist

The corrosion at Wolverhampton Civic Centre multi-storey car park (left) and after the repair and protection scheme had been undertaken by Volkerlaser (right)

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THE STRUCTURAL CONCRETE ALLIANCE has shortlisted three projects for the 2017 Structural Concrete Alliance Award for Repair and Refurbishment, with the winner to be announced by former BBC Breakfast host Bill Turnbull, at the Concrete Society Awards Dinner to be held at the Grosvenor Hotel in London on 16th November. The shortlisted projects were chosen from entries received from members of the three trade associations which make up the Structural Concrete Alliance: the Concrete Repair Association (CRA), the Corrosion Prevention Association (CPA) and the Sprayed Concrete Association (SCA). The projects include Volkerlaser Ltd for its repair of Wolverhampton Civic Centre multi-storey car park; Concrete Repairs Ltd for its refurbishment of the Coronation Parade promenade/breakwater in Folkestone; and Freyssinet for its work on the M6 J16-19 Smart Motorway upgrade project.

Wolverhampton Civic Centre – Volkerlaser Ltd Volkerlaser offered an innovative repair and protection scheme for the 40-year-old reinforced concrete Wolverhampton Civic Centre car park, which had been plagued with defects for years, including delaminating concrete decks, spalling and cracking in the soffits and damaged columns. The solution involved the ﬁrst use in the UK of the ‘Zebra’ impressed current (IC) cathodic protection system produced by PROTECTOR from Norway. The Zebra anode system comprises a conductive graphite based paint applied in stripes directly to the prepared deck. Correct current distribution through the anode paint is ensured using PDR titanium ribbons set in shallow chases and the system is covered with a waterbased epoxy cement which acts as an alkaline reservoir for the anode, preventing acidification of the concrete substrate. In 20 weeks, Volkerlaser transformed the site through a range of concrete repairs to the decks and columns, sprayed concrete repairs to the soffits and associated specialist activity including high pressure water jetting, deck waterproofing, coatings and resin injection.

Coronation Parade, Folkestone – Concrete Repairs Limited Concrete Repairs Limited (CRL) worked in challenging conditions to provide extensive sympathetic structural repairs and to install an impressed current cathodic protection system to the Coronation Parade promenade/breakwater in Folkestone. The 1930s structure consists of a series of concrete arches and a promenade with a retaining wall to the rear. It had suffered from impact damage from rocks and from chloride ingress due to the continuous tidal action and sea spray, resulting in corrosion of the steel reinforcement and associated concrete spalling. CRL recommended the installation of a cathodic protection (CP) design, which allowed the anodes to be installed from the top of the structure along the promenade roadway, thus allowing work to continue during high

Concrete Repairs Limited worked in challenging conditions on the refurbishment of Coronation Parade in Folkestone

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LEGAL ISSUES

Are the costs of adjudication recoverable? By STUART THWAITES, legal director at Wright Hassall

[THERE HAS BEEN speculation by some

Freyssinet offered an innovative encasement and encapsulation approach on the M6 J16-19 Smart Motorway upgrade programme tide. The solution used large rock drills mounted on drilling rigs to form the holes for the CP anodes and hydrodem robots to break out the concrete around the reinforcing and prepare the patches for re-instatement. Selection of the correct material was critical to the success of the project. The repair methodology and material had to work within the short time period between tides. After extensive investigation by CRL, a sprayed concrete repair method was chosen using Webercem Spray RS manufactured by Weber. Despite working with winter tidal conditions the structure has been restored to its former glory and is now ready to withstand the harsh conditions for at least a further 75 years.

M6 Smart Motorway upgrade – Freyssinet A concrete repair solution that would not require further intervention for a minimum of five years was required for the multi-million pound M6 J16-19 Smart Motorway upgrade programme. Freyssinet offered an innovative encasement and encapsulation approach utilising flowing concrete and installed an Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICCP) system to overcome remaining chloride contamination. Each complete pier was encapsulated with a full-width single-leaf structure. Above the first lift, individual columns were encased where the original foundations were too weak for the extra weight of complete encapsulation. A highly-workable self-compacting concrete was used for the first time in a vertical pour to deliver the finished structure. The ICCP system included unique technology developed by Freyssinet for use in the Middle East, where new reinforced concrete structures regularly incorporate ICCP in their design. As well as offering corrosion prevention to the new layer of reinforcement, the solution also provides future corrosion protection for the existing reinforcement. Commenting on the shortlist, the judges stated: “The annual Structural Concrete Award aims to identify innovative structural concrete repair and refurbishment solutions that overcome demanding engineering challenges, while advancing technology and understanding. “Choosing the winners was extremely difficult due to the high quality and diversity of the entries. All of the submitted projects demonstrated a high degree of technical ability and innovation, while often working in challenging environmental conditions.” q • For further information visit www.structuralconcretealliance.org.uk

commentators that adjudication costs could be claimed pursuant to the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 (the Late Payment Act). Under the Late Payment Act there is an implied term in a contract that you can recover your reasonable costs of pursuing your debt. This has led some parties to claim such costs in adjudication. In one case, Lulu Construction Limited v Mulalley & Co, the court enforced the decision of an adjudicator who had awarded such costs. Some argued that this showed the courts agreed with such an approach. We took a different view, namely that all the court was doing in that case was enforcing the decision of an adjudicator. The judge was not saying the adjudicator was right. The courts have made clear that adjudicators’ decisions will be enforced even if they are wrong on the facts or the law. A recent decision in the Technology and Construction Court, full details of which are not presently available, has confirmed that such costs are not recoverable, unless already agreed in writing. The case, Enviroflow Management Limited v Redhill Works (Nottingham) Limited, was heard in August 2017. Enviroflow was Redhill’s sub-contractor. Following a dispute in relation to payment, Enviroflow referred the dispute to adjudication. It included a claim for its costs under the Late Payment Act. The adjudicator found in Enviroflow’s favour and ordered Redhill to pay £81,000 plus costs under the Late Payment Act, together with his own fees and expenses. Redhill did not pay, so Enviroflow sought to enforce the decision in the Technology and Construction Court in the usual way. The court enforced that part of the decision relating to payment of the main claim for £81,000 plus interest, but found that the adjudicator did not have jurisdiction to award Enviroflow its costs under the Late Payment Act, and so that part of his decision was unenforceable. The reasoning of the court was that although the Late Payment Act gave a right to claim reasonable costs as an implied term of a contract for recovering monies due, the operation of Section 108A of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act as amended (the Construction Act) meant that there could be no such implied term. A term giving the parties the right to claim costs could only be effective if agreed in writing – not as an implied term. The requirements of the Construction Act therefore took priority over the Late Payment Act. As there was no such agreement in writing, the adjudicator did not have jurisdiction to award costs. This decision provides much needed clarification on the issue. It is in line with the intention that adjudication is meant to be a quick and cost effective dispute resolution mechanism for the construction sector. q • Stuart Thwaites is legal director at Wright Hassall. He can be contacted on stuart.thwaites@wrighthassall.co.uk or 01926 884690. www.constructionnational.co.uk

Expo sees innovations for ground [ THE GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP ASSOCIATION (GSHPA)

has launched two new tools for its members. The first is a groundbreaking and unique real time CO2 calculator, while the second is a revised and user-friendly Environmental Good Practice Guide for Ground Source Heating and Cooling. Both of the new tools were unveiled at the Ground Source Energy Expo 2017 in Stone. The new real time CO 2 calculator, sponsored by Geoscience, is an app displaying the carbon intensity of the UK electricity grid. It is used to calculate CO 2 emissions from ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) using power at that moment. It is updated every half hour and clearly illustrates how much lower carbon emissions are from ground source systems compared to burning fossil fuels. The CO 2 issued by a GSHP powered solely from green electricity is, of course, zero; however, the emissions calculator (pictured) shows the CO 2 issued if a GSHP uses grid electricity. The values for GSHPs using grid electricity have fallen rapidly as grid electricity generation from coal has been largely replaced by gas and generation from renewable power technologies. The second of GSHPA’s launches was The Environmental Good Practice Guide for Ground Source Heating and Cooling. The original version was published in 2011 by the Environment Agency to provide information, advice and guidance to prospective users of ground source energy and their consultants and contractors. It has now been significantly updated by the GSHPA and focuses on good practice for open and closed loop GSHP systems. Copies can be obtained from info@gshp.org.uk. The Ground Source Energy Expo 2017was hosted by the GSHPA and provided a platform to educate, promote and raise awareness of

the significant benefits of ground source heating and cooling. This year’s expo welcomed key players in the sector and was sponsored by MGS and Iftech. The expo comprised a series of informative presentations by key individuals, including a representative from the Environment Agency, followed by industry-specific advice clinics by Ofgem E-Serve and Procure Plus, as well as workshops involving discussions around practical issues and tailored Q&A sessions. The event covered a wide range of subjects, highlighting recent developments in the industry and what makes ground source heating and cooling both a beneficial and viable contender when considering heating and cooling alternatives.

Association reflects the the industry [

THE GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP ASSOCIATION (GSHPA) encourages the growth and development of the ground source energy industry in the United Kingdom by promoting the efficient and sustainable use of ground source heat pumps, developing ground source installation standards and encouraging high standards of training for the industry. It also provides a forum for information exchange and works to raise awareness of the benefits of ground source heat pumps. It acts as a lobbying organisation for the ground source energy industry in matters of local, national and international interest to members and liaises with related organisations. The association provides information on GSHPs via its website at www.gshp.org.uk, and makes presentations to promote the ground source industry to key audiences. It works closely with government and other trade associations and training organisations to work for high-quality installations and the success of the ground source industry. In stressing the benefits of membership for all those with an interest in the technology, the GSHPA states: “The GSHPA becomes

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source industry

GSHPA chairman John Findlay commented: “The expo was a resounding success; both an invaluable day of learning and also a testament to the knowledge and passion of GSHPA members. The real-time CO2 calculator is a sophisticated and insightful tool which brings to life exactly how much of a difference using GSHPs can make in contrast to burning fossil fuels. “GSHPs are a low-carbon heating and cooling technology and becoming rapidly lower all the time. Raising awareness of this can only be positive news for us all! Similarly, the GSHPA felt that it was important to update the Good Practice Guide to create a user-friendly document promoting good practice across closed and open loop GSHP systems. “In the past 12 months we have seen a significant increase in the uptake of this technology, which signals changing times, greater awareness of the advantages of renewable technologies, and underlines GSHPs as the best available means to obtain efficient, long-lived renewable heating and cooling.” He also thanked the main sponsors of the expo: Dragon Drilling, Vaillant and Teckna Group. At the GSHPA AGM, held prior to the expo, Mark Burton from Vaillant and David Jones from Hafod Renewables were welcomed as newly-elected council members. q

growing importance of a stronger voice for lobbying for the industry with each new member who joins. We welcome everyone aiming for high standards who serves the ground source energy industry and wishes to prosper with it, including consultants, suppliers, drillers and trainers as well as installers of ground source energy systems. “We welcome utility companies who supply the electricity that runs heat pumps. They have an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to renewable energy by supporting the high installation standards that the GSHPA promotes. We welcome local authorities who have an opportunity to demonstrate their desire to see new construction projects incorporating green energy technologies.” q www.constructionnational.co.uk

Using BIM to enable a competitive 4D future [

WHEN YOU’RE A relatively small firm operating in a very large market, it’s important to create every advantage you can. For Cheshire based Green Project Management, that means not just a commitment to sustainable and financially viable environmental responsibility, but ensuring that every project is managed to perfection by its small team of employees and associates. Green PM’s environmental philosophy is not the only progressive thing about the company, which has invested to utilise 4D planning even ahead of some far larger construction players. It has chosen Asta Powerproject as its project planning and management platform, along with the Asta Powerproject BIM module, to help it work more efficiently, enhance client communication, deliver on its project commitments and support its efforts to grow the business for a digital construction future.

Making the change Green PM was formerly using MS Project as its planning and project management software but when, in 2016, the company won its largest contract to date, it decided to upgrade to a construction industry standard tool. It chose Asta Powerproject over the alternatives not only from observing its popularity, but on its feature set, including its ability to support 4D planning and widespread use by construction contractors, including a new client. Adopting Asta Powerproject benefited communications and information exchange between Green PM and its client immediately on the new project. The £47.5m contract in question was to project manage a large 8-storey student accommodation project at Godiva Place, Coventry, to be constructed on a brownfield site in the city’s University district, delivering around 770 student bedrooms. Green PM was charged not just with project management, but with using its expertise to assure the safety of ground conditions, oversee air quality and noise constraints, and minimise impact on local infrastructure.

Immediate benefits The project benefits became clear quite quickly. Replacing the original software with Asta Powerproject brought key capabilities, such as the ability to compare current progress

against the baseline of the planned programme, and the ability to create and evaluate different ‘what if’ scenarios. Benefits include the simplicity of display and navigation. The Green PM team has particularly valued the ability to collate multiple models from a single project, and select the breakdown or cross-section of any structure within the project programme, because this gives the client project team a deeper insight into the design. They can now assess designs visually and identify any potential problems directly, some of which would not have been visible on a traditional schedule. It is possible to communicate project progress more visually, by displaying different colours and patterned sections to show items that are on track, ahead of, or behind schedule.

Looking to the future However, what the software enables for the business is equally important. Jonathan Greenhalgh, founder and managing director of Green PM, said: “Asta Powerproject gives us the ability to use 4D planning, which we feel brings a real advantage to us as a small business. We are now able to show clients progress and plans in a new way, demonstrating exactly how the building has progressed throughout the project timescale using exported images and videos.”

These benefits are not only of use on current projects, as he explained: “We believe the software will give us an additional edge when tendering for projects, since we can now give our prospective client a visual representation of how a project may develop.” Investing to build the business for the future is essential to Green PM, especially as the sector undergoes a digital construction transformation. As Jonathan concluded: “BIM and digital construction is the future. To play a role in that future we must continue to invest in the right tools, improve our ability to collaborate, as well as work to secure maximum efficiencies on projects.” q • For further information visit the website at www.elecosoft.com/astapowerproject.

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Wildlife parks attract new generations of nature-lovers – home and away [ IN PREVIOUS FEATURES on new building projects at zoos around

the country we have been able to highlight the continuous development programmes that are in place to keep up with the changing role of zoos. This issue is no different. Primates have been receiving much attention, with new homes for chimpanzees and gibbons at Twycross forming part of a 20-year plan. In Somerset the primates at Tropiquaria had to be rehoused to avoid being disturbed by building work for the new nuclear power station. A number of developments have been carried out by members of that select band of designers and builders who specialise in creating an

environment where visitors can transport themselves to far-flung parts of the world. They include the African savannah – home to giraffes and the fearsome hunting dogs. Those same specialists also create play environments for the naturalists of the future, to engage new generations in conservation at an early age. We end this package of developments with a departure – or rather a homecoming. Alongside a concern for exotic wildlife is a long-held love of our own flora and fauna, exemplified by the numerous nature parks. They, too, incorporate ways of engaging young nature-lovers, sometimes in ways that win awards. q

Badger offers a safe haven in the wild wood BADGER’S WOOD - HOO FARM

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IF YOU’VE EVER HAD a yearning to spend some time in a proper log cabin, where the Canadian red cedar takes your imagination to the Rocky Mountains of North America, then Badger’s Wood at Hoo Farm Animal Kingdom in Shropshire is definitely for you. Surrounded by its own 15 acre forest, Badger’s Wood is 170m2 of handcrafted red cedar that has been constructed at Hoo Farm by the Shropshire-based British Log Cabin company for the holiday let market. “Although we anticipate great demand from families visiting both the farm and the area in general during the school holidays, we have built the cabin as two apartments – each with its own hot tub and barbecue

area – to make it attractive to couples seeking a peaceful retreat during term time, with evening badger watching in the farm’s purpose-built hide as an optional extra,” said the attraction’s owner Edward Dorrell. “We have been very fortunate to find the only company in the UK making this kind of house right on our doorstep and are delighted to bring the Rockies to Shropshire.” Hoo Farm combines a zoo, with animals from the savannah of Africa, with a farm housing both wild and domesticated animals from this country. The farm itself is possibly 200 years old and over the years has been a dairy farm, Christmas tree nursery and award-winning farm attraction. q

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Behind the scenes, practical issues are being addressed

RZSS HIGHLAND WILDLIFE PARK

[VISITORS TO THE many fascinating and valuable zoos around the country can marvel

at the spectacular and imaginatively-designed exhibits and environments devised for the animals to live in, but behind the scenes zoos have to function as practical enterprises – even those run and funded as charities. And that means making it as easy as possible for visitors to buy their tickets and gain entrance to the zoo – a problem recently addressed by Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Highland Wildlife Park in the Cairngorms. Named by the public as the Best Day Out in Scotland at the 2017 Scottish Hospitality Awards, RZSS Highland Wildlife Park has been open to visitors for over 40 years, having been established in 1976. Last year over 136,000 guests were welcomed to view some of the world’s rarest and most endangered animals in naturalistic enclosures. The emphasis at Highland Wildlife Park is species that are native to Scotland and other cold Northern climates. The design of the park as both nature park and zoo – with both drive-through reserves and pedestrian areas with traditional enclosures – means entrance arrangements are more complex. To make access more straightforward they recently installed new ticketing arrangements – away from the actual entrance to ease congestion. For practicality and value a pair of modular structures was the chosen option. The buildings were supplied and erected by specialist manufacturer Lincs Cabins of Sheffield. The company specialises in cabins and portable buildings for a variety of outdoor applications, such as sporting activities. Among other facilities, the new entrance arrangements made things easier for visitors to access the new polar bear-themed playpark. The refurbished park boasts a range of new play equipment for younger children. Daska Mackintosh, head of operations and visitors services at Highland Wildlife Park, said: “The new polar bear playpark is designed for both physical and imaginative play. With a slide, a buddy board, interactive play elements and much more, the park is not only fun but educational. RZSS Highland Wildlife Park is home to Victoria – the only female polar bear in the UK – as well as Walker and Arktos, who are the only male polar bears in Scotland. At four hectares in total, the park devotes more space to polar bears than any other zoological institution in the world. Daska Mackintosh continued: “Our polar bears are one of our main attractions and we hope this new play space will get children involved with their conservation and help educate them on the threats these animals face in the wild – in a fun environment. Providing stimulating outdoor areas such as this is one of the ways we are enhancing our park and we hope that children really enjoy the space.” Designed and installed by playground specialists Wicksteed, the park features icebergs, seals and a polar bear in pride of place, all within view of the polar bear kiosk, allowing parents to keep a watchful eye. q www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Twycross forges ahead with its masterplan TWYCROSS ZOO

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A NEW CHIMPANZEE HABITAT is currently under construction at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire. The zoo’s iconic species will move into a large immersive habitat that encourages natural behaviours, while visitors can look forward to a more engaging way of watching and learning about chimpanzees. Construction of the £2.6m facility started in mid-March. The three-storey building has been purposely designed to suit chimpanzee husbandry needs and will feature both indoor and outdoor areas. Visitors will be taken on a journey through an immersive, jungle-like habitat with glazing and discreet openings, allowing them to discover the animals as they pass through. Dr Sharon Redrobe, CEO of Twycross Zoo, said, “We are extremely excited about this new habitat as many of us, including the animal managers, have spent a lot of time with the architects finalising the design to suit both the needs of the animals and the staff who look after them, as well as providing an exciting experience for visitors. It is thrilling to see the plan now starting to move from paper to reality. This habitat will allow us to provide even better care for our chimpanzees and we hope that they and the visitors will enjoy the new area.” The new habitat will be the second to be built for the zoo’s primates as part of its 20-year

masterplan. Last year saw the opening of Gibbon Forest, an innovative habitat for its wide collection of gibbons. Twycross now has one of the largest gibbon facilities in Europe. Designed to replicate the natural forest environment, Gibbon Forest (pictured) encourages its occupants to display their natural behaviours, which include loud calling, rarely descending to the ground and brachiating (swinging by arms from branch to branch). Visitors get a close view of the gibbons inside the building, while outside they can observe the small apes swinging at breath-taking speeds across four moated islands. The new facility was designed by Weedon Architects and built by RCA Construction, which has an established track record in the sector. Stuart Curran, an associate partner at Weedon Architects, explained some of the design considerations: “As an architect, it is a real challenge to be faced with the prospect of designing facilities for multiple end users, especially when one of them is unable to speak for themselves! Of the utmost importance was creating an environment that provides Twycross Zoo’s gibbon groups with the maximum space and opportunity to exhibit natural behaviour. “The site layout, along with on-going strategic

planting and landscaping, has been designed to benefit both gibbons and visitors by giving a naturalistic habitat for the gibbons while minimising the effect of visitors’ physical presence, allowing for an immersive, but nonintrusive experience.” The team of primate experts working at Twycross Zoo played a key role in informing the design of Gibbon Forest and their specialist knowledge and experience continues to ensure the highest standards of animal welfare. Special features adapted for the animals include a steel mesh ceiling from which keepers can feed the gibbons, encouraging their natural behaviour of finding food high in the tree tops. Each of the building's four pods – one for each of the gibbon species – has a special bio-floor made of composting mulch. Properly maintained, this mulched floor will act like a natural soil and as it biodegrades will generate high humidity levels, which are beneficial for the gibbons. Primate team leader Tony Dobbs confirmed that the gibbons love their new habitat: “The gibbons are comfortable in their new home and fully exploit the increased space and height that is available. We have definitely seen a huge increase in activity levels, development of muscle tone and body condition and a host of other improvements that you would expect to see from animals that are now considerably more active and displaying more of their natural behaviours.” Among the other developments at Twycross Zoo in the past couple of years was the opening of Giraffe Savannah, heralding the return of giraffes to the zoo. That facility was also built by RCA Construction. The Leeds-based company, which is part of the Rawlings Group, says of its zoo work: “For most, zoological buildings may present challenges of the unknown. For RCA Construction zoological work provides diversity to our portfolio. From long-neck giraffes to playful gibbons, our enclosures provide the perfect home for our animal friends.” q www.constructionnational.co.uk

Expert designs for close encounters with apes – and for your little monkeys! [WHEN IT COMES to the design and

build of animal features for zoos and wildlife parks, creating enclosures and habitats that provide animals with a safe and stimulating environment is an essential consideration for the team at Greenspan Projects Ltd – along with the importance of a positive, immersive visitor experience. The Hampshire-based company have a wealth of experience in working with zoos and wildlife parks across the UK, enabling them to deploy their design and build expertise to create fantastic animal habitats and enclosures and amazing visitor viewing areas and attractions. The recent project at Twycross Zoo involved the theming and design of a gibbon viewing area. The brief was to create an authentic, themed visitor experience that provided excellent views of the gibbons. Greenspan’s in-house design and planning experts created a fantastic ‘walkthrough’ experience enabling visitors to view the gibbons up close, while feeling as if they are actually in an East Asian landscape. Themed primarily with bamboo – a widelyavailable, economical resource; but more importantly, a sustainably-sourced product – the area they created offers a unique and authentic visitor experience. The environment was softened with thatched roofs and twining silky tropical ivy and vine, embellished with natural forest sound effects to provide an exciting and stimulating experience. In recent months Greenspan Projects have also had the pleasure of working with Yorkshire Wildlife Park. The brief was to redevelop their Forest Adventure play area to rival the height of the existing, dated play structure, while drawing inspiration from the nearby ‘islands’ species. The result is a fantastic timber play area with soaring treetop towers, set neatly within the beautiful, natural woodland landscape. Inspired by the nearby lemur enclosure,

The fantastic ‘walkthrough’ experience at Twycross Zoo – Image courtesy of Lucy Ray children can explore exciting jungle shacks and huts. They can then venture upwards onto the striking, tall wooden towers and platforms, which offer a bird’s eye view of the Yorkshire forest. A variety of components and connections encourage young explorers to journey upwards and along the trail, enticed by the opportunity to whizz back down to the forest floor via a number of long tube slides. The nearby ground-level timber trail provides further opportunity for children to challenge their physical senses with a variety of climbing and balancing features, allowing them to experience the forest in true explorer style. The bespoke timber playscape encourages the children to venture further and higher than they have ever done before – ultimately giving them a wonderful sense of exhilaration and achievement.

The redeveloped Forest Adventure play area at Yorkshire Wildlife Park

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The playscape is set in a large, relatively open forest area, allowing families to enjoy the experience together. The children are never far from an adult’s view, and when it’s time for a rest there are plenty of places to sit and enjoy a picnic together. The scale of the playscape is quite astonishing; but it remains very much in keeping with the surrounding woodland landscape, with the natural timbers providing an authentic, rustic feel. Its eye-catching and attractive design is sure to make a positive imprint on the memory of the young explorers, drawing them back time and again to experience even more fun – and to venture that bit further next time around! Conservation is high on Yorkshire Wildlife Park’s agenda – and so it is on Greenspan’s, too. That’s why the timber playscape was built from FSC-approved Robinia hardwood, offering a long-lasting structure sourced from sustainable resources. Greenspan’s specialist in-house design and build team worked closely with Yorkshire Wildlife Park to develop the amazing timber playscape, ensuring that the design offers a fully-immersive experience with maximum play value. From the initial concept sketch stage, through 3D rendering and detailed structural planning, to finally enabling the skilled craftsmen to get on site and build, Greenspan meticulously managed the project to create what has proven to be a fabulous addition to the wildlife park. q • Visit www.greenspanltd.com or call a member of the team on 02380 476737.

Dog pack finds a new home in the country AFRICAN HUNTING DOG ENCLOSURE - ZSL WHIPSNADE ZOO

[IN THE SPRING London was the scene of an extraordinary migration when a

five-strong group of endangered African hunting dogs set off from the capital into the Bedfordshire countryside. The canines, also known as painted dogs, relocated from ZSL London Zoo to a brand new 8,500m2 enclosure at ZSL’s Whipsnade Zoo – the UK’s largest zoo – to form an exciting addition to the 200 species that already call Whipsnade their home. Hunting dogs are famed for their large ears, sociable nature and the incredible stamina that makes them one of the most successful predators in the world. The new exhibit features a den for the dogs to snooze in – set within a huge outdoor paddock – and a zip-line for keepers to use as a feeding tool for the dogs, which will encourage their instinctive hunting behaviour. The fascinating animals can be observed from an impressive raised viewing platform constructed by specialist visitor experience creators Greenspan. At around 15m long and 4m wide, the structure is big enough to accommodate a full class of children. It is constructed from responsibly-sourced timber. The frame is made up of timber posts, with a themed palisaded front of chestnut, giving it the appearance of a classic lodge in the African plains. Even the floor is made of Millboard – a composite material crafted to look as if it has been there for many years. The roof is constructed from artificial thatch, which will give many years of wear. The dogs are viewed through a glass panel, which has been constructed in such a way as to dispense with a top rail. As Roger Holmes of Greenspan explained, many viewing areas have rails which are positioned in a way that obstructs the view of people in wheelchairs. The design of the hunting dogs viewing platform allows an uninterrupted view for both wheelchair users and children in push-chairs. The whole structure was completed in around three weeks: on time and to budget. The result is a simple but effective structure that takes viewers on a metaphorical journey to the African environment of the painted dogs. It also fits in with the environmental credentials of both ZSL and Greenspan themselves, with FSCaccredited timber used in its construction. African hunting dogs are classified as ‘endangered’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. Threats such as habitat fragmentation and human/wildlife conflict with farmers have led to a decline in their wild populations. The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) runs the only Africa-wide conservation programme for the species and works throughout Africa to help hunting dogs and people to share the same landscapes. Said keeper Steve White: “We’re incredibly excited to welcome this group of hunting dogs to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, and to be able to share with our visitors the work ZSL is doing around the world to protect this endangered species. “They are an incredibly social species and live in tightly-knit packs. They work together on everything from hunting prey to defending territory and raising their pups. Visitors to Whipsnade can witness these fascinating traits – as well as spotting the species’ huge, character-defining pair of ears – from an incredible vantage point that looks out across the dogs’ paddock.” ZSL’s senior research fellow and co-ordinator of the African Wild Dog Working Group, Professor Rosie Woodroffe, said: “We estimate that fewer than 700 packs of African hunting dogs remain in the wild, making them one of the world’s most endangered carnivores.” A feature of the enclosure is a ‘mosaic’ of the hunting dogs set in the perimeter fence. It was made by the Hackney Mosaic Project, which aims to help people with addiction and mental health problems by involving them in the creation of large mosaics. It is not a true mosaic, but a pixelated image made up of ‘put-in’ cups – plastic squares imported from America that are designed to decorate chain link fences. They are usually used on sports grounds to advertise the team names but at Whipsnade they advertise ‘Team Dog’. q www.constructionnational.co.uk

Whatever the attraction, these experts can help experience it

Concept sketch for an indoor British woodland-themed playscape

[Creating exciting viewing areas for

visitors to leading zoos – such as the gibbon enclosure at Twycross and the African hunting dogs paddock at Whipsnade – is just one string to Greenspan Projects Ltd’s bow. They are also past masters at delivering creative design and build solutions in the education, early years, leisure and tourism sectors. Just some of the amazing, large-scale projects

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CBeebies Boj-themed multi-sensory play area at West Midland Safari Park

that the Hampshire-based company have had the privilege of working on recently include: • Regenerating an old barn into a wonderful, indoor British woodland-themed playscape in Northamptonshire • Recreating a local village as a bespoke wooden indoor play area in Staffordshire • Creating a fantastic 36-hole indoor golf attraction in Cheltenham

• A CBeebies Boj-themed multi-sensory play area at the West Midland Safari Park in Worcestershire Established in 1976, Greenspan pride themselves in being a forward-thinking, market-focused company whose expert, inhouse design and build team can help turn any visitor attraction’s next vision into a reality. q

Nocturnal animals are on view when day becomes night TROPIQUARIA ZOO

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IN MARCH the Tropiquaria Zoo in Watchet, Somerset, opened its latest attraction. The new nocturnal house was completed just in time for the annual Grandparents’ Weekend – and was an instant hit with visitors. The idea for the nocturnal house came last year when the curator of the Washford Radio Museum announced that he was moving his radio collection from Tropiquaria to new premises in a former public house in the centre of Watchet, creating space for a new exhibit. Tropiquaria’s zoological director Chris Moiser said: “I had always wanted to have a nocturnal house; and having seen some interesting ones in other zoos over the years, thought that I could bring together some of the better ideas – and hopefully not make some of the mistakes that certain other zoos had made. The only problem is that we didn’t have much money to spend on it. However, that was a challenge rather than a reason not to proceed.” In the end several windows were donated by Watchet Glass, which they had taken out when reglazing local properties. Another Somerset window company, Alder Windows and Doors in Minehead, supplied several more, while West Country building suppliers CRS supplied the timber at a ‘very competitive’ price. Most of the actual building work was carried out

by the versatile Chris Moiser himself, assisted by the Tropiquaria staff, who in the main donated the time pro bono. The structure (pictured above) involved over 1,000ft of 9 inch by 2 inch planking, six sheets of plywood, 15 windows, 12 doors and over 3,000 screws. Many of the screws and hinges were donated from the Endangered Madagascar collection in Bath when that closed down a few years ago. Said Chris: “We now have seven cages of various sizes in there, with red light on during the day because most mammals do not see red very well compared to humans. We then put on white light at night and effectively reverse day and night for

The new home for Tropiquaria’s tamarins, lemurs and gibbons

these animals. This means that our visitors can see them during ordinary visiting hours.” Some of the animals in the Nocturnal House are from Tropiquaria’s existing collection, but the zoo has also acquired a pair of kinkajous and some sugar gliders for the first time. Chris continued: “All seem to be settling in well and in the first week of opening many of the regular season ticket holders were seeing animals that they had not seen before.” Another of Tropiquaria’s developments also attracted attention when the new home for the zoo’s lemurs, gibbons and tamarins was constructed with funding from the Hinkley Point C Community Impact Mitigation Fund. The multimillion-pound fund was set up to mitigate the effect that the mammoth project to build the new nuclear power station would have on local communities. That included the creation of a park-and-ride scheme for construction workers on the project at the Tropiquaria roundabout in Watchet. The site was close to the primates’ former home and funding was made available to move them to a quieter part of the zoo where they would not be caused distress. The new enclosures were constructed by Somerset-based specialists Panthera Construction. q

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Triple celebration marks developments at nature reserve

PENSTHORPE NATURAL PARK

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A NATURE RESERVE in North Norfolk is buzzing with excitement following a series of awards and achievements. Pensthorpe Natural Park, near Fakenham, is a 660-acre reserve centred on the River Wensum, one of the most important chalk rivers in Southern England and which has Special Area of Conservation status. The park combines stunning areas of wetland, gardens, meadows, farmland and a conservation centre. The conservation centre is administered by Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, which is busy expanding its range of activities. It has specific programmes to support cranes, corncrakes and turtle doves through its nationally-acclaimed Actively Saving Species project. It is also dedicated to reintroducing breeding populations of red squirrels across the country. Pensthorpe Natural Park also has nature-themed indoor and outdoor adventure play areas, designed to inspire and engage the next generation of nature lovers and conservationists. Its latest project is a new bird hide, which is being constructed with the aid of a £53,500 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The interactive classroom hide will be big enough to accommodate a full class of children, with signage boards to help them interpret what they are seeing and an exciting pond-dipping facility.

Reserve manager Richard Spowage said: “We’re delighted that the HLF has recognised the importance of what we are doing – and we are thrilled that members of the public will soon be able to see what has been achieved. It will be the first time in 10 years that we have been able to open up a new part of the 660-acre Pensthorpe Estate to visitors.” The hide forms part of a broader learning facility being created at the reserve. Richard Spowage explained: “The river learning facility is the final piece of a jigsaw which has seen us restore a 3km stretch of the River Wensum to its natural splendour, worthy of the highest level international protection status the river now enjoys. It is teeming with an abundance of native British wildlife.” The restoration has been carried out away from public gaze…until now. “The truly exciting thing is that the funding helps provide a window through which we will soon be able to share the fruits of our labours. Visitors will be able to enjoy state-of-the-art viewing facilities, within a carefully controlled setting,” said Richard. “We want people to experience the real ‘wow’ factor this stretch of the Wensum has to offer. The beauty of this development is that we can achieve that without infringing on or damaging the sensitivity of the river environment.” The new grant-aided hide and pond-dipping amenities, situated near the reed beds, will be accessible to all visitors, including those with reduced mobility. Earlier in the year Pensthorpe had a double celebration when a project to transform existing cottages and create a new indoor play area scooped a regional LABC Building Excellence Award and a national award from the Rural and Industrial Design and Building Association (RIDBA). The Hootz House play barn was named best Recreation and Leisure Project of the Year by the RIDBA in February. The bespoke framework for the innovative project was constructed by steel-frame specialists A C Bacon Engineering in conjunction with primary contractor Bunting and Son. The £1m structure is a nature-themed indoor play area and was designed by Adam Khan Architects to inspire and engage the next generation of nature lovers and conservationists, teaching them to care for the environment. Pensthorpe’s new bird hide is being constructed with the aid of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant www.constructionnational.co.uk

Pensthorpe Natural Park’s commercial director Drew Payne (left) and owner Deb Jordan receive their latest award from Peter Wearmouth, district building control surveyor at North Norfolk District Council. Hootz House images courtesy of Paul Brittain Built from sustainably-sourced timber, the cladding of Hootz House is perforated with holes to create a habitat for bird and insect life. RIDBA judges praised Hootz House for its excellent attention to detail and dedicated craftsmanship within its rural wildlife centre setting. Pensthorpe’s commercial director Drew Payne said: “We’re delighted that Hootz House is being recognised for its groundbreaking design and quality build. We wanted to develop a truly unique environment for both children and adults that would inspire and allow them to explore and enjoy this wonderful space together.” Hootz House is part of a larger project that also involves the conversion of five Grade Two-listed former farm workers’ cottages into commercial premises. Five Cottages houses the Pensthorpe Natural Park and Pensthorpe Conservation Trust offices, together with light and airy meeting and conference rooms and a new garden room and water court, providing a perfect event, conference and wedding venue that enjoys beautiful views across the lakes and beyond. It also houses Creative Chiropractic, which offers chiropractic care, sports and therapeutic massage, reflexology and rehabilitation therapy, as well as Verbatim, which offers psycho-therapeutic

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services, education assessments, consultancy and training. The cottages (pictured below) – parts of which date back to the 18th century – were home to the BBC Springwatch series from 2008 to 2010. In June the Five Cottages and Hootz House project won the award for Best Inclusive Building in the East Anglia region of the LABC Building Excellence Awards. The project team will head off to London on 10 November for the National Finals of the competition. q

Gulliver’s: a world away

from ordinary theme parks [ THE WORLD OF theme parks

is one that is constantly evolving, with new developments and rides coming on stream on a regular basis. And one of the best-known and popular chains is Gulliver’s. Gulliver’s currently operates three UK family theme parks: Gulliver’s World at Warrington, Gulliver’s Land at Milton Keynes and Gulliver’s Kingdom at Matlock Bath. It is a British family company with a proud 40-year history of designing, building and operating successful family entertainment venues. Today Gulliver’s ranks among the top three independent visitor attractions in the UK and specialises in providing entertainment for the whole family. As the company itself says, finding fun days out for both toddlers and older children can be a tricky business, but Gulliver’s is unique in that it is specially designed for families with children aged from two to 13. It all began in Matlock Bath more than 35 years ago, when Ray Phillips built a model village for his children, which soon expanded into a tourist attraction for other visitors to enjoy. The Phillips family are still just as hands-on today in running their thriving family theme parks and the company is still headquartered in the Derbyshire town. Gulliver’s Kingdom is set on a stunning hillside, the fabulous Matlock Bath location giving extra adventure, added adrenaline and fabulous views all thrown in for free. The location makes for a unique theme park experience, adding an extra dimension to ride thrills. At an altitude of 629ft – overlooking a valley some 300ft below – there isn’t another log flume in Europe with views like it. The latest series of attractions builds on the popularity of NERF guns among children and enables them to engage in their own junior version of paintballing. NERF Zone is home to action-packed indoor sessions where children aged six and above can put their NERF skills to the ultimate test. At the Warrington site that concept has now gone one stage further with the introduction of a Bazooka Ball installation. Gulliver’s sites are major construction projects, offering more than just a day out. From one-night sleepover to week-long breaks, their accommodation is designed for families. The Gulliver’s Hotel at Warrington and the Adventurers Village at Milton Keynes both offer flexible and affordable options with a range of accommodation styles, while Explorers Retreat at Gulliver’s Kingdom offers swashbuckling pirate cabins or enchanting princess and wizard family suites. The future promises to deliver even more construction activity, with plans to add a fourth park in Rotherham – Gulliver’s Valley. In February the company got the planning go-ahead for the resort to be built on the 250-acre former Pithouse West colliery site in the

Rother Valley. The new development (above) will bring hundreds of jobs to the region. When complete the new resort will include a theme park, woodland adventure centre, ecology and education centre, woodland lodges, a hotel and holiday village. It will also contain Gully’s Dream Village – a community where children with life threatening illnesses can be given the chance to enjoy cost-free respite in a magical environment. Managing director Julie Dalton said: “After a good two years of hard work, it’s absolutely wonderful to know that our vision for Gulliver’s fourth UK theme park is going to become a reality. We’re all absolutely delighted. It’s incredibly satisfying that local councillors voted unanimously in favour of our proposals. This is an exciting time in Gulliver’s history.” q

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Historic harbourside building is now home to local businesses [

THE RESTORATION of the historic Jennings Building on the seafront at Porthcawl in South Wales has been marked by an official opening. The prominent Grade Two-listed building, which had lain derelict for several years, has been transformed by South Walesbased developers ABA Holdings after Bridgend County Borough Council granted them a longterm lease on the property. ABA Holdings have invested £2.5m in the project, which was carried out by DS Properties (Pontypridd) Ltd, overseen by Ellis Williams Architects. Support came from Finance Wales and Townscape Heritage Initiative funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Cadw via Bridgend Council. The Jennings Building is widely considered to be one of the few remaining early dockside warehouse buildings from its era in South Wales. Built in 1832, it was constructed as the southern terminus of the Dyffryn Llynfi Porthcawl horsedrawn tram road, which was used to transport iron and coal from the Llynfi Valley. More recently it was used as an indoor skatepark. With its picturesque location next to Porthcawl Marina, the redeveloped Jennings Building now

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contains three food and drink businesses on the ground floor. The first, a Coffi Co Lounge, opened in June before being joined by a pizzeria and a restaurant. The 5,000 sq ft Harbour Bar & Grill is a theatre-style kitchen bar and restaurant. Double

Zero Pizzas occupies the third ground-ﬂoor unit. Coffi Co – a local South Wales success story – will also be serving from the former Customs House building, which is situated between the Jennings Building and the Old

Pilot’s Lookout Tower. Both building have also been recently restored. The final stage of the restoration has seen the upper level of the building feature 14 ‘livework’ units with loft bedrooms that will enable occupants to live and work on site. Bridgend Assembly Member Carwyn Jones joined senior members of Bridgend County Borough Council, ABA Holdings, business owners, and representatives from funding bodies to celebrate the iconic building being brought back to life. Cllr Huw David, Council Leader, declared: “ABA Holdings purchased the building with a proposal for a sympathetic development that respected the rich history of the Jennings Building, while ensuring that it could also be brought back into popular public use. You only have to look around the building to see that they have succeeded in this aim, and I am delighted that we have been able to support their superb efforts through the Townscape Heritage Initiative. “I have been particularly impressed by the inclusion of new first-floor units where people can both live and work on site. That’s a unique first for the county borough and is an inspired move that has enriched the overall potential of the building.” Simon Baston, director of ABA Holdings, commented: “We are extremely proud of this project and I would like to thank everyone who has been involved as it has been a real collaborative effort. The people of Porthcawl have been really supportive and it has been a pleasure to restore such a fantastic building next to one of

the most photographed lighthouses in the world. “Through all of our ventures we are keen to support entrepreneurship and we deliberately wanted local businesses to be based at the Jennings Building – rather than chains that you can find anywhere – so that it has a unique identity. We are proud that this is the case, and are looking forward to the first businesses moving into the live-work units on the first floor soon.” The renovation has included recovering the roof with the original slates, stone-cleaning on the main elevations and re-pointing with lime mortar. The south elevation has been over-clad with a rainscreen of vertically hung slate as protection, because of the exposed position of the building. The original window positions on the east elevation have been opened up at ground-floor level to provide doors onto the harbourside. The original large opening to the south has been fitted with full height glazing with a view to the sea.

The existing chimneys have been refurbished and two new chimneys have been added in order to service the restaurants. The original mezzanine floor has been replaced with a complete first-floor structure, with the insertion of new internal divisions to provide the live-work units with mezzanine bedroom levels within the existing roof trusses. In the main restaurant a full-height atrium space has been retained in order to reflect the original building form. Speaking at the official opening, Carwyn Jones said: “It’s incredible to see the work that has been done to retain the building’s character and provide somewhere that people can live, work and socialise. I’d like to wish the best of luck to all of the businesses that are going to be based here, and I’m sure that this development can help to kick-start other exciting projects in Porthcawl.” q

Restoring Glamorgan’s heritage is stonemason’s passion [ONE OF THE FIRMS that were on board with main contractor

DS Properties in the early planning stages of the Jennings Building restoration was Penarth Stone Masonry. They designed and supplied sills to match the existing Forest of Dean sandstone sills, and sourced, matched and fitted all the brick heads to match the existing pieces, working closely with the local council. They cut out and restored all the stonework, achieving its original colour and pointing by using photographs of the Jennings Building in all its original glory. Said director Jon Denning: “Our aim was to recycle as much of the existing materials as we could in order to have as few changes as possible to the original build. We endeavour where we can to re-use

existing stonework to keep the original appearance of the building.” Penarth Stone Masonry is a local company, founded in 1990, that uses time-served stonemasons. The company has a keen interest in the restoration and regeneration of buildings in the Vale of Glamorgan – hopefully helping to bring more jobs and visitors to the area. They have carried out work for CADW, Lang O’Rourke and Balfour Beatty, as well as having an established relationship with DS Properties. Said Jon: “We have worked with DS Properties for many years and have had a very successful working relationship in restoring local landmarks, such as The Tram Shed in Grangetown and Albert Road Church in Penarth, to their original beauty.” q www.constructionnational.co.uk

Homes group leads the way in

WELLBURN CARE HOMES

[WHEN HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM Steve Buckland and Rachel

Beckett took over the running of care home group Wellburn from Rachel’s father they were just the team to oversee a programme of refurbishment. Rachel had acquired an international reputation as an interior designer. When that was added to Steve’s background in the building trade they were well set to bring the group of 14 homes right up to the cutting edge of care provision. The group was founded just 30 years ago and enjoyed a period of sustained expansion, resulting in an impressive assemblage of homes across the North East of England. Equally impressive was their reputation for the quality of care they provided. However, as with any home, a periodic redecoration was in order, so the couple began to put their collective skills to good use and embarked on a major investment programme. The programme began last year, appropriately at Wellburn House in Ovingham, Northumberland – the home that began it all three decades ago.

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cutting-edge care provision

Earlier this year work was completed on the 46-bed Eighton Lodge in – with the consent of residents and their families. A protected screen is monitored within the office, which can be activated by the system if Gateshead (main photo and above), the second in the programme. The sound above a certain level is detected. Where a resident does not wish magnificent late Victorian country house, set in 1.5 acres of its own grounds to be monitored in this way, their room is simply disconnected from the opposite the famed Angel of the North, was fully refurbished. All areas were system. It is hoped the system can be rolled out if the trial is successful. completely stripped back to allow for new wiring, new floors and ceilings, As for the future, it’s onwards and upwards. The couple hope to have and new lighting. All fixtures and fittings were also replaced. half of the homes refurbished in the next couple of years, with the rest The refurbished Eighton Lodge has now been chosen as the start point following suit soon after. After that it will probably be a case of the of the group’s ‘30 Day Road Trip’ to celebrate its 30th anniversary. There Forth Bridge, with periodic redecorating. Attention will also be turned to will be a fundraising fireworks party on 3 November in aid of St Oswald’s further expansion. q Hospice in nearby Gosforth. Currently undergoing refurbishment is Glenholme House in Sunderland. One of the major changes is a restructuring of the home’s offering, incorporating what had been a day centre into the home, creating four extra bedrooms, a new office space and a new lounge to accommodate a smaller day centre. One of the major innovations of the refurbishment programme has been the introduction of acoustic monitoring of residents during the night. By monitoring the sounds made by residents the need to wake them has been reduced, resulting in better sleep patterns and greater alertness during the day. The system also leads to fewer falls. At Glenholme House the acoustic monitoring is set to be taken a stage further. A system Glenholme House in Sunderland is currently being refurbished is being trialled where it is linked to CCTV

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Modular quality comes of age MATTHEW GOFF, director of UK operations at Actavo | Building Solutions, looks at the question of quality in modular construction – a technology which is now a mainstream solution for many private and public developments.

[THE GROWING ACCEPTANCE of offsite

building methods continues apace, and this can be attributed to the recognition by government bodies of modular’s multiple benefits. Examples of this over recent months include Actavo | Building Solutions’ inclusion on the £750 million NHS modular framework and on Hampshire County Council’s Southern Modular Building framework. Modular construction has been identified as the preferred method of procuring works that are delivered quickly, cost-effectively, on time and on budget. As a relatively new way of working, offsite construction has come of age. It is now accepted that it can deliver higher standards in every dimension – quality control, environmental performance, certification and insurance recognition. A key advantage that modular building has over bricks and mortar is the degree of control afforded by the manufacturing process. Compare this to the situation on a traditionally-built development, where consistent levels of control over every element of the build programme are difficult to achieve. The production line techniques employed in modular construction enable quality control management systems to be applied and adhered to, because production is taking place in a controlled environment. Actavo, for example, is accredited to ISO 9001:2008, which requires a robust quality management system to provide a structured

A bespoke modular, sixth-form block at Tonbridge Grammar School, Kent by Actavo | Building Solutions

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framework for managing processes, resources and business activities. Since April 2016, it has been a government requirement for all public sector building projects to be compliant with BIM. Integrated into modular construction, this assists with clash detection, improves manufacturing and uniform buildings lacking visual appeal. The procurement accuracy and provides clients opposite is, in fact, true. Bespoke modular with 3D designs, visualisations and more buildings can be as individual as their bricks accurate maintenance data. and mortar ‘cousins’ and complement their BIM Level 2 – which Actavo complies with surroundings just as elegantly. – complements lean manufacturing practices, The many facets to the edge modular resulting in high-quality buildings being buildings have on old-fashioned methods – designed, engineered and assembled offsite, sustainability, design flexibility, speed of build, resulting in minimal site works. Potential minimal onsite disruption, time and cost issues are detected and resolved prior to certainty, cost-effectiveness – are all dwarfed start of manufacture, rather than having to by what clients really value, namely quality. be rectified in situ – a key benefit of preconstruction clash detection and the design, build and production interface. Modular techniques also lend themselves to high levels of sustainability performance, such as BREEAM, Passivhaus and AECB. Every stage of the production line in modular construction is subject to stringent quality checks. Final inspection prior to despatch from the factory generates a quality inspection report and affirms that all additional components – such as the relevant fixing bolts and flashings – accompany each unit. Onsite, foundation assemblies are checked for accuracy and, once installed, units are again checked for quality. Assembling onsite is then focused on a simple but Actavo | Building Solutions provided this 24-bed extension with tightly-controlled programme. administrative hub and two separate wings at North Walsham To mimic this in a traditional Hospital, North Norfolk building environment would The repeatability of delivering high-quality entail continuous surveillance. buildings, time after time, means modular is Offsite construction works towards a ‘zero set to become the norm. defects’ conclusion and enables defined stages Such is Actavo’s confidence in – and, of inspection. Supply chain partners and indeed, current success with – modular sub-contractors are enveloped in the quality construction, that in the coming weeks the management system, and so are subject to company will be announcing a significant thorough checks to ensure that the finished expansion of its UK operations to serve the product surpasses the drawing board vision. construction, education, healthcare, rail, One final aspect of modular construction defence, accommodation and commercial that should be considered is the overall sectors. q aesthetic of the completed building. When talking about production line techniques, • For further information visit www.actavo.com. it is all too easy to conjure up a picture of

Safety body launches plant ‘unintended movement’ guidance [

THE Strategic Forum Plant Safety Group (SFPSG) has released a new publication on plant safety Reducing Unintended Movement of Plant: Managing Exposure to Consequential Risks. Unintended movement of plant machinery occurs when the inadvertent operation of a control such as a switch, lever or pedal occurs, causing machine movement which can lead to serious injuries and fatalities. The publication of a HSE-commissioned report in 2014 on inadvertent operation of controls on excavators supported the notion that users of plant need to be made aware of the hazards and what control measures should be taken to mitigate consequential risks. A task-specific working group consisting of a range of employers, trade bodies, manufacturers and training organisations, together with HSE, identified three main causes of inadvertent operation: • The operator unknowingly activates a control lever • The operator intentionally activates a control lever but an unexpected • result occurs • The operator or another person bypasses or defeats a safety system Topics covered in the guidance include the planning of the task and the selection of plant, the attributes of personnel – together with supervision and training requirements – and control of working zones, including communication with those in them. The guidance also covers the types of operating controls and means

of isolating them, the selection and fitting of additional control measures – including clothing specifications – and the checks, inspections and maintenance requirements associated with them. The SFPSG is administered by the Construction Plant Association, whose director Kevin Minton said: “If construction plant moves unexpectedly, then anyone close to it is at risk of being seriously injured or killed. This new publication gives guidance on a range of control measures to prevent that happening. “Drivers, people working near plant, supervisors and contractors all have a part to play. We urge all those in the construction sector and those involved with the operation of plant and machinery to implement the many recommendations in order to maintain safe plant activities.” A large number of case studies of actual incidents have been documented in the guidance, with an analysis of the causes, consequences and outcomes of each. That emphasises how incidents have occurred and how they could have been prevented. The group additionally recognised that mechanical malfunctions have the potential to cause inadvertent or partial operation, but agreed that that subject area would not form part of the guidance – it being a maintenance issue. q • The publication is available to download free from the CPA website at www.cpa.uk.net/sfpsgpublications

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Top benefits of the Cygnus wireless alarm system [

FALSE ALARMS and unwanted fire signals can be costly on any project and can also lead to complacency in those needing to respond. However, installing a wireless fire alarm can have huge benefits for construction sites, and will ultimately ensure workers are protected on site. A major innovation in wireless emergency fire, first aid and intruder alarms for construction sites, the Cygnus radio module – manufactured by Bull Products – has been designed for specific use on sites where changing conditions and environments demand a far higher performance from the radio than that found in standard wireless linked fire systems. The top five features and benefits of the system are: • Suitable for large scale developments, the Cygnus system is able to link 480 individual units in 15 different zones, making it ideal for complex projects whilst providing a costeffective and efficient solution for businesses. • The optional control panel provides a very sophisticated capability with an event log function which records events such as an alarm activation, low battery warning and signal faults – all of which can be viewed in the history folder held on the panel. • Cygnus interfaces with other systems to ensure a complete safety solution. Examples include turnstiles, lifts, door release and monitoring systems. This provides a reliable system and a solution for every site, no matter what the requirements. • Any of the Cygnus system modules – such as fire alarm call points, smoke detectors, heat detectors and first aid call points – can be specified with the PIR option so that whenever an intruder is detected by the PIR sensors, an alert is sent to personnel off-site, increasing the safety protection offered. • The Cygnus system can be used on multiple sites within close range of each other as it operates on unique site addresses. This allows for the use of multiple systems on one site, providing a cost-saving, reliable solution which can be used time and time again.

The Cygnus wireless alarm system is CE compliant and connects on a category 1 radio frequency. It is made up of various devices, including fire alarm call points, heat and smoke detectors, first aid alert points and an optional control panel, which captures and displays data from the different devices for quick and easy identification of emergency situations. Rigorously tested to offer the ultimate in performance and reliability, the Cygnus system has raised the bar in the industry, and is the most successful and adaptable temporary fire alarm system for use on construction sites. q • For further information about the Cygnus range visit the website at www.cygnusalarms.com and for more information about Bull Products visit www.bullproducts.co.uk

Bull enhance Fire 360° service with risk report system [

BULL PRODUCTS, manufacturers of life-saving fire protection equipment, has enhanced its Fire 360° service with the addition of a full risk report system to protect businesses to the highest health and safety standards. Bull’s Fire 360° service is a 12-step plan designed to provide companies with an effective and comprehensive fire strategy. As part of the service, Bull can now provide customers with a risk report, which will detail every single risk and hazard posed ahead of work on a construction site. The report considers factors such as the site address, whether it’s a listed building, how many storeys the building has, and the level of security on site overnight. Using data compiled by the Fire Protection Association’s Business and Property Protection Portal, the 20-page detailed report assesses the risk of fires and floods, along with the average costs to businesses if a fire or flood was to break out.

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The report also identifies the average response time for emergency services to arrive on site, and the level of criminal damage and robbery within that particular postcode. Additionally, the report offers detailed product guidelines so that businesses are confident they have the correct equipment on site. Bradley Markham, director at Bull Products, said: “Before work is carried out on any construction site, there are a number of potential risks to consider which can affect the health and safety of both workers and the general public. Our risk report system will ensure companies have the right fire protection equipment in place so that they are prepared for any given situation during the construction phase. “We’re delighted to have developed our Fire 360° service, which includes the risk report to ensure customers have everything they need to protect their site and ensure safety remains a top priority.” q • For more information visit www.bullproducts.co.uk

Assure360 – the 21st century health and safety tool for the construction industry

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BRITAIN’S RECORD AS ONE of the best in the world when it comes to health and safety is hard earned. It’s no coincidence that, according to the HSE, in the year ending March 2017 deaths in the construction industry were at an all-time low, with only 30 recorded fatalities. Maintaining an enviable H&S record requires all those involved in the construction industry to ensure innovation is at the heart of their business. The new Assure360 app is a powerful tool that brings H&S innovation into the 21st century by providing a complete package that will transform H&S within construction businesses, including detailed realtime auditing and recording across all areas of safety management. Assure360 isn’t a dumb auditing tool or ‘smart form’ it is a real industry first – innovative software backed by a powerful and secure database that enables those in the construction industry to collect H&S findings on site and record them on the intuitive and simple to use app. Findings are then analysed by the cloud database and actions automatically flow to the managers that can make the most impactful changes. The sophisticated workflow lets users track close out, so nothing gets forgotten. The dashboard presents the most important information so users can prioritise and identify what matters most. Andrew Le Marie, group head of H&S at Breyer Group commented:

“Assure360 allows us to quickly and easily audit sites along with reporting, tracking and investigating H&S incidents. The cloud database lays all the information I need to do my job on a plate. I can instantly understand what our findings are telling us. Reporting to the board is no longer something I have to take weeks to prepare for – everything is at the touch of a button. “What is even better is that the system is so easy to use, it is no longer me and my team that ‘do H&S’ – all the contracts managers and directors participate. Assure360 allows me to do my job – manage H&S and improve the safety culture of the company.” With real-time access via the cloud, the Assure360 suite of tools means everyone involved in a project can access current data and reports anywhere and at any time, wherever there is internet access. Assure360 helps on-site safety management through analysis of both what companies do well and, crucially, their mistakes. It supports learning and records actions taken so that H&S can continue to improve. The advanced competence scheme makes it easy to measure and analyse staff and contractor competence levels, providing comprehensive reports to identify training needs and tackle gaps in employee skills. Nick Garland, founder of Assure360 said: “Assure360 changes auditing from something to ‘get through’ so as to report compliance to the board and makes it a route to improvement. It makes everyone on site a health and safety manager – its intuitive design is accessible to the novice, and allows experienced auditors to focus on their radar, recording key issues. “With Assure360, it’s no longer just the H&S manager who ‘does H&S’. It strengthens the whole company’s safety culture. All of this will help construction businesses to protect their staff and contractors when on site and to identify areas of risk.” Britain is certainly one of the best countries in the world when it comes to H&S but Assure360 can help construction businesses make it even better. q • For further information call 0845 226 4318, email enquiries@assure306.co.uk or visit www.assure360.co.uk www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Volkswagen stacks yet more value onto its new Crafter [

THE VOLKSWAGEN CRAFTER has been described by the manufacturer as ‘crafted by you; engineered by us’. And, indeed, the new development of the popular panel van has proven to be more practical, economical and innovative than ever before. Among the innovations making it a van driver’s van, the dimensions of the new Crafter are optional. For example, maximum cargo capacity has been combined with minimal external dimensions, making it extremely manoeuvrable. There are also up to three different vehicle lengths and heights depending on chosen variant. The new Crafter is also built to be smart around town. Its innovative and intelligent parking assistance system includes side protection, which alerts the driver with visual and audible warnings if they’re getting too close to other vehicles, pillars, walls or pedestrians. State-of-the-art driver assistance systems also aid city driving. Available as standard, front assist uses a radar to monitor the distance from the traffic in front and alerts the driver if they are too close. City emergency braking reduces the chance of a collision by triggering emergency braking when it detects critical distances. A unique system triggers braking after a collision to prevent a second impact. After a short delay, the vehicle begins a phased braking action down to 6mph, during which the driver can take over at any time. Other safety features include the servotronic electromechanical steering system fitted as standard. It provides a speed-sensitive operation with active return, improving the steering feel around the mid-point and providing improved levels of steering precision. In addition, the new Crafter offers a number of optional state-of-the-art driver assistance systems, including trailer assist, lane keeping assist and adaptive cruise control. A range of new engines combine high levels of power and torque with low fuel consumption and CO2 figures, offering reliability and low running costs. For economic peace of mind the vehicle comes with a three-year, 100,000 mile warranty, which also covers any factory-fitted add-ons. For those

expecting to exceed the mileage limit an optional unlimited mileage warranty is also available. Every new Crafter also comes with three years unlimited-mileage Volkswagen Roadside Assistance. Cover is 24 hours-a-day, 365 daysa-year and is available across the UK and most of Europe. The cover includes both fault and non-fault issues like flat tyres, battery problems or even filling up with the wrong fuel! Plus, the new van carries with it Volkswagen’s better-than-average residual value. Recognising that maximising a vehicle’s operational uptime is important, Volkswagen

offers flexible servicing at its network of 72 van centres and 24 authorised service centres, allowing vehicles to be in the garage when they’re not needed on the road. The Crafter also figures in Volkswagen’s diesel scrappage scheme, designed to allow operators to replace pre-Euro 5 models with new replacements. The Crafter qualifies for up to £2,000 back under the scheme. If that wasn’t enough, contract hire orders placed before the end of the year can qualify for a special rate of £269 per month plus VAT, plus initial rental deposit. q

The Volkswagen heart in the Heart of England [THE PLACE TO find Volkswagen commercial vehicles in Warwickshire and Worcestershire is

Listers. Listers have two of the largest van centres in the country in Coventry and Droitwich. And with multiple awards for Volkswagen Van Centre of the Year, customers know they’ll be in safe hands. Volkswagen-trained technicians and efficient friendly staff are there to provide all the help and support you need. Both sites have large stocks of new and approved used vehicles that include the full range, from the Caddy to the New Transporter and the amazing California, so you can go and see them in the flesh and take one out for a test drive. For those who already own a Volkswagen van, Listers servicing departments are fully Volkswagen approved and use genuine Volkswagen parts to ensure the vans they service remain safe and reliable. They also have a service centre at Stratford-upon-Avon. q www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Architecture guru brings his own grand design to fruition [IN 2007 a new concept in housing

development burst onto the UK housing scene. HAB, which stands for Happiness Architecture Beauty was established by Kevin McCloud, presenter of Channel 4’s Grand Designs. As founder and chairman of HAB, Kevin’s aim was to challenge the way identikit volume housing was being built in the UK. Now making its mark throughout the South West, HAB builds homes and places that respect the local context and biodiversity. They are strongly rooted in the history, landscape and the community of their locale and are sustainable, beautiful and a pleasure to live in. The company’s managing director Mike Roberts explained the philosophy: “With every scheme, we start by thinking about how we can make it as special as possible. What can we create? What is the vision? How will the experience of living here be? We want it to be a great place for residents. Starting with the place before looking at buildings is key for us.” HAB’s latest development, Lovedon Fields in Kings Worthy near Winchester, has sold out off plan. Lovedon Fields captures all of the key criteria in planning new homes: it is sustainably and beautifully designed and well connected to the local community. HAB believes that this success was largely due to a combination of the great scheme design, coupled with an innovative marketing approach including virtual reality technology, which let buyers visualise life in their new home. Buyers viewing Lovedon Fields used highquality Oculus Rift VR technology to walk around the homes before they were built, enabling them to physically experience their future home in realistic 3D. As well as developing an emotional reaction to the properties, they could switch between alternate floor plans to decide on a layout that would best suit their family and lifestyle. Lovedon Fields comprises three, four and fivebedroom homes, situated between the historic village of Kings Worthy and the cathedral city of Winchester. Running tracks, allotments, wildflower meadows and even a village green

The Gallery House at Lovedon Fields in Kings Worthy will be on Lovedon residents’ doorsteps. The importance of nature and the local wildlife has also been brought to the fore at Lovedon Fields, with spaces for swallows, slow worms, bats, hedgehogs and a wealth of insects incorporated throughout the scheme. Every home will get an integrated micro-habitat for bats, birds or even the honeycomb-like ‘bee bricks’ to help house the pollinators of the wildflowers in the new parkland. Garden hedges and fences have been designed to provide highways for hedgehogs and slow worms to scoot about. Those same environmental priorities helped to sell out another of HAB’s recent developments last year. The Acre, in Oxford, is bordered by mature trees and hedgerows on a hillside just a few miles from the city centre. Designed by John Pardey Architects, The Acre comprises just five two-storey homes of four to six bedrooms – each individually designed for its specific position on the hill. Bespoke layouts and finishes are designed to suit the desires, lifestyles, hobbies and families of residents, including

Another of HAB’s recent developments is The Acre in Oxford (left), with Elderberry Walk in Southmead next on the agenda (right)

spaces for home working, overnight guests and open-plan living. Built from a hemp-based construction system, energy and water use are low, bringing down running costs for buyers, and the design ensures they stay warm in winter, cool in summer and flooded with natural daylight year-round. The gardens have been shaped as carefully as the homes themselves, with birdhouses and bat boxes placed across the site. Next on the agenda for the trendsetting developer is a scheme of 161 homes in Southmead, Bristol. The Elderberry Walk development will transform the site of an old primary school, which has been derelict for more than 10 years, into an attractive residential location with green spaces and community areas. The buildings have been carefully designed following consultation with local residents, with an energy efficient and sustainable approach. The new homes will be a combination of one and two-bedroom apartments and two, three and four-bedroom houses. Preference will be given to people working and living in the local area. Almost a third of the homes will be affordable housing with United Communities – both for rent and shared ownership. A further quarter of the development is available via a new type of socially responsible private rent, delivered by Bristol and Bath Regional Capital and the Cheyenne Social Property Impact Fund. Kevin McCloud said: “We’re simply delighted to start our first project in our home city of Bristol; HAB Housing has been keen to deliver here ever since we moved into our studio in the city a few years ago. Urban regeneration can be beautiful, sustainable and affordable. And we are eager to crack on, and begin to shape a beautiful new quarter of Southmead.” q www.constructionnational.co.uk

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NHBC salutes housebuilding heroes from around the country [IN JUNE the National Housebuilding Council (NHBC) announced the winners in the first round of its

annual Pride in the Job Awards for site managers. Around 450 site managers were recognised for their commitment to building homes of outstanding quality with the NHBC’s Quality Award for Pride in the Job. Pride in the Job is now in its 37th year and is dedicated to recognising the efforts of the people in charge of actually building homes and their teams. Judging for this year’s awards began in July last year, with each site manager assessed across 44 areas of site management. They include technical knowledge, consistency in the build process and the quality controls in place. The awards fall into four categories according to the number of NHBS registrations their company lodges annually: Small Builder, Medium Builder and Large Builder. A Multistorey category is for firms who construct buildings of five storeys or more for multiple occupancy. The awards are further divided into regions. In the following pages we profile some of the regional building firms that produce outstanding homes – firms that are not on the scale of the major developers but offer a quality service to their own communities. q

Award-winner’s site gets ‘thumbs-up’ from TV property expert

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WHEN WELL-KNOWN North Wales estate agent Dafydd Hardy offered ‘…a superb opportunity to purchase a new build detached house situated in a central and convenient location within the popular village of Penysarn’, it attracted immediate interest and was soon snapped up. And Dafydd Hardy certainly knows an exceptional property when he sees one. He is somewhat of a celebrity in local property circles, having

appeared on the BBC property show Homes under the Hammer a number of times to offer his opinion on properties for sale in the region and blogs knowledgably on the local market. The home in question is part of a select development known as Corn Cam in the pretty Anglesey village. Featuring just three exclusive properties, it has been constructed by locally-based company 4 Crosses Construction.

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It is described thus: “The property will offer roomy, family-sized accommodation with an attractive exterior to match its clean and efficient interior. This new build is expected to benefit from central heating, uPVC double glazing, driveway, integral garage, front and rear gardens.” Its location in Penysarn positions it well for both the Anglesey coast with its beaches as well as the island’s rural landscape and market towns such as Amlwch and Llangefni. Being on Anglesey doesn’t detract from the village’s communications opportunities, as it close to the A55 Expressway linking the port of Holyhead with the UK motorway system.

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“At the advertised price,” said Dafydd, “we believe that this newly-built property represents outstanding value for anyone seeking a modern and comfortable family home in a village setting.” It’s not just Dafydd Hardy who has recognised the outstanding quality of the build. Corn Cam has won for site manager Rhys Morris a Quality Award in this year’s NHBC Pride in the Job Awards. Rhys is the contracts director of 4 Crosses, responsible for the site co-ordination and project operations. He has nearly two decades of experience in site operations and a proven track record for delivering projects to a tight timeframe in difficult situations. The fact that the contracts director is also the hands-on site manager reflects the tight-knit nature of the business. 4 Crosses was founded by Rhys’s former co-director David Titchiner, now retired, who was keen to promote a ‘hands-on’ approach to the company’s day-to-day operations, backed with a professional team of surveyors and administration staff. In 2013 4 Crosses were accredited to ISO 9001:2008 for quality management, which provides clients with the reassurance that their project will be delivered in a measured and professional manner. They are members of both CHAS and SMAS as principal contractor, ensuring an absolute commitment to site health and safety. The company was founded in 1994 and has enjoyed consistent growth since then. Although based on Anglesey, they operate as far afield as Merseyside, Wirral, Manchester, Cheshire, Shropshire and Powys, as well as all of North Wales. 4 Crosses Construction is not a typical developer. Housebuilding is just one part of a multi-disciplinary operation whose thumbprint can be seen on many of the buildings essential to daily life in North Wales. Their

Terry follows in the boss’s footsteps

client base includes most of the local authorities in the region – for whom they have carried out new build, refurbishment and alteration projects on schools – as well as a number of housing associations and the Ministry of Defence. They were engaged to undertake the extension and upgrading of the leisure centre at Amlwch, as well as acting as groundworks contractor for a new facility at the famous King’s School in Chester. For private clients they have carried out new build and conversions of barns and farmhouses, while they have acted as groundworks and services contractors for a number of national housebuilders. They have most recently been in the news as groundworks contractor for Archway Homes in the construction of a brand new home type, the Ciara, for the family of severely disabled little girl, Ciara Fowler. q

[A LOCAL BUILDER with a national reputation is once more celebrating success at the Pride in the Job Awards for the Wales region. Anvis Homes are aware of the importance of the PiJs in recognising quality on site and providing assurance for potential buyers, so the company was quick to congratulate site manager Terry McBride on his Quality Award this year.

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The firm’s website proclaimed: “We are proud to announce Terry McBride has won the NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award 2017 for Victoria Park, Colwyn Bay – our current new development. This award demonstrates the ability to deliver exceptional high standards throughout the development.” The announcement continued: “This award is the highest accolade any site manager can achieve. Homeowners who buy a Pride in the Job home benefit from a quality product. Congratulations and well done!” The Victoria Park development is a collection of three-bedroom properties featuring impressive architecture and located on the outskirts of Colwyn Bay. They offer very spacious accommodation with a southerly aspect boasting picturesque views of the surrounding countryside and local beaches.

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Among the features is an orangery with a vaulted glass roof – described as ‘angelic’ – with a private seating area leading from patio doors. Terry is in good company at Anvis Homes as a Pride in the Job winner. The firm is run by husband-and-wife team Darren and Jenny Jarvis – Jenny is herself a past winner of the accolade and has also featured among those competing for the national title at the Grand Finals in London. The whole team work together to achieve the kind of quality that sets them apart. Said Jenny: “You need to give 100% attention to get that detail at the end.” Terry’s award should also give the firm a boost as they strive to expand and move into larger developments. q

Border estate brings a ‘double’ for Jeff

[ANOTHER SITE MANAGER working for a relatively small

developer – this time in Scotland – is two-time winner Jeff Loughlin (pictured). Jeff’s site is the Leet Haugh development for Peebles-based firm Hudson Hirsel. Leet Haugh is an unusual development on a historic estate close to the border town of Coldstream. The unique nature of the development helped to bring it to the attention of the NHBC judges last year, and Jeff has repeated the feat this year. His employers are equally delighted with his achievement. In a statement they said: “We are very proud to announce that Jeff Loughlin has been recognised by NHBC with their Pride in the Job Award 2017 for the second year running. Jeff and the team have worked hard to ensure and maintain a high quality of workmanship throughout all aspects and stages of building. This award is a visible demonstration of Hudson Hirsel’s overall commitment to quality and something we are extremely proud of.” The developer’s managing partner Jamie Hudson added: “Jeff has been with Hudson Hirsel for over 10 years and this award is welldeserved recognition of his hard work and attention to detail. His strive for excellence helps us to deliver high quality homes with many traditional details.” Leet Haugh comprises a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes which are specifically designed to suit modern living within the structure of a ‘country estate’. The architectural style and design reflects the regional design vernacular, but with the use of some contemporary influence in the specification and detailing to ensure that homes provide traditional qualities with the benefits of modern energy-efficient living. That ‘estate’ structure provides a range of accommodation from ‘gate lodges’ in a bungalow style to ‘farm houses’ and ‘factors houses’ in

bungalows and detached one-and-a-half and two-storey homes around the village green. Hudson Hirsel is a partnership between local developer Jamie Hudson and the Hirsel Estate itself. The Hirsel Estate is one of the Douglas and Angus Estates, the Douglas-Home family estate company. The family, an amalgam of two of the great Border Families – Home and Douglas – also own the Douglas Estate in South Lanarkshire, where unbroken stewardship goes back for nearly 1,000 years. The development at Leet Haugh is still evolving. In August Hudson Hirshel announced the addition of the five-bedroom Hamilton design to the collection (pictured). q

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Cliff brings a touch of New England to Northern Ireland [

TRANSFORMING A STRIKING CORNER of Northern Ireland into a New England location is the task that has been set for site manager Cliff Donaldson of Fraser Houses. And he has made such a good job of it that he now boasts an NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award for his efforts. Cliff’s site is Rivenwood in Newtownards, at the head of Strangford Lough. An area of outstanding natural beauty, it has been described as ‘the perfect setting for families big or small, who are looking to begin a new chapter and become part of a close knit community’. The development is being carefully nurtured, on a step-by-step basis. The first 100 homes are currently being constructed, in five house styles. They range from the Newbury – a two-bedroom bungalow – and the threebedroom semi-detached Portland to the impressive four-bedroom detached Stamford. There are also the Hampton – a three-bedroom detached house – and the latest release: the Ashford, a three-bedroom detached bungalow. The exteriors of the homes are clad in New England clapboard, while the interiors add to the feel of the American North East with shaker styling. As turnkey properties buyers have the opportunity to work along with the developers to make each house their own. Buyers also decide on their preferred floor type, tile choice and kitchen detailing – making every home unique.

With five in a row, Jason aims to Seal it once more

Rivenwood is the latest in a line of bespoke developments undertaken by Fraser Houses over 50 years, comprising over 5,000 homes. They were the first company to create a development under the Government's Quality Initiative of May 2000, stipulating that housing developments needed to have open spaces, extensive tree planting and integrated community amenities to raise the bar on standards and quality. That was the groundbreaking and multi-award winning Mayfield Garden Village development at Mallusk, which is still evolving. q

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JASON MOORE just cannot stop winning Pride in the Job Awards! In June he was included in the list of Quality Award winners for the Northern Ireland and Isle of Man region for the sixth year in succession. What’s more, he is waiting to see if that achievement can be converted into a Seal of Excellence for the fourth year in a row. It’s no wonder Jason works for developer QTH – Quality Tailored Homes!. Jason’s latest award is once more for the hugely impressive Belsize Gardens development in Lisburn, County Antrim – part of the larger Belsize Road development. Every aspect and detail of Belsize Gardens has been meticulously thought through in order to deliver a total of 28 luxury three and four-bedroom detached homes. The exteriors have been expertly chosen to incorporate a unique mix of rustic tumbled brick and authentic stone façade. The latest addition to the range was the Wellington, launched earlier this year (pictured). In order to show off the state-of-the-art kitchen at the show home, QTH invited celebrity chef Jenny Bristow to create a sumptuous dinner for invited guests. q www.constructionnational.co.uk

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two in two for PiJ newcomers

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ANOTHER RELATIVE NEWCOMER to the Pride in the Job Awards is Brian Todd Homes Ltd, who build small developments in the NHBC East Region. A local developer based in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, the company is celebrating a second award for its joint site mangers Paul and Simon Todd in as many years.

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Last year was the first year the company had entered the PiJs and it brought immediate success for the site at The Beeches in Kirkby on Bain, where they are pictured (left). The company stated at the time: â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is the first time as a company we have entered a competition and we feel it is in recognition of our top class tradesmen

NHBC’s very own social whirl leads to a London climax [ THE AUTUMN SEES a flurry of activity on the Pride in the Job front, with a series

who we employ – not only on this project but for every one of our homes. Most of our trades have worked with us for many years and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their hard work. “From first-time buyer properties to executive homes, Brian Todd Homes has for the last 45 years consistently produced quality, individual and stylish properties. We pride ourselves on being able to provide a hands-on personal touch with what we believe a caring aftersales service. We only use time served tradesmen who are of a very high standard, most having worked for the company for a number of years.” This year the award is for the Hawthorn Lane development – the latest of many developments in the village of Tetford, situated in the heart of the Lincolnshire Wolds and designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The development comprises five three and fourbedroom executive homes. q

of 11 regional ceremonies taking place to select the winners of the Regional Awards in the various categories, as well as the top 100 or so site managers who receive the coveted Seal of Excellence awards. The East Region was the first to declare – appropriately on 1 September – with a lunch at the Athena in Leicester. The celebrations continued throughout September, with the South East, South West, North East and Scotland holding their events. In October the West and Southern Regions announced their winners, followed by Wales and the North West. The series of ceremonies will move to Belfast on 3 November for the Northern Ireland and Isle of Man event, with the London Region bringing proceedings to a close on 11 November. Participants will pause for breath – and the Christmas break – before the regional winners reassemble in London on 26 January for the Gala National Awards ceremony to find out who really are the best of the best in site management in the housebuilding industry. q

Darren brings home a second PiJ for local developer [A SELECT DEVELOPMENT of three,

four and five-bedroom executive homes with a modern aesthetic, located in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, has brought a second PiJ Quality Award for a site manager from local developer Campbell Buchanan – a testament, says the company, to the skill and dedication of its team. The recipient this year is Darren Hill for his work at the town’s Eaton Gate development, also in the NHBC East Region. In a statement the company expressed its delight: “Darren is one of our leading senior site managers, and this award reflects excellence in his site management – placing him at the top of his profession. He and his team have worked incredibly hard to ensure the exacting standards of both Campbell Buchanan Fine Homes and the NHBC are met all the way through the construction process.” Executive chairman Toby Markham added: “All of the team at Campbell Buchanan wish to congratulate Darren on the winning of this prestigious award which is thoroughly deserved and recognises the hard work and dedication Darren demonstrates on a day-to-day basis.” q

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Family firm flies the flag [ JUST A FEW YARDS from the seafront

and beach at Sandown, on the Isle of Wight, was a local distribution depot for Dairy Crest milk deliveries – formerly Unigate. The decline in doorstep deliveries led to the closure of the depot and it has now become an award-winning clutch of bespoke homes. The development is made up of six threebedroom homes. There are two pairs of traditional two-storey semi-detached houses and a single pair of chalet bungalows. What sets the bungalows apart is that, although they are semi-detached, they are of different design. The bungalows feature one downstairs bedroom and two in the dormer. The developer was local family firm A M Faithfull and Sons of nearby Bembridge and the site manager was company director Kevin Faithfull. Kevin and his brother Stephen are very much a team when it comes to building the firm’s exclusive developments. Indeed, although it is Kevin’s name on the Pride in the Job Quality Award for the development in the NHBC’s Southern Region, he was keen to stress that it was the Faithfull brothers who had won the award. “I do the management side, while Stephen gets things done on the site,” he said.

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The firm was founded by the pair’s father after the brothers had completed their respective apprenticeships with well-known local companies: Kevin as a joiner/carpenter and Stephen as a bricklayer. Both brothers went on to achieve Advanced City and Guilds qualifications.

for the Isle of Wight “Our father had semi-retired after selling the family farm when he was invited to invest in a building venture with another partner,” explained Kevin. “After that development was completed father bought a plot of land for a pair of semi-detached houses and we all become partners. That was in 1996 and A M Faithfull and Sons was born.”

Kevin continued his studies and sponsored himself to gain both ONC and HNC qualifications in Building Studies. Developments carried out by the firm include the conversion of a pub, a block of 32 flats and three shops behind a listed façade and a number of housing projects, both spec build and for private clients. This latest project, however, threw up a number of challenges of its own – mainly owing to its brownfield status. It had been completely covered with either concrete or buildings and consequently it was not possible to tell what lay beneath. As Kevin explained, they did not have the luxury of stripping the site prior to purchase and limited information from surveys will always leave questions unanswered and potential challenges ahead. q

Entries are now open for NHBC Health and Safety Awards [

ENTRIES FOR THE 2018 NHBC Health and Safety Awards opened on 13 September. Now in their ninth year, the awards have grown in size and stature and are recognising and rewarding the very best in industry health and safety. All NHBC Health and Safety site inspection customers receive three free site entries. Every year, says the NHBC, several thousand construction workers are injured while working on a building site. Through effective management of working areas and access routes many of those could be avoided, while also helping to reduce the number of working days lost to a business. The matter of health, safety and environment continues to be one of the top priorities in housebuilding and construction. The NHBC Health and Safety Awards is the UK's only awards scheme to honour the safest housebuilders. They are designed to recognise and reward the very best in health and safety, and are also helping to drive up safety standards in the industry by showcasing and sharing best practice. They follow the same builder categories as the Pride in the Job Awards, with a three-stage judging process leading to Commended, Highly Commended and National Winner status. All of the competing sites are visited by NHBC Health and Safety advisors and are scored against the highly stringent health and safety standards set for the competition. This year’s national winners were announced at a gala event on 7 July. Stephen Ashworth, NHBC Health and Safety services manager, said: “Congratulations to all the winners on achieving their NHBC Health and Safety Commended Award. In 2017 we saw a record number of entries and an outstanding shortlist of finalists. This underpins the importance given to health and safety on house-building sites across the UK.” Entries for the 2018 competition close on 30 November, with an early bird discount until 31 October. q

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